As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 23, 2015
1933 Act File No. 033-11387
1940 Act File No. 811-04984
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | x | ||
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | ¨ | ||
Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 | x | ||
and/or | |||
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | x | ||
Amendment No. 240 | x | ||
(Check appropriate box or boxes.) | |||
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200
Irving, Texas 75039
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code: (817) 391-6100
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
¨ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
x | on December 29, 2015 pursuant to paragraph (b) |
¨ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
¨ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
¨ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
¨ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 |
If appropriate, check the following box:
¨ | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
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American Beacon |
PROSPECTUS
December 29, 2015
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Share Class |
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A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
AZSAX |
AZSCX |
AZSYX |
AZSIX |
AZSPX |
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
SHOAX |
SHOCX |
SHOYX |
SHOIX |
SHYPX |
American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund |
ABCAX |
ABECX |
ABCYX |
ABCIX |
ABCVX |
This Prospectus contains important information you should know about investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies |
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Back Cover
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American Beacon
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Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 31 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 43 of the statement of additional information ("SAI").
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share Class |
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
|||||
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
||||
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) |
0.50 |
% 1 |
1.00 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
1 |
A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase. |
2 |
The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Fund's Financial Highlights table, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. |
3 |
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class and Investor Class shares, as applicable, through December 31, 2016 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.29% for the A Class, 2.04% for the C Class, 0.99% for the Y Class, 0.89% for the Institutional Class and 1.27% for the Investor Class (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed only with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement. |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for each share class through December 31, 2016. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
A |
$700 |
$1,093 |
$1,510 |
$2,670 |
C |
$308 |
$777 |
$1,372 |
$2,984 |
Y |
$102 |
$450 |
$823 |
$1,870 |
Institutional |
$92 |
$430 |
$792 |
$1,811 |
Investor |
$130 |
$522 |
$939 |
$2,103 |
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
C |
$208 |
$777 |
$1,372 |
$2,984 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 97% of the average value of its portfolio.
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
1 |
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of small market capitalization U.S. companies. These companies have market capitalizations similar to the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000 ® Index at the time of investment.
The Russell 2000 ® Index is comprised of the 2000 companies at the bottom of the Russell 3000 ® Index based on total market capitalization. As of September 30, 2015, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000 ® Index ranged from $38 million to $5.15 billion. In addition to common stocks, preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, the Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and master limited partnerships ("MLPs").
The Fund's sub-advisor, Zebra Capital Management, LLC ("Zebra"), seeks to capture a liquidity premium among fundamentally strong, publicly-traded equities. A liquidity premium is the additional return that may be realized on the sales of securities that are less liquid at the time of purchase. A liquidity premium may exist in public equity markets, as more liquid stocks tend to be priced at a premium, while less liquid stocks are priced at a discount, thus having higher expected appreciation. Despite producing similar levels of earnings and cash flows, these less liquid stocks can often be purchased at lower prices, offering higher expected appreciation. Frequently, a fundamentally-sound stock is less traded because it has temporarily fallen out of favor. Over time, the market may recognize the inherent value of the stock again, where the Fund would stand to benefit from the liquidity premium as the stock's trading activity and price rise. Zebra chooses the securities that comprise the Fund's portfolio first by identifying stocks with strong fundamentals (i.e., earnings, book value, cash flows) that Zebra believes are undervalued in the market relative to their long-term appreciation potential. Zebra then applies the liquidity premium analysis to identify the stocks that trade less frequently than stocks with comparable fundamentals.
Stocks are typically sold when fundamentals deteriorate, trading activity increases relative to changes in a stock's fundamentals, or Zebra believes there are greater opportunities to capture liquidity premium in other stocks. On a short-term basis, the Fund may invest cash balances in money market funds and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current
levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend
paying stocks.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred
stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, REITs, depositary receipts, and MLPs. Such investments
may expose the Fund to additional risks. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the
company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate
to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company. Preferred stocks and convertible securities
are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Preferred stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks,
participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion
of an issuer and after required payments to bond holders. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing
of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Depositary receipts are subject to certain
of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including currency exchange rate fluctuations, political
and financial instability, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction
settlement. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse
developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Investments in MLPs are subject to certain risks
that differ from investment in common stock. Holders of units in MLPs have more limited rights and may be required to sell
their common units at an undesirable time or price. The Fund's investments in MLPs may also make it more difficult for the
Fund to meet the requirements necessary to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended.
Futures Contract
Risk
Futures contracts are derivative instruments where one party pays a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other
underlying assets at an agreed date. The use of such derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that it
would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives. Futures contracts may experience
potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect correlation between the price of the contract and the underlying
security or index which will increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash (the amount of
initial and variation margin) relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed (the potential increase or decrease in the price
of the futures contract).
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you
paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the
issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well
as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability or be subject
to restrictions on sale, and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. The Fund could lose money if it is unable
to dispose of an investment at a time that is most beneficial to the Fund.
Market Risk
Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic
sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Fund's shares. The Fund's equity investments are subject to stock market
risk, which involves the possibility that the value of the Fund's investments in stocks will decline due to volatility or drops in any of the many
individual country or global financial markets. Such events may cause the value of securities owned by the Fund to go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably,
and may lead to increased
2 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
redemptions, which could cause the Fund to experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in credit, fixed-income, or equity markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which could adversely affect the Fund.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that
the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged
by the underlying funds in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with
investments in those funds. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
Sector risk is the risk associated with the Fund holding a significant amount of investments in similar businesses, which
could be affected by the same economic or market conditions.
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks. Borrowers of the Fund's securities
typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities. The securities in which the collateral
is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers. In addition, delays may
occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle
transactions.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in
the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including the purchase and sale
of futures contracts, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities
to cover the position or transaction, which cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they
are replaced with other assets of equal value.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price
volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since smaller companies may have limited
operating history, product lines, and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity,
and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Fund Performance
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of the risk of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index.
The chart and the table below show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering A Class shares, Y Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Investor Class shares on June 1, 2010; and C Class shares on September 1, 2010. In the table below, the performance of the Investor Class shares is shown for the C Class shares prior to the date the C Class shares were first offered. The Investor Class shares and C Class shares would have had similar annual returns because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. However, Investor Class shares and C Class shares have different expenses.
You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31 |
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Highest Quarterly Return:
Lowest Quarterly Return:
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The calendar year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2015 was -6.05% |
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Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2014 |
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Inception
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1 Year |
Since Inception |
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Investor Class |
6/1/2010 |
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Returns Before Taxes |
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3.82 |
% |
16.27 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions |
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3.40 |
% |
14.58 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares |
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2.40 |
% |
12.84 |
% |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
3 |
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Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
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Share Class (Before Taxes) |
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A |
6/1/2010 |
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3.75 |
% |
16.16 |
% |
C |
9/1/2010 |
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2.97 |
% |
15.33 |
% |
Y |
6/1/2010 |
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4.12 |
% |
16.60 |
% |
Institutional |
6/1/2010 |
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4.16 |
% |
16.71 |
% |
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1 Year |
Since Inception |
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Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
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Russell 2000 Index |
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4.89 |
% |
16.32 |
% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. If you hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Management
The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.
Sub-Advisor
The Fund's investment sub-advisor is Zebra Capital Management, LLC.
Portfolio Managers
Zebra Capital Management, LLC |
Roger Ibbotson, Ph.D
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Eric Stokes
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may buy or sell shares of the Fund through a direct mutual fund account, through a retirement account, through an investment professional or another financial intermediary. As a direct mutual fund account shareholder, you may buy or sell shares in various ways:
Internet |
www.americanbeaconfunds.com |
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Phone |
To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1 Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class only) |
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American Beacon Funds P.O. Box 219643 Kansas City, MO 64121-9643 |
Overnight Delivery: American Beacon Funds c/o BFDS 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64105 |
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open, at the Fund's NAV per share next calculated after your order is received in proper form, subject to any applicable sales charge.
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New Account |
Existing Account |
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Share Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$250 |
A, Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, that you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local income taxes, unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your account is tax deferred (in which case you may be taxed later, upon the withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund's distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
4 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
American Beacon
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Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is to seek high current income and, secondarily, capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 31 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 43 of the statement of additional information ("SAI").
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share Class |
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
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Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
4.75 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
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Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) |
0.50 |
% 1 |
1.00 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
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Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed; applies to the proceeds of shares redeemed within 90 days of purchase) |
2.00 |
% |
2.00 |
% |
2.00 |
% |
2.00 |
% |
2.00 |
% |
1 |
A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase. |
2 |
The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Fund's Financial Highlights table, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. |
3 |
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's Institutional Class through December 31, 2016 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.84% for the Institutional Class (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed only with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. Under that agreement, the Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, the Fund paid amounts to the Manager that were previously waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager under a similar contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement for the Fund's A Class and C Class shares. |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the Institutional Class through December 31, 2016. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
A |
$596 |
$849 |
$1,120 |
$1,895 |
C |
$303 |
$623 |
$1,069 |
$2,308 |
Y |
$94 |
$293 |
$509 |
$1,131 |
Institutional |
$87 |
$280 |
$489 |
$1,092 |
Investor |
$122 |
$381 |
$660 |
$1,455 |
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
C |
$203 |
$623 |
$1,069 |
$2,308 |
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
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
5 |
Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 43% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
This Fund seeks to maximize current income by investing in a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities that are generally rated below investment grade (such as Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or BB or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services or Fitch, Inc.) or deemed to be below investment grade by Strategic Income Management, LLC ("SiM"). These types of securities are commonly referred to as "high yield" or "junk" bonds.
The Fund seeks its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets in non-investment grade securities and/or financial instruments that provide exposure to non-investment grade securities. These financial instruments include futures contracts (including futures contracts on stock indices and currencies), forward contracts (including currency forward contracts), swap agreements and structured notes whose underlying assets are rated below investment grade.
The non-investment grade securities in which the Fund may invest include: corporate bonds, convertible securities, preferred stock, bank and senior loans, floating rate loans, emerging market debt, municipal securities, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, and Rule 144A securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers, including those in emerging markets. The Fund has no limitations regarding the maturities of the debt securities it can buy, the market capitalization of the issuers of those securities or whether the securities are rated.
The Fund's investments in derivative instruments include futures contracts, forward contracts, and swaps. The Fund may use these derivative instruments to enhance total return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, to manage the effective duration of its portfolio, and to manage certain investment risks or as a substitute for purchase or sale of the underlying currencies or securities.
The Fund may have exposure to foreign currencies for investment or hedging purposes by purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. or emerging market currencies, and non-U.S. currency futures contracts. The Fund may also make direct investments in non-U.S. currencies and in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Investments in currencies and currency hedging are established to extract value or reduce risk.
The remainder of the Fund's assets may be invested in any other securities that SiM believes are consistent with the Fund's objective, including investment grade fixed-income securities, U.S. government securities, common stock, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), loan participation interests, and income-producing equity securities, such as master limited partnerships ("MLPs"), and income trusts and income deposit securities ("IDSs"). The Fund may invest cash balances in exchange-traded funds to gain market exposure on cash balances.
In selecting investments for the Fund, SiM uses an approach that combines different aspects of top down and bottom up analysis. As part of its top down analysis, SiM utilizes a core philosophy to identify positive long term trends. SiM then invests in sectors, industries and companies that will benefit from these trends. Concurrent with this core philosophy, SiM's management seeks to take advantage of market volatility by analyzing and potentially investing in sectors, industries and companies undergoing a change in dynamics that has not been fully recognized by the market. Market volatility continually provides opportunities to capture value from these types of situations. Once potential investment opportunities are identified, SiM utilizes bottom up research to assess the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of each individual company and the best risk/reward security is chosen for inclusion in the portfolio.
SiM may reduce or sell the Fund's portfolio securities for a variety of reasons, including if, in SiM's opinion, a security's value becomes fully recognized or there is a reassessment of the fundamental attributes of the security.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed primarily for investors seeking current income from a fund that typically invests mainly in a variety of domestic and foreign high-yield, high-risk debt securities. Those investors should be willing to assume the credit risks of a fund that typically invests a significant amount of its assets in below investment-grade debt securities and the price changes in those securities that can occur when interest rates change. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income. The Fund is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
Allocation Risk
The sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations between, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's
performance. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage Related Securities Risk
Investments in asset-backed and mortgage related securities are subject to market risks for fixed-income securities which
include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk.
Convertible Securities Risk
The value of a convertible security typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general,
a convertible security is subject to the risks of stocks when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion
price and is subject to the risks of debt securities when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price.
Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment
in lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). In addition, because companies that issue convertible securities
may be small- or mid-cap companies, to the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies,
it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies may fluctuate more
widely in price than the market as a whole and there may also be less trading in small- or mid-cap stocks.
Counterparty Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that a party or participant to a transaction, such as a broker or derivative counterparty,
will be unwilling or unable to satisfy its obligation to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments or to otherwise
honor its obligations to the Fund.
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract
or a loan will fail to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. Credit
risk is typically greater for securities with ratings that are below investment grade (commonly referred to as "junk bonds").
Since the Fund can invest significantly in lower-quality debt securities considered speculative in nature, this risk will
be substantial.
6 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
Currency Risk
The Fund may have exposure to foreign currencies by purchasing or selling forward currency contracts in non-U.S. currencies,
non-U.S. currency futures contracts and in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Foreign currencies may decline in
value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund's investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that
trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives may involve significant risk. The use of derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that
it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, including the high degree
of leverage often embedded in such instruments, and potential material and prolonged deviations between the theoretical value
and realizable value of a derivative. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the
Fund's initial investment. Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. The Fund
may buy or sell derivatives not traded on an exchange and which may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk.
Derivative investments can increase portfolio turnover and transaction costs. Derivatives also are subject to counterparty
risk. As a result the Fund may obtain no recovery of its investment or may only obtain a limited recovery, and any recovery
may be delayed. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater
losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. In addition, the Fund's investments in derivatives are subject to the
following risks:
Futures and Forward Contracts. Futures and forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs"), are derivative instruments pursuant to a contract where one party pays a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date or to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. There may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. Not all forward contracts, including NDRs, require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts. Forward currency transactions, including NDRs, include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency. Interest rate and Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to price fluctuations resulting from changes in interest rates. The Fund could suffer a loss if interest rates rise after the Fund has purchased an interest rate futures contract or fall after the Fund has sold an interest rate futures contract. Similarly, Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected.
Structured Notes. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity.
Swap Agreements. Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage. If swaps are used as a hedging strategy, the Fund is subject to the risk that the hedging strategy may not eliminate the risk that it is intended to offset, due to, among other reasons, the occurrence of unexpected price movements or the non-occurrence of expected price movements. Swaps also may be difficult to value. Equity swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk. Total return swaps and currency swaps are subject to counterparty risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. In addition to these risks, total return swaps are subject to market risk and interest rate risk, if the underlying securities are bonds or other debt obligations. In addition, currency swaps are subject to currency risk.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current
levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend
paying stocks.
Emerging Markets Risk
When investing in emerging markets, the risks of investing in foreign securities discussed below are heightened. Emerging
markets are generally smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets of the U.S. and other
developed markets. There are also risks of: greater political uncertainties; an economy's dependence on revenues from particular
commodities or on international aid or development assistance; currency transfer restrictions; a limited number of potential
buyers for such securities; and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred
stocks, depositary receipts, REITs, MLPs, income trusts and IDSs. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry
or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation
or bankruptcy of the issuing company. Preferred stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation
in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an
issuer and after required payments to bond holders.. Depositary receipts are subject to certain of the risks associated with
investing directly in foreign securities. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real
estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. Holders of units
in MLPs have more limited rights and may be required to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price. The Fund's
investments in MLPs may also make it more difficult for the Fund to meet the requirements necessary to qualify as a regulated
investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Income trusts and IDSs are subject to credit risk,
interest rate risk and dividend risk. Income trusts, which hold income producing assets and pass the income on to security
holders, share many of the risks inherent in stock ownership and may lack diversification. Although IDS, which are units representing
shares of common stock and subordinated notes issued by a company, trade on an exchange,there may be a thinner and less active
market for IDSs than that available for other securities. The value of an IDS will be affected by factors generally affecting
both common stock and subordinated debt securities.
Floating Rate Securities Risk
The interest rates payable on floating rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates.
The interest rate on a floating rate security is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market
index or Treasury bill rate. Floating rate securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk.
As short-term interest rates decline, interest payable on floating rate securities typically should decrease. Alternatively, during periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the interest rates of floating rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in interest rates. The value of floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline.
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
7 |
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited
to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity and greater volatility,
(4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased price volatility, (6) less government
regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies; and (7) delays in transaction settlement
in some foreign markets.
Hedging Risk
If the Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, or the hedged instrument
does not correlate to the risk sought to be hedged, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund's return, or create a
loss.
High Yield Securities Risk
Investing in high yield, below investment-grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds") generally involves significantly
greater risks of loss of your money than an investment in investment grade securities. High yield debt securities may fluctuate
more widely in price and yield and may fall in price when the economy is weak or expected to become weak. High yield securities
are considered to be speculative with respect to an issuer's ability to pay interest and principal and carry a greater risk
that the issuers of lower-rated securities will default on the timely payment of principal and interest. Below investment
grade securities may experience greater price volatility and less liquidity than investment grade securities.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk
Securities not registered in the U.S. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), including Rule
144A securities, may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. They may be more difficult to purchase
or sell at an advantageous time or price because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets. The
Fund may not be able to sell a restricted security when the sub-advisor considers it desirable to do so and/or may have to
sell the security at a lower price than the Fund believes is its fair market value. In addition, transaction costs may be
higher for restricted securities and the Fund may receive only limited information regarding the issuer of a restricted security.
The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering restricted securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in
effecting the registration.
Interest Rate Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the market value of fixed income securities or derivatives it holds, particularly mortgage
backed and other asset backed securities, will decline due to rising interest rates. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest
rates are near historic lows, but may rise substantially and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the
Fund. Generally, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as fixed income securities, will move in the opposite
direction to movements in interest rates. The prices of fixed income securities or derivatives are also affected by their
duration. Fixed income securities or derivatives with longer duration generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest
rates. For example, if a bond has a duration of eight years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result
in a 8% decrease in the value of the bond. An increase in interest rates can impact markets broadly as well. For example,
some investors buy securities and derivatives with borrowed money; an increase in interest rates can cause a decline in those
markets.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you
paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the
issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well
as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Leverage Risk
The Fund's use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, structured notes, other derivative instruments and selling securities
short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices
of an asset or class of assets underlying a derivative instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the
Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund does not use the derivative instruments that have a leveraging
effect. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rate of losses. Leverage
tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset or class
of assets and may cause the Fund's NAV to be volatile.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability or be subject
to restrictions on sale, and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. The Fund could lose money if it is unable
to dispose of an investment at a time that is most beneficial to the Fund.
Loan Interests Risk
Unlike publicly traded common stocks which trade on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans to
trade. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized
procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods
may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding
the Fund's ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in its prospectus. The secondary market
for floating rate loans also may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. The lack of an active
trading market for certain floating rate loans may impair the ability of the Fund to sell its loan interests at a time when
it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may require the Fund to sell them at prices that are less than what the Fund regards
as their fair market value and may make it difficult to value such loans. Interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged
companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or
market conditions. When the Fund's loan interest is a participation, the Fund is subject to the risk that the party selling
the participation interest will not remit the Fund's pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund and the Fund may have less
control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest.
Market Risk
Market risks, including political, regulatory,
market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market,
can affect the value of the Fund's shares. The Fund's fixed-income investments are subject to the risk that the lack of
liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the Fund's ability to purchase and sell the debt securities.
The Fund's equity investments are subject to stock market risk, which involves the possibility that the value of the Fund's investments
in stocks will decline due to volatility or drops in any of the many individual country or global financial markets. Such
events may cause the value of securities owned by the Fund to go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, and may lead
to increased redemptions, which could cause the Fund to experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests
8 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
by shareholders. Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in credit, fixed-income, or equity markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which could adversely affect the Fund.
Market Timing Risk
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in that Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund's
NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient
investment strategies. Because of specific securities in which the Fund may invest, it could be subject to the risk of market
timing activities by shareholders.
Municipal Securities Risk
Municipal securities could be adversely affected by adverse political and legislative changes. Changes in the financial condition
of a municipality may affect the ability of a municipal issuer to make interest and principal payments on a security as they
become due. Changes in interest rates and market conditions may directly impact the liquidity and valuation of municipal securities,
which may affect the yield and value of the Fund's municipal securities investments. A downgrade in the issuer's or security's
credit rating can reduce the market value of the security.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"). To the
extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and
expenses charged by the underlying funds in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks
associated with investments in those funds. For example, to the extent the Fund invests in ETFs that invest in equity securities,
fixed income securities and/or foreign securities, or track an index, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with investing
in such securities or the index fluctuations. Because ETFs are listed on an exchange, they may be subject to trading halts
and may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV.
Prepayment and Extension Risk
Prepayment risk is the risk that the principal amount of the underlying collateral may be repaid prior to the bond's maturity
date. Due to a decline in interest rates or excess cash flow, a debt security may be called or otherwise prepaid before maturity.
If this occurs, no additional interest will be paid on the investment and the Fund may have to invest at a lower rate, may
not benefit from an increase in value that may result from declining interest rates, and may lose any premium it paid to acquire
the security. Variable and floating rate securities may be less sensitive to prepayment risk. Extension risk is the risk that
a decrease in prepayments may, as a result of higher interest rates or other factors, result in the extension of a security's
effective maturity, heighten interest rate risk and increase the potential for a decline in price.
Sector Risk
Sector risk is the risk associated with the Fund holding a significant amount of investments in similar businesses, which
could be affected by the same economic or market conditions.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in
the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including short sales and investments
in derivatives, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities
to cover the position or transaction, which cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they
are replaced with other assets of equal value.
Unrated Securities Risk
Investing in unrated securities involves the risk that the sub-advisor may not accurately evaluate the security's comparative
credit rating. To the extent that the Fund invests in unrated securities, the Fund's success in achieving its investment objective
may depend more heavily on the sub-advisors' credit analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in rated securities.
U.S. Government Securities Risk and Government Sponsored Enterprises Risk
A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed by the applicable
entity only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The market prices for such securities
are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Securities held by the Fund that are issued by government-sponsored enterprises, such
as the Federal National Mortgage Association (‘‘Fannie Mae''), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (‘‘Freddie Mac''),
Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury
and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. U.S. Government securities and securities of government
sponsored entities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and market risk.
Valuation Risk
The Fund may value certain assets at a price different from the price at which they can be sold. This risk may be especially
pronounced for investments, such as certain derivatives, which may be illiquid or which may become illiquid.
Fund Performance
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of the risk of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index.
The chart and the table below show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering all shares classes on February 14, 2011. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
9 |
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31 |
|
|
Highest Quarterly Return:
Lowest Quarterly Return:
|
The calendar year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2015 was -1.00% |
|
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Investor Class |
2/14/2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
Returns Before Taxes |
|
|
4.01 |
% |
7.48 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
0.64 |
% |
4.25 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares |
|
|
2.56 |
% |
4.48 |
% |
|
Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Share Class (Before Taxes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A |
2/14/2011 |
|
3.73 |
% |
7.38 |
% |
C |
2/14/2011 |
|
3.07 |
% |
6.64 |
% |
Y |
2/14/2011 |
|
4.21 |
% |
7.79 |
% |
Institutional |
2/14/2011 |
|
4.30 |
% |
7.94 |
% |
|
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merrill Lynch/Bank of America US High Yield Master II Index |
|
|
2.50 |
% |
6.78 |
% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. If you hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Management
The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.
Sub-Advisor
The Fund's investment sub-advisor is Strategic Income Management, LLC.
Portfolio Managers
Strategic Income Management, LLC |
Gary Pokrzywinski
|
Brian Placzek
|
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may buy or sell shares of the Fund through a direct mutual fund account, through a retirement account, through an investment professional or another financial intermediary. As a direct mutual fund account shareholder, you may buy or sell shares in various ways:
Internet |
www.americanbeaconfunds.com |
|
Phone |
To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1 Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class only) |
|
|
American Beacon Funds
|
Overnight Delivery:
|
10 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open, at the Fund's NAV per share next calculated after your order is received in proper form, subject to any applicable sales charge.
|
New Account |
Existing Account |
|
Share Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$250 |
A, Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, that you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local income taxes, unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your account is tax deferred (in which case you may be taxed later, upon the withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund's distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
11 |
American Beacon
|
|
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 31 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 43 of the statement of additional information ("SAI").
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share Class |
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
|||||
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
||||
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) |
0.50 |
% 1 |
1.00 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Class |
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
|||||
Management Fees |
0.37 |
% |
0.37 |
% |
0.37 |
% |
0.37 |
% |
0.37 |
% |
Distribution (12b-1) Fees |
0.25 |
% |
1.00 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
Other Expenses |
0.51 |
% |
0.51 |
% |
0.46 |
% |
0.38 |
% |
0.67 |
% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
0.01 |
% |
0.01 |
% |
0.01 |
% |
0.01 |
% |
0.01 |
% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 |
1.14 |
% |
1.89 |
% |
0.84 |
% |
0.76 |
% |
1.05 |
% |
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement or recoupment 3 |
0.00 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
0.04 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or recoupment |
1.17 |
% |
1.89 |
% |
0.84 |
% |
0.80 |
% |
1.16 |
% |
1 |
A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase. |
2 |
The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Fund's Financial Highlights table, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. |
3 |
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, the Fund paid amounts to the Manager that were previously waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager under a contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement agreement for the Fund's Institutional Class. Under that agreement, the Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement. |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
A |
$685 |
$916 |
$1,167 |
$1,881 |
C |
$292 |
$594 |
$1,021 |
$2,212 |
Y |
$86 |
$268 |
$466 |
$1,037 |
Institutional |
$82 |
$247 |
$426 |
$946 |
Investor |
$107 |
$334 |
$579 |
$1,283 |
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
C |
$192 |
$594 |
$1,021 |
$2,212 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity and equity-related investments. The Fund's investments in equity and equity-related investments include U.S. common stocks, preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common
12 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
stock, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), and income trusts. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in fixed income instruments, primarily including trust preferred securities and U.S. Government securities. The Fund may invest in issuers of any market capitalization and will typically hold 30 to 40 issuers in the Fund.
The Fund's investment sub-advisor, The London Company of Virginia, LLC ("The London Company"), emphasizes investments in profitable, financially stable, core companies that focus on generating high dividend income, are run by shareholder-oriented management, and trade at reasonable valuations. The London Company also seeks companies with high return on capital, consistent free cash flow generation, predictability and stability. The London Company employs an investment process with bottom up, fundamental analysis and follows a strict sell discipline.
On a short-term basis, the Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract
or a loan will fail to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current
levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend
paying stocks.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred
stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), ADRs, U.S.
dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges and income trusts. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional
risks. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same
industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation
or bankruptcy of the issuing company. Preferred stocks and convertible securities are sensitive to movements in interest rates.
Preferred stocks stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an
issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an issuer and after required
payments to bond holders. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an
effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Investments in ADRs and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded
on U.S. exchange are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. REITs are subject
to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate
industry and real property values. Income trusts are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and dividend risk. Income
trusts are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and dividend risk. Income trusts, which hold income producing assets
and pass the income on to security holders, share many of the risks inherent in stock ownership and may lack diversification.
Focused Holdings Risk
Because the Fund may have a focused portfolio of fewer companies, the increase or decrease of the value of a single investment
may have a greater impact on the Fund's NAV and total return when compared to other diversified funds.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited
to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity and greater volatility,
(4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased price volatility, (6) less government
regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies; and (7) delays in transaction settlement
in some foreign markets.
Futures Contract
Risk
Futures contracts are derivative instruments where one party pays a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other
underlying assets at an agreed date. The use of such derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that it
would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives. Futures contracts may experience
potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect correlation between the price of the contract and the underlying
security or index which will increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash (the amount of
initial and variation margin) relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed (the potential increase or decrease in the price
of the futures contract).
Interest Rate Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the market value of fixed income securities or derivatives it holds, particularly mortgage
backed and other asset backed securities, will decline due to rising interest rates. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest
rates are near historic lows, but may rise substantially and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the
Fund. Generally, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as fixed income securities, will move in the opposite
direction to movements in interest rates. The prices of fixed income securities or derivatives are also affected by their
duration. Fixed income securities or derivatives with longer duration generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest
rates. For example, if a bond has a duration of eight years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result
in a 8% decrease in the value of the bond. An increase in interest rates can impact markets broadly as well. For example,
some investors buy securities and derivatives with borrowed money; an increase in interest rates can cause a decline in those
markets.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you
paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the
issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well
as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
13 |
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies
may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods
of economic expansion.
Market Risk
Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic
sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Fund's shares. The Fund's equity investments are
subject to stock market risk, which involves the possibility that the value of the Fund's investments in stocks will decline
due to volatility or drops in any of the many individual country or global financial markets. The Fund's fixed-income investments
are subject to the risk that the lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the Fund's ability
to purchase and sell the debt securities. Such events may cause the value of securities owned by the Fund to go up or down,
sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, and may lead to increased redemptions, which could cause the Fund to experience a loss
when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity
in credit, fixed-income, or equity markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which could adversely affect the Fund.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that
the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged
by the underlying funds in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with
investments in those funds. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
Sector risk is the risk associated with the Fund holding a significant amount of investments in similar businesses, which
could be affected by the same economic or market conditions.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in
the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including the purchase and sale
of futures contracts, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities
to cover the position or transaction, which cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they
are replaced with other assets of equal value.
Small and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater
price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small and mid-capitalization
companies may have limited operating history, product lines, and financial resources, the securities of these companies may
lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing
costs and earnings.
Trust Preferred Securities Risk
Trust preferred securities are subject to market risk and credit risk. Holders of the trust preferred securities have limited
voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company.
U.S. Government Securities Risk and Government Sponsored Enterprises Risk
A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed by the applicable
entity only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The market prices for such securities
are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Securities held by the Fund that are issued by government-sponsored enterprises, such
as the Federal National Mortgage Association (‘‘Fannie Mae''), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (‘‘Freddie Mac''),
Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury
and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. U.S. Government securities and securities of government
sponsored entities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and market risk.
Fund Performance
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index.
The chart and the table below show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering all shares classes on May 25, 2012. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31 |
|
|
Highest Quarterly Return:
Lowest Quarterly Return:
|
The calendar year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2015 was -5.64% |
|
14 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Investor Class |
5/29/2012 |
|
|
|
|
|
Returns Before Taxes |
|
|
16.74 |
% |
18.83 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
15.52 |
% |
17.74 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares |
|
|
9.57 |
% |
14.34 |
% |
|
Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Share Class (Before Taxes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A |
5/29/2012 |
|
16.58 |
% |
18.63 |
% |
C |
5/29/2012 |
|
15.70 |
% |
17.76 |
% |
Y |
5/29/2012 |
|
17.01 |
% |
19.11 |
% |
Institutional |
5/29/2012 |
|
17.11 |
% |
19.22 |
% |
|
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Russell 1000 Value Index |
|
|
13.45 |
% |
22.18 |
% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. If you hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Management
The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.
Sub-Advisor
The Fund's investment sub-advisor is The London Company of Virginia, LLC.
Portfolio Managers
The London Company of Virginia, LLC |
Stephen M. Goddard
Jonathan T. Moody
|
J. Brian Campbell
Mark E. DeVaul
|
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may buy or sell shares of the Fund through a direct mutual fund account, through a retirement account, through an investment professional or another financial intermediary. As a direct mutual fund account shareholder, you may buy or sell shares in various ways:
Internet |
www.americanbeaconfunds.com |
|
Phone |
To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1 Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class only) |
|
|
American Beacon Funds
|
Overnight Delivery:
|
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open, at the Fund's NAV per share next calculated after your order is received in proper form, subject to any applicable sales charge.
|
New Account |
Existing Account |
|
Share Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$250 |
A, Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
15 |
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, that you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local income taxes, unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your account is tax deferred (in which case you may be taxed later, upon the withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund's distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
16 |
Prospectus – Fund Summaries |
Additional Information About the Funds
To help you better understand the Funds, this section provides a detailed discussion of the Funds' investment policies, their principal strategies and risks and performance benchmarks. However, this Prospectus does not describe all of a Fund's investment practices. For additional information, please see the Funds' statement of additional information ("SAI"), which is available at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or by contacting us via telephone at 1-800-658-5811, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121-9643, or by e-mail at americanbeaconfunds@ambeacon.com.
Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies
Investment Objectives
The American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
The American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund's investment objective is to seek high current income and secondarily, capital appreciation.
The American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund's investment objective is current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation.
Each Fund's investment objective is ''non-fundamental,'' which means that it may be changed by the Funds' Board of Trustees (''Board'') without the approval of Fund shareholders.
80% Investment Policies
The American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund has a non-fundamental policy to invest under normal market conditions at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of small market capitalization U.S. companies.
The American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund has a non-fundamental policy to invest under normal market conditions at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in non-investment grade securities and/or financial instruments that provide exposure to non-investment grade securities.
The American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund has a non-fundamental policy to invest under normal market conditions at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related investments.
If a Fund changes its 80% investment policy, a notice will be sent to shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change and this prospectus will be supplemented.
Temporary Defensive Policy
Each Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy by taking temporary defensive positions in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. During these times, a Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Additional Information About the Management of the Funds
The Funds have retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as their Manager. The Manager may allocate the assets of each Fund among different sub-advisors. The Manager provides or oversees the provision of all administrative, investment advisory and portfolio management services to the Funds. The Manager:
develops overall investment strategies for each Fund,
selects and changes sub-advisors,
allocates assets among sub-advisors,
monitors and evaluates the sub-advisor's investment performance,
monitors the sub-advisor's compliance with the Funds' investment objectives, policies and restrictions,
oversees the Funds' securities lending activities and actions taken by the securities lending agent to the extent applicable, and
invests the portion of Fund assets that the subadvisors determine should be allocated to short-term investments.
Each of the Funds' assets are currently allocated by the Manager to one respective sub-advisor. Each subadvisor has full discretion to purchase and sell securities for its segment of the Funds' assets in accordance with the Funds' objectives, policies, restrictions and more specific strategies provided by the Manager. The Manager oversees the sub-advisors but does not reassess individual security selections made by the sub-advisors for their portfolios.
The Funds operate in a manager of manager structure. The Funds and the Manager have received an exemptive order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (''SEC'') that permits the Funds, subject to certain conditions and approval by the Board, to hire and replace sub-advisors that are unaffiliated with the Manager without approval of the shareholders. The Manager has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, to oversee sub-advisors and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The order also exempts the Funds from disclosing the advisory fees paid by the Funds to individual sub-advisors that are unaffiliated with the Manager in various documents filed with the SEC and provided to shareholders. Instead, the fees payable to unaffiliated sub-advisors are aggregated, and fees payable to sub-advisors that are affiliated with the Manager, if any, would be aggregated with fees payable to the Manager. Disclosure of the separate fees paid to an affiliated sub-advisor would be required. Whenever a sub-advisor change is proposed in reliance on the order, in order for the change to be implemented, the Board, including a majority of its "non-interested" trustees, must approve the change. In addition, the Funds are required to provide shareholders with certain information regarding any new sub-advisor within 90 days of the hiring of any new sub-advisor.
Each Fund's sub-advisor is set forth below.
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
Zebra Capital Management, LLC
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund
Strategic Income Management, LLC
American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund
The London Company of Virginia, LLC
Prospectus – Additional Information About the Funds |
17 |
Additional Information About Investments
This section provides more detailed information regarding certain of the investments the Funds may invest in as well as information regarding the Funds' strategy with respect to investment of cash balances.
Cash Management Investments
A Fund may invest cash balances in money market funds that are registered as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the ''Investment Company Act''), including money market funds that are advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor, and in futures contracts. If a Fund invests in money market funds, shareholders will bear their proportionate share of the expenses, including, for example, advisory and administrative fees, of the money market funds in which a Fund invests, such as advisory fees charged by the Manager to any applicable money market funds advised by the Manager. Shareholders also would be exposed to the risks associated with money market funds and the portfolio investments of such money market funds, including that a money market fund's yield will be lower than the return that a Fund would have derived from other investments that would provide liquidity.
A Fund may also purchase shares of ETFs. ETFs trade like a common stock and passive ETFs usually represent a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. Typically, a Fund would purchase passive ETF shares to obtain exposure to all or a portion of the stock or bond market. As a shareholder of an ETF, a Fund would be subject to its ratable share of the ETF's expenses, including its advisory and administration expenses.
To gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs, a Fund also may purchase and sell futures contracts on a daily basis that relate to securities in which they may invest directly and indices comprised of such securities. A futures contract is a contract to purchase or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual securities is required. Rather, upon the expiration of the contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount equal to the difference between the contract price and the closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the variation margin that was previously paid. As cash balances are invested in securities, a Fund may invest simultaneously those balances in futures contracts until the cash balances are delivered to settle the securities transactions. Because a Fund will have market exposure simultaneously in both the invested securities and futures contracts, a Fund may have more than 100% of its assets exposed to the markets. This can magnify gains and losses in a Fund. A Fund also may have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its settlement or collateral obligations. The risks associated with the use of futures contracts also include that there may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by a Fund and the prices of futures contracts and that there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract.
Currencies
A Fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities and may also purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related options as well as currency swaps (see ''Derivative Investments''), and may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward currency contracts (''forwards''). A Fund may engage in these transactions in order to hedge or protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities or other derivative positions. A Fund also may use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.
Derivative Investments
Derivatives are financial instruments that have a value which depends upon, or is derived from, a reference asset, such as one or more underlying securities, pools of securities, options, futures, indexes or currencies. A Fund may invest in the following derivative instruments:
Forward Contracts. Forward contracts are two-party contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed price for an agreed upon amount of commodities or securities, or the cash value of commodities, securities or a securities index, at an agreed upon future date. A forward currency contract is an obligation to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract.
Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a contract to purchase or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual securities is required. Rather,upon the expiration of the contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount equal to the difference between the contract price and the closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the variation margin that was previously paid. An interest rate futures contract is a contract for the future delivery of an interest-bearing debt security. A treasury futures contract is a contract for the future delivery of a U.S. Treasury security. A Fund may, from time to time, use futures positions to equitize cash and expose its portfolio to changes in securities prices or index prices. This can magnify gains and losses in a Fund. A Fund also may have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its settlement or collateral obligations. The risks associated with the use of futures contracts also include that there may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by a Fund and the prices of futures contracts and that there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract.
Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price, in the case of a call option, or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency, in the case of a put option.
Options on Futures Contracts. An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to enter into a ''long'' position in the underlying futures contract, in the case of a call option, or a ''short'' position in the underlying futures contract in the case of a put option, at a fixed exercise price to a stated expiration date. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option, in the case of a call option, or a corresponding long position, in the case of a put option.
Structured Notes. ''Structured'' notes are specially-designed derivative debt instruments. The terms of the instrument may be determined or ''structured'' by the purchaser and the issuer of the note. Payments of principal or interest on these notes may be linked to the value of an index (such as a currency or securities index), one or more securities, a commodity or the financial performance of one or more third-party borrowers. The value of these notes will normally rise or fall in response to the changes in the performance of the underlying security, index, currency, commodity or the financial condition of such borrowers.
Swap Agreements. A credit default swap enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a credit event, such as an issuer's failure to make timely payments of interest or principal, bankruptcy or restructuring. The terms of the swap transaction are either negotiated by a sub-advisor and the swap counterparty or established based on terms generally available on an exchange or contract market. In an interest rate swap, a Fund and another party exchange the right to receive payments equivalent to interest at differing rates on specified notional principal amounts. In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or index during a specified period of time. The underlying
18 |
Prospectus – Additional Information About the Funds |
asset might be a security or basket of securities or index such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on a total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. A currency swap involves the exchange of payments denominated in one currency for payments denominated in another. Payments are based on a notional principal amount the value of which is fixed in exchange rate terms at the swap's inception.
Equity Investments
A Fund's equity investments may include:
Common Stock. Common stock generally takes the form of shares in a corporation which represent an ownership interest. It ranks below preferred stock and debt securities in claims for dividends and for assets of the company in a liquidation or bankruptcy. Common stock may be exchange-traded or over-the-counter. Over the counter stock may be less liquid than exchange-traded stock.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are generally preferred stocks and other securities, including bonds and warrants that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock at a stated price or rate. Convertible debt securities may offer greater appreciation potential than non-convertible debt securities. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in an issuer's capital structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While typically providing a fixed-income stream, a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security's underlying common stock.
Depositary Receipts. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts issued generally by domestic banks and represent the deposit with the bank of a security of a foreign issuer. European Depository Receipts ("EDRs") are in bearer form and traded in European securities markets. Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") are in bearer form and traded in both the U.S. and European securities markets. Non-Voting Depositary Receipts ("NVDRs") represent financial interests in an issuer but the holder is not entitled to any voting rights. Depositary receipts may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Investing in depositary receipts entails substantially the same risks as direct investment in foreign securities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. In addition, such companies may use different accounting and financial standards (and certain currencies may become unavailable for transfer from a foreign currency), resulting in a Fund's possible inability to convert immediately into U.S. currency proceeds realized upon the sale of portfolio securities of the affected foreign companies. In addition, a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts, the issuers of which are not obligated to disclose material information about the underlying securities to investors in the United States. Ownership of unsponsored depositary receipts may not entitle a Fund to the same benefits and rights as ownership of a sponsored depositary receipt or the underlying security.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer's growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is typically set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be variable, changed or omitted by the issuer.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (‘‘REITs''). REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as declines in property values, increase in property taxes, operating expenses, rising interest rates or overbuilding, zoning changes, and losses from casualty or condemnation. REITs typically are subject to management fees and other expenses that are separate from those of a Fund.
Fixed Income Instruments
A Fund's investments in fixed income instruments may include:
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities are fractional interests in pools of loans, receivable or other assets. They are issued by trusts or other special purpose vehicles and are collateralized by the loans, receivables or other assets that make up the pool. The trust or other issuer passes the income from the underlying asset pool to the investor. The Funds, the Manager, and the sub-advisors do not select the loans or other assets that are included in the collateral backing those pools.
Bank Loans and Senior Loans. Bank loans are fixed and floating rate loans arranged through private negotiations between a company or a non-U.S. government and one or more financial institutions (lenders). A Fund may invest in senior loans, which are floating rate loans that hold a senior position in the capital structure of U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities that, under normal circumstances, allow them to have priority of claim ahead of other obligations of a borrower in the event of liquidation. Bank loans and senior loans may be collateralized or uncollateralized. They pay interest at rates that float above, or are adjusted periodically based on, a benchmark that reflects current interest rates. A Fund may invest in such loans in the form of participations in loans and assignments of all or a portion of loans from third parties. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser's rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, a Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations in such instruments, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and a Fund may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. When a Fund purchases assignments from lenders, a Fund will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan.
Emerging Markets Debt. A Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in a particular geographic region or country, including emerging markets. A Fund may consider a country to be an emerging market country based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, if the country is classified as an emerging or developing economy by any supranational organization such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation or the United Nations, or related entities, or if the country is considered an emerging market country for purposes of constructing emerging market indices.
Government-Sponsored Enterprises. A Fund may invest in debt obligations of U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises, including the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae''), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac''), Federal Farm Credit Banks ("FFCB'') and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Although chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, these entities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are supported by the issuers' right to borrow from the U.S. Treasury and the discretionary authority of the U.S. Treasury to lend to the issuers and the U.S. Treasury's commitment to purchase stock to ensure the issuers' positive net worth.
High Yield Securities. High yield securities are debt obligations rated below investment grade (such as BB or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services or Fitch, Inc. and/or Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.) or not rated, but considered by a subadvisor to be of similar quality. These types of securities are also commonly referred to as ‘‘junk bonds''.
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Investment Grade Securities. Investment grade securities that a Fund may purchase, either as part of its principal investment strategy or to implement its temporary defensive policy, include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as securities rated in one of the four highest rating categories by a rating organization rating that security (such as Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or Fitch, Inc.) or comparably rated by a sub-advisor if unrated by a rating organization. A Fund, at the discretion of the applicable sub-advisor, may retain a security that has been downgraded below the initial investment criteria.
Income Deposit Securities. An IDS represents two separate securities, shares of common stock and subordinated notes issued by the same company, that are combined into one unit that trades like a stock on an exchange. Holders of IDSs receive dividends on the common shares and interest at a fixed rate on the subordinated notes to produce a blended yield. An IDS is typically listed on a stock exchange, but the underlying securities typically are not listed on the exchange until a period of time after the listing of the IDS or upon the occurrence of certain events (e.g., a change of control of the issuer of the IDS). When the underlying securities are listed, the holders of IDSs generally have the right to separate the components of the IDSs and trade them separately.
Income Trusts. An income trust is an investment trust which holds income producing assets and passes the income on to its security holders. The main attraction of an income trust is its ability to generate constant cash flows. Income trusts have the potential to deliver higher yields than bonds. During periods of low interest rates, income trusts may achieve higher yields compared with cash investments. During periods of increasing rates, the opposite may be true. Income trusts may experience losses during periods of both low and high interest rates.
Mortgage-Related Securities. A Fund can buy interests in pools of residential or commercial mortgages in the form of ‘‘pass-through'' mortgage securities. They may be issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies and instrumentalities, or by private issuers. Mortgage-related securities may be issued in different series, each having different interest rates and maturities. The prices and yields of mortgage-related securities are determined, in part, by assumptions about the rate of payments of the underlying mortgages. Mortgage-related securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations (‘‘CMOs''), issued by private issuers are not U.S. Government securities.
Municipal Securities. Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations.
Trust Preferred Securities. Trust preferred securities are issued by a special purpose trust subsidiary backed by subordinated debt of the corporate parent. Trust preferred securities are hybrid securities with characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Such characteristics include long maturities (typically 30 years or more), early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. Holders of the trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities
Generally, an illiquid asset is an asset that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price at which it has been valued. Historically, illiquid securities have included securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act, securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and repurchase agreements having a remaining maturity of longer than seven calendar days. Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. These securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment. However, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of such investments to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of their liquidity.
Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and a Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven calendar days. In addition, a Fund may get only limited information about an issuer, so it may be less able to predict a loss. A Fund also might have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. In recognition of the increased size and liquidity of the institutional market for unregistered securities and the importance of institutional investors in the formation of capital, the SEC adopted Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Rule 144A is designed to facilitate efficient trading among institutional investors by permitting the sale of certain unregistered securities to qualified institutional buyers. To the extent privately placed securities held by a Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, that Fund likely will be able to dispose of the securities without registering them under the Securities Act. To the extent that institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities, investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of a Fund's illiquidity. The Manager or a sub-advisor, as applicable, acting under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees ("Board"), may determine that certain securities qualified for trading under Rule 144A are liquid. Regulation S under the Securities Act permits the sale abroad of securities that are not registered for sale in the United States and includes a provision for U.S. investors, such as a Fund, to purchase such unregistered securities if certain conditions are met.
Securities sold in private placement offerings made in reliance on the "private placement" exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) securities") are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as a Fund, that agree they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with an intention to distribute to the public. Any resale by the purchaser must be pursuant to an exempt transaction and may be accomplished in accordance with Rule 144A. Section 4(a)(2) securities normally are resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers that make a market in the Section 4(a)(2) securities, thus providing liquidity.
The Manager and the sub-advisor will carefully monitor a Fund's investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities offered and sold under Rule 144A, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity, and availability of information. Investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities could have the effect of reducing a Fund's liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers no longer wish to purchase these restricted securities.
Income Producing Equity Securities
A Fund may invest in income producing equity securities, such as income trusts, master limited partnerships ("MLPs") and income deposit securities ("IDSs").
Income Trusts. An income trust is an investment trust that holds income-producing assets and passes the income on to its security holders. The main attraction of an income trust is its ability to generate constant cash flows. Income trusts are structured to avoid taxes at the entity level. In a traditional corporate tax structure, net income is taxed at the corporate level and again when distributed as dividends to its shareholders. Under current law, an income trust, if properly structured, should not be subject to federal income tax. This flow-through structure means that the distributions to income trust investors are generally higher than dividends from an equivalent corporate entity.
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Master Limited Partnerships. MLPs are publicly traded partnerships. An MLP is an investment that combines the tax benefits of a limited partnership with the liquidity of publicly traded securities. A Fund's investments in MLPs will be limited by tax considerations.
Income Deposit Securities. An IDS represents two separate securities, shares of common stock and subordinated notes issued by the same company, that are combined into one unit that trades like a stock on an exchange. Holders of IDSs receive dividends on the common shares and interest at a fixed rate on the subordinated notes to produce a blended yield. An IDS is typically listed on a stock exchange, but the underlying securities typically are not listed on the exchange until a period of time after the listing of the IDS or upon the occurrence of certain events (e.g., a change of control of the issuer of the IDS). When the underlying securities are listed, the holders of IDSs generally have the right to separate the components of the IDSs and trade them separately.
Additional Information About Risks
The greatest risk of investing in a mutual fund is that its returns will fluctuate and you could lose money. The following table identifies certain of the principal risk factors of each Fund in light of their respective principal investment strategies. These risk factors are explained following the table.
Risk |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
Allocation Risk |
|
X |
|
Asset-Backed and Mortgage Related Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
Convertible Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
Counterparty Risk |
|
X |
|
Credit Risk |
|
X |
X |
Currency Risk |
|
X |
|
Derivatives Risk |
|
X |
|
Dividend Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Equity Investments Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Extension Risk |
|
X |
|
Floating Rate Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
Focused Holdings Risk |
|
|
X |
Foreign Investing & Emerging Markets Risk |
|
X |
X |
Futures Contract Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Hedging Risk |
|
X |
|
High Yield Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
Interest Rate Risk |
|
X |
X |
Investment Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Issuer Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Large Capitalization Companies Risk |
|
|
X |
Leverage Risk |
|
X |
|
Liquidity Risk |
X |
X |
|
Loan Interests Risk |
|
X |
|
Market Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Market Timing Risk |
|
X |
|
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk |
|
|
X |
Municipal Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
Other Investment Companies Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Prepayment Risk |
|
X |
|
Sector Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Securities Lending Risk |
X |
|
|
Securities Selection Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Segregated Assets Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Small Capitalization Companies Risk |
X |
|
X |
Trust Preferred Securities Risk |
|
|
X |
Unrated Securities Risk |
|
X |
|
U.S. Government Securities and Government Sponsored Enterprises Risk |
|
X |
X |
Valuation Risk |
|
X |
|
Allocation Risk
This is the risk that a sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations between, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect a Fund's performance. This risk can be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures because derivatives can create investment leverage, which will magnify the impact to a Fund of its investment in any underperforming market exposure.
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Asset-Backed and Mortgage Related Securities Risk
Investments in asset-backed and mortgage related securities are subject to market risks for fixed-income securities which include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, a Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss and/or a decrease in the amount of dividends and yield.
Convertible Securities Risk
The value of a convertible security typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the risks of stocks, and its price may be as volatile as that of the underlying stock, when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price and a convertible security is subject to the risks of debt securities, and is particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price. Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. 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 that are convertible at the option of the holder. Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in lower-rated debt securities. The credit rating of a company's convertible securities is generally lower than that of its non-convertible debt securities. Convertible securities are normally considered "junior" securities — that is, the company usually must pay interest on its non-convertible debt securities before it can make payments on its convertible securities. If the issuer stops paying interest or principal, convertible securities may become worthless and a Fund could lose its entire investment. In addition, because companies that issue convertible securities may be small- or mid-cap companies, to the extent a Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole. There may also be less trading in small- or mid-cap stocks, which means that buy and sell transactions in those stocks could have a larger impact on a stock's price than is the case with large-cap stocks.
Counterparty Risk
A Fund is subject to the risk that a party or participant to a transaction, such as a broker or derivative counterparty, will be unwilling or unable to satisfy its obligation to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments or to otherwise honor its obligations to a Fund. As a result a Fund may obtain no recovery of its investment or may only obtain a limited recovery, and any recovery may be delayed. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose a Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty.
Credit Risk
A Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or a loan will fail to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. A decline in the credit rating of an individual security held by a Fund may have an adverse impact on its price and make it difficult for a Fund to sell it. Rating agencies might not always change their credit rating on an issuer or security in a timely manner to reflect events that could affect the issuer's ability to make timely payments on its obligations. Credit risk is typically greater for securities with ratings that are below investment grade. Since a Fund can invest significantly in lower-quality investments considered speculative in nature, this risk will be substantial.
Currency Risk
If a Fund invests directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign currencies, or in derivatives that provide exposure to foreign currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. As a result, a Fund's investments in foreign currency denominated securities may reduce the returns of a Fund. Currency futures, forwards or options may not always work as intended, and in specific cases a Fund may be worse off than if it had not used such instrument(s). There may not always be suitable hedging instruments available. Even where suitable hedging instruments are available, a Fund may not hedge its currency risks.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives are financial instruments that have a value which depends upon, or is derived from, a reference asset, such as one or more underlying securities, pools of securities, options, futures, indexes or currencies. A Fund may use derivatives to enhance total return of its portfolio, to manage certain investment risks or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of the underlying currencies or securities. A Fund may also hold derivative instruments to obtain economic exposure to an issuer without directly holding its securities.
Derivatives can be highly complex and their use within a management strategy can require specialized skills. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. If a sub-advisor incorrectly forecasts stock market values, or the direction of interest rates or currency exchange rates in utilizing a specific derivatives strategy for a Fund, a Fund could lose money. In addition, leverage embedded in a futures contract can expose a Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Gains or losses in the value of a derivative instrument may be magnified and be much greater than the derivative's original cost (generally the initial margin deposit). Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of a Fund's initial investment. Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. A Fund may buy or sell derivatives not traded on an exchange or contract market which may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk. Derivative investments can increase portfolio turnover and transaction costs. Derivatives also are subject to counterparty risk. Certain derivatives, including swaps, futures, forwards and written options, require a Fund to post margin to secure its future obligation; if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell investments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Changing regulation may make derivatives more costly, limit their availability, disrupt markets, or otherwise adversely affect their value or performance.
Certain of the other risks to which a Fund might be exposed due to its use of derivatives include the following:
Futures and Forward Contracts. Futures and forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs"), are derivative instruments pursuant to a contract where one party pays a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date or to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. There may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. Not all forward contracts, including NDFs, require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose a Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts. Forward currency transactions, including NDFs, include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency. Interest rate and treasury futures contracts expose a Fund to price fluctuations resulting from changes in interest rates. A Fund could suffer a loss if interest rates rise after a Fund has purchased an interest rate futures contract or fall after a Fund has sold an interest rate futures
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contract. Similarly, treasury futures contracts expose a Fund to potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected. Equity index futures contracts expose a Fund to volatility in an underlying securities index.
Structured Notes Risk. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. For example, its principal amount and/or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases, depending upon the terms of the instrument. Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity. The price of structured notes may be very volatile and they may have a limited trading market, making it difficult to value them or sell them at an acceptable price.
Swap Agreements Risk. Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and as such are subject to leveraging risk. If swaps are used as a hedging strategy, a Fund is subject to the risk that the hedging strategy may not eliminate the risk that it is intended to offset, due to, among other reasons, a lack of correlation between the swaps and the portfolio of assets that the swaps are designed to hedge or replace. Swaps also may be difficult to value. Interest rate swaps, total return swaps, currency swaps and credit default swaps are subject to counterparty risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. In addition to these risks, total return swaps are subject to market risk and interest rate risk, if the underlying securities are bonds or other debt obligations, interest rate swaps are subject to interest rate risk, and currency swaps are subject to currency risk. With respect to a credit default swap, if a Fund is selling credit protection, there is a risk that a credit event will occur and that a Fund will have to pay the counterparty. There is also the risk that the transaction may be closed-out at a time when the credit quality of the underlying investment has deteriorated, in which case a Fund may need to make an early termination payment. If a Fund is buying credit protection, there is the risk that no credit event will occur and a Fund will receive no benefit (other than any hedging benefit) for the premium paid. There is also the risk that the transaction may be closed-out at a time when the credit quality of the underlying investment has improved, in which case a Fund may need to make an early termination payment. Equity swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk.
Dividend Risk
At times a Fund may not be able to identify dividend paying stocks that are attractive investments. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks. An issuer of stock held by a Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current levels, which may affect the Fund's ability to generate income. There is no guarantee that dividends, if declared, will remain at current levels or increase over time.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to market risk. A Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks of companies within any capitalization range, preferred stocks, depositary receipts, REITs, MLPs, income trusts and IDSs. Such investments may expose a Fund to additional risks.
Common Stocks. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or decreased demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value may also decline because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or sector. The price of a company's stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company, such as changes in interest rates, exchange rates or industry regulation. Companies that pay dividends on their common stock generally only do so after they invest in their own business and make required payments to bondholders and on other debt and preferred stock. Therefore, the value of a company's common stock will usually be more volatile than its bonds, other debt and preferred stock.
Depositary Receipts. A Fund may invest in securities issued by foreign companies through ADRs, GDRs and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks trading on U.S. exchanges. These securities are subject to many of the risks inherent in investing in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency fluctuations and political and financial instability in the home country of a particular ADR or foreign stock.
Income Trusts and IDSs. Income trust securities and IDS are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and dividend risk. Income trust securities, which hold income producing assets and pass the income on to security holders, also are subject to the operating risk associated with their underlying investments and the risk that regulatory changes could reduce or eliminate any tax benefits and adversely affect the value of such securities. Income trust securities share many of the risks inherent in stock ownership and may lack diversification. Although IDS, which are units representing shares of common stock and subordinated notes issued by a company, trade on an exchange, there may be a thinner and less active market for IDS than that available for other securities. IDS also are subject to the risk that regulatory changes could adversely affect the tax treatment of these instruments. The value of an IDS will be affected by factors generally affecting both common stock and subordinated debt securities.
MLPs. A Fund invests as a limited partner, and normally would not be liable for the debts of an MLP beyond the amounts the Fund has contributed but it would not be shielded to the same extent that a shareholder of a corporation would be. In certain instances, creditors of an MLP would have the right to seek a return of capital that had been distributed to a limited partner. The right of an MLP's creditors would continue even after a Fund had sold its investment in the partnership. MLPs typically invest in real estate, oil and gas equipment leasing assets, but they also finance entertainment, research and development, and other projects.
Preferred Stocks. If interest rates rise, the dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stocks may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions for their call or redemption prior to maturity which can have a negative effect on their prices when interest rates decline. Issuers may threaten preferred stockholders with the cancellation of all dividends and liquidation preference rights in an attempt to force their conversion to less secure common stock. Certain preferred stocks are equity securities because they do not constitute a liability of the issuer and therefore do not offer the same degree of protection of capital or continuation of income as debt securities. The rights of preferred stock on distribution of a corporation's assets in the event of its liquidation are generally subordinated to the rights associated with a corporation's debt securities. Therefore, in the event of an issuer's bankruptcy, there is substantial risk that there will be nothing left to pay preferred stockholders after payments, if any, to bondholders have been made. Preferred stocks may also be subject to credit risk.
REITs. REITs or other real estate-related securities are subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, including declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, overbuilding, changes in interest rates, and liabilities resulting from environmental problems. Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent on management skills and generally are not diversified. Equity REITs are affected by the changes in the value of the properties owned by the trust. Mortgage REITs are affected by the quality of the credit extended. Both equity and mortgage REITs may not be diversified with regard to the types of tenants, may not be diversified with regard to the geographic locations of the properties, are subject to cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers, and could fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of net income and realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from
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23 |
those incurred by a Fund. Accordingly, a Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses.
Extension Risk
If interest rates rise rapidly, or as a result of other factors, repayments of principal of certain debt securities, especially mortgage-related and other types of asset backed securities, may occur at a slower rate than expected and the expected maturity of these securities could lengthen as a result. Securities that are subject to extension risk generally have greater potential for loss when prevailing interest rates rise, which could cause their values to fall sharply.
Floating Rate Securities Risk
The interest rates payable on certain fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest are not fixed and may fluctuate
based upon changes in market rates. Floating rate obligations are less effective than fixed rate instruments at locking in
a particular yield. Nevertheless, such obligations may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is
a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons.
The Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments ("floaters") and engage in credit spread trades. The interest rate
on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market index or Treasury bill rate.
The interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset
feature, floaters provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, the Fund will participate
in any declines in interest rates as well. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating to a difference in the
prices or interest rates of two securities or currencies, where the value of the investment position is determined by movements
in the difference between the prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the respective securities or currencies.
Focused Holdings Risk
Because a Fund may have a focused portfolio of fewer companies, the increase or decrease of the value of a single stock may have a greater impact on the Fund's NAV and total return when compared to other diversified funds. Although a focused portfolio has the potential to generate attractive returns over time, it also may increase a Fund's volatility.
Foreign Investing & Emerging Markets Risk
Non-U.S. investments have potential risks not associated with domestic investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity and greater volatility of foreign investments, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5)less government regulation and supervision of foreign banks, stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, (6) increased price volatility and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets. In addition, the economies and political environments of emerging market countries tend to be more unstable than those of developed countries, resulting in more volatile rates of return than the developed markets and substantially greater risk to investors. There may be very limited oversight of certain foreign banks or securities depositories that hold foreign securities and currency and the laws of certain countries may limit the ability to recover such assets if a foreign bank or depository or their agents goes bankrupt. To the extent a Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of a single country or region, it is more likely to be affected by events or conditions of that country or region. When investing in emerging markets, the risks of investing in foreign securities are heightened. Emerging markets have unique risks that are greater than or in addition to investing in developed markets because emerging markets are generally smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets of the U.S. and other developed markets. There are also risks of: greater political uncertainties; an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance; currency transfer restrictions; a limited number of potential buyers for such securities; and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures. In addition, there may be less information available to make investment decisions and more volatile rates of return.
Hedging Risk
Gains or losses from positions in hedging instruments may be much greater than the instrument's original cost. The counterparty may be unable to honor its financial obligation to a Fund. In addition, a sub-advisor may be unable to close the transaction at the time it would like or at the price it believes the security is currently worth. If a Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce a Fund's return, or create a loss.
High Yield Securities Risk
Investing in below-investment grade securities (commonly referred to as ''junk bonds'') generally involves significantly greater risks of loss of your money than an investment in investment-grade securities. Compared with issuers of investment grade securities, high yield securities are more likely to encounter financial difficulties and to be materially affected by these difficulties. High yield debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price when the economy is weak or expected to become weak. High yield securities are considered to be speculative with respect to an issuer's ability to pay interest and principal and carry a greater risk that issuers of lower-rated securities will default on the timely payment of principal or interest. Below-investment-grade securities may experience greater price volatility and less liquidity than investment-grade securities.
Lower-rated securities are subject to certain risks that may not be present with investments in higher-grade securities. Investors should consider carefully their ability to assume the risks associated with lower-rated securities before investing in a Fund. The lower rating of certain high yielding corporate income securities reflects a greater possibility that the financial condition of the issuer or adverse changes in general economic conditions may impair the ability of the issuer to pay income and principal. Changes by rating agencies in their ratings of a fixed income security also may affect the value of these investments. However, allocating investments among securities of different issuers should reduce the risks of owning any such securities separately. The prices of these high yielding securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. During economic downturns or periods of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that adversely affects their ability to service principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals or to obtain additional financing, and the markets for their securities may be more volatile. If an issuer defaults, a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Additionally, accruals of interest income for a Fund may have to be adjusted in the event of default. In the event of an issuer's default, a Fund may write off prior income accruals for that issuer, resulting in a reduction in a Fund's current dividend payment. Frequently, the higher yields of high-yielding securities may not reflect the value of the income stream that holders of such securities may expect, but rather the risk that such securities may lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of their issuer's financial restructuring or default. Additionally, an economic downturn or an increase in interest rates could have a negative effect on the high-yield securities market and on the market value of the high-yield securities held by a Fund, as well as on the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and interest on their borrowings.
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Prospectus – Additional Information About the Funds |
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk
Section 4(a)(2) securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. They may be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous time or price because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets. A Fund may not be able to sell a Section 4(a)(2) security when the sub-advisors consider it desirable to do so and/or may have to sell the security at a lower price than a Fund believes is their fair market value. Although there is a substantial institutional market for Section 4(a)(2) securities, it is not possible to predict exactly how the market for such securities will develop. A Section 4(a)(2) security that was liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid. In addition, transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities and a Fund may receive only limited information regarding the issuer of a restricted security. A Fund may have to bear the expense of registering Section 4(a)(2) securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. If, during such a delay, adverse market conditions were to develop, a Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed at the time it decided to seek registration of the security.
Interest Rate Risk
Investments in investment-grade and non-investment grade fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate risk. The value of a Fund's fixed-income investments typically will fall when interest rates rise. A Fund may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates if it invests in debt securities with intermediate and long terms to maturity. Debt securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than debt securities with shorter durations. For example, if a bond has a duration of four years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result in a 4% decrease in the value of the bond. Yields of debt securities will fluctuate over time. Yields of debt securities will fluctuate over time. Since the financial crisis that started in 2008, the Federal Reserve has attempted to stabilize the economy and support the economic recovery by keeping the federal funds rate (the interest rate at which depository institutions lend reserve balances to other depository institutions overnight) at or near zero percent. When the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate, which is expected to occur, interest rates are expected to rise. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates are near historic lows, but may rise significantly and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the Fund.
Investment Risk
An investment in a Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. A Fund should not be relied upon as a complete investment program. The share price of a Fund fluctuates, which means that when you sell your shares of a Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in a Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets. When the issuer of a security implements strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, there is the risk that the market response to such initiatives will cause the price of the issuer's securities to fall.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Large market capitalization companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
Leverage Risk
A Fund's use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, and other derivative instruments and selling securities short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset or class of assets underlying a derivative instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that a Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if a Fund does not use the derivative instruments that have a leveraging effect. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rate of losses. Leverage tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in a Fund's exposure to an asset or class of assets and may cause a Fund's NAV to be volatile.
A Fund may experience leveraging risk in connection with investments in derivatives because its investments in derivatives may be purchased with a fraction of the assets that would be needed to purchase the securities directly, so that the remainder of the assets may be invested in other investments. Such investments may have the effect of leveraging a Fund because a Fund may experience gains or losses not only on its investments in derivatives, but also on the investments purchased with the remainder of the assets. If the value of a Fund's investments in derivatives is increasing, this could be offset by declining values of a Fund's other investments. Conversely, it is possible that the rise in the value of a Fund's non-derivative investments could be offset by a decline in the value of a Fund's investments in derivatives. In either scenario, a Fund may experience losses. In a market where the value of a Fund's investments in derivatives is declining and the value of its other investments is declining, a Fund may experience substantial losses. The use of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements.
Liquidity Risk
When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities at or near their perceived value. During such periods, certain investments held by a Fund may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. As a result, a Fund may have to lower the price on certain securities that it is trying to sell, sell other securities instead or forgo an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on Fund management or performance. Redemptions by a few large investors in a Fund at such times may have a significant adverse effect on a Fund's NAV and remaining fund shareholders. A Fund may lose money if it is forced to sell certain investments to meet redemption requests or other cash needs.
Loan Interests Risk
Unlike publicly traded common stocks which trade on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans to trade. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding a Fund's ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in its prospectus. The secondary market for floating rate loans also may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. The lack of an active trading market for certain floating rate loans may impair the ability of a Fund to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may require a Fund to sell them at prices that are less than what a Fund regards as their fair market value and may make it difficult to value such loans. Interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which a Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, a
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Fund's access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, in the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower's obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which a Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, a Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and a Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while a Fund is holding it.
A Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, a Fund normally will succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor.
Alternatively, a Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When a Fund's loan interest is a participation, a Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, a Fund also would be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit a Fund's pro rata share of loan payments to a Fund. It may be difficult for a Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank's financial condition.
Loan interests may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as a Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
A Fund also may be in possession of material non-public information about a borrower as a result of its ownership of a loan instrument of such borrower. Because of prohibitions on trading in securities of issuers while in possession of such information, a Fund might be unable to enter into a transaction in a security of that borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so. Any steps taken to ensure that a Fund does not receive material non-public information about a security may have the effect of causing a Fund to have less information than other investors about certain interests in which it seeks to invest
Market Risk
Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of a Fund's shares. Equity investments are subject to stock market risk, which involves the possibility that the value of a Fund's investments in stocks will decline due to drops in the stock market due to general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions. These fluctuations could be a sustained trend or a drastic movement. The stock markets generally move in cycles, with periods of rising prices followed by periods of declining prices. The value of your investment may reflect these fluctuations.
A Fund is subject to the risk that the prices of, and the income generated by, fixed income securities held by the Fund may decline significantly and/or rapidly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, general economic and market conditions, or other developments, such as regional or global economic instability (including terrorism and related geopolitical risks), interest rate fluctuations, and those events directly involving the issuers that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment. Events in the fixed income markets may lead to periods of volatility, unusual liquidity issues and, in some cases, credit downgrades and increased likelihood of default. Such events may cause the value of securities owned by a Fund to go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. There is a risk that the lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper a Fund's ability to purchase and sell the debt securities. Changes in the economic climate, investor perceptions and stock market volatility also can cause the prices of a Fund's fixed-income investments to decline regardless of the conditions of the issuers held by the Fund. There is also a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government and/or Federal Reserve, such as increasing interest rates, could cause increased volatility in financial markets and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on a Fund. These events may lead to periods of volatility and increased redemptions, which could cause a Fund to experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. The risk of loss increases if the redemption requests are unusually large or frequent.
Market Timing Risk
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in that Fund, including (i) the dilution of a Fund's NAV, (ii) an increase in a Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Because of specific securities in which a Fund may invest, it could be subject to the risk of market timing activities by shareholders. Some examples of these types of securities are high yield and foreign securities. The limited trading activity of some high yield securities may result in market prices that do not reflect the true market value of these securities. A Fund generally prices these foreign securities using their closing prices from the foreign markets in which they trade, typically prior to a Fund's calculation of its NAV. These prices may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before a Fund prices its shares. In such instances, a Fund may fair value high yield and foreign securities. However, some investors may engage in frequent short-term trading in a Fund to take advantage of any price differentials that may be reflected in the NAV of a Fund's shares. While the Manager monitors trading in a Fund, there is no guarantee that it can detect all market timing activities.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investments in mid-capitalization companies generally involve greater risks and the possibility of greater price volatility than investments in larger, more established companies. Mid-capitalization companies often have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. As a result, performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of a Fund's portfolio. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater these risks. Additionally, mid-capitalization companies may have less market liquidity than large capitalization companies, and they can be sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Municipal Securities Risk
The value of municipal securities may vary inversely to changes in interest rates. Municipal securities could be adversely affected by adverse political and legislative changes. Changes in the financial condition of a municipality may affect the ability of a municipal issuer to make interest and principal payments on a security as they become due. National, regional or state-wide economic developments, including changes in interest rates and market conditions, may directly impact the liquidity and valuation of municipal securities, which may affect the yield and value of the Fund's municipal securities investments. Such economic developments may also adversely affect the market value of municipal securities held by a Fund or the ability of particular obligors to make timely payments of debt service on those obligations. Future court decisions or legislative actions may also affect the ability of the issuer of a municipal security to repay its obligations.
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Prospectus – Additional Information About the Funds |
Other Investment Companies Risk
A Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including open-end funds, exchange-traded funds (‘‘ETFs''), business development companies and money market funds. To the extent that a Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, a Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses, including for example, advisory and administrative fees, charged by the underlying funds in addition to a Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those funds. A Fund must rely on the underlying fund to achieve its investment objective. If the underlying fund fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of a Fund's investment will decline, adversely affecting a Fund's performance. To the extent a Fund invests in other investment companies that invest in equity securities, fixed income securities and/or foreign securities, or track an index, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with investing in such securities or the index fluctuations. Because ETFs are listed on an exchange, they may be subject to trading halts and may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV.
Prepayment Risk
When interest rates fall, borrowers will repay the loans that underlie certain debt securities, especially mortgage-related and other types of asset backed securities, more quickly than expected, causing the issuer of the security to repay the principal prior to the securities expected maturity date. A Fund may need to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate, reducing its income. Securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when prevailing interest rates fall. If a Fund buys those securities at a premium, accelerated prepayments on those securities could cause a Fund to lose a portion of its principal investment. The impact of prepayments on the price of a security may be difficult to predict and may increase the security's price volatility. Interest-only and principal-only securities are especially sensitive to interest rate changes, which can affect not only the prices but can also change the income flows and repayment assumptions about those investments.
Sector Risk
Companies that are invested in similar businesses may be similarly affected by particular economic or market events, which may, in certain circumstances, cause the value of the equity and debt securities of companies in a particular sector of the market to change. To the extent a Fund has substantial holdings within a particular sector, the risks associated with that sector increase.
Securities Lending Risk
A Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions to seek income. There is a risk that a borrower may default on its obligations to return loaned securities; however, a Fund's securities lending agent may indemnify a Fund against that risk. There is a risk that the assets of a Fund's securities lending agent may be insufficient to satisfy any contractual indemnification requirements to that Fund. A Fund will be responsible for the risks associated with the investment of cash collateral, including any collateral invested in an affiliated money market fund. A Fund may lose money on its investment of cash collateral or may fail to earn sufficient income on its investment to meet obligations to the borrower. In addition, delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with a Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for a Fund may not perform to expectations. The portfolio managers' judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential performance of a particular asset class or individual security may be incorrect and there is no guarantee that individual securities will perform as anticipated. This could result in a Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including purchases and sales of futures contracts, a Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities to cover the position. Segregated or earmarked securities cannot be sold while the position or transaction they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other securities of equal value. There is the possibility that the segregation or earmarking of a large percentage of a Fund's assets may, in some circumstances, limit adversely affect a Fund's ability to take advantage of investment opportunities or meet redemption requests.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investments in small capitalization companies generally involve greater risks and the possibility of greater price volatility than investments in larger capitalization and more established companies. Small capitalization companies often have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. As a result, performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of a Fund's portfolio. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater these risks. Additionally, small capitalization companies may have less market liquidity than larger capitalization companies, and they can be sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater these risks.
Trust Preferred Securities Risk
Trust preferred securities are subject to market risk and credit risk. Holders of the trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust preferred securities may be thinly traded and a Fund may not be able to dispose of them at a favorable price. Trust preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and subject to restrictions on resale. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as a Fund, to sell their holdings.
Unrated Securities Risk
Because a Fund may purchase securities that are not rated by any rating organization, a sub-advisor may internally assign ratings to certain of those securities, after assessing their credit quality, in categories of those similar to those of rating organizations. Investing in unrated securities involves the risk that the sub-advisor may not accurately evaluate the security's comparative credit rating. To the extent that a Fund invests in unrated securities, a Fund's success in achieving its investment objective may depend more heavily on the sub-advisor's credit analysis than if a Fund invested exclusively in rated securities. Some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may be difficult to value, which means a Fund might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price.
U.S. Government Securities and Government Sponsored Enterprises Risk
A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is only guaranteed by the applicable entity only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The market prices for such securities are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Investments in government- sponsored enterprises, are debt obligations issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government. These obligations vary in the level of support they receive from the U.S. Government. They may be: (i) supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, such as those of the Government National Mortgage Association (''Ginnie Mae''); (ii) supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Bank
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and the Federal Farm Credit Banks; (iii) supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency obligations, such as those of the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") or (iv) supported only by the credit of the issuer, such as those of the Federal Farm Credit Bureau. The U.S. Government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. Government- sponsored agencies or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so in which case, if the issuer defaulted, a Fund holding securities of such issuer might not be able to recover its investment from the U.S. Government. Like all bonds, U.S. Government securities and Government sponsored enterprise bonds are also subject to credit risk.
Valuation Risk
This is the risk that a Fund has valued certain securities at a price different from the price at which they can be sold. This risk may be especially pronounced for investments, such as derivatives, which may be illiquid or which may become illiquid and for securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, a Fund may value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value methodologies. The value of foreign securities, certain fixed income securities and currencies, as applicable, may be materially affected by events after the close of the markets on which they are traded, but before a Fund determines its NAV.
Additional Information About Performance Benchmarks
In this Prospectus, the annual total return of each Fund has been compared to one or more broad-based market index(es). Set forth below is additional information regarding the index to which each Fund's performance is compared.
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
The Fund's performance is compared to the Russell 2000 ® Index.
The Russell 2000 ® Index is a registered trademark of Frank Russell Company. The Russell 2000 ® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe.
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund
The Fund's performance is compared to the Merrill Lynch/Bank of America US High Yield Master II Index.
The Merrill Lynch/Bank of America US High Yield Master II Index ("Master II") is a commonly used benchmark index for high yield composite bonds. It is administered by Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. The Master II is a measure of the broad high yield market.
American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund
The Fund's performance will be compared to the Russell 1000 ® Value Index.
The Russell 1000 ® Value Index measures the performance of the large cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe.
American Beacon Funds is not promoted, sponsored or endorsed by, nor in any way affiliated with Russell Investment Group ("Russell"). Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund nor any associated literature or publications and Russell makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, or completeness, or otherwise.
Russell reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change the Russell Indexes. Russell has no obligation to take the needs of any particular fund or its participants or any other product or person into consideration in determining, composing or calculating any of the Russell Indexes.
Russell's publication of the Russell Indexes in no way suggests or implies an opinion by Russell as to the attractiveness or appropriateness of investment in any or all securities upon which the Russell Indexes are based. RUSSELL MAKES NO REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR GUARANTEE AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE OF THE RUSSELL INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED IN THE RUSSELL INDEXES. RUSSELL MAKES NO REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE REGARDING THE USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE, OF THE RUSSELL INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN, OR ANY SECURITY (OR COMBINATION THEREOF) COMPRISING THE RUSSELL INDEXES. RUSSELL MAKES NO OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY, OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSELL INDEX(ES) OR ANY DATA OR ANY SECURITY (OR COMBINATION THEREOF) INCLUDED THEREIN.
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Prospectus – Additional Information About the Funds |
Fund Management
The Manager
AMERICAN BEACON ADVISORS, INC. (the "Manager") ") serves as the Manager and administrator of the Fund(s). The Manager, located at 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039, is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Holdings, LLC, which is owned primarily by Kelso Investment Associates VIII, L.P., KEP VI, LLC and Estancia Capital Partners L.P.
The Manager was organized in 1986 to provide investment management, advisory, and administrative services. The Manager is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The Manager is not registered as a commodity pool operator ("CPO") with respect to the Funds. On behalf of the Funds, the Manager has filed a notice claiming the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") Regulation 4.5 exclusion from CPO registration. The Manager is also exempt from registration as a commodity trading advisor under CFTC Regulation 4.14(a)(8) with respect to the Funds.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, each Fund paid aggregate management fees to the Manager and investment advisory fees to its sub-advisor as a percentage of each Fund's daily average net assets, net of waivers, as follows:
The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from a Fund's securities lending activities as compensation for oversight of the Funds' securities lending program, including the securities lending agent, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Currently, the Manager is authorized to receive 10% of any such income. The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Funds to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager. As of the date of this SAI, only the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund intends to engage in securities lending activities.
A discussion of the Board's consideration and approval of the Management Agreement between the Funds and the Manager and the Investment Advisory Agreements among the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, each sub-advisor and the Manager is available in the Funds' annual report for the period ended August 31, 2015.
The Manager has contractually agreed from time to time to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses for a Fund in order to maintain competitive expense ratios for the Fund. The Board has approved a policy whereby the Manager may seek repayment for any contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the contractual percentage limit.
The Sub-Advisors
Set forth below is a brief description of each sub-advisor and the portfolio managers with primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Funds. The Funds' SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the Funds they manage and their compensation.
STRATEGIC INCOME MANAGEMENT, LLC (‘‘SiM''), 1200 Westlake Ave N, Suite 713, Seattle, Washington 98109 was formed in October 2010 from certain key high yield and asset allocation investment management personnel at Edge Asset Management (formerly WM Advisors). As of September 30, 2015, SiM had assets under management totaling approximately $894 million. SiM serves as sub-advisor to the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund.
Gary Pokrzywinski is the President and Lead Portfolio Manager for SiM. He managed the Principal High Yield Mutual Fund from its inception in April 1998 to May 2009. Before Co-Founding SiM in 2010, he was the CIO and a High Yield Portfolio Manager for Edge Asset Management (and its predecessor), an affiliate of Principal Financial Group. He worked for Edge and its predecessor from 1992 to 2009. Prior, Mr. Pokrzywinski was an investment officer/portfolio manager for Firstar Investment Services Co.
Brian Placzek is the Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager for SiM. Prior to joining SiM in 2010, he worked from 1990 to 2010 for Edge Asset Management (and its predecessor), an affiliate of Principal Global Investors as Head of Fixed Income/Research. Mr. Placzek has 29 years of experience in investment management and financial analysis. Prior to Edge, Mr. Placzek was a corporate bond analyst and trader at Washington Mutual Bank.
THE LONDON COMPANY OF VIRGINIA, LLC (‘‘The London Company''), 1800 Bayberry Court, Suite 301, Richmond, VA 23226, is an investment advisory firm founded in 1994 and is majority employee owned. As of September 30, 2015, The London Company had assets under management totaling approximately $10.0 billion. The London Company serves as sub-advisor to the American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund.
Stephen Goddard CFA, Managing Principal, CIO and Lead Portfolio Manager, founded The London Company in 1994 and has served in this capacity since founding the company. Previously, he held Senior Portfolio Management positions at CFB Advisory and Flippin, Bruce & Porter. He has over 25 years of investment experience.
Jonathan Moody CFA, Principal and Portfolio Manager, joined The London Company in 2002. He has served as a Portfolio Manager since 2002 and has been a Principal since 2010. Previously, he founded Primary Research Group.
J. Brian Campbell CFA, Portfolio Manager. He has served as Portfolio Manager since he joined The London Company in 2010. Prior to joining The London Company, he was a Portfolio Manager and the Director of Research at Hilliard Lyons Capital Management from 2004 to 2010.
Mark E. DeVaul CFA, CPA, Portfolio Manager. He has served as Portfolio Manager since he joined The London Company in 2011. Previously he served as Portfolio Manager at Beacon Capital Management from 2010 to 2011 and Equity Research Analyst at Nuveen Investments from 2002 to 2009.
ZEBRA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC (''Zebra''), 612 Wheelers Farms Road, Milford, Connecticut 06461, is an asset manager specializing in managing both fundamentally based and quantitatively-driven equity strategies through a range of fund vehicles. Zebra was founded in 2001 and had approximately $520 million of assets under management as of September 30, 2015. Zebra serves as sub-advisor to the American Beacon Zebra Global Equity Fund and the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund.
Roger Ibbotson and Eric Stokes serve as the Funds' portfolio managers and share responsibilities for the day-to-day management of each Fund's investment portfolio.
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29 |
Roger Ibbotson has served as a member of the portfolio management team of each Fund since its inception. Dr. Ibbotson is the Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and a member of the Zebra portfolio management team, having served in these roles since the firm was founded in 2001. Dr. Ibbotson has also been a Professor at Yale School of Management since 1984 and is the Founder, Advisor and former Chairman of Ibbotson Associates, now a Morningstar Company with $60 billion under advisement. Dr. Ibbotson serves on numerous boards including Dimensional Fund Advisors' funds.
Eric Stokes joined Zebra as Portfolio Manager in February 2011. He is responsible for overseeing the various portfolios managed by Zebra, ongoing research efforts, and product management. Prior to joining Zebra, Mr. Stokes was a Principal and Chief Investment Officer at Reed-Stokes Capital Partners from 2008 to 2011. From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Stokes was a Principal at Market Neutral Strategy, LLC. He also served as a portfolio manager for Graham Capital Management where he managed a discretionary fund from 2005 to 2006.
Valuation of Shares
The price of each Fund's shares is based on its NAV per share. Each Fund's NAV is computed by adding total assets, subtracting all of the Fund's liabilities, and dividing the result by the total number of shares outstanding.
The NAV of each class of a Fund's shares is determined based on a pro rata allocation of a Fund's investment income, expenses and total capital gains and losses. A Fund's NAV per share is determined each business day as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which normally coincides with the close of the New York Stock Exchange (''NYSE''). If the NYSE has an early close, scheduled or unscheduled, the Fund's share price would still be determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Foreign exchanges may permit trading in foreign securities on days when the Fund is not open for business, which may result in a Fund's portfolio investments being affected when you are unable to buy or sell shares.
Equity securities and certain derivative instruments that are traded on an exchange are valued based on market value. Certain derivative instruments (other than short-term securities) usually are valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service. The price of debt securities generally is determined using pricing services or quotes obtained from broker/dealers who may consider a number of inputs and factors, such as comparable characteristics, yield curve, credit spreads, estimated default rates, coupon rates, underlying collateral and estimated cash flow. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV per share of the mutual funds on the day of valuation. Equity securities, including shares of closed-end funds and ETFs are valued at the last sale price or official closing price.
The valuation of securities traded on foreign markets and certain fixed income securities will generally be based on prices determined as of the earlier closing time of the markets on which they primarily trade, unless a significant event has occurred. When a Fund holds securities or other assets that are denominated in a foreign currency, a Fund will normally use the currency exchange rates as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Securities may be valued at fair value, as determined in good faith and pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, under certain limited circumstances. For example, fair value pricing will be used when market quotations are not readily available or reliable, as determined by the Manager, such as when (i) trading for a security is restricted or stopped; (ii) a security's trading market is closed (other than customary closings); or (iii) a security has been de-listed from a national exchange. A security with limited market liquidity may require fair value pricing if the Manager determines that the available price does not reflect the security's true market value. In addition, if a significant event that the Manager determines to affect the value of one or more securities held by a Fund occurs after the close of a related exchange but before the determination of a Fund's NAV, fair value pricing may be used on the affected security or securities. Securities of small capitalization companies are also more likely to require a fair value determination using these procedures because they are more thinly traded and less liquid than the securities of larger capitalization companies. The Funds may fair value securities as a result of significant events occurring after the close of the foreign markets in which a Fund invests. In addition, the Funds may invest in illiquid securities requiring these procedures.
Attempts to determine the fair value of securities introduce an element of subjectivity to the pricing of securities. As a result, the price of a security determined through fair valuation techniques may differ from the price quoted or published by other sources and may not accurately reflect the market value of the security when trading resumes. If a reliable market quotation becomes available for a security formerly valued through fair valuation techniques, the Manager compares the new market quotation to the fair value price to evaluate the effectiveness of the Funds' fair valuation procedures. If any significant discrepancies are found, the Manager may adjust the Funds' fair valuation procedures. You may view a Fund's most recent NAV per share at www.americanbeaconfunds.com by clicking on ''Quick Links'' and then ''Daily NAVs.''
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Prospectus – Fund Management |
About Your Investment
Choosing Your Share Class
Each share class of a Fund represents an investment in the same portfolio of securities for that Fund, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the class that best fits your situation.
Factors you should consider when choosing a class of shares include:
How long you expect to own the shares;
How much you intend to invest;
Total expenses associated with owning shares of each class;
Whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of sales charges;
Whether you plan to take any distributions in the near future; and
Availability of share classes.
Each investor's financial considerations are different. You should speak with your financial adviser to help you decide which share class is best for you.
Each Fund offers various classes of shares. Each class has a different combination of purchase restrictions, sales charges and ongoing fees, allowing you to choose the class that best meets your needs. The following table and sections explain the sales charges or other fees you may pay when investing in each class.
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund
Share Class |
Minimum Initial Investment |
Initial Sales Charge |
Deferred Sales Charge |
Annual 12b-1 Fee |
Annual Shareholder Servicing Fee |
A |
$2,500 |
Up to 4.75%: may be reduced, waived or deferred for large purchases or certain investors. See A Class Charges and Waivers below. |
0.50% on redemptions within 18 months of purchasing $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares |
Up to 0.25% of average daily assets |
Up to 0.25% of average daily assets |
C |
$1,000 |
None |
1% on redemptions within 12 months of purchasing shares |
Up to 1% of average daily assets |
Up to 0.25% of average daily assets |
Investor |
$2,500 |
None |
None |
None |
Up to 0.375% of average daily assets |
Y |
$100,000 |
None |
None |
None |
Up to 0.10% of average daily assets |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
None |
None |
None |
None |
A Class Charges and Waivers
The table below shows the amount of sales charges you will pay on purchases of A Class shares of the Funds both as a percentage of offering price and as a percentage of the amount you invest. The sales charge differs depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced or eliminated for larger purchases as indicated below. If you invest more, the sales charge will be lower.
Any applicable sales charge will be deducted directly from your investment. Because of rounding of the calculation in determining the sales charges, you may pay more or less than what is shown in the table below. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to a front-end sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge or the sales charge may be waived as described below in ''A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers.''
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31 |
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund
Amount of Sale/ Account Value |
As a % of Offering Price |
As a % of Investment |
Dealer Commission as a % of Offering Price |
Less than $50,000 |
5.75% |
6.10% |
5.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.75% |
3.90% |
3.00% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
2.75% |
2.83% |
2.05% |
$500,000 but less than $1 million |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.50% |
$1 million and above |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
|
No initial sales charge applies on purchases of $1,000,000 or more. A CDSC of 0.50% of the offering price will be charged on purchases of $1,000,000 or more that are redeemed in whole or in part within eighteen (18) months of purchase. |
|
See ''Dealer Concessions on A Class Purchases Without a Front-End Sales Charge''. |
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund
Amount of Sale/ Account Value |
As a % Offering Price |
As a % Investment |
Dealer Commission as a % of Offering Price |
Less than $50,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.25% |
4.44% |
3.50% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.50% |
3.63% |
2.75% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
2.75% |
2.83% |
2.05% |
$500,000 but less than $1 million |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.50% |
$1 million and above |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
|
No initial sales charge applies on purchases of $1,000,000 or more. A CDSC of 0.50% of the offering price will be charged on purchases of $1,000,000 or more that are redeemed in whole or in part within eighteen (18) months of purchase. |
|
See ''Dealer Concessions on A Class Purchases Without a Front-End Sales Charge''. |
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the ''Distributor'') retains any portion of the commissions that are not paid to financial intermediaries to solely pay distribution-related expenses.
A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
A shareholder may qualify for a waiver or reduction in sales charges under certain circumstances. To receive a waiver or reduction in your A Class sales charge, you must advise the Funds' transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of purchase. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Funds' transfer agent know that you are eligible for a reduction, you may not receive a sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled.
Waiver of Sales Charges
There is no sales charge if you invest $1 million or more in A Class shares.
Sales charges also may be waived for certain shareholders or transactions, such as:
The Manager or its affiliates;
Present and former directors, trustees, officers, employees of the Manager, the Manager's parent company, and the American Beacon Funds (and their ''immediate family'' as defined in the SAI), and retirement plans established by them for their employees;
Registered representatives or employees of intermediaries that have selling agreement with the Funds;
Shares acquired through merger or acquisition;
Insurance company separate accounts;
Employer-sponsored retirement plans;
Dividend reinvestment programs;
Purchases through certain fee-based programs under which investors pay advisory fees that may be offered through selected registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries;
Shareholders that purchase a Fund through a financial intermediary that offers our A Class shares uniformly on a ''no load'' (or reduced load) basis to you and all similarly situated customers of the intermediary in accordance with the intermediary's prescribed fee schedule for purchases of fund shares; and
Reinvestment of proceeds within 90 days of a redemption from A Class account (see Redemption Policies for more information).
The availability of A Class shares charge waivers may depend upon the policies, procedures, and trading platform of your financial intermediary.
Reduced Sales Charges
Under a ''Rights of Accumulation Program,'' a ''Letter of Intent'' or through ''Concurrent Purchases'' you may be eligible to buy A Class shares of the Funds at the reduced sales charge rates that would apply to a larger purchase. Each Fund reserves the right to modify or to cease offering these programs at any time.
This information is available, free of charge, on the Funds' website, www.americanbeaconfunds.com or call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.
Dealer Concessions on A Class Purchases Without a Front-End Sales Charge
Brokers who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares of a Fund may receive a dealer concession from the Funds' Distributor of 0.50% of the offering price. If a client or broker is unable to provide account verification on purchases of $1,000,000 or more, the dealer concession will be forfeited by the broker and front-end sales loads will apply. Dealer concessions will not be paid on shares purchased by exchange or shares that were previously subject to a front-end sales charge or dealer concession. Dealer concessions will be paid only on eligible purchases where the applicability
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Prospectus – Fund Management |
of the CDSC can be monitored. Purchases eligible for sales charge waivers as described under ''A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers'' are not eligible for dealer concessions on purchases of $1,000,000 or more.
Rights of Accumulation Program
Under the Rights of Accumulation Program, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge for A Class shares by aggregating all of your investments held in certain accounts (''Qualified Accounts''). The following Qualified Accounts holding any share class of the American Beacon Funds may be grouped together to qualify for the reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program or Letter of Intent:
Accounts owned by you, your spouse or your minor children under the age of 21, including trust or other fiduciary accounts in which you, your spouse or your minor children are the beneficiary;
Uniform transfer or gift to minor accounts (''UTMA/UGTMA'');
IRAs, including traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs; and
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or qualified 529 plans.
A fiduciary can apply a right of accumulation to all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other fiduciary account that has multiple accounts.
You must notify your financial intermediary or the Funds' transfer agent, in the case of shares held directly with a Fund, at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program. In addition, you must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your qualification. You may combine the historical cost or current value, as of the day prior to your additional American Beacon Funds' purchase (whichever is higher) of your existing American Beacon Funds' mutual fund with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. Historical cost is the price you actually paid for the shares you own, plus your reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions. If you are using historical cost to qualify for a reduced sales charge, you should retain any records to substantiate your historical costs since the Fund, its transfer agent or your financial intermediary may not maintain this information.
If your shares are held through financial intermediaries and/or in a retirement account (such as a 401(k) or employee benefit plan), you may combine the current NAV of your existing American Beacon Funds mutual fund investment with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. You or your financial intermediary must notify the Funds' transfer agent at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge and provide copies of account statements dated within three months of your current purchase verifying your qualification.
Upon receipt of the above referenced supporting documentation, the financial intermediary or the Funds' transfer agent will calculate the combined value of all of your Qualified Accounts to determine if the current purchase is eligible for a reduced sales charge. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with purchases for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
Letter of Intent
If you plan to invest at least $50,000 (excluding any reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions) during the next 13 months in any class of a Fund, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge for purchases of A Class shares by completing the Letter of Intent section of your account application.
A Letter of Intent indicates your intent to purchase at least $50,000 in any class of the American Beacon Funds over the next 13 months in exchange for a reduced A Class sales charge indicated on the above tables. The minimum initial investment under a Letter of Intent is $2,500. You are not obligated to purchase additional shares if you complete a Letter of Intent. However, if you do not buy enough shares to qualify for the projected level of sales charge by the end of the 13-month period (or when you sell your shares, if earlier), your sales charge will be recalculated to reflect your actual purchase level. During the term of the Letter of Intent, shares representing 5% of your intended purchase will be held in escrow. If you do not purchase enough shares during the 13-month period to qualify for the projected reduced sales charge, the additional sales charge will be deducted from your account. If you have purchased shares of any American Beacon mutual fund within 90 days prior to signing a Letter of Intent, they may be included as part of your intended purchase, however, previous purchase transactions will not be recalculated with the proposed new breakpoint. You must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your purchases within the past 90 days.
Concurrent Purchases
You may combine simultaneous purchases in shares of any of the American Beacon Funds to qualify for a reduced charge.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (''CDSC'') — A Class Shares
Unless a waiver applies, investors who purchase $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares of the Fund (and, thus, pay no initial sales charge) will be subject to a 0.50% CDSC if those shares are redeemed within 18 months after they are purchased. The CDSC does not apply if you are otherwise eligible to purchase A Class shares without an initial sales charge or are eligible for one of the waivers described herein or in the SAI.
CDSC— C Class Shares
If you redeem C Class shares within 12 months of purchase, you may be charged a CDSC of 1%. The CDSC generally will be deducted from your redemption proceeds. In some circumstances, you may be eligible for one of the waivers described herein or in the SAI. You must advise the transfer agent of your eligibility for a waiver when you place your redemption request.
How CDSCs will be Calculated
The amount of the CDSC will be based on the NAV of the redeemed shares at the time of the redemption or the original NAV, whichever is lower. Because of the rounding of the calculation in determining the CDSC, you may pay more or less than the indicated rate. Your CDSC holding period is based upon the date of your purchase. The CDSCs will be deducted from the proceeds of your redemption, not from amounts remaining in your account. A CDSC is not imposed on any increase in NAV over the initial purchase price or shares you received through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions.
To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares, the Funds will redeem your shares in the following order:
shares acquired by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
other shares that are not subject to the CDSC;
shares held the longest during the holding period.
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Waiver of CDSCs — A and C Class Shares
A shareholder may qualify for a CDSC waiver under certain circumstances. To have your CDSC waived, you must advise the Funds' transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of redemption. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Funds' transfer agent know that you are eligible for a waiver, you may not receive a waiver to which might otherwise be otherwise entitled.
The CDSC may be waived if:
The redemption is due to a shareholder's death or post-purchase disability;
The redemption is from a systematic withdrawal plan and represents no more than 10% of your annual account value;
The redemption is a benefit payment made from a qualified retirement plan, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan or the transfer of the plan to another financial institution;
The redemption is for a mandatory withdrawal from a traditional IRA account after age 70½;
The redemption is due to involuntary redemptions by a Fund as a result of your account not meeting the minimum balance requirements, the termination and liquidation of a Fund, or other actions;
The redemption is from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has entered into a written agreement with the Distributor (or Manager) allowing this waiver;
The redemption is to return excess contributions made to a retirement plan; or
The redemption is to return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
The SAI contains further details about the CDSC and the conditions for waiving the CDSC.
Information regarding CDSC waivers for A and C Class shares is available, free of charge, on the Funds' website. Please visit www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You may also call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.
Purchase and Redemption of Shares
Eligibility
The A Class, C Class, Y Class, Investor Class, and Institutional Class shares offered in this Prospectus are available to eligible investors who meet the minimum initial investment. American Beacon Funds do not accept accounts registered to foreign individuals or entities, including foreign correspondent accounts. The Funds do not conduct operations and is not offered for purchase outside of the United States.
Subject to your eligibility, you may invest in a Fund directly or through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, plan sponsors, third party administrators and retirement plans.
If you invest directly with a Fund, the fees and policies with respect to the Fund's shares that are outlined in this Prospectus are set by the Fund. The Manager and the Funds are not responsible for determining the suitability of the Funds or share class for any investor.
Because in most cases it is more advantageous for investors using an intermediary to purchase A Class shares than C Class shares for amounts of $1,000,000 or more, the Funds will decline a request to purchase C Class shares for $1,000,000 or more.
If you invest through a financial intermediary, most of the information you will need for managing your investment will come from your financial intermediary. This includes information on how to buy, sell and exchange shares of the Funds. If you establish an account through a financial intermediary, the investment minimums described in this section may not apply. Investors investing in a Fund through a financial intermediary should consult with their financial intermediary to ensure they obtain any proper "breakpoint" discount and regarding the differences between available share classes. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary also may charge fees that are in addition to those described in this Prospectus. Please contact your intermediary for information regarding investment minimums, how to purchase and redeem shares and applicable fees.
Minimum Initial Investment by Share Class
|
New Account |
Existing Account |
|
Share Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$ 250 |
A; Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$ 250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Investor Class shares are also available to traditional individual retirement account ("IRA") and Roth IRA shareholders investing directly in the Fund. The minimum investment is $2,500.
The Manager may allow a reasonable period of time after opening an account for a Y Class or Institutional Class investor to meet the initial investment requirement. In addition, for investors such as trust companies and financial advisors who make investments for a group of clients, the minimum initial investment can be met through an aggregated purchase order for more than one client.
Opening an Account
You may open an account through your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information on how to open an account. Shares you purchase through your broker dealer will normally be held in your account with that firm.
To open an account directly with the Funds, a completed, signed application is required. You may obtain an account application from the Funds' website www.americanbeaconfunds.com or by calling 1-800-658-5811. Institutional shareholders should call 1-800-967-9009.
Complete the application, sign it and send it:
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Prospectus – Fund Management |
Regular Mail to:
|
For Overnight Delivery:
|
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account, you will be asked for information that will allow the Funds or your financial institution to identify you. Non-public corporations and other entities may be required to provide articles of incorporation, trust or partnership agreements, and Social Security or other taxpayer identification numbers on the account or other documentation. The Funds are required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a shareholder's account at the current day's NAV and remit proceeds via check if the Fund or a financial institution are unable to verify the shareholder's identity within three days of account opening.
Purchase Policies
Shares of the Funds are offered and purchase orders are typically accepted until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first) on each day on which the NYSE is open for business. If a purchase order is received by a Fund in good order prior to the Fund's deadline, the purchase price will be the NAV per share next determined on that day, plus any applicable sales charges. If a purchase order is received in good order after the applicable deadline, the purchase price will be the NAV per share of the following day that a Fund is open for business plus any applicable sales charge. Shares of a Fund will only be issued against full payment, as described more fully in this Prospectus and SAI.
The Funds have authorized certain third party financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, third party administrators and trust companies, to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds and to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds. A Fund is deemed to have received such orders when they are received by the financial intermediaries or their designees. Thus, an order to purchase or sell Fund shares will be priced at the Fund's next determined NAV after receipt by the financial intermediary or its designee. It is the responsibility of your broker-dealer or financial intermediary to transmit orders that will be received by the Funds in proper form and in a timely manner.
Fund shares may be purchased only in U.S. States and Territories in which they can be legally sold. Prospective investors should inquire as to whether shares of a Fund are available for offer and sale in their jurisdiction. Each Fund reserves the right to refuse purchases if, in the judgment of the Funds, the transaction would adversely affect the Funds and its shareholders. Each Fund has the right to reject any purchase order or cease offering any or all classes of shares at any time. Checks to purchase shares are accepted subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank. The Funds will not accept ''starter'' checks, credit card checks, money orders, cashier's checks, or third party checks.
If your payment is not received and collected, your purchase may be canceled and you could be liable for any losses or fees the Funds or the Manager has incurred. Under applicable anti-money laundering regulations and other federal regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
Please refer to the section titled ''Frequent Trading and Market Timing'' for information on the Funds' policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
Redemption Policies
If you purchased shares of the Funds through your financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to sell shares of a Fund.
The redemption price will be the NAV next determined after a redemption request is received in good order, minus any applicable CDSC and/or redemption fees. In order to receive the redemption price calculated on a particular business day, redemption requests must be received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first).
Wire proceeds from redemption requests received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first) generally are transmitted to shareholders on the next day the Funds are open for business. In any event, proceeds from a redemption request will typically be transmitted to a shareholder by no later than seven days after the receipt of a redemption request in good order. Delivery of proceeds from shares purchased by check or pre-authorized automatic investment may be delayed until the funds have cleared, which may take up to ten days.
You may, within 90 days of redemption, reinvest all or part of the proceeds of your redemption of A or C Class shares of a Fund, without incurring any applicable additional sales charge, in the same class of another American Beacon Fund, by sending a written request and a check to your financial intermediary or directly to the Funds. Reinvestment must be into the same account from which you redeemed the shares or received the distribution. Proceeds from a redemption and all dividend payments and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the same share class from which the original redemption or distribution was made. Reinvestment will be at the NAV next calculated after the Funds receive your request. You must notify the Funds and your financial intermediary at the time of investment if you decide to exercise this privilege.
A redemption fee of 2% will be deducted from your redemption amount when you sell shares of the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund that you have owned for less than 90 days. The redemption fee is paid to the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and is intended to discourage frequent trading and market timing.
If you purchased shares on multiple dates, the shares you have held the longest will be redeemed first for purposes of assessing the redemption fee. The redemption fee does not apply to:
shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions;
shares acquired through payroll contributions to a retirement or employee benefit plan;
shares redeemed through systematic redemption plans;
shares redeemed to return excess IRA contributions;
certain redemption transactions made within a retirement or employee benefit plan, such as minimum required distributions, loans and hardship withdrawals, or other transactions that are initiated by a party other than the plan participant;
redemptions and exchanges effectuated pursuant to an intermediary's automatic investment rebalancing or dollar cost averaging programs or systematic withdrawal plans;
Prospectus – Fund Management |
35 |
redemption and exchange transactions made within a ''Qualified Wrap Program'' as defined in the section titled ''Frequent Trading and Market Timing;'' or
shares acquired to commence operations of the Funds.
Each Fund reserves the right to suspend redemptions or postpone the date of payment for more than seven days (i) when the NYSE is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) when trading on the NYSE is restricted; (iii) when the SEC determines that an emergency exists so that disposal of a Fund's investments or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) by order of the SEC for protection of the Funds' shareholders.
Although the Funds intend to redeem shares in cash, each Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets held by a Fund. To the extent that a Fund redeems its shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.
Please refer to the section titled ''Frequent Trading and Market Timing'' for information on the Funds' policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges
Exchange Policies
If you purchased shares of the Funds through your financial intermediary, please contact your financial intermediary to determine if you may take advantage of the exchange policies described in this section and for its policies to effect an exchange.
Shares of any class of a Fund may be exchanged for shares of the same class of another American Beacon Fund under certain limited circumstances. Shares of any class of a Fund may be exchanged for shares of another class of the same fund under certain limited circumstances. Since an exchange involves a concurrent purchase and redemption, please review the sections titled "Purchase Policies" and "Redemption Policies" for additional limitations that apply to purchase and redemptions. There is no front-end sales charge on exchanges between A Class shares of a Fund for A Class shares of another fund. Shares otherwise subject to a CDSC will not be charged a CDSC in an exchange to shares of another fund having CDSC however, shares exchanged between funds that impose a CDSC will be charged a CDSC if redeemed within 12 months or 18 months, as applicable, of the purchase of the initial shares.
Before exchanging shares, shareholders should consider how the exchange may affect any CDSC that might be imposed on the subsequent redemption of remaining shares.
If shares were purchased by check, a shareholder must have owned shares of the redeeming fund for at least ten days prior to exchanging out of one fund and into another.
The eligibility and minimum investment requirement must be met for the class into which the shareholder is exchanging. Fund shares may be acquired through exchange only in U.S. states and Territories in which they can be legally sold. Each Fund reserves the right to charge a fee and to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. Each Fund reserves the right to refuse exchange requests if, in the judgment of a Fund, the transaction would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. Please refer to the section titled "Frequent Trading and Market Timing" for information on the Funds' policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
For federal income tax purposes, the conversion of shares of one share class for shares of a different share class of the same Fund will not result in the realization of a capital gain or loss. However, an exchange of shares of one Fund for shares of a different American Beacon Fund is considered a sale and a purchase, respectively, and may result in a gain or loss for those purposes. There can be no assurance of any particular tax treatment, however, and you are urged and advised to consult with your own tax advisor regarding a share class conversion or exchange of Fund shares.
How to Purchase, Redeem or Exchange Shares
If your account is through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, please contact them directly to purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Funds. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary can help you open a new account, review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. Your broker dealer or financial intermediary will transmit your request to a Fund and may charge you a fee for this service. A Fund will not accept a purchase order of $1,000,000 or more for C Class shares if the purchase is known to be on behalf of a single investor (not including dealer "street name" or omnibus accounts). Dealers, other financial intermediaries or fiduciaries purchasing shares for their customers are responsible for determining the suitability of a particular share class for an investor.
You should include the following information with any order:
Your name/Account registration
Your account number
Type of Transaction requested
Name(s) and fund number(s) of funds and class(es)
Dollar amount or number of shares
Transactions for direct shareholders are conducted through:
Internet |
www.americanbeaconfunds.com |
|
Phone |
To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class Only) |
|
|
American Beacon Funds
|
Overnight Delivery:
|
36 |
Prospectus – Fund Management |
Purchases by Wire:
Send a bank wire to State Street Bank and Trust Co. with these instructions:
ABA# 0110-0002-8; AC-9905-342-3,
Attn: American Beacon Funds
the fund name and fund number, and
shareholder account number and registration.
Redemption Proceeds will be mailed to account of record or transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.
Share Class |
Minimum Initial Investment Amount |
Minimum Subsequent Investment Amount |
C |
$ 1,000 |
$250 |
A |
$ 2,500 |
$250 |
Investor |
$ 2,500 |
$250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
None |
Supporting documents may be required for redemptions by estates, trusts, guardianships, custodians, corporations, and welfare, pension and profit sharing plans. Redemption requests must also include authorized signature(s) of all persons required to sign for the account. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions.
To protect the Fund and your account from fraud, a STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantee is required for redemption orders:
with a request to send the proceeds to an address or commercial bank account other than the address or commercial bank account designated on the account application,
for an account whose address has changed within the last 30 days if proceeds are sent by check, or
for amounts greater than $100,000.
The Fund only accepts STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantees, which may be obtained at participating banks broker-dealers and credit unions. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions and further assistance.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Funds and their affiliates (at their own expense) may pay compensation to financial intermediaries for shareholder-related services and, if applicable, distribution-related services, including administrative, sub-transfer agency type, recordkeeping and shareholder communication services. For example, compensation may be paid to make Fund shares available to sales representatives and/or customers of a fund supermarket platform or similar program sponsor or for services provided in connection with such fund supermarket platforms and programs.
The amount of compensation paid to different financial intermediaries may differ. The compensation paid to a financial intermediary may be based on a variety of factors, including average assets under management in accounts distributed and/or serviced by the financial intermediary, gross sales by the financial intermediary and/or the number of accounts serviced by the financial intermediary that invest in the Funds. To the extent that a Fund pays any such compensation, it is designed to compensate the financial intermediary for providing services that would otherwise be provided by the Manager, the Funds or their transfer agent. To the extent a Fund affiliate pays such compensation, it would likely include amounts from that affiliate's own resources and constitute what is sometimes referred to as "revenue sharing.''
Compensation received by a financial intermediary from the Manager or another Fund affiliate may include payments for marketing and/or training expenses incurred by the financial intermediary, including expenses incurred by the financial intermediary in educating (itself and) its salespersons with respect to Fund shares. For example, such compensation may include reimbursements for expenses incurred in attending educational seminars regarding a Fund, including travel and lodging expenses. It may also cover costs incurred by financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to sell Fund shares, including costs incurred compensating (registered) sales representatives and preparing, printing and distributing sales literature.
Any compensation received by a financial intermediary, whether from a Fund or its affiliate(s), and the prospect of receiving it may provide the financial intermediary with an incentive to recommend the shares of a Fund, or a certain class of shares of a Fund, over other potential investments. Similarly, the compensation may cause financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of a Fund within its organization by, for example, placing it on a list of preferred funds. You should ask your financial intermediary for details about any such payments it receives from the Manager or the Distributor, or any other fees, expenses, or commissions your financial intermediary may charge you in addition to those disclosed in this Prospectus.
General Policies
If a shareholder's account balance falls below the following minimum levels, the shareholder may be asked to increase the balance.
Share Class |
Account Balance |
A |
$ 2,500 |
C |
$ 1,000 |
Investor |
$ 2,500 |
Y |
$25,000 |
Institutional |
$75,000 |
If the account balance remains below the applicable minimum account balance after 45 days, each Fund reserves the right to close the account and send the proceeds to the shareholder. IRAs will be charged an annual maintenance fee of $15.00 by the Custodian for maintaining either a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. Each Fund reserves the authority to modify minimum account balances in its discretion.
A Signature Validation Program (''SVP'') stamp may be required in order to change an account's registration or banking instructions. You may obtain a SVP stamp at participating banks, broker-dealers and credit unions, but not from a notary public. The SVP stamp is analogous to the STAMP 2000 Medallion guarantee in that it is provided at similar institutions. However, it is used only for non-financial transactions.
The following policies apply to instructions you may provide to the Funds by telephone:
Prospectus – Fund Management |
37 |
The Funds, their officers, trustees, employees, or agents are not responsible for the authenticity of instructions provided by telephone, nor for any loss, liability, cost or expense incurred for acting on them.
The Funds employ procedures reasonably designed to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine.
Due to the volume of calls or other unusual circumstances, telephone redemptions may be difficult to implement during certain time periods.
Each Fund reserves the right to:
liquidate a shareholder's account at the current day's NAV and remit proceeds via check if the Funds or a financial institution are unable to verify the shareholder's identity within three business days of account opening,
seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by a Fund if payment for the purchase of Fund shares by check does not clear the shareholder's bank, and
reject a purchase order and seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by a Fund if funds are not received by the applicable wire deadline.
A shareholder will not be required to pay a CDSC when the registration for A Class or C Class shares is transferred to the name of another person or entity. The transfer may occur by absolute assignment, gift or bequest, as long as it does not involve, directly or indirectly, a public sale of the shares. When A Class or C Class shares are transferred, any applicable CDSC will continue to apply to the transferred shares and will be calculated as if the transferee had acquired the shares in the same manner and at the same time as the transferring shareholder.
Escheatment
Please be advised that certain state escheatment laws may require a Fund to turn over your mutual fund account to the state listed in your account registration as abandoned property unless you contact the Funds. Many states have added ''inactivity'' or the absence of customer initiated contact as a component of their rules and guidelines for the escheatment of unclaimed property. These states consider property to be abandoned when there is no shareholder initiated activity on an account for at least three (3) to five (5) years.
Depending on the laws in your jurisdiction, customer initiated contact might be achieved by one of the following methods:
Send a letter to American Beacon Funds via the United States Post Office,
Speak to a Customer Service Representative on the phone after you go through a security verification process. For residents of certain states, contact cannot be made by phone but must be in writing or through the funds secure web application.
Access your account through the funds secure web application,
Cashing checks that are received and are made payable to the owner of the account.
The Funds, the Manager, and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or their representatives for good faith compliance with escheatment laws. To learn more about the escheatment rules for your particular state, please contact your attorney or State Treasurer's and/or Controller's Offices. If you do not hold your shares directly with a Fund, you should contact your broker-dealer, retirement plan, or other third party, intermediary regarding applicable state escheatment laws.
Contact information:
American Beacon Funds
P.O. Box 219643
Kansas City, MO 64121-9643
1-800-658-5811
www.americanbeaconfunds.com
Frequent Trading and Market Timing
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in that Fund, including (i) the dilution of a Fund's NAV, (ii) an increase in a Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Frequent, short-term trading of Fund shares in an attempt to profit from day-to-day fluctuations in a Fund's NAV is known as market timing.
The Funds' Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage frequent trading and market timing. These policies include a 2% redemption fee imposed on shares of the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund that are sold within 90 days of purchase.
The redemption fee is described further in the ‘‘Redemption Policies'' section. Shareholders may transact one ‘‘round trip'' in a Fund in any rolling 90-day period. A ‘‘round trip'' is defined as two transactions, each in an opposite direction. A round trip may involve either (i) a purchase or exchange into a Fund followed by a redemption or exchange out of a Fund or (ii) a redemption or exchange out of a Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into a Fund. If the Manager detects that a shareholder has exceeded one round trip in a Fund in any rolling 90-day period, the Manager, without prior notice to the shareholder, will prohibit the shareholder from making further purchases of that Fund. In general, each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order, terminate the exchange privilege, or liquidate the account of any shareholder that the Manager determines has engaged in frequent trading or market timing, regardless of whether the shareholder's activity violates any policy stated in this Prospectus. Additionally, the Manager may in its discretion, reject any purchase or exchange into the Fund from any individual investor, institutional investor, or group whose trading activity could disrupt the management of a Fund or dilute the value of the Fund's shares, including collective trading (e.g., following the advice of an investment newsletter). Such investors may be barred from future purchases of American Beacon Funds.
The round-trip limit does not apply to the following transaction types:
shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and other distributions;
systematic purchases and redemptions; shares redeemed to return excess IRA contributions; or
certain transactions made within a retirement or employee benefit plan, such as payroll contributions, minimum required distributions, loans, and hardship withdrawals, or other transactions that are initiated by a party other than the plan participant.
Financial intermediaries that offer Fund shares, such as broker-dealers, third party administrators of retirement plans, and trust companies, will be asked to enforce the Funds' policies to discourage frequent trading and market timing by investors. However, certain intermediaries that offer Fund shares have informed the Funds that they are currently unable to enforce the Funds' policies on an automated basis. In those instances, the Manager will monitor trading activity of the intermediary in an attempt to detect patterns of activity that indicate frequent trading or market timing by underlying investors. In some cases,
38 |
Prospectus – Fund Management |
intermediaries that offer Fund shares have their own policies to deter frequent trading and market timing that differ from the Funds' policies. A Fund may defer to an intermediary's policies. For more information, please contact the financial intermediary through which you invest in the Funds.
The Manager monitors trading activity in the Funds to attempt to identify shareholders engaged in frequent trading or market timing. The Manager may exclude transactions below a certain dollar amount from monitoring and may change that dollar amount from time to time. The ability of the Manager to detect frequent trading and market timing activity by investors who own shares through an intermediary is dependent upon the intermediary's provision of information necessary to identify transactions by the underlying investors. The Funds have entered into agreements with the intermediaries that service the Funds' investors, pursuant to which the intermediaries agree to provide information on investor transactions to the Funds and to act on the Funds' instructions to restrict transactions by investors who the Manager has identified as having violated the Funds' policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing.
Wrap programs offered by certain intermediaries may be designated ‘‘Qualified Wrap Programs'' by a Fund based on specific criteria established by the Funds and a certification by the intermediary that the criteria have been met. A Qualified Wrap Program is a wrap program whose sponsoring intermediary: (i) certifies that it has investment discretion over $50 million or more in client assets invested in mutual funds at the time of the certification, (ii) certifies that it directs transactions in accounts participating in the wrap program(s) in concert with changes in a model portfolio; (iii) provides the Manager a description of the wrap program(s); and (iv) managed by an intermediary that agrees to provide the Manager sufficient information to identify individual accounts in the intermediary's wrap program(s). For purposes of applying the round-trip limit, transactions initiated by clients invested in a Qualified Wrap Program will not be matched to transactions initiated by the intermediary sponsoring the Qualified Wrap Program. For example, a client's purchase of a Fund followed within 90 days by the intermediary's redemption of the same Fund would not be considered a round trip. However, transactions initiated by a Qualified Wrap Program client are subject to the round-trip limit and will be matched to determine if the client has exceeded the round-trip limit. In addition, the Manager will monitor transactions initiated by Qualified Wrap Program intermediaries to determine whether any intermediary has engaged in frequent trading or market timing. If the Manager determines that an intermediary has engaged in activity that is harmful to a Fund, the Manager will revoke the intermediary's Qualified Wrap Program status. Upon termination of status as a Qualified Wrap Program, all account transactions will be matched for purposes of testing compliance with the Fund's frequent trading and market timing policies, including any applicable redemption fees.
Each Fund reserves the right to modify the frequent trading and market timing policies and procedures and grant or eliminate waivers to such policies and procedures at any time without advance notice to shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Funds' policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing will have the intended effect nor that the Manager will be able to detect frequent trading and market timing.
Distributions and Taxes
Each Fund distributes most or all of its net earnings in the form of dividends from net investment income ("dividends") and distributions of realized net capital gains ("capital gain distributions") and net gains from foreign currency transactions (sometimes referred to below collectively as "other distributions") (and dividends and other distributions are sometimes referred to below collectively as "distributions"). Different tax treatment applies to different types of distributions (as described in the table below).
The Funds do not have a fixed dividend rate and do not guarantee they will pay any distributions in any particular period. Distributions paid by each Fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner and at the same time, but dividends on different classes of shares may be different as a result of the services and/or fees applicable to certain classes of shares. Distributions are paid as follows:
American Beacon Fund |
Dividends Paid |
Other Distributions Paid |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
Annually |
Annually |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
Monthly |
Annually |
The London Company Income Equity |
Monthly |
Annually |
Options for Receiving Dividends and other Distributions
When you open your Fund account, you can specify on your application how you want to receive distributions. To change that option, you must notify the transfer agent. Unless your account application instructs otherwise, distributions payable to you by a Fund will be reinvested in additional shares of the distributing class of that Fund. There are four payment options available:
Reinvest All Distributions. You can elect to reinvest all dividends and capital gain distributions from a Fund in additional shares of the distributing class of that Fund.
Reinvest Only Some Distributions. You can elect to reinvest some types of distributions by a Fund in additional shares of the distributing class of that Fund while receiving the other types of distributions by that Fund by check or having them sent to your bank account by ACH ("in cash").
Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive all dividends and capital gain distributions by check or have them sent to your bank account by ACH.
Reinvest Your Distributions in another American Beacon Fund. You can reinvest all of your dividends and capital gain distributions in shares of the same class of another American Beacon Fund that is available for exchanges. You must have an existing account in the same share class of the selected fund.
If you invest directly with the Funds, any election to receive distributions payable by check will only apply to distributions totaling $10.00 or more. Any distribution by a Fund totaling less than $10.00 will be reinvested in shares of the distributing class of that Fund and will not be paid to you by check. This policy does not apply to you if you have elected to receive distributions that are directly deposited into your bank account by ACH.
If you elect to receive a distribution by check and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if your check remains uncashed for six months, each Fund reserves the right to reinvest the amount of your check, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions in shares of the distributing class of that Fund at the NAV on the day of the reinvestment. Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption checks.
Shareholders investing in a Fund through a financial intermediary should discuss their options for receiving distributions with the intermediary.
Prospectus – Fund Management |
39 |
Taxes
Any Fund distributions are taxable to shareholders other than tax-qualified retirement accounts and other tax-exempt investors. However, the portion of the Fund's dividends derived from its investments in U.S. Government obligations, if any, is generally exempt from state and local income taxes. The following table outlines the typical status of transactions in taxable accounts:
Type of Transaction |
Federal Tax Status |
Dividends from net investment income * |
Ordinary income ** |
Distributions of the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss * |
Ordinary income |
Distributions of net gains from certain foreign currency transactions * |
Ordinary income |
Distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss ("net capital gain'') * |
Long-term capital gains |
Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for more than one year |
Long-term capital gains or losses |
Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for one year or less |
Net gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income; net losses are subject to special rules |
* |
Whether reinvested or taken in cash. |
** |
Except for dividends that are attributable to ''qualified dividend income'' (as described below). |
To the extent distributions are attributable to net capital gain that a Fund recognizes on sales or exchanges of capital assets, they are subject to a 15% maximum federal income tax rate for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an ‘‘individual'') (20% for individuals with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds, which are indexed for inflation annually), regardless of how long the shareholder held his or her Fund shares.
A portion of the dividends a Fund pays to individuals may be ‘‘qualified dividend income'' (‘‘QDI'') and thus eligible for the preferential rates that apply to net capital gain. QDI is the aggregate of dividends a Fund receives on shares of most domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions. To be eligible for those rates, a shareholder must meet similar restrictions with respect to his or her Fund shares.
A portion of the distributions a Fund pays may also be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations, subject to similar holding period and other restrictions, but the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends a Fund receives from domestic corporations only. However, dividends that a corporate shareholder receives and deducts pursuant to the dividends-received deduction may be subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.
A shareholder may realize a taxable gain or loss when redeeming or exchanging shares. That gain or loss is treated as a short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending on how long the redeemed or exchanged shares were held. Any capital gain an individual shareholder recognizes on a redemption or exchange of Fund shares that have been held for more than one year will qualify for the 15%/20% rates mentioned above.
A shareholder who wants to use an acceptable basis determination method with respect to Fund shares he or she acquired or acquires after December 31, 2011 ("Covered Shares") other than the average basis method (the Fund's default method), must elect to do so in writing, which may be electronic. A Fund, or its administrative agent, must report to the Internal Revenue Service and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for dispositions of Covered Shares. See "Tax Information" in the SAI for a description of the rules regarding that election and a Fund's reporting obligation.
An individual must pay a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the individual's ‘‘net investment income,'' which generally includes distributions a Fund pays and net gains realized on the redemption or exchange of Fund shares), or (2) the excess of the individual's ‘‘modified adjusted gross income'' over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this tax may have on their investment in Fund shares.
Each year, each Fund's shareholders will receive tax information to assist them in preparing their income tax returns.
The foregoing is only a summary of some of the important federal income tax considerations that may affect Fund shareholders who should consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to the effect of federal, state and local income taxes on an investment in a Fund.
40 |
Prospectus – Fund Management |
Additional Information
The Funds' Board of Trustees oversees generally the operations of the Funds. The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Funds' manager, sub-advisors, custodian, transfer agent, and accountants, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them directly against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them directly against the service providers.
This Prospectus provides information concerning the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this Prospectus nor the Statement of Additional Information is intended, or should be read, to be or create an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Funds and any investor, or to create any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.
Distribution and Service Plans
The Funds have adopted separate Distribution Plans for its A Class and C Class shares in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, which allows the A Class and C Class shares to pay distribution and other fees for the sale of Fund shares and for other services provided to shareholders. Each Plan also authorizes the use of any fees received by the Manager in accordance with the Administration and Management Agreements, and any fees received by the sub-advisors pursuant to their Investment Advisory Agreements with the Manager, to be used for the sale and distribution of Fund shares. The Plans provide that the A Class shares of the Funds will pay up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets attributable to the A Class, and the C Class shares of the Funds will pay up to 1.00% per annum of the average daily net assets attributable to the C Class to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board).
The Funds have also adopted a shareholder services plan for its A Class, C Class, Investor Class, and Y Class shares for certain non-distribution shareholder services provided by financial intermediaries. The shareholder services plan authorizes annual payment of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the A Class shares, up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the C Class shares, up to 0.375% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Investor Class shares, and up to 0.10% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Y Class shares of the Funds. Because these distribution and service plan fees are paid out of each Fund's A Class, C Class, Investor Class, and Y Class assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may result in costs higher than other types of sales charges.
Portfolio Holdings
A complete list of holdings for the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and the American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund is made available on the Funds' website on a monthly basis approximately twenty days after the end of each month and remains available for six months thereafter. A list of each Fund's ten largest holdings is made available on the Funds' website on a quarterly basis. A list of holdings for the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund is made available on the Fund's website on a quarterly basis. The holdings information is generally posted to the website approximately sixty days after the end of each calendar quarter and remains available for six months thereafter. The ten largest holdings of the Fund are generally posted to the website approximately fifteen days after the end of each calendar quarter and remain available until the next quarter. To access the holdings information, go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com. A Fund's ten largest holdings may also be accessed by selecting a particular Fund's fact sheet.
A description of the Funds' policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the Funds' SAI, which you may access on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or call 1-800-658-5811 to request a free copy.
Delivery of Documents
If you are interested in electronic delivery of the Funds' summary prospectuses or shareholder reports, please go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com and click on ''Quick Links'' and then ''Register for E-Delivery.''
To reduce expenses, your financial institution may mail only one copy of the summary prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please contact your financial institution. Delivery of individual copies will commence thirty days after receiving your request.
Prospectus – Additional Information |
41 |
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five years or the period of that Fund's operations, as applicable. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in each Fund's table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in that Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions). The information in the financial highlights has been derived from the Funds' financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose report, along with the Funds' financial statements, is included in the Funds' Annual Report, which you may obtain upon request.
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Institutional Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.36 |
|
$13.66 |
|
$12.40 |
|
$11.30 |
|
$9.63 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.13 |
|
0.14 |
|
0.46 |
|
0.27 |
|
0.17 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.03 |
) |
2.12 |
|
2.79 |
|
1.15 |
|
1.66 |
|
||||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.10 |
|
2.26 |
|
3.25 |
|
1.42 |
|
1.83 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.04 |
) |
– |
|
(1.17 |
) |
(0.10 |
) |
(0.11 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.21 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(0.82 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.25 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(1.99 |
) |
(0.32 |
) |
(0.16 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$14.21 |
|
$14.36 |
|
$13.66 |
|
$12.40 |
|
$11.30 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
0.68 |
% |
16.67 |
% |
29.81 |
% |
12.78 |
% |
18.93 |
% |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$1,765 |
|
$1,606 |
|
$1,522 |
|
$923 |
|
$1,325 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.56 |
% |
1.64 |
% |
2.77 |
% |
3.18 |
% |
3.24 |
% |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
1.00 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before reimbursements |
0.17 |
% |
0.33 |
% |
(0.28 |
%) |
(0.71 |
%) |
(1.16 |
%) |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), net of reimbursements |
0.73 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
1.50 |
% |
1.48 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
97 |
% |
76 |
% |
89 |
% |
103 |
% |
66 |
% |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
42 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Y Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.50 |
|
$13.79 |
|
$12.46 |
|
$11.36 |
|
$9.62 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.10 |
|
0.56 |
|
0.37 |
|
0.06 |
|
0.15 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.02 |
) |
1.71 |
|
2.89 |
|
1.37 |
|
1.66 |
|
||||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.08 |
|
2.27 |
|
3.26 |
|
1.43 |
|
1.81 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.04 |
) |
– |
|
(1.11 |
) |
(0.11 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.21 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(0.82 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.25 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(1.93 |
) |
(0.33 |
) |
(0.07 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$14.33 |
|
$14.50 |
|
$13.79 |
|
$12.46 |
|
$11.36 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
0.54 |
% |
16.59 |
% |
29.65 |
% |
12.78 |
% |
18.81 |
% |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$9,796 |
|
$8,168 |
|
$1,693 |
|
$1,174 |
|
$255 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.61 |
% |
1.65 |
% |
2.79 |
% |
3.39 |
% |
3.08 |
% |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
1.10 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before reimbursements |
0.12 |
% |
0.19 |
% |
(0.23 |
%) |
(0.81 |
%) |
(1.25 |
%) |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), net of reimbursements |
0.64 |
% |
0.75 |
% |
1.47 |
% |
1.49 |
% |
0.75 |
% |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
97 |
% |
76 |
% |
89 |
% |
103 |
% |
66 |
% |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
43 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Investor Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.39 |
|
$13.73 |
|
$12.44 |
|
$11.31 |
|
$9.62 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.01 |
|
0.10 |
|
0.53 |
|
0.17 |
|
0.06 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
0.04 |
|
2.12 |
|
2.68 |
|
1.22 |
|
1.71 |
|
||||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.05 |
|
2.22 |
|
3.21 |
|
1.39 |
|
1.77 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.01 |
) |
– |
|
(1.10 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
(0.03 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.21 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(0.82 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.22 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(1.92 |
) |
(0.26 |
) |
(0.08 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$14.22 |
|
$14.39 |
|
$13.73 |
|
$12.44 |
|
$11.31 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
0.29 |
% |
16.27 |
% |
29.30 |
% |
12.45 |
% |
18.34 |
% |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$2,573 |
|
$3,004 |
|
$3,302 |
|
$1,670 |
|
$2,207 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.82 |
% |
1.86 |
% |
3.07 |
% |
3.60 |
% |
3.18 |
% |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
1.37 |
% |
1.37 |
% |
1.37 |
% |
1.37 |
% |
1.36 |
% |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before reimbursements |
(0.12 |
%) |
0.15 |
% |
(0.60 |
%) |
(1.14 |
%) |
(1.21 |
%) |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), net of reimbursements |
0.33 |
% |
0.64 |
% |
1.11 |
% |
1.08 |
% |
0.61 |
% |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
97 |
% |
76 |
% |
89 |
% |
103 |
% |
66 |
% |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
44 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
A Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.40 |
|
$13.75 |
|
$12.46 |
|
$11.32 |
|
$9.61 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.05 |
|
0.48 |
|
0.18 |
|
0.13 |
|
0.02 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
0.00 |
|
1.73 |
|
3.02 |
|
1.24 |
|
1.76 |
|
||||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.05 |
|
2.21 |
|
3.20 |
|
1.37 |
|
1.78 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.02 |
) |
– |
|
(1.09 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.21 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(0.82 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.23 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(1.91 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.07 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$14.22 |
|
$14.40 |
|
$13.75 |
|
$12.46 |
|
$11.32 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
0.29 |
% |
16.17 |
% |
29.07 |
% |
12.28 |
% |
18.48 |
% |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$4,797 |
|
$4,894 |
|
$2,081 |
|
$2,232 |
|
$2,451 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.94 |
% |
2.05 |
% |
3.22 |
% |
3.71 |
% |
3.20 |
% |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
1.40 |
% |
1.47 |
% |
1.49 |
% |
1.49 |
% |
1.47 |
% |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before reimbursements |
(0.21 |
%) |
(0.14 |
%) |
(0.62 |
%) |
(1.26 |
%) |
(1.29 |
%) |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), net of reimbursements |
0.33 |
% |
0.45 |
% |
1.11 |
% |
0.97 |
% |
0.43 |
% |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
97 |
% |
76 |
% |
89 |
% |
103 |
% |
66 |
% |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
45 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
C Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.08 |
|
$13.57 |
|
$12.28 |
|
$11.24 |
|
$9.94 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.07 |
) |
0.33 |
|
0.24 |
|
0.03 |
|
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
0.01 |
|
1.74 |
|
2.84 |
|
1.23 |
|
1.38 |
|
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.06 |
) |
2.07 |
|
3.08 |
|
1.26 |
|
1.36 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
– |
|
– |
|
(0.97 |
) |
– |
|
(0.01 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.21 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(0.82 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.21 |
) |
(1.56 |
) |
(1.79 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.06 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$13.81 |
|
$14.08 |
|
$13.57 |
|
$12.28 |
|
$11.24 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
(0.48 |
%) |
15.29 |
% |
28.20 |
% |
11.35 |
% |
13.64 |
% |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$1,398 |
|
$1,469 |
|
$695 |
|
$507 |
|
$410 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
2.69 |
% |
2.81 |
% |
3.95 |
% |
4.48 |
% |
4.35 |
% |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
2.15 |
% |
2.22 |
% |
2.24 |
% |
2.24 |
% |
2.22 |
% |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before reimbursements |
(0.96 |
%) |
(0.89 |
%) |
(1.38 |
%) |
(2.02 |
%) |
(2.44 |
%) |
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss), net of reimbursements |
(0.41 |
%) |
(0.30 |
%) |
0.33 |
% |
0.23 |
% |
(0.31 |
%) |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
97 |
% |
76 |
% |
89 |
% |
103 |
% |
66 |
% |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
46 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Institutional Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
Feb. 14 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.35 |
|
$10.16 |
|
$9.93 |
|
$9.42 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.57 |
|
0.64 |
|
0.75 |
|
0.77 |
|
0.37 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.65 |
) |
0.47 |
|
0.26 |
|
0.51 |
|
(0.58 |
) |
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.08 |
) |
1.11 |
|
1.01 |
|
1.28 |
|
(0.21 |
) |
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.55 |
) |
(0.69 |
) |
(0.75 |
) |
(0.77 |
) |
(0.37 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.03 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.84 |
) |
(0.92 |
) |
(0.78 |
) |
(0.77 |
) |
(0.37 |
) |
||||||||||
Redemption fees added to beneficial interests A |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.43 |
|
$10.35 |
|
$10.16 |
|
$9.93 |
|
$9.42 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return B |
(0.78 |
%) |
11.34 |
% |
10.29 |
% |
14.19 |
% |
(2.24 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$230,288 |
|
$75,389 |
|
$45,471 |
|
$62,790 |
|
$9,839 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
0.88 |
% |
0.86 |
% |
0.93 |
% |
1.06 |
% |
2.62 |
% D |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
0.84 |
% |
0.84 |
% |
0.84 |
% |
0.84 |
% |
0.82 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements or recoupments |
5.38 |
% |
5.88 |
% |
7.11 |
% |
7.90 |
% |
5.03 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
5.41 |
% |
5.90 |
% |
7.20 |
% |
8.12 |
% |
6.83 |
% D |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
43 |
% |
38 |
% |
65 |
% |
43 |
% |
20 |
% E |
A |
Amounts represent less than $0.01 per share. |
B |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
C |
Not annualized. |
D |
Annualized. |
E |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from February 14, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
47 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Y Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
Feb. 14 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.34 |
|
$10.14 |
|
$9.92 |
|
$9.41 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.53 |
|
0.64 |
|
0.73 |
|
0.76 |
|
0.36 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.62 |
) |
0.46 |
|
0.25 |
|
0.51 |
|
(0.59 |
) |
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.09 |
) |
1.10 |
|
0.98 |
|
1.27 |
|
(0.23 |
) |
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.54 |
) |
(0.67 |
) |
(0.73 |
) |
(0.76 |
) |
(0.36 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.03 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.83 |
) |
(0.90 |
) |
(0.76 |
) |
(0.76 |
) |
(0.36 |
) |
||||||||||
Redemption fees added to beneficial interests A |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.42 |
|
$10.34 |
|
$10.14 |
|
$9.92 |
|
$9.41 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return B |
(0.87 |
%) |
11.33 |
% |
10.08 |
% |
14.09 |
% |
(2.44 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$300,015 |
|
$247,179 |
|
$87,639 |
|
$19,129 |
|
$378 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
0.91 |
% |
0.94 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
5.04 |
% D |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
0.93 |
% |
0.94 |
% |
0.93 |
% |
0.94 |
% |
0.92 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements or recoupments |
5.32 |
% |
5.77 |
% |
6.77 |
% |
7.92 |
% |
2.87 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
5.30 |
% |
5.77 |
% |
6.82 |
% |
8.07 |
% |
6.99 |
% D |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
43 |
% |
38 |
% |
65 |
% |
43 |
% |
20 |
% E |
A |
Amounts represent less than $0.01 per share. |
B |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
C |
Not annualized. |
D |
Annualized. |
E |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from February 14, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
48 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Investor Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
Feb. 14 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.32 |
|
$10.12 |
|
$9.90 |
|
$9.38 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.50 |
|
0.56 |
|
0.71 |
|
0.73 |
|
0.35 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.61 |
) |
0.52 |
|
0.25 |
|
0.52 |
|
(0.62 |
) |
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.11 |
) |
1.08 |
|
0.96 |
|
1.25 |
|
(0.27 |
) |
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.52 |
) |
(0.65 |
) |
(0.71 |
) |
(0.73 |
) |
(0.35 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.03 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.81 |
) |
(0.88 |
) |
(0.74 |
) |
(0.73 |
) |
(0.35 |
) |
||||||||||
Redemption fees added to beneficial interests A |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.40 |
|
$10.32 |
|
$10.12 |
|
$9.90 |
|
$9.38 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return B |
(1.14 |
%) |
11.08 |
% |
9.84 |
% |
13.92 |
% |
(2.85 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$196,928 |
|
$199,534 |
|
$248,052 |
|
$150,396 |
|
$4,894 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
1.19 |
% |
1.11 |
% |
1.15 |
% |
1.23 |
% |
2.78 |
% D |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.19 |
% |
1.11 |
% |
1.17 |
% |
1.19 |
% |
1.19 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements or recoupments |
5.05 |
% |
5.68 |
% |
6.81 |
% |
7.74 |
% |
5.14 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
5.05 |
% |
5.68 |
% |
6.79 |
% |
7.78 |
% |
6.73 |
% D |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
43 |
% |
38 |
% |
65 |
% |
43 |
% |
20 |
% E |
A |
Amounts represent less than $0.01 per share. |
B |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
C |
Not annualized. |
D |
Annualized. |
E |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from February 14, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
49 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
A Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
Feb. 14 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.36 |
|
$10.15 |
|
$9.92 |
|
$9.41 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.49 |
|
0.57 |
|
0.69 |
|
0.72 |
|
0.34 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.62 |
) |
0.49 |
|
0.26 |
|
0.51 |
|
(0.59 |
) |
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.13 |
) |
1.06 |
|
0.95 |
|
1.23 |
|
(0.25 |
) |
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.51 |
) |
(0.62 |
) |
(0.69 |
) |
(0.72 |
) |
(0.34 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.03 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.80 |
) |
(0.85 |
) |
(0.72 |
) |
(0.72 |
) |
(0.34 |
) |
||||||||||
Redemption fees added to beneficial interests A |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.43 |
|
$10.36 |
|
$10.15 |
|
$9.92 |
|
$9.41 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return B |
(1.27 |
%) |
10.87 |
% |
9.74 |
% |
13.63 |
% |
(2.61 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$81,147 |
|
$93,061 |
|
$76,146 |
|
$42,832 |
|
$4,932 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
1.22 |
% |
1.33 |
% |
1.41 |
% |
1.53 |
% |
2.92 |
% D |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.24 |
% |
1.32 |
% |
1.35 |
% |
1.34 |
% |
1.31 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements or recoupments |
5.01 |
% |
5.44 |
% |
6.53 |
% |
7.44 |
% |
4.98 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
4.99 |
% |
5.45 |
% |
6.60 |
% |
7.62 |
% |
6.60 |
% D |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
43 |
% |
38 |
% |
65 |
% |
43 |
% |
20 |
% E |
A |
Amounts represent less than $0.01 per share. |
B |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
C |
Not annualized. |
D |
Annualized. |
E |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from February 14, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
50 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
C Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
Feb. 14 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.40 |
|
$10.16 |
|
$9.94 |
|
$9.42 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income |
0.42 |
|
0.49 |
|
0.62 |
|
0.65 |
|
0.30 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.62 |
) |
0.50 |
|
0.25 |
|
0.52 |
|
(0.58 |
) |
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.20 |
) |
0.99 |
|
0.87 |
|
1.17 |
|
(0.28 |
) |
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.44 |
) |
(0.52 |
) |
(0.62 |
) |
(0.65 |
) |
(0.30 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.03 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.73 |
) |
(0.75 |
) |
(0.65 |
) |
(0.65 |
) |
(0.30 |
) |
||||||||||
Redemption fees added to beneficial interests A |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.47 |
|
$10.40 |
|
$10.16 |
|
$9.94 |
|
$9.42 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return B |
(1.98 |
%) |
10.12 |
% |
8.81 |
% |
12.90 |
% |
(2.88 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$73,213 |
|
$76,536 |
|
$60,830 |
|
$26,679 |
|
$1,239 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
1.97 |
% |
2.08 |
% |
2.15 |
% |
2.26 |
% |
4.03 |
% D |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.99 |
% |
2.07 |
% |
2.09 |
% |
2.09 |
% |
2.07 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements or recoupments |
4.26 |
% |
4.68 |
% |
5.76 |
% |
6.70 |
% |
3.98 |
% D |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
4.24 |
% |
4.69 |
% |
5.82 |
% |
6.87 |
% |
5.94 |
% D |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
43 |
% |
38 |
% |
65 |
% |
43 |
% |
20 |
% E |
A |
Amounts represent less than $0.01 per share. |
B |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
C |
Not annualized. |
D |
Annualized. |
E |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from February 14, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
51 |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Institutional Class |
|||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
May 29 to Aug. 31, 2012 |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.12 |
|
$11.80 |
|
$10.49 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net investment income |
0.31 |
|
0.30 |
|
0.31 |
|
0.06 |
|
||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.14 |
) |
2.39 |
|
1.30 |
|
0.47 |
|
||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.17 |
|
2.69 |
|
1.61 |
|
0.53 |
|
||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.32 |
) |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.09 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
– |
|
||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.44 |
) |
(0.37 |
) |
(0.30 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$13.85 |
|
$14.12 |
|
$11.80 |
|
$10.49 |
|
||||||||
Total Return A |
1.08 |
% |
23.13 |
% |
15.55 |
% |
5.31 |
% B |
||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$137,007 |
|
$58,277 |
|
$44,731 |
|
$10,331 |
|
||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
0.75 |
% |
0.82 |
% |
1.13 |
% |
7.28 |
% C |
||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
0.79 |
% |
0.79 |
% |
0.79 |
% |
0.79 |
% C |
||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before expense reimbursements or recoupments |
2.35 |
% |
2.31 |
% |
2.32 |
% |
(3.99 |
%) C |
||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
2.30 |
% |
2.33 |
% |
2.66 |
% |
2.50 |
% C |
||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
15 |
% |
10 |
% |
15 |
% |
6 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from May 29 through August 31, 2012, and is annualized. |
52 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Y Class |
|||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
May 29 to Aug. 31, 2012 |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.06 |
|
$11.75 |
|
$10.49 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net investment income |
0.31 |
|
0.28 |
|
0.33 |
|
0.05 |
|
||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.15 |
) |
2.39 |
|
1.26 |
|
0.48 |
|
||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.16 |
|
2.67 |
|
1.59 |
|
0.53 |
|
||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.31 |
) |
(0.27 |
) |
(0.32 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.09 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
– |
|
||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.43 |
) |
(0.36 |
) |
(0.33 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$13.79 |
|
$14.06 |
|
$11.75 |
|
$10.49 |
|
||||||||
Total Return A |
1.03 |
% |
23.05 |
% |
15.45 |
% |
5.31 |
% B |
||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$364,477 |
|
$122,715 |
|
$28,814 |
|
$551 |
|
||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
0.83 |
% |
0.89 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
10.59 |
% C |
||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
0.84 |
% |
0.89 |
% |
0.89 |
% |
0.89 |
% C |
||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before expense reimbursements or recoupments |
2.27 |
% |
2.24 |
% |
2.22 |
% |
(7.30 |
%) C |
||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
2.26 |
% |
2.25 |
% |
2.42 |
% |
2.40 |
% C |
||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
15 |
% |
10 |
% |
15 |
% |
6 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from May 29 through August 31, 2012, and is annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
53 |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Investor Class |
|||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
May 29 to Aug. 31, 2012 |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.08 |
|
$11.76 |
|
$10.48 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net investment income |
0.28 |
|
0.26 |
|
0.27 |
|
0.05 |
|
||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.17 |
) |
2.39 |
|
1.29 |
|
0.47 |
|
||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.11 |
|
2.65 |
|
1.56 |
|
0.52 |
|
||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.26 |
) |
(0.24 |
) |
(0.27 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.09 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
– |
|
||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.38 |
) |
(0.33 |
) |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$13.81 |
|
$14.08 |
|
$11.76 |
|
$10.48 |
|
||||||||
Total Return A |
0.71 |
% |
22.83 |
% |
15.14 |
% |
5.21 |
% B |
||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$20,565 |
|
$16,550 |
|
$8,840 |
|
$2,073 |
|
||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
1.04 |
% |
1.06 |
% |
1.54 |
% |
10.14 |
% C |
||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.16 |
% |
1.10 |
% |
1.17 |
% |
1.17 |
% C |
||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before expense reimbursements or recoupments |
2.04 |
% |
2.06 |
% |
1.86 |
% |
(6.99 |
%) C |
||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.93 |
% |
2.02 |
% |
2.23 |
% |
1.99 |
% C |
||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
15 |
% |
10 |
% |
15 |
% |
6 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from May 29 through August 31, 2012, and is annualized. |
54 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
A Class |
|||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
May 29 to Aug. 31, 2012 |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$14.00 |
|
$11.70 |
|
$10.47 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net investment income |
0.27 |
|
0.24 |
|
0.31 |
|
0.05 |
|
||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.16 |
) |
2.37 |
|
1.23 |
|
0.46 |
|
||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.11 |
|
2.61 |
|
1.54 |
|
0.51 |
|
||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.26 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.30 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.09 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
– |
|
||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.38 |
) |
(0.31 |
) |
(0.31 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$13.73 |
|
$14.00 |
|
$11.70 |
|
$10.47 |
|
||||||||
Total Return A |
0.71 |
% |
22.58 |
% |
14.99 |
% |
5.11 |
% B |
||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$72,363 |
|
$31,579 |
|
$12,109 |
|
$647 |
|
||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
1.13 |
% |
1.28 |
% |
1.59 |
% |
11.94 |
% C |
||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.17 |
% |
1.27 |
% |
1.29 |
% |
1.29 |
% C |
||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before expense reimbursements or recoupments |
1.96 |
% |
1.85 |
% |
1.93 |
% |
(8.87 |
%) C |
||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.92 |
% |
1.86 |
% |
2.23 |
% |
1.78 |
% C |
||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
15 |
% |
10 |
% |
15 |
% |
6 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from May 29 through August 31, 2012, and is annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
55 |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
C Class |
|||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
May 29 to Aug. 31, 2012 |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$13.93 |
|
$11.66 |
|
$10.46 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net investment income |
0.18 |
|
0.15 |
|
0.24 |
|
0.04 |
|
||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.17 |
) |
2.35 |
|
1.21 |
|
0.46 |
|
||||||||
Total income from investment operations |
0.01 |
|
2.50 |
|
1.45 |
|
0.50 |
|
||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.24 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.09 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
– |
|
||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.29 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.25 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$13.65 |
|
$13.93 |
|
$11.66 |
|
$10.46 |
|
||||||||
Total Return A |
(0.04 |
%) |
21.69 |
% |
14.05 |
% |
5.01 |
% B |
||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$122,804 |
|
$46,639 |
|
$8,015 |
|
$274 |
|
||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements or recoupments |
1.88 |
% |
2.02 |
% |
2.26 |
% |
13.83 |
% C |
||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.89 |
% |
2.01 |
% |
2.04 |
% |
2.04 |
% C |
||||||||
Net investment income (loss), before expense reimbursements or recoupments |
1.22 |
% |
1.11 |
% |
1.09 |
% |
(10.65 |
%) C |
||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements or recoupments |
1.21 |
% |
1.12 |
% |
1.31 |
% |
1.14 |
% C |
||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
15 |
% |
10 |
% |
15 |
% |
6 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from May 29 through August 31, 2012, and is annualized. |
56 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
Additional Information
Additional information about the Funds is found in the documents listed below. Request a free copy of these documents by calling 1-800-658-5811 or you may access them on the Funds' website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
Annual Report/Semi-Annual Report
The Funds' Annual and Semi-Annual Reports list each Fund's actual investments as of the report's date. They also include a discussion by the Manager of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance. The report of the Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is included in the Annual Report.
Statement of Additional Information (''SAI'')
The SAI contains more details about the Funds and their investment policies. The SAI is incorporated in this prospectus by reference (it is legally part of this prospectus). A current SAI is on file with the SEC.
To obtain more information about the Fund or to request a copy of the documents listed above:
By Telephone: |
Call
|
By Mail: |
American Beacon Funds
|
By E-mail: |
americanbeaconfunds@ambeacon.com |
On the Internet: |
Visit our website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com
|
The SAI and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic mail to publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE,Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SAI and other information about the Funds may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room. Information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090.
American Beacon is a registered service mark of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. The American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund are service marks of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. |
|
SEC File Number 811-4984
|
American Beacon |
PROSPECTUS
December 29, 2015
|
Share Class |
|||||
|
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
|
American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund |
AFXAX |
AFXCX |
AFXYX |
AFXIX |
AFXPX |
This Prospectus contains important information you should know about investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of the prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
1 |
|
Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies |
9 |
9 |
|
12 |
|
19 |
|
20 |
|
20 |
|
21 |
|
22 |
|
24 |
|
28 |
|
28 |
|
29 |
|
31 |
|
31 |
|
31 |
|
32 |
|
Back Cover
|
American Beacon
|
|
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide a positive total return regardless of market conditions.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 22 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 43 of the statement of additional information ("SAI").
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share Class |
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
|||||
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
4.75 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
||||
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) |
0.50 |
% 1 |
1.00 |
% |
None |
None |
None |
1 |
A contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $250,000 or more that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase. |
2 |
The fee table has been restated to reflect the management fee rate currently being paid by the Fund. |
3 |
The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Fund's Financial Highlights table, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. |
4 |
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class and Investor Class shares, as applicable, through December 31, 2016 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.29% for the A Class, 2.04% for the C Class, 0.99% for the Y Class, 0.90% for the Institutional Class and 1.27% for the Investor Class (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed only with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement. |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for each share class through December 31, 2016. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
A |
$601 |
$942 |
$1,306 |
$2,328 |
C |
$308 |
$717 |
$1,253 |
$2,719 |
Y |
$102 |
$393 |
$706 |
$1,593 |
Institutional |
$93 |
$369 |
$667 |
$1,513 |
Investor |
$130 |
$457 |
$806 |
$1,792 |
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Share Class |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
C |
$208 |
$717 |
$1,253 |
$2,719 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or ''turns over'' its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate for the Fund's last fiscal year was 492% of the average value of the portfolio.
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
1 |
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund's investment approach is flexible, allocating investments across a wide range of investment opportunities globally to attempt to achieve positive total return regardless of market conditions over a full market cycle. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing under normal market conditions at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in fixed-income instruments of varying maturities and derivative instruments that provide exposure to fixed income instruments. Fixed-income instruments include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions, inflation index linked securities, debt securities of supranational organizations, quasi-sovereign debt, emerging markets debt, corporate bonds, convertible and non-convertible debt, municipal securities, Rule 144A securities, variable and floating rate securities, commercial paper, mortgage-backed securities (commercial and residential), repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances, collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-related products, asset-backed securities, money market funds and bank loans and loan participation interests. The Fund invests in fixed income instruments without restrictions on their credit quality, although under normal market conditions, the Fund's investments in non-investment grade securities, known also as high yield or ''junk'' bonds, is limited to 40% of the Fund's total assets. The bond portfolio will maintain an average credit quality of investment grade under normal market conditions. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in a particular geographic region or country, including emerging markets.
The Fund's investments in derivatives may include options, futures contracts, forward contracts, warrants, swaps, structured notes, and similar instruments. The Fund uses derivative instruments to enhance total return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, to change the effective duration of its portfolio, to manage certain investment risks or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of the underlying currencies or securities. The Fund's use of derivatives may be extensive.
The Fund also may have significant exposure to foreign currencies for investment or hedging purposes by purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. or emerging market currencies, non-U.S. currency futures contracts, options on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures and swaps for cross-currency investments. The Fund may also make direct investments in non-U.S. currencies and in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Investments in currencies and currency hedging are established to extract value or reduce risk. The Fund's investments may expose the Fund to U.S. and foreign interest rates. The Fund may also make equity investments, including preferred stocks, common stocks and real estate investment trusts (‘‘REITs''). The Fund may invest in companies of all market capitalizations, including small-and mid-capitalization companies.
In selecting investments for the Fund, the Fund's sub-advisors develop long- and short-term views of global economic themes suggested by macro-economic factors, interest rates, market cycles, credit cycles and other relevant factors. The sub-advisors seek to capitalize on these themes by investing where opportunities exist by either making long investments where they believe favorable return conditions exist, or by establishing short positions where the lack of absolute return opportunities could result in favorable returns for a short position. The sub-advisors examine the relative risk and return characteristics of each investment to determine the ultimate positioning of their individual portfolios. The Fund's sub-advisors sell securities when their economic views change and an investment idea, based on its return potential or level of risk no longer fits within their overall macro strategy or when better ideas are uncovered to improve the Fund's portfolio.
The Fund's weighted average portfolio duration may range from -5 to +8 years, as calculated by the sub-advisor, depending upon the sub-advisors' forecast of interest rates and assessment of market risk generally. Duration is a measure of the life expectancy of a fixed income security that is used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. Generally, the price of a security with a positive duration will fall when interest rates rise, and vice versa. Moreover, larger absolute values of duration correspond to larger price changes. A duration of ‘‘one year'' means that a security's price would be expected to decrease by approximately 1% with a 1% increase in interest rates and, conversely, a negative duration of one year generally will increase the price of the security by 1%. The Fund may have a negative weighted average duration through the use of short futures, put option positions and total return swaps. Such instruments have durations roughly equal to the negative duration of the securities that underlie those positions and have the effect of reducing portfolio duration by approximately the same amount that selling an equivalent amount of the underlying securities would. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it is not limited to a percentage of assets that it may invest in any one issuer.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
Allocation Risk
The sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations between, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's
performance. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage Related Securities Risk
Investments in asset-backed and mortgage related securities are subject to market risks for fixed-income securities which
include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk.
Convertible Securities Risk
The value of a convertible security typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general,
a convertible security is subject to the risks of stocks when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion
price and is subject to the risks of debt securities when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price.
Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment
in lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). In addition, because companies that issue convertible securities
may be small- or mid-cap companies, to the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies,
it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies may fluctuate more
widely in price than the market as a whole and there may also be less trading in small- or mid-cap stocks.
Counterparty Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that a party or participant to a transaction, such as a broker or derivative counterparty,
will be unwilling or unable to satisfy its obligation to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments or to otherwise
honor its obligations to the Fund.
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract
or a loan will fail to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely.
Credit risk is typically greater for securities with ratings that are below investment grade (commonly referred to as "junk
bonds"). Since the Fund can invest significantly in lower-quality debt securities considered speculative in nature, this risk
will be substantial.
2 |
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
Currency Risk
The Fund may have exposure to foreign currencies by making direct investments in non-U.S. currencies or in securities denominated
in non-U.S. currencies, purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. currencies, non-U.S. currency
futures contracts, options on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures, and swaps for cross-currency investments.
Foreign currencies may decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and other currencies and thereby affect the Fund's investments
in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure
to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives may involve significant risk. The use of derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that
it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives including the high degree
of leverage often embedded in such instruments, and potential material and prolonged deviations between the theoretical value
and realizable value of a derivative. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the
Fund's initial investment. Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. The Fund
may buy or sell derivatives not traded on an exchange and which may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk.
Derivative investments can increase portfolio turnover and transaction costs. Derivatives also are subject to counterparty
risk. As a result, the Fund may obtain no recovery of its investment or may only obtain a limited recovery, and any recovery
may be delayed. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater
losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. In addition, the Fund's investments in derivatives are subject to the
following risks:
Futures and Forward Contracts. Futures and forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs"), are derivative instruments pursuant to a contract where one party pays a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date or to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. There may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. Not all forward contracts, including NDFs, require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts. Forward currency transactions, including NDFs, include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency. Interest rate and Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to price fluctuations resulting from changes in interest rates. The Fund could suffer a loss if interest rates rise after the Fund has purchased an interest rate futures contract or fall after the Fund has sold an interest rate futures contract. Similarly, Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected.
Options. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security or index must rise sufficiently above the call option exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. These costs will reduce any profit that might otherwise have been realized had the Fund bought the underlying security instead of the call option. For a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security or index must decline sufficiently below the put option's exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, the Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from having shorted the declining underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. If the Fund sells a put option, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying asset at a disadvantageous price. If the Fund sells a call option on an underlying asset that the Fund owns and the underlying asset has increased in value when the call option is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying asset at the call price and will not be able to realize any of the underlying asset's value above the call price.
Structured Notes. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity.
Swap Agreements. Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage. If swaps are used as a hedging strategy, the Fund is subject to the risk that the hedging strategy may not eliminate the risk that it is intended to offset, due to, among other reasons, the occurrence of unexpected price movements or the non-occurrence of expected price movements. Swaps also may be difficult to value. Equity swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk. Total return swaps and currency swaps are subject to counterparty risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. In addition to these risks, total return swaps are subject to market risk and interest rate risk, if the underlying securities are bonds or other debt obligations. In addition, currency swaps are subject to currency risk.
Warrants. Warrants may be more speculative than certain other types of investments because warrants do not carry with them dividend or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, or any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date.
Emerging Markets Risk
When investing in emerging markets, the risks of investing in foreign securities discussed below are heightened. Emerging
markets are generally smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets of the U.S. and other
developed markets. There are also risks of: greater political uncertainties; an economy's dependence on revenues from particular
commodities or on international aid or development assistance; currency transfer restrictions; a limited number of potential
buyers for such securities; and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may expose the Fund to additional
risks. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same
industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation
or bankruptcy of the issuing company. Preferred stocks are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Preferred stocks may
be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions
on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an issuer and after required payments to bond holders. Investments
in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting
the real estate industry and real property values.
Flexible Strategy Risk
The Fund uses a variety of investment strategies seeking to provide a positive total return regardless of market conditions.
The sub-advisors do not attempt to keep the portfolio structure or the Fund's performance consistent with any designated stock,
bond or market index, and during times of market rallies, the Fund may not perform as well as other funds that seek to outperform
an index. Over time, the investment performance of flexible strategies is typically substantially independent of longer term
movements in the stock and bond market. Interest rate levels and currency valuations will not always respond as the sub-advisors
expect and portfolio securities may remain over- or under-valued.
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
3 |
Foreign Investing Risk
Non U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited
to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity and greater volatility,
(4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; (5) increased price volatility; (6) less government
regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies; and (7) delays in transaction settlement
in some foreign markets.
Hedging Risk
If the Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, or the hedged instrument
does not correlate to the risk sought to be hedged, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund's return, or create a
loss.
High Portfolio Turnover
Risk
Portfolio turnover is a measure of the Fund's trading activity over a one-year period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100%
would indicate that the Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. High portfolio
turnover could increase the Fund's transaction costs, have a negative impact on performance, and generate higher capital gain
distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate.
High Yield Securities Risk
Investing in high yield, below investment-grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds") generally involves significantly
greater risks of loss of your money than an investment in investment grade securities. High yield debt securities may fluctuate
more widely in price and yield and may fall in price when the economy is weak or expected to become weak. High yield securities
are considered to be speculative with respect to an issuer's ability to pay interest and principal and carry a greater risk
that the issuers of lower-rated securities will default on the timely payment of principal and interest. Below investment
grade securities may experience greater price volatility and less liquidity than investment grade securities.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk
Securities not registered in the U.S. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), including Rule
144A securities, may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. They may be more difficult to purchase
or sell at an advantageous time or price because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets. The
Fund may not be able to sell a restricted security when the sub-advisor considers it desirable to do so and/or may have to
sell the security at a lower price than the Fund believes is its fair market value. In addition, transaction costs may be
higher for restricted securities and the Fund may receive only limited information regarding the issuer of a restricted security.
The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering restricted securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in
effecting the registration.
Inflation Index Linked Securities Risk
Unlike a conventional bond, whose issuer makes regular fixed interest payments and repays the face value of the bond at maturity,
an inflation index linked security provides principal payments and interest payments, which are adjusted over time to reflect
a rise (inflation) or a drop (deflation) in the reference index. The value of inflation-linked securities is expected to change
in response to real interest rates. The price of an inflation-linked security generally falls when real interest rates rise
and rises when real interest rates fall.
Interest Rate Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the market value of fixed income securities or derivatives it holds, particularly mortgage
backed and other asset backed securities, will decline due to rising interest rates. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest
rates are near historic lows, but may rise substantially and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the
Fund. Generally, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as fixed income securities, will move in the opposite
direction to movements in interest rates. The prices of fixed income securities or derivatives are also affected by their
duration. Fixed income securities or derivatives with longer duration generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest
rates. For example, if a bond has a duration of eight years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result
in a 8% decrease in the value of the bond. An increase in interest rates can impact markets broadly as well. For example,
some investors buy securities and derivatives with borrowed money; an increase in interest rates can cause a decline in those
markets.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you
paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the
issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well
as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Leverage Risk
The Fund's use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, reverse repurchase agreements, other derivative instruments and selling
securities short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings
in prices of an asset or class of assets underlying a derivative instrument and results in increased volatility, which means
that the Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund does not use the derivative instruments that have
a leveraging effect. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rate
of losses. Leverage tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure
to an asset or class of assets and may cause the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") to be volatile.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability or be subject
to restrictions on sale, and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. The Fund could lose money if it is unable
to dispose of an investment at a time that is most beneficial to the Fund.
Loan Interests Risk
Unlike publicly traded common stocks
which trade on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans to trade. Loans trade in an over-the- counter
market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly
longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of
shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding the Fund's ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable
time periods stated in its prospectus. The secondary market for floating rate loans also may be subject to irregular trading activity
and wide bid/ask spreads. The lack of an active trading market for certain loans may impair the ability of the Fund to sell
its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may require the Fund to sell them at prices that are
less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value and may make it difficult to value such loans. Interests in loans made
to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse
changes in economic or market conditions. When the
4 |
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
Fund's loan interest is a participation, the Fund is subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest will not remit the Fund's pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund and the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest
Market Risk
Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic
sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Fund's shares. The Fund's fixed-income investments
are subject to the risk that the lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the Fund's ability
to purchase and sell the debt securities. The Fund's equity investments are subject to stock market risk, which involves
the possibility that the value of the Fund's investments in stocks will decline due to volatility or drops in any of the many
individual country or global financial markets. Such events may cause the value of securities owned by the Fund to go up
or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, and may lead to increased redemptions, which could cause the Fund to experience
a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders.Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity
in credit, fixed-income, or equity markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which could adversely affect the Fund.
Market Timing Risk
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in that Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund's
NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient
investment strategies. Because of specific securities in which the Fund may invest, it could be subject to the risk of market
timing activities by shareholders.
Municipal Securities Risk
Municipal securities could be adversely affected by adverse political and legislative changes. Changes in the financial condition
of a municipality may affect the ability of a municipal issuer to make interest and principal payments on a security as they
become due. Changes in interest rates and market conditions may directly impact the liquidity and valuation of municipal securities,
which may affect the yield and value of the Fund's municipal securities investments. A downgrade in the issuer's or security's
credit rating can reduce the market value of the security.
Non-Diversification Risk
The Fund is non-diversified, which means the Fund may focus its investments in the securities of a comparatively small number
of issuers. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential
losses than if assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of investments.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that
the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged
by the underlying funds in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with
investments in those funds. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Prepayment and Extension Risk
Prepayment risk is the risk that the principal amount of the underlying collateral may be repaid prior to the bond's maturity
date. Due to a decline in interest rates or excess cash flow, a debt security may be called or otherwise prepaid before maturity.
If this occurs, no additional interest will be paid on the investment and the Fund may have to invest at a lower rate, may
not benefit from an increase in value that may result from declining interest rates, and may lose any premium it paid to acquire
the security. Variable and floating rate securities may be less sensitive to prepayment risk. Extension risk is the risk that
a decrease in prepayments may, as a result of higher interest rates or other factors, result in the extension of a security's
effective maturity, heighten interest rate risk and increase the potential for a decline in price.
Repurchase Agreement and Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk
The use of repurchase agreements, involves counterparty risk and credit risk. There is also the risk that the seller of the
agreement may become insolvent and subject to liquidation. Using reverse repurchase agreements to earn additional income
involves the risk that the interest earned on the invested proceeds is less than the expense of the reverse repurchase agreement
transaction. This technique may also have a leveraging effect on the Fund's portfolio, although the Fund's intent to cover
these positions minimizes this effect.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisors or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in
the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including short sales and investments
in derivatives, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities
to cover the position or transaction, which cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they
are replaced with other assets of equal value.
Short Position Risk
The Fund's losses are potentially unlimited in a short position transaction because there is potentially no limit on the
amount that the security that the Fund is required to purchase may have appreciated. Because the Fund may invest the proceeds
of a short sale, another effect of short selling on the Fund is similar to the effect of leverage, in that it amplifies changes
in the Fund's net asset value since it increases the exposure of the Fund to the market.
Small and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater
price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small and mid-capitalization
companies may have limited operating history, product lines, and financial resources, the securities of these companies may
lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing
costs and earnings.
Sovereign and Quasi Sovereign Debt Risk
The Fund normally will have significant investments in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt securities. These investments are
subject to risk of payment delays or defaults due to (1) country cash flow problems, (2) insufficient foreign currency reserves, (3) political considerations,
(4) large debt positions relative to the country's economy, (5) policies toward foreign lenders or investors, (6) the failure to implement economic reforms required
by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies, or (7) an inability or unwillingness to repay debts. It may be particularly difficult
to enforce the rights of debt holders in frontier and emerging markets. A governmental entity that defaults on an obligation may request additional time in which to
pay or further loans or may seek to restructure its obligations to reduce interest rates or outstanding principal. There is no legal process for collecting
sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental
entity has not repaid may be collected. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging and frontier markets issuers, which are
among the largest debtors to
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
5 |
commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis, which has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness.
Supranational Risk
Obligations of supranational entities are subject to the risk that the governments on whose support the entity depends for
its financial backing or repayment may be unable or unwilling to provide that support. Obligations of a supranational entity
that are denominated in foreign currencies will also be subject to the risks associated with investments in foreign currencies.
Unrated Securities Risk
Investing in unrated securities involves the risk that the sub-advisor may not accurately evaluate the security's comparative
credit rating. To the extent that the Fund invests in unrated securities, the Fund's success in achieving its investment objective
may depend more heavily on the sub-advisors' credit analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in rated securities.
U.S. Government Securities Risk and Government Sponsored Enterprises Risk
A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed by the applicable
entity only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The market prices for such securities
are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Securities held by the Fund that are issued by government-sponsored enterprises, such
as the Federal National Mortgage Association (‘‘Fannie Mae''), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (‘‘Freddie Mac''),
Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury
and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. U.S. Government securities and securities of government
sponsored entities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and market risk.
Valuation Risk
The Fund may value certain assets at a price different from the price at which they can be sold. This risk may be especially
pronounced for investments, such as certain derivatives, which may be illiquid or which may become illiquid.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk
The interest rates payable on variable and floating rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in
market rates. The interest rate on a floating rate security is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such
as a money-market index or Treasury bill rate. Variable and floating rate securities are subject to interest rate risk and
credit risk.
As short-term interest rates decline, interest payable on floating rate securities typically should decrease. Alternatively, during periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the interest rates of floating rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in interest rates. The value of floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline.
Fund Performance
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to the BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month LIBOR Index, which is the Fund's benchmark index, and the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index, an additional broad-based securities market index with characteristics that are similar to those of the Fund.
The chart and the table below show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering all shares classes on July 5, 2011. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31 |
|
|
Highest Quarterly Return:
Lowest Quarterly Return:
|
The calendar year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2015 was -3.06%. |
|
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Investor Class |
7/5/2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
Returns Before Taxes |
|
|
0.96 |
% |
2.56 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
(0.11 |
%) |
1.59 |
% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares |
|
|
0.54 |
% |
1.59 |
% |
|
Inception
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Share Class (Before Taxes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A |
7/5/2011 |
|
0.87 |
% |
2.38 |
% |
C |
7/5/2011 |
|
0.04 |
% |
1.80 |
% |
Y |
7/5/2011 |
|
1.18 |
% |
2.74 |
% |
6 |
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
Institutional |
7/5/2011 |
|
1.29 |
% |
2.83 |
% |
|
|
1 Year |
Since Inception |
|||
Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BofA Merril Lynch 3 Month Libor Index |
|
|
0.23 |
% |
0.33 |
% |
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index |
|
|
5.97 |
% |
3.66 |
% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. If you hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Management
The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.
Sub-Advisors
The Fund's assets are currently allocated among the following investment sub-advisors:
Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC
Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (''PIMCO'')
Portfolio Managers
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. |
Gene L. Needles, Jr.
Patrick A. Sporl
|
Adriana R. Posada
|
Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC |
David F. Hoffman, CFA
Stephen S. Smith
|
Jack P. McIntyre, CFA
|
PIMCO |
Marc P. Seidner, CFA
|
|
Payden & Rygel
|
Brian W. Matthews
Brad Boyd
|
Scott J. Weiner
|
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may buy or sell shares of the Fund through a direct mutual fund account, through a retirement account, through an investment professional or another financial intermediary. As a direct mutual fund account shareholder, you may buy or sell shares in various ways:
Internet |
www.americanbeaconfunds.com |
|
Phone |
To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1 Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class only) |
|
|
American Beacon Funds
|
Overnight Delivery:
|
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
7 |
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open, at the Fund's NAV per share next calculated after your order is received in proper form, subject to any applicable sales charge.
|
New Account |
Existing Account |
|
Share Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$250 |
A, Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, that you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local income taxes, unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your account is tax deferred (in which case you may be taxed later, upon the withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund's distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
8 |
Prospectus – Fund Summary |
Additional Information About the Fund
To help you better understand the Fund, this section provides a detailed discussion of the Fund's investment policies, its principal strategies and risks and performance benchmark(s). However, this Prospectus does not describe all of the Fund's investment practices. For additional information, please see the Fund's SAI, which is available at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or by contacting us via telephone at 1-800-658-5811, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121-9643, or by e-mail at americanbeaconfunds@ambeacon.com.
Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is to provide a positive total return regardless of market conditions.
The Fund's investment objective is "non-fundamental", which means that it may be changed by the Fund's Board of Trustees ("Board") without the approval of Fund shareholders.
80% Investment Policy
The Fund has a non-fundamental policy to invest under normal market conditions at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in fixed-income instruments of varying maturities and derivative instruments that provide exposure to fixed income instruments.
If the Fund changes this policy, a notice will be sent to shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change and this prospectus will be supplemented.
Temporary Defensive Policy
The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy by taking temporary defensive positions in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. During these times, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Additional Information About the Management of the Fund
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager. The Manager may allocate the assets of the Fund among different sub-advisors. The Manager provides or oversees the provision of all administrative, investment advisory and portfolio management services to the Fund. The Manager:
develops overall investment strategies for the Fund,
selects and changes sub-advisors,
allocates assets among sub-advisors,
monitors and evaluates the sub-advisors' investment performance,
monitors the sub-advisors' compliance with the Fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions,
oversees the Fund's securities lending activities and actions taken by the securities lending agent to the extent applicable, and
directs the investment of the portion of Fund assets that the sub-advisors determine should be allocated to short-term investments.
The assets of the Fund are allocated among one or more sub-advisors by the Manager. Each sub-advisor has full discretion to purchase and sell securities for its segment of the Fund's assets in accordance with the Fund's objectives, policies, restrictions and more specific strategies provided by the Manager. The Manager oversees the sub-advisors but does not reassess individual security selections made by the sub-advisors for their portfolios.
The Fund operates in a manager of managers structure. The Fund and the Manager have received an exemptive order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (''SEC'') that permits the Fund, subject to certain conditions and approval by the Board, to hire and replace sub-advisors that are unaffiliated with the Manager without approval of shareholders. The Manager has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, to oversee sub-advisors and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The order also exempts the Fund from disclosing the advisory fees paid by the Fund to individual sub-advisors that are unaffiliated with the Manager in various documents filed with the SEC and provided to shareholders. Instead, the fees payable to unaffiliated sub-advisors are aggregated, and fees payable to sub-advisors that are affiliated with the Manager, if any would be aggregated with fees payable to the Manager. Disclosure of the separate fees paid to an affiliated sub-advisor would be required. Whenever a sub-advisor change is proposed in reliance on the order, in order for the change to be implemented, the Board, including a majority of its "non-interested" trustees, must approve the change. In addition, the Fund is required to provide shareholders with certain information regarding any new sub-advisor within 90 days of the hiring of any new sub-advisor. The Fund's sub-advisors are set forth below.
Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
Payden & Rygel
Additional Information About Investments
This section provides more detailed information regarding certain of the investments the Fund may invest in as well as information regarding the Fund's strategy with respect to investment of cash balances.
Bank Loans and Senior Loans
Bank loans are fixed and floating rate loans arranged through private negotiations between a company or a non-U.S. government and one or more financial institutions (lenders). A Fund may invest in senior loans, which are floating rate loans that hold a senior position in the capital structure of U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities that, under normal circumstances, allow them to have priority of claim ahead of other obligations of a borrower in the event of liquidation. Bank loans and senior loans may be collateralized or uncollateralized. They pay interest at rates that float above, or are adjusted periodically based on, a benchmark that reflects current interest rates. A Fund may invest in such loans in the form of participations in loans and assignments of all or a portion of loans from third parties. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser's rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, a Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations in such instruments, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and a Fund may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. When a Fund purchases assignments from lenders, a Fund will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan.
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Cash Equivalents
The Fund may invest in cash equivalents including among others, time deposits, certificates of deposit, bearer deposit notes, bankers' acceptances, government obligations, commercial paper, short-term corporate debt securities and repurchase agreements.
Bankers' acceptances are short-term credit instruments designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then ''accepted'' by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.
Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are issued against funds deposited in an eligible bank (including its domestic and foreign branches, subsidiaries and agencies), are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable.
Cash Management Investments
The Fund may invest cash balances in money market funds that are registered as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"), including money market funds that are advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor. If the Fund invests in money market funds, shareholders will bear their proportionate share of the expenses, including, for example, advisory and administrative fees, of the money market funds in which the Fund invests, such as advisory fees charged by the Manager to any applicable money market funds advised by the Manager. Shareholders also would be exposed to the risks associated with money market funds and the portfolio investments of such money market funds, including that a money market fund's yield will be lower than the return that the Fund would have derived from other investments that would provide liquidity.
To gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs, the Fund also may purchase and sell futures contracts on a daily basis. A futures contract is a contract to purchase or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual securities is required. Rather, upon the expiration of the contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount equal to the difference between the contract price and the closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the variation margin that was previously paid. As cash balances are invested in securities, the Fund may invest simultaneously those balances in futures contracts until the cash balances are delivered to settle the securities transactions. Because the Fund will have market exposure simultaneously in both the invested securities and futures contracts, the Fund may have more than 100% of its assets exposed to the markets. This can magnify gains and losses in the Fund. The Fund also may have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its settlement or collateral obligations. The risks associated with the use of futures contracts also include that there may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts or the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indices and that there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities are generally preferred stocks and other securities, including bonds and warrants that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock at a stated price or rate. Convertible debt securities may offer greater appreciation potential than non-convertible debt securities. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in an issuer's capital structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While typically providing a fixed-income stream, a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security's underlying common stock.
Currencies
The Fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities and may also purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related options as well as currency swaps (see ''Derivative Investments''), and may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward currency contracts (see ''Forward Contracts''). The Fund may engage in these transactions in order to hedge or protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities or other derivative positions. The Fund also may use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.
Derivative Investments
Derivatives are financial instruments that have a value which depends upon, or is derived from, a reference asset, such as one or more underlying securities, pools of securities, options, futures, indexes or currencies. The Fund may invest in the following derivative instruments:
Forward Contracts. Forward contracts are two-party contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed price for an agreed upon amount of commodities or securities, or the cash value of commodities, securities or a securities index, at an agreed upon future date. A forward currency contract is an obligation to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. An NDF currency contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of the two currencies at maturity. Rather, on the contract settlement date, a net cash settlement will be made by one party to the other based on the difference between the contracted forward rate and the prevailing spot rate, on an agreed notional amount.
Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a contract to purchase or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual securities is required. Rather, upon the expiration of the contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount equal to the difference between the contract price and the closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the variation margin that was previously paid. An interest rate futures contract is a contract for the future delivery of an interest-bearing debt security. A treasury futures contract is a contract for the future delivery of a U.S. Treasury security. The Fund may, from time to time, use futures positions to equitize cash and expose its portfolio to changes in securities prices or index prices. This can magnify gains and losses in the Fund. The Fund also may have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its settlement or collateral obligations. The risks associated with the use of futures contracts also include that there may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts and that there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract.
Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price, in the case of a call option, or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency, in the case of a put option.
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Options on Futures Contracts. An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to enter into a ''long'' position in the underlying futures contract, in the case of a call option, or a ''short'' position in the underlying futures contract in the case of a put option, at a fixed exercise price to a stated expiration date. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option, in the case of a call option, or a corresponding long position, in the case of a put option.
Structured Notes. ''Structured'' notes are specially-designed derivative debt instruments. The terms of the instrument may be determined or ''structured'' by the purchaser and the issuer of the note. Payments of principal or interest on these notes may be linked to the value of an index (such as a currency or securities index), one or more securities, a commodity or the financial performance of one or more third-party borrowers. The value of these notes will normally rise or fall in response to the changes in the performance of the underlying security, index, currency, or commodity or the financial condition of such borrowers.
Swap Agreements. A credit default swap enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a credit event, such as an issuer's failure to make timely payments of interest or principal, bankruptcy or restructuring. The terms of the swap transaction are either negotiated by a sub-advisor and the swap counterparty or established based on terms generally available on an exchange or contract market. In an interest rate swap, the Fund and another party exchange the right to receive payments equivalent to interest at differing rates on specified notional principal amounts. In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or index during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or index such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on a total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. A currency swap involves the exchange of payments denominated in one currency for payments denominated in another. Payments are based on a notional principal amount the value of which is fixed in exchange rate terms at the swap's inception.
Warrants. Warrants are derivative securities that give the holder the right to purchase a specified amount of securities at a specified price. Detachable warrants are often independently traded on a stock exchange. Non-detachable warrants cannot be traded independently from their reference bond. Warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy securities at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
Equity Investments
The Fund's equity investments may include:
Common Stock. Common stock generally takes the form of shares in a corporation which represent an ownership interest. It ranks below preferred stock and debt securities in claims for dividends and for assets of the company in a liquidation or bankruptcy. Common stock may be exchange-traded or over-the-counter. Over the counter stock may be less liquid than exchange-traded stock.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer's growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is typically set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be variable, changed or omitted by the issuer.
REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as declines in property values, increase in property taxes, operating expenses, rising interest rates or overbuilding, zoning changes, and losses from casualty or condemnation. REITs typically are subject to management fees and other expenses that are separate from those of the Fund.
Fixed Income Instruments
The Fund's investments in fixed income instruments may include:
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities are fractional interests in pools of loans, receivable or other assets. They are issued by trusts or other special purpose vehicles and are collateralized by the loans, receivables or other assets that make up the pool. The trust or other issuer passes the income from the underlying asset pool to the investor. The Fund, the Manager, and the sub-advisors do not select the loans or other assets that are included in the collateral backing those pools.
Bank Loans and Senior Loans. Bank loans are fixed and floating rate loans arranged through private negotiations between a company or a non-U.S. government and one or more financial institutions (lenders). The Fund may invest in senior loans, which are floating rate loans, sometimes referred to as adjustable rate loans that hold a senior position in the capital structure of U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities. Under normal circumstances, senior loans have priority of claim ahead of other obligations of a borrower in the event of liquidation. Bank loans and senior loans may be collateralized or uncollateralized. They pay interest at rates that float above, or are adjusted periodically based on, a benchmark that reflects current interest rates. The Fund may invest in such loans in the form of participations in loans and assignments of all or a portion of loans from third parties. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser's rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations in such instruments, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. When the Fund purchases assignments from lenders, it will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan.
Debt Securities of Supranational Organizations. Supranational organizations are entities designated or supported by a government or governmental group to promote economic development. Supranational organizations have no taxing authority and are dependent on their members for payments of interest and principal. Obligations of a supranational entity may be denominated in foreign currencies.
Emerging Markets Debt. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in a particular geographic region or country, including emerging markets. The Fund may consider a country to be an emerging market country based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, if the country is classified as an emerging or developing economy by any supranational organization such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation or the United Nations, or related entities, or if the country is considered an emerging market country for purposes of constructing emerging market indices.
Government-Sponsored Enterprises. The Fund may invest in debt obligations of U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (‘‘Fannie Mae''), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (‘‘Freddie Mac''), Federal Farm Credit Banks (‘‘FFCB'') and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Although chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, these entities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are supported by the issuers' right to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. Treasury to lend to the issuers and the U.S. Treasury's commitment to purchase stock to ensure the issuers' positive net worth.
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High Yield Securities. High yield securities are debt obligations rated below investment grade (such as BB or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services or Fitch, Inc. and/or Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.) or not rated, but considered by a sub-advisor to be of similar quality. These types of securities are also commonly referred to as ‘‘junk bonds.''
Inflation Indexed Linked Securities. Inflation-indexed securities, also known as inflation-protected securities, are fixed income instruments structured such that their interest and principal payments are adjusted to keep up with inflation. In periods of deflation when the inflation rate is declining, the principal value of an inflation-indexed security will be adjusted downward. This will result in a decrease in the interest payments.
Investment Grade Securities. Investment grade securities that the Fund may purchase, either as part of its principal investment strategy or to implement its temporary defensive policy, include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as securities rated in one of the four highest rating categories by a rating organization rating that security (such as Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or Fitch, Inc.) or comparably rated by a sub-advisor if unrated by a rating organization. The Fund, at the discretion of the applicable sub-advisor, may retain a security that has been downgraded below the initial investment criteria.
Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fund can buy interests in pools of residential or commercial mortgages in the form of ‘‘pass-through'' mortgage securities. They may be issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies and instrumentalities, or by private issuers. Mortgage-related securities may be issued in different series, each having different interest rates and maturities. The prices and yields of mortgage-related securities are determined, in part, by assumptions about the rate of payments of the underlying mortgages. Mortgage-related securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations (‘‘CMOs''), issued by private issuers are not U.S. Government securities.
Municipal Securities. Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations.
Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt securities are debt securities either explicitly guaranteed by a foreign government or their agencies or whose majority shareholder is a foreign government.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities
Generally, an illiquid asset is an asset that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price at which it has been valued. Historically, illiquid securities have included securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and repurchase agreements having a remaining maturity of longer than seven calendar days. Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. These securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment. However, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of such investments to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of their liquidity.
Securities sold in private placement offerings made in reliance on the "private placement" exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) securities") are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as the Fund, that agree they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with an intention to distribute to the public. Any resale by the purchaser must be pursuant to an exempt transaction and may be accomplished in accordance with Rule 144A. Section 4(a)(2) securities normally are resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers that make a market in the Section 4(a)(2) securities, thus providing liquidity.
The Manager and the sub-advisor will carefully monitor the Fund's investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities offered and sold under Rule 144A, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity, and availability of information. Investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities could have the effect of reducing the Fund's liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers no longer wish to purchase these restricted securities.
Repurchase Agreements
Repurchase agreements are fixed income securities in the form of an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty whereby the Fund acquires securities from the counterparty and the counterparty simultaneously agrees to repurchase the securities from the Fund at an agreed upon price and date, normally within a week. The price for the seller to repurchase the securities is greater than the Fund's purchase price, reflecting an agreed upon ''interest rate'' for the period the purchaser's money is invested in the security. Such agreements permit the Fund to earn income while retaining ''overnight'' flexibility in pursuit of longer-term investments. The obligation of the seller under the repurchase agreement is not guaranteed, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying securities. The Fund's Board of Trustees has established procedures pursuant to which the sub-advisors monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreement transactions.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may borrow funds by entering into reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to such agreements, the Fund would sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker/dealers and agree to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund's limitations on borrowings and create leverage risk for the Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities.
Additional Information About Risks
The greatest risk of investing in a mutual fund is that its returns will fluctuate and you could lose money. The following section provides additional information regarding the Fund's principal risk factors in light of its principal investment strategies.
Allocation Risk
This is the risk that a sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations between, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's performance. This risk can be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures because derivatives can create investment leverage, which will magnify the impact to the Fund of its investment in any underperforming market exposure.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk
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Investments in asset-backed and mortgage related securities are subject to market risks for fixed-income securities which include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss and/or a decrease in the amount of dividends and yield.
Convertible Securities Risk
The value of a convertible security typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the risks of stocks, and its price may be as volatile as that of the underlying stock, when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price and a convertible security is subject to the risks of debt securities, and is particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price. Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. 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 that are convertible at the option of the holder. Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in lower-rated debt securities. The credit rating of a company's convertible securities is generally lower than that of its non-convertible debt securities. Convertible securities are normally considered "junior" securities — that is, the company usually must pay interest on its non-convertible debt securities before it can make payments on its convertible securities. If the issuer stops paying interest or principal, convertible securities may become worthless and the Fund could lose its entire investment. In addition, because companies that issue convertible securities may be small- or mid-cap companies, to the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole. There may also be less trading in small- or mid-cap stocks, which means that buy and sell transactions in those stocks could have a larger impact on a stock's price than is the case with large-cap stocks.
Counterparty Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that a party or participant to a transaction, such as a broker or derivative counterparty, will be unwilling or unable to satisfy its obligation to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments or to otherwise honor its obligations to the Fund. As a result the Fund may obtain no recovery of its investment or may only obtain a limited recovery, and any recovery may be delayed. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or a loan will fail to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. A decline in the credit rating of an individual security held by the Fund may have an adverse impact on its price and make it difficult for the Fund to sell it. Rating agencies might not always change their credit rating on an issuer or security in a timely manner to reflect events that could affect the issuer's ability to make timely payments on its obligations. Credit risk is typically greater for securities with ratings that are below investment grade. Since the Fund can invest significantly in lower-quality investments considered speculative in nature, this risk will be substantial.
Currency Risk
If the Fund invests directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign currencies, or in derivatives that provide exposure to foreign currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. As a result, the Fund's investments in foreign currency denominated securities may reduce the returns of the Fund. Currency futures, forwards or options may not always work as intended, and in specific cases the Fund may be worse off than if it had not used such instrument(s). There may not always be suitable hedging instruments available. Even where suitable hedging instruments are available, the Fund may not hedge its currency risks.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives are financial instruments that have a value which depends upon, or is derived from, a reference asset, such as one or more underlying securities, pools of securities, options, futures, indexes or currencies. The Fund may use derivatives to enhance total return of its portfolio, to manage certain investment risks or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of the underlying currencies or securities. The Fund may also hold derivative instruments to obtain economic exposure to an issuer without directly holding its securities.
Derivatives can be highly complex and their use within a management strategy can require specialized skills. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. If a sub-advisor incorrectly forecasts stock market values, or the direction of interest rates or currency exchange rates in utilizing a specific derivatives strategy for the Fund, the Fund could lose money. In addition, leverage embedded in a futures contract can expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Gains or losses in the value of a derivative instrument may be magnified and be much greater than the derivative's original cost (generally the initial margin deposit). Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the Fund's initial investment. Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. The Fund may buy or sell derivatives not traded on an exchange or contract market, which may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk. Derivative investments can increase portfolio turnover and transaction costs. Derivatives also are subject to counterparty risk. Certain derivatives, including swaps, futures, forwards and written options, require the Fund to post margin to secure its future obligation; if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell investments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Changing regulation may make derivatives more costly, limit their availability, disrupt markets, or otherwise adversely affect their value or performance.
Because the markets for certain derivative instruments (including markets located in foreign countries) are relatively new and still developing, suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Upon the expiration of a particular contract, a sub-advisor may wish to retain the Fund's position in the derivative instrument by entering into a similar contract, but may be unable to do so if the counterparty to the original contract is unwilling to enter into the new contract and no other suitable counterparty can be found. The Fund's ability to use derivatives may also be limited by certain regulatory and tax considerations.
Certain of the other risks to which the Fund might be exposed due to its use of derivatives include the following:
Futures and Forward Contracts Risk. Futures and forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs"), are derivative instruments pursuant to a contract where one party pays a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date or to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. There may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of
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futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. Not all forward contracts, including NDFs, require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts. Forward currency transactions, including NDFs, include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency. Interest rate and treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to price fluctuations resulting from changes in interest rates. The Fund could suffer a loss if interest rates rise after the Fund has purchased an interest rate futures contract or fall after the Fund has sold an interest rate futures contract. Similarly, treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected. Equity index futures contracts expose the Fund to volatility in an underlying securities index.
Options Risk. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the call option exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. These costs will reduce any profit that might otherwise have been realized had the Fund bought the underlying security instead of the call option. For a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the put option's exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, the Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from having shorted the declining underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. If the Fund sells a put option, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying asset at a disadvantageous price. If the Fund sells a call option on an underlying asset that the Fund owns and the underlying asset has increased in value when the call option is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying asset at the call price and will not be able to realize any of the underlying asset's value above the call price.
Structured Notes Risk. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. For example, its principal amount and/or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases, depending upon the terms of the instrument. Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity. The price of structured notes may be very volatile and they may have a limited trading market, making it difficult to value them or sell them at an acceptable price.
Swaps Agreement Risk. Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and as such are subject to leveraging risk. If swaps are used as a hedging strategy, the Fund is subject to the risk that the hedging strategy may not eliminate the risk that it is intended to offset, due to, among other reasons, a lack of correlation between the swaps and the portfolio of assets that the swaps are designed to hedge or replace. Swaps also may be difficult to value. Interest rate swaps, total return swaps, currency swaps and credit default swaps are subject to counterparty risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. In addition to these risks, total return swaps are subject to market risk and interest rate risk, if the underlying securities are bonds or other debt obligations, interest rate swaps are subject to interest rate risk, and currency swaps are subject to currency risk. With respect to a credit default swap, if the Fund is selling credit protection, there is a risk that a credit event will occur and that the Fund will have to pay the counterparty. There is also the risk that the transaction may be closed-out at a time when the credit quality of the underlying investment has deteriorated, in which case the Fund may need to make an early termination payment. If the Fund is buying credit protection, there is the risk that no credit event will occur and the Fund will receive no benefit (other than any hedging benefit) for the premium paid. There is also the risk that the transaction may be closed-out at a time when the credit quality of the underlying investment has improved, in which case the Fund may need to make an early termination payment. Equity swaps are subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk.
Warrants Risk. Warrants may be more speculative than certain other types of investments because warrants do not carry with them dividend or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, or any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. Detached warrants may be traded on a stock exchange; however, nondetached warrants can only be exercised by the bondholder.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to market risk. The Fund's investments in U.S. and foreign equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, REITs, and companies within any capitalization range. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
Common Stocks. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or decreased demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value may also decline because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or sector. The price of a company's stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company, such as changes in interest rates, exchange rates or industry regulation. Companies that pay dividends on their common stock generally only do so after they invest in their own business and make required payments to bondholders and on other debt and preferred stock. Therefore, the value of a company's common stock will usually be more volatile than its bonds, other debt and preferred stock.
Preferred Stocks. If interest rates rise, the dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stocks may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions for their call or redemption prior to maturity which can have a negative effect on their prices when interest rates decline. Issuers may threaten preferred stockholders with the cancellation of all dividends and liquidation preference rights in an attempt to force their conversion to less secure common stock. Certain preferred stocks are equity securities because they do not constitute a liability of the issuer and therefore do not offer the same degree of protection of capital or continuation of income as debt securities. The rights of preferred stock on distribution of a corporation's assets in the event of its liquidation are generally subordinated to the rights associated with a corporation's debt securities. Therefore, in the event of an issuer's bankruptcy, there is substantial risk that there will be nothing left to pay preferred stockholders after payments, if any, to bondholders have been made. Preferred stocks may also be subject to credit risk.
REITs. REITs or other real estate-related securities are subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, including declines in the value of real estate,risks related to general and local economic conditions, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, overbuilding, changes in interest rates, and liabilities resulting from environmental problems. Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent on management skills and generally are not diversified. Equity REITs are affected by the changes in the value of the properties owned by the trust. Mortgage REITs are affected by the quality of the credit extended. Both equity and mortgage REITs may not be diversified with regard to the types of tenants, may not be diversified with regard to the geographic locations of the properties, are subject to cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers, and could fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of net income and realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses.
Extension Risk
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If interest rates rise rapidly, or as a result of other factors, repayments of principal of certain debt securities, especially mortgage-related and other types of asset backed securities, may occur at a slower rate than expected and the expected maturity of these securities could lengthen as a result. Securities that are subject to extension risk generally have greater potential for loss when prevailing interest rates rise, which could cause their values to fall sharply.
Flexible Strategy Risk
The Fund uses a variety of investment strategies seeking to provide a positive total return regardless of market conditions. The sub-advisors do not attempt to keep the portfolio structure or the Fund's performance consistent with any designated stock, bond or market index, and during times of market rallies, the Fund may not perform as well as other funds that seek to outperform an index. Over time, the investment performance of flexible strategies is typically substantially independent of longer term movements in the stock and bond market. Interest rate levels and currency valuations will not always respond as the sub-advisors' expect and portfolio securities may remain over- or under-valued. Because a significant portion of the Fund's assets may be invested in a particular geographic region or country, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that region or country and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that is not so invested.
Foreign Investing & Emerging Markets Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with domestic investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity and greater volatility of foreign investments, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) less government regulation and supervision of foreign banks, stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, (6) increased price volatility, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets. In addition, the economies and political environments of emerging market countries tend to be more unstable than those of developed countries, resulting in more volatile rates of return than the developed markets and substantially greater risk to investors. There may be very limited oversight of certain foreign banks or securities depositories that hold foreign securities and currency and the laws of certain countries may limit the ability to recover such assets if a foreign bank or depository or their agents goes bankrupt. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of a single country or region, it is more likely to be affected by events or conditions of that country or region. When investing in emerging markets, the risks of investing in foreign securities are heightened. Emerging markets have unique risks that are greater than or in addition to investing in developed markets because emerging markets are generally smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets of the U.S. and other developed markets. There are also risks of: greater political uncertainties; an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance; currency transfer restrictions; a limited number of potential buyers for such securities; and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures. In addition, there may be less information available to make investment decisions and more volatile rates of return.
Hedging Risk
Gains or losses from positions in hedging instruments may be much greater than the instrument's original cost. The counterparty may be unable to honor its financial obligation to the Fund. In addition, a sub-advisor may be unable to close the transaction at the time it would like or at the price it believes the security is currently worth. If the Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund's return, or create a loss.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk
Portfolio turnover is a measure of the Fund's trading activity over a one-year period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would indicate that the Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. High portfolio turnover could increase the Fund's transaction costs, have a negative impact on performance , and generate higher capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate. Frequent trading by the Fund could also result in increased realized net capital gains, distributions of which are taxable to the Fund's shareholders (including net short-term capital gain distributions, which are taxable to them as ordinary income).
High Yield Securities Risk
Investing in below-investment grade securities (commonly referred to as ''junk bonds'') generally involves significantly greater risks of loss of your money than an investment in investment-grade securities. Compared with issuers of investment grade securities, high yield securities are more likely to encounter financial difficulties and to be materially affected by these difficulties. High yield debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price when the economy is weak or expected to become weak. High yield securities are considered to be speculative with respect to an issuer's ability to pay interest and principal and carry a greater risk that issuers of lower-rated securities will default on the timely payment of principal and interest. Below-investment-grade securities may experience greater price volatility and less liquidity than investment-grade securities.
Lower-rated securities are subject to certain risks that may not be present with investments in higher-grade securities. Investors should consider carefully their ability to assume the risks associated with lower-rated securities before investing in the Fund. The lower rating of certain high yielding corporate income securities reflects a greater possibility that the financial condition of the issuer or adverse changes in general economic conditions may impair the ability of the issuer to pay income and principal. Changes by rating agencies in their ratings of a fixed income security also may affect the value of these investments. However, allocating investments among securities of different issuers should reduce the risks of owning any such securities separately. The prices of these high yielding securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. During economic downturns or periods of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that adversely affects their ability to service principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals or to obtain additional financing, and the markets for their securities may be more volatile. If an issuer defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Additionally, accruals of interest income for the Fund may have to be adjusted in the event of default. In the event of an issuer's default, the Fund may write off prior income accruals for that issuer, resulting in a reduction in the Fund's current dividend payment. Frequently, the higher yields of high-yielding securities may not reflect the value of the income stream that holders of such securities may expect, but rather the risk that such securities may lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of their issuer's financial restructuring or default. Additionally, an economic downturn or an increase in interest rates could have a negative effect on the high-yield securities market and on the market value of the high-yield securities held by the Fund, as well as on the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and interest on their borrowings.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk
Section 4(a)(2) and other restricted securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. They may be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous time or price because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets. The Fund may not be able to sell a Section 4(a)(2) security when the sub-advisors consider it desirable to do so and/or may have to sell the security at a lower price than the Fund believes is its fair market value. Although there is a substantial institutional market for Section 4(a)(2) securities, it is not possible to predict exactly how the market for such securities will develop. A Section 4(a)(2) security that was liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid. In addition, transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities and the Fund may receive only limited information regarding the issuer of a restricted security. The Fund may have to
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bear the expense of registering Section 4(a)(2) securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. If, during such a delay, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed at the time it decided to seek registration of the security.
Inflation Index Linked Securities Risk
Unlike a conventional bond, whose issuer makes regular fixed interest payments and repays the face value of the bond at maturity, an inflation index linked security provides principal payments and interest payments, which are adjusted over time to reflect a rise (inflation) or a drop (deflation) in the reference index. The value of inflation-linked securities is expected to change in response to real interest rates. The price of an inflation-linked security generally falls when real interest rates rise and rises when real interest rates fall. In general, the price of an inflation index linked security tends to decrease when real interest rates increase and can increase when real interest rates decrease. Interest payments on such securities are unpredictable and will fluctuate as the principal and interest are adjusted for inflation. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation index linked security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though the Fund will not receive the principal until maturity.
Interest Rate Risk
Investments in investment-grade and non-investment grade fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate risk. The value of the Fund's fixed-income investments typically will fall when interest rates rise. The Fund may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates if it invests in debt securities with intermediate and long terms to maturity. Debt securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than debt securities with shorter durations. For example, if a bond has a duration of eight years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result in an 8% decrease in the value of the bond. Yields of debt securities will fluctuate over time. Since the financial crisis that started in 2008, the Federal Reserve has attempted to stabilize the economy and support the economic recovery by keeping the federal funds rate (the interest rate at which depository institutions lend reserve balances to other depository institutions overnight) at or near zero percent. When the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate, which is expected to occur, interest rates are expected to rise. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates are near historic lows, but may rise significantly and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the Fund.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The Fund should not be relied upon as a complete investment program. The share price of the Fund fluctuates, which means that when you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets. When the issuer of a security implements strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, there is the risk that the market response to such initiatives will cause the price of the issuer's securities to fall.
Leverage Risk
The Fund's use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, and other derivative instruments and selling securities short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset or class of assets underlying a derivative instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund does not use the derivative instruments that have a leveraging effect. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rate of losses. Leverage tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset or class of assets and may cause the Fund's NAV to be volatile.
The Fund may experience leveraging risk in connection with investments in derivatives because its investments in derivatives may be purchased with a fraction of the assets that would be needed to purchase the securities directly, so that the remainder of the assets may be invested in other investments. Such investments may have the effect of leveraging the Fund because the Fund may experience gains or losses not only on its investments in derivatives, but also on the investments purchased with the remainder of the assets. If the value of the Fund's investments in derivatives is increasing, this could be offset by declining values of the Fund's other investments. Conversely, it is possible that the rise in the value of the Fund's non-derivative investments could be offset by a decline in the value of the Fund's investments in derivatives. In either scenario, the Fund may experience losses. In a market where the value of the Fund's investments in derivatives is declining and the value of its other investments is declining, the Fund may experience substantial losses. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements.
Liquidity Risk
When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities at or near their perceived value. During such periods, certain investments held by the Fund may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. As a result, the Fund may have to lower the price on certain securities that it is trying to sell, sell other securities instead or forego an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on Fund management or performance. Redemptions by a few large investors in the Fund at such times may have a significant adverse effect on the Fund's NAV and remaining Fund shareholders. The Fund may lose money if it is forced to sell certain investments to meet redemption requests or other cash needs.
Loan Interests Risk
Unlike publicly traded common stocks which trade on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans to trade. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding the Fund's ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in its prospectus. The secondary market for floating rate loans also may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. The lack of an active trading market for certain floating rate loans may impair the ability of the Fund to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may require the Fund to sell them at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value and may make it difficult to value such loans. Interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to
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Prospectus – Additional Information About the Fund |
cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, in the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower's obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and the Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it.
The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund normally will succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor.
Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund's loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, the Fund also would be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit the Fund's pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund. It may be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank's financial condition.
Loan interests may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
The Fund also may be in possession of material non-public information about a borrower as a result of its ownership of a loan instrument of such borrower. Because of prohibitions on trading in securities of issuers while in possession of such information, the Fund might be unable to enter into a transaction in a security of that borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so. Any steps taken to ensure that the Fund does not receive material non-public information about a security may have the effect of causing the Fund to have less information than other investors about certain interests in which it seeks to invest
Market Risk
Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Fund's shares. Equity investments are subject to stock market risk, which involves the possibility that the value of the Fund's investments in stocks will decline due to drops in the stock market due to general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions. These fluctuations could be a sustained trend or a drastic movement. The stock markets generally move in cycles, with periods of rising prices followed by periods of declining prices. The value of your investment may reflect these fluctuations.
The Fund is subject to the risk that the prices of, and the income generated by, fixed income securities held by the Fund may decline significantly and/or rapidly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, general economic and market conditions, or other developments, such as regional or global economic instability (including terrorism and related geopolitical risks), interest rate fluctuations, and those events directly involving the issuers that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment. Events in the fixed income markets may lead to periods of volatility, unusual liquidity issues and, in some cases, credit downgrades and increased likelihood of default. Such events may cause the value of securities owned by the Fund to go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. There is a risk that the lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the Fund's ability to purchase and sell the debt securities. Changes in the economic climate, investor perceptions and stock market volatility also can cause the prices of the Fund's fixed-income investments to decline regardless of the conditions of the issuers held by the Fund. There is also a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government and/or Federal Reserve, such as increasing interest rates, could cause increased volatility in financial markets and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund. These events may lead to periods of volatility and increased redemptions, which could cause the Fund to experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. The risk of loss increases if the redemption requests are unusually large or frequent.
Market Timing Risk
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in that Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund's NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Because of specific securities in which the Fund may invest, it could be subject to the risk of market timing activities by shareholders. Some examples of these types of securities are high yield and foreign securities. The limited trading activity of some high yield securities may result in market prices that do not reflect the true market value of these securities. The Fund generally prices these foreign securities using their closing prices from the foreign markets in which they trade, typically prior to the Fund's calculation of its NAV. These prices may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares. In such instances, the Fund may fair value high yield and foreign securities. However, some investors may engage in frequent short-term trading in the Fund to take advantage of any price differentials that may be reflected in the NAV of the Fund's shares. While the Manager monitors trading in the Fund, there is no guarantee that it can detect all market timing activities.
Municipal Securities Risk
The value of municipal securities may vary inversely to changes in interest rates. Municipal securities could be adversely affected by adverse political and legislative changes. Changes in the financial condition of a municipality may affect the ability of a municipal issuer to make interest and principal payments on a security as they become due. National, regional or state-wide economic developments, including changes in interest rates and market conditions, may directly impact the liquidity and valuation of municipal securities, which may affect the yield and value of the Fund's municipal securities investments. Such economic developments may also adversely affect the market value of municipal securities held by the Fund or the ability of particular obligors to make timely payments of debt service on those obligations. Future court decisions or legislative actions may also affect the ability of the issuer of a municipal security to repay its obligations.
Non-Diversification Risk
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest a high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. When the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers it may be more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a more diversified portfolio might be. Some of those issuers also may present substantial credit or other risks. Since the Fund is non-diversified, its NAV and total return may also fluctuate more or be subject to declines in weaker markets than a diversified mutual fund.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses, including for example, advisory and administrative fees, charged by the
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underlying funds in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those funds. The Fund must rely on the underlying fund to achieve its investment objective. If the underlying fund fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of the Fund's investment will decline, adversely affecting the Fund's performance. To the extent a Fund invests in other investment companies that invest in equity securities, fixed income securities and/or foreign securities, or track an index, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with investing in such securities or underlying index fluctuations. For example, the Fund's investments in money market funds are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, and market risk.
Prepayment Risk
When interest rates fall, borrowers may repay principal due on debt securities or repay the loans that underlie certain debt securities, especially mortgage-related and other types of asset backed securities, more quickly than expected, potentially leading the issuer of the security to repay the principal prior to the expected maturity date. Under such circumstances, the Fund may need to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate, reducing its income. Securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when prevailing interest rates fall. If the Fund buys those securities at a premium, accelerated prepayments on those securities could cause the Fund to lose a portion of its principal investment. The impact of prepayments on the price of a security may be difficult to predict and may increase the security's price volatility. Interest-only and principal-only securities are especially sensitive to interest rate changes, which can affect not only the prices but can also change the income flows and repayment assumptions about those investments.
Repurchase Agreement and Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk
The use of repurchase agreements involves counterparty risk and credit risk. For example, if the seller of the agreements defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying securities at a time when the value of these securities has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the securities. There is also the risk that the seller of the agreement may become insolvent and subject to liquidation. The Fund may use reverse repurchase agreements to earn additional income on portfolio securities, such as Treasury bills or notes, and/or to provide cash to satisfy unusually heavy redemption requests or for other temporary or emergency purposes without the necessity of selling portfolio securities. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain cash and appropriate liquid assets to cover its obligation under the agreement. Using reverse repurchase agreements to earn additional income involves the risk that the interest earned on the invested proceeds is less than the expense of the reverse repurchase agreement transaction. This technique may also have a leveraging effect on the Fund's portfolio, although the Fund's intent to cover these positions minimizes this effect.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisors or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. The portfolio managers' judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential performance of a particular asset class or individual security may be incorrect and there is no guarantee that individual securities will perform as anticipated. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including short sales and many types of derivatives, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities to cover the position. Segregated or earmarked securities cannot be sold while the position or transaction they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other securities of equal value. There is the possibility that the segregation or earmarking of a large percentage of the Fund's assets may, in some circumstances, limit the Fund's ability to take advantage of investment opportunities or meet redemption requests.
Short Position Risk
The Fund's short positions are subject to special risks. A short position involves the sale by the Fund of a security that it does not own with the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. The Fund may also enter into a short position through a forward commitment or a short derivative position through a futures contract or swap agreement. If the price of the security or derivative has increased during this time, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short position was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. Therefore, short positions involve the risk that losses may be exaggerated, potentially losing more money than the actual cost of the investment. The Fund's losses are potentially unlimited in a short position transaction because there is potentially no limit on the amount that the security that the Fund is required to purchase may have appreciated. Because the Fund may invest the proceeds of a short sale, another effect of short selling on the Fund is similar to the effect of leverage, in that it amplifies changes in the Fund's net asset value since it increases the exposure of the Fund to the market. Also, there is the risk that the third party to the short position may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investments in small- and mid- capitalization companies generally involve greater risks and the possibility of greater price volatility than investments in larger capitalization and more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies often have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. As a result, performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of a Fund's portfolio. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater these risks. Additionally, small- and mid-capitalization companies may have less market liquidity than larger capitalization companies, and they can be sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Sovereign and Quasi Sovereign Debt Risk
An investment in sovereign and quasi sovereign debt obligations involves special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt securities are issued or guaranteed by a sovereign government or entity affiliated with or backed by a sovereign government. The issuer of the sovereign or quasi sovereign debt that controls the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. In addition, these investments are subject to risk of payment delays or defaults due to (1) country cash flow problems, (2) insufficient foreign currency reserves, (3) political considerations, (4) large debt positions relative to the country's economy, (5) policies toward foreign lenders or investors, (6) the failure to implement economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies, or (7) an inability or unwillingness to repay debts. It may be particularly difficult to enforce the rights of debt holders in frontier and emerging markets. A governmental entity that defaults on an obligation may request additional time in which to pay or further loans or may seek to restructure its obligations to reduce interest rates or outstanding principal. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging and frontier markets issuers, which are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis, which has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness.
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Prospectus – Additional Information About the Fund |
Supranational Risk
Supranational organizations are entities designated or supported by a government or governmental group to promote economic development. Supranational organizations have no taxing authority and are dependent on their members for payments of interest and principal. Further, the lending activities of such entities are limited to a percentage of their total capital, reserves and net income. Obligations of supranational entities are subject to the risk that the governments on whose support the entity depends for its financial backing or repayment may be unable or unwilling to provide that support. Obligations of a supranational entity that are denominated in foreign currencies will also be subject to the risks associated with investments in foreign currencies, as described above in the section ''Currency Risk.''
Unrated Securities Risk
Because the Fund may purchase securities that are not rated by any rating organization, a sub-advisor may internally assign ratings to certain of those securities, after assessing their credit quality, in categories of those similar to those of rating organizations. Investing in unrated securities involves the risk that the sub-advisor may not accurately evaluate the security's comparative credit rating. To the extent that the Fund invests in unrated securities, the Fund's success in achieving its investment objective may depend more heavily on the sub-advisors' credit analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in rated securities. Some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may be difficult to value, which means the Fund might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price.
U.S. Government Securities and Government Sponsored Enterprises Risk
A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is only guaranteed by the applicable entity only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The market prices for such securities are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Investments in securities issued by government-sponsored enterprises are debt obligations issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government. These obligations vary in the level of support they receive from the U.S. Government. They may be: (i) supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, such as those of the Government National Mortgage Association (''Ginnie Mae''); (ii) supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Bank and the Federal Farm Credit Banks; (iii) supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency obligations, such as those of the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") or (iv) supported only by the credit of the issuer, such as those of the Federal Farm Credit Bureau. The U.S. Government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so. In such circumstances, if the issuer defaulted, the Fund may not be able to recover its investment from the U.S. Government. Like all bonds, U.S. Government securities and Government-sponsored enterprise bonds are also subject to credit risk.
Valuation Risk
This is the risk that the Fund has valued certain securities at a price different from the price at which they can be sold. This risk may be especially pronounced for investments, such as derivatives, which may be illiquid or which may become illiquid and for securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, the Fund may value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value methodologies. The value of foreign securities, certain fixed income securities and currencies, as applicable, may be materially affected by events after the close of the markets on which they are traded, but before the Fund determines its NAV.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk
The interest rates payable on certain fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. The interest rate on a floating rate security is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market index or Treasury bill rate. Additionally, such securities are subject to interest rate risk and may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons. As short-term interest rates decline, interest payable on variable and floating rate securities typically should decrease. Alternatively, during periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the interest rates of variable and floating rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in interest rates. The value of variable and floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, variable and floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. Variable and floating rate securities are less effective at locking in a particular yield and are subject to credit risk.
Additional Information About Performance Benchmarks
The Fund's performance is compared to the BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month LIBOR Index. The Fund's performance is also compared to the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index. Set forth below is additional information regarding the indices to which the Fund's performance is compared.
The BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) Index is based on the assumed purchase of a synthetic instrument having 3 months to maturity and with a coupon equal to the closing quote for 3-Month LIBOR. That issue is sold the following day (priced at a yield equal to the current day closing 3-Month LIBOR rate) and is rolled into a new 3-Month instrument. The index, therefore, will always have a constant maturity equal to exactly 3 months.
The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index represents securities that are SEC-registered, taxable, and dollar denominated. The index covers the U.S. investment grade fixed rate bond market, with index components for government and corporate securities, mortgage pass-through securities, and asset-backed securities. These major sectors are subdivided into more specific indices that are calculated and reported on a regular basis.
Prospectus – Additional Information About the Fund |
19 |
Fund Management
The Manager
AMERICAN BEACON ADVISORS, INC. (the "Manager") serves as the Manager and administrator of the Fund(s). The Manager, located at 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039, is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Holdings, LLC, which is owned primarily by Kelso Investment Associates VIII, L.P., KEP VI, LLC and Estancia Capital Partners L.P.
The Manager was organized in 1986 to provide investment management, advisory, and administrative services. The Manager is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The Manager is also registered as a commodity pool operator (''CPO'') under the Commodity Exchange Act and serves as the CPO with respect to the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, the Fund paid aggregate management fees to the Manager and investment advisory fees to the sub-advisors of 0.55% of the Fund's daily average net assets, net of waivers.
The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the Fund's securities lending activities as compensation for oversight of the Fund's securities lending program, including the securities lending agent, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Currently, the Manager is authorized to receive 10% of any such income. The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Fund to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund does not intend to engage in securities lending activities.
A discussion of the Board's consideration and approval of the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Manager and the Investment Advisory Agreements among the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, each sub-advisor and the Manager is available in the Fund's annual report for the period ended August 31, 2015.
The Manager has contractually agreed from time to time to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses for the Fund in order to maintain competitive expense ratios for the Fund. The Board has approved a policy whereby the Manager may seek repayment for any contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the contractual percentage limit.
The team members discussed below are responsible for the oversight of the sub-advisors, including reviewing the sub-advisors' performance, allocating the Fund's assets among the sub advisors and the Manager, as applicable, and investing the portion of Fund assets that the sub-advisors determine should be allocated to short-term investments.
Gene L. Needles, Jr. has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Manager since April 2009 and has served on the portfolio management team since June 2011. Prior to joining the Manager, Mr. Needles was President of Touchstone Investments from 2008 to 2009 and President and CEO of AIM Distributors from 2004 to 2007. Adriana R. Posada is Senior Portfolio Manager and became a member of the team in October 1998. Mr. Sporl has served as the Senior Portfolio Manager to the Fund since 2015. Mr. Sporl is a CFA Charterholder.
Mr. Needles is responsible for recommending sub-advisors to the Fund's Board of Trustees. Ms. Posada and Mr. Sporl oversees the sub-advisors, reviews the sub-advisors' performance and allocates the Fund's assets among the sub-advisors, as applicable. The Fund's SAI provides additional information about the members of the portfolio management team, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the funds they manage and their compensation.
The Sub-Advisors
Set forth below is a brief description of each sub-advisor and the portfolio managers with primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The Fund's SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the Fund they manage and their compensation.
BRANDYWINE GLOBAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC (‘‘Brandywine Global''), 2929 Arch Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, is a professional investment advisory firm founded in 1986. Brandywine Global is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc. As of September 30, 2015, Brandywine Global had assets under management totaling approximately $65.6 billion, including approximately $6.2 billion of assets of American Airlines Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliated entities.
David Hoffman is co-lead portfolio manager for the Firm's Global Fixed Income and related strategies. He joined the Brandywine Global in 1995. Previously, Mr. Hoffman was president of Hoffman Capital, a global financial futures investment firm (1991 – 1995); head of fixed income investments at Columbus Circle Investors (1983 – 1990); senior vice president and portfolio manager at INA Capital Management (1979 – 1982), and fixed income portfolio manager at Provident National Bank (1975 – 1979). Mr. Hoffman is a CFA charterholder. He is a member of the Firm's Executive Board, currently serving as the Board's chair.
Steve Smith is co-lead portfolio manager for the Firm's Global Fixed Income and related strategies. He joined the Firm in 1991 to diversify the Firm's investment strategies and start the global fixed income product. Previously, Mr. Smith was with Mitchell Hutchins Asset Management, Inc. as managing director of taxable fixed income (1988 – 1991); Provident Capital Management, Inc. as senior vice president overseeing taxable fixed income (1984 – 1988); Munsch & Smith Management as a founding partner (1980 – 1984), and First Pennsylvania Bank as vice president and portfolio manager in the fixed income division (1976 – 1980). He is a member of the Firm's Executive Board.
Jack McIntyre as portfolio manager and senior research analyst for the Firm's Global Fixed Income and related strategies, provides valuable analytical and strategic insight. He joined the Firm in 1998. Previously, he held positions as market strategist with McCarthy, Crisanti & Maffei, Inc. (1995 – 1998); senior fixed income analyst with Technical Data, a division of Thomson Financial Services (1992 – 1995); quantitative associate with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (1990), and investment analyst with the Public Employee Retirement Administration of Massachusetts (1987 – 1989). Mr. McIntyre is a CFA charterholder.
PACIFIC INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC (''PIMCO'') , 650 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 is a global investment firm founded in 1971. PIMCO is a majority-owned subsidiary of Allianz Asset Management with minority interests held by certain of its current and former officers, by Allianz Asset Management of America LLC, and by PIMCO Partners, LLC, a California limited liability company. PIMCO Partners, LLC is owned by certain current and former officers of PIMCO. Through various holding company structures, Allianz Asset Management is majority owned by Allianz SE. As of September 30, 2015, PIMCO had assets under management totaling approximately $1.474 trillion.
Marc P. Seidner is CIO Non-traditional Strategies, a managing director and head of portfolio management in the New York office. He is also a generalist portfolio manager and a member of the Investment Committee. He rejoined PIMCO in November 2014 after serving as head of fixed income at GMO LLC, and previously he was a PIMCO managing director, generalist portfolio manager and member of the Investment Committee until January 2014. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2009, he was a managing director and domestic fixed income portfolio manager at Harvard Management Company. Previously, he was
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Prospectus – Fund Management |
director of active core strategies at Standish Mellon Asset Management and a senior portfolio manager at Fidelity Management and Research. He has 28 years of investment experience.
PAYDEN & RYGEL ("P&R") , 333 South Grand Avenue, 32nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, is an investment management company with assets under management of $95 billion as of September 30, 2015. P&R was established in 1983 and is 100% owned by 22 active senior employees.
Brian W. Matthews CFA, is a Managing Principal who joined in 1986 and has 33 years experience in the investment management business. He serves as a senior portfolio manager and is a member of the firm's Investment Policy Committee.
Scott J. Weiner PhD is a Managing Principal and a member of the firm's Investment Policy Committee. Mr. Weiner joined P&R in 1993 and has 31 years experience in the investment management business.
Brad Boyd CFA joined P&R in 2002 and has 15 years experience in the investment management business. Mr. Boyd is a Senior Vice President and a senior strategist on the global unconstrained fixed income team with a focus on absolute return solutions.
Valuation of Shares
The price of the Fund's shares is based on its NAV per share. The Fund's NAV is computed by adding total assets, subtracting all of the Fund's liabilities, and dividing the result by the total number of shares outstanding.
The NAV of each class of the Fund's shares is determined based on a pro rata allocation of the Fund's investment income, expenses and total capital gains and losses. The Fund's NAV per share is determined each business day as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which normally coincides with the close of the New York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE''). If the NYSE has an early close, scheduled or unscheduled, the Fund's share price would still be determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Foreign exchanges may permit trading in foreign securities on days when the Fund is not open for business, which may result in the Fund's portfolio investments being affected when you are unable to buy or sell shares.
Equity securities and certain derivative instruments that are traded on an exchange are valued based on market value. Certain derivative instruments (other than short-term securities) usually are valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service. The price of debt securities generally is determined using pricing services or quotes obtained from broker/dealers who may consider a number of inputs and factors, such as comparable characteristics, yield curve, credit spreads, estimated default rates, coupon rates, underlying collateral and estimated cash flow. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV per share of the mutual funds on the day of valuation. Equity securities, including shares of closed-end funds and ETFs are valued at the last sale price or official closing price.
The valuation of securities traded on foreign markets and certain fixed income securities will generally be based on prices determined as of the earlier closing time of the markets on which they primarily trade, unless a significant event has occurred. When the Fund holds securities or other assets that are denominated in a foreign currency, the Fund will normally use the currency exchange rates as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Securities may be valued at fair value, as determined in good faith and pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, under certain limited circumstances. For example, fair value pricing will be used when market quotations are not readily available or reliable, as determined by the Manager, such as when (i) trading for a security is restricted or stopped; (ii) a security's trading market is closed (other than customary closings); or (iii) a security has been de-listed from a national exchange. A security with limited market liquidity may require fair value pricing if the Manager determines that the available price does not reflect the security's true market value. In addition, if a significant event that the Manager determines to affect the value of one or more securities held by the Fund occurs after the close of a related exchange but before the determination of the Fund's NAV, fair value pricing may be used on the affected security or securities. Securities of small capitalization companies are also more likely to require a fair value determination using these procedures because they are more thinly traded and less liquid than the securities of larger capitalization companies. In addition, the Fund may invest in illiquid securities requiring these procedures.
Attempts to determine the fair value of securities introduce an element of subjectivity to the pricing of securities. As a result, the price of a security determined through fair valuation techniques may differ from the price quoted or published by other sources and may not accurately reflect the market value of the security when trading resumes. If a reliable market quotation becomes available for a security formerly valued through fair valuation techniques, the Manager compares the new market quotation to the fair value price to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fund's fair valuation procedures. If any significant discrepancies are found, the Manager may adjust the Fund's fair valuation procedures. You may view the Fund's most recent NAV per share at www.americanbeaconfunds.com by clicking on ‘‘Quick Links'' and then ‘‘Daily NAVs.''
Prospectus – Fund Management |
21 |
About Your Investment
Choosing Your Share Class
Each share class of the Fund represents an investment in the same portfolio of securities for the Fund, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the class that best fits your situation.
Factors you should consider when choosing a class of shares include:
How long you expect to own the shares;
How much you intend to invest;
Total expenses associated with owning shares of each class;
Whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of sales charges;
Whether you plan to take any distributions in the near future; and
Availability of share classes.
Each investor's financial considerations are different. You should speak with your financial adviser to help you decide which share class is best for you.
The Fund offers various classes of shares. Each class has a different combination of purchase restrictions, sales charges and ongoing fees, allowing you to choose the class that best meets your needs. The following table and sections explain the sales charges or other fees you may pay when investing in each class.
A Class Charges and Waivers
The table below shows the amount of sales charges you will pay on purchases of A Class shares of the Funds both as a percentage of offering price and as a percentage of the amount you invest. The sales charge differs depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced or eliminated for larger purchases as indicated below. If you invest more, the sales charge will be lower.
Any applicable sales charge will be deducted directly from your investment. Because of rounding of the calculation in determining the sales charges, you may pay more or less than what is shown in the table below. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to a front-end sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge or the sales charge may be waived as described below in ''A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers.''
Amount of Sale/ Account Value |
As a % Offering Price |
As a % Investment |
Dealer Commission as a % of Offering Price |
Less than $50,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.25% |
4.44% |
3.50% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.50% |
3.63% |
2.75% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
2.75% |
2.83% |
2.05% |
$500,000 but less than $1 million |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.50% |
$1 million and above |
0.00% |
0.00% |
|
|
No initial sales charge applies on purchases of $1,000,000 or more. A CDSC of 0.50% of the offering price will be charged on purchases of $1,000,000 or more that are redeemed in whole or in part within eighteen (18) months of purchase. |
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See ''Dealer Concessions on A Class Purchases Without a Front-End Sales Charge''. |
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the ''Distributor'') retains any portion of the commissions that are not paid to financial intermediaries to solely pay distribution-related expenses.
A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
A shareholder may qualify for a waiver or reduction in sales charges under certain circumstances. To receive a waiver or reduction in your A Class sales charge, you must advise the Fund's transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of purchase. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Fund's transfer agent know that you are eligible for a reduction, you may not receive a sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled.
Waiver of Sales Charges
There is no sales charge if you invest $1 million or more in A Class shares.
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Prospectus – About Your Investment |
Sales charges also may be waived for certain shareholders or transactions, such as:
The Manager or its affiliates;
Present and former directors, trustees, officers, employees of the Manager, the Manager's parent company, and the Trust (and their ''immediate family'' as defined in the SAI), and retirement plans established by them for their employees;
Registered representatives or employees of intermediaries that have selling agreement with the Fund;
Shares acquired through merger or acquisition;
Insurance company separate accounts;
Employer-sponsored retirement plans;
Dividend reinvestment programs;
Purchases through certain fee-based programs under which investors pay advisory fees that may be offered through selected registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries;
Shareholders that purchase the Fund through a financial intermediary that offers our A Class shares uniformly on a ''no load'' (or reduced load) basis to you and all similarly situated customers of the intermediary in accordance with the intermediary's prescribed fee schedule for purchases of fund shares; and
Reinvestment of proceeds within 90 days of a redemption from A Class account (see Redemption Policies for more information).
The availability of A Class sales charge waivers may depend upon the policies, procedures, and trading platform of your financial intermediary.
Reduced Sales Charges
Under a ''Rights of Accumulation Program,'' a ''Letter of Intent'' or through ''Concurrent Purchases'' you may be eligible to buy A Class shares of the Fund at the reduced sales charge rates that would apply to a larger purchase. The Fund reserves the right to modify or to cease offering these programs at any time.
This information is available, free of charge, on the Fund's website, www.americanbeaconfunds.com or call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.
Dealer Concessions on A Class Purchases Without a Front-End Sales Charge
Brokers who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares of the Fund may receive a dealer concession from the Fund's Distributor of 0.50% of the offering price. If a client or broker is unable to provide account verification on purchases of $1,000,000 or more, the dealer concession will be forfeited by the broker and front-end sales loads will apply. Dealer concessions will not be paid on shares purchased by exchange or shares that were previously subject to a front-end sales charge or dealer concession. Dealer concessions will be paid only on eligible purchases where the applicability of the CDSC can be monitored. Purchases eligible for sales charge waivers as described under ''A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers'' are not eligible for dealer concessions on purchases of $1,000,000 or more.
Rights of Accumulation Program
Under the Rights of Accumulation Program, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by aggregating all of your investments held in certain accounts (''Qualified Accounts''). The following Qualified Accounts holding any share class of the American Beacon Funds may be grouped together to qualify for the reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program or Letter of Intent:
Accounts owned by you, your spouse or your minor children under the age of 21, including trust or other fiduciary accounts in which you, your spouse or your minor children are the beneficiary;
Uniform transfer or gift to minor accounts (''UTMA/UGTMA'');
Individual retirement accounts (''IRAs''), including traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs; and
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or qualified 529 plans.
A fiduciary can apply a right of accumulation to all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other fiduciary account that has multiple accounts.
You must notify your financial intermediary or the Fund's transfer agent, in the case of shares held directly with the Fund, at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program. In addition, you must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your qualification. You may combine the historical cost or current value, as of the day prior to your additional American Beacon Funds' purchase (whichever is higher) of your existing American Beacon Funds' mutual fund with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. Historical cost is the price you actually paid for the shares you own, plus your reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions. If you are using historical cost to qualify for a reduced sales charge, you should retain any records to substantiate your historical costs since the Fund, its transfer agent or your financial intermediary may not maintain this information.
If your shares are held through financial intermediaries and/or in a retirement account (such as a 401(k) or employee benefit plan), you may combine the current NAV of your existing American Beacon Funds mutual fund investment with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. You or your financial intermediary must notify the Funds' transfer agent at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge and provide copies of account statements dated within three months of your current purchase verifying your qualification.
Upon receipt of the above referenced supporting documentation, the financial intermediary or the Fund's transfer agent will calculate the combined value of all of your Qualified Accounts to determine if the current purchase is eligible for a reduced sales charge. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with purchases for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
Letter of Intent
If you plan to invest at least $50,000 (excluding any reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions) during the next 13 months in any class of the Fund, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge for purchases of A Class shares by completing the Letter of Intent section of your account application.
A Letter of Intent indicates your intent to purchase at least $50,000 in any class of the American Beacon Funds over the next 13 months in exchange for a reduced A Class sales charge indicated on the above tables. The minimum initial investment under a Letter of Intent is $2,500. You are not obligated to purchase additional shares if you complete a Letter of Intent. However, if you do not buy enough shares to qualify for the projected level of sales charge by the end of the 13-month period (or when you sell your shares, if earlier), your sales charge will be recalculated to reflect your actual purchase level. During the term of the Letter of Intent, shares representing 5% of your intended purchase will be held in escrow. If you do not purchase enough shares during the 13- month period to qualify for the projected reduced sales charge, the additional sales charge will be deducted from your account. If you have purchased shares of any American Beacon mutual fund within 90 days prior to signing a Letter of Intent, they may be included as part of your intended purchase, however,
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
23 |
previous purchase transactions will not be recalculated with the proposed new breakpoint. You must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your purchases within the past 90 days.
Concurrent Purchases
You may combine simultaneous purchases in shares of any of the American Beacon Funds to qualify for a reduced charge.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (''CDSC'') — A Class Shares
Unless a waiver applies, investors who purchase $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares of the Fund (and, thus, pay no initial sales charge) will be subject to a 0.50% CDSC if those shares are redeemed within 18 months after they are purchased. The CDSC does not apply if you are otherwise eligible to purchase A Class shares without an initial sales charge or are eligible for one of the waivers described herein or in the SAI.
CDSC— C Class Shares
If you redeem C Class shares within 12 months of purchase, you may be charged a CDSC of 1%. The CDSC generally will be deducted from your redemption proceeds. In some circumstances, you may be eligible for one of the waivers described herein or in the SAI. You must advise the transfer agent of your eligibility for a waiver when you place your redemption request.
How CDSCs will be Calculated
The amount of the CDSC will be based on the NAV of the redeemed shares at the time of the redemption or the original NAV, whichever is lower. Because of the rounding of the calculation in determining the CDSC, you may pay more or less than the indicated rate. Your CDSC holding period is based upon the date of your purchase. The CDSCs will be deducted from the proceeds of your redemption, not from amounts remaining in your account. A CDSC is not imposed on any increase in NAV over the initial purchase price or shares you received through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions.
To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares, the Fund will redeem your shares in the following order:
shares acquired by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
other shares that are not subject to the CDSC;
shares held the longest during the holding period.
Waiver of CDSCs — A and C Class Shares
A shareholder may qualify for a CDSC waiver under certain circumstances. To have your CDSC waived, you must advise the Fund's transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of redemption. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Fund's transfer agent know that you are eligible for a waiver, you may not receive a waiver to which might otherwise be otherwise entitled.
The CDSC may be waived if:
The redemption is due to a shareholder's death or post-purchase disability;
The redemption is from a systematic withdrawal plan and represents no more than 10% of your annual account value;
The redemption is a benefit payment made from a qualified retirement plan, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan or the transfer of the plan to another financial institution;
The redemption is for a mandatory withdrawal from a traditional IRA after age 70 1/2 ;
The redemption is due to involuntary redemptions by the Fund as a result of your account not meeting the minimum balance requirements, the termination and liquidation of the Fund, or other actions;
The redemption is from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has entered into a written agreement with the Distributor (or Manager) allowing this waiver;
The redemption is to return excess contributions made to a retirement plan; or
The redemption is to return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
The SAI contains further details about the CDSC and the conditions for waiving the CDSC.
Information regarding CDSC waivers for A and C Class shares is available, free of charge, on the Fund's website. Please visit www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You may also call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.
Purchase and Redemption of Shares
Eligibility
The A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares offered in this Prospectus are available to eligible investors who meet the minimum initial investment. American Beacon Funds do not accept accounts registered to foreign individuals or entities, including foreign correspondent accounts. The Fund does not conduct operations and is not offered for purchase outside of the United States.
Subject to your eligibility, you may invest in the Fund directly or through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, plan sponsors, third party administrators, and retirement plans.
If you invest directly with the Fund, the fees and policies with respect to the Fund's shares that are outlined in this Prospectus are set by the Fund. The Manager and the Fund are not responsible for determining the suitability of the Fund or share class for any investor.
Because in most cases it is more advantageous for investors using an intermediary to purchase A Class shares than C Class shares for amounts of $1,000,000 or more, the Fund will decline a request to purchase C Class shares for $1,000,000 or more.
If you invest through a financial intermediary, most of the information you will need for managing your investment will come from your financial intermediary. This includes information on how to buy, sell and exchange shares of the Fund. If you establish an account through a financial intermediary, the investment minimums described in this section may not apply. Investors investing in the Fund through a financial intermediary should consult with their financial intermediary to ensure they obtain any proper ''breakpoint'' discount and regarding the differences between available share classes. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary also may charge fees that are in addition to those described in this Prospectus. Please contact your intermediary for information regarding investment minimums, how to purchase and redeem shares and applicable fees.
24 |
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
Minimum Initial Investment by Share Class
|
New Account |
Existing Account |
|
Share Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$ 250 |
A; Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$ 250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Investor Class shares are also available to traditional IRA and Roth IRA shareholders investing directly in the Fund. The minimum investment is $2,500.
The Manager may allow a reasonable period of time after opening an account for a Y Class or Institutional Class investor to meet the initial investment requirement. In addition, for investors such as trust companies and financial advisors who make investments for a group of clients, the minimum initial investment can be met through an aggregated purchase order for more than one client.
Opening an Account
You may open an account through your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information on how to open an account. Shares you purchase through your broker dealer will normally be held in your account with that firm.
To open an account directly with the Fund, a completed, signed application is required. You may obtain an account application from the Fund's website www.americanbeaconfunds.com or by calling 1-800-658-5811. Institutional shareholders should call 1-800-967-9009.
Complete the application, sign it and send it:
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account, you will be asked for information that will allow the Fund or your financial institution to identify you. Non-public corporations and other entities may be required to provide articles of incorporation, trust or partnership agreements, and Social Security or other taxpayer identification numbers on the account or other documentation. The Fund is required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate a shareholder's account at the current day's NAV and remit proceeds via check if the Fund or a financial institution are unable to verify the shareholder's identity within three days of account opening.
Purchase Policies
Shares of the Fund are offered and purchase orders are typically accepted until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first) on each day on which the NYSE is open for business. If a purchase order is received by the Fund in good order prior to the Fund's deadline, the purchase price will be the NAV per share next determined on that day, plus any applicable sales charges. If a purchase order is received in good order after the applicable deadline, the purchase price will be the NAV per share of the following day that the Fund is open for business plus any applicable sales charge. Shares of the Fund will only be issued against full payment, as described more fully in this Prospectus and SAI.
The Fund has authorized certain third party financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, third party administrators and trust companies, to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund and to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. The Fund is deemed to have received such orders when they are received by the financial intermediaries or their designees. Thus, an order to purchase or sell Fund shares will be priced at the Fund's next determined NAV after receipt by the financial intermediary or its designee. It is the responsibility of your broker-dealer or financial intermediary to transmit orders that will be received by the Fund in proper form and in a timely manner.
Fund shares may be purchased only in U.S. States and Territories in which they can be legally sold. Prospective investors should inquire as to whether shares of the Fund are available for offer and sale in their jurisdiction. The Fund reserves the right to refuse purchases if, in the judgment of the Fund, the transaction would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund has the right to reject any purchase order or cease offering any or all classes of shares at any time. Checks to purchase shares are accepted subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank. The Fund will not accept ''starter'' checks, credit card checks, money orders, cashier's checks, or third party checks.
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 the Manager has incurred.
Under applicable anti-money laundering regulations and other federal regulations, purchase orders may be suspended, restricted or canceled and the monies may be withheld.
Please refer to the section titled ''Frequent Trading and Market Timing'' for information on the Fund's policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
Redemption Policies
If you purchased shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to sell shares of the Fund.
The redemption price will be the NAV next determined after a redemption request is received in good order, minus any applicable CDSC and/or redemption fees. In order to receive the redemption price calculated on a particular business day, redemption requests must be received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first).
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
25 |
Wire proceeds from redemption requests received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first) generally are transmitted to shareholders on the next day the Fund is open for business. In any event, proceeds from a redemption request will typically be transmitted to a shareholder by no later than seven days after the receipt of a redemption request in good order. Delivery of proceeds from shares purchased by check or pre-authorized automatic investment may be delayed until the funds have cleared, which may take up to ten days.
You may, within 90 days of redemption, reinvest all or part of the proceeds of your redemption of A or C Class shares of the Fund, without incurring any applicable additional sales charge, in the same class of another American Beacon Fund, by sending a written request and a check to your financial intermediary or directly to the Fund. Reinvestment must be into the same account from which you redeemed the shares or received the distribution. Proceeds from a redemption and all dividend payments and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the same share class from which the original redemption or distribution was made. Reinvestment will be at the NAV next calculated after the Fund receives your request. You must notify the Fund and your financial intermediary at the time of investment if you decide to exercise this privilege.
The Fund reserves the right to suspend redemptions or postpone the date of payment for more than seven days (i) when the NYSE is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) when trading on the NYSE is restricted; (iii) when the SEC determines that an emergency exists so that disposal of the Fund's investments or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) by order of the SEC for protection of the Fund's shareholders.
Although the Fund intends to redeem shares in cash, the Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets held by the Fund. To the extent that the Fund redeems its shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.
Please refer to the section titled ''Frequent Trading and Market Timing'' for information on the Fund's policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
Exchange Policies
If you purchased shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary, please contact your financial intermediary to determine if you may take advantage of the exchange policies described in this section and for its policies to effect an exchange.
Shares of any class of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of the same class of another American Beacon Fund under certain limited circumstances. Shares of any class of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of another class of the same fund under certain limited circumstances. Since an exchange involves a concurrent purchase and redemption, please review the sections titled ''Purchase Policies'' and ''Redemption Policies'' for additional limitations that apply to purchase and redemptions. There is no front-end sales charge on exchanges between A Class shares of the Fund for A Class shares of another fund. Shares otherwise subject to a CDSC will not be charged a CDSC in an exchange to shares of another fund having CDSC however, shares exchanged between funds that impose a CDSC will be charged a CDSC if redeemed within 12 months or 18 months, as applicable, of the purchase of the initial shares.
Before exchanging shares, shareholders should consider how the exchange may affect any CDSC that might be imposed on the subsequent redemption of remaining shares.
If shares were purchased by check, a shareholder must have owned shares of the redeeming fund for at least ten days prior to exchanging out of one fund and into another.
The eligibility and minimum investment requirement must be met for the class into which the shareholder is exchanging. Fund shares may be acquired through exchange only in U.S. states and Territories in which they can be legally sold. The Fund reserves the right to charge a fee and to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. The Fund reserves the right to refuse exchange requests if, in the judgment of the Fund, the transaction would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. Please refer to the section titled "Frequent Trading and Market Timing" for information on the Fund's policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
For federal income tax purposes, the conversion of shares of one share class for shares of a different share class of the Fund will not result in the realization of a capital gain or loss. However, an exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of a different American Beacon Fund is considered a sale and a purchase, respectively, and may result in a gain or loss for those purposes. There can be no assurance of any particular tax treatment, however, and you are urged and advised to consult with your own tax advisor regarding a share class conversion or exchange of Fund shares.
How to Purchase, Redeem or Exchange Shares
If your account is through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, please contact them directly to purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary can help you open a new account, review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. Your broker dealer or financial intermediary will transmit your request to the Fund and may charge you a fee for this service. The Fund will not accept a purchase order of $1,000,000 or more for C Class shares if the purchase is known to be on behalf of a single investor (not including dealer "street name" or omnibus accounts). Dealers, other financial intermediaries or fiduciaries purchasing shares for their customers are responsible for determining the suitability of a particular share class for an investor. You should include the following information with any order:
Your name/account registration
Your account number
Type of Transaction requested
Name(s) and fund number(s) of funds and class(es)
Dollar amount or number of shares
Transactions for direct shareholders are conducted through:
26 |
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
Internet |
www.americanbeaconfunds.com |
|
Phone |
To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class Only) |
|
|
American Beacon Funds
|
Overnight Delivery:
|
Purchases by Wire:
Send a bank wire to State Street Bank and Trust Co. with these instructions:
ABA# 0110-0002-8; AC-9905-342-3,
Attn: American Beacon Funds
the fund name and fund number, and
shareholder account number and registration.
Redemption Proceeds will be mailed to account of record or transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.
|
New Account |
Existing Account |
|
Class |
Minimum |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by check/ACH/Exchange |
Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire |
C |
$1,000 |
$50 |
$250 |
A, Investor |
$2,500 |
$50 |
$250 |
Y |
$100,000 |
$50 |
None |
Institutional |
$250,000 |
$50 |
None |
Supporting documents may be required for redemptions by estates, trusts, guardianships, custodians, corporations, and welfare, pension and profit sharing plans. Redemption requests must also include authorized signature(s) of all persons required to sign for the account. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions.
To protect the Fund and your account from fraud, a STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantee is required for redemption orders:
with a request to send the proceeds to an address or commercial bank account other than the address or commercial bank account designated on the account application,
for an account whose address has changed within the last 30 days if proceeds are sent by check, or
for amounts greater than $100,000.
The Fund only accepts STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantees, which may be obtained at participating banks broker-dealers and credit unions. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions and further assistance.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its affiliates (at their own expense) may pay compensation to financial intermediaries for shareholder-related services and, if applicable, distribution-related services, including administrative, sub-transfer agency type, recordkeeping and shareholder communication services. For example, compensation may be paid to make Fund shares available to sales representatives and/or customers of a fund supermarket platform or similar program sponsor or for services provided in connection with such fund supermarket platforms and programs.
The amount of compensation paid to different financial intermediaries may differ. The compensation paid to a financial intermediary may be based on a variety of factors, including average assets under management in accounts distributed and/or serviced by the financial intermediary, gross sales by the financial intermediary and/or the number of accounts serviced by the financial intermediary that invest in the Fund. To the extent that the Fund pays any such compensation, it is designed to compensate the financial intermediary for providing services that would otherwise be provided by the Manager, the Fund or its transfer agent. To the extent the Fund affiliate pays such compensation, it would likely include amounts from that affiliate's own resources and constitute what is sometimes referred to as ''revenue sharing.''
Compensation received by a financial intermediary from the Manager or another Fund affiliate may include payments for marketing and/or training expenses incurred by the financial intermediary, including expenses incurred by the financial intermediary in educating (itself and) its salespersons with respect to Fund shares. For example, such compensation may include reimbursements for expenses incurred in attending educational seminars regarding the Fund, including travel and lodging expenses. It may also cover costs incurred by financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to sell Fund shares, including costs incurred compensating (registered) sales representatives and preparing, printing and distributing sales literature.
Any compensation received by a financial intermediary, whether from the Fund or its affiliate(s), and the prospect of receiving it may provide the financial intermediary with an incentive to recommend the shares of the Fund, or a certain class of shares of the Fund, over other potential investments. Similarly, the compensation may cause financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of the Fund within its organization by, for example, placing it on a list of preferred funds. You should ask your financial intermediary for details about any such payments it receives from the Manager or the Distributor, or any other fees, expenses, or commissions your financial intermediary may charge you in addition to those disclosed in this Prospectus.
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
27 |
General Policies
If a shareholder's account balance falls below the following minimum levels, the shareholder may be asked to increase the balance.
Share Class |
Account Balance |
A |
$ 2,500 |
C |
$ 1,000 |
Investor |
$ 2,500 |
Y |
$25,000 |
Institutional |
$75,000 |
If the account balance remains below the applicable minimum account balance after 45 days, the Fund reserves the right to close the account and send the proceeds to the shareholder. IRAs will be charged an annual maintenance fee of $15.00 by the Custodian for maintaining either a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. The Fund reserves the authority to modify minimum account balances in its discretion.
A Signature Validation Program (''SVP'') stamp may be required in order to change an account's registration or banking instructions. You may obtain a SVP stamp at participating banks, broker-dealers and credit unions, but not from a notary public. The SVP stamp is analogous to the STAMP 2000 Medallion guarantee in that it is provided at similar institutions. However, it is used only for non-financial transactions.
The following policies apply to instructions you may provide to the Fund by telephone:
The Fund, its officers, trustees, employees, or agents are not responsible for the authenticity of instructions provided by telephone, nor for any loss, liability, cost or expense incurred for acting on them.
The Fund employs procedures reasonably designed to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine.
Due to the volume of calls or other unusual circumstances, telephone redemptions may be difficult to implement during certain time periods.
The Fund reserves the right to:
liquidate a shareholder's account at the current day's NAV and remit proceeds via check if the Fund or a financial institution are unable to verify the shareholder's identity within three business days of account opening,
seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by the Fund if payment for the purchase of Fund shares by check does not clear the shareholder's bank, and
reject a purchase order and seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by the Fund if funds are not received by the applicable wire deadline.
A shareholder will not be required to pay a CDSC when the registration for A Class or C Class shares is transferred to the name of another person or entity. The transfer may occur by absolute assignment, gift or bequest, as long as it does not involve, directly or indirectly, a public sale of the shares. When A Class or C Class shares are transferred, any applicable CDSC will continue to apply to the transferred shares and will be calculated as if the transferee had acquired the shares in the same manner and at the same time as the transferring shareholder.
Escheatment
Please be advised that certain state escheatment laws may require the Fund to turn over your mutual fund account to the state listed in your account registration as abandoned property unless you contact the Fund. Many states have added ''inactivity'' or the absence of customer initiated contact as a component of their rules and guidelines for the escheatment of unclaimed property. These states consider property to be abandoned when there is no shareholder initiated activity on an account for at least three (3) to five (5) years.
Depending on the laws in your jurisdiction, customer initiated contact might be achieved by one of the following methods:
Send a letter to American Beacon Funds via the United States Post Office,
Speak to a Customer Service Representative on the phone after you go through a security verification process. For residents of certain states, contact cannot be made by phone but must be in writing or through the fund's secure web application.
Access your account through the fund's secure web application,
Cashing checks that are received and are made payable to the owner of the account.
The Fund, the Manager, and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or their representatives for good faith compliance with escheatment laws. To learn more about the escheatment rules for your particular state, please contact your attorney or State Treasurer's and/or Controller's Offices. If you do not hold your shares directly with the Fund, you should contact your broker-dealer, retirement plan, or other third party intermediary regarding applicable state escheatment laws.
Contact information:
American Beacon Funds
P.O. Box 219643
Kansas City, MO 64121-9643
1-800-658-5811
www.americanbeaconfunds.com
Frequent Trading and Market Timing
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in the Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund's NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio managers' ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Frequent, short-term trading of Fund shares in an attempt to profit from day-to-day fluctuations in the Fund's NAV is known as market timing.
The Fund's Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage frequent trading and market timing. Shareholders may transact up to one ''round trip'' in the Fund in any rolling 90-day period. A ''round trip'' is defined as two transactions, each in an opposite direction. A round trip may involve either (i) a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a redemption or exchange out of the Fund or (ii) a redemption or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. If the Manager detects that a shareholder has exceeded one round trip in the Fund in any rolling 90- day period, the Manager, without prior notice to the shareholder, may prohibit the shareholder from making further purchases of the Fund. In general, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order, terminate the exchange privilege, or liquidate the account of any shareholder that the Manager determines has engaged in frequent trading or market timing, regardless of whether the shareholder's activity violates any policy stated in this Prospectus.
28 |
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
Additionally, the Manager may in its discretion, reject any purchase or exchange into the Fund from any individual investor, institutional investor, or group whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the Fund or dilute the value of the Fund's shares, including collective trading (e.g. following the advice of an investment newsletter). Such investors may be barred from future purchases of American Beacon Funds.
The round-trip limit does not apply to the following transaction types:
shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and other distributions;
systematic purchases and redemptions;
shares redeemed to return excess IRA contributions; or
certain transactions made within a retirement or employee benefit plan, such as payroll contributions, minimum required distributions, loans, and hardship withdrawals, or other transactions that are initiated by a party other than the plan participant.
Financial intermediaries that offer Fund shares, such as broker-dealers, third party administrators of retirement plans, and trust companies, will be asked to enforce the Fund's policies to discourage frequent trading and market timing by investors. However, certain intermediaries that offer Fund shares have informed the Fund that they are currently unable to enforce the Fund's policies on an automated basis. In those instances, the Manager will monitor trading activity of the intermediary in an attempt to detect patterns of activity that indicate frequent trading or market timing by underlying investors. In some cases, intermediaries that offer Fund shares have their own policies to deter frequent trading and market timing that differ from the Fund's policies. The Fund may defer to an intermediary's policies. For more information, please contact the financial intermediary through which you invest in the Fund.
The Manager monitors trading activity in the Fund to attempt to identify shareholders engaged in frequent trading or market timing. The Manager may exclude transactions below a certain dollar amount from monitoring and may change that dollar amount from time to time. The ability of the Manager to detect frequent trading and market timing activity by investors who own shares through an intermediary is dependent upon the intermediary's provision of information necessary to identify transactions by the underlying investors. The Fund has entered into agreements with the intermediaries that service the Fund's investors, pursuant to which the intermediaries agree to provide information on investor transactions to the Fund and to act on the Fund's instructions to restrict transactions by investors who the Manager has identified as having violated the Fund's policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing.
Wrap programs offered by certain intermediaries may be designated ''Qualified Wrap Programs'' by the Fund based on specific criteria established by the Fund and a certification by the intermediary that the criteria have been met. A Qualified Wrap Program is a wrap program whose sponsoring intermediary: (i) certifies that it has investment discretion over $50 million or more in client assets invested in mutual funds at the time of the certification, (ii) certifies that it directs transactions in accounts participating in the wrap program(s) in concert with changes in a model portfolio; (iii) provides the Manager a description of the wrap program(s); and (iv) managed by an intermediary that agrees to provide the Manager sufficient information to identify individual accounts in the intermediary's wrap program(s). For purposes of applying the round-trip limit, transactions initiated by clients invested in a Qualified Wrap Program will not be matched to transactions initiated by the intermediary sponsoring the Qualified Wrap Program. For example, a client's purchase of the Fund followed within 90 days by the intermediary's redemption of the same Fund would not be considered a round trip. However, transactions initiated by a Qualified Wrap Program client are subject to the round-trip limit and will be matched to determine if the client has exceeded the round-trip limit. In addition, the Manager will monitor transactions initiated by Qualified Wrap Program intermediaries to determine whether any intermediary has engaged in frequent trading or market timing. If the Manager determines that an intermediary has engaged in activity that is harmful to the Fund, the Manager will revoke the intermediary's Qualified Wrap Program status. Upon termination of status as a Qualified Wrap Program, all account transactions will be matched for purposes of testing compliance with the Fund's frequent trading and market timing policies, including any applicable redemption fees.
The Fund reserves the right to modify the frequent trading and market timing policies and procedures and grant or eliminate waivers to such policies and procedures at any time without advance notice to shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund's policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing will have the intended effect nor that the Manager will be able to detect frequent trading and market timing.
Distributions and Taxes
The Fund annually distributes most or all of its net earnings in the form of dividends from net investment income ("dividends") and distributions of realized net capital gains ("capital gain distributions") and net gains from foreign currency transactions (sometimes referred to below collectively as "other distributions") (and dividends and other distributions are sometimes referred to below collectively as "distributions"). Different tax treatment applies to different types of distributions (as described in the table below).
The Fund does not have a fixed dividend rate and does not guarantee that it will pay any distributions in any particular period. Distributions paid by the Fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner and at the same time, but dividends on different classes of shares may be different as a result of the services and/or fees applicable to certain classes of shares.
Options for Receiving Dividends and other Distributions
When you open your Fund account, you can specify on your application how you want to receive distributions. To change that option, you must notify the transfer agent. Unless your account application instructs otherwise, distributions payable to you will be reinvested in additional Fund shares of the distributing class. There are four payment options available:
Reinvest All Distributions. You can elect to reinvest all distributions in additional shares of the distributing class of the Fund.
Reinvest Only Some Distributions. You can elect to reinvest some types of distributions in additional shares of the distributing class of the Fund while receiving the other types of distributions by check or having them sent to your bank account by ACH ("in cash").
Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive all distributions by check or have them sent to your bank account by ACH.
Reinvest Your Distributions in another American Beacon Fund. You can reinvest all of your distributions in shares of the same class of another American Beacon Fund that is available for exchanges. You must have an existing account in the same share class of the selected fund.
If you invest directly with the Fund, any election to receive distributions payable by check will only apply to distributions totaling $10.00 or more. Any distribution totaling less than $10.00 will be reinvested in Fund shares of the distributing class and will not be paid to you by check. This policy does not apply to you if you have elected to receive distributions that are directly deposited into your bank account by ACH.
If you elect to receive a cash distribution by check and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if your check remains uncashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the amount of your check, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions, in shares of the distributing class of the Fund at the NAV on the day of the reinvestment. Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption checks.
Shareholders investing in the Fund through a financial intermediary should discuss their options for receiving distributions with the intermediary.
Prospectus – About Your Investment |
29 |
Taxes
Any Fund distributions are taxable to shareholders other than tax-qualified retirement accounts and other tax-exempt investors. However, the portion of the Fund's dividends derived from its investments in U.S. Government obligations, if any, is generally exempt from state and local income taxes. The following table outlines the typical status of transactions in taxable accounts:
Type of Transaction |
Federal Tax Status |
Dividends from net investment income * |
Ordinary income ** |
Distributions of the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss * |
Ordinary income |
Distributions of net gains from certain foreign currency transactions * |
Ordinary income |
Distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss ("net capital gain'') * |
Long-term capital gains |
Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for more than one year |
Long-term capital gains or losses |
Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for one year or less |
Net gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income; net losses are subject to special rules |
* |
Whether reinvested or taken in cash. |
** |
Except for dividends that are attributable to ''qualified dividend income'' (as described below). |
To the extent distributions are attributable to net capital gain that the Fund recognizes on sales or exchanges of capital assets, they are subject to a 15% maximum federal income tax rate for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an ‘‘individual'') (20% for individuals with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds, which are indexed for inflation annually), regardless of how long the shareholder held his or her Fund shares.
A portion of the dividends the Fund pays to individuals may be ‘‘qualified dividend income'' (‘‘QDI'') and thus eligible for the preferential rates that apply to net capital gain. QDI is the aggregate of dividends the Fund receives on shares of most domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions. To be eligible for those rates, a shareholder must meet similar restrictions with respect to his or her Fund shares.
A portion of the distributions the Fund pays may also be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations ("DRD"), subject to similar holding period and other restrictions, but the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations only. However, dividends that a corporate shareholder receives and deducts pursuant to the DRD may be subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax. The Fund does not expect a substantial part of its dividends to qualify as QDI or be eligible for the DRD.
A shareholder may realize a taxable gain or loss when redeeming or exchanging shares. That gain or loss is treated as a short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending on how long the redeemed or exchanged shares were held. Any capital gain an individual shareholder recognizes on a redemption or exchange of Fund shares that have been held for more than one year will qualify for the 15%/20% tax rates mentioned above.
A shareholder who wants to use an acceptable basis determination method with respect to Fund shares he or she acquired or acquires after December 31, 2011 ("Covered Shares") other than the average basis method (the Fund's default method) must elect to do so in writing, which may be electronic. The Fund, or its administrative agent, must report to the Internal Revenue Service and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for dispositions of Covered Shares. See "Tax Information" in the SAI for a description of the rules regarding that election and the Fund's reporting obligation.
An individual must pay a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the individual's ‘‘net investment income,'' which generally includes distributions the Fund pays and net gains realized on the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, or (2) the excess of the individual's ‘‘modified adjusted gross income'' over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this tax may have on their investment in Fund shares.
Each year, the Fund's shareholders will receive tax information to assist them in preparing their income tax returns.
The foregoing is only a summary of some of the important federal income tax considerations that may affect Fund shareholders, who should consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to the effect of federal, state and local income taxes on an investment in the Fund.
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Prospectus – About Your Investment |
Additional Information
The Fund's Board of Trustees oversees generally the operations of the Fund. The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Fund's manager, sub-advisor, custodian, transfer agent, and accountants, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them directly against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them directly against the service providers.
This Prospectus provides information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this Prospectus nor the Statement of Additional Information is intended, or should be read, to be or create an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any investor, or to create to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.
Distribution and Service Plans
The Fund has adopted separate Distribution Plans for its A Class and C Class shares in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, which allows the A Class and C Class shares to pay distribution and other fees for the sale of Fund shares and for other services provided to shareholders. Each Plan also authorizes the use of any fees received by the Manager in accordance with the Administration and Management Agreements, and any fees received by the sub-advisors pursuant to their Investment Advisory Agreements with the Manager, to be used for the sale and distribution of Fund shares. The Plans provide that the A Class shares of the Fund will pay up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets attributable to the A Class, and the C Class shares of the Fund will pay up to 1.00% per annum of the average daily net assets attributable to the C Class, to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board).
The Fund has also adopted a shareholder services plan for its A Class, C Class, Y Class, and Investor Class shares for certain non-distribution shareholder services provided by financial intermediaries. The shareholder services plan authorizes annual payment of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the A Class shares, up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the C Class shares, up to 0.375% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Investor Class shares, and up to 0.10% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Y Class shares of the Fund. Because these distribution and service plan fees are paid out of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, and Investor Class assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may result in costs higher than other types of sales charges.
Portfolio Holdings
A complete list of the Fund's holdings is made available on the Fund's website on a quarterly basis approximately sixty days after the end of each calendar quarter and remains available for six months thereafter. A list of the Fund's ten largest holdings is made available on the Fund's website on a quarterly basis. The ten largest holdings of the Fund are generally posted to the website approximately fifteen days after the end of each calendar quarter and remain available until the next quarter. To access the holdings information, go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com. The Fund's ten largest holdings may also be accessed by selecting the Fund's fact sheet.
A description of the Fund's policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the Fund's SAI, which you may access on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or call 1-800-658-5811 to request a free copy.
Delivery of Documents
If you are interested in electronic delivery of the Fund's summary prospectus or shareholder reports, please go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com and click on ''Quick Links'' and then ''Register for E-Delivery.''
To reduce expenses, your financial institution may mail only one copy of the summary prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please contact your financial institution. Delivery of individual copies will commence thirty days after receiving your request.
Prospectus – Additional Information |
31 |
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the period of the Fund's operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the Fund's table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions). The information in the financial highlights has been derived from the Fund's financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, is included in the Fund's Annual Report, which you may obtain upon request.
Flexible Bond Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Institutional Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
July 5 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.33 |
|
$10.21 |
|
$10.48 |
|
$10.05 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
0.29 |
|
0.21 |
|
0.34 |
|
0.02 |
|
0.02 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.57 |
) |
0.16 |
|
(0.24 |
) |
0.59 |
|
0.05 |
|
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.28 |
) |
0.37 |
|
0.10 |
|
0.61 |
|
0.07 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.18 |
) |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.18 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
– |
|
(0.07 |
) |
(0.14 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
0.00 |
E |
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.25 |
) |
(0.37 |
) |
(0.18 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.77 |
|
$10.33 |
|
$10.21 |
|
$10.48 |
|
$10.05 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
(2.79 |
%) |
3.70 |
% |
0.83 |
% |
6.34 |
% |
0.70 |
% B |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$164,119 |
|
$177,201 |
|
$127,322 |
|
$13,095 |
|
$28,105 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.27 |
% |
1.24 |
% |
1.22 |
% |
1.42 |
% |
3.58 |
% C |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
0.90 |
% |
0.90 |
% |
0.90 |
% |
0.90 |
% |
– |
C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements |
2.37 |
% |
1.61 |
% |
0.84 |
% |
0.44 |
% |
(2.37 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements |
2.74 |
% |
1.94 |
% |
1.15 |
% |
0.96 |
% |
1.20 |
% C |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
492 |
% |
387 |
% |
112 |
% |
88 |
% |
44 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from July 5, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
E |
Amount represents less than $0.01 per share. |
32 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
Flexible Bond Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Y Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
July 5 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.33 |
|
$10.22 |
|
$10.51 |
|
$10.05 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
0.29 |
|
0.18 |
|
0.22 |
|
0.10 |
|
0.02 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.58 |
) |
0.17 |
|
(0.15 |
) |
0.53 |
|
0.05 |
|
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.29 |
) |
0.35 |
|
0.07 |
|
0.63 |
|
0.07 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.27 |
) |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
– |
|
(0.07 |
) |
(0.14 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.27 |
) |
(0.24 |
) |
(0.36 |
) |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.77 |
|
$10.33 |
|
$10.22 |
|
$10.51 |
|
$10.05 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
(2.87 |
%) |
3.51 |
% |
0.58 |
% |
6.20 |
% |
0.69 |
% B |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$44,285 |
|
$38,034 |
|
$39,898 |
|
$13,132 |
|
$144 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.34 |
% |
1.29 |
% |
1.26 |
% |
1.49 |
% |
18.27 |
% C |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
0.99 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
0.99 |
% |
– |
C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements |
2.33 |
% |
1.51 |
% |
0.91 |
% |
0.54 |
% |
(17.04 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements |
2.68 |
% |
1.81 |
% |
1.19 |
% |
1.04 |
% |
1.23 |
% C |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
492 |
% |
387 |
% |
112 |
% |
88 |
% |
44 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from July 5, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
33 |
Flexible Bond Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Investor Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
July 5 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.31 |
|
$10.21 |
|
$10.51 |
|
$10.07 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.33 |
) |
0.02 |
|
0.18 |
|
0.09 |
|
0.02 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
0.01 |
|
0.30 |
|
(0.13 |
) |
0.52 |
|
0.07 |
|
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.32 |
) |
0.32 |
|
0.05 |
|
0.61 |
|
0.09 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.15 |
) |
(0.21 |
) |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
– |
|
(0.07 |
) |
(0.14 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.35 |
) |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.76 |
|
$10.31 |
|
$10.21 |
|
$10.51 |
|
$10.07 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
(3.11 |
%) |
3.13 |
% |
0.38 |
% |
5.99 |
% |
0.90 |
% B |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$7,561 |
|
$24,411 |
|
$56,015 |
|
$21,245 |
|
$277 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.51 |
% |
1.43 |
% |
1.54 |
% |
1.76 |
% |
8.22 |
% C |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
1.27 |
% |
1.27 |
% |
1.27 |
% |
1.27 |
% |
– |
C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements |
2.15 |
% |
1.34 |
% |
0.65 |
% |
0.30 |
% |
(6.93 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements |
2.38 |
% |
1.50 |
% |
0.92 |
% |
0.79 |
% |
1.29 |
% C |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
492 |
% |
387 |
% |
112 |
% |
88 |
% |
44 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from July 5, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
34 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
Flexible Bond Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
A Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
July 5 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.27 |
|
$10.16 |
|
$10.49 |
|
$10.06 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
0.12 |
|
0.10 |
|
0.21 |
|
0.07 |
|
0.02 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.44 |
) |
0.21 |
|
(0.18 |
) |
0.51 |
|
0.06 |
|
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.32 |
) |
0.31 |
|
0.03 |
|
0.58 |
|
0.08 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.13 |
) |
(0.22 |
) |
(0.15 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gains |
– |
|
(0.07 |
) |
(0.14 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.23 |
) |
(0.20 |
) |
(0.36 |
) |
(0.15 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.72 |
|
$10.27 |
|
$10.16 |
|
$10.49 |
|
$10.06 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
(3.14 |
%) |
3.12 |
% |
0.16 |
% |
5.70 |
% |
0.80 |
% B |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$15,191 |
|
$27,146 |
|
$41,376 |
|
$10,387 |
|
$2,064 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
1.66 |
% |
1.68 |
% |
1.67 |
% |
1.93 |
% |
4.49 |
% C |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
1.29 |
% |
1.38 |
% |
1.39 |
% |
1.39 |
% |
– |
C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements |
1.95 |
% |
1.10 |
% |
0.50 |
% |
0.05 |
% |
(3.25 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements |
2.32 |
% |
1.40 |
% |
0.79 |
% |
0.59 |
% |
1.24 |
% C |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
492 |
% |
387 |
% |
112 |
% |
88 |
% |
44 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from July 5, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
35 |
Flexible Bond Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
C Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Year Ended August 31 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
For a share outstanding throughout the period: |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
July 5 to Aug. 31, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of the period |
$10.22 |
|
$10.11 |
|
$10.49 |
|
$10.09 |
|
$10.00 |
|
||||||||||
Income from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) |
0.07 |
|
0.02 |
|
0.14 |
|
0.04 |
|
0.02 |
|
||||||||||
Net gains (losses) from investments (both realized and unrealized) |
(0.46 |
) |
0.22 |
|
(0.19 |
) |
0.48 |
|
0.09 |
|
||||||||||
Total income (loss) from investment operations |
(0.39 |
) |
0.24 |
|
(0.05 |
) |
0.52 |
|
0.11 |
|
||||||||||
Less distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.06 |
) |
(0.19 |
) |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Dividends from net realized gains |
– |
|
(0.07 |
) |
(0.14 |
) |
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Return of capital |
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
||||||||||
Total distributions |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.13 |
) |
(0.33 |
) |
(0.12 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period |
$9.69 |
|
$10.22 |
|
$10.11 |
|
$10.49 |
|
$10.09 |
|
||||||||||
Total Return A |
(3.81 |
%) |
2.37 |
% |
(0.54 |
%) |
5.15 |
% |
1.11 |
% B |
||||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$7,133 |
|
$11,127 |
|
$15,292 |
|
$5,641 |
|
$380 |
|
||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Expenses before reimbursements |
2.40 |
% |
2.43 |
% |
2.43 |
% |
2.74 |
% |
9.66 |
% C |
||||||||||
Expenses net of reimbursements |
2.04 |
% |
2.13 |
% |
2.14 |
% |
2.14 |
% |
– |
C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, before reimbursements |
1.21 |
% |
0.35 |
% |
(0.24 |
%) |
(0.73 |
%) |
(8.48 |
%) C |
||||||||||
Net investment income, net of reimbursements |
1.57 |
% |
0.66 |
% |
0.04 |
% |
(0.13 |
%) |
1.18 |
% C |
||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
492 |
% |
387 |
% |
112 |
% |
88 |
% |
44 |
% D |
A |
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee, or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. May include adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP and as such, the net asset value for reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset value and returns for shareholder transactions. |
B |
Not annualized. |
C |
Annualized. |
D |
Portfolio turnover rate is for the period from July 5, 2011, the inception date, through August 31, 2011 and is not annualized. |
36 |
Prospectus – Additional Information |
Additional Information
Additional information about the Fund is found in the documents listed below. Request a free copy of these documents by calling 1-800-658-5811 or you may access them on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
Annual Report/Semi-Annual Report
The Fund's Annual and Semi-Annual Reports list the Fund's actual investments as of the report's date. They also include a discussion by the Manager of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance. The report of the Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is included in the Annual Report.
Statement of Additional Information (''SAI'')
The SAI contains more details about the Fund and its investment policies. The SAI is incorporated in this prospectus by reference (it is legally part of this prospectus). A current SAI is on file with the SEC.
To obtain more information about the Fund or to request a copy of the documents listed above:
By Telephone: |
Call
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By Mail: |
American Beacon Funds
|
By E-mail: |
americanbeaconfunds@ambeacon.com |
On the Internet: |
Visit our website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com
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The SAI and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic mail to publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SAI and other information about the Fund may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room. Information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090.
American Beacon is a registered service mark of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. The American Beacon Funds and American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund are service marks of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. |
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SEC File Number 811-4984
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Statement of Additional Information
December 29, 2015
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Ticker |
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Share Class |
A |
C |
Y |
Institutional |
Investor |
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
AZSAX |
AZSCX |
AZSYX |
AZSIX |
AZSPX |
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
SHOAX |
SHOCX |
SHOYX |
SHOIX |
SHYPX |
American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund |
ABCAX |
ABECX |
ABCYX |
ABCIX |
ABCVX |
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated December 29, 2015 (the "Prospectus") for the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund (each individually a "Fund," and collectively the "Funds"), each a separate series of the American Beacon Funds, a Massachusetts business trust. Copies of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 658-5811. You also may obtain copies of the Prospectus without charge by visiting the Funds' website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Funds' Prospectus. In other words, it is legally a part of the Prospectus. This SAI is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the current Prospectus.
The American Beacon Funds' Annual Report to shareholders for the period ended August 31, 2015 and the financial statements and accompanying notes appearing therein are incorporated by reference in this SAI. Copies of the Funds' Annual Report may be obtained, without charge, upon request by calling (800) 658-5811.
1 |
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Additional Information About Investment Strategies and Risks |
1 |
22 |
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23 |
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24 |
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24 |
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24 |
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26 |
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26 |
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31 |
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32 |
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32 |
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37 |
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37 |
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40 |
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41 |
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42 |
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43 |
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Additional Information Regarding Contingent Deferred Sales Charges |
45 |
45 |
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45 |
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49 |
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49 |
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Appendix A: Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures for the Trust |
51 |
53 |
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59 |
ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE FUNDS
Each Fund is a separate series of the American Beacon Funds (the "Trust"), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on January 16, 1987. Each Fund constitutes a separate investment portfolio with a distinct investment objective and distinct purpose and strategy. Each Fund is diversified. Each Fund is comprised of multiple classes of shares designed to meet the needs of different groups of investors. This SAI relates to the A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares of the Funds.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The investment objective and principal investment strategies and risks of each Fund are described in the Prospectus. This section contains additional information about the Funds' investment policies and risks and types of investments a Fund may purchase. The composition of a Fund's portfolio and the strategies a Fund may use in selecting investments may vary over time. A Fund is not required to use all of the investment strategies described below in pursuing its investment objectives. It may use some of the investment strategies only at some times or it may not use them at all. In the following table, Funds with an "X" in a particular strategy/risk are more likely to use or be subject to that strategy/risk than those without an "X".
Strategy/Risk |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
Asset-Backed Securities |
|
X |
X |
Bank Capital Securities |
|
X |
|
Borrowing Risks |
X |
X |
X |
Callable Securities |
|
X |
X |
Cash Equivalents |
X |
X |
X |
Collateralized Bond Obligations, Collateralized Debt Obligations and Collateralized Loan Obligations |
|
X |
|
Commercial Paper |
|
X |
|
Common Stock |
X |
X |
X |
Convertible Securities |
X |
X |
X |
Cover and Asset Segregation |
X |
X |
|
Creditor Liability and Participation on Creditors Committees |
|
X |
|
Currencies Risk |
|
X |
|
Cyber-Security Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Debentures |
|
X |
|
Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities |
|
X |
|
Depositary Receipts |
X |
X |
X |
Derivatives |
X |
X |
X |
Distressed Investment Risk |
|
X |
|
Emerging Market Investments |
|
X |
X |
Eurodollar and Yankee CD Obligations |
|
X |
|
Expense Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Fixed Income Securities |
|
X |
X |
Foreign Debt Securities |
|
X |
|
Foreign Securities |
X |
X |
X |
Forward Contracts and Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts |
|
X |
|
Futures Contracts |
X |
X |
X |
Growth Companies Risk |
X |
|
X |
High Yield Bonds |
|
X |
|
Illiquid and Restricted Securities |
X |
X |
X |
Income Deposit Securities |
|
X |
|
Income Trusts |
|
X |
X |
Indebtness, Loan Participations and Assignments |
|
X |
|
Index Futures Contracts |
X |
|
X |
Inflation-Indexed Securities |
|
X |
|
Initial Public Offerings |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
Interfund Lending |
X |
X |
X |
Issuer Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Large Capitalization Companies Risk |
|
X |
X |
Limited Liability Companies |
X |
|
X |
Loan Transactions |
X |
X |
X |
Market Events |
X |
X |
X |
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Mortgage-Backed Securities |
|
X |
|
Municipal Securities |
|
X |
|
Other Investment Company Securities and Other Exchange Traded Products |
X |
X |
X |
Pay-in-Kind Securities |
|
X |
|
Preferred Stock |
X |
X |
X |
Publicly Traded Partnerships; Master Limited Partnerships |
X |
X |
X |
Real Estate Related Investments |
X |
X |
X |
Repurchase Agreements |
|
X |
|
Rights and Warrants |
X |
X |
X |
Senior Loans |
|
X |
|
Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities and Zero Coupon Obligations |
|
X |
|
Small Capitalization Companies Risk |
X |
X |
X |
Structured Products |
|
X |
|
Swap Agreements |
|
X |
|
Swaptions |
|
X |
|
Synthetic Convertible Securities |
|
X |
|
Time-Zone Arbitrage |
|
X |
|
Trade Claims |
|
X |
|
Trust Preferred Securities |
|
X |
|
U.S. Government Agency Securities |
|
X |
X |
U.S. Treasury Obligations |
X |
X |
X |
Value Companies Risk |
X |
|
X |
Variable or Floating Rate Obligations |
|
X |
X |
Variable Rate Auction and Residual Interest Obligations |
|
X |
|
Asset-Backed Securities — Asset-backed securities are securities issued by trusts and special purpose entities that are backed by pools of assets, such as automobile and credit-card receivables and home equity loans, which pass through the payments on the underlying obligations to the security holders (less servicing fees paid to the originator or fees for any credit enhancement). Typically, loans or accounts receivable paper are transferred from the originator to a specially created trust, which repackages the trust's interests as securities with a minimum denomination and a specific term. The securities are then privately placed or publicly offered. Examples include certificates for automobile receivables and so called plastic bonds, backed by credit card receivables. A Fund is permitted to invest in asset-backed securities, subject to a Fund's rating and quality requirements.
The value of an asset-backed security is affected by, among other things, changes in the market's perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans and the financial institution providing any credit enhancement. Payments of principal and interest passed through to holders of asset-backed securities are frequently supported by some form of credit enhancement, such as a letter of credit, surety bond, limited guarantee by another entity or by having a priority to certain of the borrower's other assets. The degree of credit enhancement varies, and generally applies to only a portion of the asset-backed security's par value. Value is also affected if any credit enhancement has been exhausted.
Bank Capital Securities — A Fund may invest in bank capital securities. Bank capital securities are issued by banks to help fulfill their regulatory capital requirements. There are two common types of bank capital: Tier I and Tier II. Bank capital is generally, but not always, of investment grade quality. Tier I securities often take the form of trust preferred securities. Tier II securities are commonly thought of as hybrids of debt and preferred stock, are often perpetual (with no maturity date), callable and, under certain conditions, allow for the issuer bank to withhold payment of interest until a later date.
Bank Deposit Notes — Bank deposit notes are obligations of a bank, rather than bank holding company corporate debt. The only structural difference between bank deposit notes and certificates of deposit is that interest on bank deposit notes is calculated on a 30/360 basis, as are corporate notes/bonds. Similar to certificates of deposit, deposit notes represent bank level investments and, therefore, are senior to all holding company corporate debt.
2 |
Borrowing Risks — A Fund may borrow money in an amount up to one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) from banks and other financial institutions. A Fund may borrow for temporary purposes. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in a Fund's NAV and in its total return. Interest expense and other fees associated with borrowing may reduce a Fund's return.
Callable Securities — A Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with call features. A call feature allows the issuer of the security to redeem or call the security prior to its stated maturity date. In periods of falling interest rates, issuers may be more likely to call in securities that are paying higher coupon rates than prevailing interest rates. In the event of a call, a Fund would lose the income that would have been earned to maturity on that security, and the proceeds received by a Fund may be invested in securities paying lower coupon rates. Thus, a Fund's income could be reduced as a result of a call. In addition, the market value of a callable security may decrease if it is perceived by the market as likely to be called, which could have a negative impact on a Fund's total return.
Cash Equivalents — Cash equivalents include certificates of deposit, time deposits, bearer deposit notes, bankers' acceptances, government obligations, commercial paper, short-term corporate debt securities and repurchase agreements.
Bankers' acceptances are short-term credit instruments designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then "accepted" by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.
Certificates of deposit ("CDs") are issued against funds deposited in an eligible bank (including its domestic and foreign branches, subsidiaries and agencies), are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable. U.S. dollar denominated CDs issued by banks abroad are known as Eurodollar CDs. CDs issued by foreign branches of U.S. banks are known as Yankee CDs.
Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
Collateralized Bond Obligations ("CBOs"), Collateralized Debt Obligations ("CDOs") and Collateralized Loan Obligations ("CLOs") — A Fund may invest in each of collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), other collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is often backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed income securities such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage- related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. 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. Other CDOs are trusts backed by other types of assets representing obligations of various parties. CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.
For CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs, 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 CBO trust, CLO trust or trust of another CDO typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO, CLO or other CDO 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 CBO, CLO or other CDO securities as a class.
The risks of an investment in a CBO, CLO or other CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which a Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Fund's Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs carry additional risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the risk that a Fund may invest in CBOs, CLOs or other CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; payments; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Commercial Paper — A Fund may invest in commercial paper and other short-term notes. Commercial paper refers to promissory notes representing an unsecured debt of a corporation or finance company with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days.
A variable amount master demand note (which is a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender pursuant to which the lender may determine to invest varying amounts.
Common Stock — Common stock generally takes the form of shares in a corporation which represent an ownership interest. It ranks below preferred stock and debt securities in claims for dividends and for assets of the company in a liquidation or bankruptcy. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or decreased demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value may also decline because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or sector. The price of a company's stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or industry regulation. Companies that elect to pay dividends on their common stock generally only do so after they invest in their own business and make required payments to bondholders and on other debt and preferred stock. Therefore, the value
3 |
of a company's common stock will usually be more volatile than its bonds, other debt and preferred stock. Common stock may be exchange-traded or over-the-counter ("OTC"). OTC stock may be less liquid than exchange-traded stock.
Convertible Securities — Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuer's common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. Holders of convertible securities have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders, but may be subordinated to holders of similar non-convertible securities of the same issuer. Because of the conversion feature, certain convertible securities may be considered equity equivalents.
Cover and Asset Segregation
— A Fund may make
investments or employ trading practices that obligate the Fund, on a fixed or contingent basis, to deliver an asset or make
a cash payment to another party in the future. A Fund will comply with guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC") with respect to coverage of certain investments and trading practices. This guidance requires segregation (which
may include earmarking) by a Fund of cash or liquid securities with its custodian or a designated sub-custodian to the extent
the Fund's obligations with respect to these strategies are not otherwise "covered" through ownership of the underlying
security or financial instrument or by offsetting portfolio positions.
For example, if a Fund enters into a currency forward
contract to sell foreign currency on a future date, the Fund may cover its obligation to deliver the foreign currency by
segregating cash or liquid securities having a value at least equal to the value of the deliverable currency on a marked
to market basis. Alternatively, a Fund could cover its obligation by entering into an offsetting transaction to acquire,
on or before the date such foreign currency must be delivered, an amount of foreign currency at least equal to the deliverable
amount at a price at or below the sale price to be received by the Fund under the currency forward contract.
A Fund's approach to asset coverage may vary among different
types of transactions. For example, if the Fund's forward obligation on the transaction is only to make a cash payment
equal to the amount, if any, by which the value of the Fund's position is less than that of its counterparty, the Fund will
segregate cash or liquidate assets equal to that difference calculated on a daily marked-to-market basis (a "net amount").
Additionally, if the Fund is a protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund, depending on how the credit default
swap is settled, usually will segregate assets equal to the full notional value of the swap. If the Fund is protection buyer
in a credit default swap, depending on how the credit default swap is settled, it usually will cover the total amount of
required premium payments plus the prepayment penalty.
Inasmuch as a Fund covers its obligations under these transactions as described above, American Beacon Advisors,
Inc. (the "Manager") and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities. Earmarking or otherwise
segregating a large percentage of the Fund's assets could impede the sub-advisors' ability to manage the Fund's portfolio.
Creditor Liability and Participation on Creditors Committees — When a Fund holds bonds or other similar fixed income securities of an issuer, the Fund becomes a creditor of the issuer. If a Fund is a creditor of an issuer it may be subject to challenges related to the securities that it holds, either in connection with the bankruptcy of the issuer or in connection with another action brought by other creditors of the issuer, shareholders of the issuer or the issuer itself. A Fund may from time to time participate on committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled issuers of securities held by the Fund. Such participation may subject a Fund to expenses such as legal fees and may make the Fund an "insider" of the issuer for purposes of the federal securities laws, and therefore may restrict such Fund's ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation on such committees also may expose a Fund to potential liabilities under the federal bankruptcy laws or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors.
Currencies Risk — A Fund may have significant exposure to foreign currencies for investment or hedging purposes by making direct investments in non- U.S. currencies or in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies, purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. or emerging market currencies, non-U.S. currency futures contracts, options on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures and swaps for cross-currency investments.
Foreign currencies may decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect a Fund's investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.
Cyber-Security Risk — With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, the Funds, and their service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Funds or their sub-advisors, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, impact the Funds' ability to calculate their NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Funds to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A cyber-attack may also result in the loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system repairs. The Funds may also incur additional costs for cyber- security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber- security risks are also present for issues or securities in which the Funds may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Funds' investment in such companies to lose value.
Although the Funds and the Manager endeavor to determine that service providers have established risk management systems that seek to reduce the risks associated with cybersecurity, and business continuity plans in the event there is a cybersecurity breach, there are inherent limitations in these
4 |
systems and plans, including the possibility that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. Furthermore, a Fund does not control the cybersecurity systems and plans of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests or the Fund's third party service providers or trading counterparties or any other service providers whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders.
Debentures — Debentures are unsecured debt securities. The holder of a debenture is protected only by the general creditworthiness of the issuer.
Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities — A Fund may enter into, or acquire participations in, delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are borrowing arrangements in which the lender agrees to make loans up to a maximum amount upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. A revolving credit facility differs from a delayed funding loan in that as the borrower repays the loan, an amount equal to the repayment may be borrowed again during the term of the revolving credit facility. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities usually provide for floating or variable rates of interest. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a Fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will at all times segregate or "earmark" assets, determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board"), in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.
A Fund may invest in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may be subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to resell such instruments. As a result, a Fund may be unable to sell such investments at an opportune time or may have to resell them at less than fair market value.
Depositary Receipts — American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), Non-Voting Depositary Receipts (NVDRs) — ADRs are depositary receipts for foreign issuers in registered form traded in U.S. securities markets. EDRs are in bearer form and traded in European securities markets. GDRs are in bearer form and traded in both the U.S. and European securities markets. NVDRs represent financial interests in an issuer but the holder is not entitled to any voting rights. Depositary receipts may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Investing in depositary receipts entails substantially the same risks as direct investment in foreign securities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. In addition, such companies may use different accounting and financial standards (and certain currencies may become unavailable for transfer from a foreign currency), resulting in a Fund's possible inability to convert immediately into U.S. currency proceeds realized upon the sale of portfolio securities of the affected foreign companies. In addition, a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts, the issuers of which are not obligated to disclose material information about the underlying securities to investors in the United States. Ownership of unsponsored depositary receipts may not entitle a Fund to the same benefits and rights as ownership of a sponsored depositary receipt or the underlying security. Please see "Foreign Securities" below for a description of the risks associated with investments in foreign securities.
Derivatives — Generally a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is based on, or "derived" from, a traditional security, asset, currency, or market index. Some "derivatives" such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities. There are, in fact, many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. The value of certain derivative securities is linked to other equity securities (such as depositary receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference assets).
A Fund may invest in various types of derivatives, including, among others, forwards for currency hedges, warrants, rights, structured products and other derivative instruments. The enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") resulted in historic and comprehensive reform relating to derivatives, including the manner in which they are entered into, reported, recorded, executed, and settled or cleared. Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") have promulgated a broad range of new regulations with respect to security-based swaps (e.g., derivatives based on a single security or narrow-based securities index) which are regulated by the SEC, and other swaps which are regulated by the CFTC and the markets in which these instruments trade.
Until recently, advisers of registered investment companies like the Funds that trade commodity interests (such as futures contracts, options on futures contracts, non-deliverable forwards and swaps), have been excluded from regulation as commodity pool operators ("CPOs") pursuant to CFTC Regulation 4.5. In 2012, the CFTC amended Regulation 4.5 to dramatically narrow this exclusion. Under the amended Regulation 4.5 exclusion, in order to rely on the exclusion a Funds' commodity interests other than those used for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC) — must be limited such that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options that are "in-the-money" at the time of purchase) does not exceed 5% of a Fund's net asset value ("NAV"), or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of the positions, determined at the time the most recent position was established, does not exceed 100% of a Fund's NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). Further, to qualify for the exclusion in amended Regulation 4.5, a Fund must satisfy a marketing test, which requires, among other things, that a Fund not hold itself out as a vehicle for trading commodity interests. A Fund's ability to use these instruments also may be limited by tax considerations. See the section entitled "Tax Information."
The Manager has filed a notice claiming the CFTC Regulation 4.5 exclusion from CPO registration.
Derivatives may involve significant risk. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of a Fund's initial investment. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose a Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty.
Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. A Fund may buy and sell derivatives that are neither centrally cleared nor traded on an exchange. Such derivatives may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk.
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Transactions in derivatives may expose a Fund to an obligation to another party and, as a result, a Fund may need to "cover" the obligation or segregate liquid assets in compliance with SEC guidelines, as discussed above under "Cover and Asset Segregation."
Distressed Investment Risk — The Fund may invest in distressed investments, which are issued by companies that are, or might be, involved in reorganizations or financial restructurings, either out of court or in bankruptcy. These investments may present a substantial risk of default or may be in default at the time of investment. The Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to an investment, the Fund may lose its entire investment or may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than its original investment. Among the risks inherent in investments in a troubled issuer is that it frequently may be difficult to obtain information as to the true financial condition of the issuer.
Emerging Market Investments — A Fund may invest in the securities and derivatives with exposure to various countries with emerging capital markets. Investments in the securities and derivatives with exposure to countries with emerging capital markets involve significantly higher risks not involved in investments in securities in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities from more developed capital markets, (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments, (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other non-U.S. or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments, (iv) national policies that may limit a Fund's investment opportunities such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests, (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property, and (vi) less diverse or immature economic structures. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging capital markets may impose differential capital gain taxes on foreign investors.
Such capital markets are emerging in a dynamic political and economic environment brought about by events over recent years that have reshaped political boundaries and traditional ideologies. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for a Fund. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such event, it is possible that a Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected markets.
The economies of emerging market countries may be based predominately on only a few industries or may be dependent on revenues from participating commodities or on international aid or developmental assistance, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates.
Also, there may be less publicly available information about emerging markets than would be available in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the U.S. may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid and more volatile than those of mature markets, and securities may be held by a limited number of investors. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of a Fund's acquisition or disposal of securities.
The laws in certain emerging market countries may be based upon or be highly influenced by religious codes or rules. The interpretation of how these laws apply to certain investments may change over time, which could have a negative impact on those investments and a Fund.
Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because a Fund may use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable.
A Fund may consider a country to be an emerging market country based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, if the country is classified as an emerging or developing economy by any supranational organization such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation or the United Nations, or related entities, or if the country is considered an emerging market country for purposes of constructing emerging markets indices.
Eurodollar and Yankee CD Obligations — Eurodollar obligations are U.S. dollar obligations issued outside the United States by domestic or foreign entities, while Yankee CDs are U.S. dollar obligations issued inside the United States by foreign entities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign issuers and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. Foreign issuers may use different accounting and financial standards, and the addition of foreign governmental restrictions may affect adversely the payment of principal and interest on foreign investments. In addition, not all foreign branches of United States banks are supervised or examined by regulatory authorities as are United States banks, and such branches may not be subject to reserve requirements.
Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in a Fund's net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that a Fund's net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, a Fund's expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in a Fund's expense ratio could be significant.
Fixed Income Investments — A Fund may hold debt, including government and corporate debt, and other fixed-income securities. Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause a Fund's net asset value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed-income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. For example, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, they also tend to be more sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates and are therefore more volatile than shorter-term securities and are subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the credit strength of an issuer of a fixed-income security will weaken and/or that the issuer will be unable to make timely principal and interest payments and that the security may go into default. In addition, there is prepayment risk, which is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, certain fixed-income securities with higher interest rates, such as
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mortgage- and asset-backed securities, may be prepaid by their issuers thereby reducing the amount of interest payments. This may result in a Fund having to reinvest its proceeds in lower yielding securities. Securities underlying mortgage- and asset-backed securities, which may include subprime mortgages, also may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. See "High Yield Bonds" disclosure below for the risks associated with low-quality, high-risk corporate bonds, a type of fixed income security.
Foreign Debt Securities — A Fund may invest in foreign fixed and floating rate income securities (including emerging market securities) all or a portion of which may be non-U.S. dollar denominated and which include: (a) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign national, provincial, state, municipal or other governments with taxing authority or by their agencies or instrumentalities, including Brady Bonds; (b) debt obligations of supranational entities; (c) debt obligations of the U.S. Government issued in non-dollar securities; (d) debt obligations and other fixed income securities of foreign corporate issuers (both dollar and non-dollar denominated); and (e) U.S. corporate issuers (both Eurodollar and non- dollar denominated). There is no minimum rating criteria for a Fund's investments in such securities. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers involves special considerations that are not typically associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, emerging markets are markets that have risks that are different and higher than those in more developed markets. See "Eurodollar and Yankee CD Obligations" for a further discussion of these risks.
Foreign Securities — A Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated and non-U.S. dollar denominated equity and debt securities of foreign issuers and foreign branches of U.S. banks, including negotiable CDs, bankers' acceptances, and commercial paper. Foreign issuers are issuers organized and doing business principally outside the United States and include banks, non-U.S. governments, and quasi-governmental organizations. While investments in foreign securities are intended to reduce risk by providing further diversification, such investments involve sovereign and other risks, in addition to the credit and market risks normally associated with domestic securities. These additional risks include the possibility of adverse political and economic developments (including political or social instability, nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation); the potentially adverse effects of unavailability of public information regarding issuers, less governmental supervision and regulation of financial markets, reduced liquidity of certain financial markets, and the lack of uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or the application of standards that are different or less stringent than those applied in the United States; different laws and customs governing securities tracking; and possibly limited access to the courts to enforce a Fund's rights as an investor.
A Fund also may invest in equity, debt, or other income-producing securities that are denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, including (1) common and preferred stocks; (2) CDs, commercial paper, fixed time deposits, and bankers' acceptances issued by foreign banks; (3) obligations of other corporations; and (4) obligations of foreign governments and their subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities, international agencies, and supranational entities. Investing in foreign currency denominated securities involves the special risks associated with investing in non-U.S. issuers, as described in the preceding paragraph, and the additional risks of (1) adverse changes in foreign exchange rates and (2) adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which could prevent cash from being brought back to the United States). Additionally, dividends and interest payable on foreign securities (and gains realized on disposition thereof) may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from those payments.
A Fund may also invest in foreign "market access" investments, such as participatory notes, low-exercise price options or warrants, equity-linked notes, or equity swaps. These investments may provide economic exposure to an issuer without directly holding its securities. For example, market access investments may be used where regulatory or exchange restrictions make it difficult or undesirable for the Fund to invest directly in an issuer's common stock. Use of market access investments may involve risks associated with derivative investments (see "Derivatives"). Market access investments can be either exchange-traded or over-the-counter. Certain market access investments can be subject to the credit risk of both the underlying issuer and a counterparty. Holders of certain market access investments might not have voting, dividend, or other rights associated with shares holders of the referenced securities. Holders of market access investments might not have any right to make a claim against an issuer or counterparty in the event of their bankruptcy or other restructuring. It may be more difficult or time consuming to dispose of certain market access investments than the referenced security.
Commissions on foreign securities exchanges are often at fixed rates and are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the sub-advisors endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on portfolio transactions.
Foreign securities may trade with less frequency and in less volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Additional costs associated with an investment in foreign securities may include higher custodial fees than apply to domestic custody arrangements and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions.
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures. In certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund is not invested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result in losses to a Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities or, if a Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.
Interest rates prevailing in other countries may affect the prices of foreign securities and exchange rates for foreign currencies. Local factors, including the strength of the local economy, the demand for borrowing, the government's fiscal and monetary policies, and the international balance of payments, often affect interest rates in other countries. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position.
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts — A Fund may enter into forward foreign currency contracts ("forward currency contracts"). A forward currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specified currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties at a price set at the time of the contract. Because these forward currency contracts normally are settled through an exchange of currencies, they are traded in the interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.
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Forward currency contracts may serve as long hedges. For example, a Fund may purchase a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar price of a security denominated in a foreign currency that it intends to acquire. Forward currency contract transactions also may serve as short hedges. For example, a Fund may sell a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar equivalent of the proceeds from the anticipated sale of a security or from a dividend or interest payment on a security denominated in a foreign currency.
A Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to sell a foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount approximating the value of some or all of their respective portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. In addition, a Fund may use forward currency contracts when a sub-advisor wishes to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of a security when the Fund is purchasing or selling a security denominated in a foreign currency or anticipates receiving a dividend or interest payment denominated in a foreign currency.
A Fund may enter into forward currency contracts for the purchase or sale of a specified currency at a specified future date either with respect to specific transactions or with respect to portfolio positions in order to minimize the risk to the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies.
A Fund may seek to hedge against changes in the value of a particular currency by using forward currency contracts on another foreign currency or a basket of currencies, the value of which the applicable sub-advisor believes will have a positive correlation to the values of the currency being hedged. Use of a different foreign currency magnifies the risk that movements in the price of the forward contract will not correlate or will correlate unfavorably with the foreign currency being hedged.
In addition, a Fund may use forward currency contracts to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. For example, if a Fund owned securities denominated in a foreign currency that a sub-advisor believed would decline relative to another currency, it might enter into a forward currency contract to sell an appropriate amount of the first foreign currency, with payment to be made in the second currency. Transactions that involve two foreign currencies are sometimes referred to as "cross hedging." Use of a different foreign currency magnifies a Fund's exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
The cost to a Fund of engaging in forward currency contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because forward currency contracts usually are entered into on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved. When a Fund enters into a forward currency contract, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying currency at the maturity of the contract. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
Sellers or purchasers of forward currency contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions on futures, by purchasing or selling, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument sold or bought, respectively. Secondary markets generally do not exist for forward currency contracts, however, with the result that closing transactions generally can be made for forward currency contracts only by negotiating directly with the counterparty. Thus, there can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to close out a forward currency contract at a favorable price prior to maturity. In addition, in the event of insolvency of the counterparty, a Fund might be unable to close out a forward currency contract at any time prior to maturity. In either event, the Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position, and would continue to be required to maintain a position in the securities or currencies that are the subject of the hedge or to maintain cash or securities.
The precise matching of forward currency contract amounts and the value of securities whose U.S. dollar value is being hedged by those contracts involved generally will not be possible because the value of such securities, measured in the foreign currency, will change after the forward currency contract has been established. Thus, a Fund might need to purchase or sell foreign currencies in the spot (cash) market to the extent such foreign currencies are not covered by forward contracts. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.
A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a forward currency contract in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty. If such a default occurs, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the forward currency contract, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect a Fund's rights as a creditor.
Non-Deliverable Currency Forwards — A Fund also may enter into non-deliverable currency forwards ("NDFs"). NDFs are cash-settled, short-term forward contracts on foreign currencies (each a "Reference Currency"), generally on currencies that are non-convertible, and may be thinly traded or illiquid. NDFs involve an obligation to pay a U. S. dollar amount (the "Settlement Amount") equal to the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate for the Reference Currency and the agreed upon exchange rate (the "NDF Rate"), with respect to an agreed notional amount. NDFs have a fixing date and a settlement (delivery) date. The fixing date is the date and time at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement (delivery) date is the date by which the payment of the Settlement Amount is due to the party receiving payment.
Although NDFs are similar to other forward currency contracts, NDFs do not require physical delivery of the Reference Currency on the settlement date. Rather, on the settlement date, one counterparty pays the other a U.S. dollar amount equal to the difference between the NDF Rate and the prevailing market exchange rate. NDFs typically may have terms from one month up to two years and are settled in U.S. dollars.
A Fund will typically use NDFs for hedging purposes or for direct investment in a foreign country for income or gain. The use of NDFs for hedging or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to a Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce a Funds' respective returns.
NDFs are subject to many of the risks associated with derivatives in general and forward currency transactions including risks associated with fluctuations in foreign currency and the risk that the counterparty will fail to fulfill its obligations. In addition, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act and regulations adopted by the CFTC in connection with implementing the Dodd-Frank Act, NDFs are deemed to be swaps, and consequently commodity interests for purposes of amended Regulation 4.5.
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Although NDFs have historically been traded OTC, in the future pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, they may be exchange-traded. Under such circumstances, they will be centrally cleared and a secondary market for them will exist. All NDFs are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not perform as contractually required under the NDF. With respect to NDFs that are centrally-cleared, a Fund could lose margin payments it has deposited with the clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if it breaches its obligations under the NDF, becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be entitled to the net amount of gains the investor is entitled to receive plus the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.
Forward Contracts and Futures Contracts — A Fund may enter into forward and futures contracts. Forward and futures contracts including interest rate and treasury futures contracts, obligate the purchaser to take delivery of, or cash settle, a specific amount of a commodity, security or obligation underlying the contract at a specified time in the future for a specified price. Likewise, the seller incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of the underlying obligation against receipt of the specified price. Futures are traded on both U.S. and foreign commodities exchanges. A forward is a private agreement between two parties and is not traded on an exchange.
No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract a Fund is required to deposit "initial margin" consisting of cash or U.S. Government Securities in an amount set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and varying based on the volatility of the underlying asset. Margin must also be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, a Fund may be required by a futures exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.
Subsequent "variation margin" payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as "marking-to-market." Variation margin represents a daily settlement of a Fund's obligations to or from a futures broker. When a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If a Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.
Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures contracts may be closed only on a futures exchange or board of trade that trades that contract. A Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract.
Although many futures contracts by their terms call for the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying asset, in most cases the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract without having to make or take such delivery of the securities or currency.
The offsetting of a contractual obligation is accomplished by buying (or selling, as appropriate) on a commodities exchange an identical futures contract calling for delivery in the same month. Such a transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the securities or currency. Since all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, a Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases or sells futures contracts. A Fund has no current intent to accept physical delivery in connection with the settlement of futures contracts.
Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract can vary from the previous day's settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.
If a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. A Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the futures contract or option thereon or to maintain cash or securities in a segregated account.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of securities price or currency exchange rate trends by a sub-advisor may still not result in a successful transaction.
Futures contracts also entail other risks. Although the use of such contracts may benefit a Fund, if investment judgment about the general direction of, for example, an index is incorrect, a Fund's overall performance would be worse than if it had not entered into any such contract. There are differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a forward contract in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty. If such a default occurs, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the forward contract, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect a Fund's rights as a creditor.
Futures Contracts on Stock Indices. A Fund may enter into contracts providing for the making and acceptance of a cash settlement based upon changes in the value of an index of securities ("Index Futures Contracts"). This technique may be used to hedge against anticipated future changes in
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market prices that otherwise might either adversely affect the value of securities held by a Fund or adversely affect the prices of securities that are intended to be purchased for a Fund at a later date.
In general, each hedging transaction in Index Futures Contracts involves the establishment of a position that will move in a direction opposite to that of the investment being hedged. If these hedging transactions are successful, the futures positions taken for a Fund will rise in value by an amount that approximately offsets the decline in value of the portion of a Fund's investments that are being hedged. If general market prices move in an unexpected manner, the full anticipated benefits of Index Futures Contracts may not be achieved or a loss may be realized.
Transactions in Index Futures Contracts involve certain risks. These risks could include a lack of correlation between the Futures Contract and the equity market, a potential lack of liquidity in the market and incorrect assessments of market trends, which may result in worse overall performance than if a Futures Contract had not been entered into.
Brokerage costs will be incurred and "margin" will be required to be posted and maintained as a good-faith deposit against performance of obligations under Futures Contracts written into by a Fund.
Growth Companies Risk — Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks may lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. A Fund's investments in growth stocks may underperform value or non-growth stocks that have a broader investment style.
High-Yield Bonds — High-yield, non-investment grade bonds (also known as "junk bonds") are low-quality, high-risk corporate bonds that generally offer a high level of current income. These bonds are considered speculative by rating organizations. For example, Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, Inc. rate them below Baa and BBB, respectively. Please see "Appendix C Ratings Definitions" below for an explanation of the ratings applied to high-yield bonds. High-yield bonds are often issued as a result of corporate restructurings, such as leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, or other similar events. They may also be issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged firms, which are generally less able to make scheduled payments of interest and principal than more financially stable firms. Because of their low credit quality, high-yield bonds must pay higher interest to compensate investors for the substantial credit risk they assume. In order to minimize credit risk, a Fund intends to diversify its holdings among multiple bond issuers.
Lower-rated securities are subject to certain risks that may not be present with investments in higher-grade securities. Investors should consider carefully their ability to assume the risks associated with lower-rated securities before investing in a Fund. The lower rating of certain high yielding corporate income securities reflects a greater possibility that the financial condition of the issuer or adverse changes in general economic conditions may impair the ability of the issuer to pay income and principal. Changes by rating agencies in their ratings of a fixed income security also may affect the value of these investments. However, allocating investments in a Fund among securities of different issuers should reduce the risks of owning any such securities separately. The prices of these high yielding securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. During economic downturns or periods of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that adversely affects their ability to service principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals or to obtain additional financing, and the markets for their securities may be more volatile. If an issuer defaults, a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Additionally, accruals of interest income for a Fund may have to be adjusted in the event of default. In the event of an issuers default, a Fund may write off prior income accruals for that issuer, resulting in a reduction in a Fund's current dividend payment. Frequently, the higher yields of high-yielding securities may not reflect the value of the income stream that holders of such securities may expect, but rather the risk that such securities may lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of their issuer's financial restructuring or default. Additionally, an economic downturn or an increase in interest rates could have a negative effect on the high-yield securities market and on the market value of the high-yield securities held by a Fund, as well as on the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and interest on their borrowings.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities — Generally, an illiquid asset is an asset that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price at which it has been valued.
Historically, illiquid securities have included securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and repurchase agreements having a remaining maturity of longer than seven calendar days. Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. These securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment. However, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of such investments to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of their liquidity.
Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and a Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven calendar days. In addition, a Fund may get only limited information about an issuer, so it may be less able to predict a loss. A Fund also might have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.
In recognition of the increased size and liquidity of the institutional market for unregistered securities and the importance of institutional investors in the formation of capital, the SEC adopted Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Rule 144A is designed to facilitate efficient trading among institutional investors by permitting the sale of certain unregistered securities to qualified institutional buyers. To the extent privately placed securities held by a Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, that Fund likely will be able to dispose of the securities without
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registering them under the Securities Act. To the extent that institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities, investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of a Fund's illiquidity. The Manager or a sub-advisor, as applicable, acting under guidelines established by the Trust's Board, may determine that certain securities qualified for trading under Rule 144A are liquid. Regulation S under the Securities Act permits the sale abroad of securities that are not registered for sale in the United States and includes a provision for U.S. investors, such as a Fund, to purchase such unregistered securities if certain conditions are met.
Securities sold in private placement offerings made in reliance on the "private placement" exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) securities") are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as a Fund that agree they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with an intention to distribute to the public. Any resale by the purchaser must be pursuant to an exempt transaction and may be accomplished in accordance with Rule 144A. Section 4(a)(2) securities normally are resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers that make a market in the Section 4(a)(2) securities, thus providing liquidity.
The Manager and the applicable sub-advisors will carefully monitor a Fund's investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities offered and sold under Rule 144A, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity, and availability of information. Investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities could have the effect of reducing a Fund's liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers no longer wish to purchase these restricted securities.
Income Deposit Securities — A Fund may purchase income deposit securities ("IDSs"). Each IDS represents two separate securities, shares of common stock and subordinated notes issued by the same company, that are combined into one unit that trades like a stock on an exchange. Holders of IDSs receive dividends on the common shares and interest at a fixed rate on the subordinated notes to produce a blended yield. An IDS is typically listed on a stock exchange, but the underlying securities typically are not listed on the exchange until a period of time after the listing of the IDS or upon the occurrence of certain events (e.g., a change of control of the issuer of the IDS). When the underlying securities are listed, the holders of IDSs generally have the right to separate the components of the IDSs and trade them separately.
There may be a thinner and less active market for IDSs than that available for other securities. The value of an IDS will be affected by factors generally affecting common stock and subordinated debt securities, including the issuer's actual or perceived ability to pay interest and principal on the notes and pay dividends on the stock.
The federal income tax treatment of IDSs is not entirely clear and there is no authority that directly addresses the tax treatment of securities with terms substantially similar to IDSs. Among other things, although it is expected that the subordinated notes portion of an IDS will be treated as debt, if it is characterized as equity rather than debt, then interest paid on the notes could be treated as dividends (to the extent paid out of the issuer's earnings and profits).
Income Trusts — A Fund may invest in shares of income trusts, including Canadian royalty trusts. An income trust is an investment trust which holds income producing assets and passes the income on to its security holders. The main attraction of an income trust is its ability to generate constant cash flows. Income trusts have the potential to deliver higher yields than bonds. During periods of low interest rates, income trusts may achieve higher yields compared with cash investments. During periods of increasing rates, the opposite may be true. Income trusts may experience losses during periods of both low and high interest rates.
Income trusts generally are structured to avoid taxes at the entity level. In a traditional corporate tax structure, net income is taxed at the corporate level and again when distributed as dividends to its shareholders. Under current law, an income trust, if properly structured, should not be subject to federal income tax. This flow-through structure means that the distributions to income trust investors are generally higher than dividends from an equivalent corporate entity.
Despite the potential for attractive regular payments, income trusts are equity investments, not fixed-income securities, and they share many of the risks inherent in stock ownership. In addition, an income trust may lack diversification and potential growth may be sacrificed because revenue is passed on to security holders, rather than reinvested in the business. Income trusts do not guarantee minimum distributions or even return of capital; therefore, if the business starts to lose money, the trust can reduce or even eliminate distributions. The tax structure of income trusts described above, which would allow income to flow through to investors and be taxed only at the investor level, could be challenged under existing laws, or the tax laws could change.
Indebtedness, Loan Participations and Assignments — Floating rate securities, including loans, provide for automatic adjustment of the interest rate at fixed intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or semi-annually) or automatic adjustment of the interest rate whenever a specified interest rate or index changes. The interest rate on floating rate securities ordinarily is determined by reference to LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate), a particular bank's prime rate, the 90-day U.S. Treasury Bill rate, the rate of return on commercial paper or bank CDs, an index of short-term tax-exempt rates or some other objective measure.
Loan interests are a form of direct debt instrument in which the Fund may invest by taking an assignment of all or a portion of an interest in a loan previously held by another institution or by acquiring a participation in an interest in a loan that continues to be held by another institution. The Fund may invest in secured and unsecured loans. Many banks have been weakened by the recent financial crisis, and it may be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank's financial condition. Loans are subject to the same risks as other direct debt instruments discussed above and carry additional risks described in this section.
Assignments . When the Fund purchases a loan by assignment, the Fund typically succeeds to the rights of the assigning lender under the loan agreement and becomes a lender under the loan agreement. Subject to the terms of the loan agreement, the Fund typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender. However, assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.
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Participation Interests . The Fund's rights under a participation interest with respect to a particular loan may be more limited than the rights of original lenders or of investors who acquire an assignment of that loan. In purchasing participation interests, the Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation interest (the "participating lender") and only when the participating lender receives the payments from the borrower.
In a participation interest, the Fund will usually have a contractual relationship only with the selling institution and not the underlying borrower. The Fund normally will have to rely on the participating lender to demand and receive payments in respect of the loans, and to pay those amounts on to the Fund; thus, the Fund will be subject to the risk that the lender may be unwilling or unable to do so. In such a case, the Fund would not likely have any rights against the borrower directly. In addition, the Fund generally will have no right to object to certain changes to the loan agreement agreed to by the participating lender.
In buying a participation interest, the Fund might not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the related loan and may be subject to any rights of set off the borrower has against the selling institution. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, the obligation of the borrower to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of any improper conduct of the participating lender. As a result, the Fund may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that exist when the Fund is an original lender or assignee.
The Fund's ability to receive payments in connection with loans depends on the financial condition of the borrower. The Manager or the sub-advisor will not rely solely on another lending institution's credit analysis of the borrower, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrower. The Manager's or the sub-advisor's analysis may include consideration of the borrower's financial strength, managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates.
Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. 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 connection with the restructuring of a loan or other direct debt instrument outside of bankruptcy court in a negotiated work-out or in the context of bankruptcy proceedings, equity securities or junior debt securities may be received in exchange for all or a portion of an interest in the security.
In buying a participation interest, the Fund assumes the credit risk of both the borrower and the participating lender. If the participating lender fails to perform its obligations under the participation agreement, the Fund might incur costs and delays in realizing payment and suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. If a participating lender becomes insolvent, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of that lender. As a general creditor, the Fund may not benefit from a right of set off that the lender has against the borrower. The Fund will acquire a participation interest only if the Manager or the sub-advisor determines that the participating lender or other intermediary participant selling the participation interest is creditworthy.
Loan interests may not be rated by independent rating agencies and therefore, investments in a particular loan participation may depend almost exclusively on the credit analysis of the borrower performed by the Manager or the sub-advisor.
Loans are typically administered by a bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the "agent") for a lending syndicate of financial institutions. In a typical loan, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal and interest and fee payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to all lenders that are parties to the loan agreement. In addition, an institution (which may be the agent) may hold collateral on behalf of the lenders. Typically, under loan agreements, the agent is given broad authority in monitoring the borrower's performance and is obligated to use the same care it would use in the management of its own property. In asserting rights against a borrower, the Fund normally will be dependent on the willingness of the lead bank to assert these rights, or upon a vote of all the lenders to authorize the action. If an agent becomes insolvent, or has a receiver, conservator, or similar official appointed for it by the appropriate regulatory authority, or becomes a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding, the agent's appointment may be terminated and a successor agent would be appointed. If an appropriate regulator or court determines that assets held by the agent for the benefit of purchasers of loans are subject to the claims of the agent's general or secured creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. The Fund may be subject to similar risks when it buys a participation interest or an assignment from an intermediary.
Although most of the loans in which the Fund invests are secured, there is no assurance that the collateral can be promptly liquidated, or that its liquidation value will be equal to the value of the debt. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral if the value of the initial collateral declines. As a result, a loan may not always be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value. If a borrower becomes insolvent, access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy and other laws. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy may pay only a small portion of the amount owed, if they are able to pay at all. If a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund will likely be required to bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. There is also a possibility that the Fund will become the owner of its pro rata share of the collateral which may carry additional risks and liabilities. In addition, under legal theories of lender liability, the Fund potentially might be held liable as a co-lender. In the event of a borrower's bankruptcy or insolvency, the borrower's obligation to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that the borrower can assert as a result of improper conduct by the Agent. Some loans are unsecured. If the borrower defaults on an unsecured loan, the Fund will be a general creditor and will not have rights to any specific assets of the borrower.
Loans may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Loans are not currently listed on any securities exchange or automatic quotation system. As a result, there may not be a recognized, liquid public market for loan interests. Because many loans are repaid early, the actual maturity of loans is typically shorter than their stated final maturity calculated solely on the basis of the stated life and payment schedule. The degree to which borrowers prepay loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, the borrower's financial condition and competitive conditions among lenders. Such prepayments may require the Fund to replace an investment with a lower yielding security which may have an adverse affect on the Fund's share price. Prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Floating Rate Loans can be less sensitive to prepayment risk, but the Fund's NAV may still fluctuate in response to interest rate changes because variable interest rates may reset only periodically and may not rise or decline as much as interest rates in general.
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A borrower must comply with various restrictive covenants in a loan agreement such as restrictions on dividend payments and limits on total debt. The loan agreement may also contain a covenant requiring the borrower to prepay the loan with any free cash flow. A breach of a covenant is normally an event of default, which provides the agent or the lenders the right to call the outstanding loan.
Purchasers and sellers of loans may pay certain fees, such as an assignment fee. In addition, the Fund incurs expenses associated with researching and analyzing potential loan investments, including legal fees. Available Information. Loans normally are not registered with the SEC or any state securities commission or listed on any securities exchange. As a result, the amount of public information available about a specific loan historically has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or exchange traded. They may also not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
Index Futures Contracts — A Fund may invest in index futures contracts for investment purposes, including for short-term cash management purposes. Like other futures contracts, index futures contracts are derivatives. For a further discussion of the risks of derivatives instruments, see "Derivatives."
U.S. futures contracts traded on exchanges that have been designated "contract markets" by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant, or brokerage firm, which is a member of the relevant contract market. Futures contracts are traded on a number of exchanges.
At the same time a futures contract on an index is purchased or sold, a Fund must allocate cash or securities as a deposit payment ("initial deposit") based on the contract's face value. Daily thereafter, the futures contract is valued and the payment of "variation margin" may be required.
Inflation-Indexed Securities
— Inflation-indexed
securities, also known as inflation-protected securities, are fixed income instruments structured such that their interest
and principal payments are adjusted to keep up with inflation.
In periods of deflation when the inflation rate
is declining, the principal value of an inflation-indexed security will be adjusted downward. This will result in a decrease
in the interest payments. The U.S. Treasury is obligated to repay at least the original principal value at maturity for
inflation-indexed securities issued directly by the U.S. Government. However, inflation-indexed securities of other issuers
may or may not have the same principal guarantee and may repay an amount less than the original principal value at maturity.
Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even
though a Fund will not receive the principal until maturity.
There can be no assurance that the inflation index
used will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. The Fund's investments in inflation-linked
securities may lose value in the event that the actual rate of inflation is different than the rate of the inflation index.
In addition, inflation-linked securities are subject to the risk that the CPI-U or other relevant pricing index may be discontinued,
fundamentally altered in a manner materially adverse to the interests of an investor in the securities, altered by legislation
or Executive Order in a materially adverse manner to the interests of an investor in the securities or substituted with
an alternative index.
Initial Public Offerings — A Fund can invest in initial public offerings ("IPOs"). By definition, securities issued in IPOs have not traded publicly until the time of their offerings. Special risks associated with IPOs may include, among others, the fact that there may only be a limited number of shares available for trading. The market for those securities may be unseasoned. The issuer may have a limited operating history. These factors may contribute to price volatility. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may also make it more difficult for a Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. In addition, some companies initially offering their shares publicly are involved in relatively new industries or lines of business, which may not be widely understood by investors. Some of the companies involved in new industries may be regarded as developmental state companies, without revenues or operating income, or the near-term prospects of them. Many IPOs are by small- or micro-cap companies that are undercapitalized.
Interfund Lending — Pursuant to an order issued by the SEC, each series of the Trust (each an "American Beacon Fund" or "Fund", and together, the "American Beacon Funds" or "Funds") may participate in a credit facility whereby each American Beacon Fund, under certain conditions, is permitted to lend money directly to and borrow directly from other American Beacon Funds for temporary purposes. The credit facility is administered by a credit facility team consisting of professionals from the Manager's asset management, compliance, and accounting areas who report on credit facility activities to the Board. The credit facility can provide a borrowing Fund with savings at times when the cash position of the Fund is insufficient to meet temporary cash requirements. This situation could arise when shareholder redemptions exceed anticipated volumes and certain Funds have insufficient cash on hand to satisfy such redemptions or when sales of securities do not settle as expected, resulting in a cash shortfall for a fund. When the Funds liquidate portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, they often do not receive payment in settlement for up to three days (or longer for certain foreign transactions). However, redemption requests normally are satisfied immediately. The credit facility provides a source of immediate, short-term liquidity pending settlement of the sale of portfolio securities. Although the credit facility may reduce the Fund's need to borrow from banks, the Fund remains free to establish lines of credit or other borrowing arrangements with banks.
Issuer Risk — The value of an investment may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk — The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Limited Liability Companies — A Fund may purchase securities of entities such as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts and companies organized outside the United States.
Loan Transactions — Loan transactions involve the lending of securities to a broker-dealer or institutional investor for its use in connection with short sales, arbitrages or other security transactions. Such loan transactions are referred to in this SAI as "qualified" loan transactions. The purpose of a qualified loan transaction is to capture a demand premium paid by the borrower or to afford a lender the opportunity to continue to earn income on
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the securities loaned and at the same time earn fee income or income on the collateral held or reinvested by it. Cash collateral received through qualified loan transactions may be invested only in those categories of high quality liquid securities previously authorized by the Board. Please see the "Lending of Portfolio Securities" section for additional information.
Securities loans will be made in accordance with the following conditions: (1) a Fund receives at least 100% collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and approved bank letters of credit; (2) the borrower increases the collateral whenever the market value of the loaned securities (determined on a daily basis) rises above the level of collateral; (3) a Fund is able to terminate the loan after notice, at any time; (4) a Fund receives reasonable interest on the loan or a flat fee from the borrower, as well as amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the securities loaned, and any increase in market value of the loaned securities; (5) a Fund only pays reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; and (6) voting rights on the securities loaned may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event affecting the investment is known with sufficient time in advance of the shareholder meeting record date, a Fund would be allowed to terminate the loan in an attempt to facilitate the voting of proxies.
While there may be delays in recovery of loaned securities or even a loss of rights in collateral supplied should the borrower fail financially, loans will be made only to firms deemed to be of good financial standing pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board and will not be made unless the consideration to be earned from such loans is deemed by the Manager to justify the risk. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there is a risk of delay in recovery of the securities loaned or loss of rights in the collateral.
The cash collateral so acquired through qualified loan transactions may be invested only in those categories of high quality liquid securities previously authorized by the Board.
Market Events — Turbulence in the economic, political and financial system has historically resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the capital markets. Both domestic and foreign capital markets have been experiencing increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions could continue.
Reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in small or emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their security prices. These events and possible continued market turbulence may have an adverse effect on a Fund.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk — Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger, capitalization companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have limited operating history, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Mortgage-Backed Securities — Mortgage-backed securities consist of both collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through certificates.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ("CMBS") . CMBS are generally multi-class or pass-through securities backed by a mortgage loan or a pool of mortgage loans secured by commercial property, such as industrial and warehouse properties, office buildings, retail space and shopping malls, multifamily properties and cooperative apartments. The commercial mortgage loans that underlie CMBS are generally not amortizing or not fully amortizing. That is, at their maturity date, repayment of the remaining principal balance or "balloon" is due and is repaid through the attainment of an additional loan or sale of the property.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs") . CMOs and interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs") are debt securities collateralized by mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities. CMOs divide the cash flow generated from the underlying mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities into different groups referred to as "tranches," which are then retired sequentially over time in order of priority. The principal governmental issuers of such securities are the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), a corporate instrumentality of the United States created pursuant to an act of Congress that is owned entirely by the Federal Home Loan Banks. The issuers of CMOs are structured as trusts or corporations established for the purpose of issuing such CMOs and often have no assets other than those underlying the securities and any credit support provided. A REMIC is a mortgage securities vehicle that holds residential or commercial mortgages and issues securities representing interests in those mortgages. A REMIC may be formed as a corporation, partnership, or segregated pool of assets. A REMIC itself is generally exempt from federal income tax, but the income from its mortgages is taxable to its investors. For investment purposes, interests in REMIC securities are virtually indistinguishable from CMOs.
Mortgage Pass-Through Securities . Mortgage pass-through securities are securities representing interests in "pools" of mortgages in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are generally made monthly, in effect "passing through" monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on the residential mortgage loans that underlie the securities (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities). They are issued by governmental, government-related and private organizations which are backed by pools of mortgage loans.
Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the FNMA or the FHLMC, which are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations.
Mortgage pass-through securities created by nongovernmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including
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individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers.
There are a number of important differences among the agencies, instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they issue. Such agencies and securities include:
(1) GNMA Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates ("Ginnie Maes") — GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmers Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. Ginnie Maes entitle the holder to receive all payments (including prepayments) of principal and interest owed by the individual mortgagors, net of fees paid to GNMA and to the issuer which assembles the mortgage pool and passes through the monthly mortgage payments to the certificate holders (typically, a mortgage banking firm), regardless of whether the individual mortgagor actually makes the payment. Because payments are made to certificate holders regardless of whether payments are actually received on the underlying mortgages, Ginnie Maes are of the "modified pass-through" mortgage certificate type. The GNMA is authorized to guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest on the Ginnie Maes. The GNMA guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and the GNMA has unlimited authority to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under the guarantee. The market for Ginnie Maes is highly liquid because of the size of the market and the active participation in the secondary market of security dealers and a variety of investors.
(2) Mortgage-Related Securities Issued by Private Organizations — Pools created by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payments in such pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools is often partially supported by various enhancements such as over-collateralization and senior/subordination structures and by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance. The insurance and guarantees are issued by government entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers. Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
(3) FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates ("Freddie Macs") — Freddie Macs represent interests in groups of specified first lien residential conventional mortgages underwritten and owned by the FHLMC. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. The FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. In cases where the FHLMC has not guaranteed timely payment of principal, the FHLMC may remit the amount due because of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States or by any of the Federal Home Loan Banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. Please see "Additional Information Regarding Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae" below for further information.
(4) FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates ("Fannie Maes") — Fannie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of conventional mortgage loans secured by first mortgages or deeds of trust, on one family or two to four family, residential properties. The FNMA is obligated to distribute scheduled monthly installments of principal and interest on the mortgages in the pool, whether or not received, plus full principal of any foreclosed or otherwise liquidated mortgages. The obligation of the FNMA under its guarantee is solely its obligation and is not backed by, nor entitled to, the full faith and credit of the United States. Please see "Additional Information Regarding" Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae below for further information.
In September 2008, the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") announced that FNMA and FHLMC had been placed in conservatorship. Since that time, FNMA and FHLMC have received significant capital support through Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage -backed securities. The FHFA and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase FNMA and FHLMC preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. While the mortgage-backed securities purchase programs ended in 2010, the Treasury continued its support for the entities' capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth. When a credit rating agency downgraded long-term U.S. Government debt in August 2011, the agency also downgraded FNMA and FHLMC's bond ratings, from AAA to AA+, based on their direct reliance on the U.S. Government (although that rating did not directly relate to their mortgage-backed securities). From the end of 2007 through the second quarter of 2015, FNMA and FHLMC required Treasury support of approximately $187.5 billion through draws under the preferred stock purchase agreements. As of September 30, 2015, the combined remaining funding commitment under the agreements was approximately $258.1 billion. FNMA and FHLMC have paid approximately $239 billion in aggregate cash dividends to the Treasury. FNMA did not require any draws from Treasury from the fourth quarter of 2011 through the second quarter of 2015. Similarly, FHLMC did not require any draws from Treasury from the first quarter of 2012 through the second quarter of 2015. In April 2014, FHFA projected that FNMA and FHLMC would require no additional draws from Treasury through the end of 2015. However, FHFA also conducted a stress test mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, which suggested that in a "severely adverse scenario" additional Treasury support of between $84.4 billion and $190 billion (depending on the treatment of deferred tax assets) might be required. No assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve or the Treasury will ensure that FNMA and FHLMC remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities that they issue.
In addition, the problems faced by FNMA and FHLMC, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. Government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policymakers regarding the continued role of the U.S. Government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that FNMA and FHLMC increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to the Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by FNMA or FHLMC on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Serious discussions among policymakers continue, however, as to whether FNMA and FHLMC should be nationalized, privatized, restructured or eliminated altogether. FNMA reported in the second quarter of 2014 that there was "significant uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long the company will continue to exist in its current form, the extent of our role in the market, what form we will have, and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated and whether we will continue to exist following conservatorship." FHLMC faces similar uncertainty about its future role. FNMA and FHLMC also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations over certain
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accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ("CMBS"). CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. Many of the risks of investing in CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
Other Mortgage-Related Securities . Other mortgage-related securities include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property, including mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals or stripped mortgage-backed securities ("SMBS"). Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
CMO Residuals . CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only ("IO") class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. See "Other Mortgage-Related Securities-Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities." In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances a Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual.
CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been registered under the Securities Act. CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the Securities Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed "illiquid" and subject to a Fund's limitations on investment in illiquid securities.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities . SMBS are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the "IO" class), while the other class will receive the entire principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on a Fund's yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated pre-payments of principal, a Fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of the highest rating categories.
Municipal Securities — Municipal securities may include general obligation bonds, municipal lease obligations, resource recovery obligations, revenue obligations, anticipation notes, private activity bonds and municipal warrants. A Fund may invest in both taxable and tax-exempt municipal securities. Municipal securities are subject to credit risk where a municipal issuer of a security might not make interest or principal payments on a security as they become due. Municipal securities are also subject to interest rate risk.
A downgrade in the issuer's or security's credit rating can reduce the market value of the security. A number of municipalities
may face severe financial hardship making the possibility of their defaulting on obligations, and/or declaring bankruptcy where allowable, a risk to
the value of municipal securities held by a Fund.
General obligation bonds are secured by the pledge of the issuer's full faith, credit, and usually, taxing power. The taxing
power may be an unlimited ad valorem tax or a limited tax, usually on real estate and personal property. Most states do not tax real estate, but leave
that power to local units of government.
Municipal lease obligations are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land and a wide variety of
equipment and facilities. These obligations typically are not fully backed by the municipality's credit and thus interest may become taxable if the
lease is assigned. If funds are not appropriated for the following year's lease payments, a lease may terminate with the possibility of default on the lease
obligation.
Resource recovery obligations are a type of municipal revenue obligation issued to build facilities such as solid waste incinerators
or waste-to-energy plants. Usually, a private corporation will be involved and the revenue cash flow will be supported by fees or units paid
by municipalities for use of the facilities. The viability of a resource recovery project, environmental protection regulations and project operator tax incentives
may affect the value and credit quality of these obligations.
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Revenue obligations are backed by the revenue
cash flow of a project or facility. The interest on such obligations is payable only from the revenues derived from a particular
project, facility, specific excise tax or other revenue source. Revenue obligations are not a debt or liability of the local or
state government and do not obligate that government to levy or pledge any form of taxation or to make any appropriation for payment.
Tax, revenue or bond anticipation notes
are issued by municipalities in expectation of future tax or other revenues that are payable from those taxes or revenues. Bond
anticipation notes usually provide interim financing in advance of an issue of bonds or notes, the proceeds of which are used
to repay the anticipation notes. Tax-exempt commercial paper is issued by municipalities to help finance short-term capital or
operating needs in anticipation of future tax or other revenue.
Private
activity bonds are issued to finance, among other things, privately operated housing facilities, pollution control facilities,
convention or trade show facilities, mass transit, airport, port or parking facilities and certain facilities for water supply,
gas, electricity, sewage or solid waste disposal. Private activity bonds are also issued to privately held or publicly owned corporations
in the financing of commercial or industrial facilities. The principal and interest on these obligations may be payable from the
general revenues of the users of such facilities.
Municipal warrants are essentially call options on municipal bonds. In exchange for a premium, municipal warrants give the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, to purchase a Municipal Bond in the future. A Fund may purchase a warrant to lock in forward supply in an environment where the current issuance of bonds is sharply reduced. Like options, warrants may expire worthless and they may have reduced liquidity.
Other Investment Company Securities and Exchange Traded Products — A Fund at times may invest in shares of other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, business development companies, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"), unit investment trusts, and other investment companies. A Fund may invest in investment company securities advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, a Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear a Fund's proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with a Fund's own operations. These other fees and expenses are reflected as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and are included in the Fees and Expenses Table for a Fund in its Prospectus, if applicable. Investment in other investment companies may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such issuer's portfolio securities.
A Fund can invest free cash balances in registered open-end investment companies regulated as money market funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"), to provide liquidity or for defensive purposes. A Fund would invest in money market funds rather than purchasing individual short-term investments. If a Fund invests in money market funds shareholders will bear their proportionate share of the expenses, including for example, advisory and administrative fees, of the money market funds in which a Fund invests, including such fees charged by the Manager to any applicable money market funds advised by the Manager.
A Fund may purchase shares of ETFs. ETFs trade like a common stock and passive ETFs usually represent a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. Typically, a Fund would purchase passive ETF shares to obtain exposure to all or a portion of the stock or bond market. As a shareholder of an ETF, a Fund would be subject to its ratable share of the ETF's expenses, including its advisory and administration expenses.
An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional mutual fund (i.e., one that is not exchange-traded) that has the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and a Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value; (2) an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) trading of an ETF's shares may be halted if the listing exchange's officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide "circuit breakers" (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. A Fund may also invest in ETNs, which are structured debt securities. Whereas ETFs' liabilities are secured by their portfolio securities, ETNs' liabilities are unsecured general obligations of the issuer. ETFs and ETNs have expenses associated with their operation, typically including, with respect to ETFs, advisory fees.
Pay-in-Kind Securities — Pay-in-kind securities are debt securities that do not make regular cash interest payments. Pay-in-kind securities pay interest through the issuance of additional securities. Because these securities do not pay current cash income, their price can be volatile when interest rates fluctuate. Federal income tax law requires the holders of pay-in-kind securities to include in income each year the portion of the original issue discount (or deemed discount) and other non-cash income on such securities accrued during that year. In order to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), and avoid excise tax, a Fund may be required to distribute a portion of such discount and may be required to dispose of other portfolio securities (which may occur in periods of adverse market prices) in order to generate cash to meet these distribution requirements.
Preferred Stock — A preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer's growth may be limited. Preferred stock generally has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed or variable rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Preferred stocks are subject to the risks associated with other types of equity securities, as well as additional risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, potentially greater volatility and risks related to deferral, non-cumulative dividends, subordination, liquidity, limited voting rights, and special redemption rights.
Publicly Traded Partnerships; Master Limited Partnerships — A Fund may invest in publicly traded partnerships such as master limited partnerships ("MLPs"). MLPs issue units that are registered with the SEC and are freely tradable on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter ("OTC") market. An MLP may have one or more general partners, who conduct the business, and one or more limited partners, who contribute capital. The general partner or are jointly and severally responsible for the liabilities of the MLP. A Fund invests as a limited partner, and normally would
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not be liable for the debts of an MLP beyond the amount a Fund has contributed but it would not be shielded to the same extent that a shareholder of a corporation would be. In certain instances, creditors of an MLP would have the right to seek a return of capital that had been distributed to a limited partner. The right of an MLP's creditors would continue even after a Fund had sold its investment in the partnership. MLPs typically invest in real estate, oil and gas equipment leasing assets, but they also finance entertainment, research and development, and other projects.
Real Estate Related Investments — A Fund may gain exposure to the real estate sector by investing in real estate-linked derivatives, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), and common, preferred and convertible securities of issuers in real estate-related industries. Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of a Fund's investments. Investing in securities issued by real estate and real estate-related companies may subject a Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Changes in interest rates, debt leverage ratios, debt maturity schedules, and the availability of credit to real estate companies may also affect the value of a Fund's investment in real estate securities. Real estate securities are dependent upon specialized management skills at the operating company level, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of properties. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. The real estate industry tends to be cyclical. Such cycles may adversely affect the value of a Fund's portfolio. A Fund will indirectly bear a proportionate share of a REIT's ongoing operating fees and expense. In addition, U.S.-qualified REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to a) qualify for tax-free pass-through of income and gains under the Internal Revenue Code and b) maintain exemption eligibility from the investment company registration requirements.
Repurchase Agreements — A repurchase agreement is an agreement between a Fund as purchaser and an approved counterparty as seller. The agreement is backed by collateral in the form of securities and/or cash transferred by the seller to the buyer, sometimes to be held by an eligible third-party custodian. Under the agreement a Fund acquires securities from the seller and the seller simultaneously commits to repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price and date, normally within a week or on demand. The price for the seller to repurchase the securities is greater than a Fund's purchase price, reflecting an agreed upon rate that is the equivalent of interest. During the term of the repurchase agreement, a Fund monitors on a daily basis the market value of the collateral subject to the agreement and, if the market value of the securities falls below the seller's repurchase amount provided under the repurchase agreement, the seller is required to transfer additional securities or cash collateral equal to the amount by which the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase amount. Because a repurchase agreement permits a Fund to invest temporarily available cash on a fully-collateralized basis, repurchase agreements permit a Fund to earn income while retaining flexibility in pursuit of longer-term investments. Repurchase agreements may exhibit the economic characteristics of loans by a Fund.
The obligation of the seller under the repurchase agreement is not guaranteed, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying securities, whether because of the seller's bankruptcy or otherwise. In such event, a Fund would attempt to exercise its rights with respect to the underlying collateral, including possible sale of the securities. A Fund may incur various expenses in the connection with the exercise of its rights and may be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines in the value of the underlying collateral, (b) possible reduction in levels of income and (c) lack of access to the securities (if they are held through a third-party custodian) and possible inability to enforce the Portfolio's rights. The Board has established procedures pursuant to which the sub-advisors monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which a Fund enters into repurchase agreement transactions.
A Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with member banks of the Federal Reserve System or registered broker-dealers who, in the opinion of a sub-advisor, present a minimal risk of default during the term of the agreement. The underlying securities which serve as collateral for repurchase agreements may include equity and fixed income securities such as U.S. Government and agency securities, municipal obligations, asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, common and preferred stock, depositary receipts, ETFs, corporate obligations and convertible securities.
Rights and Warrants — Rights are short-term warrants issued in conjunction with new stock or bond issues. Warrants are options to purchase an issuer's securities at a stated price during a stated term. If the market price of the underlying common stock does not exceed the warrant's exercise price during the life of the warrant, the warrant will expire worthless. Warrants usually have no voting rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the value of a warrant may be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the value of the underlying common stock. Warrants may be purchased with values that vary depending on the change in value of one or more specified indices ("index warrants"). Index warrants are generally issued by banks or other financial institutions and give the holder the right, at any time during the term of the warrant, to receive upon exercise of the warrant a cash payment from the issuer based on the value of the underlying index at the time of the exercise. The market for warrants or rights may be very limited and it may be difficult to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. There is no specific limit on the percentage of assets a Fund may invest in rights and warrants.
Senior Loans — A Fund may invest in senior loans, which include floating rate loans (sometimes referred to as "adjustable rate loans") that hold a senior position in the capital structure of U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities. Under normal circumstances, senior loans have priority of claim ahead of other obligations of a borrower in the event of liquidation. Senior loans may be collateralized or uncollateralized. They pay interest at rates that float above, or are adjusted periodically based on, a benchmark that reflects current interest rates. In addition to the risks typically associated with debt securities, such as credit and interest rate risk discussed above, senior loans are also subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds a senior position in the capital structure of a borrower, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans. Senior loans usually have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions. If a borrower prepays a senior loan, a Fund will have to reinvest the proceeds in other senior loans or securities that may pay lower interest rates.
A Fund may acquire senior loan assignments or participations. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser's rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, a Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the borrower. In purchasing participations, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and a Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which
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it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities and Zero Coupon Obligations — Separately traded registered interest and principal securities or "STRIPS" and zero coupon obligations are securities that do not make regular interest payments. Instead they are sold at a discount from their face value. A Fund will take into account as income a portion of the difference between these obligations' purchase prices and their face values. Because they do not pay coupon income, the prices of STRIPS and zero coupon obligations can be very volatile when interest rates change. STRIPS are zero coupon bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk — Investing in the securities of small capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies, since smaller companies may have limited operating history, product lines, and financial resources. The securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Structured Products
— A Fund may invest in structured products, including instruments such as credit-linked securities, and structured notes,
which are potentially high-risk derivatives. For example, a structured product may combine a traditional stock or bond with
an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate
of a structured product is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some currency or securities index or another interest
rate or some other economic factor (each a "benchmark"). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal
amount payable at maturity of a structured product may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the
benchmark.
Structured products can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging,
duration management, and increased total return. Structured products may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of
a structured product or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up
or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events,
such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a structured product.
Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a structured product could be zero. Thus, an investment in a structured
product may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated
bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest.
The purchase of structured products also exposes a Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the structured product. These
risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund.
Credit-Linked Securities
- The Fund may invest in credit-linked securities (CLSs). CLSs are debt obligations that are issued by limited purpose entities,
such as special purpose vehicles, or by financial firms, such as banks, securities firms or their affiliates. They are structured
so that their performance is linked to that of an underlying bond or other debt obligation (a "reference asset"), normally
by means of an embedded or underlying credit default swap. The Fund may invest in CLSs when the Fund's Sub-Advisor believes
that doing so is more efficient than investing in the reference assets directly or when such direct investment by the Fund
is not feasible due to legal or other restrictions.
Under the terms of a CLS, the Fund will be entitled to receive a fixed or variable rate of interest on the outstanding principal amount of the CLS, which in turn will be subject to reduction (potentially down to zero) if a "credit event" occurs with respect to the underlying reference asset or its issuer. Such credit events will include, but will not be limited to payment defaults on the reference asset. If a credit event occurs, payments on the CLS would terminate, and the Fund normally would receive delivery of the underlying reference asset (or, in some cases, a comparable "deliverable" asset) in lieu of the repayment of principal. In some cases, however, including but not limited to instances where there has been a market disruption or in which it is or has become illegal, impossible or impracticable for the Fund to purchase, hold or receive the reference assets, the Fund may receive a cash settlement based on the value of the reference asset or a comparable instrument, less fees charged and certain expenses incurred by the CLS issuer.
CLSs are debt obligations of the CLS issuers, and the Fund would have no ownership or other property interest in the reference assets (other than following a credit event that results in the reference assets being delivered to the Fund) or any direct recourse to the issuers of those reference assets. Thus, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of the issuers of the reference assets that underlie its CLSs, as well as to the credit risk of the issuers of the CLSs themselves. CLSs will also be subject to currency risk, liquidity risk, valuation risks, and the other risks of an underlying credit default swap, as well as to risks resulting from potential conflicts of interest with the CLS issuer or sponsor.
Structured Notes - A Fund may invest in structured notes, which are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. For example, its principal amount and/or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases, depending upon the terms of the instrument. The change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured note may be a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument or instruments. Structured notes can be used to increase a Fund's exposure to changes in the value of assets or to hedge the risks of other investments that a Fund holds.
Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity. The price of structured notes may be very volatile and they may have a limited trading market, making it difficult to value them or sell them at an acceptable price. In some cases, a Fund may enter into agreements with an issuer of structured notes to purchase minimum amounts of those notes over time. In some cases, a Fund may invest in structured notes that pay an amount based on a multiple of the relative change in value of the asset or reference. This type of note increases the potential for income but at a greater risk of loss than a typical debt security of the same maturity and credit quality.
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Certain issuers of structured products may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the Investment Company Act. As a result, a Fund's investments in these structured products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies.
Swap Agreements — A swap is a transaction in which a Fund and a counterparty agree to pay or receive payments at specified dates based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates ( e.g. , interest rates in the case of interest rate swaps) or the performance of specified securities or indices based on a specified amount (the "notional" amount). Nearly any type of derivative, including forward contracts, can be structured as a swap. See "Derivatives" for a further discussion of derivatives risks.
Swap agreements can be structured to provide exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. For example, in an interest rate swap, fixed-rate payments may be exchanged for floating rate payments; in a currency swap, U.S. dollar-denominated payments may be exchanged for payments denominated in a foreign currency; and in a total return swap, payments tied to the investment return on a particular asset, group of assets or index may be exchanged for payments that are effectively equivalent to interest payments or for payments tied to the return on another asset, group of assets, or index. Swaps may have a leverage component, and adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in gains or losses that are substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself.
Some swaps currently are, and more in the future will be, centrally cleared. Swaps that are centrally-cleared are exposed to the creditworthiness of the clearing organizations (and, consequently, that of their members—generally, banks and broker-dealers) involved in the transaction. For example, an investor could lose margin payments it has deposited with the clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if it breaches its agreement with the investor or becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be able to recover only a portion of the net amount of gains on its transactions and of the margin owed to it, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.
Swaps that are not centrally cleared, involve the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the agreement. To mitigate this risk, a Fund will only enter into swap agreements with counterparties considered by a sub-advisor to present minimum risk of default and a Fund normally obtains collateral to secure its exposure. Changing conditions in a particular market area, whether or not directly related to the referenced assets that underlie the swap agreement, may have an adverse impact on the creditworthiness of a counterparty.
The centrally cleared and OTC swap agreements into which a Fund enters normally provide for the obligations of the Fund and its counterparty in the event of a default of other early termination to be determined on a net basis. Similarly, periodic payments on a swap transaction that are due by each party on the same day normally are netted. To the extent that a swap agreement is subject to netting, the Fund's cover and asset segregation responsibilities will normally be with respect to the net amount owed by the Fund. See "Cover and Asset Segregation" for additional discussion of these matters. However, a Fund may be required to segregate liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of certain swaps, such as written credit default swaps on physically settled forwards or written options. The amount that a Fund must segregate may be reduced by the value of any collateral that it has pledged to secure its own obligations under the swap.
The use of swap agreements requires special skills, knowledge and investment techniques that differ from those required for normal portfolio management. Swaps may be considered illiquid investments; see "Illiquid and Restricted Securities" for a description of liquidity risk.
Interest Rate and Inflation Swaps - In an interest rate swap, the parties exchange payments based on fixed or floating interest rates multiplied by a hypothetical or "notional" amount. For example, one party might agree to pay the other a specified fixed rate on the notional amount in exchange for recovering a floating rate on that notional amount. Interest rate swap agreements entail both interest rate risk and counterparty risk. There is a risk that based on movements of interest rates, the payments made under a swap agreement will be greater than the payments received. A Fund may also invest in inflation swaps, where an inflation rate index is used in place of an interest rate index.
Caps, Floors and Collars - A Fund may also enter caps, floors and collars, which are types of interest rate swap agreements. The purchaser of an interest rate cap agrees to pay a premium to the seller in return for the seller paying interest on a specified principal amount to the purchaser based on the extent to which a specified interest rate exceeds a predetermined level. Conversely, the seller of an interest rate floor agrees to pay interest on a specified principal amount to the purchaser based on the extent to which a specified interest rate falls below a predetermined level. A collar combines a cap and selling a floor, establishing a predetermined range of interest rates within which each party agrees to make payments.
Total Return Swaps - In a total return swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset such as a security or basket of securities or on referenced index during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or index. Total return swap agreements may be used to gain exposure to price changes in an overall market or an asset. Total return swaps could result in losses if the underlying asset or index does not perform as anticipated. Written total return swaps can have the potential for unlimited losses.
Credit Default Swaps - In a credit default swap, one party (the seller) agrees to make a payment to the other party (the buyer) in the event that a "credit event," such as a default or issuer insolvency occurs with respect to one or more underlying or "reference" bonds or other debt securities. A Fund may be either a seller or a buyer of credit protection under a credit default swap. Credit default swaps may be on a single security, a basket of securities or a securities index. The purchaser pays a fee during the life of the swap. If there is a credit event with respect to a referenced debt security, the seller under a credit default swap may be required to pay the buyer the par amount (or a specified percentage of the par amount) of that security in exchange for receiving the referenced security (or a specified alternative security) from the buyer. Alternatively, the credit default swap may be cash settled, meaning that the seller will pay the buyer the difference between the par value and the market value of the defaulted bonds. If the swap is on a basket of securities (such as the CDX indices), the notional amount of the swap is reduced by the par amount of the defaulted bond, and the fixed payments are then made on the reduced notional amount. Taking a long position in ( i.e. , acting as the seller under) a credit default swap increases the exposure to the specific issuers. The risks of being the buyer of credit default swaps include the cost of paying for credit protection if there are no credit events, pricing transparency when assessing the cost of a credit default swap, counterparty risk, and the need to fund any delivery obligation,
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particularly in the event of adverse pricing when purchasing bonds to satisfy a delivery obligation. Credit default swap buyers are also subject to counterparty risk since the ability of the seller to make required payments is dependent on its creditworthiness.
Currency Swaps - A currency swap involves the exchange of payments denominated in one currency for payments denominated in another. Payments are based on a notional principal amount the value of which is fixed in exchange rate terms at the swap's inception. Currency swaps are subject to currency risk.
Volatility Swaps - A volatility swap is a forward contract under which the payments to be received are dependent on the future realized volatility of an underlying asset, such as a stock. A volatility swap involves exposure to volatility, not on whether the value of the underlying asset goes up or down. Volatility swaps can be used to speculate on future volatility or as a hedge against volatility. A volatility swap is subject to the risk that the future volatility of the underlying asset is higher or lower than a sub-advisor anticipated.
Correlation Swaps - A correlation swap is used to speculate on or hedge risks associated with the observed average correlation of a collection of underlying products.
Forward Swaps - A forward swap is created through the use of two swaps with different durations to meet the investment time period desired by a sub-advisor.
Swaptions - Swaptions are options, but not obligations, to establish a position in a swap on predetermined terms at a future date.
Synthetic Convertible Securities — A sub-advisor to a Fund or third party may create a "synthetic" convertible security by combining fixed income securities with the right to acquire equity securities. More flexibility is possible in the assembly of a synthetic convertible security than in the purchase of a convertible security. Although synthetic convertible securities may be selected where the two components are issued by a single issuer, thus making the synthetic convertible security similar to a true convertible security, the character of a synthetic convertible security allows the combination of components representing more than one issuer, when the investment advisor believes that such a combination would better promote a Fund's investment objective. A synthetic convertible security also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately. For example, a Fund may purchase a warrant for inclusion in a synthetic convertible security but temporarily hold short-term investments while postponing the purchase of a corresponding bond pending development of more favorable market conditions.
A Fund faces the risk of a decline in the price of the security or the level of the index involved in the convertible component, causing a decline in the value of the call option or warrant purchased to create the synthetic convertible security. Should the price of the stock fall below the exercise price and remain there throughout the exercise period, the entire amount paid for the call option or warrant would be lost. Because a synthetic convertible security includes the fixed-income component as well, a Fund also faces the risk that interest rates will rise, causing a decline in the value of the fixed-income instrument.
A Fund may also purchase synthetic convertible securities manufactured by other parties, including convertible structured notes. Convertible structured notes are fixed income debentures linked to equity, and are typically issued by investment banks. Convertible structured notes have the attributes of a convertible security; however, the investment bank that issued the convertible note assumes the credit risk associated with the investment, rather than the issuer of the underlying common stock into which the note is convertible.
Time-Zone Arbitrage — Investing in foreign securities may involve a greater risk for excessive trading due to "time-zone arbitrage." If an event occurring after the close of a foreign market, but before the time a Fund computes its current net asset value, causes a change in the price of the foreign securities and such price is not reflected in a Fund's current net asset value, investors may attempt to take advantage of anticipated price movements in securities held by a Fund based on such pricing discrepancies.
Trade Claims — A Fund may purchase trade claims and similar obligations or claims against companies in bankruptcy proceedings. Trade claims are nonsecuritized rights of payment arising from obligations that typically arise when vendors and suppliers extend credit to a company by offering payment terms for products and services. If the company files for bankruptcy, payments on these trade claims stop and the claims are subject to compromise along with the other debts of the company. Trade claims may be purchased directly from the creditor or through brokers. There is no guarantee that a debtor will ever be able to satisfy its trade claim obligations. Trade claims are subject to the risks associated with low-quality obligations.
Trust Preferred Securities — A Fund may invest in trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities have the characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Generally, trust preferred securities are issued by a trust that is wholly-owned by a financial institution or other corporate entity, typically a bank holding company. The financial institution creates the trust and owns the trust's common securities. The trust uses the sale proceeds of its common securities to purchase subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the subordinated debt sale to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt. The trust uses the funds received to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust preferred securities. The primary advantage of this structure is that the trust preferred securities are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements.
Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics include long-term maturities, early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. Holders of trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the financial institution. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and subject to restrictions on resale. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as a Fund, to sell their holdings.
U.S. Government Agency Securities — U.S. Government agency securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. Some obligations issued by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
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Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others by discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. U.S. Government securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest. While the U.S. Government currently provides financial support to certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, since it is not so obligated by law. U.S. Government securities include U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds, Federal Home Loan Bank obligations, Federal Intermediate Credit Bank obligations, U.S. Government agency obligations and repurchase agreements secured thereby. U.S. Government agency securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.
U.S. Treasury Obligations — U.S. Treasury obligations include bills (initial maturities of one year or less), notes (initial maturities between two and ten years), and bonds (initial maturities over ten years) issued by the U.S. Treasury, Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal component parts of such obligations known as STRIPS and inflation-indexed securities. The prices of these securities (like all debt securities) change between issuance and maturity in response to fluctuating market interest rates. U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.
Value Companies Risk — Value companies are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. While a Fund's investments in value stocks may limit its downside risk over time, a Fund may produce more modest gains than riskier stock funds as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. A Fund's investments in value stocks may underperform growth or non-value stocks that have a broader investment style.
Variable or Floating Rate Obligations — The interest rates payable on certain fixed income securities in which a Fund may invest are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. A variable rate obligation has an interest rate which is adjusted at predesignated periods in response to changes in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate is based. Variable and floating rate obligations are less effective than fixed rate instruments at locking in a particular yield. Nevertheless, such obligations may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons.
A Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments ("floaters") and engage in credit spread trades. The interest rate on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market index or U.S. Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters provide a Fund with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, a Fund will participate in any declines in interest rates as well. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating to a difference in the prices or interest rates of two securities or currencies, where the value of the investment position is determined by movements in the difference between the prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the respective securities or currencies.
Variable Rate Auction and Residual Interest Obligations — Variable rate auction and residual interest obligations are created when an issuer or dealer separates the principal portion of a long-term, fixed-rate municipal bond into two long-term, variable-rate instruments. The interest rate on one portion reflects short-term interest rates, while the interest rate on the other portion is typically higher than the rate available on the original fixed-rate bond.
OTHER INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
In addition to the investment strategies and risks described in the Prospectus:
Each Fund may (except where indicated otherwise):
Engage in dollar rolls or purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. The purchase or sale of when-issued securities enables an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices by locking in an attractive price or yield. The price of when-issued securities is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase or sell is made, but delivery and payment for the when-issued securities takes place at a later date, normally one to two months after the date of purchase. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the purchaser to the issuer and no interest accrues to the purchaser. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Dollar rolls are a type of forward commitment transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a forward commitment basis involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. As with when-issued securities, these transactions involve certain risks, but they also enable an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued. When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a segregated amount of liquid assets at least equal to the value of purchase commitments for such securities will be maintained until the settlement date.
Invest in other investment companies (including affiliated investment companies) to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, or exemptive relief granted by the SEC.
Loan securities to broker-dealers or other institutional investors. Securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by a Fund exceeds 33 1/3 % of its total assets (including the market value of collateral received). For purposes of complying with a Fund's investment policies and restrictions, collateral received in connection with securities loans is deemed an asset of a Fund to the extent required by law.
Enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which securities are acquired by a Fund from a securities dealer or bank subject to resale at an agreed upon price on a later date. The acquiring Fund bears a risk of loss in the event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and a Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities. However, the Manager or the sub-advisors, as applicable, attempt to minimize this risk by entering into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions that are deemed to be of good financial standing.
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Purchase securities sold in private placement offerings made in reliance on the "private placement" exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act. A Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in Section 4(a)(2) securities and illiquid securities unless the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, determines, by continuous reference to the appropriate trading markets and pursuant to guidelines approved by the Board that any Section 4(a)(2) securities held by such Fund in excess of this level are at all times liquid.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Fundamental Policies . Each Fund has the following fundamental investment policy that enables it to invest in another investment company or series thereof that has substantially similar investment objectives and policies:
Notwithstanding any other limitation, a Fund may invest all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objectives, policies and limitations as a Fund. For this purpose, "all of a Fund's investable assets" means that the only investment securities that will be held by a Fund will be a Fund's interest in the investment company.
Fundamental Investment Restrictions . The following discusses the investment policies of each Fund.
The following restrictions have been adopted by each Fund and may be changed with respect to any such Fund only by the majority vote of that Fund's outstanding interests. "Majority of the outstanding voting securities" under the 1940 Act and as used herein means, with respect to each Fund, the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present and represented at the shareholders' meeting or (b) more than 50% of the shares of the Fund.
No Fund may (unless otherwise indicated):
Purchase or sell real estate or real estate limited partnership interests, provided, however, that a Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein when consistent with the other policies and limitations described in the Prospectus.
Invest in physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent a Fund from purchasing or selling foreign currency, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars, securities on a forward-commitment or delayed-delivery basis, and other similar financial instruments).
Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of securities, a Fund may be deemed an underwriter under federal securities law.
Lend any security or make any other loan except (i) as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, (iii) through the purchase of a portion of an issue of debt securities in accordance with a Fund's investment objective, policies and limitations, or (iv) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to Portfolio securities.
Issue any senior security except as otherwise permitted (i) under the 1940 Act or (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff.
Borrow money, except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, including (i) as a temporary measure, (ii) by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, and (iii) by lending portfolio securities as collateral. For purposes of this investment limitation, the purchase or sale of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and other similar financial instruments shall not constitute borrowing.
Invest more than 5% of its total assets (taken at market value) in securities of any one issuer, other than obligations issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or purchase more than 10% of the voting securities of any one issuer, with respect to 75% of a Fund's total assets.
Invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of companies primarily engaged in any one industry provided that: (i) this limitation does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities; and (ii) municipalities and their agencies and authorities are not deemed to be industries. For purposes of this restriction, the Fund will regard only tax-exempt securities issued by municipalities and their agencies not to be an industry.
The above percentage limits (except the limitation to borrowings) are based upon asset values at the time of the applicable transaction; accordingly, a subsequent change in asset values will not affect a transaction that was in compliance with the investment restrictions at the time such transaction was effected. With respect to the fundamental investment restriction relating to making loans set forth in number 4 above, securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by a Fund exceeds 33 1/3% of its total net assets (including the market value of collateral received).
For purposes of the Funds' industry concentration policy, the Manager may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and instrument and may assign an industry classification consistent with those characteristics. The Manager may, but need not, consider industry classifications provided by third parties, and the classifications applied to Fund investments will be informed by applicable law. A large economic or market sector shall not be construed as a single industry or group of industries. The Manager currently considers securities issued by a foreign government (but not the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities) to be an "industry" subject to the 25% limitation. Thus, not more than 25% of a Fund's assets will be invested in securities issued by any one foreign government or supranational organization. A Fund might invest in certain securities issued by companies in a particular industry whose obligations are guaranteed by a foreign government. The Manager could consider such a company to be within the particular industry and, therefore, the Fund will invest in the securities of such a company only if it can do so under its policy of not being concentrated in any particular industry or group of industries.
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Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions . The following non-fundamental investment restrictions apply to each Fund (except where noted otherwise) and may be changed with respect to each Fund by a vote of a majority of the Board. Each Fund may not:
Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including time deposits and repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days; or
Purchase securities on margin or effect short sales, except that a Fund may obtain such short term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases or sales of securities.
All percentage limitations on investments will apply at the time of the making of an investment and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such investment. Except for the investment restrictions listed above as fundamental or to the extent designated as such in the Prospectus with respect to each Fund, the other investment policies described in this SAI are not fundamental and may be changed by approval of the Trustees.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE INVESTMENTS
In times of unstable or adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, where the Manager or a sub-advisor believes it is appropriate and in a Fund's best interest, a Fund can invest up to 100% in cash and other types of securities for defensive or temporary purposes. It can also hold cash or purchase these types of securities for liquidity purposes to meet cash needs due to redemptions of Fund shares, or to hold while waiting to invest cash received from purchases of Fund shares or the sale of other portfolio securities.
These temporary investments can include (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short term category by a rating organization; (iii) domestic, Yankee and Eurodollar certificates of deposit or bankers' acceptances of banks rated in the highest short term category by a rating organization; (iv) any of the foregoing securities that mature in one year or less (generally known as "cash equivalents"); (v) other short-term corporate debt obligations; (vi) repurchase agreements; (vii) futures or (viii) shares of money market funds, including funds advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Portfolio turnover is a measure of trading activity in a portfolio of securities, usually calculated over a period of one year. The rate is calculated by dividing the lesser amount of purchases or sales of securities by the average amount of securities held over the period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would indicate that a Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. High portfolio turnover can increase a Fund's transaction costs and generate additional capital gains or losses.
The decline in the portfolio turnover in the SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund from 65% during fiscal year ended August 31, 2013 to 38% during fiscal year ended August 31, 2014 was primarily due to the fact that there were fewer out-of-favor sectors during the fiscal year ended 2014 than in 2013 resulting in a more typical turnover rate.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
Each Fund publicly discloses portfolio holdings information as follows:
a complete list of holdings for each Fund on an annual and semi-annual basis in the reports to shareholders within sixty days of the end of each fiscal semi-annual period and in publicly available filings of Form N-CSR with the SEC within ten days thereafter;
a complete list of holdings for each Fund as of the end of its first and third fiscal quarters in publicly available filings of Form N-Q with the SEC within sixty days of the end of the fiscal quarter;
a complete list of holdings for the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Fund's website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) approximately sixty days after the end of the calendar quarter;
a complete list of holdings for the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund as of the end of each month on the Funds' website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) approximately twenty days after the end of the month; and
ten largest holdings for each Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Funds' website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) and in sales materials approximately fifteen days after the end of the calendar quarter.
Public disclosure of a Fund's holdings on the website and in sales materials may be delayed when an investment manager informs the Fund that such disclosure could be harmful to the Fund. In addition, individual holdings may be omitted from website and sales material disclosure, when such omission is deemed to be in the Fund's best interest.
Disclosure of Nonpublic Holdings . Occasionally, certain interested parties—including individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries that distribute shares of the Funds, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations, and others—may request portfolio holdings information that has not yet been publicly disclosed by the Funds. The Funds' policy is to control the disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information in an attempt to prevent parties from utilizing such information to engage in trading activity harmful to Fund shareholders. To this end, the Board has adopted a Policy and Procedures for Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information (the "Holdings Policy"). The purpose of the Holdings Policy is to define those interested parties who are authorized to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information on a selective basis and to set forth conditions upon which such information may be provided. In general, nonpublic portfolio holdings may be disclosed on a selective basis only when it is determined that (i) there is a legitimate business purpose for the information; (ii) recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information; and (iii) disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders. The Holdings Policy is summarized below.
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A variety of third party service providers require access to Fund holdings to provide services to the Funds or to assist the Manager and the sub-advisors in managing the Funds ("service providers"). The service providers have a duty to keep the Funds' nonpublic information confidential either through written contractual arrangements with the Funds (or another Fund service provider) or by the nature of their role with respect to the Funds (or the service provider). The Funds have determined that disclosure of nonpublic holdings information to service providers fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders. In addition, the Funds have determined that disclosure of nonpublic holdings information to members of the Board fulfills a legitimate business purpose, is in the best interest of Fund shareholders, and each Trustee is subject to a duty of confidentiality.
The Funds have ongoing arrangements to provide nonpublic holdings information to the following service providers:
Certain third parties are provided with nonpublic holdings information (either complete or partial lists) by the Manager or another service provider on an ad hoc basis. These third parties include broker-dealers, prospective sub-advisors, borrowers of the Funds' portfolio securities, pricing services, legal counsel, and issuers (or their agents). Broker-dealers utilized by the Funds in the process of purchasing and selling portfolio securities or providing market quotations receive limited holdings information on a current basis with no lag. The Manager provides current holdings to investment managers being considered for appointment as a sub-advisor to the Funds. If the Funds participate in securities lending activities, potential borrowers of the Funds' securities receive information pertaining to the Funds' securities available for loan. Such information is provided on a current basis with no lag. The Funds utilize various pricing services to supply market quotations and evaluated prices to State Street. State Street and the Manager may disclose current nonpublic holdings to those pricing services. An investment manager may provide holdings information to legal counsel when seeking advice regarding those holdings. From time to time, an issuer (or its agent) may contact the Funds requesting confirmation of ownership of the issuer's securities. Such holdings information is provided to the issuer (or its agent) as of the date requested. The Funds do not have written contractual arrangements with these third parties regarding the confidentiality of the holdings information. However, the Funds would not continue to utilize a third party that the Manager determined to have misused nonpublic holdings information.
The Funds have ongoing arrangements to provide periodic holdings information to certain organizations that publish ratings and/or rankings for the Funds or that redistribute the Funds' holdings to financial intermediaries to facilitate their analysis of the Funds. The Funds have determined that disclosure of holdings information to such organizations fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders, as it provides existing and potential shareholders with an independent basis for evaluating the Funds in comparison to other mutual funds. As of the date of this SAI, all such organizations receive holdings information after it has been made public on the Funds' website.
No compensation or other consideration may be paid to the Funds, the Funds' service providers, or any other party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.
Under the Holdings Policy, disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to parties other than those discussed above must meet all of the following conditions:
Recipients of portfolio holdings information must agree in writing to keep the information confidential until it has been posted to the Funds' website and not to trade based on the information;
Holdings may only be disclosed as of a month-end date;
No compensation may be paid to the Funds, the Manager or any other party in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities; and
A member of the Manager's Compliance staff must approve requests for nonpublic holdings information.
In determining whether to approve a request for portfolio holdings disclosure by the Manager, Compliance staff generally considers the type of requestor and its relationship to the Funds, the stated reason for the request, any historical pattern of requests from that same individual or entity, the style and strategy of the Fund for which holdings have been requested (e.g., passive versus active management), whether the Fund is managed by one
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or multiple investment managers, and any other factors it deems relevant. Any potential conflicts between shareholders and affiliated persons of the Funds that arise as a result of a request for portfolio holdings information shall be decided by the Manager in the best interests of shareholders. However, if a conflict exists between the interests of shareholders and the Manager, the Manager may present the details of the request to the Board for a determination to either approve or deny the request. On a quarterly basis, the Manager will prepare a report for the Board outlining any instances of disclosures of nonpublic holdings during the period that did not comply with the Holdings Policy.
The Compliance staff generally determines whether a historical pattern of requests by the same individual or entity constitutes an "ongoing arrangement" and should be disclosed in the Funds' SAI.
The Manager and sub-advisors to the Funds may manage substantially similar portfolios for clients other than the Funds. Those other clients may receive and publicly disclose their portfolio holdings information prior to public disclosure by the Funds. The Holdings Policy is not intended to limit the Manager or the sub-advisors from making such disclosures to their clients.
LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
A Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions needing to borrow securities to complete certain transactions. In connection with such loans, the Fund remains the beneficial owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts approximately equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. A Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. A Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, it is the Funds' policy to attempt to terminate loans in time to vote those proxies that a Fund determines are material to its interests. Loans of portfolio securities may not exceed 33 1/3 % of the value of a Fund's total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). The Funds will receive collateral consisting of cash in the form of U.S. dollars, foreign currency, or securities issued or fully guaranteed by the U.S. Government which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of cash, a Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or "rebate" from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the Manager to present acceptable credit risk on a fully collateralized basis. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. A Fund seeks to minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to registered money market funds, including money market funds advised by the Manager that invest in U.S. Government and agency securities.
For all funds that engage in securities lending, the Manager receives compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending, including oversight of the securities lending agent, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.. The amount of such compensation depends on the income generated by the loan of the securities. Each Fund continues to receive dividends or interest or the equivalent, as applicable, on the securities loaned and simultaneously earns either interest on the investment of the cash collateral or fee income if the loan is otherwise collateralized. As of the date of this SAI, only the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund intends to engage in securities lending activities.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
The Board of Trustees
The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall management and operations of the Trust and the Funds, which includes the general oversight and review of the Funds' investment activities, in accordance with federal law and the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as the stated policies of the Funds. The Board oversees the Trust's officers and service providers, including American Beacon Advisors, Inc. ("American Beacon"), which is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Funds based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers, including American Beacon's investment personnel and the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). The Board also is assisted by the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm (which reports directly to the Trust's Audit and Compliance Committee), independent counsel and other experts as appropriate, all of whom are selected by the Board.
Risk Oversight
Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and its Funds, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Funds. American Beacon, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, also separately considers potential risks that may impact the Funds. The Board performs this risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees (described below) and through the Board members who are not "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act ("Independent Trustees"). The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Funds.
In general, the Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, securities selection risk and valuation risk. The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address these and other risks to the Trust and the Fund. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, American Beacon, each Fund's investment adviser, and other service providers to the Funds have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks to the Funds. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Further, American Beacon as manager of the Funds oversees and regularly monitors the investments, operations and compliance of the Funds' investment advisers.
The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. Senior officers of the Trust, and senior officers of American Beacon, and the Funds' CCO regularly report to the
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Board on a range of matters, including those relating to risk management. The Board and the Investment Committee also regularly receive reports from American Beacon with respect to the investments, securities trading and securities lending activities of the Funds. In addition to regular reports from American Beacon, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust, either directly or through American Beacon or the Funds' CCO, on a periodic or regular basis. At least annually, the Board receives a report from the Funds' CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Funds' compliance program. Also, typically on an annual basis, the Board receives reports, presentations and other information from American Beacon in connection with the Board's consideration of the renewal of each of the Trust's agreements with American Beacon and the Trust's distribution plans under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act.
Senior officers of the Trust and American Beacon also report regularly to the Audit and Compliance Committee on Fund valuation matters and on the Trust's internal controls and accounting and financial reporting policies and practices. In addition, the Audit and Compliance Committee receives regular reports from the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Audit and Compliance Committee meets with the Funds' CCO to discuss matters relating to the Funds' compliance program.
Board Structure and Related Matters
Independent Trustees constitute at least two-thirds of the Board. Richard A. Massman, an Independent Trustee, serves as Independent Chair of the Board. The Independent Chair's responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and Independent Trustees; and serving as a liaison with other Trustees, the Trust's officers and other management personnel, and counsel to the Funds. The Independent Chair shall perform such other duties as the Board may from time to time determine.
The Trustees discharge their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which operates pursuant to a charter approved by the Board that delineates the responsibilities of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit and Compliance Committee, the Investment Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. For example, the Investment Committee is responsible for oversight of the process, typically performed annually, by which the Board considers and approves each Fund's investment advisory agreement with American Beacon, while specific matters related to oversight of the Fund's independent auditors have been delegated by the Board to its Audit and Compliance Committee, subject to approval of the Audit and Compliance Committee's recommendations by the Board. The members and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized below.
The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair position and its committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Funds, the number of Funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Funds' operations, the number of Trustees, and the Board's responsibilities. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of the Board and each of its committees, the Trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of Funds in the complex.
The Trust is part of the American Beacon Funds Complex, which is comprised of the 26 series within the Trust and 2 series within the American Beacon Select Funds. The same persons who constitute the Board also constitute the board of trustees of American Beacon Select Funds and each Trustee oversees the Trusts' combined 28 series.
The Board holds five (5) regularly scheduled meetings each year. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees also hold at least one in-person meeting each year during a portion of which management is not present and may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.
The Trustees of the Trust are identified in the tables below, which provide information as to their principal business occupations and directorships held during the last five years and certain other information. Subject to the Trustee Emeritus and Retirement Policy described below, a Trustee serves until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. The address of each Trustee listed below is 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039. Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term or until his or her removal, resignation, or retirement*. Each Trustee has and continues to serve the same term as a Trustee of the American Beacon Select Funds as he or she has with the Trust.
27 |
* |
The Board has adopted a retirement policy that requires Trustees, other than Mr. Feld, to retire no later than the last day of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 75. |
** |
Mr. Feld is deemed to be an "interested person" of the Trust, as defined by the Investment Company Act. Mr. Feld's law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP has provided legal services within the past two fiscal years to one or more sub-advisors to certain American Beacon Funds. |
In addition to the information set forth in the tables above and other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Trustee, the following provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Trustee.
Gilbert G. Alvarado: Mr. Alvarado has extensive organizational management and financial experience as vice president and chief financial officer in public charities, and a health conversion private foundation, chief financial and information officer of a the largest health foundation on the Texas/Mexico border and an accountant with a regional health system.
Joseph B. Armes: Mr. Armes has extensive financial, investment and organizational management experience as chairman of the board of directors, president and chief executive officer of an investment company listed on NASDAQ, president and chief executive officer of a private family investment vehicle, chief operating officer of a private holding company for a family office, president, chief executive officer, chief financial officer and director of a special purpose acquisition company listed on the American Stock Exchange, a director and audit committee chair of an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and as an officer of public companies and as a director and officer of private companies.
Gerard J. Arpey: Mr. Arpey has extensive organizational management, financial and international experience serving as chairman, chief executive officer, and chief financial officer of one of the largest global airlines, service as a director of public and private companies, service to several charitable organizations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
W. Humphrey Bogart: Mr. Bogart has extensive experience in the investment management business including as president and chief executive officer of an investment adviser and as a consultant, significant organizational management experience through start-up efforts with a national bank, service as a board member of a university medical center foundation, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Brenda A. Cline: Ms. Cline has extensive organizational management, financial and investment experience as executive vice president, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer to a private foundation, service as a trustee to a private university, a children's hospital and a school, including acting as a member of their investment and\or audit committees, extensive experience as an audit senior manager with a large public accounting firm, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Eugene J. Duffy: Mr. Duffy has extensive experience in the investment management business and organizational management experience as a member of senior management, service as a director of a bank, service as a chairman of a charitable fund and as a trustee to an association, service on the board of a private university and non-profit organization, service as chair to an financial services industry association, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
28 |
Thomas M. Dunning: Mr. Dunning has extensive organizational management experience founding and serving as chairman and chief executive officer of a private company, service as a director of a private company, service as chairman of a large state municipal bond issuer and chairman of a large airport authority, also an issuer of bonds, service as a board member of a state department of transportation, service as a director of various foundations, service as chair of civic organizations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Alan D. Feld: Mr. Feld has extensive experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as chairman of a law firm, experience as a director of several publicly held companies, service as a trustee of a private university and a board member of a hospital, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Richard A. Massman: Mr. Massman has extensive experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as a founding member of a law firm, experience as a senior vice president and general counsel of a large private company, service as the chairman and director of several foundations, including services on their Investment Committees and Finance Committees, chairman of a governmental board, chairman of various professional organizations and multiple years of service as a Trustee and as Independent Chair.
Barbara J. McKenna: Ms. McKenna has extensive experience in the investment management industry, organizational management experience as a member of senior management, service as a director of an investment manager, member of numerous financial services industry associations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
R. Gerald Turner: Mr. Turner has extensive organizational management experience as president of a private university, service as a director and member of the audit and governance committees of various publicly held companies, service as a member to several charitable boards, service as a co-chair to an intercollegiate athletic commission, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Committees of the Board
The Trust has an Audit and Compliance Committee ("Audit Committee"). The Audit Committee consists of Ms. Cline (Chair), and Messrs. Duffy, Alvarado, and Dunning. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Audit Committee in an ex-officio non-voting capacity. None of the members of the committee are "interested persons" of the Trust, as defined by the Investment Company Act. As set forth in its charter, the primary duties of the Trust's Audit Committee are: (a) to oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and the Funds and their internal controls and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal controls of certain third-party service providers; (b) to oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (c) to approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; (d) to oversee the Trust's compliance with all regulatory obligations arising under applicable federal securities laws, rules and regulations and oversee management's implementation and enforcement of the Trust's compliance policies and procedures ("Compliance Program"); and (e) to coordinate the Board's oversight of the Trust's CCO in connection with his or her implementation of the Trust's Compliance Program. The Audit Committee met seven (7) times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015.
The Trust has a Nominating and Governance Committee ("Nominating Committee") that is comprised of Messrs. Feld (Chair), Turner, and Massman. As set forth in its charter, the Nominating Committee's primary duties are: (a) to make recommendations regarding the nomination of non-interested Trustees to the Board; (b) to make recommendations regarding the appointment of an Independent Trustee as Chairman of the Board; (c) to evaluate qualifications of potential "interested" members of the Board and Trust officers; (d) to review shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board; (e) to make recommendations to the Board for nomination for membership on all committees of the Board; (f) to consider and evaluate the structure, composition and operation of the Board; (g) to review shareholder recommendations for proposals to be submitted for consideration during a meeting of Fund shareholders; and (h) to consider and make recommendations relating to the compensation of Independent Trustees and of those officers as to whom the Board is charged with approving compensation. Shareholder recommendations for Trustee candidates may be mailed in writing, including a comprehensive resume and any supporting documentation, to the Nominating Committee in care of the Secretary of the Fund. The Nominating and Governance Committee met seven (7) times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015.
The Trust has an Investment Committee that is comprised of Mr. Bogart (Chair), Ms. McKenna, Messrs. Armes and Arpey. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Investment Committee in an ex-officio non-voting capacity. As set forth in its charter, the Investment Committee's primary duties are: (a) to review and evaluate the short- and long-term investment performance of the Manager and each of the designated sub-advisors to the Fund; (b) to evaluate recommendations by the Manager regarding the hiring or removal of designated sub-advisors to the Fund; (c) to review material changes recommended by the Manager to the allocation of Fund assets to a sub-advisor; (d) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the investment objective or principal investment strategies of the Fund; and (e) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the material provisions of the advisory agreement with a sub-advisor, including, but not limited to, changes to the provision regarding compensation. The Investment Committee met ten (10) times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015.
Trustee Ownership in the Funds
The following table shows the amount of equity securities owned in the American Beacon Funds family by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2014.
|
INTERESTED TRUSTEE |
American Beacon Fund |
Feld |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
None |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
None |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
None |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Trusts (36 Funds as of December 31, 2014) |
Over $100,000 |
29 |
|
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES * |
|||||||
American Beacon Fund |
Arpey |
Bogart |
Cline |
Duffy |
Dunning |
Massman |
McKenna |
Turner |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
$10,001- $50,000 |
None |
None |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Trusts (36 Funds as of December 31, 2014) |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
None |
Over $100,000 |
* |
Information is not shown for Messers. Alvarado and Armes because they were not Trustees as of December 31, 2014. |
Trustee Compensation
As compensation for their service to the Trust and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the "Trusts"), each Trustee is compensated from the Funds and fund complex as follows: (1) an annual retainer of $110,000; (2) meeting attendance fee (for attendance in person or via teleconference) of (a) $2,500 for attendance by Board members for each regularly scheduled Board meeting, (b) $2,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Audit Committee and the Investment Committee, and (c) $1,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Nominating Committee; and (3) reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in attending Board meetings, Committee meetings, and relevant educational seminars. The Trustees also may receive compensation for attendance at special Board and/or Committee meetings from time to time.
For his service as Board Chairman, Mr. Massman receives an additional annual retainer of $25,000. Although, he attends several committee meetings at each quarterly Board meeting, he receives only a single $2,500 fee each quarter for his attendance at those meetings. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Chairman of the Investment Committee each also receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000.
1 |
Upon retirement from the Board, each of these Trustees is eligible for flight benefits afforded to Trustees who served on the Boards as of June 4, 2008 as described below. |
The Boards adopted a Trustee Retirement Policy and Trustee Emeritus and Retirement Plan ("Plan"). The Plan provides that a Trustee who has served on the Boards prior to September 12, 2008, and who has reached a mandatory retirement age established by the Board (currently 75) is eligible to elect Trustee Emeritus status ("Eligible Trustees"). The Eligible Trustees are Messrs. Bogart, Feld, Massman and Turner and Ms. Cline. The mandatory retirement age does not apply to Mr. Feld. Additionally, Eligible Trustees who have served on the Board of one or more Trusts for at least five years may elect to retire from the Board at an earlier age and immediately assume Trustee Emeritus status. The Board has determined that, other than the Plan established for Eligible Trustees, no other retirement benefits will accrue for current or future Trustees.
Upon assuming Trustee Emeritus status, each eligible Trustee and his or her spouse (or designated companion) may receive annual flight benefits from the Trusts of up to $40,000 combined, on a tax-grossed up basis, on American Airlines (a subsidiary of the Manager's former parent company) for a maximum period of 10 years, depending upon length of service prior to September 12, 2008. Eligible Trustees may opt to receive instead an annual retainer of $20,000 from the Trusts in lieu of flight benefits. No retirement benefits are accrued for Board service after September 12, 2008.
30 |
A Trustee Emeritus must commit to provide certain ongoing services and advice to the Board members and the Trusts; however, a Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Fund(s). Currently, two individuals who retired from the Board prior to September 12, 2008, have assumed Trustee Emeritus status. One receives an annual retainer of $20,000 from the Trusts. The other individual and his spouse receive annual flight benefits of up to $40,000 combined, on a tax-grossed up basis, on American Airlines.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The Officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. As of the date of this SAI, the Officers of the Trust, their ages, their business address and their principal occupations and directorships during the past five years are as set forth below. The address of each Officer is 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039. Each Officer serves for a term of one year or until his or her resignation, retirement, or removal. Each Officer has and continues to hold the same position with the American Beacon Select Funds as listed below for the Trust.
31 |
CODE OF ETHICS
The Manager, the Trust and the sub-advisors each have adopted a Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act. Each Code of Ethics significantly restricts the personal trading of all employees with access to non-public portfolio information. For example, each Code of Ethics generally requires pre-clearance of all personal securities trades (with limited exceptions) and prohibits employees from purchasing or selling a security that is being purchased or sold or being considered for purchase (with limited exceptions) or sale by any Fund. In addition, the Manager's and Trust's Code of Ethics require employees to report trades in shares of the Trusts. Each Code of Ethics is on public file with, and may be obtained from, the SEC.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
From time to time, the Funds may own a security whose issuer solicits a proxy vote on certain matters. The Board seeks to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of each Fund shareholders and has delegated proxy voting authority to the Manager. The Manager in turn has delegated proxy voting authority to the sub-advisor with respect to each Fund's assets under the sub-advisor's management. The Trust has adopted a Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Policy") that governs proxy voting by the Manager and sub-advisors, including procedures to address potential conflicts of interest between the Fund's shareholders and the Manager, the sub-advisors or their affiliates. The Trust's Board of Trustees has approved the Manager's proxy voting policies and procedures with respect to Fund assets under the Manager's management. Please see Appendix A for a copy of the Policy. The sub-advisors' proxy voting policy and procedures are summarized (or included in their entirety) in Appendix B. The Funds' proxy voting record for the most recent year ended June 30 is available as of August 31 of each year upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-967-9009 or by visiting the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The proxy voting record can be found in Form N-PX on the SEC's website.
CONTROL PERSONS AND 5% SHAREHOLDERS
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of any Class of the Funds' outstanding shares. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Funds. The actions of an entity or person that controls the Fund could have an effect on other shareholders. For instance, a control person may have effective voting control over the Funds or large redemptions by a control person could cause the Funds' other shareholders to pay a higher pro rata portion of the Funds' expenses.
Set forth below are entities or persons that own 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund or Class as of November 30, 2015. The Trustees and officers of the Trusts, as a group, own less than 1% of all classes of each Fund's shares outstanding.
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity
Fund
ShareholderAddr |
Fund Percentage (listed if over 25%) |
A CLASS |
C CLASS |
Institutional CLASS |
Investor CLASS |
Y CLASS |
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
|
|
|
19.16% |
23.21% |
|
SPECIAL CUST A/C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 MONTGOMERY ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94104-4151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FIRST CLEARING LLC * |
|
|
18.34% |
|
|
46.68% |
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2801 MARKET ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ST LOUIS MO 63103-2523 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LPL FINANCIAL * FBO CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS |
|
|
|
|
5.71% |
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUND OPERATIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4707 EXECUTIVE DR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN DIEGO CA 92121-3091 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LPL FINANCIAL * |
|
27.87% |
10.98% |
14.92% |
|
18.53% |
4707 EXECUTIVE DR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN DIEGO CA 92121-3091 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC * |
|
|
|
28.98% |
0.57% |
|
FOR EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OUR CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT 4TH FLOOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
499 WASHINGTON BLVD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
32 |
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PERSHING LLC * |
|
|
7.82% |
|
|
|
1 PERSHING PLZ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
RAYMOND JAMES * |
|
12.80% |
13.98% |
|
|
|
OMNIBUS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOUSE ACCT FIRM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN COURTNEY WALLER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
880 CARILLON PKWY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ST PETERSBURG FL 33716-1100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBS WM USA * |
|
10.41% |
21.09% |
|
|
28.03% |
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1000 HARBOR BLVD 5TH FLR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WEEHAWKEN NJ 07086-6761 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
VANGUARD BROKERAGE SERVICES |
|
|
|
26.12% |
|
|
PO BOX 1170 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
VALLEY FORGE PA 19482-1170 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Denotes record owner of Fund shares only |
33 |
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund
ShareholderAddr |
Fund Percentage (listed if over 25%) |
A CLASS |
C CLASS |
Institutional CLASS |
Investor CLASS |
Y CLASS |
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
|
|
|
|
24.59% |
14.41% |
SPECIAL CUST A/C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 MONTGOMERY ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94104-4151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FIRST CLEARING LLC * |
|
|
13.51% |
|
|
|
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2801 MARKET ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FIRST CLEARING LLC * |
|
|
|
32.33% |
|
11.77% |
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2801 MARKET ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ST LOUIS MO 63103-2523 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LPL FINANCIAL * |
|
|
6.74% |
|
|
|
4707 EXECUTIVE DR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN DIEGO CA 92121-3091 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LPL FINANCIAL * |
|
12.74% |
|
|
13.24% |
7.67% |
FBO CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS OPERATIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4707 EXECUTIVE DR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN DIEGO CA 92121-3091 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & * |
|
|
12.40% |
|
|
10.03% |
SMITH INC (HOUSE ACCOUNT) * |
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4800 DEER LAKE DR EAST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC * |
|
|
|
|
|
9.84% |
1 NEW YORK PLZ FL 12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK NY 10004-1901 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC * |
|
6.11% |
7.52% |
|
|
|
FOR EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF OUR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT 4TH FLOOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
499 WASHINGTON BLVD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC * |
|
|
|
19.61% |
45.74% |
|
FOR EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OUR CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT 4TH FLOOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
499 WASHINGTON BLVD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PERSHING LLC * |
|
7.36% |
|
|
|
|
1 PERSHING PLZ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
RAYMOND JAMES * |
|
|
7.29% |
|
|
|
OMNIBUS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
34 |
HOUSE ACCT FIRM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN COURTNEY WALLER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
880 CARILLON PKWY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ST PETERSBURG FL 33716-1100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBS WM USA * |
|
9.22% |
30.47% |
25.31% |
|
37.84% |
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1000 HARBOR BLVD 5TH FLR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WEEHAWKEN NJ 07086-6761 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
STATE STREET AND TRUST AS CUST |
|
|
|
9.34% |
|
|
FBO INTUIT INC 401K PLAN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
THOMAS CLEMENT TTEE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
KANSAS CITY MO 64105-1307 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Denotes record owner of Fund shares only |
35 |
American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund
ShareholderAddr |
Fund Percentage (listed if over 25%) |
A CLASS |
C CLASS |
Institutional CLASS |
Investor CLASS |
Y CLASS |
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
|
|
|
17.76% |
|
5.62% |
SPECIAL CUST A/C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 MONTGOMERY ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94104-4151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
|
4.96% |
|
|
|
|
SPECIAL CUSTODY A/C FBO CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN TREASURY CAPITAL MKTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 MONTGOMERY 120KNY-13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94104-4151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
|
|
|
|
20.24% |
|
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCOUNT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR THE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 MONTGOMERY 120KNY-13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94104-4151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LPL FINANCIAL * |
|
9.05% |
|
|
25.08% |
|
FBO CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS OPERATIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4707 EXECUTIVE DR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN DIEGO CA 92121-3091 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & * |
35.93% |
36.63% |
75.33% |
|
|
71.15% |
SMITH INC (HOUSE ACCOUNT) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4800 DEER LAKE DR EAST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC * |
|
|
|
|
|
6.88% |
1 NEW YORK PLZ FL 12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK NY 10004-1901 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC * |
|
|
|
39.72% |
23.98% |
|
FOR EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OUR CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT 4TH FLOOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
499 WASHINGTON BLVD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PERSHING LLC * |
|
10.93% |
|
|
6.61% |
|
1 PERSHING PLZ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBS WM USA * |
|
6.00% |
|
|
|
8.91% |
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1000 HARBOR BLVD 5TH FLR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WEEHAWKEN NJ 07086-6761 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAXON & CO. |
|
|
|
6.10% |
|
|
FBO Customer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.O. BOX 7780-1888 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PHILADELPHIA PA 19182-0001 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
STEPHEN GODDARD |
|
|
|
6.26% |
|
|
36 |
TOD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8857 RIVER RD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
RICHMOND VA 23229-7801 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WELLS FARGO BANK NA FBO |
|
|
|
6.60% |
|
|
AWG RET - PRAIRIE CAPITAL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PO BOX 1533 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55480-1533 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Denotes record owner of Fund shares only |
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS
The Funds' sub-advisors are listed below with information regarding their controlling persons or entities. A person or entity with control with respect to an investment advisor has "the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company." Persons and entities affiliated with each sub-advisor are considered affiliates for a Fund with respect to which the subadvisor manages a portion of the Fund's assets.
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Manager have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with each sub-advisor pursuant to which each sub-advisor receives an annualized sub-advisory fee that is calculated and accrued daily based on a percentage of the Funds' average daily assets. Each Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Manager, by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund on no less than thirty (30) days' nor more than sixty (60) days' written notice to the sub-advisor, or by the sub-advisor upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Trust. The Investment Advisory Agreements will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The Manager
The Manager, located at 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite
1200, Irving, Texas 75039 is a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Borrower, Inc. ("AB Borrower").
AB Borrower is, in turn, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Acquisition, Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Astro AB Topco, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Holdings, LLC ("Astro AB"). On April 30, 2015, the Manager's
prior parent company was acquired by Astro AB, which is owned primarily by Kelso Investment Associates VIII, L.P., KEP VI,
LLC or Estancia Capital Partners L.P. ("Purchasers"), investment funds affiliated with Kelso & Company, L.P. or Estancia
Capital Management, LLC, which are private equity firms. The address of Kelso and its investment funds is 320 Park Avenue,
24th Floor, New York, NY 10022. The address of Estancia and its investment fund is 20865 N 90th Place, Suite 200, Scottsdale,
AZ 85255. The address of Astro AB is 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, TX 75039.
Listed below
are individuals and entities that may be deemed control persons of the Manager.
37 |
Controlling Person/Entity |
Basis of Control/Status |
Nature of Controlling Person/Entity Business/Business History |
Astro AB Holdings, LLC. |
Parent Company |
Founded in 2015 |
Kelso Investment Associates VIII |
Ownership in Parent Company |
Investment Fund |
The Manager is paid a management fee as compensation for providing the Trust with advisory and asset allocation services. The expenses are allocated daily to each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets represented by such class. Operating expenses directly attributable to a specific class are charged against the assets of that class. Pursuant to management and administration agreements, the Manager provides the Trust with office space, office equipment and personnel necessary to manage and administer the Trust's operations. This includes:
complying with reporting requirements;
corresponding with shareholders;
maintaining internal bookkeeping, accounting and auditing services and records; and
supervising the provision of services to the Trust by third parties.
In addition to its oversight of the sub-advisors, the Manager
may invest the portion of each Fund's assets that the sub-advisors determine to be allocated to short-term investments.
The Funds are responsible for expenses not otherwise assumed
by the Manager, including the following: audits by independent auditors; transfer agency, custodian, dividend disbursing
agent and shareholder recordkeeping services; taxes, if any, and the preparation of the Fund's tax returns; interest; costs
of Trustee and shareholder meetings; preparing, printing and mailing Prospectuses and reports to existing shareholders;
fees for filing reports with regulatory bodies and the maintenance of the Fund's existence; legal fees; fees to federal
and state authorities for the registration of shares; fees and expenses of Trustees; insurance and fidelity bond premiums;
fees paid to service providers providing reports regarding adherence by sub-advisors to the investment style of a Fund;
fees paid for brokerage commission analysis for the purpose of monitoring best execution practices of the sub-advisors;
and any extraordinary expenses of a nonrecurring nature.
In addition to the management fee, the Manager is paid an administration fee for providing administrative services to the Fund. The administration agreement provides for the Manager to receive an annualized administration fee that is calculated and accrued daily, equal to the sum of 0.30% of the net assets of each share class.
The Manager and the Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with each sub-advisor, as applicable, pursuant to which the Trust has agreed to pay the sub-advisor the amounts due under each Investment Advisory Agreement directly.
The management agreement provides for the Manager to receive an annualized management fee that is calculated and accrued daily, equal to the sum of 0.05% of the net assets of each Fund.
The following tables show the total management and administrative services fees paid to the Manager, fees waived or recouped by the Manager and fees paid to each sub-advisor during each Fund's three most recent fiscal years ended August 31. The fees paid to the Manager each year were equal to 0.05% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The fees paid to the sub-advisors are expressed both as a dollar amount and percentage of a Fund's net assets.
Subadvisor Fees |
|||
Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$37,159 |
$90,359 |
$109,269 |
|
0.52% |
0.53% |
0.54% |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$1,913,978 |
$2,449,974 |
$3,239,403 |
|
0.43% |
0.41% |
0.40% |
The London Company Income Equity |
$168,144 |
$644,320 |
$1,643,657 |
|
0.37% |
0.34% |
0.32% |
Management Fees (Waived)/Recouped |
|
|
|
Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$(123,053) |
$(94,922) |
$(105,676) |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$(110,245) |
$(24,535) |
$13,609 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$(138,942) |
$(17,825) |
$122,723 |
38 |
The Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) under a distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, is paid up to up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares and up to 1.00% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class shares of the Fund for distribution and shareholder servicing related services, including expenses relating to selling efforts of various broker-dealers, shareholder servicing fees and the preparation and distribution of A Class and C Class advertising material and sales literature. The Manager will receive Rule 12b-1 fees from the A Class and C Class regardless of the amount of the Manager's actual expenses related to distribution and shareholder servicing efforts on behalf of each Class. Thus, the Manager may realize a profit or a loss based upon its actual distribution and shareholder servicing related expenditures for the A Class, C Class, Advisor Class and the Retirement Class. The Manager anticipates that the Rule 12b-1 plan will benefit shareholders by providing broader access to the Funds through broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries who require compensation for their expenses in order to offer shares of the Funds. Distribution fees pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 were:
A Class |
|
Fund |
Distribution Fee |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$12,106 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$219,692 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$140,207 |
C Class |
|
Fund |
Distribution Fee |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$15,217 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$767,502 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$911,757 |
The A Class, C Class, Y Class, and Investor Class have each adopted a Service Plan (collectively, the "Plans"). The Plans authorize the payment to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) of up to 0.375% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class shares, and up to 0.10% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Y Class shares. The Manager or other approved entities may spend such amounts on any activities or expenses primarily intended to result in or relate to the servicing of A Class, C Class, Y Class, and Investor Class shares including, but not limited to, payment of shareholder service fees and transfer agency or sub-transfer agency expenses. The fees, which are included as part of a Fund's "Other Expenses" in the Table of Fees and Expenses in the Prospectus, will be payable monthly in arrears. The fees for each Class will be paid on the actual expenses incurred in a particular month by the entity for the services provided pursuant to the respective Class and its Service Plan. The primary expenses expected to be incurred under the Plans are shareholder servicing, record keeping fees and servicing fees paid to financial intermediaries such as plan sponsors and broker-dealers. Service fees for the last three fiscal years ended August 31 were as follows:
A Class |
|
|
|
Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$2,958 |
$5,862 |
$7,263 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$95,880 |
$129,056 |
$131,815 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$7,434 |
$33,265 |
$84,124 |
C Class |
|
|
|
Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$840 |
$1,843 |
$2,283 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$73,315 |
$102,689 |
$115,125 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$2,651 |
$41,483 |
$136,440 |
Y Class |
|
|
|
Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$1,337 |
$5,142 |
$9,380 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$58,146 |
$127,528 |
$292,535 |
39 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$7,764 |
$73,901 |
$251,186 |
Investor Class |
|
|
|
Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$7,299 |
$12,968 |
$7,379 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$540,256 |
$694,889 |
$760,286 |
The London Company Income Equity |
$18,383 |
$37,438 |
$57,798 |
The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the securities lending activities of the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund as compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending of the Fund. Currently, the Manager receives 10% of such income for other series of the Trust. There were no fees received by the Manager from securities lending activities for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Fund to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager.
The Manager has contractually agreed from time to time to reduce fees and/or reimburse expenses for the Funds in order to maintain competitive expense ratios for those Funds. In July of 2003, the Board approved a policy whereby the Manager may seek repayment for such fee reductions and expense reimbursements. Under the policy, the Manager can be reimbursed by a Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee reductions or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed the previously agreed upon contractual expense limit.
The Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC
("Foreside" or "Distributor"), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, is the distributor and principal
underwriter of the Funds' shares. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust, the Distributor acts as the agent of the
Trust in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Funds. The Distributor continually distributes shares
of the Funds on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Funds' shares.
The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased
or sold by the Trust or its Funds. Pursuant to a Sub-Administration Agreement between Foreside and the Manager, Foreside
receives a fee from the Manager for providing administrative services in connection with the marketing and distribution
of shares of the Trust, including the registration of Manager employees as registered representatives of the Distributor
to facilitate distribution of Fund shares. Foreside also receives a fee from the Manager under a Marketing Agreement pursuant
to which Foreside provides services in connection with the marketing of the Fund to institutional investors. Pursuant to
the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor receives, and may re-allow to broker-dealers, all or a portion of the sales
charge paid by the purchasers of A and C Class shares. For A and C Class shares, the Distributor receives commission revenue
consisting of the portion of A and C Class sales charge remaining after the allowances by the Distributor to the broker
dealers. The Distributor retains any portion of the commission fees that are not paid to the broker-dealers for use solely
to pay distribution related expenses.
The aggregate commissions paid to, or retained by, the Distributor from the sale of shares and the contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") retained by the Distributor on the redemption of shares during each of the Fund's three most recent fiscal years ended August 31 are shown in the table below.
American Beacon Fund |
Fiscal Year |
Aggregate Commissions |
Amount Retained by the Distributor |
Zebra Small Cap Value Fund |
2015 |
$6,585 |
$533 |
|
2014 |
$53,066 |
$7,715 |
|
2013 |
$8,327 |
$1,024 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
2015 |
$314,295 |
$33,716 |
|
2014 |
$409,134 |
$42,638 |
|
2013 |
$856,283 |
$105,067 |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
2015 |
$1,807,206 |
$169,922 |
|
2014 |
$723,266 |
$74,626 |
|
2013 |
$7,472 |
$30,492 |
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
State Street, located at 1 Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as custodian for the Funds. In addition to its other duties as custodian, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement and instructions given by the Manager, State Street may receive compensation from the Funds for investing certain excess cash balances in designated futures, forwards or registered money market funds. State Street also serves as the Funds' Foreign Custody Manager pursuant to rules adopted under the Investment Company Act, whereby it selects and monitors eligible foreign sub-custodians.
Boston Financial Data Services (an affiliate of State Street), located at 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. is the transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Trust and provides these services to Fund shareholders.
The Fund's independent registered public accounting firm is Ernst & Young LLP, which is located at 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 2000, Dallas, Texas 75219. K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Fund.
40 |
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The portfolio managers to each Fund (the "Portfolio Managers") have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Fund. Information regarding these other accounts has been provided by each Portfolio Manager's firm and is set forth below. The number of accounts and assets is shown as of August 31, 2015.
|
Number of Other Accounts Managed and Assets by Account Type |
Number of Accounts and Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based |
||||
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other accounts |
Strategic Income
Management, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian Placzek |
1 ($44.5mil) |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Gary Pokrzywinski |
1 ($44.5mil) |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
|
Number of Other Accounts Managed and Assets by Account Type |
Number of Accounts and Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based |
||||
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other accounts |
The London
Company of Virginia, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen M. Goddard |
4 ($2.1 bil) |
None |
598 ($7.5 bil) |
None |
None |
2 ($6.8 mil) |
Jonathan T. Moody |
4 ($2.1 bil) |
None |
598 ($7.5 bil) |
None |
None |
None |
J. Brian Campbell |
4 ($2.1 bil) |
None |
598 ($7.5 bil) |
None |
None |
None |
Mark E. DeVaul |
4 ($2.1 bil) |
None |
598 ($7.5 bil) |
None |
None |
None |
|
Number of Other Accounts Managed and Assets by Account Type |
Number of Accounts and Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based |
||||
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other accounts |
Zebra Capital
Management, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roger Ibbotson |
N/A |
5 ($198.2mil) |
6 ($298.3mil) |
N/A |
5 ($198.2mil) |
0 ($0) |
Eric Stokes |
N/A |
5 ($198.2mil) |
6 ($298.3mil) |
N/A |
5 ($198.2mil) |
0 ($0) |
Conflicts of Interest
As noted in the table above, the Portfolio Managers manage accounts other than the Funds. This side-by-side management may present potential conflicts between a Portfolio Manager's management of the Funds' investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other hand. Set forth below is a description by the Manager and each sub-advisor of any foreseeable material conflicts of interest that may arise from the concurrent management of the Fund and other accounts. The information regarding potential conflicts of interest of each sub-advisor was provided by each firm.
Strategic Income Management, LLC. ("SiM") SiM's portfolio managers are responsible for managing the Fund and other accounts, including separate accounts and other mutual funds. SiM assigns accounts with similar investment strategies to the same Portfolio Manager to mitigate the potentially conflicting investment strategies of accounts.
The side-by-side management of both the Fund and other accounts may raise potential conflicts of interest due to certain trading practices used by SiM's Portfolio Managers (e.g., cross trades between a Fund and another account and allocation of aggregated trades). SiM has developed policies and procedures reasonably designed to mitigate those conflicts, including policies limiting the ability of Portfolio Managers to cross securities between a Fund and a separate account and policies designed to ensure the fair allocation of securities purchased on an aggregated basis.
The London Company of Virginia, LLC. ("The London Company"). Actual or potential conflicts of interest may arise when the portfolio manager has management responsibilities for more than one client account including and not limited to the execution and allocation of investment opportunities, use of soft dollars and other brokerage practices, and personal securities trading. TLC has adopted policies and procedures it believes are reasonably designed to address such conflicts.
Zebra Capital Management, LLC. ("Zebra") Certain of Zebra's portfolio managers have business commitments in addition to those of Zebra. However, they regard Zebra's business a priority business activity. Zebra believes that the potential for a conflict of interest is mitigated by Zebra's team approach to the investment process and the fact that at least one of the Firm's principals devotes all of his time to the Zebra business.
Zebra's portfolio managers or investment analysts who serve the Fund also perform services of hedge funds or other private investment companies. The portfolio managers or investment analysts allocate their time and resources across all products.
Zebra exercises independent oversight of the investment process via compliance and risk monitoring to prevent taking undue risk.
41 |
Compensation
The following is a description provided by each investment sub-advisor regarding the structure of and criteria for determining the compensation of each Portfolio Manager as of August 31, 2015.
SiM SiM does not use formulas to determine compensation. SiM believes in the team approach to portfolio management and thus believes in the team approach to compensation. The compensation of portfolio managers is not directly tied to fund performance or growth in assets for any fund or other account managed by a portfolio manager and portfolio managers are not compensated for bringing in new business. Of course, growth in assets from the appreciation of existing assets and/or growth in new assets will increase revenues and profit. The consistent, long-term growth in assets at any investment firm is to a great extent, dependent upon the success of the portfolio management team. The compensation of the portfolio management team at the SiM will increase over time, if and when assets continue to grow through competitive performance. Lastly, many of our key investment personnel have a long-term incentive compensation plan in the form of an equity interest in SiM. This compensation format ensures client and portfolio manager interests are aligned and provides significant incentive for the long-term continuity of the investment team.
The London Company Portfolio managers are compensated with a combination of salary and bonus. Investment professionals are evaluated on specific responsibilities that include investment recommendations, quality of research, client retention, and overall contribution to the firm. Annual reviews are given and above average compensation increases plus bonuses are targeted with firm growth and individual performance. There are no specific incentive arrangements for performance attached to this fund. A substantial portion of a portfolio manager's compensation is not tied to performance of the accounts he or she manages.
Zebra Zebra's portfolio managers receive a fixed salary. They also participate in a profit sharing plan.
Ownership of the Funds
A Portfolio Manager's beneficial ownership of a Fund is defined as the Portfolio Manager having the opportunity to share in any profit from transactions in the Fund, either directly or indirectly, as the result of any contract, understanding, arrangement, relationship or otherwise. Therefore, ownership of Fund shares by members of the Portfolio Manager's immediate family or by a trust of which the Portfolio Manager is a trustee could be considered ownership by the Portfolio Manager. The tables below set forth each Portfolio Manager's beneficial ownership of the Fund(s) under that Portfolio Manager's management as of August 31, 2015 provided by each investment advisor.
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
Strategic Income Management, LLC |
|
Brian Placzek |
$250,001-$500,000 |
Gary Pokrzywinski |
Over $1,000,000 |
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
Zebra Capital Management, LLC |
|
Roger Ibbotson |
None |
Eric Stokes |
None |
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
In selecting brokers or dealers to execute particular transactions, the Manager and the sub-advisors are authorized to consider "brokerage and research services" (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), provision of statistical quotations (including the quotations necessary to determine the Fund's net asset value), and other information provided to the applicable Fund, to the Manager and/or to the sub-advisors (or their affiliates), provided, however, that the Manager or the sub-advisor must always seek best execution. Research and brokerage services may include information on portfolio companies, economic analyses, and other investment research services. The Trusts do not allow the Manager or sub-advisors to enter arrangements to direct transactions to broker-dealers as compensation for the promotion or sale of Trust shares by those broker-dealers. The Manager and the sub-advisors are also authorized to cause the Fund to pay a commission (as defined in SEC interpretations)
42 |
to a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services for executing a portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of the commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction. The Manager or the sub-advisors, as appropriate, must determine in good faith, however, that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided, viewed in terms of that particular transaction or in terms of all the accounts over which the Manager or the sub-advisor exercises investment discretion. The fees of the sub-advisors are not reduced by reason of receipt of such brokerage and research services. However, with disclosure to and pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as applicable, the Manager, or the sub-advisors (or a broker-dealer affiliated with them) may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 under the Investment Company Act) for doing so. Brokerage and research services obtained with Fund commissions might be used by the Manager and/or the sub-advisors, as applicable, to benefit their other accounts under management.
The Manager and each sub-advisor will place its own orders to execute securities transactions that are designed to implement the applicable Fund's investment objective and policies. In placing such orders, each sub-advisor will seek best execution. The full range and quality of services offered by the executing broker or dealer will be considered when making these determinations. Pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as appropriate, a sub-advisor of the Fund, or its affiliated broker-dealer, may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 of the Investment Company Act) for doing so. The Fund's turnover rate, or the frequency of portfolio transactions, will vary from year to year depending on market conditions and the Fund's cash flows. High portfolio activity increases the Fund's transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.
The Investment Advisory Agreements provide, in substance, that in executing portfolio transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, the principal objective of each sub-advisor is to seek best execution. In assessing available execution venues, each sub-advisor shall consider all factors it deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the value of any eligible research, the financial condition and execution capability of the broker or dealer and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. Transactions with respect to the securities of small and emerging growth companies in which the Fund may invest may involve specialized services on the part of the broker or dealer and thereby may entail higher commissions or spreads than would be the case with transactions involving more widely traded securities.
Each Fund may establish brokerage commission recapture arrangements with certain brokers or dealers. If a sub-advisor chooses to execute a transaction through a participating broker, the broker rebates a portion of the commission back to the Fund. Any collateral benefit received through participation in the commission recapture program is directed exclusively to the Fund. Neither the Manager nor any of the sub-advisors receive any benefits from the commission recapture program. A Sub-Advisor's participation in the brokerage commission recapture program is optional. Each sub-advisor retains full discretion in selecting brokerage firms for securities transactions and is instructed to use the commission recapture program for a transaction only if it is consistent with the Sub-Advisor's obligation to seek the best execution available.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, no brokerage commissions were paid to affiliated brokers by any of the Funds.
For the fiscal years ending August 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 the following brokerage commissions were paid by the Funds. Fluctuations in brokerage commissions from year to year were primarily due to increases or decreases in Fund assets resulting in increased trading. Shareholders of these Funds bear only their pro-rata portion of such expenses.
American Beacon Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Zebra Small Cap Equity |
$20,643 |
$34,780 |
$31,967 |
SiM High Yield Opportunities |
$19,861 |
$42,184 |
$77,187 |
The London Company Income Equity Fund |
$51,441 |
$139,532 |
$409,151 |
For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2015, the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund directed $37,262 in transactions to brokers in part because of research services provided and paid $11,879 in commissions on such transactions.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION FOR A CLASS SHARES
Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
As described in the Prospectus, there are various ways to reduce your sales charge when purchasing A Class shares. Additional information about A Class sales charge reductions is provided below.
Letter of Intent ("LOI") . The LOI may be revised upward at any time during the 13-month period of the LOI ("LOI Period"), and such a revision will be treated as a new LOI, except that the LOI Period during which the purchases must be made will remain unchanged. Purchases made from the date of revision will receive the reduced sales charge, if any, resulting from the revised LOI. The LOI will be considered completed if the shareholder dies within the 13-month LOI Period. Commissions to dealers will not be adjusted or paid on the difference between the LOI amount and the amount actually invested before the shareholder's death.
All dividends and capital gain distributions on shares held in escrow will be credited to the shareholder's account in shares (or paid in cash, if requested). If the intended investment is not completed within the specified LOI Period, the purchaser may be required to remit to the transfer agent the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge which would have been paid if the total of such purchases had been made at a single time. Any dealers assigned to the shareholder's account at the time a purchase was made during the LOI Period will receive a corresponding commission adjustment if appropriate. If the difference is not paid by the close of the LOI Period, the appropriate number of shares held in escrow will be redeemed to pay such difference. If the proceeds from this redemption are inadequate, the purchaser may be liable to the Funds for the balance still outstanding.
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Rights of Accumulation . Subject to the limitations described in the aggregation policy, you may take into account your accumulated holdings in any class of the American Beacon Funds to determine your sales charge for A Class shares on investments in accounts eligible to be aggregated. If you make a gift of A Class shares, upon your request, you may purchase the shares at the sales charge discount allowed under rights of accumulation of all of your investments in any class of the American Beacon Funds.
Aggregation . Qualifying investments for aggregation include those made by you and your "immediate family" as defined in the Prospectus, if all parties are purchasing shares for their own accounts and/or:
individual-type employee benefit plans, such as an IRA, individual 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan;
business accounts solely controlled by you or your immediate family (for example, you own the entire business);
trust accounts established by you or your immediate family (for trusts with only one primary beneficiary, upon the trustor's death the trust account may be aggregated with such beneficiary's own accounts; for trusts with multiple primary beneficiaries, upon the trustor's death the trustees of the trust may instruct the Fund's transfer agent to establish separate trust accounts for each primary beneficiary; each primary beneficiary's separate trust account may then be aggregated with such beneficiary's own accounts);
endowments or foundations established and controlled by you or your immediate family; or
529 accounts, which will be aggregated at the account owner level (Class 529-E accounts may only be aggregated with an eligible employer plan).
Individual purchases by a trustee(s) or other fiduciary(ies) may also be aggregated if the investments are:
for a single trust estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans other than the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;
made for two or more employee benefit plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers as defined in the Investment Company Act, excluding the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;
for nonprofit, charitable or educational organizations, or any endowments or foundations established and controlled by such organizations, or any employer-sponsored retirement plans established for the benefit of the employees of such organizations, their endowments, or their foundations; or
for individually established participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that is treated similarly to an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes (see "Purchases by certain 403(b) plans" under "Sales Charges" above), or made for two or more such 403(b) plans that are treated similarly to employer-sponsored plans for sales charge purposes, in each case of a single employer or affiliated employers as defined in the Investment Company Act. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a broker- dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with those made for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
Concurrent Purchases . As described in the Prospectus, you may reduce your A Class sales charge by combining simultaneous purchases in any of the American Beacon Funds.
Other Purchases . Pursuant to a determination of eligibility by the Manager, A Class shares of a Fund may be sold at net asset value (without the imposition of a front-end sales charge) to:
current or retired trustees, and officers of the American Beacon Funds family, current or retired employees and directors of the Manager and its affiliated companies, certain family members and employees of the above persons, and trusts or plans primarily for such persons;
currently registered representatives and assistants directly employed by such representatives, retired registered representatives with respect to accounts established while active, or full-time employees (collectively, "Eligible Persons") (and their spouses, and children, including children in step and adoptive relationships, sons-in- law and daughters-in-law, if the Eligible Persons or the spouses or children of the Eligible Persons are listed in the account registration with the spouse or parent) of broker-dealers who have sales agreements with the Distributor (or who clear transactions through such dealers), plans for the dealers, and plans that include as participants only the Eligible Persons, their spouses and/or children;
companies exchanging securities with a Fund through a merger, acquisition or exchange offer;
insurance company separate accounts;
accounts managed by the Manager, a sub-advisor to a Fund and its affiliated companies;
the Manager or a sub-advisor to a Fund and its affiliated companies;
an individual or entity with a substantial business relationship with, which may include the officers and employees of the Funds' custodian or transfer agent, the Manager or a sub-adviser to a Fund and its affiliated companies, or an individual or entity related or relating to such individual or entity;
full-time employees of banks that have sales agreements with the Distributor, who are solely dedicated to directly supporting the sale of mutual funds;
directors, officers and employees of financial institutions that have a selling group agreement with the Distributor;
banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including registered investment advisors and financial planners) that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor or one of its affiliates, purchasing shares on behalf of clients participating in a Fund supermarket or in a wrap program, asset allocation program or other program in which the clients pay an asset-based fee;
clients of authorized dealers purchasing shares in fixed or flat fee brokerage accounts;
Employer-sponsored defined contribution - type plans, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit-sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and individual retirement account ("IRA") rollovers involving retirement plan assets invested in a Fund in the American Beacon Funds fund family; and
Employee benefit and retirement plans for the Manager and its affiliates.
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Shares are offered at net asset value to these persons and organizations due to anticipated economies in sales effort and expense. Once an account is established under this net asset value privilege, additional investments can be made at net asset value for the life of the account.
It is possible that a broker-dealer may not be able to offer one or more of these waiver categories. If this situation occurs, it is possible that the investor would need to invest directly through American Beacon Funds in order to take advantage of the waiver. A Fund may terminate or amend the terms of these sales charge waivers at any time.
Moving Between Accounts . Investments in certain account types may be moved to other account types without incurring additional A Class sales charges. These transactions include, for example:
redemption proceeds from a non-retirement account (for example, a joint tenant account) used to purchase Fund shares in an IRA or other individual-type retirement account;
required minimum distributions from an IRA or other individual-type retirement account used to purchase Fund shares in a non-retirement account; and
death distributions paid to a beneficiary's account that are used by the beneficiary to purchase Fund shares in a different account.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES
As discussed in the Prospectus, the redemption of C Class shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") if you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase. If you purchased $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares of the Funds (and therefore paid no initial sales charges) and subsequently redeem your shares within 18 months of your purchase, you may be charged a CDSC upon redemption. In determining whether the CDSC is payable, it is assumed that shares not subject to the CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. The CDSC will not be imposed upon shares representing reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions, or upon amounts representing share appreciation. As described in the Prospectus, there are various circumstances under which the CDSC will be waived. Additional information about CDSC waivers is provided below.
The CDSC is waived under the following circumstances:
Any partial or complete redemption following death or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) of a shareholder (including one who owns the shares with his or her spouse as a joint tenant with rights of survivorship) from an account in which the deceased or disabled is named. The Manager or the Fund's transfer agent may require documentation prior to waiver of the charge, including death certificates, physicians' certificates, etc.
Redemptions from a systematic withdrawal plan. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed dollar amount or number of shares, systematic withdrawal redemptions are limited to no more than 10% of your account value or number of shares per year, as of the date the Manager or the Fund's transfer agent receives your request. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed percentage of your account value, each redemption is limited to an amount that would not exceed 10% of your annual account value at the time of withdrawal.
Redemptions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code. The CDSC will be waived for benefit payments made by American Beacon Funds directly to plan participants. Benefit payments will include, but are not limited to, payments resulting from death, disability, retirement, separation from service, required minimum distributions (as described under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code), in-service distributions, hardships, loans and qualified domestic relations orders. The CDSC waiver will not apply in the event of termination of the plan or transfer of the plan to another financial institution.
Redemptions that are mandatory withdrawals from a traditional IRA account after age 70 1/2 .
Involuntary redemptions as a result of your account not meeting the minimum balance requirements, the termination and liquidation of the Fund, or other actions by the Fund.
Distributions from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has entered into a written agreement with the Distributor (or Manager) allowing this waiver.
To return excess contributions made to a retirement plan.
To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
The following example illustrates the operation of the CDSC. Assume that you open an account and purchase 1,000 shares at $10 per share and that six months later the NAV per share is $12 and, during such time, you have acquired 50 additional shares through reinvestment of distributions. If at such time you should redeem 450 shares (proceeds of $5,400), 50 shares will not be subject to the charge because of dividend reinvestment. With respect to the remaining 400 shares, the charge is applied only to the original cost of $10 per share and not to the increase in NAV of $2 per share. Therefore, $4,000 of the $5,400 redemption proceeds will pay the charge. At the rate of 1.00%, the CDSC would be $40 for redemptions of C Class shares. In determining whether an amount is available for redemption without incurring a deferred sales charge, the purchase payments made for all shares in your account are aggregated.
REDEMPTIONS IN KIND
Although each Fund intends to redeem shares in cash, each reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets. However, shareholders always will be entitled to redeem shares for cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the applicable Fund's net asset value during any 90-day period. Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. In addition, to the extent a Fund redeems its shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.
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TAX INFORMATION
The tax information in the Prospectus and in this section relates solely to federal income tax law and assumes that each Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company ("RIC") (as discussed below). The tax information in this section is only a summary of certain key federal tax considerations affecting the Funds and their shareholders and is in addition to the information provided in the Prospectus. No attempt has been made to present a complete explanation of the federal income tax treatment of each Fund or the tax implications to their shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning. The information is based on the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Funds and their shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.
Taxation of the Funds
Each Fund intends to continue to qualify each taxable year for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code. To so qualify, each Fund (which is treated as a separate corporation for these purposes) must, among other requirements:
Derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from (1) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or certain other income, including gains from options, futures or forward contracts, derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or those currencies and (2) net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" ("QPTP") ("Gross Income Requirement"). A QPTP is a "publicly traded partnership" (see below) other than a partnership at least 90% of the gross income of which is described in clause (1).
Diversify its investments so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year: (1) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with those other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities (equity securities of QPTPs being considered voting securities for these purposes), and (2) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in (a) securities (other than Government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, (b) securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls that are determined to be engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (c) securities of one or more QPTPs ("Diversification Requirements"); and
Distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess (if any) of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) ("Distribution Requirement").
By qualifying for treatment as a RIC, the Fund (but not its shareholders) will be relieved of federal income tax on the part of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it distributes to its shareholders. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for that treatment either — (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, even if it satisfies the Income and Diversification Requirements, or (2) by failing to satisfy the Income Requirement and/or either Diversification Requirement and is unable to, or determines not to, avail itself of provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of the Income and Diversification Requirements as long as the failure "is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect" and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements, then for federal tax purposes,, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends it pays would be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly, for individual and certain other non-corporate (collectively, "individual") shareholders as "qualified dividend income" (as described in the Prospectus)) to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify for RIC treatment would therefore have a negative impact on a Fund's income and performance. Furthermore, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment. It is possible that a Fund will not qualify as a RIC in any given taxable year.
Each Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax ("Excise Tax") to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for that year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts. Each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions by the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for the Excise Tax.
Taxation of Certain Investments and Strategies
If a Fund acquires stock in a foreign corporation that is a "passive foreign investment company" ("PFIC") generally, any foreign corporation, with certain exceptions, that, in general, meets either of the following tests for the taxable year: (1) at least 75% of its gross income is passive or (2) an average of at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, passive income and holds the stock beyond the end of the year of acquisition, a Fund will be subject to federal income tax on any "excess distribution" it receives on the stock and of any gain it realizes from disposition of that stock (collectively, "PFIC income"), plus interest thereon, even if a Fund distributes the PFIC income as a taxable dividend to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for the 15% and 20% maximum federal income tax rates on individuals' "qualified dividend income" described in the Prospectus. A Fund may avoid this tax and interest if it elects to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund;" however, the requirements for that election are difficult to satisfy. If such an election were made, a Fund would be required to include in its income each taxable year a portion of the ordinary income and net capital gains of the PFIC, even if the income and gains were not distributed to a Fund. Any such income and gains would be subject to the Distribution Requirement and to the calendar year Excise Tax distribution requirement.
Alternatively, a Fund may elect to "mark-to-market" its stock in a PFIC it owns at the end of its taxable year. Under such an election, a Fund (1) would include in gross income each taxable year (and treat as ordinary income) an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year over a Fund's adjusted basis in the PFIC stock and (2) would be allowed a deduction (as an ordinary, not a capital, loss) for the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in the PFIC stock over the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included by a Fund for prior taxable years. A Fund's adjusted basis in PFIC stock would be
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adjusted to reflect the amounts included in income, or deducted, under this election. Any gain or loss realized on the sale or other disposition of PFIC stock would be treated as ordinary income or loss. A Fund generally would not be subject to the deferred tax and interest charge discussed above with respect to PFIC stock for which a mark-to-market election has been made.
Investors should be aware that a Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation's shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC and that a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after a Fund acquires shares therein. While a Fund generally will seek to minimize its investments in PFIC shares, and to make appropriate elections when they are available, to lessen the adverse tax consequences described above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so, and it reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.
Hedging strategies, such as entering into forward contracts and selling (writing) and purchasing options and futures contracts, involve complex rules that will determine for federal income tax purposes the amount, character and timing of recognition of gains and losses a Funds may realize in connection therewith. In general, any Fund's (1) gains from the disposition of foreign currencies and (2) gains from options, futures and forward contracts derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or foreign currencies will be treated as qualifying income under the Gross Income Requirement.
A Fund may invest in one or more limited liability companies ("LLCs") and limited partnerships ("LPs") that will be classified for federal tax purposes as partnerships (and, except as expressly stated below, this discussion assumes that classification). LLCs and LPs in which a Fund may invest may include (1) a "publicly traded partnership" (that is, a partnership the interests in which are "traded on an established securities market" or "readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof)") (a "PTP"), which may be a QPTP, or (2) a non-PTP at least 90% of the income of which satisfies the Gross Income Requirement.
If an LLC or LP in which a Fund invests is a QPTP, all its net income (regardless of source) will be qualifying income to a Fund under the Gross Income Requirement. A Fund's investment in QPTPs, together with certain other investments, however, may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets at the end of each quarter of its taxable year in order to satisfy one of the Diversification Requirements. In addition, if a Fund holds more than 10% of a QPTP's equity securities, none of those securities will count toward its satisfying those requirements.
With respect to non-QPTPs, (1) if an LLC or LP (including a PTP) is treated for federal tax purposes as a corporation, distributions from it to a Fund might be treated as "qualified dividend income" and disposition of a Fund's interest therein would generate gain or loss from the disposition of a security, or (2) if such an LLC or LP is not treated as a corporation, a Fund would be treated as having earned its proportionate share of each item of income the LLC or LP earned. In the latter case, a Fund would be able to treat its share of the entity's income as qualifying income under the Gross Income Requirement only to the extent that income would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund in the same manner as realized by the LLC or LP. Certain LLCs and LPs (e.g., private funds) in which a Fund may invest may generate income and gains that is not qualifying income under the Gross Income Requirement. A Fund will monitor its investments in LLCs and LPs to assure its compliance with the requirements for qualification as a RIC.
Dividends and interests a Fund receives, and gains it realizes, on foreign securities may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions (collectively, "foreign taxes") that would reduce the yield and/or total return on its securities. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate foreign taxes, however, and many foreign countries do not impose taxes on capital gains on investments by foreign investors.
Some futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and "non-equity" options ( i.e. , certain listed options, such as those on a "broad-based" securities index) - except any "securities futures contract" that is not a "dealer securities futures contract" (both as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement - in which a Fund invests may be subject to Internal Revenue Code section 1256 (collectively, "Section 1256 contracts"). Any Section 1256 contracts a Fund holds at the end of its taxable year generally must be "marked-to-market" (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for its fair market value) for federal income tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss realized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of Section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of the Excise Tax. These rules may operate to increase the amount that a Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them, and to increase the net capital gain a Fund recognizes, without in either case increasing the cash available to it.
Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code also may apply to a Fund's forward currency contracts and options and futures on foreign currencies. Under that section, each foreign currency gain or loss generally is computed separately and treated as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of a Fund's investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than affecting the amount of its net capital gain. If section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year, a Fund would not be able to distribute any dividends, and any distributions made during that year before the losses were realized would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders, rather than as a dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder's basis in his or her Fund shares.
Offsetting positions a Fund enters into or holds in any actively traded option, futures or forward contract may constitute a "straddle" for federal income tax purposes. Straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of a Fund's gains and losses with respect to positions of the straddle by requiring, among other things, that (1) losses realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred to the extent of any unrealized gain in an offsetting position until the latter position is disposed of, (2) a Fund's holding period in certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in gain being treated as short-term rather than long-term capital gain) and (3) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, that otherwise would constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses. Applicable regulations also provide certain "wash sale" rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and "short sale" rules applicable to straddles. Different elections are available, which may mitigate the
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effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to "mixed straddles" (i.e., a straddle at least one, but not all, positions of which are section 1256 contracts).
When a covered call option written (sold) by a Fund expires, it will realize a short-term capital gain equal to the amount of the premium it received for writing the option. When a Fund terminates its obligations under such an option by entering into a closing transaction, it will realize a short-term capital gain (or loss), depending on whether the cost of the closing transaction is less (or more) than the premium it received when it wrote the option. When a covered call option written by a Fund is exercised, it will be treated as having sold the underlying security, producing long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period of the underlying security and whether the sum of the option price received on the exercise plus the premium received when it wrote the option is more or less than the underlying security's basis.
If a Fund has an "appreciated financial position"—generally, any position (including an interest through an option, futures or forward contract or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt instrument (other than "straight debt") or partnership interest the fair market value of which exceeds its adjusted basis—and enters into a "constructive sale" of the position, a Fund will be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract a Fund or a related person enters into with respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply, however, to any transaction of a Fund during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and a Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is a Fund's risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including certain equity index options and futures, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority that could affect the treatment of income from those instruments and the character, timing and amount of the Fund's taxable income or gains and distributions. If the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") were to assert successfully that income a Fund derives from those investments does not constitute qualifying income, the Fund might cease to qualify as a RIC (with the consequences described above under "Taxation of the Fund") or might be required to reduce its exposure to such investments.
Taxation of the Funds' Shareholders
General
If Fund shares are sold at a loss
after being held for six months or less, the loss will be treated as long-term, instead of short-term, capital loss to the
extent of any capital gain distributions received on those shares. In addition, any loss a shareholder realizes on a redemption
of Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent the shares are replaced within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before
and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares; in that case, the basis in the acquired shares will be adjusted
to reflect the disallowed loss. Investors also should be aware that the price of Fund shares at any time may reflect the
amount of a forthcoming dividend or other distribution, so if they purchase Fund shares shortly before the record date for
a distribution, they will pay full price for the shares and receive some part of the price back as a taxable distribution
even though it represents a partial return of invested capital.
Basis Election and Reporting
A Fund shareholder who wants to use an acceptable method for basis determination with respect to Fund shares he or she
acquired or acquires after December 31, 2011 ("Covered Shares")other than the average basis method, must elect to do so
in writing (which may be electronic). If a shareholder of a Fund fails to affirmatively elect such a method, the basis determination
will be made in accordance with a Fund's default basis method which is average basis. The basis determination method a Fund
shareholder elects may not be changed with respect to a redemption of Covered Shares after the settlement date of the redemption.
In addition to the requirement to report the gross proceeds from redemptions of shares, each Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the IRS and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for Covered Shares that are redeemed and indicate whether they had a short-term (one year or less) or long-term (more than one year) holding period. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted basis determination method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the basis reporting law applies to them. Fund shareholders who acquire and hold Covered Shares through a financial intermediary should contact their financial intermediary for information related to the basis election and reporting.
Backup Withholding
A Fund will be required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury 28% of dividends, capital gain distributions, and
redemption proceeds (regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual
shareholder who fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number furnished to a Fund is correct or who furnishes
an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, "backup withholding"). Withholding at
that rate also is required from a Fund's dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder
who (1) is subject to backup withholding for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly or (2)
fails to certify to a Fund that he or she is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other "exempt
recipient." Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather any amounts so withheld may be credited against your federal
income tax liability or refunded.
Non-U.S. Shareholders
Dividends from the Fund's
investment company taxable income that are paid to a shareholder who is a non-resident alien individual or foreign entity
(a "non-U.S. person") generally are subject to 30% federal withholding tax unless a reduced rate of withholding or a
withholding exemption is provided under an applicable treaty. However, two categories of dividends payable
by a Fund, "short-term capital gain dividends" and "interest-related dividends," to non-U.S. shareholders
(with certain exceptions) are exempt from that tax. "Short-term capital gain dividends" are dividends that are
attributable to net short-term gain, computed with certain adjustments. "Interest-related dividends" are
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dividends that are attributable to "qualified net interest income" (i.e., "qualified interest income," which generally consists of certain original issue discount, interest on obligations "in registered form," and interest on deposits, less allocable deductions) from sources within the United States. Non-U.S. persons are urged to consult their own tax advisers concerning the applicability of that withholding tax.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA")
Under FATCA, "foreign financial institutions" ("FFIs") and "non-financial foreign entities" ("NFFEs") that are Fund shareholders
may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on (1) income dividends a Fund pays and (2) certain capital
gain distributions and the proceeds of redemptions of Fund shares it pays after December 31, 2018. As discussed below, the
FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect
ownership of financial accounts U.S. persons hold with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it certifies its status as such and,
in certain circumstances, that (i) it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) it does have such owners and reports
information relating to them to the withholding agent (which may be a Fund), which will, in turn, report that information
to the IRS.
The U.S. Treasury Department has negotiated intergovernmental agreements ("IGAs") with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with other foreign countries with respect to alternative approaches to implement FATCA. An entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of the IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations, as described below.
An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a "participating FFI," which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the IRS under Section 1471(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the IRS, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.
An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to that country's government (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment of recalcitrant accountholders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.
Those foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in a Fund will need to provide a Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Foreign investors are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in a Fund.
Other Taxes
Statutory rules and regulations regarding state and local taxation of ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend
income dividends and capital gain distributions may differ from the federal income taxation rules described above. Distributions
may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder's participation situation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for its obligations. However, the Trust's Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust may maintain appropriate insurance (e.g., fidelity bonding) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover possible tort and other liabilities. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss due to shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust has not engaged in any other business.
The Trust was originally created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans for American Airlines, Inc. The following individuals (and members of that individual's "immediate family"), are eligible to purchase shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $250,000: (i) employees of the Manager, (ii) employees of the sub-advisor for Funds where it serves as sub-advisor, (iii) members of the Trust's Board of Trustees, (iv) employees of Kelso/Estancia, and (v) members of the Manager's Board of Directors. The term "immediate family" refers to one's spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, parents-in-law, brothers and sisters, sons- and daughters-in-law, a sibling's spouse, a spouse's sibling, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews; relatives by virtue of remarriage (step-children, step-parents, etc.) are included. Any shareholders that the Manager transfers to the Institutional Class upon termination of the class of shares in which the shareholders were originally invested is also eligible for purchasing shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $250,000.
The Investor Class was created to give individuals and other smaller investors an opportunity to invest in the American Beacon Funds. The Y Class was created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans. The A Class and C Class were created for investors investing in the funds through their broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP audits and reports on the Funds' annual financial statements. The audited financial statements include the schedule of investments, statement of assets and liabilities, statement of operations, statements of changes in net assets, financial highlights, notes and report of independent registered public accounting firm.
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The audited financial statements are incorporated by reference to the American Beacon Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders of the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund, and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund for the period ended August 31, 2015.
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APPENDIX A
AMERICAN BEACON ADVISORS, INC.
SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Proxy voting is an important component of investment management and must be performed in a dutiful and purposeful fashion in order to secure the best long-term interests of the advisory clients of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. ("AmBeacon"). AmBeacon's proxy voting policies and procedures are designed to implement AmBeacon's duty to vote proxies in clients' best interests. Given that AmBeacon manages portfolios that invest solely in fixed-income securities, the only securities for which we expect to receive proxies are money market mutual funds. As such, the proxy voting policies and procedures set forth voting guidelines for the proxy issues and proposals common to money market funds.
For routine proposals that will not change the structure, bylaws or operations of the money market fund, AmBeacon's policy is to support management; however, each proposal will be considered individually focusing on the financial interests of the client portfolio. Non-routine proposals, such as board elections, advisory contract and distribution plan approvals, investment objective changes, and mergers, will generally be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with AmBeacon first and foremost considering the effect of the proposal on the portfolio.
Items to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and proposals not contemplated in the policies set forth above will be assessed by AmBeacon. In these situations, AmBeacon will use its judgment to vote in the best interest of the client portfolio. For all proposals, especially controversial or case-by-case evaluations, AmBeacon will be responsible for individually identifying significant issues that could impact the investment performance of the portfolio.
AmBeacon manages portfolios for the American Beacon Funds (the "Beacon Funds") and the American Beacon Select Funds (the "Select Funds"). AmBeacon may invest a Beacon Fund in shares of one or more Select Funds. If a Select Fund solicits a proxy for which a Beacon Fund is entitled to vote, AmBeacon's interests as manager of the Select Fund seeking shareholder votes may conflict with the interests of the Beacon Fund as shareholder of the Select Fund. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interests in these cases, AmBeacon will vote the Beacon Fund's shares in accordance with the Beacon Fund's Board of Trustees' recommendations in the proxy statement.
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
AMERICAN BEACON SELECT FUNDS
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Last Amended July 1, 2012
Preface
Proxy voting is an important component of investment management and must be performed in a dutiful and purposeful fashion in order to secure the best long-term interests of shareholders of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the "Funds"). Therefore, these Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Policy") have been adopted by the Funds.
The Funds are managed by American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager"). The Manager allocates discrete portions of the American Beacon Funds among sub-advisors, but the Manager may directly manage all or a portion of the assets of certain Funds directly. The Funds' Boards of Trustees have delegated proxy voting authority to the Manager. The Manager has in turn delegated proxy voting authority to each sub-advisor with respect to the sub-advisor's respective portion of the Fund(s) under management, but the Manager has retained the authority to override a proposed proxy voting decision by a sub-advisor. For the securities held in their respective portion of each Fund, the Manager and the sub-advisors make voting decisions pursuant to their own proxy voting policies and procedures, which have been adopted by the applicable Fund and approved by the applicable Fund's Board of Trustees.
Conflicts of Interest
The Board of Trustees seeks to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of Fund shareholders. For certain proxy proposals, the interests of the Manager, the sub-advisors and/or their affiliates may differ from Fund shareholders' interests. To avoid the appearance of impropriety and to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders in these circumstances, the Manager and the sub-advisors are required to establish procedures that are reasonably designed to address material conflicts between their interests and those of the Funds.
When a sub-advisor deems that it is conflicted with respect to a voting matter, its policy may call for it to seek voting instructions from the client. The Manager is authorized by the Boards of Trustees to consider any such matters and provide voting instructions to the sub-advisor, unless the Manager has determined that its interests are conflicted with Fund shareholders with respect to the voting matter. In those instances, the Manager will vote in accordance with the recommendation of a third-party proxy voting advisory service.
Each American Beacon Fund has the ability to invest in the shares of any of the American Beacon Select Funds. For example, the American Beacon High Yield Bond Fund may purchase shares of the American Beacon Money Market Select Fund. If the American Beacon Money Market Select Fund issues a proxy for which the American Beacon High Yield Bond Fund is entitled to vote, the Manager's interests regarding the Money Market Fund might appear to conflict with the interests of the shareholders of the High Yield Bond Fund. In these cases, the Manager will vote in accordance with the American Beacon Select Funds Board of Trustees' recommendations in the proxy statement.
If the methods for addressing conflicts of interest, as described above, are deemed by the Manager to be unreasonable due to cost, timing or other factors, then the Manager may decline to vote in those instances.
Securities on Loan
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The Manager shall engage a proxy voting service to notify the Manager before the record date about the occurrence of future shareholder meetings, as feasible. The Manager will determine whether or not to recall shares of the applicable security that are on loan with the intent of the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, voting such shares. The Manager's determination shall be based on factors which may include the nature of the meeting (i.e., annual or special), the percentage of the proxy issuer's outstanding securities on loan, any other information regarding the proxy proposals of which the Manager may be aware, and the loss of securities lending income to a Fund as a result of recalling the shares on loan.
Recordkeeping
The Manager and the sub-advisors shall maintain records of all votes cast on behalf of the Funds. Such documentation will include the firm's proxy voting policies and procedures company reports provided by proxy voting advisory services, additional information gathered by the Manager or sub-advisor that was material to reaching a voting decision, and communications to the Manager regarding any identified conflicts. The Manager and the sub-advisors shall maintain voting records in a manner to facilitate the Funds' production of the Form N-PX filing on an annual basis.
Disclosure
The Manager will coordinate the compilation of the Funds' proxy voting record for each year ended June 30 and file the required information with the SEC via Form N-PX by August 31. The Manager will include a summary of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Manager and the sub-advisors, as applicable, in each Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). In each Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, the Manager will disclose that a description of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Manager and the sub-advisors, as applicable, is a) available upon request, without charge, by toll-free telephone request, b) on the Funds' website (if applicable), and c) on the SEC's website in the SAI. The SAI and shareholder reports will also disclose that the Funds' proxy voting record is available by toll-free telephone request (or on the Funds' website) and on the SEC's website by way of the Form N-PX. Within three business days of receiving a request, the Manager will send a copy of the policy description or voting record by first-class mail.
Manager Oversight
The Manager shall review a sub-advisor's proxy voting policies and procedures for compliance with this Policy and applicable laws and regulations prior to initial delegation of proxy voting authority and on at least an annual basis thereafter.
Board Oversight
On at least an annual basis, the Manager will present a summary of the voting records of the Funds to the Boards of Trustees for their review. The Manager will notify the Boards of Trustees of any material changes to its proxy voting policies and procedures.
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APPENDIX B
PROXY VOTING POLICIES — FUND SUB-ADVISORS
STRATEGIC INCOME MANAGEMENT, LLC
PROXY VOTING
POLICY
Introduction
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to adopt and implement written policies and procedures, reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of its clients. The Rule further requires the adviser to provide a summary of the adviser's proxy voting process and offer to provide copies of the complete proxy voting policy and procedures to clients upon request. Lastly, the Rule requires that the adviser disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how the adviser voted their proxies.
Policy
It is the policy of B&G to vote client proxies via a third party provider, Broadridge Financial Solutions, One Park Avenue, 14 th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Broadridge receives the proxy voting materials, vote proxies pursuant to detailed policies and procedures on file with B&G, and make the proxy voting record available to B&G and its clients. Bahl & Gaynor follows Glass Lewis & Co. proxy voting guidelines.
Recordkeeping
B&G must maintain the documentation described in the following section for a period of not less than five (5) years, the first two (2) years at its principal place of business. The Compliance Officer will be responsible for the following procedures and for ensuring that the required documentation is retained.
Client request to review proxy votes :
Any request, whether written (including e-mail) or oral, received by any employee of B&G, must be promptly reported to the Compliance Officer. All written requests must be retained in the permanent file.
The Compliance Officer will record the identity of the client, the date of the request, and the disposition (e.g., provided a written or oral response to client's request, referred to third party, not a proxy voting client, other dispositions, etc.) in a suitable place.
In order to facilitate the management of proxy voting record keeping process, and to facilitate dissemination of such proxy voting records to clients, the Compliance Officer will distribute to any client requesting proxy voting information the complete proxy voting record of B&G for the period requested. Reports containing proxy information of only those issuers held by a certain client will not be created or distributed. 1
Any report disseminated to a client(s) will contain the following legend:
"This report contains the full proxy voting record of Bahl & Gaynor. If securities of a particular issuer were held in your account on the date of the shareholder meeting indicated, your proxy was voted in the direction indicated (absent your expressed written direction otherwise)."
Furnish the information requested, free of charge, to the client within a reasonable time period (within 10 business days). Maintain a copy of the written record provided in response to client's written (including e-mail) or oral request. A copy of the written response should be attached and maintained with the client's written request, if applicable and maintained in the permanent file.
Clients are permitted to request the proxy voting record for the 5 year period prior to their request.
Disclosure
B&G will ensure that Part II of Form ADV is updated as necessary to reflect: (i) all material changes to the Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures; and (ii) regulatory requirements. Proxy Solicitation The Compliance Officer is to be promptly informed of the receipt of any solicitation from any person to vote proxies on behalf of clients. At no time may any employee accept any remuneration in the solicitation of proxies. The Compliance Officer shall handle all responses to such solicitations.
1 For clients who have provided B&G with specific direction on proxy voting, the Compliance Officer will review the proxy voting record and permanent file in order to identify those proposals voted differently than how Broadridge voted clients not providing direction.
H. Recordkeeping and Reporting
In addition, if SiM exercises voting authority with respect to its clients, it must make and retain the following:
a copy of these policies and procedures;
a copy of each proxy statement that SiM receives regarding Client securities (SiM may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third party to make and retain, on SiM's behalf, a copy of a proxy statement (provided that SiM has obtained an undertaking from the third party to provide a copy of the proxy statement promptly upon request) or may rely on obtaining a copy of a proxy statement from the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system);
a record of each vote cast by SiM on behalf of a Client (SiM may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third party to make and retain, on SiM's behalf, a record of the vote cast (provided that SiM has obtained an undertaking from the third party to provide a copy of the record promptly upon request));
a copy of any document created by SiM that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies on behalf of a Client or that memorializes the basis for that decision; and
a copy of each written Client request for information on how SiM voted proxies on behalf of the Client, and a copy of any written response by SiM to any (written or oral) Client request for information on how SiM voted proxies on behalf of the requesting Client. All books and records required
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to be made and described above generally must be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than six years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in an appropriate office of SiM.
SiM has engaged a third party, US Bank Fund Services, to assist with the preparation and filing of Form N-PX for the AST Funds.
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THE LONDON COMPANY
PROXY VOTING POLICY
I. POLICY
The London Company of Virginia (the "Adviser") acts as discretionary investment adviser for various clients, including clients governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") and registered open-end investment companies ("mutual funds"). The Adviser's authority to vote proxies is established through the delegation of discretionary authority under its investment advisory contracts. Therefore, unless a client (including a "named fiduciary" under ERISA) specifically reserves the right, in writing, to vote its own proxies, the Adviser will vote all proxies in a timely manner as part of its full discretionary authority over client assets in accordance with these Policies and Procedures.
When voting proxies, the Adviser's utmost concern is that all decisions be made solely in the best interest of the client (and for ERISA accounts, plan beneficiaries and participants, in accordance with the letter and spirit of ERISA). The Adviser will act in a prudent and diligent manner intended to enhance the economic value of the assets of the client's account.
The Proxy Voting Committee meets periodically to monitor the firm's overall adherence to the current policies and procedures, as well as providing advice for the revisions thereof. The Committee also reviews the rationale for proxy votes not covered by the policies and procedures, or that present a potential conflict of interest.
II. PURPOSE
The purpose of these Policies and Procedures is to memorialize the procedures and policies adopted by the Adviser to enable it to comply with its fiduciary responsibilities to clients and the requirements of Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("Advisers Act"). These Policies and Procedures also reflect the fiduciary standards and responsibilities set forth by the Department of Labor for ERISA accounts.
III. PROCEDURES
The Adviser is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all proxies received by the Adviser are voted in a timely manner and in a manner consistent with the Adviser's determination of the client's best interests. The Adviser recognizes that some proposals require special consideration which may dictate that the Adviser makes an exception to the Guidelines. The Adviser will vote the recommendation of Glass Lewis* on all proxy votes, unless otherwise directed by the Portfolio Managers.
* London moved from ISS utilizing Institutional Shareholder
Services (ISS) and its proxy voting guidelines, to Broadridge and Glass Lewis guidelines, in April, 2009.
In February,
2014, London upgraded from utilizing Glass Lewis Investment Management to Glass Lewis Full Service.
Conflicts of Interest Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Adviser's interests and a client's interest, including a mutual fund client, the Adviser will resolve the matter on a case-by-case basis by abstaining from the vote, voting in accordance with the guidelines set forth by Glass Lewis, or vote the way London feels is in the best interest of the client.
Limitations In certain circumstances, in accordance with a client's investment advisory contract (or other written directive) or where the Adviser has determined that it is in the client's best interest, the Adviser will not vote proxies received. The following are certain circumstances where the Adviser will limit its role in voting proxies:
1. Client Maintains Proxy Voting
Authority: Where client specifies in writing that it will maintain the authority to vote proxies itself or that it
has delegated the right to vote proxies to a third party, the Adviser will not vote the securities and will direct
the relevant custodian to send the proxy material directly to the client. If any proxy material is received by the
Adviser, it will promptly be forwarded to the client or specified third party.
2. Terminated Account: Once a client account has been terminated with the Adviser in accordance with its investment
advisory agreement, the Adviser will not vote any proxies received after the termination. However, the client may
specify in writing that proxies should be directed to the client (or a specified third party) for action.
3. Limited Value: If the Adviser determines that the value
of a client's economic interest or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant, the Adviser
may abstain from voting a client's proxies. The Adviser also will not vote proxies received for securities which are
no longer held by the client's account.
4. Securities Lending Programs: When securities are out on loan, they are transferred into the borrower's name and
are voted by the borrower, in its discretion. However, where the Adviser determines that a proxy vote (or other shareholder
action) is materially important to the client's account, the Adviser may recall the security for purposes of voting.
5. Unjustifiable Costs: In certain circumstances, after
doing a cost-benefit analysis, the Adviser may abstain from voting where the cost of voting a client's proxy would
exceed any anticipated benefits to the client of the proxy proposal.
6. Paper ballot does not arrive in the mail:
On occasion, a paper ballot will not arrive in the mail until after the voting deadline. In this circumstance, Adviser
is unable to vote the client's proxy.
IV. RECORDKEEPING
In accordance with Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act, the Adviser will maintain for the time periods set forth in the Rule (i) these proxy voting procedures and policies, and all amendments thereto; (ii) all proxy statements received regarding client securities (provided however, that the Adviser may rely on the proxy statement filed on EDGAR as its records); (iii) a record of all votes cast on behalf of clients; (iv) records of all client requests for proxy voting information; (v) any documents prepared by the Adviser that were material to making a decision how to vote or that memorialized the basis for the decision; and (vi) all records relating to requests made to clients regarding conflicts of interest in voting the proxy.
The Adviser will describe in its Part 2A of Form ADV (or other brochure fulfilling the requirement of Rule 204-3) its proxy voting policies and procedures and will inform clients how they may obtain information on how the Adviser voted proxies with respect to the clients' portfolio securities. Clients may
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obtain information on how their securities were voted or a copy of the Adviser's Policies and Procedures by written request addressed to the Adviser. The Adviser will coordinate with all mutual fund clients to assist in the provision of all information required to be filed by such mutual funds on Form N- PX.
Please reference the Proxy Voting Policy for further information.
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ZEBRA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
Policy
Zebra Capital as a matter of policy and as a fiduciary to our clients, does have responsibility for voting proxies for the Zebra Capital investment fund and client portfolio securities consistent with the best economic interests of the funds /clients.
Our firm has established a Proxy Committee which meets periodically to review and approve Zebra Capital's Proxy Policy and oversee the services provided by our proxy service provider, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge").
Zebra Capital has retained Broadridge, a recognized proxy service firm, for proxy services, including research, recommendations, proxy voting and recordkeeping. Zebra Capital maintains these written policies and procedures as to the handling, research, voting and reporting of proxy voting and makes appropriate disclosures about our firm's proxy policies and practices. Our policy and practice also includes the responsibility to monitor corporate actions and client proxies and disclose any potential conflicts of interest as well as making information available to clients about the voting of proxies for their portfolio securities and maintaining relevant and required records.
Background
Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised.
Investment advisers registered with the SEC, and which exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act to (a) adopt and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between an adviser's interests and those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the adviser's proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.
Responsibility
The Proxy Committee has the overall responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our proxy voting policy, practices, disclosures and recordkeeping.
Procedure
Zebra Capital has adopted procedures to implement the firm's policy and reviews to monitor and insure the firm's policy is observed, implemented properly and amended or updated, as appropriate, which include the following:
Voting Procedures
In the very unlikely event any proxy materials are received by Zebra Capital, any employee is to forward any proxy materials received on behalf of funds / clients to our Office Manager for handling and electronic voting and record keeping;
Typically, Broadridge determines which fund / client accounts hold the security to which the proxy relates;
Absent material conflicts, Broadridge/Zebra Capital will determine the proxy voting the proxy based upon its research, voting recommendations and in accordance with applicable Zebra Capital / Broadridge voting guidelines. Typically, Broadridge and / or Zebra Capital completes the proxy forms on-line and votes the Zebra Capital clients' proxies in a timely and appropriate manner.
Disclosure
Zebra Capital provides disclosure information in its Disclosure Document (Form ADV 2A) summarizing this proxy voting policy and procedures, including a statement that clients may request information regarding how Broadridge / Zebra Capital voted a client's proxies, and that clients may request a copy of these policies and procedures.
Client Requests for Information
All client requests for information regarding proxy votes, or policies and procedures, received by any employee should be forwarded to our Office Manager.
In response to any request, the Office Manager will request relevant proxy reports from Broadridge and prepare a written response to the client with the information requested. This information may include, as applicable or requested, the name of the issuer, the proposal voted upon, and how Broadridge / Zebra Capital voted the fund's / client's proxy with respect to each proposal about which client inquired.
Voting Guidelines
In the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, Broadridge / Zebra Capital will vote proxies in the best interests of each particular fund / client. Generally, Broadridge / Zebra Capital policy is to vote all proxies from a specific issuer the same way for each client absent qualifying restrictions from a client or potential or actual conflicts of interests. Clients are generally not allowed to place reasonable restrictions on Zebra Capital's voting authority in the same general manner that they may not place such restrictions on the actual selection of account securities.
Broadridge / Zebra Capital will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors absent conflicts of interest raised by auditors non-audit services.
Broadridge / Zebra Capital will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights.
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In the event Zebra Capital reviews any proxy proposals, e.g., in the event of a potential conflict of interest, the firm may further consider the opinion of management and the effect on management, and the effect on shareholder value and the issuer's business practices, the proxies go to the Proxy Committee for review.
Recordkeeping
The Office Manager will retain the following proxy records either through the Broadridge recordkeeping processes, EDGAR electronic filings or Zebra Capital's records in accordance with the SEC's five-year retention requirement.
These policies and procedures and any amendments;
Each proxy statement that Broadridge/Zebra Capital receives;
A record of each vote that Broadridge/Zebra Capital casts;
Any document Broadridge/Zebra Capital created that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies, or that memorializes that decision including periodic reports to funds, clients or Managing Members, if applicable.
A copy of each written request from a client for information on how Broadridge/Zebra Capital voted such funds/client's proxies, and a copy of any written response.
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APPENDIX C
Below are summaries of the ratings definitions used by some of the rating organizations. Those ratings represent the opinion of the rating organizations as to the credit quality of the issues that they rate. The summaries are based upon publicly available information provided by the rating organizations.
Ratings of Long-Term Obligations and Preferred Stocks — The Funds utilize ratings provided by rating organizations in order to determine eligibility of long-term obligations. The ratings described in this section may also be used for evaluating the credit quality for preferred stocks.
Credit ratings typically evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of bonds. The rating organizations may fail to update a credit rating on a timely basis to reflect changes in economic or financial conditions that may affect the market value of the security. For these reasons, credit ratings may not be an accurate indicator of the market value of a bond.
The four highest Moody's ratings for long-term obligations (or issuers thereof) are Aaa, Aa, A and Baa. Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk. Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Moody's ratings of Ba, B, Caa, Ca and C are considered below investment grade. Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk. Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. Moody's also appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
The four highest Standard & Poor's ratings for long-term obligations are AAA, AA, A and BBB. An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Standard & Poor's ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are considered below investment grade and are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The CC rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default. An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher. An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
The four highest ratings for long-term obligations by Fitch Ratings are AAA, AA, A and BBB. Obligations rated AAA are deemed to be of the highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. Obligations rated AA are deemed to be of very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. Obligations rated A are deemed to be of high credit quality. An A rating denotes expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. Obligations rated BBB are deemed to be of good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.
Fitch's ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C, RD and D are considered below investment grade or speculative grade. Obligations rated BB are deemed to be speculative. BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. Obligations rated B are deemed to be highly speculative. B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. Obligations rated CCC
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indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Obligations rated CC indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable. Obligations rated C indicate exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a 'C' category rating for an issuer include: (a) the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; (b) the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or (c) Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of 'RD' or 'D' to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange. Obligations rated RD indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include: (a) the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; (b) the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; (c) the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or (d) execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. Obligations rated D indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise cease business. Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange. "Imminent" default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future. In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency's opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer's financial obligations or local commercial practice.
Ratings of Municipal Obligations — Moody's ratings for short-term investment-grade municipal obligations are designated Municipal Investment Grade (MIG or VMIG in the case of variable rate demand obligations) and are divided into three levels — MIG/VMIG 1, MIG/VMIG 2 and MIG/VMIG 3. Factors used in determination of ratings include liquidity of the borrower and short-term cyclical elements. The MIG/VMIG 1 rating denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. The MIG/VMIG 2 rating denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. The MIG/VMIG 3 rating denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. An SG rating denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Standard & Poor's uses SP-1, SP-2, and SP-3 to rate short-term municipal obligations. A rating of SP-1 denotes a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation. A rating of SP-2 denotes a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. A rating of SP-3 denotes a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Ratings of Short-Term Obligations — Moody's short-term ratings, designated as P-1, P-2, P-3, or NP, are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations that generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months. The rating P-1 is the highest short-term rating assigned by Moody's and it denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. The rating P-2 denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. The rating P-3 denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term policyholder claims and obligations. The rating NP denotes an issuer (or supporting institutions) that does not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Standard & Poor's short-term ratings are generally assigned to obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days — including commercial paper. A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong. A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to ‘D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
Fitch Ratings' short-term ratings have a time horizon of less than 13 months for most obligations, or up to three years for US public finance, in line with industry standards, to reflect unique risk characteristics of bond, tax, and revenue anticipation notes that are commonly issued with terms up to three years. Short-term ratings thus place greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner. A rating of F1 denotes an obligation of the highest credit quality. It indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments and may have an
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added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. A rating of F2 denotes good credit quality. It indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. A rating of F3 denotes fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non investment grade. A rating of B denotes an obligation that is speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. A rating of C denotes a high default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. A rating of RD indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. A rating of D indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
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American Beacon Funds SM
Statement of Additional Information
December 29, 2015
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This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated December 29, 2015 (the "Prospectus") for the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund (the "Fund"), a series of American Beacon Funds, a Massachusetts business trust. Copies of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 658-5811. You also may obtain copies of the Prospectus without charge by visiting the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Fund's Prospectus. In other words, it is legally a part of the Prospectus. This SAI is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by a current Prospectus. Capitalized terms in this SAI have the same definition as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise defined.
The Fund's Annual Report to shareholders for the period ended August 31, 2015 and the financial statements and accompanying notes appearing therein are incorporated by reference in this SAI. Copies of the Fund's Annual Report may be obtained, without charge, upon request by calling (800) 658-5811.
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Additional Information About Investment Strategies and Risks |
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Additional Information Regarding Contingent Deferred Sales Charges |
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Appendix A: Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures for the Trust |
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ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE FUND
The Fund is a separate series of the American Beacon Funds (the "Trust"), an open- end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on January 16, 1987. The Fund constitutes a separate investment portfolio with a distinct investment objective and distinct purpose and strategy. The Fund is non-diversified. The Fund is comprised of multiple classes of shares designed to meet the needs of different groups of investors. This SAI relates to the A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares of the Fund.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The investment objective and principal investment strategies and risks of the Fund are described in the Prospectus. This section contains additional information about the Fund's investment policies and risks and types of investments the Fund may purchase. The composition of the Fund's portfolio and the strategies that the Fund may use in selecting investments may vary over time. The Fund is not required to use all of the investment strategies described below in pursuing its investment objectives. It may use some of the investment strategies only at some times or it may not use them at all.
Asset-Backed Securities — Asset-backed securities are securities issued by trusts and special purpose entities that are backed by pools of assets, such as automobile and credit-card receivables and home equity loans, which pass through the payments on the underlying obligations to the security holders (less servicing fees paid to the originator or fees for any credit enhancement). Typically, loans or accounts receivable paper are transferred from the originator to a specially created trust, which repackages the trust's interests as securities with a minimum denomination and a specific term. The securities are then privately placed or publicly offered. Examples include certificates for automobile receivables and so called plastic bonds, backed by credit card receivables. The Fund is permitted to invest in asset-backed securities, subject to the Fund's rating and quality requirements.
The value of an asset-backed security is affected by, among other things, changes in the market's perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans and the financial institution providing any credit enhancement. Payments of principal and interest passed through to holders of asset-backed securities are frequently supported by some form of credit enhancement, such as a letter of credit, surety bond, limited guarantee by another entity or by having a priority to certain of the borrower's other assets. The degree of credit enhancement varies, and generally applies to only a portion of the asset-backed security's par value. Value is also affected if any credit enhancement has been exhausted.
Bank Capital Securities — A Fund may invest in bank capital securities. Bank capital securities are issued by banks to help fulfill their regulatory capital requirements. There are two common types of bank capital: Tier I and Tier II. Bank capital is generally, but not always, of investment grade quality. Tier I securities often take the form of trust preferred securities. Tier II securities are commonly thought of as hybrids of debt and preferred stock, are often perpetual (with no maturity date), callable and, under certain conditions, allow for the issuer bank to withhold payment of interest until a later date.
Bank Deposit Notes — Bank deposit notes are obligations of a bank, rather than bank holding company corporate debt. The only structural difference between bank deposit notes and certificates of deposit is that interest on bank deposit notes is calculated on a 30/360 basis, as are corporate notes/bonds. Similar to certificates of deposit, deposit notes represent bank level investments and, therefore, are senior to all holding company corporate debt.
Borrowing Risks — The Fund may borrow money in an amount up to one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) from banks and other financial institutions. The Fund may borrow for temporary purposes or to facilitate short sales. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the Fund's NAV and in its total return. Interest expense and other fees associated with borrowing may reduce the Fund's return.
Callable Securities — The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with call features. A call feature allows the issuer of the security to redeem or call the security prior to its stated maturity date. In periods of falling interest rates, issuers may be more likely to call in securities that are paying higher coupon rates than prevailing interest rates. In the event of a call, the Fund would lose the income that would have been earned to maturity on that security, and the proceeds received by the Fund may be invested in securities paying lower coupon rates. Thus, the Fund's income could be reduced as a result of a call. In addition, the market value of a callable security may decrease if it is perceived by the market as likely to be called, which could have a negative impact on the Fund's total return.
Cash Equivalents — Cash equivalents include certificates of deposit, time deposits, bearer deposit notes, bankers' acceptances, government obligations, commercial paper, short-term corporate debt securities and repurchase agreements.
Bankers' acceptances are short-term credit instruments designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then "accepted" by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.
Certificates of deposit ("CDs") are issued against funds deposited in an eligible bank (including its domestic and foreign branches, subsidiaries and agencies), are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable. U.S. dollar denominated CDs issued by banks abroad are known as Eurodollar CDs. CDs issued by foreign branches of U.S. banks are known as Yankee CDs.
Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
Collateralized Bond Obligations ("CBOs"), Collateralized Debt Obligations ("CDOs") and Collateralized Loan Obligations ("CLOs") — The Fund may invest in each of collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), other collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is often backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed
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income securities such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage- related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. 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. Other CDOs are trusts backed by other types of assets representing obligations of various parties. CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.
For CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs, 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 CBO trust, CLO trust or trust of another CDO typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO, CLO or other CDO 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 CBO, CLO or other CDO securities as a class.
The risks of an investment in a CBO, CLO or other CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Fund's Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs carry additional risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the risk that the Fund may invest in CBOs, CLOs or other CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Commercial Paper — The Fund may invest in commercial paper and other short-term notes. Commercial paper refers to promissory notes representing an unsecured debt of a corporation or finance company with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days. A variable amount master demand note (which is a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender pursuant to which the lender may determine to invest varying amounts.
Common Stock — Common stock generally takes the form of shares in a corporation which represent an ownership interest. It ranks below preferred stock and debt securities in claims for dividends and for assets of the company in a liquidation or bankruptcy. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or decreased demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value may also decline because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or sector. The price of a company's stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or industry regulation. Companies that elect to pay dividends on their common stock generally only do so after they invest in their own business and make required payments to bondholders and on other debt and preferred stock. Therefore, the value of a company's common stock will usually be more volatile than its bonds, other debt and preferred stock. Common stock may be exchange-traded or over-the-counter ("OTC"). OTC stock may be less liquid than exchange-traded stock.
Contracts for Differences — A contract for difference is a contract which one party agrees to pay the other party an amount of money based on the difference between the current value of a security or instrument and its value on a specified date in the future.
Contracts for differences are similar to total return swaps and allow the Fund to take a long or short position without having to own the reference security or index.
Convertible Securities — Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuer's common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. Holders of convertible securities have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders, but may be subordinated to holders of similar non-convertible securities of the same issuer. Because of the conversion feature, certain convertible securities may be considered equity equivalents.
Corporate Actions — From time to time, the Fund may voluntarily participate in actions (for example, rights offerings, conversion privileges, exchange offers, credit event settlements, etc.) where the issuer or counterparty offers securities or instruments to holders or counterparties, such as the Fund, and the acquisition is determined to be beneficial to Fund shareholders ("Voluntary Action"). Notwithstanding any percentage investment limitation listed under the "Investment Restrictions" section or any percentage investment limitation of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act" or "1940 Act") or rules thereunder, if the Fund has the opportunity to acquire a permitted security or instrument through a Voluntary Action, and the Fund will exceed a percentage investment limitation following the acquisition, it will not constitute a violation if, prior to the receipt of the securities or instruments and after announcement of the offering, the Fund sells an offsetting amount of assets that are subject to the investment limitation in question at least equal to the value of the securities or instruments to be acquired.
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Cover and Asset Segregation — The Fund may make investments or employ trading practices that obligate the Fund, on a fixed or contingent basis, to deliver an asset or make a cash payment to another party in the future. The Fund will comply with guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and other applicable regulatory bodies with respect to coverage of certain investments and trading practices. This guidance requires segregation (which may include earmarking) by the Fund of cash or liquid assets with its custodian or a designated sub-custodian to the extent the Fund's obligations with respect to these strategies are not otherwise "covered" through ownership of the underlying security or financial instrument or by offsetting portfolio positions.
For example, if the Fund enters into a currency forward contract to sell foreign currency on a future date, the Fund may cover its obligation to deliver the foreign currency by segregating cash or liquid assets having a value at least equal to the value of the deliverable currency. Alternatively, the Fund could cover its obligation by entering into an offsetting transaction to acquire, on or before the date such foreign currency must be delivered, an amount of foreign currency at least equal to the deliverable amount at a price at or below the sale price to be received by the Fund under the currency forward contract.
The Fund's approach to asset coverage may vary among different types of investments. For example, if the Fund's forward obligation on the transaction is only to make a cash payment equal to the amount, if any, by which the value of the Fund's position is less than that of its counterparty, the Fund will segregate cash or liquidate assets equal to that difference calculated on a daily marked-to-market basis (a "net amount"). Additionally, if the Fund is a protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund, depending on how the credit default swap is settled, usually will segregate assets equal to the full notional value of the swap. If the Fund is protection buyer in a credit default swap, depending on how the credit default swap is settled, it usually will cover the total amount of required premium payments plus the prepayment penalty.
Inasmuch as the Fund covers its obligations under these transactions as described above, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities. Earmarking or otherwise segregating a large percentage of the Fund's assets could impede the sub-advisor's ability to manage the Fund's portfolio.
Creditor Liability and Participation on Creditors Committees — When the Fund holds bonds or other similar fixed income securities of an issuer, the Fund becomes a creditor of the issuer. If the Fund is a creditor of an issuer it may be subject to challenges related to the securities that it holds, either in connection with the bankruptcy of the issuer or in connection with another action brought by other creditors of the issuer, shareholders of the issuer or the issuer itself. The Fund may from time to time participate on committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled issuers of securities held by the Fund. Such participation may subject the Fund to expenses such as legal fees and may make the Fund an "insider" of the issuer for purposes of the federal securities laws, and therefore may restrict such Fund's ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation on such committees also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under the federal bankruptcy laws or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors.
Currencies Risk — The Fund may have significant exposure to foreign currencies for investment or hedging purposes by making direct investments in non- U.S. currencies or in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies, purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. currencies, non-U.S. currency futures contracts, options on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures and swaps for cross-currency investments.
Foreign currencies may decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund's investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.
Cyber-Security Risk — With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, the Fund and its service providers may have become more susceptible to operational and related risks through breaches in cybersecurity. A cybersecurity incident may refer to intentional or unintentional events that allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or Fund service providers (including, but not limited to, the Manager, distributor, fund accountants, custodian, transfer agent, sub-advisors, and financial intermediaries) to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. A cybersecurity incident could, among other things, result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, customers or employees being unable to access electronic systems ("denial of services"), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system repairs.
Any of these results could have a substantial adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. For example, if a cybersecurity incident results in a denial of service, Fund shareholders could lose access to their electronic accounts and be unable to buy or sell Fund shares for an unknown period of time, and employees could be unable to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Fund, such as trading, net asset value ("NAV") calculation, shareholder accounting or fulfillment of Fund share purchases and redemptions. Cybersecurity incidents could cause the Fund or Fund service provider to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss of a significant magnitude and could result in allegations that the Fund or Fund service provider violated privacy and other laws. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity incidents affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions and other parties. Although the Fund and its Manager endeavors to determine that service providers have established risk management systems that seek to reduce the risks associated with cybersecurity, and business continuity plans in the event there is a cybersecurity breach, there are inherent limitations in these systems and plans, including the possibility that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. Furthermore, the Fund does not control the cybersecurity systems and plans of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invest or the Fund's third party service providers or trading counterparties or any other service providers whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders.
Debentures — Debentures are unsecured debt securities. The holder of a debenture is protected only by the general creditworthiness of the issuer.
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Depositary Receipts — American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), Non-Voting Depositary Receipts (NVDRs) — ADRs are depositary receipts for foreign issuers in registered form traded in U.S. securities markets. GDRs are in bearer form and traded in both the U.S. and European securities markets. NVDRs represent financial interests in an issuer but the holder is not entitled to any voting rights. Depositary receipts may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Investing in depositary receipts entails substantially the same risks as direct investment in foreign securities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. In addition, such companies may use different accounting and financial standards (and certain currencies may become unavailable for transfer from a foreign currency), resulting in the Fund's possible inability to convert immediately into U.S. currency proceeds realized upon the sale of portfolio securities of the affected foreign companies. In addition, the Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts, the issuers of which are not obligated to disclose material information about the underlying securities to investors in the United States. Ownership of unsponsored depositary receipts may not entitle the Fund to the same benefits and rights as ownership of a sponsored depositary receipt or the underlying security. Please see "Foreign Securities" below for a description of the risks associated with investments in foreign securities.
Derivatives — Generally a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is based on, or "derived" from, a traditional security, asset, currency, or market index. Some derivatives are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities. There are, in fact, many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. The value of certain derivative securities is linked to other equity securities (such as depositary receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference assets).
The Fund may invest in various types of derivatives, including among others, options (including non-deliverable options), futures, forward currency and other forwards (including non-deliverable forwards), forwards for currency hedges, warrants, structured products (including credit-linked and structured notes), interest rate caps, floors, collars, reverse collars, and credit default swaps. The enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") resulted in historic and comprehensive reform relating to derivatives, including the manner in which they are entered into, reported, recorded, executed, and settled or cleared. Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act the SEC and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") have promulgated a broad range of new regulations with respect to security-based swaps (e.g., derivatives based on a single security or narrow-based securities index), which are regulated by the SEC), and other swaps, which are regulated by the CFTC and the markets in which these instruments trade.
Until recently, advisers of registered investment companies, like the Fund, that trade commodity interests (such as futures contracts, options on futures contracts, non-deliverable forwards and swaps), have been excluded from regulation as commodity pool operators ("CPOs") pursuant to CFTC Regulation 4.5. In 2012, the CFTC amended Regulation 4.5 to dramatically narrow this exclusion. Under the amended Regulation 4.5 exclusion, in order to rely on the exclusion the Fund's commodity interests – other than those used for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC) – must be limited such that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options that are "in-the-money" at the time of purchase) does not exceed 5% of the Fund's NAV, or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of the positions, determined at the time the most recent position was established, does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). Further, to qualify for the exclusion in amended Regulation 4.5, the Fund must satisfy a marketing test, which requires, among other things, that the Fund not hold itself out as a vehicle for trading commodity interests. The Fund's ability to use these instruments also may be limited by tax considerations. See the section entitled "Tax Information."
The compliance date for existing funds, such as the Fund, was January 1, 2013. As the Fund cannot comply with the limitations in Regulation 4.5 above, the Manager registered as a CPO with respect to the Fund. As a result, the Manager and the Fund are subject to regulation by the CFTC.
Derivatives may involve significant risk. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the Fund's initial investment. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty.
Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. The Fund may buy and sell derivatives that are neither centrally cleared nor traded on an exchange. Such derivatives may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk.
Transactions in derivatives may expose the Fund to an obligation to another party and, as a result, the Fund may need to "cover" the obligation or segregate liquid assets in compliance with SEC guidelines, as discussed above under "Cover and Asset Segregation."
Dollar Rolls — A dollar roll is a contract to sell mortgage-backed securities as collateral against a commitment to repurchase similar, but not identical, mortgage-backed securities on a specified future date. The other party to the contract is entitled to all principal, interest, and prepayment cash flows while it holds the collateral. A Fund maintains with its custodian a segregated account containing liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the forward purchase obligation.
Emerging Market Investments — The Fund may invest in the securities and derivatives with exposure to various countries with emerging capital markets. Investments in the securities and derivatives with exposure to countries with emerging capital markets involve significantly higher risks not involved in investments in securities in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities from more developed capital markets, (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments, (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other non-U.S. or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments, (iv) national policies that may limit the Fund's investment opportunities such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests, (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property, and (vi) less diverse or immature
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economic structures. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging capital markets may impose differential capital gain taxes on foreign investors.
Such capital markets are emerging in a dynamic political and economic environment brought about by events over recent years that have reshaped political boundaries and traditional ideologies. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for the Fund. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected markets.
The economies of emerging market countries may be based predominately on only a few industries or may be dependent on revenues from participating commodities or on international aid or developmental assistance, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates.
Also, there may be less publicly available information about emerging markets than would be available in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the U.S., may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid and more volatile than those of mature markets, and securities may be held by a limited number of investors. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the Fund's acquisition or disposal of securities.
The laws in certain emerging market countries may be based upon or be highly influenced by religious codes or rules. The interpretation of how these laws apply to certain investments may change over time, which could have a negative impact on those investments and the Fund.
Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund may use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable.
The Fund may consider a country to be an emerging market country based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, if the country is classified as an emerging or developing economy by any supranational organization such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation or the United Nations, or related entities, or if the country is considered an emerging market country for purposes of constructing emerging markets indices.
Eurodollar and Yankee CD Obligations — Eurodollar obligations are U.S. dollar obligations issued outside the United States by domestic or foreign entities, while Yankee CDs are U.S. dollar obligations issued inside the United States by foreign entities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign issuers and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. Foreign issuers may use different accounting and financial standards, and the addition of foreign governmental restrictions may affect adversely the payment of principal and interest on foreign investments. In addition, not all foreign branches of United States banks are supervised or examined by regulatory authorities as are United States banks, and such branches may not be subject to reserve requirements.
Event-Linked Exposure — The Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in "event-linked bonds" or "event-linked swaps," or by implementing "event-linked strategies". Event-linked exposure results in gains that typically are contingent on the nonoccurrence of a specific "trigger" event, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or other physical or weather-related phenomena. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as "catastrophe bonds." They may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities (such special purpose entities are created to accomplish a narrow and well-defined objective, such as the issuance of a note in connection with a reinsurance transaction). If a trigger event causes losses exceeding a specific amount in the geographic region and time period specified in a bond, the Fund may lose a portion or its entire principal invested in the bond. If no trigger event occurs, the Fund will recover its principal plus interest. For some event-linked bonds, the trigger event or losses may be based on company-wide losses, index-portfolio losses, industry indices, or readings of scientific instruments rather than specified actual losses. Often the event-linked bonds provide for extensions of maturity that are mandatory or optional at the discretion of the issuer, in order to process and audit loss claims in those cases where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. In addition to the specified trigger events, event-linked bonds also may expose the Fund to certain unanticipated risks including but not limited to issuer risk, credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds are a relatively new type of financial instrument. As such, there is no significant trading history of these securities, and there can be no assurance that a liquid market in these instruments will develop. See "Illiquid and Restricted Securities". Lack of a liquid market may impose the risk of higher transaction costs and the possibility that the Fund may be forced to liquidate positions when it would not be advantageous to do so.
Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in the Fund's net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that the Fund's net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, the Fund's expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in the Fund's expense ratio could be significant.
Fixed Income Investments — The Fund may hold debt, including government and corporate debt, and other fixed-income securities. Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause the Fund's net asset value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed-income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. For example, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, they also tend to be more sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates and are therefore more volatile than shorter-term securities and are subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the credit strength of an issuer of a fixed-income security will weaken and/or that the issuer will be unable to make timely principal and interest payments and that the security may go into default. In addition, there is prepayment risk, which is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, certain fixed-income securities with higher interest rates, such as
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mortgage- and asset-backed securities, may be prepaid by their issuers thereby reducing the amount of interest payments. This may result in the Fund having to reinvest its proceeds in lower yielding securities. Securities underlying mortgage- and asset-backed securities, which may include subprime mortgages, also may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. See "High Yield Bonds" disclosure below for the risks associated with low-quality, high-risk corporate bonds, a type of fixed income security.
Foreign Debt Securities — The Fund may invest in foreign fixed and floating rate income securities (including emerging market securities) all or a portion of which may be non-U.S. dollar denominated and which include: (a) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign national, provincial, state, municipal or other governments with taxing authority or by their agencies or instrumentalities, including Brady Bonds; (b) debt obligations of supranational entities; (c) debt obligations of the U.S. Government issued in non-dollar securities; (d) debt obligations and other fixed income securities of foreign corporate issuers (both dollar and non-dollar denominated); and (e) U.S. corporate issuers (both Eurodollar and non-dollar denominated). There is no minimum rating criteria for the Fund's investments in such securities. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers involves special considerations that are not typically associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, emerging markets are markets that have risks that are different and higher than those in more developed markets. See "Eurodollar and Yankee CD Obligations" for a further discussion of these risks.
Foreign Securities — The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers. Foreign issuers are issuers organized and doing business principally outside the United States and include corporations, banks, non-U.S. governments, and quasi-governmental organizations. While investments in foreign securities are intended to reduce risk by providing further diversification, such investments involve sovereign and other risks, in addition to the credit and market risks normally associated with domestic securities. These additional risks include the possibility of adverse political and economic developments (including political or social instability, nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation); the potentially adverse effects of unavailability of public information regarding issuers, less governmental supervision and regulation of financial markets, reduced liquidity of certain financial markets, and the lack of uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or the application of standards that are different or less stringent than those applied in the United States; different laws and customs governing securities tracking; and possibly limited access to the courts to enforce the Fund's rights as an investor.
The Fund also may invest in equity, debt, or other income-producing securities that are denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, including (1) common and preferred stocks, (2) CDs, commercial paper, fixed time deposits, and bankers' acceptances issued by foreign banks, (3) obligations of other corporations, and (4) obligations of foreign governments and their subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities, international agencies, and supranational entities. Investing in foreign currency denominated securities involves the special risks associated with investing in non-U.S. issuers, as described in the preceding paragraph, and the additional risks of (1) adverse changes in foreign exchange rates and (2) adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which could prevent cash from being brought back to the United States). Additionally, dividends and interest payable on foreign securities (and gains realized on disposition thereof) may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from those payments.
The Fund may also invest in foreign "market access" investments, such as participatory notes, low-exercise price options or warrants, equity-linked notes, or equity swaps. These investments may provide economic exposure to an issuer without directly holding its securities. For example, market access investments may be used where regulatory or exchange restrictions make it difficult or undesirable for the Fund to invest directly in an issuer's common stock. Use of market access investments may involve risks associated with derivative investments (see "Derivatives"). Market access investments can be either exchange-traded or over-the-counter. Certain market access investments can be subject to the credit risk of both the underlying issuer and a counterparty. Holders of certain market access investments might not have voting, dividend or other rights associated with shareholders of the referenced securities. Holders of market access investments might not have any right to make a claim against an issuer or counterparty in the event of their bankruptcy or other restructuring. It may be more difficult or time consuming to dispose of certain market access investments than the referenced security.
Commissions on foreign securities exchanges are often at fixed rates and are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the sub-advisor endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on portfolio transactions.
Foreign securities may trade with less frequency and in less volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Additional costs associated with an investment in foreign securities may include higher custodial fees than apply to domestic custody arrangements and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions.
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures. In certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is not invested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.
Interest rates prevailing in other countries may affect the prices of foreign securities and exchange rates for foreign currencies. Local factors, including the strength of the local economy, the demand for borrowing, the government's fiscal and monetary policies, and the international balance of payments, often affect interest rates in other countries. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position.
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts — The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency contracts ("forward currency contracts"). A forward currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specified currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties at a price set at the time of the contract. Because these forward currency contracts normally are settled through an exchange of currencies, they are traded in the interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.
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Forward currency contracts may serve as long hedges — for example, the Fund may purchase a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar price of a security denominated in a foreign currency that it intends to acquire. Forward currency contract transactions also may serve as short hedges — for example, the Fund may sell a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar equivalent of the proceeds from the anticipated sale of a security or from a dividend or interest payment on a security denominated in a foreign currency.
The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to sell a foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. In addition, the Fund may use forward currency contracts when a sub-advisor wishes to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of a security when the Fund is purchasing or selling a security denominated in a foreign currency or anticipates receiving a dividend or interest payment denominated in a foreign currency.
The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts for the purchase or sale of a specified currency at a specified future date either with respect to specific transactions or with respect to portfolio positions in order to minimize the risk to the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies.
The Fund may seek to hedge against changes in the value of a particular currency by using forward currency contracts on another foreign currency or a basket of currencies, the value of which the applicable sub-advisor believes will have a positive correlation to the values of the currency being hedged. Use of a different foreign currency magnifies the risk that movements in the price of the forward contract will not correlate or will correlate unfavorably with the foreign currency being hedged.
In addition, the Fund may use forward currency contracts to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. For example, if the Fund owned securities denominated in a foreign currency that a sub-advisor believed would decline relative to another currency, it might enter into a forward currency contract to sell an appropriate amount of the first foreign currency, with payment to be made in the second currency. Transactions that involve two foreign currencies are sometimes referred to as "cross hedging." Use of a different foreign currency magnifies the Fund's exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
The cost to the Fund of engaging in forward currency contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because forward currency contracts usually are entered into on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved. When the Fund enters into a forward currency contract, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying currency at the maturity of the contract. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
Sellers or purchasers of forward currency contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions on futures, by purchasing or selling, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument sold or bought, respectively. Secondary markets generally do not exist for forward currency contracts, however, with the result that closing transactions generally can be made for forward currency contracts only by negotiating directly with the counterparty. Thus, there can be no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out a forward currency contract at a favorable price prior to maturity. In addition, in the event of insolvency of the counterparty, the Fund might be unable to close out a forward currency contract at any time prior to maturity. In either event, the Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position, and would continue to be required to maintain a position in the securities or currencies that are the subject of the hedge or to maintain cash or securities.
The precise matching of forward currency contract amounts and the value of securities whose U.S. dollar value is being hedged by those contracts involved generally will not be possible because the value of such securities, measured in the foreign currency, will change after the forward currency contract has been established. Thus, the Fund might need to purchase or sell foreign currencies in the spot (cash) market to the extent such foreign currencies are not covered by forward contracts. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.
The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a forward currency contract in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty. If such a default occurs, the Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the forward currency contract, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor.
Non-Deliverable Currency Forwards — The Fund also may enter into non-deliverable currency forwards ("NDFs"). NDFs are cash-settled, short-term forward contracts on foreign currencies (each a "Reference Currency"), generally on currencies that are non-convertible, and may be thinly traded or illiquid. NDFs involve an obligation to pay a U. S. dollar amount (the "Settlement Amount") equal to the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate for the Reference Currency and the agreed upon exchange rate (the "NDF Rate"), with respect to an agreed notional amount. NDFs have a fixing date and a settlement (delivery) date. The fixing date is the date and time at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement (delivery) date is the date by which the payment of the Settlement Amount is due to the party receiving payment.
Although NDFs are similar to other forward currency contracts, NDFs do not require physical delivery of the Reference Currency on the settlement date. Rather, on the settlement date, one counterparty pays the other a U.S. dollar amount equal to the difference between the NDF Rate and the prevailing market exchange rate. NDFs typically may have terms from one month up to two years and are settled in U.S. dollars.
The Fund will typically use NDFs for hedging purposes or for direct investment in a foreign country for income or gain. The use of NDFs for hedging or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Funds' respective returns.
NDFs are subject to many of the risks associated with derivatives in general and forward currency transactions including risks associated with fluctuations in foreign currency and the risk that the counterparty will fail to fulfill its obligations. In addition, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act and regulations adopted by the CFTC in connection with implementing the Dodd-Frank Act, NDFs are deemed to be swaps, and consequently commodity interests for purposes of amended Regulation 4.5.
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Although NDFs have historically been traded OTC, in the future pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, they may be exchange-traded. Under such circumstances, they will be centrally cleared and a secondary market for them will exist. All NDFs are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not perform as contractually required under the NDF. With respect to NDFs that are centrally-cleared, the Fund could lose margin payments it has deposited with the clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if it breaches its obligations under the NDF, becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be entitled to the net amount of gains the investor is entitled to receive plus the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.
Forward Contracts and Futures Contracts — The Fund may enter into forward and futures contracts. Forward and futures contracts including interest rate and treasury futures contracts, obligate the purchaser to take delivery of, or cash settle, a specific amount of a commodity, security or obligation underlying the contract at a specified time in the future for a specified price. Likewise, the seller incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of the underlying obligation against receipt of the specified price. Futures are traded on both U.S. and foreign commodities exchanges. A forward is a private agreement between two parties and is not traded on an exchange.
No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract the Fund is required to deposit "initial margin" consisting of cash or U.S. Government Securities in an amount set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and varying based on the volatility of the underlying asset. Margin must also be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, the Fund may be required by a futures exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.
Subsequent "variation margin" payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as "marking-to-market." Variation margin represents a daily settlement of the Fund's obligations to or from a futures broker. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.
Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures contracts may be closed only on a futures exchange or board of trade that trades that contract. The Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract.
Although many futures contracts by their terms call for the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying asset, in most cases the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract without having to make or take such delivery of the securities or currency.
The offsetting of a contractual obligation is accomplished by buying (or selling, as appropriate) on a commodities exchange an identical futures contract calling for delivery in the same month. Such a transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the securities or currency. Since all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases or sells futures contracts. The Fund has no current intent to accept physical delivery in connection with the settlement of futures contracts.
Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract can vary from the previous day's settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.
If the Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the futures contract or option thereon or to maintain cash or securities in a segregated account.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of securities price or currency exchange rate trends by a sub-advisor may still not result in a successful transaction.
Futures contracts also entail other risks. Although the use of such contracts may benefit the Fund, if investment judgment about the general direction of, for example, an index is incorrect, the Fund's overall performance would be worse than if it had not entered into any such contract. There are differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a forward contract in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty. If such a default occurs, the Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the forward contract, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor.
Futures Contracts on Stock Indices. The Fund may enter into contracts providing for the making and acceptance of a cash settlement based upon changes in the value of an index of securities ("Index Futures Contracts"). This technique may be used to hedge against anticipated future changes in
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market prices that otherwise might either adversely affect the value of securities held by the Fund or adversely affect the prices of securities that are intended to be purchased for the Fund at a later date.
In general, each hedging transaction in Index Futures Contracts involves the establishment of a position that will move in a direction opposite to that of the investment being hedged. If these hedging transactions are successful, the futures positions taken for the Fund will rise in value by an amount that approximately offsets the decline in value of the portion of the Fund's investments that are being hedged. If general market prices move in an unexpected manner, the full anticipated benefits of Index Futures Contracts may not be achieved or a loss may be realized.
Transactions in Index Futures Contracts involve certain risks. These risks could include a lack of correlation between the Futures Contract and the equity market, a potential lack of liquidity in the market and incorrect assessments of market trends, which may result in worse overall performance than if a Futures Contract had not been entered into.
Brokerage costs will be incurred and "margin" will be required to be posted and maintained as a good-faith deposit against performance of obligations under Futures Contracts written into by the Fund.
Growth Companies Risk — Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks may lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. A Fund's investments in growth stocks may underperform value or non-growth stocks that have a broader investment style.
High-Yield Bonds — High-yield, non-investment grade bonds (also known as "junk bonds") are low-quality, high-risk corporate bonds that generally offer a high level of current income. These bonds are considered speculative by rating organizations. For example, Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, Inc. rate them below Baa and BBB, respectively. Please see "Appendix C Ratings Definitions" below for an explanation of the ratings applied to high-yield bonds. High-yield bonds are often issued as a result of corporate restructurings, such as leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, or other similar events. They may also be issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged firms, which are generally less able to make scheduled payments of interest and principal than more financially stable firms. Because of their low credit quality, high-yield bonds must pay higher interest to compensate investors for the substantial credit risk they assume. In order to minimize credit risk, the Fund intends to diversify its holdings among multiple bond issuers.
Lower-rated securities are subject to certain risks that may not be present with investments in higher-grade securities. Investors should consider carefully their ability to assume the risks associated with lower-rated securities before investing in the Fund. The lower rating of certain high yielding corporate income securities reflects a greater possibility that the financial condition of the issuer or adverse changes in general economic conditions may impair the ability of the issuer to pay income and principal. Changes by rating agencies in their ratings of a fixed income security also may affect the value of these investments. However, allocating investments in the Fund among securities of different issuers should reduce the risks of owning any such securities separately. The prices of these high yielding securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. During economic downturns or periods of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that adversely affects their ability to service principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals or to obtain additional financing, and the markets for their securities may be more volatile. If an issuer defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Additionally, accruals of interest income for the Fund may have to be adjusted in the event of default. In the event of an issuer's default, the Fund may write off prior income accruals for that issuer, resulting in a reduction in the Fund's current dividend payment. Frequently, the higher yields of high-yielding securities may not reflect the value of the income stream that holders of such securities may expect, but rather the risk that such securities may lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of their issuer's financial restructuring or default. Additionally, an economic downturn or an increase in interest rates could have a negative effect on the high-yield securities market and on the market value of the high-yield securities held by the Fund, as well as on the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and interest on their borrowings.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities — Generally, an illiquid asset is an asset that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price at which it has been valued.
Historically, illiquid securities have included securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and repurchase agreements having a remaining maturity of longer than seven calendar days. Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. These securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment. However, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of such investments to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of their liquidity.
Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven calendar days. In addition, the Fund may get only limited information about an issuer, so it may be less able to predict a loss. The Fund also might have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.
In recognition of the increased size and liquidity of the institutional market for unregistered securities and the importance of institutional investors in the formation of capital, the SEC adopted Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Rule 144A is designed to facilitate efficient trading among institutional investors by permitting the sale of certain unregistered securities to qualified institutional buyers. To the extent privately placed securities held by the
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Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, the Fund likely will be able to dispose of the securities without registering them under the Securities Act. To the extent that institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities, investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of the Fund's illiquidity. The Manager or a sub-advisor, as applicable, acting under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees ("Board"), may determine that certain securities qualified for trading under Rule 144A are liquid. Regulation S under the Securities Act permits the sale abroad of securities that are not registered for sale in the United States and includes a provision for U.S. investors, such as the Fund, to purchase such unregistered securities if certain conditions are met.
Securities sold in private placement offerings made in reliance on the "private placement" exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) securities") are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as the Fund that agree they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with an intention to distribute to the public. Any resale by the purchaser must be pursuant to an exempt transaction and may be accomplished in accordance with Rule 144A. Section 4(a)(2) securities normally are resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers that make a market in the Section 4(a)(2) securities, thus providing liquidity.
The Manager and the sub-advisor will carefully monitor the Fund's investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities offered and sold under Rule 144A, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity, and availability of information. Investments in Section 4(a)(2) securities could have the effect of reducing the Fund's liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers no longer wish to purchase these restricted securities.
Income Deposit Securities — A Fund may purchase income deposit securities ("IDSs"). Each IDS represents two separate securities, shares of common stock and subordinated notes issued by the same company, that are combined into one unit that trades like a stock on an exchange. Holders of IDSs receive dividends on the common shares and interest at a fixed rate on the subordinated notes to produce a blended yield. An IDS is typically listed on a stock exchange, but the underlying securities typically are not listed on the exchange until a period of time after the listing of the IDS or upon the occurrence of certain events (e.g., a change of control of the issuer of the IDS). When the underlying securities are listed, the holders of IDSs generally have the right to separate the components of the IDSs and trade them separately.
There may be a thinner and less active market for IDSs than that available for other securities. The value of an IDS will be affected by factors generally affecting common stock and subordinated debt securities, including the issuer's actual or perceived ability to pay interest and principal on the notes and pay dividends on the stock.
The federal income tax treatment of IDSs is not entirely clear and there is no authority that directly addresses the tax treatment of securities with terms substantially similar to IDSs. Among other things, although it is expected that the subordinated notes portion of an IDS will be treated as debt, if it is characterized as equity rather than debt, then interest paid on the notes could be treated as dividends (to the extent paid out of the issuer's earnings and profits).
Income Trusts — The Fund may invest in shares of income trusts, including Canadian royalty trusts. An income trust is an investment trust which holds income producing assets and passes the income on to its security holders. The main attraction of an income trust is its ability to generate constant cash flows. Income trusts have the potential to deliver higher yields than bonds. During periods of low interest rates, income trusts may achieve higher yields compared with cash investments. During periods of increasing rates, the opposite may be true. Income trusts may experience losses during periods of both low and high interest rates.
Income trusts generally are structured to avoid taxes at the entity level. In a traditional corporate tax structure, net income is taxed at the corporate level and again when distributed as dividends to its shareholders. Under current law, an income trust, if properly structured, should not be subject to federal income tax. This flow-through structure means that the distributions to income trust investors are generally higher than dividends from an equivalent corporate entity.
Despite the potential for attractive regular payments, income trusts are equity investments, not fixed-income securities, and they share many of the risks inherent in stock ownership. In addition, an income trust may lack diversification and potential growth may be sacrificed because revenue is passed on to security holders, rather than reinvested in the business. Income trusts do not guarantee minimum distributions or even return of capital; therefore, if the business starts to lose money, the trust can reduce or even eliminate distributions. The tax structure of income trusts described above, which would allow income to flow through to investors and be taxed only at the investor level, could be challenged under existing laws, or the tax laws could change.
Indebtedness, Loan Participations and Assignments — Floating rate securities, including loans, provide for automatic adjustment of the interest rate at fixed intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or semi-annually) or automatic adjustment of the interest rate whenever a specified interest rate or index changes. The interest rate on floating rate securities ordinarily is determined by reference to LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate), a particular bank's prime rate, the 90-day U.S. Treasury Bill rate, the rate of return on commercial paper or bank CDs, an index of short-term tax-exempt rates or some other objective measure.
Loan interests are a form of direct debt instrument in which the Fund may invest by taking an assignment of all or a portion of an interest in a loan previously held by another institution or by acquiring a participation in an interest in a loan that continues to be held by another institution. The Fund may invest in secured and unsecured loans. Many banks have been weakened by the recent financial crisis, and it may be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank's financial condition. Loans are subject to the same risks as other direct debt instruments discussed above and carry additional risks described in this section.
Assignments . When the Fund purchases a loan by assignment, the Fund typically succeeds to the rights of the assigning lender under the loan agreement and becomes a lender under the loan agreement. Subject to the terms of the loan agreement, the Fund typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender. However, assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between
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potential assignees and potential assignors, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.
Participation Interests . The Fund's rights under a participation interest with respect to a particular loan may be more limited than the rights of original lenders or of investors who acquire an assignment of that loan. In purchasing participation interests, the Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation interest (the "participating lender") and only when the participating lender receives the payments from the borrower.
In a participation interest, the Fund will usually have a contractual relationship only with the selling institution and not the underlying borrower. The Fund normally will have to rely on the participating lender to demand and receive payments in respect of the loans, and to pay those amounts on to the Fund; thus, the Fund will be subject to the risk that the lender may be unwilling or unable to do so. In such a case, the Fund would not likely have any rights against the borrower directly. In addition, the Fund generally will have no right to object to certain changes to the loan agreement agreed to by the participating lender.
In buying a participation interest, the Fund might not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the related loan and may be subject to any rights of set off the borrower has against the selling institution. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, the obligation of the borrower to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of any improper conduct of the participating lender. As a result, the Fund may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that exist when the Fund is an original lender or assignee.
The Fund's ability to receive payments in connection with loans depends on the financial condition of the borrower. The Manager or the sub-advisor will not rely solely on another lending institution's credit analysis of the borrower, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrower. The Manager's or the sub-advisor's analysis may include consideration of the borrower's financial strength, managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. 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 connection with the restructuring of a loan or other direct debt instrument outside of bankruptcy court in a negotiated work-out or in the context of bankruptcy proceedings, equity securities or junior debt securities may be received in exchange for all or a portion of an interest in the security.
In buying a participation interest, the Fund assumes the credit risk of both the borrower and the participating lender. If the participating lender fails to perform its obligations under the participation agreement, the Fund might incur costs and delays in realizing payment and suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. If a participating lender becomes insolvent, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of that lender. As a general creditor, the Fund may not benefit from a right of set off that the lender has against the borrower. The Fund will acquire a participation interest only if the Manager or the sub-advisor determines that the participating lender or other intermediary participant selling the participation interest is creditworthy.
Loan interests may not be rated by independent rating agencies and therefore, investments in a particular loan participation may depend almost exclusively on the credit analysis of the borrower performed by the Manager or the sub-advisor.
Loans are typically administered by a bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the "agent") for a lending syndicate of financial institutions. In a typical loan, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal and interest and fee payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to all lenders that are parties to the loan agreement. In addition, an institution (which may be the agent) may hold collateral on behalf of the lenders. Typically, under loan agreements, the agent is given broad authority in monitoring the borrower's performance and is obligated to use the same care it would use in the management of its own property. In asserting rights against a borrower, the Fund normally will be dependent on the willingness of the lead bank to assert these rights, or upon a vote of all the lenders to authorize the action. If an agent becomes insolvent, or has a receiver, conservator, or similar official appointed for it by the appropriate regulatory authority, or becomes a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding, the agent's appointment may be terminated and a successor agent would be appointed. If an appropriate regulator or court determines that assets held by the agent for the benefit of purchasers of loans are subject to the claims of the agent's general or secured creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. The Fund may be subject to similar risks when it buys a participation interest or an assignment from an intermediary.
Although most of the loans in which the Fund invests are secured, there is no assurance that the collateral can be promptly liquidated, or that its liquidation value will be equal to the value of the debt. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral if the value of the initial collateral declines. As a result, a loan may not always be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value. If a borrower becomes insolvent, access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy and other laws. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy may pay only a small portion of the amount owed, if they are able to pay at all. If a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund will likely be required to bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. There is also a possibility that the Fund will become the owner of its pro rata share of the collateral which may carry additional risks and liabilities. In addition, under legal theories of lender liability, the Fund potentially might be held liable as a co-lender. In the event of a borrower's bankruptcy or insolvency, the borrower's obligation to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that the borrower can assert as a result of improper conduct by the Agent. Some loans are unsecured. If the borrower defaults on an unsecured loan, the Fund will be a general creditor and will not have rights to any specific assets of the borrower.
Loans may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Loans are not currently listed on any securities exchange or automatic quotation system. As a result, there may not be a recognized, liquid public market for loan interests.
Because many loans are repaid early, the actual maturity of loans is typically shorter than their stated final maturity calculated solely on the basis of the stated life and payment schedule. The degree to which borrowers prepay loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, the borrower's financial condition and competitive conditions among lenders. Such prepayments may require the Fund to replace an investment with a lower yielding security which may have an adverse affect on the Fund's share price. Prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Floating Rate Loans can be less sensitive to prepayment risk, but the Fund's NAV may still fluctuate in
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response to interest rate changes because variable interest rates may reset only periodically and may not rise or decline as much as interest rates in general.
A borrower must comply with various restrictive covenants in a loan agreement such as restrictions on dividend payments and limits on total debt. The loan agreement may also contain a covenant requiring the borrower to prepay the loan with any free cash flow. A breach of a covenant is normally an event of default, which provides the agent or the lenders the right to call the outstanding loan.
Purchasers and sellers of loans may pay certain fees, such as an assignment fee. In addition, the Fund incurs expenses associated with researching and analyzing potential loan investments, including legal fees. Available Information. Loans normally are not registered with the SEC or any state securities commission or listed on any securities exchange. As a result, the amount of public information available about a specific loan historically has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or exchange traded. They may also not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
Index Futures Contracts and Options on Index Futures Contracts — The Fund may invest in index futures contracts, including futures contracts on equity indices, for investment purposes, including for short-term cash management purposes. Like other futures contracts, index futures contracts are derivatives. For a further discussion of the risks of derivatives instruments, see "Derivatives."
Index Futures Contracts . U.S. futures contracts traded on exchanges that have been designated "contract markets" by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant, or brokerage firm, which is a member of the relevant contract market. Index futures contracts are traded on a number of exchanges and are generally cash settled.
At the same time a futures contract on an index is purchased or sold, the Fund must allocate cash or securities as a deposit payment ("initial deposit") based on the contract's face value. Daily thereafter, the futures contract is valued and the payment of "variation margin" may be required.
Options on Index Futures Contracts . The purchase of a call option on an index futures contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call option on such an index.
The Fund may write a call option on a futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the value of the Fund's holdings. The writing of a put option on an index futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the securities underlying the index. If the futures price at expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities that the Fund intends to purchase. If a put or call option the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will incur a loss that will be reduced by the amount of the premium it receives. Depending on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of its portfolio securities and changes in the value of its futures positions, the Fund's losses or gains from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities.
The purchase of a put option on a futures contract with respect to an index is similar in some respects to the purchase of protective put options on the Index. For example, the Fund may purchase a put option on an index futures contract to hedge against the risk of lowering securities values.
The amount of risk the Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract with respect to an index is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of such an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased.
Options on Securities Indices . The Fund may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on securities indices listed on stock exchanges. A securities index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the securities included in the index. Options on securities indices generally are similar to options on securities except that the delivery requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery of securities at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder the right to receive a cash "exercise settlement amount" equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed "index multiplier." The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The writer may offset its position in stock index options prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or the option may expire unexercised.
The Fund may write (sell) covered call and put options to a limited extent on an index ("covered options") in an attempt to increase income.
By writing a covered call option, the Fund forgoes, in exchange for the premium less the commission ("net premium"), the opportunity to profit during the option period from an increase in the market value of an index above the exercise price. By writing a put option, the Fund, in exchange for the net premium received, accepts the risk of a decline in the market value of the index below the exercise price.
The Fund may terminate its obligation as the writer of a call or put option by purchasing an option with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option previously written.
When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the net premium received by the Fund is included in the liability section of the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a deferred credit. The amount of the deferred credit will be subsequently marked to market to reflect the current market value of the option written, which , is the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, the mean between the closing bid and asked price. If an option expires unexercised on its stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, the Fund will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received when the option was sold), and the deferred credit related to such option will be eliminated.
The hours of trading for options on an index may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying securities
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markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets. It is impossible to predict the volume of trading that may exist in such options, and there can be no assurance that viable exchange markets will develop or continue.
Options on securities indices require settlement in cash. Therefore, a sub-advisor may be forced to liquidate portfolio securities to meet settlement obligations. Because the value of an index option depends upon movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or, in the case of certain indices, in an industry or market segment, rather than movements in the price of a particular stock.
Inflation-Indexed Securities — Inflation-indexed securities, also known as inflation-protected securities, are fixed income instruments structured such that their interest and principal payments are adjusted to keep up with inflation.
In periods of deflation when the inflation rate is declining, the principal value of an inflation-indexed security will be adjusted downward. This will result in a decrease in the interest payments. The U.S. Treasury is obligated to repay at least the original principal value at maturity for inflation-indexed securities issued directly by the U.S. Government. However, inflation-indexed securities of other issuers may or may not have the same principal guarantee and may repay an amount less than the original principal value at maturity. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though the Fund will not receive the principal until maturity.
There can be no assurance that the inflation index used will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. The Fund's investments in inflation-linked securities may lose value in the event that the actual rate of inflation is different than the rate of the inflation index. In addition, inflation-linked securities are subject to the risk that the CPI-U or other relevant pricing index may be discontinued, fundamentally altered in a manner materially adverse to the interests of an investor in the securities, altered by legislation of Executive Order in a materially adverse manner to the interests of an investor in the securities or substituted with an alternative index.
Initial Public Offerings — The Fund can invest in initial public offerings ("IPOs"). By definition, securities issued in IPOs have not traded publicly until the time of their offerings. Special risks associated with IPOs may include, among others, the fact that there may only be a limited number of shares available for trading. The market for those securities may be unseasoned. The issuer may have a limited operating history. These factors may contribute to price volatility. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may also make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. In addition, some companies initially offering their shares publicly are involved in relatively new industries or lines of business, which may not be widely understood by investors. Some of the companies involved in new industries may be regarded as developmental state companies, without revenues or operating income, or the near-term prospects of them. Many IPOs are by small- or micro-cap companies that are undercapitalized.
Interfund Lending — Pursuant to an order issued by the SEC, each series of the Trust (each an "American Beacon Fund" or "Fund", and together, the "American Beacon Funds" or "Funds") may participate in a credit facility whereby each American Beacon Fund, under certain conditions, is permitted to lend money directly to and borrow directly from other American Beacon Funds for temporary purposes. The credit facility is administered by a credit facility team consisting of professionals from the Manager's asset management, compliance, and accounting areas who report on credit facility activities to the Board. The credit facility can provide a borrowing Fund with savings at times when the cash position of the Fund is insufficient to meet temporary cash requirements. This situation could arise when shareholder redemptions exceed anticipated volumes and certain Funds have insufficient cash on hand to satisfy such redemptions or when sales of securities do not settle as expected, resulting in a cash shortfall for a fund. When the Funds liquidate portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, they often do not receive payment in settlement for up to three days (or longer for certain foreign transactions). However, redemption requests normally are satisfied immediately. The credit facility provides a source of immediate, short-term liquidity pending settlement of the sale of portfolio securities. Although the credit facility may reduce the Fund's need to borrow from banks, the Fund remains free to establish lines of credit or other borrowing arrangements with banks.
Issuer Risk — The value of an investment may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Investment Grade Securities — Investment grade securities that the Fund may purchase, either as part of its principal investment strategy or to implement its temporary defensive policy, include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as securities rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least two rating organizations rating that security (such as Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, Fitch, Inc. or Moody's Investors Service, Inc.) or rated in one of the four highest rating categories by one rating organization if it is the only organization rating that security. The Fund, at the discretion of the Manager or the applicable sub-advisor, may retain a security that has been downgraded below the initial investment criteria.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk — The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Market Events — Turbulence in the economic, political and financial system has historically resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the capital markets. Both domestic and foreign capital markets have been experiencing increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions could continue.
Reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in small or emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their security prices. These events and possible continued market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the Fund.
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Master Demand Notes
— Master demand notes are direct arrangements of obligations, between a lender and a corporate borrower, that permit the
investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest. They permit daily changes in the amounts borrowed.
The lender has the right to increase or decrease the amount it lends under the note at any time, up to the full amount provided
by the note agreement. The borrower may prepay up to the full amount of the note without penalty. These notes may or may not
be backed by bank letters of credit.
These notes are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower and there is no secondary market for them. The
principal plus accrued interest is redeemable at any time, however. This right to redeem the notes depends on the ability
of the borrower to make the specified payment on demand. The sub-advisors will consider the earning power, cash flow and other
liquidity ratios of an issuer, and its ability to pay principal and interest on demand, including a situation in which all
holders of such notes make demand simultaneously. Investments in master demand notes are subject to the limitation on investments
in illiquid securities.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk — Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger, capitalization companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have limited operating history, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Mortgage-Backed Securities — Mortgage-backed securities consist of both collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through certificates.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ("CMBS") . CMBS are generally multi-class or pass-through securities backed by a mortgage loan or a pool of mortgage loans secured by commercial property, such as industrial and warehouse properties, office buildings, retail space and shopping malls, multifamily properties and cooperative apartments. The commercial mortgage loans that underlie CMBS are generally not amortizing or not fully amortizing. That is, at their maturity date, repayment of the remaining principal balance or "balloon" is due and is repaid through the attainment of an additional loan or sale of the property.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs") . CMOs and interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs") are debt securities collateralized by mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities. CMOs divide the cash flow generated from the underlying mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities into different groups referred to as "tranches," which are then retired sequentially over time in order of priority. The principal governmental issuers of such securities are the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), a corporate instrumentality of the United States created pursuant to an act of Congress that is owned entirely by the Federal Home Loan Banks. The issuers of CMOs are structured as trusts or corporations established for the purpose of issuing such CMOs and often have no assets other than those underlying the securities and any credit support provided. A REMIC is a mortgage securities vehicle that holds residential or commercial mortgages and issues securities representing interests in those mortgages. A REMIC may be formed as a corporation, partnership, or segregated pool of assets. A REMIC itself is generally exempt from federal income tax, but the income from its mortgages is taxable to its investors. For investment purposes, interests in REMIC securities are virtually indistinguishable from CMOs.
Mortgage Pass-Through Securities . Mortgage pass-through securities are securities representing interests in "pools" of mortgages in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are generally made monthly, in effect "passing through" monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on the residential mortgage loans that underlie the securities (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities). They are issued by governmental, government-related and private organizations which are backed by pools of mortgage loans.
Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the FNMA or the FHLMC, which are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations.
Mortgage pass-through securities created by nongovernmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers.
There are a number of important differences among the agencies, instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they issue. Such agencies and securities include:
(1) GNMA Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates ("Ginnie Maes") — GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmers Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. Ginnie Maes entitle the holder to receive all payments (including prepayments) of principal and interest owed by the individual mortgagors, net of fees paid to GNMA and to the issuer which assembles the mortgage pool and passes through the monthly mortgage payments to the certificate holders (typically, a mortgage banking firm), regardless of whether the individual mortgagor actually makes the payment. Because payments are made to certificate holders regardless of whether payments are actually received on the underlying mortgages, Ginnie Maes are of the "modified pass-through" mortgage certificate type. The GNMA is authorized to guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest on the Ginnie Maes. The GNMA guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and the GNMA has unlimited authority to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under the guarantee. The market for Ginnie Maes is highly liquid because of the size of the market and the active participation in the secondary market of security dealers and a variety of investors.
(2) Mortgage-Related Securities Issued by Private Organizations — Pools created by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payments in such pools. However,
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timely payment of interest and principal of these pools is often partially supported by various enhancements such as over-collateralization and senior/ subordination structures and by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance. The insurance and guarantees are issued by government entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers. Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
(3) FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates ("Freddie Macs") — Freddie Macs represent interests in groups of specified first lien residential conventional mortgages underwritten and owned by the FHLMC. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. The FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. In cases where the FHLMC has not guaranteed timely payment of principal, the FHLMC may remit the amount due because of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States or by any of the Federal Home Loan Banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. Please see "Additional Information Regarding Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae" below for further information.
(4) FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates ("Fannie Maes") — Fannie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of conventional mortgage loans secured by first mortgages or deeds of trust, on one family or two to four family, residential properties. The FNMA is obligated to distribute scheduled monthly installments of principal and interest on the mortgages in the pool, whether or not received, plus full principal of any foreclosed or otherwise liquidated mortgages. The obligation of the FNMA under its guarantee is solely its obligation and is not backed by, nor entitled to, the full faith and credit of the United States. Please see "Additional Information Regarding" Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae below for further information.
In September 2008, the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") announced that FNMA and FHLMC had been placed in conservatorship. Since that time, FNMA and FHLMC have received significant capital support through Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage -backed securities. The FHFA and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase FNMA and FHLMC preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. While the mortgage-backed securities purchase programs ended in 2010, the Treasury continued its support for the entities' capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth through at least 2012. When a credit rating agency downgraded long-term U.S. Government debt in August 2011, the agency also downgraded FNMA and FHLMC's bond ratings, from AAA to AA+, based on their direct reliance on the U.S. Government (although that rating did not directly relate to their mortgage-backed securities). From the end of 2007 through the second quarter of 2015, FNMA and FHLMC required Treasury support of approximately $187.5 billion through draws under the preferred stock purchase agreements. As of September 30, 2015, the combined remaining funding commitment under the agreements was approximately $258.1 billion. FNMA and FHLMC have paid approximately $239 billion in aggregate cash dividends to the Treasury. FNMA did not require any draws from Treasury from the fourth quarter of 2011 through the second quarter of 2014. Similarly, FHLMC did not require any draws from Treasury from the first quarter of 2012 through the second quarter of 2015. In April 2014, FHFA projected that FNMA and FHLMC would require no additional draws from Treasury through the end of 2015. However, FHFA also conducted a stress test mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, which suggested that in a "severely adverse scenario" additional Treasury support of between $84.4 billion and $190 billion (depending on the treatment of deferred tax assets) might be required. No assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve or the Treasury will ensure that FNMA and FHLMC remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities that they issue.
In addition, the problems faced by FNMA and FHLMC, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. Government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policymakers regarding the continued role of the U.S. Government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that FNMA and FHLMC increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to the Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by FNMA or FHLMC on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Serious discussions among policymakers continue, however, as to whether FNMA and FHLMC should be nationalized, privatized, restructured or eliminated altogether. FNMA reported in the second quarter of 2014 that there was "significant uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long the company will continue to exist in its current form, the extent of our role in the market, what form we will have, and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated and whether we will continue to exist following conservatorship." FHLMC faces similar uncertainty about its future role. FNMA and FHLMC also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ("CMBS"). CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. Many of the risks of investing in CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
Other Mortgage-Related Securities . Other mortgage-related securities include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property, including mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals or stripped mortgage-backed securities ("SMBS"). Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
CMO Residuals . CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of
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such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only ("IO") class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. See "Other Mortgage-Related Securities-Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities." In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances the Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual.
CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been registered under the Securities Act. CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the Securities Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed "illiquid" and subject to the Fund's limitations on investment in illiquid securities.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ("SMBS") . SMBS are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the "IO" class), while the other class will receive the entire principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the Fund's yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated pre-payments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of the highest rating categories.
Municipal Securities — Municipal securities may include general obligation bonds, municipal lease obligations, resource recovery obligations, revenue obligations, anticipation notes, private activity bonds and municipal warrants. The Fund may invest in both taxable and tax-exempt municipal securities. Municipal securities are subject to credit risk where a municipal issuer of a security might not make interest or principal payments on a security as they become due. Municipal securities are also subject to interest rate risk.
A downgrade in the issuer's or security's credit rating can reduce the market value of the security. A number of municipalities may face severe financial hardship making the possibility of their defaulting on obligations, and/or declaring bankruptcy where allowable, a risk to the value of municipal securities held by the Fund.
General obligation bonds are secured by the pledge of the issuer's full faith, credit, and usually, taxing power. The taxing power may be an unlimited ad valorem tax or a limited tax, usually on real estate and personal property. Most states do not tax real estate, but leave that power to local units of government.
Municipal lease obligations are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land and a wide variety of equipment and facilities. These obligations typically are not fully backed by the municipality's credit and thus interest may become taxable if the lease is assigned. If funds are not appropriated for the following year's lease payments, a lease may terminate with the possibility of default on the lease obligation.
Resource recovery obligations are a type of municipal revenue obligation issued to build facilities such as solid waste incinerators or waste-to-energy plants. Usually, a private corporation will be involved and the revenue cash flow will be supported by fees or units paid by municipalities for use of the facilities. The viability of a resource recovery project, environmental protection regulations and project operator tax incentives may affect the value and credit quality of these obligations.
In this regard, the Fund may invest in Puerto Rican municipal securities, which are exempt from federal income taxes. Adverse market, political, economic or other conditions or developments within Puerto Rico may negatively affect the value of the Fund's holdings in Puerto Rican municipal obligations. Like many U.S. states and municipalities, Puerto Rico experienced a significant downturn during the recent recession. As a result of Puerto Rico's challenging economic and fiscal environment, many ratings organizations have downgraded a number of securities issued in Puerto Rico or placed them on "negative watch." If the economic situation in Puerto Rico persists or worsens, the volatility, credit quality and performance of the Fund could be adversely affected.
Revenue obligations are backed by the revenue cash flow of a project or facility. The interest on such obligations is payable only from the revenues derived from a particular project, facility, specific excise tax or other revenue source. Revenue obligations are not a debt or liability of the local or state government and do not obligate that government to levy or pledge any form of taxation or to make any appropriation for payment.
Tax, revenue or bond anticipation notes are issued by municipalities in expectation of future tax or other revenues that are payable from those taxes or revenues. Bond anticipation notes usually provide interim financing in advance of an issue of bonds or notes, the proceeds of which are used to repay the anticipation notes. Tax-exempt commercial paper is issued by municipalities to help finance short-term capital or operating needs in anticipation of future tax or other revenue.
Private activity bonds are issued to finance, among other things, privately operated housing facilities, pollution control facilities, convention or trade show facilities, mass transit, airport, port or parking facilities and certain facilities for water supply, gas, electricity, sewage or solid waste disposal. Private activity bonds are also issued to privately held or publicly owned corporations in the financing of commercial or industrial facilities. The principal
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and interest on these obligations may be payable from the general revenues of the users of such facilities.
Municipal warrants are essentially call options on municipal bonds. In exchange for a premium, municipal warrants give the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, to purchase a Municipal Bond in the future. The Fund may purchase a warrant to lock in forward supply in an environment where the current issuance of bonds is sharply reduced. Like options, warrants may expire worthless and they may have reduced liquidity.
Options — The Fund may purchase and sell put options and call options on securities indices and foreign currencies in standardized contracts traded on recognized securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, or quoted on the NASDAQ National Market System.
An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver, or pay the value of, the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency.
By writing a covered call option, the Fund forgoes, in exchange for the premium less the commission ("net premium"), the opportunity to profit during the option period from an increase in the market value of the underlying security or currency above the exercise price. By writing a put option, the Fund, in exchange for the net premium received, accepts the risk of a decline in the market value of the underlying security or currency below the exercise price.
The Fund may terminate its obligation as the writer of a call or put option by purchasing an option with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option previously written.
When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the net premium received by the Fund is included in the liability section of the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a deferred credit. The amount of the deferred credit will be subsequently marked to market to reflect the current market value of the option written. The current market value of a traded option is the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, the mean between the closing bid and asked price. If an option expires on its stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, the Fund will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received when the option was sold), and the deferred credit related to such option will be eliminated.
The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying securities markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets. It is impossible to predict the volume of trading that may exist in such options, and there can be no assurance that viable exchange markets will develop or continue.
The Fund may use non-deliverable options ("NDOs") which is a foreign exchange product designed to assist in reducing the foreign exchange risk, in particular situations when physical delivery of the underlying currencies is not required or not possible.
The Fund may write (sell) and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies for hedging or non-hedging purposes. The Fund may use options on foreign currencies to protect against decreases in the U.S. dollar value of securities held or increases in the U.S. dollar cost of securities to be acquired by the Fund or to protect the U.S. dollar equivalent of dividends, interest, or other payments on those securities. In addition, the Fund may write and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies for non-hedging purposes (e.g., when the Manager or sub-advisor anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value, but securities denominated in that currency do not present attractive investment opportunities and are not held in the Fund's investment portfolio). The Fund may write covered call and put options on any currency in order to realize greater income than would be realized on portfolio securities alone.
Currency options have characteristics and risks similar to those of securities options, as discussed herein. Certain options on foreign currencies are traded on the OTC market and involve liquidity and credit risks that may not be present in the case of exchange-traded currency options.
Other Investment Company Securities and Exchange Traded Products — The Fund at times may invest in shares of other investment companies and exchange-traded products, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, business development companies, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), exchange-traded notes ("ETNs") and unit investment trusts. The Fund may invest in investment company securities advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund's proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations. These other fees and expenses are reflected as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and are included in the Fees and Expenses Table for the Fund in its Prospectus, if applicable. Investment in other investment companies may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such issuer's portfolio securities.
The Fund can invest free cash balances in registered open-end investment companies regulated as money market funds under the Investment Company Act to provide liquidity or for defensive purposes. The Fund would invest in money market funds rather than purchasing individual short-term investments. If the Fund invests in money market funds shareholders will bear their proportionate share of the expenses, including for example, advisory and administrative fees, of the money market funds in which the Fund invests, including such fees charged by the Manager to any applicable money market funds advised by the Manager.
The Fund may purchase shares of ETFs. ETFs trade like a common stock and passive ETFs usually represent a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. Typically, the Fund would purchase passive ETF shares to obtain exposure to all or a portion of the stock or bond market. As a shareholder of an ETF, the Fund would be subject to its ratable share of the ETF's expenses, including its advisory and administration expenses. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional mutual fund (i.e., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF
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can fluctuate within a wide range, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value; (2) an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) trading of an ETF's shares may be halted if the listing exchange's officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide "circuit breakers" (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.
The Fund may also invest in ETNs, which are structured debt securities. Whereas ETFs' liabilities are secured by their portfolio securities, ETNs' liabilities are unsecured general obligations of the issuer. ETFs and ETNs have expenses associated with their operation, typically including, with respect to ETFs, advisory fees.
Pay-in-Kind Securities — Pay-in-kind securities are debt securities that do not make regular cash interest payments. Pay-in-kind securities pay interest through the issuance of additional securities. Because these securities do not pay current cash income, their price can be volatile when interest rates fluctuate. Federal income tax law requires the holders of pay-in-kind securities to include in income each year the portion of the original issue discount (or deemed discount) and other non-cash income on such securities accrued during that year. In order to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), and avoid excise tax, the Fund may be required to distribute a portion of such discount and may be required to dispose of other portfolio securities (which may occur in periods of adverse market prices) in order to generate cash to meet these distribution requirements.
Preferred Stock — A preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer's growth may be limited. Preferred stock generally has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed or variable rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Preferred stocks are subject to the risks associated with other types of equity securities, as well as additional risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, potentially greater volatility and risks related to deferral, non-cumulative dividends, subordination, liquidity, limited voting rights, and special redemption rights.
Publicly Traded Partnerships; Master Limited Partnerships — The Fund may invest in publicly traded partnerships such as master limited partnerships ("MLPs"). MLPs issue units that are registered with the SEC and are freely tradable on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. An MLP may have one or more general partners, who conduct the business, and one or more limited partners, who contribute capital. The general partner or are jointly and severally responsible for the liabilities of the MLP. The Fund invests as a limited partner, and normally would not be liable for the debts of an MLP beyond the amount that the Fund has contributed but it would not be shielded to the same extent that a shareholder of a corporation would be. In certain instances, creditors of an MLP would have the right to seek a return of capital that had been distributed to a limited partner. The right of an MLP's creditors would continue even after the Fund had sold its investment in the partnership. MLPs typically invest in real estate, oil and gas equipment leasing assets, but they also finance entertainment, research and development, and other projects.
Real Estate Related Investments — The Fund may gain exposure to the real estate sector by investing in real estate-linked derivatives, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), and common, preferred and convertible securities of issuers in real estate-related industries. Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of the Fund's investments. Investing in securities issued by real estate and real estate-related companies may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Changes in interest rates, debt leverage ratios, debt maturity schedules, and the availability of credit to real estate companies may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in real estate securities. Real estate securities are dependent upon specialized management skills at the operating company level, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of properties. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. The real estate industry tends to be cyclical. Such cycles may adversely affect the value of the Fund's portfolio. The Fund will indirectly bear a proportionate share of a REIT's ongoing operating fees and expense. In addition, U.S.-qualified REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to a) qualify for tax-free pass-through of ordinary income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code, and b) maintain exemption eligibility from the investment company registration requirements.
Repurchase Agreements — A repurchase agreement is an agreement between the Fund as purchaser and an approved counterparty as seller. The agreement is backed by collateral in the form of securities and/or cash transferred by the seller to the buyer, sometimes to be held by an eligible third-party custodian. Under the agreement the Fund acquires securities from the seller and the seller simultaneously commits to repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price and date, normally within a week or on demand. The price for the seller to repurchase the securities is greater than the Fund's purchase price, reflecting an agreed upon rate that is the equivalent of interest. During the term of the repurchase agreement, the Fund monitors on a daily basis the market value of the collateral subject to the agreement and, if the market value of the securities falls below the seller's repurchase amount provided under the repurchase agreement, the seller is required to transfer additional securities or cash collateral equal to the amount by which the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase amount. Because a repurchase agreement permits the Fund to invest temporarily available cash on a fully-collateralized basis, repurchase agreements permit the Fund to earn income while retaining flexibility in pursuit of longer-term investments. Repurchase agreements may exhibit the economic characteristics of loans by the Fund.
The obligation of the seller under the repurchase agreement is not guaranteed, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying securities, whether because of the seller's bankruptcy or otherwise. In such event, the Fund would attempt to exercise its rights with respect to the underlying collateral, including possible sale of the securities. The Fund may incur various expenses in the connection with the exercise of its rights and may be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines in the value of the underlying collateral, (b) possible reduction in levels of income and (c) lack of access to the securities (if they are held through a third-party custodian) and possible inability to enforce the Fund's rights. The Board has established procedures pursuant to which the sub-advisors monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreement transactions.
The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with member banks of the Federal Reserve System or registered broker-dealers who, in the opinion of a sub-advisor, present a minimal risk of default during the term of the agreement. The underlying securities which serve as collateral for repurchase
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agreements may include equity and fixed income securities such as U.S. Government and agency securities, municipal obligations, asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, common and preferred stock, depositary receipts, ETFs, corporate obligations and convertible securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements — The Fund may borrow funds by entering into reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to such agreements, the Fund would sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker/dealers and agree to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will place in a segregated custodial account assets such as liquid high quality debt securities having a value not less than 100% of the repurchase price (including accrued interest), and will subsequently monitor the account to ensure that such required value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
Rights and Warrants — Rights are short-term warrants issued in conjunction with new stock or bond issues. Warrants are options to purchase an issuer's securities at a stated price during a stated term. If the market price of the underlying common stock does not exceed the warrant's exercise price during the life of the warrant, the warrant will expire worthless. Warrants usually have no voting rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the value of a warrant may be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the value of the underlying common stock. Warrants may be purchased with values that vary depending on the change in value of one or more specified indices ("index warrants"). Index warrants are generally issued by banks or other financial institutions and give the holder the right, at any time during the term of the warrant, to receive upon exercise of the warrant a cash payment from the issuer based on the value of the underlying index at the time of the exercise. The market for warrants or rights may be very limited and it may be difficult to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. There is no specific limit on the percentage of assets the Fund may invest in rights and warrants.
Sale Buybacks — The Fund may effect simultaneous purchase and sale transactions that are known as "sale-buybacks". A sale buyback is similar to a reverse repurchase agreement, except that in a sale-buyback, the counterparty that purchases the security is entitled to receive any principal or interest payments make on the underlying security pending settlement of the Fund's repurchase of the underlying security. The Fund's obligations under a sale-buyback typically would be offset by liquid assets equal in value to the amount of the Fund's forward commitment to repurchase the subject security.
Securities Loan Transactions — Securities loan transactions involve the lending of securities to a broker-dealer or institutional investor for its use in connection with short sales, arbitrages or other security transactions. The purpose of a securities loan transaction is to capture any demand premium paid by the borrower and to enable the Fund to continue to own the securities loaned and at the same time earn fee income or income on the collateral held or reinvested by it. Cash collateral received through securities loan transactions may be invested only in those categories of high quality liquid securities previously authorized by the Board. Please see the "Lending of Portfolio Securities" section for additional information.
Securities loans will be made in accordance with the following conditions: (1) the Fund receives at least 100% collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and approved bank letters of credit; (2) the borrower increases the collateral whenever the market value of the loaned securities (determined on a daily basis) rises above the level of collateral; (3) the Fund is able to terminate the loan after notice, at any time; (4) the Fund receives reasonable interest or other return on the loan or a flat fee from the borrower, as well as amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the securities loaned, and any increase in market value of the loaned securities; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; and (6) voting rights on the securities loaned may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that the Fund must be entitled to terminate the loan in order to be able to vote the loaned securities on material issues.
While there may be delays in recovery of loaned securities or even a loss of rights in collateral supplied should the borrower fail financially, loans will be made only to firms deemed to be of good financial standing pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board and will not be made unless the consideration to be earned from such loans is deemed by the Manager to justify the risk. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there is a risk of delay in recovery of the securities loaned or loss of rights in the collateral.
The cash collateral so acquired through securities loan transactions may be invested only in those categories of high quality liquid securities previously authorized by the Board.
Senior Loans — The Fund may invest in senior loans, which include floating rate loans (sometimes referred to as "adjustable rate loans") that hold a senior position in the capital structure of U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities. Under normal circumstances, senior loans have priority of claim ahead of other obligations of a borrower in the event of liquidation. Senior loans may be collateralized or uncollateralized. They pay interest at rates that float above, or are adjusted periodically based on, a benchmark that reflects current interest rates. In addition to the risks typically associated with debt securities, such as credit and interest rate risk discussed above, senior loans are also subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds a senior position in the capital structure of a borrower, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans. Senior loans usually have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions. If a borrower prepays a senior loan, a Fund will have to reinvest the proceeds in other senior loans or securities that may pay lower interest rates.
The Fund may acquire senior loan assignments or participations. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser's rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, a Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the borrower. In purchasing participations, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and a Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. See "Loan Interests" for a discussion of floating rate loans.
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Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities and Zero Coupon Obligations — Separately traded registered interest and principal securities or "STRIPS" and zero coupon obligations are securities that do not make regular interest payments. Instead they are sold at a discount from their face value. A Fund will take into account as income a portion of the difference between these obligations' purchase prices and their face values. Because they do not pay coupon income, the prices of STRIPS and zero coupon obligations can be very volatile when interest rates change. STRIPS are zero coupon bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
Short Sales — In connection with the use of certain instruments based upon or consisting of one or more baskets of securities, the Manager or a sub-advisor may sell a security the Fund does not own, or in an amount greater than the Fund owns (i.e., make short sales). Generally, to complete a short sale transaction, the Fund or its broker will borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed. If the price at the time of replacement is more than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund, the Fund will incur a loss. Conversely, the Fund will realize a gain if the price of the security decreases between selling short and replacement. Although the Fund's gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is theoretically unlimited. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay fees or any interest that accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker and the Fund will pledge additional collateral to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements until the short position is closed out. Until the Fund replaces the borrowed security, it will (a) maintain in a segregated account with its custodian cash or liquid securities at such a level that the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current market value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk — Investing in the securities of small capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies, since smaller companies may have limited operating history, product lines, and financial resources. The securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Standby Commitment Agreements — The Fund may enter into standby commitment agreements, which are agreements that obligate a party, for a set period of time, to buy a certain amount of a security that may be issued and sold at the option of the issuer. The price of a security purchased pursuant to a standby commitment agreement is set at the time of the agreement. In return for its promise to purchase the security, the Fund receives a commitment fee based upon a percentage of the purchase price of the security. The Fund receives this fee whether or not it is ultimately required to purchase the security. There is no guarantee that the securities subject to a standby commitment agreement will be issued or, if such securities are issued, the value of the securities on the date of issuance may be more or less than the purchase price.
The Fund maintains with the Custodian segregated liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the when-issued or forward commitment transaction. When entering into a when-issued or forward commitment transaction, the Fund will rely on the other party to consummate the transaction; if the other party fails to do so, the Fund may be disadvantaged.
Structured Products — The Fund may invest in structured products, including instruments such as credit-linked securities, commodity-linked notes and structured notes, which are potentially high-risk derivatives. For example, a structured product may combine a traditional stock or bond with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a structured product is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a "benchmark"). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a structured product may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark.
Structured products can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including increasing total return. Structured products may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a structured product or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a structured product. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a structured product could be zero. Thus, an investment in a structured product may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest.
The purchase of structured products also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the structured product. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund.
Credit-Linked Securities. The Fund may invest in credit-linked securities (CLSs). CLSs are debt obligations that are issued by limited purpose entities, such as special purpose vehicles, or by financial firms, such as banks, securities firms or their affiliates. They are structured so that their performance is linked to that of an underlying bond or other debt obligation (a "reference asset"), normally by means of an embedded or underlying credit default swap. The Fund may invest in CLSs when the Fund's Sub-Advisor believes that doing so is more efficient than investing in the reference assets directly or when such direct investment by the Fund is not feasible due to legal or other restrictions.
Under the terms of a CLS, the Fund will be entitled to receive a fixed or variable rate of interest on the outstanding principal amount of the CLS, which in turn will be subject to reduction (potentially down to zero) if a "credit event" occurs with respect to the underlying reference asset or its issuer. Such credit events will include, but will not be limited to payment defaults on the reference asset. If a credit event occurs, payments on the CLS would terminate, and the Fund normally would receive delivery of the underlying reference asset (or, in some cases, a comparable "deliverable" asset) in lieu of the repayment of principal. In some cases, however, including but not limited to instances where there has been a market disruption or in which it is or has become illegal, impossible or impracticable for the Fund to purchase, hold or receive the reference assets, the Fund may receive a cash settlement based on the value of the reference asset or a comparable instrument, less fees charged and certain expenses incurred by the CLS issuer. '
CLSs are debt obligations of the CLS issuers, and the Fund would have no ownership or other property interest in the reference assets (other than following a credit event that results in the reference assets being delivered to the Fund) or any direct recourse to the issuers of those reference assets.
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Thus, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of the issuers of the reference assets that underlie its CLSs, as well as to the credit risk of the issuers of the CLSs themselves. CLSs will also be subject to currency risk, liquidity risk, valuation risks, and the other risks of an underlying credit default swap, as well as to risks resulting from potential conflicts of interest with the CLS issuer or sponsor.
Structured Notes. The Fund may invest in structured notes, which are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. For example, its principal amount and/or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases, depending upon the terms of the instrument. The change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured note may be a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument or instruments. Structured notes can be used to increase the Fund's exposure to changes in the value of assets or to hedge the risks of investments that the Fund holds.
Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity. The price of structured notes may be very volatile and they may have a limited trading market, making it difficult to value them or sell them at an acceptable price. In some cases, the Fund may enter into agreements with an issuer of structured notes to purchase minimum amounts of those notes over time. In some cases, the Fund may invest in structured notes that pay an amount based on a multiple of the relative change in value of the asset or reference. This type of note increases the potential for income but at a greater risk of loss than a typical debt security of the same maturity and credit quality.
Certain issuers of structured products may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the Investment Company Act. As a result, the Fund's investments in these structured products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies.
Supranational Risk — Supranational organizations are entities designated or supported by a government or governmental group to promote economic development. Supranational organizations have no taxing authority and are dependent on their members for payments of interest and principal to the extent their assets are insufficient. Further, the lending activities of such entities are limited to a percentage of their total capital, reserves and net income. Obligations of supranational entities are subject to the risk that the governments on whose support the entity depends for its financial backing or repayment may be unable or unwilling to provide that support. Obligations of a supranational entity that are denominated in foreign currencies will also be subject to the risks associated with investments in foreign currencies, as described above in the section "Currency Risk."
Swap Agreements — A swap is a transaction in which the Fund and a counterparty agree to pay or receive payments at specified dates based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates (e.g., interest rates in the case of interest rate swaps) or the performance of specified securities or indices based on a specified amount (the "notional" amount). Nearly any type of derivative, including forward contracts, can be structured as a swap. See "Derivatives" for a further discussion of derivatives risks.
Swap agreements can be structured to provide exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. For example, in an interest rate swap, fixed-rate payments may be exchanged for floating rate payments; in a currency swap, U.S. dollar-denominated payments may be exchanged for payments denominated in a foreign currency; and in a total return swap, payments tied to the investment return on a particular asset, group of assets or index may be exchanged for payments that are effectively equivalent to interest payments or for payments tied to the return on another asset, group of assets, or index. Swaps may have a leverage component, and adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in gains or losses that are substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself.
Some swaps currently are, and more in the future will be, centrally cleared. Swaps that are centrally-cleared are exposed to the creditworthiness of the clearing organizations (and, consequently, that of their members—generally, banks and broker-dealers) involved in the transaction. For example, an investor could lose margin payments it has deposited with the clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if it breaches its agreement with the investor or becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be able to recover only a portion of the net amount of gains on its transactions and of the margin owed to it, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.
Swaps that are not centrally cleared, involve the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the agreement. To mitigate this risk, the Fund will only enter into swap agreements with counterparties considered by a sub-advisor to present minimum risk of default. Changing conditions in a particular market area, whether or not directly related to the referenced assets that underlie the swap agreement, may have an adverse impact on the creditworthiness of a counterparty.
The centrally cleared and OTC swap agreements into which the Fund enters normally provide for the obligations of the Fund and its counterparty in the event of a default of other early termination to be determined on a net basis. Similarly, periodic payments on a swap transaction that are due by each party on the same day normally are netted. To the extent that a swap agreement is subject to netting, the Fund's cover and asset segregation responsibilities will normally be with respect to the net amount owed by the Fund. See "Cover and Asset Segregation" for additional discussion of these matters. However, the Fund may be required to segregate liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of certain swaps, such as written credit default swaps on physically settled forwards or written options. The amount that the Fund must segregate may be reduced by the value of any collateral that it has pledged to secure its own obligations under the swap.
The use of swap agreements requires special skills, knowledge and investment techniques that differ from those required for normal portfolio management. Swaps may be considered illiquid investments; see "Illiquid and Restricted Securities" for a description of liquidity risk.
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Caps, Floors and Collars. The Fund may also enter caps, floors and collars, which are types of interest rate swap agreements. The purchaser of an interest rate cap agrees to pay a premium to the seller in return for the seller paying interest on a specified principal amount to the purchaser based on the extent to which a specified interest rate exceeds a predetermined level. Conversely, the seller of an interest rate floor agrees to pay interest on a specified principal amount to the purchaser based on the extent to which a specified interest rate falls below a predetermined level. A collar combines a cap and selling a floor, establishing a predetermined range of interest rates within which each party agrees to make payments.
Correlation Swaps. A correlation swap is used to speculate on or hedge risks associated with the observed average correlation of a collection of underlying products.
Credit Default Swaps. In a credit default swap, one party (the seller) agrees to make a payment to the other party (the buyer) in the event that a "credit event," such as a default or issuer insolvency occurs with respect to one or more underlying or "reference" bonds or other debt securities. The Fund may be either a seller or a buyer of credit protection under a credit default swap. Credit default swaps may be on a single security, a basket of securities or on a securities index. The purchaser pays a fee during the life of the swap. If there is a credit event with respect to a referenced debt security, the seller under a credit default swap may be required to pay the buyer the par amount (or a specified percentage of the par amount) of that security in exchange for receiving the referenced security (or a specified alternative security) from the buyer. Alternatively, the credit default swap may be cash settled, meaning that the seller will pay the buyer the difference between the par value and the market value of the defaulted bonds. If the swap is on a basket of securities (such as the CDX indices), the notional amount of the swap is reduced by the par amount of the defaulted bond, and the fixed payments are then made on the reduced notional amount. Taking a long position in (i.e., acting as the seller under) a credit default swap increases the exposure to the specific issuers. The risks of being the buyer of credit default swaps include the cost of paying for credit protection if there are no credit events, pricing transparency when assessing the cost of a credit default swap, counterparty risk, and the need to fund any delivery obligation, particularly in the event of adverse pricing when purchasing bonds to satisfy a delivery obligation. Credit default swap buyers are also subject to counterparty risk since the ability of the seller to make required payments is dependent on its creditworthiness.
Currency Swaps. A currency swap involves the exchange of payments denominated in one currency for payments denominated in another. Payments are based on a notional principal amount, the value of which is fixed in exchange rate terms at the swap's inception. Currency swaps are subject to currency risk.
Equity Swaps — Equity swaps are subject to liquidity risk because the liquidity of equity swaps is based on the liquidity of the underlying instrument, and are subject to counterparty risk, i.e., the risk that the counterparty to the equity swap transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract. To the extent that there is an imperfect correlation between the return on the Fund's obligation to its counterparty under the equity swap and the return on related assets in its portfolio, the equity swap transaction may increase the Fund's financial risk. Equity swaps, like many other derivative instruments, involve the risk that, if the derivative security declines in value, additional margin would be required to maintain the margin level. The seller may require the Fund to deposit additional sums to cover this, and this may be at short notice. If additional margin is not provided in time, the seller may liquidate the positions at a loss for which the Fund is liable. The income tax treatment of swap agreements is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service. If such future guidance limits the Fund's ability to use derivatives, the Fund may have to find other ways of achieving its investment objective.
Forward Swaps . A forward swap is created through the use of two swaps with different durations to meet the investment time period desired by a sub-advisor.
Interest Rate and Inflation Swaps . In an interest rate swap, the parties exchange payments based on fixed or floating interest rates multiplied by a hypothetical or "notional" amount. For example, one party might agree to pay the other a specified fixed rate on the notional amount in exchange for recovering a floating rate on that notional amount. Interest rate swap agreements entail both interest rate risk and counterparty risk. There is a risk that based on movements of interest rates, the payments made under a swap agreement will be greater than the payments received.
Total Return Swaps. In a total return swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset such as a security or basket of securities or on a referenced index during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or index. Total return swap agreements may be used to gain exposure to price changes in an overall market or an asset. Total return swaps could result in losses if the underlying asset or index does not perform as anticipated. Written total return swaps can have the potential for unlimited losses.
Volatility Swaps. A volatility swap is a forward contract under which the payments to be received are dependent on the future realized volatility of an underlying asset, such as a stock. A volatility swap involves exposure to volatility, not on whether the value of the underlying asset goes up or down. Volatility swaps can be used to speculate on future volatility or as a hedge against volatility. A volatility swap is subject to the risk that the future volatility of the underlying asset is higher or lower than a sub-advisor anticipated.
Swaptions — Swaptions are options, but not obligations, to establish a position in a swap on predetermined terms at a future date.
Synthetic Convertible Securities — A sub-advisor to the Fund or third party may create a "synthetic" convertible security by combining fixed income securities with the right to acquire equity securities. More flexibility is possible in the assembly of a synthetic convertible security than in the purchase of a convertible security. Although synthetic convertible securities may be selected where the two components are issued by a single issuer, thus making the synthetic convertible security similar to a true convertible security, the character of a synthetic convertible security allows the combination of components representing more than one issuer, when the investment advisor believes that such a combination would better promote the Fund's investment objective. A synthetic convertible security also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for inclusion in a synthetic convertible security but temporarily hold short-term investments while postponing the purchase of a corresponding bond pending development of more favorable market conditions.
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The Fund faces the risk of a decline in the price of the security or the level of the index involved in the convertible component, causing a decline in the value of the call option or warrant purchased to create the synthetic convertible security. Should the price of the stock fall below the exercise price and remain there throughout the exercise period, the entire amount paid for the call option or warrant would be lost. Because a synthetic convertible security includes the fixed-income component as well, a Fund also faces the risk that interest rates will rise, causing a decline in the value of the fixed-income instrument.
The Fund may also purchase synthetic convertible securities manufactured by other parties, including convertible structured notes. Convertible structured notes are fixed income debentures linked to equity, and are typically issued by investment banks. Convertible structured notes have the attributes of a convertible security; however, the investment bank that issued the convertible note assumes the credit risk associated with the investment, rather than the issuer of the underlying common stock into which the note is convertible.
Time-Zone Arbitrage — Investing in foreign securities may involve a greater risk for excessive trading due to "time- zone arbitrage." If an event occurring after the close of a foreign market, but before the time the Fund computes its current net asset value, causes a change in the price of the foreign securities and such price is not reflected in the Fund's current net asset value, investors may attempt to take advantage of anticipated price movements in securities held by the Fund based on such pricing discrepancies.
Trade Claims — The Fund may purchase trade claims and similar obligations or claims against companies in bankruptcy proceedings. Trade claims are nonsecuritized rights of payment arising from obligations that typically arise when vendors and suppliers extend credit to a company by offering payment terms for products and services. If the company files for bankruptcy, payments on these trade claims stop and the claims are subject to compromise along with the other debts of the company. Trade claims may be purchased directly from the creditor or through brokers. There is no guarantee that a debtor will ever be able to satisfy its trade claim obligations. Trade claims are subject to the risks associated with low-quality obligations.
Trust Preferred Securities — The Fund may invest in trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities have the characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Generally, trust preferred securities are issued by a trust that is wholly-owned by a financial institution or other corporate entity, typically a bank holding company. The financial institution creates the trust and owns the trust's common securities. The trust uses the sale proceeds of its common securities to purchase subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the subordinated debt sale to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt. The trust uses the funds received to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust preferred securities. The primary advantage of this structure is that the trust preferred securities are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements.
Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics include long-term maturities, early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. Holders of trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the financial institution. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and subject to restrictions on resale. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as the Fund, to sell their holdings.
U.S. Government Agency Securities — U.S. Government agency securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. Some obligations issued by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others by discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. U.S. Government securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest. While the U.S. Government currently provides financial support to certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, since it is not so obligated by law. U.S. Government securities include U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds, Federal Home Loan Bank obligations, Federal Intermediate Credit Bank obligations, U.S. Government agency obligations and repurchase agreements secured thereby. U.S. Government agency securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.
U.S. Treasury Obligations — U.S. Treasury obligations include bills (initial maturities of one year or less), notes (initial maturities between two and ten years), and bonds (initial maturities over ten years) issued by the U.S. Treasury, Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal component parts of such obligations known as STRIPS and inflation-indexed securities. The prices of these securities (like all debt securities) change between issuance and maturity in response to fluctuating market interest rates. U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.
Value Companies Risk — Value companies are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. While a Fund's investments in value stocks may limit its downside risk over time, a Fund may produce more modest gains than riskier stock funds as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. A Fund's investments in value stocks may underperform growth or non-value stocks that have a broader investment style.
Variable or Floating Rate Obligations — The interest rates payable on certain fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. A variable rate obligation has an interest rate which is adjusted at predesignated periods in response to changes in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate is based. Variable and floating rate obligations are less effective than fixed rate instruments at locking in a particular yield. Nevertheless, such obligations may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons.
The Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments ("floaters") and engage in credit spread trades. The interest rate on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market index or U.S. Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, the Fund will participate in any declines in interest rates as well. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating to a difference in the
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prices or interest rates of two securities or currencies, where the value of the investment position is determined by movements in the difference between the prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the respective securities or currencies.
Variable Rate Auction and Residual Interest Obligations — Variable rate auction and residual interest obligations are created when an issuer or dealer separates the principal portion of a long-term, fixed-rate municipal bond into two long-term, variable-rate instruments. The interest rate on one portion reflects short-term interest rates, while the interest rate on the other portion is typically higher than the rate available on the original fixed-rate bond.
When-Issued and Forward Commitment Transactions — These transactions involve a commitment by the Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date. These transactions enable the Fund to "lock-in" what the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, believes to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, the Fund might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, the Fund might purchase a security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and sell a similar security to settle such purchase, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. If the other party fails to complete the trade, the Fund may lose the opportunity to obtain a favorable price. For purchases on a when-issued basis, the price of the security is fixed at the date of purchase, but delivery of and payment for the securities is not set until after the securities are issued. The value of when-issued securities is subject to market fluctuation during the interim period and no income accrues to the Fund until settlement takes place. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Forward commitment transactions involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. The payment obligation and interest rate are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the forward commitment. Forward commitment transactions are typically used as a hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued.
The Fund maintains with its custodian segregated (or earmarked) liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the when-issued or forward commitment transaction. When entering into a when-issued or forward commitment transaction, the Fund will rely on the other party to consummate the transaction; if the other party fails to do so, the Fund may be disadvantaged.
OTHER INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
In addition to the investment strategies and risks described in the Prospectus, the Fund may:
Engage in dollar rolls or purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. The purchase or sale of when-issued securities enables an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices by locking in an attractive price or yield. The price of when-issued securities is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase or sell is made, but delivery and payment for the when-issued securities takes place at a later date, normally one to two months after the date of purchase. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the purchaser to the issuer and no interest accrues to the purchaser. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Dollar rolls are a type of forward commitment transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a forward commitment basis involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. As with when-issued securities, these transactions involve certain risks, but they also enable an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued. When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a segregated amount of liquid assets at least equal to the value of purchase commitments for such securities will be maintained until the settlement date.
Invest in other investment companies (including affiliated investment companies) to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, or exemptive relief granted by the SEC.
Loan securities to broker-dealers or other institutional investors. Securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by the Fund exceeds 33 1/3 % of its total assets (including the market value of collateral received). For purposes of complying with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions, collateral received in connection with securities loans is deemed an asset of the Fund to the extent required by law.
Enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which securities are acquired by the Fund from a securities dealer or bank subject to resale at an agreed upon price on a later date. The Fund bears a risk of loss in the event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities. However, the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, attempts to minimize this risk by entering into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions that are deemed to be of good financial standing.
Purchase securities sold in private placement offerings made in reliance on the "private placement" exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in Section 4(a)(2) securities and illiquid securities unless the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, determines, by continuous reference to the appropriate trading markets and pursuant to guidelines approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees ("Board") that any Section 4(a)(2) securities held by the Fund in excess of this level are at all times liquid.
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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Fundamental Policies . The Fund has the following fundamental investment policy that enables it to invest in another investment company or series thereof that has substantially similar investment objectives and policies:
Notwithstanding any other limitation, the Fund may invest all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objectives, policies and limitations as the Fund. For this purpose, "all of the Fund's investable assets" means that the only investment securities that will be held by the Fund will be the Fund's interest in the investment company.
Fundamental Investment Restrictions . The following discusses the investment policies of the Fund.
The following restrictions have been adopted by the Fund and may be changed with respect to the Fund only by the majority vote of the Fund's outstanding interests. "Majority of the outstanding voting securities" under the 1940 Act and as used herein means, with respect to the Fund, the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present and represented at the shareholders' meeting or (b) more than 50% of the shares of the Fund.
The Fund may not:
Purchase or sell real estate or real estate limited partnership interests, provided, however, that the Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein when consistent with the other policies and limitations described in the Prospectus.
Invest in 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 foreign currency, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars, securities on a forward-commitment or delayed-delivery basis, and other similar financial instruments).
Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of securities, the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under federal securities law.
Lend any security or make any other loan except (i) as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, (iii) through the purchase of a portion of an issue of debt securities in accordance with the Fund's investment objective, policies and limitations, or (iv) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to Portfolio securities.
Issue any senior security except as otherwise permitted (i) under the 1940 Act or (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff.
Borrow money, except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, including (i) as a temporary measure, (ii) by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, and (iii) by lending portfolio securities as collateral. For purposes of this investment limitation, the purchase or sale of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and other financial instruments shall not constitute borrowing.
Invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of companies primarily engaged in any one industry provided that: (i) this limitation does not apply to obligations issued by U.S. agencies; and (ii) tax-exempt municipalities and their agencies and authorities are not deemed to be industries.
The above percentage limits (except the limitation to borrowings) are based upon asset values at the time of the applicable transaction; accordingly, a subsequent change in asset values will not affect a transaction that was in compliance with the investment restrictions at the time such transaction was effected. With respect to the fundamental investment restriction relating to making loans set forth in number 4 above, securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by the Fund exceeds 33 1/3 % of its total net assets (including the market value of collateral received).
For purposes of the Fund's industry concentration policy, the Manager may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and instrument and may assign an industry classification consistent with those characteristics. The Manager may, but need not, consider industry classifications provided by third parties, and the classifications applied to Fund investments will be informed by applicable law. A large economic or market sector shall not be construed as a single industry or group of industries. The Manager currently considers securities issued by a foreign government (but not the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities) to be an "industry" subject to the 25% limitation. Thus, not more than 25% of a Fund's assets will be invested in securities issued by any one foreign government or supranational organization. The Fund might invest in certain securities issued by companies in a particular industry whose obligations are guaranteed by a foreign government. The Manager could consider such a company to be within the particular industry and, therefore, the Fund will invest in the securities of such a company only if it can do so under its policy of not being concentrated in any particular industry or group of industries.
Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions . The following non-fundamental investment restrictions apply to the Fund and may be changed with respect to the Fund by a vote of a majority of the Board. The Fund may not:
Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including time deposits and repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days; or
Purchase securities on margin, except that (1) the Fund may obtain such short term credits as necessary for the clearance of transactions, and (2) the Fund may make margin payments in connection with foreign currency, futures contracts, options, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars, securities purchased or sold on a forward-commitment or delayed-delivery basis or other financial instruments.
All percentage limitations on investments will apply at the time of the making of an investment and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such investment. Except for the investment restrictions listed above as fundamental or to the extent designated as such in the Prospectus, the other investment policies described in this SAI are not fundamental and may be changed by approval of the Trustees.
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TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE INVESTMENTS
In times of unstable or adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, where the Manager or a sub-advisor believes it is appropriate and in the Fund's best interest, the Fund can invest up to 100% in cash and other types of securities for defensive or temporary purposes. It can also hold cash or purchase these types of securities for liquidity purposes to meet cash needs due to redemptions of Fund shares, or to hold while waiting to invest cash received from purchases of Fund shares or the sale of other portfolio securities.
These temporary investments can include (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short term category by a rating organization; (iii) domestic, Yankee and Eurodollar certificates of deposit or bankers' acceptances of banks rated in the highest short term category by a rating organization; (iv) any of the foregoing securities that mature in one year or less (generally known as "cash equivalents"); (v) other short-term corporate debt obligations; (vi) repurchase agreements; (vii) futures; or (viii) shares of money market funds, including funds advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Portfolio turnover is a measure of trading activity in a portfolio of securities, usually calculated over a period of one year. The rate is calculated by dividing the lesser amount of purchases or sales of securities by the average amount of securities held over the period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would indicate that the Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. High portfolio turnover can increase the Fund's transaction costs and generate additional capital gains or losses.
The portfolio turnover rate increased from 387% during fiscal year ended August 31, 2014 to 492% during fiscal year ended August 31, 2015. The Fund's turnover ratio has increased year-over-year as the larger asset base has permitted the sub-advisors to implement their macro views utilizing the full range of instruments available.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Fund publicly discloses portfolio holdings information as follows:
a complete list of holdings for the Fund on an annual and semi-annual basis in the reports to shareholders within sixty days of the end of each fiscal semi-annual period and in publicly available filings of Form N-CSR with the SEC within ten days thereafter;
a complete list of holdings for the Fund as of the end of its first and third fiscal quarters in publicly available filings of Form N-Q with the SEC within sixty days of the end of the fiscal quarter;
a complete list of holdings for the Fund as of the end of each quarter on the Funds' website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) approximately sixty days after the end of the quarter; and
ten largest holdings for the Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Funds' website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) and in sales materials approximately fifteen days after the end of the calendar quarter.
Public disclosure of the Fund's holdings on the website and in sales materials may be delayed when an investment manager informs the Fund that such disclosure could be harmful to the Fund. In addition, individual holdings may be omitted from website and sales material disclosure, when such omission is deemed to be in the Fund's best interest.
Disclosure of Nonpublic Holdings .
Occasionally, certain interested parties — including individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries that distribute shares of the Fund, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations, and others — may request portfolio holdings information that has not yet been publicly disclosed by the Fund. The Fund's policy is to control the disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information in an attempt to prevent parties from utilizing such information to engage in trading activity harmful to Fund shareholders. To this end, the Board has adopted a Policy and Procedures for Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information (the "Holdings Policy"). The purpose of the Holdings Policy is to define those interested parties who are authorized to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information on a selective basis and to set forth conditions upon which such information may be provided. In general, nonpublic portfolio holdings may be disclosed on a selective basis only when it is determined that (i) there is a legitimate business purpose for the information, (ii) recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information; and (iii) disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders. The Holdings Policy is summarized below.
A variety of third party service providers require access to Fund holdings to provide services to the Fund or to assist the Manager and the sub-advisors in managing the Fund ("service providers"). The service providers have a duty to keep the Fund's nonpublic information confidential either through written contractual arrangements with the Fund (or another Fund service provider) or by the nature of their role with respect to the Fund (or the service provider). The Fund has determined that disclosure of nonpublic holdings information to service providers fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders. In addition, the Fund has determined that disclosure of nonpublic holdings information to members of the Trust's Board of Trustees fulfills a legitimate business purpose, is in in the best interest of Fund shareholders, and each Trustee is subject to a duty of confidentiality.
The Fund has ongoing arrangements to provide nonpublic holdings information to the following service providers:
Service Provider |
Service |
Holdings Access |
Manager |
Investment management and administrator |
Complete list on intraday basis with no lag |
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Certain third parties are provided with nonpublic holdings information (either complete or partial lists) by the Manager or another service provider on an ad hoc basis. These third parties include: broker-dealers, prospective sub-advisors, borrowers of the Fund's portfolio securities, pricing services, legal counsel, and issuers (or their agents). Broker-dealers utilized by the Fund in the process of purchasing and selling portfolio securities or providing market quotations receive limited holdings information on a current basis with no lag. The Manager provides current holdings to investment managers being considered for appointment as a sub-advisor to the Fund. If the Fund participates in securities lending activities, potential borrowers of the Fund's securities receive information pertaining to the Fund's securities available for loan. Such information is provided on a current basis with no lag. The Fund utilizes various pricing services to supply market quotations and evaluated prices to State Street. State Street and the Manager may disclose current nonpublic holdings to those pricing services. An investment manager may provide holdings information to legal counsel when seeking advice regarding those holdings. From time to time, an issuer (or its agent) may contact the Fund requesting confirmation of ownership of the issuer's securities. Such holdings information is provided to the issuer (or its agent) as of the date requested. The Fund does not have written contractual arrangements with these third parties regarding the confidentiality of the holdings information. However, the Fund would not continue to utilize a third party that the Manager determined to have misused nonpublic holdings information.
The Fund has ongoing arrangements to provide periodic holdings information to certain organizations that publish ratings and/or rankings for the Fund or that redistribute the Fund's holdings to financial intermediaries to facilitate their analysis of the Fund. The Fund has determined that disclosure of holdings information to such organizations fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders, as it provides existing and potential shareholders with an independent basis for evaluating the Fund in comparison to other mutual funds. As of the date of this SAI, all such organizations receive holdings information after it has been made public on the Fund's website.
No compensation or other consideration may be paid to the Fund, the Fund's service providers, or any other party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.
Under the Holdings Policy, disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to parties other than those discussed above must meet all of the following conditions:
Recipients of portfolio holdings information must agree in writing to keep the information confidential until it has been posted to the Fund's website and not to trade based on the information;
Holdings may only be disclosed as of a month-end date;
No compensation may be paid to the Fund's the Manager or any other party in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities; and
A member of the Manager's Compliance staff must approve requests for nonpublic holdings information.
In determining whether to approve a request for portfolio holdings disclosure by the Manager, Compliance staff generally considers the type of requestor and its relationship to the Fund, the stated reason for the request, any historical pattern of requests from that same individual or entity, the style and strategy of the Fund for which holdings have been requested (e.g., passive versus active management), whether the Fund is managed by one or multiple investment managers, and any other factors it deems relevant. Any potential conflicts between shareholders and affiliated persons of the Fund that arise as a result of a request for portfolio holdings information shall be decided by the Manager in the best interests of shareholders. However, if a conflict exists between the interests of shareholders and the Manager, the Manager may present the details of the request to the Board for a determination to either approve or deny the request. On a quarterly basis, the Manager will prepare a report for the Board outlining any instances of disclosures of nonpublic holdings during the period that did not comply with the Holdings Policy. The Compliance staff generally determines whether a historical pattern of requests by the same individual or entity constitutes an "ongoing arrangement" and should be disclosed in the Fund's SAI.
The Manager and sub-advisor to the Fund may manage substantially similar portfolio for clients other than the Fund. Those other clients may receive and publicly disclose their portfolio holdings information prior to public disclosure by the Fund. The Holdings Policy is not intended to limit the Manager or the sub-advisor from making such disclosures to their clients.
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LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
The Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions needing to borrow securities to complete certain transactions. In connection with such loans, the Fund remains the beneficial owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts approximately equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. The Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. The Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, it is the Fund's policy to attempt to terminate loans in time to vote those proxies that the Fund determines are material to its interests. Loans of portfolio securities may not exceed 33 1/3 % of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). The Fund will receive collateral consisting of cash in the form of U.S. dollars, foreign currency, or securities issued or fully guaranteed by the U.S. Government which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of cash, the Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or "rebate" from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, the Fund may experience delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the Manager to present acceptable credit risk on a fully collateralized basis. In a loan transaction, the Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The Fund seeks to minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to registered money market funds, including money market funds advised by the Manager that invest in U.S. Government and agency securities.
For all funds that engage in securities lending, the Manager receives compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending, including oversight of the securities lending agent, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. The amount of such compensation depends on the income generated by the loan of the securities. The Fund receives compensation that includes, but is not limited to, fee income in lieu of dividends and interest, or the equivalent, as applicable, on the securities loaned and interest on the investment of the cash collateral.
As of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not intend to engage in securities lending activities.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
The Board of Trustees
The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall management and operations of the Trust and the Fund, which includes the general oversight and review of the Fund's investment activities, in accordance with federal law and the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as the stated policies of the Fund. The Board oversees the Trust's officers and service providers, including American Beacon Advisors, Inc. ("American Beacon"), which is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Fund based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers, including American Beacon's investment personnel and the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). The Board also is assisted by the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm (which reports directly to the Trust's Audit and Compliance Committee), independent counsel and other experts as appropriate, all of whom are selected by the Board.
Risk Oversight
Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Fund, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Fund. American Beacon, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Fund, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Fund. The Board, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, also separately considers potential risks that may impact the Fund. The Board performs this risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees (described below) and through the Board members who are not "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act ("Independent Trustees"). The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Fund.
In general, the Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, liquidity risk, securities selection risk and valuation risk. The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address these and other risks to the Trust and the Fund. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, American Beacon, the Fund's investment adviser, and other service providers to the Fund have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks to the Fund. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Further, American Beacon as manager of the Fund oversees and regularly monitors the investments, operations and compliance of the Fund's investment advisers.
The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Fund through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. Senior officers of the Trust, and senior officers of American Beacon, and the CCO regularly report to the Board on a range of matters, including those relating to risk management. The Board and the Investment Committee also regularly receive reports from American Beacon with respect to the investments, securities trading and securities lending activities of the Fund. In addition to regular reports from American Beacon, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust, either directly or through American Beacon or the Fund's CCO, on a periodic or regular basis. At least annually, the Board receives a report from the CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Fund's compliance program. Also, typically on an annual basis, the Board receives reports, presentations and other information from American Beacon in connection with the Board's consideration of the renewal of each of the Trust's agreements with American Beacon and the Trust's distribution plans under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act.
Senior officers of the Trust and American Beacon also report regularly to the Audit and Compliance Committee on Fund valuation matters and on the Trust's internal controls and accounting and financial reporting policies and practices. In addition, the Audit and Compliance Committee receives regular reports from the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Audit and Compliance Committee meets with the Fund's CCO to discuss matters relating to the Fund's compliance program.
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Board Structure and Related Matters
Independent Trustees constitute at least two-thirds of the Board. Richard A. Massman, an Independent Trustee, serves as Independent Chair of the Board. The Independent Chair's responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and Independent Trustees; and serving as a liaison with other Trustees, the Trust's officers and other management personnel, and counsel to the Fund. The Independent Chair shall perform such other duties as the Board may from time to time determine.
The Trustees discharge their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which operates pursuant to a charter approved by the Board that delineates the responsibilities of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit and Compliance Committee, the Investment Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. For example, the Investment Committee is responsible for oversight of the process, typically performed annually, by which the Board considers and approves the Fund's investment advisory agreement with American Beacon, while specific matters related to oversight of the Fund's independent auditors have been delegated by the Board to its Audit and Compliance Committee, subject to approval of the Audit and Compliance Committee's recommendations by the Board. The members and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized below.
The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair position and its committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Funds, the number of Funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Fund's operations, the number of Trustees, and the Board's responsibilities. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of the Board and each of its committees, the Trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of Funds in the complex.
The Trust is part of the American Beacon Funds Complex, which is comprised of the 25 series within the Trust and 2 series within the American Beacon Select Funds. The same persons who constitute the Board also constitute the board of trustees of American Beacon Select Funds and each Trustee oversees the Trusts' combined 27 series.
The Board holds five (5) regularly scheduled meetings each year. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees also hold at least one in-person meeting each year during a portion of which management is not present and may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.
The Trustees of the Trust are identified in the tables below, which provide information as to their principal business occupations and directorships held during the last five years and certain other information. Subject to the Trustee Emeritus and Retirement Policy described below, a Trustee serves until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. The address of each Trustee listed below is 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039. Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term or until his or her removal, resignation, or retirement*. Each Trustee has and continues to serve the same term as a Trustee of the American Beacon Select Funds as he or she has with the Trust.
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Eugene J. Duffy (61) |
Trustee since 2008 |
Managing Director, Institutional Services, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation (2014-Present); Principal and Executive Vice President, Paradigm Asset Management (1994-2014); Director, Sunrise Bank of Atlanta (2008-2013); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-2012). |
Thomas M. Dunning (73) |
Trustee since 2008 |
Chairman Emeritus (2008-Present); Lockton Dunning Benefits (consulting firm in employee benefits); Board Director, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (2007-Present); Board Member, BancTec (2010-Present) (software consulting); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-2012). |
Richard A. Massman (72) |
Trustee since
2004
|
Consultant and General Counsel Emeritus (2009-Present) and Senior Vice President and General Counsel (1994-2009), Hunt Consolidated, Inc. (holding company engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, refining, real estate, farming, ranching and venture capital activities); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-2012). |
Barbara J. McKenna (52) |
Trustee since 2012 |
Managing Principal, Longfellow Investment Management Company (2005- Present). |
R. Gerald Turner (70) |
Trustee since 2001 |
President, Southern Methodist University (1995-Present); Director, J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (1996-Present); Director, Kronus Worldwide Inc. (chemical manufacturing) (2003-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2001-2012). |
* |
The Board has adopted a retirement policy that requires Trustees, other than Mr. Feld, to retire no later than the last day of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 75. |
** |
Mr. Feld is deemed to be an "interested person" of the Trust, as defined by the Investment Company Act. Mr. Feld's law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP has provided legal services within the past two fiscal years to one or more sub-advisors to certain American Beacon Funds. |
In addition to the information set forth in the tables above and other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Trustee, the following provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Trustee.
Gilbert G. Alvarado: Mr. Alvarado has extensive organizational management and financial experience as vice president and chief financial officer in public charities, and a health conversion private foundation, chief financial and information officer of a the largest health foundation on the Texas/Mexico border and an accountant with a regional health system.
Joseph B. Armes: Mr. Armes has extensive financial, investment and organizational management experience as chairman of the board of directors, president and chief executive officer of an investment company listed on NASDAQ, president and chief executive officer of a private family investment vehicle, chief operating officer of a private holding company for a family office, president, chief executive officer, chief financial officer and director of a special purpose acquisition company listed on the American Stock Exchange, a director and audit committee chair of an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and as an officer of public companies and as a director and officer of private companies.
Gerard J. Arpey: Mr. Arpey has extensive organizational management, financial and international experience serving as chairman, chief executive officer, and chief financial officer of one of the largest global airlines, service as a director of public and private companies, service to several charitable organizations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
W. Humphrey Bogart: Mr. Bogart has extensive experience in the investment management business including as president and chief executive officer of an investment adviser and as a consultant, significant organizational management experience through start-up efforts with a national bank, service as a board member of a university medical center foundation, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Brenda A. Cline: Ms. Cline has extensive organizational management, financial and investment experience as executive vice president, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer to a private foundation, service as a trustee to a private university, a children's hospital and a school, including acting as a member of their investment and\or audit committees, extensive experience as an audit senior manager with a large public accounting firm, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Eugene J. Duffy: Mr. Duffy has extensive experience in the investment management business and organizational management experience as a member of senior management, service as a director of a bank, service as a chairman of a charitable fund and as a trustee to an association, service on the board of a private university and non-profit organization, service as chair to an financial services industry association, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Thomas M. Dunning: Mr. Dunning has extensive organizational management experience founding and serving as chairman and chief executive officer of a private company, service as a director of a private company, service as chairman of a large state municipal bond issuer and chairman of a large airport authority, also an issuer of bonds, service as a board member of a state department of transportation, service as a director of various foundations, service as chair of civic organizations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Alan D. Feld: Mr. Feld has extensive experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as chairman of a law firm, experience as a director of several publicly held companies, service as a trustee of a private university and a board member of a hospital, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Richard A. Massman: Mr. Massman has extensive experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as a founding member of a law firm, experience as a senior vice president and general counsel of a large private company, service as the chairman and director of several foundations, including services on their Investment Committees and Finance Committees, chairman of a governmental board, chairman of various professional organizations and multiple years of service as a Trustee and as Independent Chair.
Barbara J. McKenna: Ms. McKenna has extensive experience in the investment management industry, organizational management experience as a member of senior management, service as a director of an investment manager, member of numerous financial services industry associations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
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R. Gerald Turner: Mr. Turner has extensive organizational management experience as president of a private university, service as a director and member of the audit and governance committees of various publicly held companies, service as a member to several charitable boards, service as a co-chair to an intercollegiate athletic commission, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Committees of the Board
The Trust has an Audit and Compliance Committee ("Audit Committee"). The Audit Committee consists of Ms. Cline (Chair), and Messrs. Duffy, Alvarado, and Dunning. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Audit Committee in an ex-officio non-voting capacity. None of the members of the committee are "interested persons" of the Trust, as defined by the Investment Company Act. As set forth in its charter, the primary duties of the Trust's Audit Committee are: (a) to oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and the Funds and their internal controls and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal controls of certain third-party service providers; (b) to oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (c) to approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; (d) to oversee the Trust's compliance with all regulatory obligations arising under applicable federal securities laws, rules and regulations and oversee management's implementation and enforcement of the Trust's compliance policies and procedures ("Compliance Program"); and (e) to coordinate the Board's oversight of the Trust's CCO in connection with his or her implementation of the Trust's Compliance Program. The Audit Committee met seven (7) times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015.
The Trust has a Nominating and Governance Committee ("Nominating Committee") that is comprised of Messrs. Feld (Chair), Turner, and Massman. As set forth in its charter, the Nominating Committee's primary duties are: (a) to make recommendations regarding the nomination of non-interested Trustees to the Board; (b) to make recommendations regarding the appointment of an Independent Trustee as Chairman of the Board; (c) to evaluate qualifications of potential "interested" members of the Board and Trust officers; (d) to review shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board; (e) to make recommendations to the Board for nomination for membership on all committees of the Board; (f) to consider and evaluate the structure, composition and operation of the Board; (g) to review shareholder recommendations for proposals to be submitted for consideration during a meeting of Fund shareholders; and (h) to consider and make recommendations relating to the compensation of Independent Trustees and of those officers as to whom the Board is charged with approving compensation. Shareholder recommendations for Trustee candidates may be mailed in writing, including a comprehensive resume and any supporting documentation, to the Nominating Committee in care of the Secretary of the Fund. The Nominating and Governance Committee met seven (7) times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015.
The Trust has an Investment Committee that is comprised of Mr. Bogart (Chair), Ms. McKenna, Messrs. Armes and Arpey. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Investment Committee in an ex-officio non-voting capacity. As set forth in its charter, the Investment Committee's primary duties are: (a) to review and evaluate the short- and long-term investment performance of the Manager and each of the designated sub-advisors to the Fund; (b) to evaluate recommendations by the Manager regarding the hiring or removal of designated sub-advisors to the Fund; (c) to review material changes recommended by the Manager to the allocation of Fund assets to a sub-advisor; (d) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the investment objective or principal investment strategies of the Fund; and (e) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the material provisions of the advisory agreement with a sub-advisor, including, but not limited to, changes to the provision regarding compensation. The Investment Committee met ten (10) times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015.
Trustee Ownership in the Funds
The following table shows the amount of equity securities owned in the American Beacon Funds family by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2014.
|
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
American Beacon Fund |
Feld |
Flexible Bond |
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Trusts (36 Funds as of December 31, 2014) |
Over $100,000 |
|
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES * |
|||||||
|
Arpey |
Bogart |
Cline |
Duffy |
Dunning |
Massman |
McKenna |
Turner |
Flexible Bond |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Trusts (36 Funds as of December 31, 2014) |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
None |
Over $100,000 |
* |
Information is not shown for Messers. Alvarado and Armes because they were not Trustees as of December 31, 2014. |
Trustee Compensation
As compensation for their service to the Trust and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the "Trusts"), each Trustee is compensated from the Funds and fund complex as follows: (1) an annual retainer of $110,000; (2) meeting attendance fee (for attendance in person or via teleconference) of
31 |
(a) $2,500 for attendance by Board members for each regularly scheduled Board meeting, (b) $2,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Audit Committee and the Investment Committee, and (c) $1,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Nominating Committee; and (3) reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in attending Board meetings, Committee meetings, and relevant educational seminars. The Trustees also may receive compensation for attendance at special Board and/or Committee meetings from time to time.
For his service as Board Chairman, Mr. Massman receives an additional annual retainer of $25,000. Although, he attends several committee meetings at each quarterly Board meeting, he receives only a single $2,500 fee each quarter for his attendance at those meetings. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Chairman of the Investment Committee each also receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000.
1 |
Upon retirement from the Board, each of these Trustees is eligible for flight benefits afforded to Trustees who served on the Boards as of June 4, 2008 as described below. |
The Boards adopted a Trustee Retirement Policy and Trustee Emeritus and Retirement Plan ("Plan"). The Plan provides that a Trustee who has served on the Boards prior to September 12, 2008, and who has reached a mandatory retirement age established by the Board (currently 75) is eligible to elect Trustee Emeritus status ("Eligible Trustees"). The Eligible Trustees are Messrs. Bogart, Feld, Massman and Turner and Ms. Cline. The mandatory retirement age does not apply to Mr. Feld. Additionally, Eligible Trustees who have served on the Board of one or more Trusts for at least five years may elect to retire from the Board at an earlier age and immediately assume Trustee Emeritus status. The Board has determined that, other than the Plan established for Eligible Trustees, no other retirement benefits will accrue for current or future Trustees.
Upon assuming Trustee Emeritus status, each eligible Trustee and his or her spouse (or designated companion) may receive annual flight benefits from the Trusts of up to $40,000 combined, on a tax-grossed up basis, on American Airlines (a subsidiary of the Manager's former parent company) for a maximum period of 10 years, depending upon length of service prior to September 12, 2008. Eligible Trustees may opt to receive instead an annual retainer of $20,000 from the Trusts in lieu of flight benefits. No retirement benefits are accrued for Board service after September 12, 2008.
A Trustee Emeritus must commit to provide certain ongoing services and advice to the Board members and the Trusts; however, a Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Fund(s). Currently, two individuals who retired from the Board prior to September 12, 2008, have assumed Trustee Emeritus status. One receives an annual retainer of $20,000 from the Trusts. The other individual and his spouse receive annual flight benefits of up to $40,000 combined, on a tax-grossed up basis, on American Airlines.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The Officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. As of the date of this SAI, the Officers of the Trust, their ages, their business address and their principal occupations and directorships during the past five years are as set forth below. The address of each Officer is 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039. Each Officer serves for a term of one year or until his or her resignation, retirement, or removal. Each Officer has and continues to hold the same position with the American Beacon Select Funds as listed below for the Trust.
32 |
CODE OF ETHICS
The Manager, the Trust and the sub-advisors each have adopted a Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act. Each Code of Ethics significantly restricts the personal trading of all employees with access to non-public portfolio information. For example, each Code of Ethics generally requires pre-clearance of all personal securities trades (with limited exceptions) and prohibits employees from purchasing or selling a security that is being purchased or sold or being considered for purchase (with limited exceptions) or sale by any Fund. In addition, the Manager's and Trust's Code of Ethics require employees to report trades in shares of the Trusts. Each Code of Ethics is on public file with, and may be obtained from, the SEC.
33 |
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
From time to time, the Fund may own a security whose issuer solicits a proxy vote on certain matters. The Board seeks to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of the Fund's shareholders and has delegated proxy voting authority to the Manager. The Manager in turn has delegated proxy voting authority to the sub-advisor with respect to the Fund's assets under the sub-advisor's management. The Trust has adopted a Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Policy") that governs proxy voting by the Manager and sub-advisor, including procedures to address potential conflicts of interest between the Fund's shareholders and the Manager, the sub-advisor or their affiliates. The Trust's Board of Trustees has approved the Manager's proxy voting policies and procedures with respect to Fund assets under the Manager's management. Please see Appendix A for a copy of the Policy. The sub-advisor's proxy voting policy and procedures are summarized (or included in their entirety) in Appendix B. The Fund's proxy voting record for the most recent year ended June 30 is available as of August 31 of each year upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-967-9009 or by visiting the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The proxy voting record can be found in Form N-PX on the SEC's website.
CONTROL PERSONS AND 5% SHAREHOLDERS
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of any Class of the Fund's outstanding shares. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund. The actions of an entity or person that controls the Fund could have an effect on other shareholders. For instance, a control person may have effective voting control over the Funds or large redemptions by a control person could cause the Funds' other shareholders to pay a higher pro rata portion of the Funds' expenses.
Set forth below are entities or persons that own 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Class of the Fund as of November 30, 2015. The Trustees and officers of the Trusts, as a group, own 2.91% of the Investor Class of the Fund's shares outstanding. The Trustees and officers of the Trusts, as a group own less than 1% of all other classes of the Fund's shares outstanding.
ShareholderAddr |
Fund Percentage (listed if over 25%) |
A CLASS |
C CLASS |
Institutional CLASS |
Investor CLASS |
Y CLASS |
CAPINCO * |
|
|
|
8.67% |
|
|
C/O US BANK NA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PO BOX 1787 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE WI 53201-1787 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
|
|
|
|
53.41% |
55.35% |
SPECIAL CUST A/C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 MONTGOMERY ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94104-4151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC * |
33.98% |
|
|
51.64% |
|
|
SPECIAL CUST A/C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
211 MAIN ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-1905 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FIRST CLEARING LLC * |
|
|
|
|
|
5.60% |
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2801 MARKET ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FIRST CLEARING LLC * |
|
6.45% |
8.29% |
|
|
|
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2801 MARKET ST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ST LOUIS MO 63103-2523 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC * |
|
9.64% |
|
|
|
|
FOR EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF OUR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT 4TH FLOOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
34 |
499 WASHINGTON BLVD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC * |
|
|
|
12.54% |
22.33% |
|
FOR EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OUR CUSTOMERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT 4TH FLOOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
499 WASHINGTON BLVD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PERSHING LLC * |
|
|
|
|
5.48% |
|
1 PERSHING PLZ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0001 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
RAYMOND JAMES * |
|
|
41.24% |
|
|
7.12% |
OMNIBUS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOUSE ACCT FIRM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN COURTNEY WALLER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
880 CARILLON PKWY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ST PETERSBURG FL 33716-1100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBS WM USA * |
|
12.23% |
26.04% |
|
|
21.68% |
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1000 HARBOR BLVD 5TH FLR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WEEHAWKEN NJ 07086-6761 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SEI PRIVATE TRUST COMPANY |
|
|
|
7.02% |
|
|
FBO CUSTOMER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTN MUTUAL FUND ADMIN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C/O UNION BANK ID797 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 FREEDOM VALLEY DR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OAKS PA 19456-9989 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
STATE STREET BANK & TRUST AS CUST |
|
|
|
5.10% |
|
|
FBO BALCH & BINGHAM LLP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
200 NEWPORT AVE EXT JQB513 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUINCY MA 02171-2102 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WELLS FARGO BANK NA FBO |
|
|
|
8.06% |
|
|
AK RR PENSION-AMERICAN BEACON FLEX |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PO BOX 1533 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55480-1533 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Denotes record owner of Fund shares only |
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS
The Fund's sub-advisors are listed below with information regarding their controlling persons or entities. According to the Investment Company Act, a person or entity with control with respect to an investment advisor has "the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company." Persons and entities affiliated with the sub-advisors are considered affiliates for the portion of Fund assets managed by the sub-advisors.
35 |
The sub-advisor is located at 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. |
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Manager have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with each sub-advisor pursuant to which each sub-advisor receives an annualized sub-advisory fee that is calculated and accrued daily based on a percentage of the Funds' average daily assets. Each Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Manager, by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund on no less than thirty (30) days' nor more than sixty (60) days' written notice to the sub-advisor, or by the sub-advisor upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Trust. The Investment Advisory Agreements will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The Manager
The Manager located at 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039 is a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Astro AB Borrower, Inc. ("AB Borrower"). AB Borrower is, in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Acquisition, Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Topco, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro AB Holdings, LLC ("Astro AB"). On April 30, 2015, the Manager's prior parent company was acquired by Astro AB, which is owned primarily by Kelso Investment Associates VIII, L.P., KEP VI, LLC or Estancia Capital Partners L.P. ("Purchasers"), investment funds affiliated with Kelso & Company, L.P. ("Kelso") or Estancia Capital Management, LLC ("Estancia"), which are private equity firms. The address of Kelso and its investment funds is 320 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10022. The address of Estancia and its investment fund is 20865 N 90th Place, Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. The address of Astro AB is 220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200, Irving, TX 75039.
Listed below are individuals and entities that may be deemed control persons of the Manager.
Controlling Person/Entity |
Basis of Control/Status |
Nature of Controlling Person/Entity Business/Business History |
Astro AB Holdings, LLC. |
Parent Company |
Founded in 2015 |
Kelso Investment Associates VIII |
Ownership in Parent Company |
Investment Fund |
The Manager is paid a management fee as compensation for providing the Trust with advisory and asset allocation services. The expenses are allocated daily to each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets represented by such class.
Operating expenses directly attributable to a specific class are charged against the assets of that class. Pursuant to management and administration agreements, the Manager provides the Trust with office space, office equipment and personnel necessary to manage and administer the Trust's operations. This includes:
complying with reporting requirements;
corresponding with shareholders;
maintaining internal bookkeeping, accounting and auditing services and records; and
supervising the provision of services to the Trust by third parties.
In addition to its oversight of the sub-advisors, the Manager may invest the portion of the Fund's assets that the sub-advisor(s) determine to be allocated to short-term investments.
The Fund is responsible for expenses not otherwise assumed by the Manager, including the following: audits by independent auditors; transfer agency, custodian, dividend disbursing agent and shareholder recordkeeping services; taxes, if any, and the preparation of the Fund's tax returns; interest; costs of Trustee and shareholder meetings; preparing, printing and mailing Prospectuses and reports to existing shareholders; fees for filing reports with regulatory bodies and the maintenance of the Fund's existence; legal fees; fees to federal and state authorities for the registration of shares; fees and expenses of Trustees; insurance and fidelity bond premiums; fees paid to service providers providing reports regarding adherence by sub-advisors to the investment style of the Fund; fees paid for brokerage commission analysis for the purpose of monitoring best execution practices of the sub-advisors; and any extraordinary expenses of a nonrecurring nature.
In addition to the management fee, the Manager is paid an administration fee for providing administrative services to the Fund. The administration agreement provides for the Manager to receive an annualized administration fee that is calculated and accrued daily, equal to the sum of 0.30% of the net assets of each share class.
The management agreement provides for the Manager to receive an annualized management fee that is calculated and accrued daily, equal to the sum of 0.05% of the net assets of each Fund.
36 |
The following tables show total management and administrative services fees paid to the Manager, fees waived or recouped by the Manager and fees paid to the sub-advisors during the Fund's three most recent fiscal years ended August 31. The fees paid to the Manager each year were equal to 0.05% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The fees paid to the sub-advisors are expressed both as a dollar amount and percentage of the Fund's net assets.
Management Fees Paid to American Beacon Advisors, Inc. |
|||
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
$65,527 |
$144,130 |
$118,842 |
Sub-advisor Fees |
|||
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
$712,761 |
$1,560,544 |
$1,299,470 |
|
0.54% |
0.54% |
0.55% |
Management Fees Waived/(Recouped) |
|
|
|
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
$(378,405) |
$(854,834) |
$(854,617) |
Administrative Service Fees |
|
|
|
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
$428,208 |
$906,148 |
$713,049 |
The Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) under a distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, is paid up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares and up to 1.00% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class of each Fund for distribution and shareholder servicing related services, including expenses relating to selling efforts of various broker-dealers, shareholder servicing fees and the preparation and distribution of A Class and C Class advertising material and sales literature. The Manager will receive Rule 12b-1 fees from the A Class and C Class regardless of the amount of the Manager's actual expenses related to distribution and shareholder servicing efforts on behalf of each Class. Thus, the Manager may realize a profit or a loss based upon its actual distribution and shareholder servicing related expenditures for the A Class and C Class. The Manager anticipates that the Rule 12b-1 plan will benefit shareholders by providing broader access to the Fund through broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries who require compensation for their expenses in order to offer shares of the Fund. Distribution fees pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 were:
Distribution Fees |
|
A Class |
$52,223 |
C Class |
$91,648 |
The A Class, C Class, Y Class and Investor Class have each adopted a Service Plan (collectively, the "Plans"). The Plans authorize the payment to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) of up to 0.375% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class shares and up to 0.10% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Y Class shares. The Manager or other approved entities may spend such amounts on any activities or expenses primarily intended to result in or relate to the servicing of A Class, C Class, Y Class and Investor Class shares including, but not limited to, payment of shareholder service fees and transfer agency or sub-transfer agency expenses. The fees, which are included as part of the Fund's "Other Expenses" in the Table of Fees and Expenses in the Prospectus, will be payable monthly in arrears. The fees for each Class will be paid monthly pursuant to the applicable Service Plan. The primary expenses expected to be incurred under the Plans are shareholder servicing, record keeping fees and servicing fees paid to financial intermediaries such as plan sponsors and broker-dealers.
Service fees for the last three fiscal years ended August 31 were as follows:
Service Fees |
|
|
|
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
A Class |
$37,775 |
$52,770 |
$31,334 |
C Class |
$14,790 |
$19,074 |
$13,747 |
Y Class |
$21,748 |
$36,313 |
$39,595 |
Investor Class |
$162,053 |
$112,535 |
$30,019 |
The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the Funds securities lending activities as compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending of the Funds. Currently, the Manager receives 10% of such income for
37 |
applicable series of the Trust. There were no fees received by the Manager from securities lending activities for the last three fiscal years ended August 31.
The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Fund to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager.
The Manager has contractually agreed from time to time to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses for the Fund in order to maintain competitive expense ratios for the Fund. In July of 2003, the Board approved a policy whereby the Manager may seek repayment for such fee waivers and expense waivers. Under the policy, the Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed the previously agreed upon contractual expense limit.
The Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC ("Foreside" or "Distributor"), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Fund's shares. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Trust in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund's shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust or its Fund. Pursuant to a Sub-Administration Agreement between Foreside and the Manager, Foreside receives a fee from the Manager for providing administrative services in connection with the marketing and distribution of shares of the Trust, including the registration of Manager employees as registered representatives of the Distributor to facilitate distribution of Fund shares. Foreside also receives a fee from the Manager under a Marketing Agreement pursuant to which Foreside provides services in connection with the marketing of the Fund to institutional investors. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor receives, and may re-allow to broker-dealers, all or a portion of the sales charge paid by the purchasers of A and C Class shares. For A and C Class shares, the Distributor receives commission revenue consisting of the portion of A and C Class sales charge remaining after the allowances by the Distributor to the broker dealers. The Distributor retains any portion of the commission fees that are not paid to the broker-dealers for use solely to pay distribution related expenses.
The aggregate commissions paid to, or retained by, the Distributor from the sale of shares and the contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") retained by the Distributor on the redemption of shares during each of the Fund's three most recent fiscal years ended August 31 are shown in the table below.
American Beacon Fund |
Fiscal Year |
Aggregate Commissions |
Amount Retained by the Distributor |
Flexible Bond |
2015 |
$68,629 |
$2,515 |
|
2014 |
$39,225 |
$4,707 |
|
2013 |
$206,280 |
$20,106 |
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
State Street, located at 1 Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as custodian for the Funds. In addition to its other duties as custodian, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement and instructions given by the Manager, State Street may receive compensation from the Funds for investing certain excess cash balances in designated futures, forwards or registered money market funds. State Street also serves as the Funds' Foreign Custody Manager pursuant to rules adopted under the Investment Company Act, whereby it selects and monitors eligible foreign sub-custodians.
Boston Financial Data Services (an affiliate of State Street), located at 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. is the transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Trust and provides these services to Fund shareholders.
The Fund's independent registered public accounting firm is Ernst & Young LLP, which is located at 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 2000, Dallas, Texas 75219. K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The portfolio managers to the Fund (the "Portfolio Managers") have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Fund. Information regarding these other accounts has been provided by each Portfolio Manager's firm and is set forth below. The number of accounts and assets is shown as of August 31, 2015.
38 |
|
Number of Other
Accounts Managed
|
Number of Accounts
and Assets for Which
|
||||
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marc P. Seidner |
6 ($9.4 bil) |
10 ($5.8 bil) |
35 ($13.2 bil) |
None |
1 ($0.4 bil) |
4 ($1.2 bil) |
|
Number of Other
Accounts Managed
|
Number of Accounts
and Assets for Which
|
||||
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts |
Payden & Rygel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian Matthews |
2 ($225 mil) |
3 ($1 bil) |
13 ($1.2 bil) |
None |
None |
None |
Scott Weiner |
2 ($225 mil) |
3 ($1 bil) |
13 ($1.2 bil) |
None |
None |
None |
Brad Boyd |
2 ($225 mil) |
3 ($1 bil) |
13 ($1.2 bil) |
None |
None |
None |
Conflicts of Interest
As noted in the table above, the Portfolio Managers manage accounts other than the Fund. This side-by-side management may present potential conflicts between a Portfolio Manager's management of the Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other hand. Set forth below is a description by the sub-advisor of any foreseeable material conflicts of interest that may arise from the concurrent management of the Fund and other accounts. The information regarding potential conflicts of interest was provided by the sub-advisor.
The Manager The Manager's Portfolio Managers are responsible for managing the Fund and other accounts, including separate accounts and unregistered funds. The Manager typically assigns Funds and accounts with similar investment strategies to the same Portfolio Manager to mitigate the potentially conflicting investment strategies of accounts. Other than potential conflicts between investment strategies, the side-by-side management of both the Funds and other accounts may raise potential conflicts of interest due to the interest held by the Manager or one of its affiliates in an account and certain trading practices used by the Portfolio Managers (e.g., cross trades between the Fund and another account and allocation of aggregated trades). The Manager has developed policies and procedures reasonably designed to mitigate those conflicts. In particular, the Manager has adopted policies limiting the ability of Portfolio Managers to cross securities between the Fund and a separate account and policies designed to ensure the fair allocation of securities purchased on an aggregated basis.
Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC ("Brandywine Global") Brandywine Global does not foresee any potentially material conflicts of interest as a result of concurrent management of the American Beacon Balanced, American Beacon Large Cap Value and American Beacon Small Cap Value Funds and other accounts. Brandywine Global follows the same buy and sell discipline for all positions across all portfolios, subject to client specific restrictions. Portfolios may differ in a strategy slightly due to differences in available cash, contributions and withdrawals.
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC ("PIMCO") From time to time, potential and actual conflicts of interest may arise between a portfolio manager's management of the investments of the Fund, on the one hand, and the management of other accounts, on the other. Potential and actual conflicts of interest may also arise as a result of PIMCO's other business activities and PIMCO's possession of material non-public information about an issuer. Other accounts managed by a portfolio manager might have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Fund. The other accounts might also have different investment objectives or strategies than the Fund.
Because PIMCO is affiliated with Allianz, a large multi-national financial institution, conflicts similar to those described below may occur between the Fund or other accounts managed by PIMCO and PIMCO's affiliates or accounts managed by those affiliates. Those affiliates (or their clients), which generally operate autonomously from PIMCO, may take actions that are adverse to the Fund or other accounts managed by PIMCO. In many cases, PIMCO will not be in a position to mitigate those actions or address those conflicts, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund or other accounts managed by PIMCO.
Knowledge and Timing of Fund Trades. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio manager's day-to-day management of the Fund. Because of their positions with the Fund, the portfolio managers know the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades. It is
39 |
theoretically possible that the portfolio managers could use this information to the advantage of other accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of the Fund.
Investment Opportunities. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio manager's management of a number of accounts with varying investment guidelines. Often, an investment opportunity may be suitable for both the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Fund and the other accounts to participate fully. In addition, regulatory issues applicable to PIMCO or the Fund or other accounts may result in the fund not receiving securities that may otherwise be appropriate for them. Similarly, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by the Fund and another account. PIMCO has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time.
Under PIMCO's allocation procedures, investment opportunities are allocated among various investment strategies based on individual account investment guidelines and PIMCO's investment outlook. PIMCO has also adopted additional procedures to complement the general trade allocation policy that are designed to address potential conflicts of interest due to the side-by-side management of the Fund and certain pooled investment vehicles, including investment opportunity allocation issues.
Conflicts potentially limiting the Fund's investment opportunities may also arise when the Fund and other PIMCO clients invest in different parts of an issuer's capital structure, such as when the Fund owns senior debt obligations of an issuer and other clients own junior tranches of the same issuer. In such circumstances, decisions over whether to trigger an event of default, over the terms of any workout, or how to exit an investment may result in conflicts of interest. In order to minimize such conflicts, a portfolio manager may avoid certain investment opportunities that would potentially give rise to conflicts with other PIMCO clients or PIMCO may enact internal procedures designed to minimize such conflicts, which could have the effect of limiting the Fund's investment opportunities. Additionally, if PIMCO acquires material non-public confidential information in connection with its business activities for other clients, a portfolio manager may be restricted from purchasing securities or selling securities for the Fund. Moreover, the Fund or other account managed by PIMCO may invest in a transaction in which the Fund or accounts managed by PIMCO are expected to participate, or already have made or will seek to make, an investment. The Fund or accounts may have conflicting interests and objectives in connection with such investments, including, for example and without limitation, with respect to views on the operations or activities of the issuer involved, the targeted returns from the investment, and the timeframe for, and method of, exiting the investment. When making investment decisions where a conflict of interest may arise, PIMCO will endeavor to act in a fair and equitable manner as between the Fund and other clients; however, in certain instances the resolution of the conflict may result in PIMCO acting on behalf of another client in a manner that may not be in the best interest, or may be opposed to the best interest, of the Fund.
Performance Fees. A portfolio manager may advise certain accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based entirely or partially on performance. Performance fee arrangements may create a conflict of interest for the portfolio manager in that the portfolio manager may have an incentive to allocate the investment opportunities that he or she believes might be the most profitable to such other accounts instead of allocating them to the Fund. PIMCO has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities between the Fund and such other accounts on a fair and equitable basis over time.
Payden & Rygel ("P&R") The P&R Compliance Group at all times maintains a current list of its affiliated persons, updating it as necessary.
Any relationship between P&R and a client, other than the investment advisory relationship, and any relationship between an affiliated person of P&R and a client, must be reviewed and approved by the Chief Compliance Officer before the relationship commences to ensure that no conflict of interest exists.
As a matter of policy, P&R does not:
Engage in any transactions as principal with any client.
Maintain any soft dollar brokerage arrangements with any broker dealer.
The Compliance Group regularly reviews P&R's client relationships and the relationships, if any, of its affiliated persons with clients to determine if any conflicts of interest exist.
P&R has adopted policies and procedures that address conflicts of interest that may arise between a portfolio manager's management of the Fund and his or her management of other funds and accounts. Potential areas of conflict could involve allocation of investment opportunities and trades among funds and accounts, use of information regarding the timing of Fund trades, personal investing activities, portfolio manager compensation and proxy voting of portfolio securities. P&R has adopted policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to address these conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be effective or that P&R will anticipate all potential conflicts of interest.
Compensation
The following is a description provided by the Manager and each investment sub-advisor regarding the structure of and criteria for determining the compensation of each Portfolio Managers as of August 31, 2015.
The Manager Compensation of the Manager's Portfolio Managers is comprised of base salary and annual cash bonus. Each Portfolio Manager's base annual salary is fixed. The Manager determines base salary based upon comparison to industry salary data. In addition, all Portfolio Managers participate in the Manager's annual cash bonus plan. The amount of the total bonus pool is based upon the profitability of the Manager. Each Portfolio Manager has a target bonus award expressed as a percentage of base salary, which is determined by the Portfolio Manager's level of responsibility. Additionally, the Portfolio Managers participate in the Manager's Equity Option Plan.
Brandywine Global All portfolio managers, research analysts and traders earn a base salary and bonus tied to investment performance. The performance bonus is awarded based on peer group outperformance on a one-quarter, one-year, three-year and five-year basis. The performance calculation is weighted to place more emphasis on longer-term outperformance, and less emphasis on the short-term. Investment professionals also receive a second quarterly bonus based on the profitability of their product group. Each investment team at Brandywine Global manages its own P&L
40 |
and retains the bulk of its profits at the end of each quarter. The portion that is not retained is shared with the other investment teams in an effort to smooth income and to promote cross-team fertilization and cooperation. We have found that this form of compensation aligns the interests of investment professionals and clients and leads to accountability and low-turnover among Brandywine Global's staff. In essence, the portfolio management teams own all of the residual profits of the Firm, which we believe leads to responsibility, accountability, and low turnover of people.
The percentage of compensation derived from each of the above components changes over time. In general, the larger the percentage of total compensation that will result from incentive pay will be paid to the more senior and successful group.
We believe that our compensation structure allows our investment team members to focus on generating premium returns and building lasting client relationships in which our interests are properly aligned with our clients' interests.
PIMCO PIMCO has adopted a Total Compensation Plan for its professional level employees, including its portfolio managers, that is designed to pay competitive compensation and reward performance, integrity and teamwork consistent with the firm's mission statement. The Total Compensation Plan includes an incentive component that rewards high performance standards, work ethic and consistent individual and team contributions to the firm. The compensation of portfolio managers consists of a base salary and discretionary performance bonuses, and may include an equity or long term incentive component.
Certain employees of PIMCO, including portfolio managers, may elect to defer compensation through PIMCO's deferred compensation plan. PIMCO also offers its employees a non-contributory defined contribution plan through which PIMCO makes a contribution based on the employee's compensation. PIMCO's contribution rate increases at a specified compensation level, which is a level that would include portfolio managers.
Key Principles on Compensation Philosophy include:
PIMCO's pay practices are designed to attract and retain high performers.
PIMCO's pay philosophy embraces a corporate culture of pay-for-performance, a strong work ethic and meritocracy.
PIMCO's goal is to ensure key professionals are aligned to PIMCO's long-term success through equity participation.
PIMCO's "Discern and Differentiate" discipline is exercised where individual performance ranking is used for guidance as it relates to total compensation levels.
The Total Compensation Plan consists of three components:
Base Salary – Base salary is built on core job responsibilities, market factors and internal positions/levels. Base salary levels are reviewed annually, when there is a significant change in job responsibilities or position, or a significant change in market levels. Base salary is paid in regular instalments throughout the year and payment dates are in line with local practice.
Performance Bonus – Performance bonuses are designed to reward individual performance. Each professional and his or her supervisor will agree upon performance objectives to serve as a basis for evaluation throughout the year. The objectives will outline individual goals according to pre-established measures of the group or department success. Achievement against these goals as measured by the employee and supervisor will be an important, but not exclusive, element of the Compensation Committee's bonus decision process. Final award amounts are determined at the discretion of the Compensation Committee and will also consider firm performance.
Long-term Incentive Compensation - Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) is awarded to a broad set of senior-level professionals. Employees who reach a total compensation threshold are delivered their annual compensation in a mix of cash and long-term incentive awards. PIMCO incorporates a progressive allocation of long-term incentive awards as a percentage of total compensation, which is in line with market practices. The LTIP provides participants with cash awards that appreciate or depreciate based on PIMCO's operating earnings over a rolling three-year period. The plan provides a link between longer term company performance and participant pay, further motivating participants to make a long-term commitment to PIMCO's success. Participation in LTIP is contingent upon continued employment at PIMCO.
In addition, the following non-exclusive list of qualitative criteria may be considered when specifically determining the total compensation for portfolio managers:
3-year, 2-year and 1-year dollar-weighted and account-weighted, pre-tax investment performance as judged against the applicable benchmarks for each account managed by a portfolio manager (including the Funds) and relative to applicable industry peer groups;
Appropriate risk positioning that is consistent with PIMCO's investment philosophy and the Investment Committee/CIO approach to the generation of alpha;
Amount and nature of assets managed by the portfolio manager;
Consistency of investment performance across portfolios of similar mandate and guidelines (reward low dispersion);
Generation and contribution of investment ideas in the context of PIMCO's secular and cyclical forums, portfolio strategy meetings, Investment Committee meetings, and on a day-to-day basis;
Absence of defaults and price defaults for issues in the portfolios managed by the portfolio manager;
Contributions to asset retention, gathering and client satisfaction;
Contributions to mentoring, coaching and/or supervising; and
Personal growth and skills added.
A portfolio manager's compensation is not based directly on the performance of any Fund or any other account managed by that portfolio manager.
Profit Sharing Plan . Portfolio managers who are Managing Directors of PIMCO receive compensation from a non-qualified profit sharing plan consisting of a portion of PIMCO's net profits. Portfolio managers who are Managing Directors receive an amount determined by the Compensation Committee, based upon an individual's overall contribution to the firm.
41 |
P&R. Portfolio managers and other investment personnel are paid competitive salaries by P&R. In addition, they may receive bonuses based on the overall profit of the firm and their contribution to the investment team(s) on which they participate. The relative mix of compensation represented by salary and bonus will vary depending on the individual's contribution to the investment team(s), contributions to the firm overall and other factors.
Ownership of the Funds
A Portfolio Manager's beneficial ownership of the Fund is defined as the Portfolio Manager having the opportunity to share in any profit from transactions in the Fund, either directly or indirectly, as the result of any contract, understanding, arrangement, relationship or otherwise. Therefore, ownership of Fund shares by members of the Portfolio Manager's immediate family or by a trust of which the Portfolio Manager is a trustee could be considered ownership by the Portfolio Manager. The tables below set forth each Portfolio Manager's beneficial ownership of the Fund(s) under that Portfolio Manager's management as of August 31, 2015 provided by each investment advisor. In the following tables, "N/A" indicates that the Portfolio Manager does not have responsibility for that Fund.
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers |
|
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. |
|
Adriana R. Posada |
$10,001-$50,000 |
Patrick A. Sporl |
None |
Gene L. Needles, Jr. |
None |
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Flexible Bond Fund |
Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC |
|
David F. Hoffman |
None |
Stephen S. Smith |
None |
Jack P. McIntyre |
None |
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager |
Flexible Bond Fund |
Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC |
|
Marc P. Seidner |
None |
Name of Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers |
Flexible Bond Fund |
Payden & Rygel |
|
Brian Matthews |
None |
Scott Weiner |
None |
Brad Boyd |
None |
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
In selecting brokers or dealers to execute particular transactions, the Manager and the sub-advisors are authorized to consider "brokerage and research services" (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), provision of statistical quotations (including the quotations necessary to determine the Fund's net asset value), and other information provided to the Fund, to the Manager and/or to the sub-advisors (or their affiliates), provided, however, that the Manager or the sub-advisor must always seek best execution. Research and brokerage services may include information on portfolio companies, economic analyses, and other investment research services. The Trusts do not allow the Manager or sub-advisors to enter arrangements to direct transactions to broker-dealers as compensation for the promotion or sale of Trust shares by those broker-dealers. The Manager and the sub-advisors are also authorized to cause the Fund to pay a commission (as defined in SEC interpretations) to a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services for executing a portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of the commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction. The Manager or the sub-advisors, as appropriate, must determine in good faith, however, that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided, viewed in terms of that particular transaction or in terms of all the accounts over which the Manager or the sub-advisor exercises investment discretion. The fees of the sub-advisors are not reduced by reason of receipt of such brokerage and research services. However, with disclosure to and pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as applicable, the Manager, or the sub-advisors (or a broker-dealer affiliated with them) may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 under the Investment Company Act) for doing so. Brokerage and research services obtained with Fund commissions might be used by the Manager and/or the sub-advisors, as applicable, to benefit their other accounts under management.
The Manager and each sub-advisor will place its own orders to execute securities transactions that are designed to implement the Fund's investment objective and policies. In placing such orders, the sub-advisor will seek best execution. The full range and quality of services offered by the executing
42 |
broker or dealer will be considered when making these determinations. Pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as appropriate, the sub- advisor of the Fund, or its affiliated broker-dealer, may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 of the Investment Company Act) for doing so. The Fund's turnover rate, or the frequency of portfolio transactions, will vary from year to year depending on market conditions and the Fund's cash flows. High portfolio activity increases the Fund's transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.
The Investment Advisory Agreements provide, in substance, that in executing portfolio transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, the principal objective of each sub-advisor is to seek best execution. In assessing available execution venues, each sub-advisor shall consider all factors it deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the value of any eligible research, the financial condition and execution capability of the broker or dealer and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. Transactions with respect to the securities of small and emerging market securities in which the Fund may invest may involve specialized services on the part of the broker or dealer and thereby may entail higher commissions or spreads than would be the case with transactions involving more widely traded securities.
The Fund may establish brokerage commission recapture arrangements with certain brokers or dealers. If a sub-advisor chooses to execute a transaction through a participating broker, the broker rebates a portion of the commission back to the Fund. Any collateral benefit receives through participation in the commission recapture program is directed exclusively to the Fund. Neither the Manager nor any of the sub-advisors receive any benefits from the commission recapture program. The sub-advisors' participation in the brokerage commission recapture program is optional. Each sub-advisor retains full discretion in selecting brokerage firms for securities transactions and is instructed to use the commission recapture program for a transaction only if it is consistent with the sub-advisor's obligation to seek the best execution available.
For the fiscal year ended August 31 2013, 2014, 2015, no brokerage commissions were paid to affiliated brokers by the Fund.
For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 the following brokerage commissions were paid by the Fund. Fluctuations in brokerage commissions from year to year were primarily due to the sub-advisors' allocations among portfolio investments that charge a commission and those that do not. Shareholders of the Fund bear only their pro-rata portion of such expenses.
American Beacon Fund |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Flexible Bond |
$18,992 |
$55,220 |
$55,548 |
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, the Fund directed no transactions to brokers in part because of research services provided and paid no commissions on such transactions.
The following table lists securities held by the Fund as of the end of its fiscal year that were issued by a broker-dealer (or by its parent) through which the Fund regularly executes transactions.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION FOR A CLASS SHARES
Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
As described in the Prospectus, there are various ways to reduce your sales charge when purchasing A Class shares. Additional information about A Class sales charge reductions is provided below.
Letter of Intent ("LOI") . The LOI may be revised upward at any time during the 13-month period of the LOI ("LOI Period"), and such a revision will be treated as a new LOI, except that the LOI Period during which the purchases must be made will remain unchanged. Purchases made from the date of revision will receive the reduced sales charge, if any, resulting from the revised LOI. The LOI will be considered completed if the shareholder dies within the 13-month LOI Period. Commissions to dealers will not be adjusted or paid on the difference between the LOI amount and the amount actually invested before the shareholder's death.
All dividends and capital gain distributions on shares held in escrow will be credited to the shareholder's account in shares (or paid in cash, if requested). If the intended investment is not completed within the specified LOI Period, the purchaser may be required to remit to the transfer agent the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge which would have been paid if the total of such purchases had been made at a single time. Any dealers assigned to the shareholder's account at the time a purchase was made during the LOI Period will receive a corresponding commission adjustment if appropriate. If the difference is not paid by the close of the LOI Period, the appropriate number of shares held in escrow will
43 |
be redeemed to pay such difference. If the proceeds from this redemption are inadequate, the purchaser may be liable to the Fund for the balance still outstanding.
Rights of Accumulation . Subject to the limitations described in the aggregation policy, you may take into account your accumulated holdings in any class of the American Beacon Funds to determine your sales charge for A Class shares on investments in accounts eligible to be aggregated. If you make a gift of A Class shares, upon your request, you may purchase the shares at the sales charge discount allowed under rights of accumulation of all of your investments in any class of the American Beacon Funds.
Aggregation . Qualifying investments for aggregation include those made by you and your "immediate family" as defined in the Prospectus, if all parties are purchasing shares for their own accounts and/or:
individual-type employee benefit plans, such as an IRA, individual 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan;
business accounts solely controlled by you or your immediate family (for example, you own the entire business);
trust accounts established by you or your immediate family (for trusts with only one primary beneficiary, upon the trustor's death the trust account may be aggregated with such beneficiary's own accounts; for trusts with multiple primary beneficiaries, upon the trustor's death the trustees of the trust may instruct the Fund's transfer agent to establish separate trust accounts for each primary beneficiary; each primary beneficiary's separate trust account may then be aggregated with such beneficiary's own accounts);
endowments or foundations established and controlled by you or your immediate family; or
529 accounts, which will be aggregated at the account owner level (Class 529-E accounts may only be aggregated with an eligible employer plan).
Individual purchases by a trustee(s) or other fiduciary(ies) may also be aggregated if the investments are:
for a single trust estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans other than the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;
made for two or more employee benefit plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers as defined in the Investment Company Act, excluding the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;
for nonprofit, charitable or educational organizations, or any endowments or foundations established and controlled by such organizations, or any employer-sponsored retirement plans established for the benefit of the employees of such organizations, their endowments, or their foundations; or
for individually established participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that is treated similarly to an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes (see "Purchases by certain 403(b) plans" under "Sales Charges" above), or made for two or more such 403(b) plans that are treated similarly to employer-sponsored plans for sales charge purposes, in each case of a single employer or affiliated employers as defined in the Investment Company Act. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a broker- dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with those made for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
Concurrent Purchases . As described in the Prospectus, you may reduce your A Class sales charge by combining simultaneous purchases in any of the American Beacon Funds.
Other Purchases . Pursuant to a determination of eligibility by the Manager, A Class shares of the Fund may be sold at net asset value (without the imposition of a front-end sales charge) to:
current or retired trustees, and officers of the American Beacon Funds family, current or retired employees and directors of the Manager and its affiliated companies, certain family members and employees of the above persons, and trusts or plans primarily for such persons;
currently registered representatives and assistants directly employed by such representatives, retired registered representatives with respect to accounts established while active, or full-time employees (collectively, "Eligible Persons") (and their spouses, and children, including children in step and adoptive relationships, sons-in- law and daughters-in-law, if the Eligible Persons or the spouses or children of the Eligible Persons are listed in the account registration with the spouse or parent) of broker-dealers who have sales agreements with the Distributor (or who clear transactions through such dealers), plans for the dealers, and plans that include as participants only the Eligible Persons, their spouses and/or children;
companies exchanging securities with the Fund through a merger, acquisition or exchange offer;
insurance company separate accounts;
accounts managed by the Manager, a sub-advisor to the Fund and its affiliated companies;
the Manager or a sub-advisor to the Fund and its affiliated companies;
an individual or entity with a substantial business relationship with, which may include the officers and employees of the Fund's custodian or transfer agent, the Manager or a sub-adviser to the Fund and its affiliated companies, or an individual or entity related or relating to such individual or entity;
full-time employees of banks that have sales agreements with the Distributor, who are solely dedicated to directly supporting the sale of mutual funds;
directors, officers and employees of financial institutions that have a selling group agreement with the Distributor;
banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including registered investment advisors and financial planners) that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor or one of its affiliates, purchasing shares on behalf of clients participating in the Fund supermarket or in a wrap program, asset allocation program or other program in which the clients pay an asset-based fee;
clients of authorized dealers purchasing shares in fixed or flat fee brokerage accounts;
Employer-sponsored defined contribution - type plans, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit-sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and individual retirement account ("IRA") rollovers involving retirement plan assets invested in the Fund in the American Beacon Funds fund family; and
44 |
Employee benefit and retirement plans for the Manager and its affiliates.
Shares are offered at net asset value to these persons and organizations due to anticipated economies in sales effort and expense. Once an account is established under this net asset value privilege, additional investments can be made at net asset value for the life of the account.
It is possible that a broker-dealer may not be able to offer one or more of these waiver categories. If this situation occurs, it is possible that the investor would need to invest directly through American Beacon Funds in order to take advantage of the waiver. The Fund may terminate or amend the terms of these sales charge waivers at any time.
Moving Between Accounts . Investments in certain account types may be moved to other account types without incurring additional A Class sales charges. These transactions include, for example:
redemption proceeds from a non-retirement account (for example, a joint tenant account) used to purchase Fund shares in an IRA or other individual-type retirement account;
required minimum distributions from an IRA or other individual-type retirement account used to purchase Fund shares in a non-retirement account; and
death distributions paid to a beneficiary's account that are used by the beneficiary to purchase Fund shares in a different account.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES
As discussed in the Prospectus, the redemption of C Class shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") if you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase. If you purchased $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares of the Funds (and therefore paid no initial sales charges) and subsequently redeem your shares within 18 months of your purchase, you may be charged a CDSC upon redemption. In determining whether the CDSC is payable, it is assumed that shares not subject to the CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. The CDSC will not be imposed upon shares representing reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions, or upon amounts representing share appreciation. As described in the Prospectus, there are various circumstances under which the CDSC will be waived. Additional information about CDSC waivers is provided below.
The CDSC is waived under the following circumstances:
Any partial or complete redemption following death or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) of a shareholder (including one who owns the shares with his or her spouse as a joint tenant with rights of survivorship) from an account in which the deceased or disabled is named. The Manager or the Fund's transfer agent may require documentation prior to waiver of the charge, including death certificates, physicians' certificates, etc.
Redemptions from a systematic withdrawal plan. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed dollar amount or number of shares, systematic withdrawal redemptions are limited to no more than 10% of your account value or number of shares per year, as of the date the Manager or the Fund's transfer agent receives your request. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed percentage of your account value, each redemption is limited to an amount that would not exceed 10% of your annual account value at the time of withdrawal.
Redemptions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code. The CDSC will be waived for benefit payments made by American Beacon Funds directly to plan participants. Benefit payments will include, but are not limited to, payments resulting from death, disability, retirement, separation from service, required minimum distributions (as described under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code), in-service distributions, hardships, loans and qualified domestic relations orders. The CDSC waiver will not apply in the event of termination of the plan or transfer of the plan to another financial institution.
Redemptions that are mandatory withdrawals from a traditional IRA account after age 70 1/2 .
Involuntary redemptions as a result of your account not meeting the minimum balance requirements, the termination and liquidation of the Fund, or other actions by the Fund.
Distributions from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has entered into a written agreement with the Distributor (or Manager) allowing this waiver.
To return excess contributions made to a retirement plan.
To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
The following example illustrates the operation of the CDSC. Assume that you open an account and purchase 1,000 shares at $10 per share and that six months later the NAV per share is $12 and, during such time, you have acquired 50 additional shares through reinvestment of distributions. If at such time you should redeem 450 shares (proceeds of $5,400), 50 shares will not be subject to the charge because of dividend reinvestment. With respect to the remaining 400 shares, the charge is applied only to the original cost of $10 per share and not to the increase in NAV of $2 per share. Therefore, $4,000 of the $5,400 redemption proceeds will pay the charge. At the rate of 1.00%, the CDSC would be $40 for redemptions of C Class shares. In determining whether an amount is available for redemption without incurring a deferred sales charge, the purchase payments made for all shares in your account are aggregated.
REDEMPTIONS IN KIND
Although the Fund intends to redeem shares in cash, it reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets. However, shareholders always will be entitled to redeem shares for cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net asset value during any 90-day period. Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. In addition, to the extent the Fund redeems its shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.
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TAX INFORMATION
The tax information in the Prospectus and in this section relates solely to federal income tax law and assumes that the Fund qualifies as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code ("RIC") (as discussed below). The tax information in this section is only a summary of certain key federal tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders and is in addition to the information provided in the Prospectus. No attempt has been made to present a complete explanation of the federal income tax treatment of the Fund or the tax implications to its shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning. The information is based on the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations, administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.
Taxation of the Fund
The Fund intends to continue to qualify each taxable year for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code. To so qualify, the Fund (which is treated as a separate corporation for these purposes) must, among other requirements:
Derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from (1) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income, including gains from options, futures or forward contracts, derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or those currencies and (2) net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" ("QPTP") ("Gross Income Requirement"). A QPTP is a "publicly traded partnership" (see below) other than a partnership at least 90% of the gross income of which is described in clause (1);
Diversify its investments so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (1) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with those other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities (equity securities of QPTPs being considered voting securities for these purposes), and (2) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in (a) securities (other than Government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer (b) securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls that are determined to be engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) securities of one or more QPTPs ("Diversification Requirements"); and
Distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess (if any) of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) ("Distribution Requirement").
By qualifying for treatment as a RIC, the Fund (but not its shareholders) will be relieved of federal income tax on the part of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain ( i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it distributes to its shareholders. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a RIC either (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, even if it satisfies the Gross Income and Diversification Requirements, or (2) by failing to satisfy the Gross Income Requirement and/or either Diversification Requirement and is unable to, or determines not to, avail itself of provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of the Income and Diversification Requirements as long as the failure "is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect" and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements — then for federal tax purposes, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to its shareholders and the dividends it pays would be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly, for individual and certain other non-corporate (collectively, "individual") shareholders as "qualified dividend income" (as described in the Prospectus)) to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify for RIC treatment would therefore have a negative impact on the Fund's income and performance. Furthermore, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment. It is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a RIC in any given taxable year.
The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax ("Excise Tax") to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for that year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on December 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts. The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions by the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for the Excise Tax.
Taxation of Certain Investments and Strategies
If the Fund acquires stock in a foreign corporation that is a "passive foreign investment company" ("PFIC") (generally, any foreign corporation, with certain exceptions, that, in general, meets either of the following tests for the taxable year: (1) at least 75% of its gross income is passive or (2) an average of at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, passive income) and holds the stock beyond the end of the year of acquisition, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax on any "excess distribution" it receives on the stock and of any gain it realizes from disposition of that stock (collectively "PFIC income"), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes the PFIC income as a taxable dividend to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for the 15% and 20% maximum federal income tax rates on individuals' "qualified dividend income" described in the Prospectus. The Fund may avoid this tax and interest if it elects to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund"; however, the requirements for that election are difficult to satisfy. If such an election were made, the Fund would be required to include in its income each taxable year a portion of the ordinary income and net capital gains of the PFIC, even if the income and gains were not distributed to the Fund. Any such income and gains would be subject to the Distribution Requirement and to the calendar year Excise Tax distribution requirement.
Alternatively, the Fund may elect to "mark-to-market" its stock in a PFIC it owns at the end of its taxable year. Under such an election, the Fund (1) would include in gross income each taxable year (and treat as ordinary income) an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year over the Fund's adjusted basis in the PFIC stock and (2) would be allowed a deduction (as an ordinary, not
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a capital, loss) for the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in the PFIC stock over the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included by the Fund for prior taxable years. The Fund's adjusted basis in the PFIC stock would be adjusted to reflect the amounts included in income, or deducted, under this election. Any gain or loss realized on the sale or other disposition of the PFIC stock, would be treated as ordinary income or loss. The Fund would not be subject to the deferred tax and interest charge discussed above with respect to PFIC stock for which a mark-to-market election has been made.
Investors should be aware that the Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation's shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC and that a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after the Fund acquires shares therein. While the Fund generally will seek to minimize its investments in PFIC shares, and to make appropriate elections when they are available, to lessen the adverse tax consequences described above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so, and it reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.
Hedging strategies, such as entering into forward contracts and selling (writing) and purchasing options and futures contracts, involve complex rules that will determine for federal income tax purposes the amount, character and timing of recognition of gains and losses the Fund may realize in connection therewith. In general, the Fund's (1) gains from the disposition of foreign currencies and (2) gains from options, futures and forward contracts derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or foreign currencies will be treated as qualifying income under the Gross Income Requirement.
The Fund may invest in one or more limited liability companies ("LLCs") and limited partnerships ("LPs") that will be classified for federal tax purposes as partnerships (and, except as expressly stated below, this discussion assumes that classification). LLCs and LPs in which the Fund may invest may include (1) a "publicly traded partnership" (that is, a partnership the interests in which are "traded on an established securities market" or "readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof)") (a "PTP"), which may be a QPTP, or (2) a non-PTP at least 90% of the income of which satisfies the Gross Income Requirement.
If an LLC or LP in which the Fund invests is a QPTP, all its net income (regardless of source) will be qualifying income to the Fund under the Gross Income Requirement. The Fund's investment in QPTPs, together with certain other investments, however, may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets at the end of each quarter of its taxable year in order to satisfy one of the Diversification Requirements. In addition, if the Fund holds more than 10% of a QPTP's equity securities, none of those securities will count toward its satisfying those requirements.
With respect to non-QPTPs, (1) if an LLC or LP (including a PTP) is treated for federal tax purposes as a corporation, distributions from it to the Fund might be treated as "qualified dividend income" and disposition of the Fund's interest therein would generate gain or loss from the disposition of a security, or (2) if such an LLC or LP is not treated as a corporation, the Fund would be treated as having earned its proportionate share of each item of income the LLC or LP earned. In the latter case, the Fund would be able to treat its share of the entity's income as qualifying income under the Gross Income Requirement only to the extent that income would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund in the same manner as realized by the LLC or LP. Certain LLCs and LPs (e.g., private funds) in which the Fund may invest may generate income and gains that are not qualifying income under the Gross Income Requirement. The Fund will monitor its investments in LLCs and LPs to assure its compliance with the requirements for qualification as a RIC.
Dividends and interest the Fund receives, and gains it realizes, on foreign securities may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions (collectively, "foreign taxes") that would reduce the yield and/or total return on its securities. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate foreign taxes, however, and many foreign countries do not impose taxes on capital gains on investments by foreign investors. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the amount of the Fund's assets to be invested in various countries is not known.
Some futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and "nonequity" options ( i.e. , certain listed options, such as those on a "broad-based" securities index) - except any "securities futures contract" that is not a "dealer securities futures contract" (both as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement - in which the Fund invests may be subject to Internal Revenue Code section 1256 (collectively, "Section 1256 contracts"). Any Section 1256 contracts the Fund holds at the end of its taxable year must be "marked-to-market" (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for its fair market value) for federal tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss realized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of Section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of the Excise Tax. These rules may operate to increase the amount that the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement ( i.e. with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them, and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, without in either case increasing the cash available to it.
Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code also may apply to the Fund's forward currency contracts and options and futures on foreign currencies. Under that section, each foreign currency gain or loss generally is computed separately and treated as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than affecting the amount of its net capital gain. If section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year, the Fund would not be able to distribute any dividends, and any distributions made during that year before the losses were realized would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders, rather than as a dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder's basis in his or her Fund shares.
Offsetting positions the Fund enters into or holds in any actively traded option, futures or forward contract may constitute a "straddle" for federal income tax purposes. Straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund's gains and losses with respect to positions of the straddle by requiring, among other things, that (1) losses realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred to the extent of any unrealized gain in an offsetting position until the latter position is disposed of, (2) the Fund's holding period in certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in gain being treated as short-term rather than long-term capital gain) and (3) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, that otherwise would constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses.
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Applicable regulations also provide certain "wash sale" rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and "short sale" rules applicable to straddles. Different elections are available, that may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to "mixed straddles" (i.e., a straddle at least one, but not all, positions of which are Section 1256 contracts).
When a covered call option written (sold) by the Fund expires, it will realize a short-term capital gain equal to the amount of the premium it received for writing the option. When the Fund terminates its obligations under such an option by entering into a closing transaction, it will realize a short-term capital gain (or loss), depending on whether the cost of the closing transaction is less (or more) than the premium it received when it wrote the option. When a covered call option written by the Fund is exercised, it will be treated as having sold the underlying security, producing long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period of the underlying security and whether the sum of the option price received on the exercise plus the premium received when it wrote the option is more or less than the underlying security's basis.
If the Fund has an "appreciated financial position" generally, any position (including an interest through an option, futures or forward contract or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt instrument (other than "straight debt") or partnership interest the fair market value of which exceeds its adjusted basis - and enters into a "constructive sale" of the position, the Fund will be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract the Fund or a related person enters into with respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply, however, to any Fund transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is the Fund's risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including certain equity index options and futures, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority that could affect the treatment of income from those instruments and the character, timing and amount of the Fund's taxable income or gains and distributions. If the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") were to assert successfully that income the Fund derives from those investments does not constitute qualifying income, the Fund might cease to qualify as a RIC (with the consequences described above under "Taxation of the Fund") or might be required to reduce its exposure to such investments.
Taxation of the Fund's Shareholders
General
If
Fund shares are sold at a loss after being held for six months or less, the loss will be treated as long-term, instead of short-term,
capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received on those shares. In addition, any loss a shareholder realizes
on a redemption of Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent the shares are replaced within a 61-day period beginning 30 days
before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares; in that case, the basis in the acquired shares will be adjusted
to reflect the disallowed loss. Investors also should be aware that the price of Fund shares at any time may reflect the amount
of a forthcoming dividend or other distribution, so if they purchase Fund shares shortly before the record date for a distribution,
they will pay full price for the shares and receive some part of the price back as a taxable distribution even though it represents
a partial return of invested capital.
Basis Election and Reporting
A Fund shareholder who wants to use an acceptable method for basis determination with respect to Fund shares he or she
acquired or acquires after December 31, 2011 ("Covered Shares") other than the average basis method (the Fund's default
method), must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic). The basis determination method the Fund shareholder
elects may not be changed with respect to a redemption of Covered Shares after the settlement date of the redemption.
In addition to the requirement to report the gross proceeds from the redemption of shares, the Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the IRS and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for Covered Shares that are redeemed and indicate whether they had a short-term (one year or less) or long-term (more than one year) holding period. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted basis determination method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the basis reporting law applies to them. Fund shareholders who acquire and hold Covered Shares through a financial intermediary should contact their financial intermediary for information related to the basis election and reporting.
Backup Withholding
The Fund is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury 28% of dividends, capital gain distributions, and
redemption proceeds (regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual
shareholder who fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes
an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, "backup withholding"). Withholding at
that rate also is required from the Fund's dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder
who (1) is subject to backup withholding for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly or (2)
fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other "exempt
recipient." Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, any amounts so withheld may be credited against your federal
income tax liability or refunded.
Non-U.S. Shareholders
Dividends from the Fund's
investment company taxable income that are paid to a shareholder who is a non-resident alien individual or foreign entity
(a "non-U.S. person") generally are subject to 30% federal withholding tax unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding
exemption is provided under an applicable treaty. However, two categories
of dividends payable by the Fund, "short-term capital gain
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dividends" and "interest-related dividends," to non-U.S. shareholders (with certain exceptions) are exempt from that tax. "Short-term capital gain dividends" are dividends that are attributable to net short-term gain, computed with certain adjustments. "Interest-related dividends" are dividends that are attributable to "qualified net interest income" (i.e., "qualified interest income," which generally consists of certain original issue discount, interest on obligations "in registered form," and interest on deposits, less allocable deductions) from sources within the United States. Non-U.S. persons are urged to consult their own tax advisers concerning the applicability of that withholding tax.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA")
Under FATCA, "foreign financial institutions" ("FFIs") and
"non-financial foreign entities" ("NFFEs") that are Fund shareholders may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding
tax on (1) income dividends the Fund pays, and (2) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds of redemptions of
Fund shares it pays after December 31, 2018. As discussed below, the FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (a)
by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect ownership of financial accounts U.S. persons
hold with the FFI, and (b) by an NFFE, if it certifies its status as such and, in certain circumstances, that (i) it has
no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) it does have such owners and reports information relating to them to the withholding
agent (which may be the Fund).
The U.S. Treasury Department has negotiated intergovernmental agreements ("IGAs") with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with other foreign countries with respect to alternative approaches to implement FATCA. An entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of the IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations, as described below.
An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a "participating FFI," which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the IRS under the Internal Revenue Code. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the IRS, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.
An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to that country's government (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment of recalcitrant account holders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.
Those foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Foreign investors are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in the Fund.
Other Taxes
Statutory rules and regulations regarding state and local taxation of ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend
income dividends and capital gain distributions may differ from the federal income taxation rules described above. Distributions
may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder's participation situation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for its obligations. However, the Trust's Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust may maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover possible tort and other liabilities. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss due to shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust has not engaged in any other business.
The Trust was originally created to manage money for large institutional investors. The following individuals (and members of that individual's "immediate family"), are eligible to purchase shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $250,000 (i) employees of the Manager, (ii) employees of a sub-advisor for Funds where it serves as sub-advisor, (iii) members of the Board, (iv) employees of Kelso/Estancia, and (v) members of the Manager's Board of Directors. The term "immediate family" refers to one's spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, parents-in-law, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters-in-law, a sibling's spouse, a spouse's sibling, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews; relatives by virtue of remarriage (step-children, step-parents, etc.) are included. Any shareholders that the Manager transfers to the Institutional Class upon termination of the class of shares in which the shareholders were originally invested is also eligible for purchasing shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $250,000.
The Investor Class was created to give individuals and other smaller investors an opportunity to invest in the American Beacon Funds. The Institutional and Y Classes were created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans. The A Class and C Class were created for investors investing in the Funds through their broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP audits and reports on the Fund's annual financial statements. The audited financial statements include the schedule of investments, statement of assets and liabilities, statement of operations, statements of changes in net assets, financial highlights, notes and report of independent registered public accounting firm and are incorporated by reference to the American Beacon Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended August 31, 2015.
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APPENDIX A
AMERICAN BEACON ADVISORS, INC.
SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Proxy voting is an important component of investment management and must be performed in a dutiful and purposeful fashion in order to secure the best long-term interests of the advisory clients of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. ("AmBeacon"). AmBeacon's proxy voting policies and procedures are designed to implement AmBeacon's duty to vote proxies in clients' best interests. Given that AmBeacon manages portfolios that invest solely in fixed-income securities, the only securities for which we expect to receive proxies are money market mutual funds. As such, the proxy voting policies and procedures set forth voting guidelines for the proxy issues and proposals common to money market funds.
For routine proposals that will not change the structure, bylaws or operations of the money market fund, AmBeacon's policy is to support management; however, each proposal will be considered individually focusing on the financial interests of the client portfolio. Non-routine proposals, such as board elections, advisory contract and distribution plan approvals, investment objective changes, and mergers, will generally be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with AmBeacon first and foremost considering the effect of the proposal on the portfolio.
Items to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and proposals not contemplated in the policies set forth above will be assessed by AmBeacon. In these situations, AmBeacon will use its judgment to vote in the best interest of the client portfolio. For all proposals, especially controversial or case-by-case evaluations, AmBeacon will be responsible for individually identifying significant issues that could impact the investment performance of the portfolio.
AmBeacon manages portfolios for the American Beacon Funds (the "Beacon Funds") and the American Beacon Select Funds (the "Select Funds"). AmBeacon may invest a Beacon Fund in shares of one or more Select Funds. If a Select Fund solicits a proxy for which a Beacon Fund is entitled to vote, AmBeacon's interests as manager of the Select Fund seeking shareholder votes may conflict with the interests of the Beacon Fund as shareholder of the Select Fund. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interests in these cases, AmBeacon will vote the Beacon Fund's shares in accordance with the Beacon Fund's Board of Trustees' recommendations in the proxy statement.
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
AMERICAN BEACON SELECT FUNDS
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Last Amended July 1, 2012
Preface
Proxy voting is an important component of investment management and must be performed in a dutiful and purposeful fashion in order to secure the best long-term interests of shareholders of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the "Funds"). Therefore, these Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Policy") have been adopted by the Funds.
The Funds are managed by American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager"). The Manager allocates discrete portions of the American Beacon Funds among sub-advisors, but the Manager may directly manage all or a portion of the assets of certain Funds directly. The Funds' Boards of Trustees have delegated proxy voting authority to the Manager. The Manager has in turn delegated proxy voting authority to each sub-advisor with respect to the sub-advisor's respective portion of the Fund(s) under management, but the Manager has retained the authority to override a proposed proxy voting decision by a sub-advisor. For the securities held in their respective portion of each Fund, the Manager and the sub-advisors make voting decisions pursuant to their own proxy voting policies and procedures, which have been adopted by the applicable Fund and approved by the applicable Fund's Board of Trustees.
Conflicts of Interest
The Board of Trustees seeks to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of Fund shareholders. For certain proxy proposals, the interests of the Manager, the sub-advisors and/or their affiliates may differ from Fund shareholders' interests. To avoid the appearance of impropriety and to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders in these circumstances, the Manager and the sub-advisors are required to establish procedures that are reasonably designed to address material conflicts between their interests and those of the Funds.
When a sub-advisor deems that it is conflicted with respect to a voting matter, its policy may call for it to seek voting instructions from the client. The Manager is authorized by the Boards of Trustees to consider any such matters and provide voting instructions to the sub-advisor, unless the Manager has determined that its interests are conflicted with Fund shareholders with respect to the voting matter. In those instances, the Manager will vote in accordance with the recommendation of a third-party proxy voting advisory service.
Each American Beacon Fund has the ability to invest in the shares of any of the American Beacon Select Funds. For example, the American Beacon High Yield Bond Fund may purchase shares of the American Beacon Money Market Select Fund. If the American Beacon Money Market Select Fund issues a proxy for which the American Beacon High Yield Bond Fund is entitled to vote, the Manager's interests regarding the Money Market Fund might appear to conflict with the interests of the shareholders of the High Yield Bond Fund. In these cases, the Manager will vote in accordance with the American Beacon Select Funds Board of Trustees' recommendations in the proxy statement.
If the methods for addressing conflicts of interest, as described above, are deemed by the Manager to be unreasonable due to cost, timing or other factors, then the Manager may decline to vote in those instances.
Securities on Loan
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The Manager shall engage a proxy voting service to notify the Manager before the record date about the occurrence of future shareholder meetings, as feasible. The Manager will determine whether or not to recall shares of the applicable security that are on loan with the intent of the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, voting such shares. The Manager's determination shall be based on factors which may include the nature of the meeting (i.e., annual or special), the percentage of the proxy issuer's outstanding securities on loan, any other information regarding the proxy proposals of which the Manager may be aware, and the loss of securities lending income to a Fund as a result of recalling the shares on loan.
Recordkeeping
The Manager and the sub-advisors shall maintain records of all votes cast on behalf of the Funds. Such documentation will include the firm's proxy voting policies and procedures company reports provided by proxy voting advisory services, additional information gathered by the Manager or sub-advisor that was material to reaching a voting decision, and communications to the Manager regarding any identified conflicts. The Manager and the sub-advisors shall maintain voting records in a manner to facilitate the Funds' production of the Form N-PX filing on an annual basis.
Disclosure
The Manager will coordinate the compilation of the Funds' proxy voting record for each year ended June 30 and file the required information with the SEC via Form N-PX by August 31. The Manager will include a summary of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Manager and the sub-advisors, as applicable, in each Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). In each Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, the Manager will disclose that a description of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Manager and the sub-advisors, as applicable, is a) available upon request, without charge, by toll-free telephone request, b) on the Funds' website (if applicable), and c) on the SEC's website in the SAI. The SAI and shareholder reports will also disclose that the Funds' proxy voting record is available by toll-free telephone request (or on the Funds' website) and on the SEC's website by way of the Form N-PX. Within three business days of receiving a request, the Manager will send a copy of the policy description or voting record by first-class mail.
Manager Oversight
The Manager shall review a sub-advisor's proxy voting policies and procedures for compliance with this Policy and applicable laws and regulations prior to initial delegation of proxy voting authority and on at least an annual basis thereafter.
Board Oversight
On at least an annual basis, the Manager will present a summary of the voting records of the Funds to the Boards of Trustees for their review. The Manager will notify the Boards of Trustees of any material changes to its proxy voting policies and procedures.
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APPENDIX B
BRANDYWINE GLOBAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
PROXY
VOTING POLICY
I. Client Accounts for which Brandywine Global Votes Proxies
Brandywine Global shall vote proxies for each client account for which the client:
A. has specifically authorized Brandywine Global to vote proxies in the applicable investment management agreement or other
written instrument; or
B. without specifically authorizing Brandywine Global to vote proxies, has granted general investment discretion to Brandywine
Global in the applicable investment management agreement.
Also, Brandywine Global shall vote proxies for any employee benefit plan client subject to the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), unless the investment management agreement specifically reserves the responsibility
for voting proxies to the plan trustees or other named fiduciary.
At or prior to inception of each client account, Brandywine Global shall determine whether it has proxy voting authority
over such account.
II. General Principles
In exercising discretion to vote proxies for securities held in client accounts, Brandywine Global is guided by general fiduciary
principles. Brandywine Global's goal in voting proxies is to act prudently and solely in the best economic interest of its
clients for which it is voting proxies. In furtherance of such goal, Brandywine Global will vote proxies in a manner that
Brandywine Global believes will be consistent with efforts to maximize shareholder values. Brandywine Global does not exercise
its proxy voting discretion to further policy, political or other issues that have no connection to enhancing the economic
value of the client's investment.
III. How Brandywine Global Votes Proxies
Appendix A sets forth general guidelines considered by Brandywine Global and its portfolio management teams in voting common
proxy items.
In the case of a proxy issue for which there is a stated position set forth in Appendix A, Brandywine Global generally votes
in accordance with the stated position. In the case of a proxy issue for which there is a list of factors set forth in Appendix
A that Brandywine Global considers in voting on such issue, Brandywine Global considers those factors and votes on a case-by-case
basis in accordance with the general principles described in Section II. In the case of a proxy issue for which there is no
stated position or list of factors set forth in Appendix A that Brandywine Global considers in voting on such issue, Brandywine
Global votes on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the general principles described in Section II.
The general guidelines set forth in Appendix A are not binding on Brandywine Global and its portfolio management teams, but
rather are intended to provide an analytical framework for the review and assessment of common proxy issues. Such guidelines
can always be superseded by a portfolio management team based on the team's assessment of the proxy issue and determination
that a vote that is contrary to such general guidelines is in the best economic interests of the client accounts for which
the team is responsible. Different portfolio management teams may vote differently on the same issue based on their respective
assessments of the proxy issue and determinations as to what is in the best economic interests of client accounts for which
they are responsible. In addition, a team may adopt proxy voting policies that supplement these policies and procedures.
In the case of Taft-Hartley clients, Brandywine Global will comply with a client direction to vote proxies in accordance
with Glass Lewis & Co. PVS Proxy Voting Guidelines, which Glass Lewis & Co. represents to be fully consistent with AFL-CIO
guidelines.
IV. Use of an Independent Proxy Service Firm
Brandywine Global may contract with an independent proxy service firm to provide Brandywine Global with information and/or
recommendations with regard to proxy votes. Any such information and/or recommendations will be made available to Brandywine
Global's portfolio management teams, but Brandywine Global and its portfolio management teams are not required to follow any
recommendation furnished by such service provider. The use of an independent proxy service firm to provide proxy voting information
and/or recommendations does not relieve Brandywine Global of its responsibility for any proxy votes.
With respect to any independent proxy service firm engaged by Brandywine Global to provide Brandywine Global with information and/or recommendations with regard to proxy votes, Brandywine Global's Proxy Administrator shall periodically review and assess such firm's policies, procedures and practices with respect to the disclosure and handling of conflicts of interest as well as obtain an annual certificate from the firm that its conflict procedures have been implemented.
Conflict of Interest Procedures
In furtherance of Brandywine Global's goal to vote proxies in the best interests of clients, Brandywine Global follows procedures designed to identify and address material conflicts that may arise between the interests of Brandywine Global and its employees and those of its clients before voting proxies on behalf of such clients. Conflicts of interest may arise both at the firm level and as a result of an employee's personal relationships or circumstances.
A. Procedures for Identifying Conflicts of Interest Brandywine Global relies on the procedures set forth below to seek to identify conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting.
1. Brandywine Global's Compliance Department annually requires each Brandywine Global employee, including those involved in proxy voting decisions ("Voting Persons"), to complete a questionnaire designed to elicit information that may reveal potential conflicts between the employee's interests and those of Brandywine Global clients.
2. Brandywine Global treats significant client relationships as creating a conflict of interest for Brandywine Global in voting proxies with respect to securities issued by such client or its known affiliates.
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3. As a general matter, Brandywine Global takes the position that relationships between a non-Brandywine Global Legg Mason business unit and an issuer (e.g., investment management relationship between an issuer and a non-Brandywine Global Legg Mason investment adviser affiliate) do not present a conflict of interest for Brandywine Global in voting proxies with respect to such issuer because Brandywine Global operates as an independent business unit from other Legg Mason business units and because of the existence of informational barriers between Brandywine Global and certain other Legg Mason business units.
B. Procedures for Assessing Materiality of Conflicts of Interest
1. All potential conflicts of interest identified pursuant to the procedures outlined in Section V.(1)A. must be brought to the attention of the Investment Committee for resolution.
2. The Investment Committee shall determine whether a conflict of interest is material. A conflict of interest shall be considered material to the extent that it is determined that such conflict is likely to influence, or appear to influence, Brandywine Global's decision-making in voting the proxy. All materiality determinations will be based on an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. A written record of all materiality determinations made by the Investment Committee shall be maintained.
3. If it is determined by the Investment Committee that a conflict of interest is not material, Brandywine Global may vote proxies following normal processes notwithstanding the existence of the conflict.
C. Procedures for Addressing Material Conflicts of Interest
1. If it is determined by the Investment Committee that a conflict of interest is material, the Investment Committee shall determine an appropriate method or combination of methods to resolve such conflict of interest before the proxy affected by the conflict of interest is voted by Brandywine Global. Such determination shall be based on the particular facts and circumstances, including the importance of the proxy issue, the nature of the conflict of interest, etc. Such methods may include:
a. confirming that the proxy will be voted in accordance with a stated position or positions set forth in Appendix A;
b. confirming that the proxy will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of an independent proxy service firm retained
by Brandywine Global;
c. in the case of a conflict of interest resulting from a particular employee's personal relationships or circumstances, removing
such employee from the decision-making process with respect to such proxy vote;
d. disclosing the conflict to clients and obtaining their consent before voting;
e. suggesting to clients that they engage another party to vote the proxy on their behalf; or
f. such other method as is deemed appropriate given the particular facts and circumstances, including the importance of the
proxy issue, the nature of the conflict of interest, etc.
2. A written record of the method used to resolve a material conflict of interest shall be maintained.
VI. Other Considerations
In
certain situations, Brandywine Global may decide not to vote proxies on behalf of a client account for which it has discretionary
voting authority because Brandywine Global believes that the expected benefit to the client account of voting shares is
outweighed by countervailing considerations (excluding the existence of a potential conflict of interest). Examples of situations
in which Brandywine Global may determine not to vote proxies are set forth below.
A.
Share Blocking
Proxy voting in certain countries
requires "share blocking." This means that shareholders wishing to vote their proxies must deposit their shares shortly
before the date of the meeting (e.g. one week) with a designated depositary. During the blocking period, shares that will
be voted at the meeting cannot be sold until the meeting has taken place and the shares have been returned to client accounts
by the designated depositary. In deciding whether to vote shares subject to share blocking, Brandywine Global will consider
and weigh, based on the particular facts and circumstances, the expected benefit to client accounts of voting in relation
to the potential detriment to clients of not being able to sell such shares during the applicable period.
B.
Securities on Loan
Certain clients of Brandywine
Global, such as an institutional client or a registered investment company for which Brandywine Global acts as a sub- advisor,
may engage in securities lending with respect to the securities in their accounts. Brandywine Global typically does not
direct or oversee such securities lending activities. To the extent feasible and practical under the circumstances, Brandywine
Global may request that the client recall shares that are on loan so that such shares can be voted if Brandywine Global
believes that the expected benefit to the client of voting such shares outweighs the detriment to the client of recalling
such shares (e.g., foregone income). The ability to timely recall shares for proxy voting purposes typically is not entirely
within the control of Brandywine Global and requires the cooperation of the client and its other service providers. Under
certain circumstances, the recall of shares in time for such shares to be voted may not be possible due to applicable proxy
voting record dates and administrative considerations.
VII.
Proxy Voting-Related Disclosures
A. Proxy Voting
Independence and Intent
Brandywine Global exercises
its proxy voting authority independently of other Legg Mason affiliated investment advisors. Brandywine Global and its employees
shall not consult with or enter into any formal or informal agreements with Brandywine Global's parent, Legg Mason, Inc.,
any other Legg Mason business unit, or any of their respective officers, directors or employees, regarding the voting of
any securities by Brandywine Global on behalf
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of its clients.
Brandywine Global and its employees must not disclose
to any person outside of Brandywine Global, including without limitation another investment management firm (affiliated
or unaffiliated) or the issuer of securities that are the subject of the proxy vote, how Brandywine Global intends to vote
a proxy without prior approval from Brandywine Global's Chief Compliance Officer.
If
a Brandywine Global employee receives a request to disclose Brandywine Global's proxy voting intentions to, or is otherwise
contacted by, another person outside of Brandywine Global (including an employee of another Legg Mason business unit) in
connection with an upcoming proxy voting matter, the employee should immediately notify Brandywine Global's Chief Compliance
Officer.
If a Brandywine Global portfolio manager
wants to take a public stance with regards to a proxy, the portfolio manager must consult with and obtain the approval of
Brandywine Global's Chief Compliance Officer before making or issuing a public statement.
C.
Delegation of Duties
Brandywine Global may delegate
to non-investment personnel the responsibility to vote proxies in accordance with the guidelines set forth in Appendix A.
Such delegation of duties will only be made to employees deemed to be reasonably capable of performing this function in
a satisfactory manner.
VIII. Shareholder Activism and Certain Non-Proxy Voting Matters
In no event shall Brandywine Global's possession of proxy voting authority obligate it to undertake any shareholder activism on behalf of a client. Brandywine Global may undertake such activism in connection with a proxy or otherwise if and to the extent that Brandywine Global determines that doing so is consistent with applicable general fiduciary principles, provided Brandywine Global has first obtained its Chief Compliance Officer's approval of the proposed activism.
Absent a specific contrary written agreement with a client, Brandywine Global does not (1) render any advice to, or take any action on behalf of, clients with respect to any legal proceedings, including bankruptcies and shareholder litigation, to which any securities or other investments held in client account, or the issuers thereof, become subject, or (2) initiate or pursue legal proceedings, including without limitation shareholder litigation, on behalf of clients with respect to transactions or securities or other investments held in client accounts, or the issuers thereof. Except as otherwise agreed to in writing with a particular client, the right to take any action with respect to any legal proceeding, including without limitation bankruptcies and shareholder litigation, and the right to initiate or pursue any legal proceedings, including without limitation shareholder litigation, with respect to transactions or securities or other investments held in a client account is expressly reserved to the client.
IX. Recordkeeping
In addition to all other records required by this Policy and Procedures, Brandywine Global shall maintain the following records
relating to proxy voting:
A. a copy of this Policy and Procedures, including any and all amendments that may be adopted;
B. a copy of each proxy statement that Brandywine Global receives regarding client securities;
C. a record of each vote cast by Brandywine Global on behalf of a client;
D. documentation relating to the identification and resolution of conflicts of interest;
E. any documents created by Brandywine Global that were material to a proxy voting decision or that memorialized the
basis for that decision;
F. a copy of each written client request for information on how Brandywine Global voted proxies on behalf of the client,
and a copy of any written response by Brandywine Global to any (written or oral) client request for information on how Brandywine
Global voted proxies on behalf of the requesting client; and
G. records showing whether or not Brandywine Global has proxy voting authority for each client account.
All required records shall be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than six years
from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in an appropriate
office of Brandywine Global. Brandywine Global also shall maintain a copy of any proxy voting policies and procedures that
were in effect at any time within the last five years.
To the extent that Brandywine Global is authorized to vote proxies for a United States registered investment company, Brandywine
Global shall maintain such records as are necessary to allow such fund to comply with its recordkeeping, reporting and disclosure
obligations under applicable laws, rules and regulations.
In lieu of keeping copies of proxy statements, Brandywine Global may rely on proxy statements filed on the EDGAR system as
well as on third party records of proxy statements if the third party provides an undertaking to provide copies of such proxy
statements promptly upon request. Brandywine Global may rely on a third party to make and retain, on Brandywine Global's behalf,
records of votes cast by Brandywine Global on behalf of clients if the third party provides an undertaking to provide a copy
of such records promptly upon request.
In lieu of keeping copies of proxy statements, Brandywine Global may rely on proxy statements filed on the EDGAR system as well as on third party records of proxy statements if the third party provides an undertaking to provide copies of such proxy statements promptly upon request. Brandywine Global may rely on a third party to make and retain, on Brandywine Global's behalf, records of votes cast by Brandywine Global on behalf of clients if the third party provides an undertaking to provide a copy of such records promptly upon request.
Brandywine Global Fixed Income Portfolio Management Team
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Below are proxy voting guidelines that Brandywine Global Fixed Income Portfolio Management Team generally follows when voting
proxies for securities held in client accounts. The Team may decide to deviate from these guidelines with respect to any one or more particular
proxy votes, subject in all cases to the Team's duty to act solely in the best interest of their client accounts holding the applicable security.
I. Compensation
A. We vote for non-employee director stock options, unless we consider the number of shares available for issue excessive.
B. We vote for employee stock purchase programs. Normally, these programs allow all employees to purchase company stock at
a price equal to 85%
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of current market price. Usually, we will still vote for these employee programs even if we vote against a non-employee or
executive-only stock purchase program because of excessive dilution.
C. We vote for measures that give shareholders a vote on executive compensation.
D. We vote for compensation plans that are tied to the company achieving set profitability hurdles. This is to comply with
IRS laws to allow for deductibility of management compensation exceeding $1 million.
E. We vote against any attempt to re-price options. Also, we vote against the re-election of incumbent Directors in the event
of such a re-pricing proposal.
F. We vote against attempts to increase incentive stock options when we determine they are excessive, either in total or for
one individual.
G. We vote against stock option plans allowing for stock options with exercise prices less than 100% of the stock's price
at the time of the option grant.
II. Governance
A. We vote for cumulative shareholder voting.
B. We vote against "catch-all" authorizations permitting proxy holders to conduct unspecified business that arises during
shareholder meetings.
III. Anti-Takeover
We vote against anti-takeover measures, including without limitation:
A. Staggered Boards of Directors (for example, where 1/3 of a company's Board is elected each year rather than the entire
Board each year).
B. Super-Majority Voting Measures (for example, requiring a greater than 50% vote to approve takeovers or make certain changes).
C. Poison Pills, which are special stock rights that go into effect upon a takeover offer or an outsider acquiring more than
a specified percentage of a company's outstanding shares.
IV. Capital Structure
We vote against attempts to increase authorized shares by more than twice the number of outstanding shares unless there is
a specific purpose for such increase given, such as a pending stock split or a corporate purchase using shares, and we determine
that increasing authorized shares for such purpose is appropriate. Generally, we believe it is better to use shares to pay
for acquisitions when they are trading at higher values than when they are trading at or near historical lows. The dilution
effect is less.
V. Business Management
We generally vote against shareholder resolutions focused on strategy or policy issues (for example, a proposal that a company
adopt the internationally recognized standards on emissions from
). We generally prefer not to dictate to companies on matters
of business strategy. As long as the company is operating responsibly, we believe management's role is to make these decisions.
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Payden & Rygel
Payden & Rygel Voting Policy and Procedures
Payden & Rygel
III.E. – Proxy Voting Policy
Background
The Trust has delegated to Payden & Rygel the authority to vote proxies on behalf of the Funds of the Trust, other than the Payden/Kravitz Cash Balance Plan Fund. The Trust has delegated to Payden/Kravitz Investment Advisers LLC ("Payden/Kravitz") the authority to vote proxies on behalf of the Payden/Kravitz Fund. Payden & Rygel and Payden/Kravitz may be referred to herein from time to time, individually as the "Adviser," or collectively, as the "Advisers." Payden & Rygel has adopted the "Payden & Rygel Proxy Voting Policy" attached hereto as Exhibit 1 (the "Payden Proxy Voting Policy"), which constitutes written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that Payden & Rygel votes client securities in the best interest of the client. Payden/Kravitz has adopted the "Payden/Kravitz Proxy Voting Policy" attached hereto as Exhibit 2 (the "Payden/Kravitz Proxy Voting Policy"), which constitutes written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that Payden/Kravitz votes client securities in the best interest of the client.
Policy
At a minimum, each Adviser's Proxy Voting Policy:
Provides how such Adviser addresses material conflicts
that may arise between its interests and those of its clients.
Discloses to its clients how they may obtain information
from the Adviser about how it voted with respect to the client's securities;
Describes to its clients the Adviser's
proxy voting policies and procedures.
Describes how clients may obtain a copy of the Adviser's Proxy Voting Policy.
Procedures
In each case, the Proxy Voting Committee established
pursuant to each Adviser's Proxy Voting Policy documents how it has voted with respect to the securities of each client.
In each case, the Proxy Voting Committee documents any material conflicts between its interests and those of one
of its clients and how it resolved that conflict.
Compliance Review
Prior to August 31st of each year, the CCO will:
Review each Adviser's voting record and confirm that
a random sample of proxy questions were voted according to the approved policy.
Review any material conflicts
that have been documented and determine independently whether the conflict was resolved in favor of the client's interests.
File Form N-PX, details every proxy voted for each of the funds, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Exhibit 1
"Payden & Rygel Proxy Voting Policy"
Background
To the extent that a client has delegated to Payden & Rygel the authority to vote proxies relating to equity securities, 1 Payden & Rygel expects to fulfill its fiduciary obligation to the client by monitoring events concerning the issuer of the security and then voting the proxies in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of that client and that does not subordinate the client's interests to its own.
To that end, Payden & Rygel has created a Proxy Voting Committee consisting of James T. Wong, Mary Beth Syal and Edward S. Garlock to consider any issues related to proxy matters, any one of whom can issue voting instructions on behalf of the Committee. In their absence, any member of the Payden & Rygel Investment Policy Committee may issue voting instructions on behalf of the Proxy Voting Committee.
Many proxy matters that are routinely presented year after year are non-controversial, such as the retention of a company's outside auditors. On the other hand, over time the major controversies in voting proxies have related to corporate governance matters (e.g., changes in the state of incorporation and provisions on mergers and other corporate restructurings), anti-takeover provisions (e.g., staggered board terms, "poison pills" and supermajority provisions), stock option plans and other management compensation issues and social and corporate responsibility issues.
We carefully consider all aspects of the issues presented by a proxy matter, and depending upon the particular client requirements, we may vote differently for different clients on the same proxy issue. For example, a union client may have specific policies on a particular proxy issue that may lead Payden & Rygel to cast a "no" vote, while the policies of another client on that same issue may lead Payden & Rygel to cast a "yes" vote.
General Proxy Voting Policies Followed by Payden & Rygel
Absent special client circumstances or specific client policies or instructions, Payden & Rygel will vote as follows on the issues listed below:
Due to the complexity of executive compensation plans and the extensive analysis required to thoughtfully consider these proposals, the Adviser employs a proxy voting service to review all proposed changes to compensation. Factors such as industry averages, historical company performance and possible affects to shareholder dilution are considered. Using these and other factors, the proxy voting service will recommend a voting position, which the Adviser, absent special circumstances,will generally accept.
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Vote for programs that permit an issuer to repurchase its own stock.
Vote for proposals that support board independence (e.g., declassification of directors, or requiring a majority of outside directors).
Vote against management proposals to make takeovers more difficult (e.g., "poison pill" provisions, or supermajority votes).
Vote for management proposals on the retention of outside auditors. However, consideration may be given to the non-audit fees paid to the outside auditor.
Vote for management endorsed director candidates, absent any special circumstances.
With respect to the wide variety of social and corporate responsibility issues that are presented, Payden & Rygel's general policy is to take a position in favor of policies that are designed to advance the economic value of the issuing company.
Except in rare instances, abstention is not an acceptable
position and votes will be cast either for or against all issues presented. If unusual or controversial issues are presented
that are not covered by the general proxy voting policies described above, or if circumstances exist which suggest that
it may be appropriate to vote against a general proxy voting policy, the Proxy Voting Committee shall determine the manner
of voting the proxy in question.
Many countries have "proxy blocking" regulations, which prohibit the sale of shares
from the date that the vote is filed until the shareholder meeting. A Fund would be unable to sell its shares if a negative
news event occurred during this time, thus harming its investors. Payden & Rygel reserves the right to decline to vote proxies
for stocks affected by proxy blocking regulations.
Conflicts of Interest
From time to time, Payden & Rygel may purchase for one client's portfolio securities that have been issued by another client. Payden & Rygel does not have a policy against such investments because such a prohibition would unnecessarily limit investment opportunities. In that case, however, a conflict of interest may exist between the interests of the client for whose account the security was purchased and the interests of Payden & Rygel. For example, Payden & Rygel may manage corporate cash for Alpha Company whose management is soliciting proxies. Payden & Rygel has purchased Alpha Company's securities for the account of Beta Company, another Payden & Rygel client. Moreover, Beta Company's policies would suggest Payden & Rygel should vote against the position put forward by Alpha Company's management. However, voting against Alpha Company management may harm Payden & Rygel's relationship with Alpha Company's management. Thus, Payden & Rygel may have an incentive to vote with the management of Alpha Company, and hence has a conflict of interest.
To ensure that proxy votes are voted in a client's best interest and unaffected by any conflict of interest that may exist, Payden & Rygel may abstain from voting on a proxy question that presents a material conflict of interest between the interests of a client and the interests of Payden & Rygel. Votes for which there is no conflict of interest, retention of auditors for example, will be voted according to Payden & Rygel's standard policy.
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The vast majority of proxy matters arise in the context of equity securities. To the very limited extent that such proxy matters might arise in the context of fixed income securities, Payden & Rygel would apply the same policies and procedures set forth above. |
Exhibit 2
"Payden/Kravitz Investment Advisers LLC Proxy Voting Policy"
Background
To the extent that a client has delegated to Payden/Kravitz Investment Advisers LLC ("Payden/Kravitz") the authority to vote proxies relating to equity securities, 1 Payden/Kravitz expects to fulfill its fiduciary obligation to the client by monitoring events concerning the issuer of the security and then voting the proxies in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of that client and that does not subordinate the client's interests to its own.
To that end, Payden/Kravitz has created a Proxy Voting Committee consisting of James T. Wong, Mary Beth Syal and Edward S. Garlock to consider any issues related to proxy matters, any one of whom can issue voting instructions on behalf of the Committee. In their absence, any member of the Payden & Rygel Investment Policy Committee may issue voting instructions on behalf of the Proxy Voting Committee.
Many proxy matters that are routinely presented year
after year are non-controversial, such as the retention of a company's outside auditors. On the other hand, over time the
major controversies in voting proxies have related to corporate governance matters (e.g., changes in the state of incorporation
and provisions on mergers and other corporate restructurings), anti-takeover provisions (e.g., staggered board terms, "poison
pills" and supermajority provisions), stock option plans and other management compensation issues and social and corporate
responsibility issues.
We carefully consider all aspects of the issues presented by a proxy matter, and depending upon the particular client requirements, we may vote differently for different clients on the same proxy issue. For example, a union client may have specific policies on a particular proxy issue that may lead Payden/Kravitz to cast a "no" vote, while the policies of another client on that same issue may lead Payden/Kravitz to cast a "yes" vote.
General Proxy Voting Policies Followed by Payden/Kravitz
Absent special client circumstances or specific client policies or instructions, Payden/Kravitz will vote as follows on the issues listed below:
Due to the complexity of executive compensation plans and the extensive analysis required to thoughtfully consider these proposals, the Adviser employs a proxy voting service to review all changes to compensation. Factors such as industry averages, historical company performance and possible affects to shareholder dilution are considered. Using these and other factors, the proxy voting service will recommend voting position, which the Adviser, absent special circumstances, will generally accept.
Vote for programs that permit an issuer to repurchase its own stock.
Vote for proposals that support board independence (e.g., declassification of directors, or requiring a majority of outside directors).
Vote against management proposals to make takeovers more difficult (e.g., "poison pill" provisions, or supermajority votes).
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Vote for management proposals on the retention of outside auditors. However, consideration may be given to the non-audit fees paid to the outside auditor.
Vote for management endorsed director candidates, absent any special circumstances.
With respect to the wide variety of social and corporate responsibility issues that are presented, Payden/Kravitz's general policy is to take a balanced position in which the intent to advance the economic value of the issuer is matched against the desire to promote reasonable environmental and societal goals.
Except in rare instances, abstention is not an acceptable
position and votes will be cast either for or against all issues presented. If unusual or controversial issues are presented
that are not covered by the general proxy voting policies described above, or if circumstances exist which suggest that
it may be appropriate to vote against a general proxy voting policy, the Proxy Voting Committee shall determine the manner
of voting the proxy in question.
Many countries have "proxy blocking" regulations which prohibit the sale of shares
from the date that the vote is filed until the shareholder meeting. A Fund would be unable to sell its shares if a negative
news event occurred during this time, thus harming its investors. Payden/Kravitz reserves the right to decline to vote proxies
for stocks affected by proxy blocking regulations.
Conflicts of Interest
From time to time, Payden/Kravitz may purchase for one client's portfolio securities that have been issued by another client. Payden/Kravitz does not have a policy against such investments because such a prohibition would unnecessarily limit investment opportunities. In that case, however, a conflict of interest may exist between the interests of the client for whose account the security was purchased and the interests of Payden/Kravitz. For example, Payden/Kravitz may manage corporate cash for Alpha Company whose management is soliciting proxies. Payden/Kravitz has purchased Alpha Company's securities for the account of Beta Company, another Payden/Kravitz client. Moreover, Beta Company's policies would suggest Payden/Kravitz should vote against the position put forward by Alpha Company's management. However, voting against Alpha Company management may harm Payden/Kravitz's relationship with Alpha Company's management. Thus, Payden/Kravitz may have an incentive to vote with the management of Alpha Company, and hence has a conflict of interest.
To ensure that proxy votes are voted in a client's best interest and unaffected by any conflict of interest that may exist, Payden/Kravitz may abstain from voting on a proxy question that presents a material conflict of interest between the interests of a client and the interests of Payden/Kravitz. Votes for which there is no conflict of interest, retention of auditors for example, will be voted according to Payden & Rygel's standard policy.
1 |
The vast majority of proxy matters arise in the context of equity securities. To the very limited extent that such proxy matters might arise in the context of fixed income securities, Payden/Kravitz would apply the same policies and procedures set forth above. |
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Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
PIMCO Voting Policy and Procedures
These proxy voting policies and procedures ("Policies and Procedures") are intended to foster PIMCO's compliance with its
fiduciary obligations and applicable law. These Policies and Procedures apply to any voting or consent rights with respect
to securities held in accounts over which PIMCO has discretionary voting authority.
PIMCO will vote proxies in accordance with these Policies and Procedures for each of its clients unless expressly directed
by a client in writing to refrain from voting that client's proxies. PIMCO's authority to vote proxies on behalf of its clients
results from its advisory contracts, comparable documents or by an overall delegation of discretionary authority over its
client's assets.
A. General Statements of Policy
These Policies and Procedures are designed in a manner reasonably expected to ensure that voting and consent rights are exercised
in the best interests of PIMCO's clients. As a general matter, when PIMCO has proxy voting authority, PIMCO has a fiduciary
obligation to monitor corporate events and to vote all client proxies that come to its attention. If it is consistent with
PIMCO's contractual obligations to the client, however, PIMCO may determine not to vote a proxy if it believes that: (1) the
effect on the client's economic interests or the value of the portfolio holding is insignificant in relation to the client's
account; (2) the cost of voting the proxy outweighs the possible benefit to the client, including, without limitation, situations
where a jurisdiction imposes share blocking restrictions which may affect the ability of the portfolio manager ("PM") to effect
trades in the related security; or (3) the Legal and Compliance department has determined that it is consistent with PIMCO's
fiduciary obligations not to vote.
B. Conflicts of Interest
1. Identification of Material Conflicts of Interest
a) In General. PIMCO has a fiduciary obligation to vote all client proxies in good faith and in the best interests of the
client. Conflicts of interest, however, may, or may appear to, interfere with PIMCO's ability to vote proxies in accordance
with this fiduciary standard. Actual or potential conflicts of interest when PIMCO votes client proxies could arise in many
ways, such as (i) if PIMCO has a material business relationship with the issuer to which the proxy relates; (ii) if a credit
analyst assigned to recommend how to vote a fixed income proxy or a PM responsible for voting proxies has a material personal
or business relationship with the issuer; (iii) if PIMCO clients have divergent interests in the proxy vote; and (iv) if the
PM voting a proxy becomes aware of a material business relationship between the issuer and a PIMCO affiliate before voting.
PIMCO seeks to prevent conflicts of interest from interfering
with its voting of client proxies by identifying such conflicts and resolving them as described in these Policies and Procedures.
b) Equity Securities. PIMCO has retained an Industry
Service Provider ("ISP") to provide recommendations on how to vote proxies with respect to Equity Securities. PIMCO will
follow the recommendations of the ISP unless: (i) the ISP is unable to vote a proxy (such as if the ISP has a disabling
conflict of interest); or (ii) a PM decides to override the ISP's voting recommendation. In either such case as described
below, the Legal and Compliance department will review the proxy to determine whether a material conflict of interest, or
the appearance of one, exists. Each PM has a duty to disclose to the Legal and Compliance department any potential, actual
or apparent material conflict of interest known to the PM relating to a proxy vote in relation to an equity security (whether
the proxy will be voted by the ISP or PIMCO). If no potential, actual or apparent material conflict of interest is identified
by, or disclosed to, the Legal and Compliance department, the proxy may be voted by the responsible PM in good faith and
in the best interests of the client.
If a potential,
actual or apparent material conflict of interest is identified by, or disclosed to, the Legal and Compliance department,
it will be resolved either by applying: (i) the policies and procedures set forth herein; (ii) a protocol previously established
by a conflicts committee ("Conflicts Committee"); (iii) a direct decision of the Conflicts Committee; or (iv) such other
procedure(s) approved by the Legal and Compliance department. See Section B.2 below.
c)
Fixed Income Securities. PIMCO's Credit Research Group is responsible for issuing recommendations on how to vote proxies
and consents (collectively referred to herein as proxies) with respect to fixed income securities. Each member of the Credit
Research Group assigned to issue a voting recommendation has a duty to disclose to the Legal and Compliance department any
such potential, actual or apparent material conflict of interest known to such person relating to that voting recommendation.
If no such potential, actual or apparent material conflict of interest is disclosed to the Legal and Compliance department,
the Credit Research Group may issue a recommendation as to how to vote the proxy. If such a potential, actual or apparent
material conflict is disclosed to the Legal and Compliance department, it will be resolved either by applying: (i) the policies
and procedures set forth herein; (ii) a protocol previously established by the Conflicts Committee; (iii) a direct decision
of the Conflicts Committee; or (iv) such other procedure(s) approved by the Legal and Compliance department. See Section
B.2 below.
Where the Credit Research Group issues a
recommendation, PIMCO will follow the recommendation, unless a PM decides to override the Credit Research Group's voting
recommendation. If a PM decides to override the recommendation, the Legal and Compliance department may review the proxy
to determine whether a material conflict of interest, or the appearance of one, exists with respect to the PM's voting of
the proxy. Each PM has a duty to disclose to the Legal and Compliance department, any potential, actual or apparent material
conflict of interest known to the PM relating to a proxy vote. If no such potential, actual or apparent material conflict
of interest is identified by, or disclosed to, the Legal and Compliance department, the proxy may be voted by the responsible
PM in good faith and in the best interests of the client. If such a potential, actual or apparent material conflict is identified
by, or disclosed to, the Legal and Compliance department, it will be resolved either by applying: (i) the policies and procedures
set forth herein; (ii) a protocol previously established by the Conflicts Committee; (iii) a direct decision of the Conflicts
Committee; or (iv) such other procedure(s) approved by the Legal and Compliance department. See Section B.2 below.
2.
Resolution of Identified Conflicts of Interest
a) Equity
Securities Voted by ISP. The ISP, an independent research and voting service, makes voting recommendations for proxies relating
to equity securities in accordance with ISP's guidelines which have been adopted by PIMCO ("ISP Guidelines"). PIMCO has
determined to follow the ISP Guidelines. By following the guidelines of an independent third party, PIMCO intends to eliminate
any conflict of interest PIMCO may have with respect to proxies covered by the ISP.
b)
Fixed Income Securities. By following the recommendations of the Credit Research Group, PIMCO intends to eliminate any conflict
of interest that
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might arise if a PM voted a fixed income proxy for a client
account.
If
a material conflict of interest (or the appearance of one) with respect to the Credit Research analyst issuing a voting
recommendation is disclosed to the Legal and Compliance department, such conflict will be resolved either by: (i) applying
the policies and procedures set forth herein; (ii) applying a protocol previously established by the Conflicts Committee;
(iii) if no such protocol covers the conflict at hand, elevation to the Conflicts Committee for direct resolution by it;
or (iv) applying such other procedure(s) approved by the Legal and Compliance department. The Legal and Compliance department
will record the manner in which each such conflict is resolved (including, in the case of direct resolution by the Conflicts
Committee, the procedure applied by the Conflicts Committee).
c)
PIMCO-Affiliated Fund Shares Voted by ISP. The ISP may make voting recommendations for proxies relating to PIMCO-affiliated
fund shares in accordance with the ISP guidelines. Pursuant to Section B.2.f, PIMCO may determine to resolve a conflict
of interest with respect to a PIMCO-managed separate account, fund or other collective investment vehicle holding such PIMCO-affiliated
fund shares by following the recommendation of the ISP.
d)
All Securities Not Voted Pursuant to a recommendation of the ISP or Credit Research Group. The following applies to: (i)
proxies received in relation to securities for which the ISP or the Credit Research Group (as applicable) is unable to provide
recommendations on how to vote; and (ii) proxies for which, as described below, a PM determines to override the ISP's or
Credit Research Group's (as applicable) voting recommendation. In each case, such proxy will be reviewed by the Legal and
Compliance department to determine whether a material conflict of interest, or the appearance of one, exists with respect
to the voting of such proxy by the responsible PM. If no such material conflict of interest (or appearance of one) is identified
by, or disclosed to, the Legal and Compliance department, the proxy will be voted by the responsible PM in good faith and
in the best interest of the client.
If such a material
conflict of interest (or the appearance of one) is identified by, or disclosed to, the Legal and Compliance department,
such conflict will be resolved either by: (i) applying the policies and procedures set forth herein; (ii) applying a protocol
previously established by the Conflicts Committee; (iii) if no such protocol covers the conflict at hand, elevation to the
Conflicts Committee for direct resolution by it; or (iv) applying such other procedure(s) approved by the Legal and Compliance
department. The Legal and Compliance department will record the manner in which each such conflict is resolved (including,
in the case of direct resolution by the Conflicts Committee, the procedure applied by the Conflicts Committee).
e) Methods for Resolving Identified Conflicts of Interest.
1) Conflicting Client Interests. Where the conflict at issue has arisen because PIMCO clients have divergent interests, the
applicable PM or another PM may vote the proxy as follows:
• If the conflict exists between the accounts of one or more PMs on the one hand, and accounts of one or more different
PMs on the other, each PM (if the conflict does not also exist among the PM's accounts) will vote on behalf of his or her accounts in such accounts'
best interests.
• If the conflict exists among the accounts of a PM, such PM shall notify the Legal and Compliance department and the
head of the PM's desk (or such PM's manager, if different). The desk head or manager of such PM will then designate another PM without a conflict to vote
on behalf of those accounts.
2) Direct Resolution by the Conflicts Committee. When a conflict is brought to the Conflicts Committee for direct resolution,
the Conflicts Committee will seek to mitigate the actual or apparent conflict in the best interest of clients by, for example:
• Permitting the applicable PM to vote after receiving the consent of the client after providing notice and disclosure
of the conflict to that client; or
• Voting the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of, or delegating the vote to, an independent third-party service
provider; or
• Having the client direct the vote (and, if deemed appropriate by the Conflicts Committee, suggesting that the client
engage another party to assist the client in determining how the proxy should be voted).
In considering the manner in which to mitigate a material conflict of interest, the Conflicts Committee may consider various
factors, including:
• The extent and nature of the actual or apparent conflict of interest;
• If the client is a fund, whether it has an independent body (such as a board of directors) that is willing to give
direction to PIMCO;
• The nature of the relationship of the issuer with PIMCO (if any);
• Whether there has been any attempt to directly or indirectly influence PIMCO's voting decision; and
• Whether the direction of the proposed vote would appear to benefit PIMCO, a related party or another PIMCO client.
3) The Conflicts Committee Protocol. To permit the more efficient resolution of conflicts of interest, the Conflicts Committee
may establish a protocol (the "Conflicts Committee Protocol") that directs the methods of resolution for specific types of conflicts, provided that
such methods comply with Section B.2. Once a protocol has been established for a certain type of conflict, unless otherwise approved in writing by
the Legal and Compliance department, all conflicts of that type will be resolved pursuant to the protocol, subject to the Conflict Committee's ability
to rescind or amend such protocol.
f) Investments by Clients in Affiliated Funds. Conflicts of interest with respect to the voting of proxies may also arise
when PIMCO-managed separate accounts (including wrap program accounts advised or managed in whole or in part by PIMCO and other wrap program accounts
for which PIMCO has proxy voting authority), funds or other collective investment vehicles are shareholders of PIMCO-affiliated funds that are
the subject of proxies. PIMCO will vote client proxies relating to a PIMCO-affiliated fund in accordance with the offering or other disclosure documents
or any applicable contract for the PIMCO-managed separate account, fund or other investment vehicle holding shares of the PIMCO-affiliated fund. Where such
documents are silent on the issue, PIMCO will vote client proxies relating to a PIMCO-affiliated fund by "echoing" or "mirroring" the vote of the
other shareholders in the underlying funds, by voting in accordance with the ISP recommendation, or by applying other conflicts resolution procedures
set forth in Section B.2.
g) Information Barriers. To reduce the occurrence of actual or apparent conflicts of interest, PIMCO and PIMCO's agents are
prohibited from disclosing information regarding PIMCO's voting intentions to any affiliate other than PIMCO-named affiliates.
C. Proxy Voting Process
PIMCO's process for voting proxies with respect to equity and other securities is described below.
1. Proxy Voting Process: Equity Securities
a) The Role of the ISP. PIMCO has selected the ISP to assist it in researching and voting proxies. The ISP researches the
financial implications of proxy proposals and assists institutional investors with casting votes in a manner intended to protect and enhance shareholder returns,
consistent with the particular guidelines of the institutional investor. PIMCO utilizes the research and analytical services, operational implementation
and recordkeeping and reporting services provided by the ISP with respect to proxies relating to equity securities.
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The ISP will provide a recommendation to PIMCO as to how to
vote on each proposal based on its research of the individual facts and circumstances of each proposal and its application
to the ISP Guidelines. Except for newly established accounts that have not yet migrated to the ISP's systems, the ISP will
cast votes as PIMCO's agent on behalf of clients in accordance with its recommendations, subject to any override of such
recommendation by the PM. For accounts not yet migrated to the ISP's system, PIMCO Operations will manually cast votes in
accordance with the ISP's recommendations, subject to any override of such recommendations by the PM.
b)
Overrides of ISP's Recommendations.
1) Portfolio Manager
Review. Each PM is responsible for reviewing proxies relating to equity securities and determining whether to accept or
reject the recommendation of the ISP, in accordance with the best interests of the client. If a PM determines that overriding
the recommendation of the ISP would be in the best interests of the client based on all the facts and circumstances, the
PM, with the assistance of the Operations Group, as appropriate, must prepare or arrange for the preparation of a report
(the "Override Report") containing the information set forth below and any other information the PM and the Legal and Compliance
department deem relevant:
• Name and ticker symbol
of issuer;
• Percentage of the outstanding shares
of the issuer held;
• The name(s) of the fund(s)
or account(s) holding the securities;
• A summary
of the proposal;
• The date of the shareholder
meeting and the response deadline;
• Whether the
proposal is being made by management or a shareholder;
•
Management's recommendation with respect to the proposal;
•
The ISP recommendation with respect to the proposal;
•
The reasoning behind the PM's decision to recommend the override;
•
Whether the PM is aware of any actual or apparent conflict of interest with respect to the issuer or proponent of the proposal
(see Section B above). The PM should explain any such actual or apparent conflicts; and
•
Whether the PM has been contacted by an outside party regarding the vote.
2) Compliance Review. The Legal and Compliance department will
review the Override Report to determine whether an actual or apparent conflict of interest exists with respect to the vote.
If the Legal and Compliance department determines that no such conflict of interest exists, the PM's recommendation will
be implemented. If the Legal and Compliance department determines that such a conflict of interest exists, the conflict
will be resolved in accordance with the policies described above in Section B.2 of these Policies and Procedures. In no
event will PIMCO abstain from a vote solely to avoid a conflict of interest.
3)
Override. If the result of this process is a decision to vote differently than proposed by the ISP, the PM, with the assistance
of the Operations Group, will inform the ISP of the voting decision for implementation by the ISP.
c)
When the ISP Does Not Provide a Recommendation. In certain circumstances, the ISP, as a result of technical or other difficulties,
may be unable to provide a recommendation with respect to a client proxy. Where the ISP is unable to provide a recommendation
for an equity security proxy, PIMCO shall vote such proxy in accordance with Section C.3.
2.
Proxy Voting Process: Fixed Income Securities
a) The
Role of the Credit Research Group. The Credit Research Group is responsible for researching and issuing proxy voting recommendations
with respect to fixed income securities. The Credit Research Group researches the financial implications of proxy proposals
and makes voting recommendations specific for each account that holds the related fixed income security.
The
Credit Research Group will provide a recommendation, for each account, as to how to vote on each proposal based on the needs
of the account and the Credit Research Group's research of the individual facts and circumstances of each proposal. PIMCO
Operations will manually cast votes in accordance with the Credit Research Group's recommendations, subject to any override
of such recommendations by the PM.
b) Overrides of the
Credit Research Group's Recommendations.
1) Portfolio
Manager Review. Each PM is responsible for reviewing proxies relating to fixed income securities and determining whether
to accept or reject the recommendation of the Credit Research Group, in accordance with the best interests of the client.
If a PM determines that overriding the recommendation of the Credit Research Group would be in the best interests of the
client based on all the facts and circumstances, the PM, with the assistance of the Operations Group, as appropriate, must
prepare or arrange for the preparation of an Override Report containing the information set forth below and any other information
the PM and the Legal and Compliance department deem relevant:
•
Name and ticker symbol of issuer;
• Percentages
of the outstanding securities (equity and fixed income) of the issuer held;
•
The name(s) of the fund(s) or account(s) holding the securities;
•
A summary of the proposal;
• The date of the security
holder meeting and the response deadline;
• Whether
the proposal is being made by management or a security holder;
•
Management's recommendation with respect to the proposal;
•
The Credit Research Group recommendation with respect to the proposal;
•
The reasoning behind the PM's decision to recommend the override;
•
Whether the PM is aware of any actual or apparent conflict of interest with respect to the issuer or proponent of the proposal
(see Section B above). The PM should explain any such actual or apparent conflicts; and
•
Whether the PM has been contacted by an outside party regarding the vote.
2) Compliance Review. The Legal and Compliance
department will review the Override Report to determine whether an actual or apparent conflict of interest exists with respect
to the vote. If the Legal and Compliance department determines that no such conflict of interest exists, the PM's recommendation
will be implemented. If the Legal and Compliance department determines that such a conflict of interest exists, the conflict
will be resolved in accordance with the policies described above in Section B.2 of these Policies and Procedures. In no
event will PIMCO abstain from a vote
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solely to avoid a conflict of interest.
3) Override. If the result of this process is a decision
to vote differently than proposed by the Credit Research Group, the Operations Group will manually cast such vote.
c) When the Credit Research Group Does Not Provide a
Recommendation. In certain circumstances, the Credit Research Group, as a result of conflicts or other reasons, may be unable
to provide a recommendation with respect to a client proxy. Where the Credit Research Group is unable to provide a recommendation
for a fixed income security proxy, PIMCO shall vote such proxy in accordance with Section C.3.
3.
Proxy Voting Process: All Other Securities (including those not covered by the ISP or the Credit Research Group)
The
ISP covers the majority of equity securities and the Credit Research Group covers fixed income securities. In certain circumstances,
such as when an equity security issuer does not have a contractual relationship with the ISP or when the Credit Research
Group has a conflict, a proxy will not be covered by the ISP or the Credit Research Group. Proxies not covered by the ISP
or the Credit Research Group (collectively "OS Proxies") may be received by PIMCO Operations, the PM or by State Street
Investment Management Solutions ("IMS West"). Upon receipt of any proxy voting ballots, all OS Proxies should be forwarded
to PIMCO Operations, which coordinates with the Legal and Compliance department, and the PM(s) as appropriate, to vote such
OS Proxies manually in accordance with the procedures set forth below.
a)
Identify and Seek to Resolve any Material Conflicts of Interest. As described in Section B.1, PIMCO's Legal and Compliance
department will review each OS Proxy to determine whether PIMCO may have an actual or apparent material conflict of interest
in voting. If no such conflict is identified, the Legal and Compliance department will forward each OS Proxy to PIMCO Operations,
which will coordinate consideration of such proxy by the appropriate PM(s). However, if such a conflict is identified, the
Legal and Compliance department will, in accordance with Section B.2 above, resolve such conflict: (i) by applying the policies
and procedures set forth herein; (ii) pursuant to a protocol previously established by the Conflicts Committee; (iii) if
no such protocol is applicable to the conflict at hand, elevate such conflict to the Conflicts Committee for direct resolution;
or (iv) by applying such other procedure(s) approved by the Legal and Compliance department.
b)
Vote. (i) Where no material conflict of interest is identified, the PM will review the proxy information, vote the OS Proxy
in accordance with these policies and procedures and return the voted OS Proxy to PIMCO Operations; (ii) Where a material
conflict of interest is identified, the OS Proxy will be voted in accordance with the conflict resolution procedures in
Section B.2 and the voted OS Proxy will be returned to PIMCO Operations.
c)
Review. PIMCO Operations will review for proper completion each OS Proxy that was submitted to it. PIMCO Operations will
forward the voted OS Proxy to the ballot collection agency with the decision as to how it should be voted.
d)
Transmittal to Third Parties. PIMCO Operations will document the decision for each OS Proxy received in a format designated
by the ballot collection agency or other third party service provider. PIMCO Operations will maintain a log of all OS Proxy
voting, which indicates, among other things, the date the notice was received and verified, PIMCO's response, the date and
time the custodian bank or other third party service provider was notified, the expiration date and any action taken.
e)
Recordkeeping. PIMCO Operations will log the proxy voting results into the ISP application for all manual ballots.
4. Abstentions
If it is consistent with PIMCO's contractual obligations to the client, PIMCO may determine not to vote a proxy if it believes
that: (1) the effect on the client's economic interests or the value of the portfolio holding is insignificant in relation to the client's account; (2)
the cost of voting the proxy outweighs the possible benefit to the client, including, without limitation, situations where a jurisdiction imposes share
blocking restrictions which may affect the PM's ability to effect trades in the related security; or (3) the Legal and Compliance department has determined
that it is consistent with PIMCO's fiduciary obligations not to vote.
For example, these factors may result in PIMCO not voting proxies relating to non-U.S. issuers in some situations. This is
because, in the case of such proxies, PIMCO may, for example, receive meeting notices after the cut-off time for voting or without enough time to fully
consider the proxy, or PIMCO may be required in some jurisdictions to provide local agents with power of attorney prior to implementing PIMCO's voting
instructions.
5. Proxies Relating to Securities on Loan
Where a security is on loan, PIMCO may, but is not required to, request that the loaned securities be recalled and that the
security be blocked from lending prior to the meeting record date in order to vote the proxy. In determining whether to recall a loaned security, the
relevant PM(s) shall consider whether the benefit to the client in voting the matter outweighs the benefit to the client in keeping the security on loan.
The recall decision should be made in the best interests of the client based on a consideration of various factors, which may include the following: (1)
whether the matter to be voted on may significantly affect the value of the security; (2) the relative cost and/or administrative inconvenience of
recalling the security; (3) the significance of the holding; and (4) whether the security is considered a long-term holding.
D. U.S. Reporting and Disclosure Requirements and the Availability of Proxy Voting Records
Except to the extent required by applicable law (including with respect to the filing of any Form N-PX) or otherwise approved
by PIMCO, PIMCO will not disclose to third parties how it voted a proxy on behalf of a client. However, upon request from an appropriately authorized
individual, PIMCO will disclose to its clients or the entity delegating the voting authority to PIMCO for such clients (e.g., trustees or consultants
retained by the client), how PIMCO voted such client's proxy. In addition, PIMCO provides its clients with a copy of these Policies and Procedures or a
concise summary of these Policies and Procedures: (i) in Part II of Form ADV; (ii) together with a periodic account statement in a separate mailing;
or (iii) any other means as determined by PIMCO. The summary will state that these Policies and Procedures are available upon request and will inform
clients that information about how PIMCO voted that client's proxies is available upon request.
For each U.S. registered investment company ("fund") that PIMCO sponsors and manages, PIMCO will ensure that the proxy voting
record for the twelve-month period ending June 30 is properly reported on Form N-PX which is filed with the SEC no later than August 31 of
each year. PIMCO will also ensure that each fund states in its Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") (or, with respect to Private Account
Portfolio Series of PIMCO Funds ("PAPS Portfolios"), the Offering Memorandum Supplement) and its annual and semiannual report to shareholders that information
concerning how the fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities for the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available
without charge through the fund's website and on the SEC's website, as required by Form N-1A (for open-end funds) or Form N-2 (for closed-end funds).
PIMCO's Fund Administration Group is responsible for ensuring that this information is posted on each fund's website in accordance with
the foregoing disclosure. PIMCO will ensure that proper disclosure is made in each fund's SAI (or, with respect to the PAPS Portfolios, the Offering
Memorandum Supplement)
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and annual and semiannual reports describing the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to
such fund's portfolio securities, also as required by Form N-1A (for open-end funds) and Form N-2 (for closed-end funds).
E. PIMCO Record Keeping
PIMCO or its agent (e.g., IMS West or the ISP) maintains proxy voting records as required by applicable rules. The records
maintained by PIMCO include: (1) a copy of all proxy voting policies and procedures; (2) a copy of any document created by PIMCO that was material
to making a decision on how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for that decision; (3) a copy of each written client
request for proxy voting records and any written response from PIMCO to any (written or oral) client request for such records; and (4) any documentation
related to an identified material conflict of interest. Additionally, PIMCO or its agent (if the agent has undertaken to provide a copy
to PIMCO upon request) maintains: (1) proxy statements (or other disclosures accompanying requests for client consent) received regarding client
securities (which may be satisfied in the U.S. by relying on obtaining a copy of a proxy statement from the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis,
and Retrieval (EDGAR) system); and (2) a record of each vote cast by PIMCO on behalf of a client.
Proxy voting books and records are maintained by PIMCO or its agent in an easily accessible place for a period of five years
from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in the offices of PIMCO or its agent.
F. Review and Oversight
PIMCO's Legal and Compliance department will provide for the supervision and periodic review, no less than on an annual basis,
of PIMCO's proxy voting activities and the implementation of these Policies and Procedures. Such review process will include a review of PM
overrides of the ISP's voting recommendations.
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APPENDIX C
Below are summaries of the ratings definitions used by some of the rating organizations. Those ratings represent the opinion of the rating organizations as to the credit quality of the issues that they rate. The summaries are based upon publicly available information provided by the rating organizations.
Ratings of Long-Term Obligations and Preferred Stocks — The Funds utilize ratings provided by rating organizations in order to determine eligibility of long-term obligations. The ratings described in this section may also be used for evaluating the credit quality for preferred stocks.
Credit ratings typically evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of bonds. The rating organizations may fail to update a credit rating on a timely basis to reflect changes in economic or financial conditions that may affect the market value of the security. For these reasons, credit ratings may not be an accurate indicator of the market value of a bond.
The four highest Moody's ratings for long-term obligations (or issuers thereof) are Aaa, Aa, A and Baa. Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk. Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Moody's ratings of Ba, B, Caa, Ca and C are considered below investment grade. Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk. Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. Moody's also appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
The four highest Standard & Poor's ratings for long-term obligations are AAA, AA, A and BBB. An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Standard & Poor's ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are considered below investment grade and are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The CC rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default. An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher. An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
The four highest ratings for long-term obligations by Fitch Ratings are AAA, AA, A and BBB. Obligations rated AAA are deemed to be of the highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. Obligations rated AA are deemed to be of very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. Obligations rated A are deemed to be of high credit quality. An A rating denotes expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. Obligations rated BBB are deemed to be of good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.
Fitch's ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C, RD and D are considered below investment grade or speculative grade. Obligations rated BB are deemed to be speculative. BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. Obligations rated B are deemed to be highly speculative. B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. Obligations rated CCC
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indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Obligations rated CC indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable. Obligations rated C indicate exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a 'C' category rating for an issuer include: (a) the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; (b) the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or (c) Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of 'RD' or 'D' to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange. Obligations rated RD indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include: (a) the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; (b) the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; (c) the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or (d) execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. Obligations rated D indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise cease business. Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange. "Imminent" default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future. In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency's opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer's financial obligations or local commercial practice.
Ratings of Municipal Obligations — Moody's ratings for short-term investment-grade municipal obligations are designated Municipal Investment Grade (MIG or VMIG in the case of variable rate demand obligations) and are divided into three levels — MIG/VMIG 1, MIG/VMIG 2 and MIG/VMIG 3. Factors used in determination of ratings include liquidity of the borrower and short-term cyclical elements. The MIG/VMIG 1 rating denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. The MIG/VMIG 2 rating denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. The MIG/VMIG 3 rating denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. An SG rating denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Standard & Poor's uses SP-1, SP-2, and SP-3 to rate short-term municipal obligations. A rating of SP-1 denotes a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation. A rating of SP-2 denotes a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. A rating of SP-3 denotes a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Ratings of Short-Term Obligations — Moody's short-term ratings, designated as P-1, P-2, P-3, or NP, are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations that generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months. The rating P-1 is the highest short-term rating assigned by Moody's and it denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. The rating P-2 denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. The rating P-3 denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term policyholder claims and obligations. The rating NP denotes an issuer (or supporting institutions) that does not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Standard & Poor's short-term ratings are generally assigned to obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days — including commercial paper. A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong. A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to ‘D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
Fitch Ratings' short-term ratings have a time horizon of less than 13 months for most obligations, or up to three years for US public finance, in line with industry standards, to reflect unique risk characteristics of bond, tax, and revenue anticipation notes that are commonly issued with terms up to three years. Short-term ratings thus place greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner. A rating of F1 denotes an obligation of the highest credit quality. It indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments and may have an
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added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. A rating of F2 denotes good credit quality. It indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. A rating of F3 denotes fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non investment grade. A rating of B denotes an obligation that is speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. A rating of C denotes a high default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. A rating of RD indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. A rating of D indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
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AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. | Exhibits | ||
(a) | (1) | Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated March 4, 2015, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 225, filed June 30, 2015 (“PEA No. 225”) | |
(2) | Certificates of Designation for American Beacon AHL Managed Futures Fund, American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund, American Beacon Crescent High Income Fund, American Beacon Global Evolution Frontier Markets Debt Fund, and American Beacon Ionic Absolute Return Fund are incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 208, filed December 19, 2014 (“PEA No. 208”) | ||
(3) | Certificate of Designation for American Grosvenor Long/Short Fund, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 231, filed September 30, 2015 (“PEA No. 231”) | ||
(4) | Certificates of Designation for American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund and American Beacon Bridgeway Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund – (filed herewith) | ||
(b) | Amended and Restated Bylaws, dated February 18, 2014, are incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.184, filed April 29, 2014 (“PEA No. 184”) | ||
(c) | Rights of holders of the securities being registered are contained in Articles III, VIII, X, XI and XII of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust and Articles III, V, VI and XI of the Registrant’s Bylaws | ||
(d) | (1)(A) | Management Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 228, filed August 28, 2015 (“PEA No. 228”) | |
(1)(B) | Amended Schedule A to Management Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated June 22, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(1)(C) | Management Agreement between American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd. and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated July 9, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, filed August 19, 2014 (“PEA No. 203”) | ||
(2)(A) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(B)(i) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, with respect to the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(B)(ii) | Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, with respect to the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, dated May 11, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(B)(iii) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, with respect to the American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund, American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund, and American Beacon Balanced Fund, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(C) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Calamos Advisors LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(D) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Causeway Capital Management LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(E) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Dreman Value Management LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(F) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Franklin Advisers, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(G) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(H) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Lazard Asset Management LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(I) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Logan Circle Partners, L.P., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(J) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(K) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(L) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Pzena Investment Management, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(M) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(N) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(O) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(P) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Zebra Capital Management, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(Q) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Strategic Income Management, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(R) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Brandes Investment Partners, L.P., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(S) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Massachusetts Financial Services Company, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(T) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(U) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(V)(i) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 228 | ||
(2)(V)(ii) | Form of First Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 228 | ||
(2)(W) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Holland Capital Management LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(X) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and PENN Capital Management Company, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(Y) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and The London Company of Virginia, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(Z) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Earnest Partners, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(AA) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Acadian Asset Management LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(BB) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(CC) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors Inc., and Global Evolution USA, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(DD) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and AHL Partners LLP, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(EE) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Bahl & Gaynor, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(FF) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Crescent Capital Group LP, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(GG) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd., American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and AHL Partners LLP, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(HH) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Hillcrest Asset Management, LLC, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(II) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Ionic Capital Management LLC, dated June 22, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 225 | ||
(2)(JJ) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Sound Point Capital Management, L.P., dated December 9, 2015, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 237, filed December 9, 2015 (“PEA No. 237”) | ||
(2)(KK) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and WEDGE Capital Management, L.L.P, dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(LL) | Form of Lead Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(MM) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and Basswood Capital Management, LLC, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(NN) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and Impala Asset Management, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(OO) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and Incline Global Management, LLC, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(PP) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and Passport Capital LLC, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(QQ) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and Pine River Capital Management LP, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(RR) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and River Canyon Fund Management LLC, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(SS) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Advisors, Inc., Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., and Tremblant Capital Group, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(2)(TT) | Investment Advisory Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., and Payden & Rygel, dated August 13, 2015, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 234, filed October 27, 2015 (“PEA No. 234”) | ||
(e) | (1) | Form of Distribution Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, dated March 31, 2009, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75, filed May 1, 2009 (“PEA No. 75”) | |
(2)(A) | Eleventh Amendment to Schedule I of the Distribution Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(f) | Bonus, profit sharing or pension plans – (none) | ||
(g) | (1) | Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated December 1, 1997, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 24, filed February 26, 1998 (“PEA No. 24”) | |
(2) | Amended and Restated Schedule D to the Custodian Agreement, effective as of January 21, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 180, filed February 18, 2014 (“PEA No. 180”) | ||
(h) | (1)(A) | Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated January 1, 1998, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 24 | |
(1)(B) | Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement regarding anti-money laundering procedures, dated September 24, 2002, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 42, filed February 28, 2003 (“PEA No. 42”) | ||
(1)(C) | Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to replace fee schedule, dated March 26, 2004, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64, filed March 1, 2007 (“PEA No. 64”) | ||
(1)(D) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated September 18, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206, filed October 17, 2014 (“PEA No. 206”) | ||
(2)(A) | Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the American Beacon Funds and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., dated March 15, 2008, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 97, filed December 30, 2010 (“PEA No. 97”) | ||
(2)(B) | First Amendment to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, dated May 2, 2008, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(2)(C) | Second Amendment to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, dated May 20, 2009, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(2)(D) | Third Amendment to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, dated November 3, 2009, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(3)(A) | Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated April 30, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 234 | ||
(3)(B) | Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated December 10, 2015 – (filed herewith) | ||
(4) | Administration Agreement between American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd. and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated July 1, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(5)(A) | Administrative Services Agreement among American AAdvantage Funds, American AAdvantage Mileage Funds, AMR Investment Services Trust, AMR Investment Services, Inc., and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated November 29, 1999, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 28, filed March 12, 1999 (“PEA No. 28”) | ||
(5)(B) | Amendment to Administrative Services Agreement among American AAdvantage Funds, American AAdvantage Mileage Funds, AMR Investment Services Trust, AMR Investment Services, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated June 30, 2004, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50, filed June 30, 2004 (“PEA No. 50”) | ||
(6)(A) | Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated March 1, 2005, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(6)(B) | Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated December 7, 2010, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(6)(C) | Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated February 3, 2012, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 129, filed February 2, 2012 (“PEA No. 129”) | ||
(6)(D) | Seventh Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated August 28, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 166, filed September 20, 2013 (“PEA No. 166”) | ||
(6)(E) | Eighth Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated July 7, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(7) | Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Investor Class, dated March 6, 2009, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77, filed August 3, 2009 (“PEA No. 77”) | ||
(8) | Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Advisor Class (formerly known as the AAdvantage Funds Service Class), dated May 1, 2003, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.45, filed May 1, 2003 (“PEA No. 45”) | ||
(9)(A) | Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Retirement Class, dated April 30, 2009, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 75 | ||
(9)(B) | Amendment to Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Retirement Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(10)(A) | Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Y Class, dated July 24, 2009, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 77 | ||
(10)(B) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Y Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(11)(A) | Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds A Class, dated February 16, 2010, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.84, filed March 16, 2010 (“PEA No. 84”) | ||
(11)(B) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds A Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(12)(A) | Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds C Class, dated May 25, 2010, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 90, filed June 15, 2010 (“PEA No. 90”) | ||
(12)(B) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds C Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(13) | Master-Feeder Participation Agreement among Small Cap Index Fund, International Equity Index Fund, Quantitative Master Series Trust, and Princeton Funds Distributor, Inc., dated June 30, 2000, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 32, filed July 7, 2000 (“PEA No. 32”) | ||
(14) | Master-Feeder Participation Agreement among S&P 500 Index Fund, Equity 500 Index Portfolio and SSgA Funds Management, Inc., dated May 1, 2001, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41, filed October 1, 2002 (“PEA No. 41”) | ||
(15) | Amended and Restated Credit Agreement between American Beacon Funds and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated January 31, 2008, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 70, filed February 29, 2008 (“PEA No. 70”) | ||
(16)(A) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon Earnest Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, dated August 9, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 164, filed August 27, 2013 | ||
(16)(B) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon Acadian Emerging Markets Managed Volatility Fund, dated August 9, 2013, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 166 | ||
(16)(C) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon SGA Global Growth Fund, dated August 9, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168, filed October 3, 2013 | ||
(16)(D) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon Global Evolution Frontier Markets Income Fund, dated November 12, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, filed November 19, 2013 (“PEA No. 171”) | ||
(16)(E) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated December 19, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 173, filed December 27, 2013 (“PEA No. 173”) | ||
(16)(F) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated February 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 181, filed February 28, 2014 (“PEA No. 181”) | ||
(16)(G) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated March 28, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 185, filed April 29, 2014 | ||
(16)(H) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon AHL Managed Futures Strategy Fund, dated June 5, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(16)(I) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 198, filed July 14, 2014 (“PEA No. 198”) | ||
(16)(J) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon Earnest Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 194, filed May 28, 2014 (“PEA No. 194”) | ||
(16)(K) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for the American Beacon Crescent Short Duration High Income Fund, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 196, filed July 7, 2014 (“PEA No. 196”) | ||
(16)(L) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated July 1, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(16)(M) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated November 13, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA 208 | ||
(16)(N) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated January 23, 2015, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 213, filed February 27, 2015 (“PEA No. 213”) | ||
(16)(O) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon Ionic Strategic Arbitrage Fund, dated June 3, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 225 | ||
(16)(P) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated April 8, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 217, filed April 30, 2015 | ||
(16)(Q) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for certain American Beacon Funds, dated April 8, 2015, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219, filed May 29, 2015(“PEA No. 219”) | ||
(16)(R) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund, dated May 15, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(16)(S) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund, dated November 10, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 237 | ||
(16)(T) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, dated November 10, 2015 – (filed herewith) | ||
(16)(U) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, dated September 9, 2015 – (filed herewith) | ||
(i) | Opinion and consent of counsel – (filed herewith) | ||
(j) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – (filed herewith) | ||
(k) | Financial statements omitted from prospectus – (none) | ||
(l) | Letter of investment intent, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, filed December 18, 1997 (“PEA No. 23”) | ||
(m) | (1) | Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Advisor Class (formerly known as the Service Class), is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 45 | |
(2)(A) | Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Retirement Class, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 77 | ||
(2)(B) | Amendment to Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Retirement Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(3)(A) | Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 filed May 17, 2010 | ||
(3)(B) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(3)(C) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class, dated December 10, 2015 – (filed herewith) | ||
(4)(A) | Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the C Class, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 90 | ||
(4)(B) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the C Class, dated July 14, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(n) | Amended and Restated Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3, dated March 9, 2011, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 103, filed March 18, 2011 (“PEA No. 103”) | ||
(p) | (1) | Code of Ethics of American Beacon Advisors, Inc., American Beacon Funds, and American Beacon Select Funds, dated February 18, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 181 | |
(2) | Code of Ethics of State Street Master Funds, dated April 1, 2012, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 158, filed April 30, 2013 (“PEA No. 158”) | ||
(3) | Code of Ethics of Quantitative Master Series LLC, dated March 22, 2013, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 158 | ||
(4) | Code of Ethics of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., dated December 31, 2010, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 100, filed March 1, 2011 (“PEA No. 100”) | ||
(5) | Code of Ethics of Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, dated February 2014, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 194 | ||
(6) | Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of Calamos Advisors LLC, dated March 17, 2009, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(7) | Code of Ethics of Causeway Capital Management LLC, dated April 25, 2005 and revised August 10, 2010, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(8) | Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of Dreman Value Management LLC, February 24, 2010, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 97 | ||
(9) | Code of Ethics of Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, dated December 2013, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 181 | ||
(10) | Code of Ethics and Personal Investment Policy of Lazard Asset Management LLC, dated January 2012, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 148, filed October 26, 2012 (“PEA No. 148”) | ||
(11) | Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Guidelines of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., effective September 16, 2013, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 171 | ||
(12) | Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct of NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., dated February 2014, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 194 | ||
(13) | Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, revised January 2009, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73, filed February 27, 2009 (“PEA No. 73”) | ||
(14) | Code of Ethics and Policy Statement on Insider Trading of Franklin Templeton, parent company of Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Templeton Investments Counsel, LLC, dated May 2013, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 171 | ||
(15) | Code of Conduct and Personal Securities Trading Policy of The Bank of New York Mellon, parent company of The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC and Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC, dated March 2012, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 153 | ||
(16) | Code of Ethics of Zebra Capital Management, LLC, dated November 2011, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136, filed March 15, 2012 (“PEA No. 136”) | ||
(17) | Code of Ethics for Strategic Income Management, LLC, dated January 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 219 | ||
(18) | Code of Ethics of Massachusetts Financial Services Co., dated September 19, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 213 | ||
(19) | Code of Ethics of Brandes Investment Partners, L.P., dated August 15, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 113, filed July 1, 2011 (“PEA No. 113”) | ||
(20) | Code of Ethics of Fortress Investment Group LLC (on behalf of Logan Circle Partners, L.P.), dated January 2012, is incorporated be reference to PEA No. 136 | ||
(21) | Code of Ethics of Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), dated May 2009, as revised January 2015, is incorporated by reference to (“PEA No. 219”) | ||
(22) | Code of Ethics for Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC, dated April 2012, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 153 | ||
(23) | Code of Ethics for Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., dated June 23, 2011, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 129 | ||
(24) | Code of Ethics and Conduct for Holland Capital Management LLC, dated February 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 194 | ||
(25) | Code of Ethics for PENN Capital Management Company, Inc., dated February 21, 2012, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 131, filed February 23, 2012 (“PEA No. 131”) | ||
(26) | Code of Ethics for The London Company of Virginia, LLC, dated April 2, 2012, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 145, filed May 25, 2012 | ||
(27) | Code of Ethics for Earnest Partners, dated August 4, 2008, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161, filed June 14, 2013 (“PEA No. 161”) | ||
(28) | Code of Ethics for Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 162, filed July 11, 2013 | ||
(29) | Code of Ethics for Acadian Asset Management LLC, dated February 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 219 | ||
(30) | Code of Ethics for Global Evolution USA, LLC, dated January 1, 2013, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 161 | ||
(31) | Code of Ethics for AHL Partners LLP, revised December 2013, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 203 | ||
(32) | Code of Ethics for Bahl & Gaynor, Inc., amended 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 189, filed May 1, 2014 | ||
(33) | Code of Ethics for Crescent Capital Group LP, dated May 2011, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 196 | ||
(34) | Code of Ethics for Hillcrest Asset Management, LLC, dated July 8, 2014 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 208 | ||
(35) | Code of Ethics for Ionic Capital Management LLC, dated May 2014, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 214, filed March 18, 2015 | ||
(36) | Code of Ethics for Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P., dated June 27, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(37) | Code of Ethics for Basswood Capital Management, LLC, dated August 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(38) | Code of Ethics for Impala Asset Management, dated November 14, 2013, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(39) | Code of Ethics for Incline Global Management, LLC, dated October 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(40) |
Code of Ethics for Passport Capital LLC, dated January 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231
|
||
(41) | Code of Ethics for Pine River Capital Management LP, dated April 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(42) | Code of Ethics for River Canyon Fund Management LLC, dated August 25, 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(43) | Code of Ethics for Tremblant Capital Group, dated July 2015, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 231 | ||
(44) | Code of Ethics for Sound Point Capital Management, L.P., dated August 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 237 | ||
(45) | Code of Ethics for Payden & Rygel, dated August 2014 – (filed herewith) |
Other Exhibits
Powers of Attorney for Trustees of American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds, dated June 2, 2015 – (filed herewith)
Item 29. | Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant |
None.
Item 30. | Indemnification |
Article XI of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust provides that:
Limitation of Liability
Section 1 . Provided they have exercised reasonable care and have acted under the reasonable belief that their actions are in the best interest of the Trust, the Trustees shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for neglect or wrongdoing of them or any officer, agent, employee or investment adviser of the Trust, but nothing contained herein shall protect any Trustee against any liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Indemnification
Section 2 .
(a) | Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in paragraph (b) below: |
(i) every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or officer of the Trust (hereinafter referred to as "Covered Person") shall be indemnified by the appropriate portfolios to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof;
(ii) the words "claim," "action," "suit," or "proceeding" shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened while in office or thereafter, and the words "liability" and "expenses" shall include, without limitation, attorneys' fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
(b) | No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person: |
(i) who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or
(ii) in the event of a settlement, unless there has been a determination that such Trustee or officer did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office (A) by the court or other body approving the settlement; (B) by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or (C) by written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); provided, however, that any Shareholder may, by appropriate legal proceedings, challenge any such determination by the Trustees, or by independent counsel.
(c) The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such Trustee or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.
(d) Expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit, or proceeding of the character described in paragraph (a) of this Section 2 may be paid by the applicable Portfolio from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 2; provided, however, that:
(i) such Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking;
(ii) the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments; or
(iii) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a trial-type inquiry or full investigation), that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Section 2.
According to Article XII, Section 1 of the Declaration of Trust, the Trust is a trust, not a partnership. Trustees are not liable personally to any person extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust, a particular Portfolio or the Trustees. A Trustee, however, is not protected from liability due to willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
Article XII, Section 2 provides that, subject to the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII and to Article XI, the Trustees are not liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, or for any act or omission in accordance with advice of counsel or other experts or for failing to follow such advice.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Management Agreement provides that:
8. Limitation of Liability of the Manager . The Manager shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Trust or any Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of the Manager, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of a Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to a Trust or acting in any business of a Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for a Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of the Manager even though paid by it.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Acadian Asset Management LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with AHL Partners LLP provides, in relevant part, that:
9. Liability . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders, the Manager or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, the Manager, any affiliated person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Manager or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities or commodities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Trust which may be based upon any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of, the Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement, relating to its trading activities or information provided to the Manager regarding the Adviser, by the Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Adviser. The U.S. federal and state securities laws impose liabilities on persons who act in good faith, and therefore, nothing in this Agreement is intended to limit the obligations of the Adviser under such laws.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Bahl & Gaynor, Inc. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, the Manager, any affiliated person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Manager or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Trust which may be based upon any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of, the Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Adviser. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Straus, Inc. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 16 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Basswood Capital Management, LLC provides that:
16. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. | The Underlying Adviser shall have no liability to the Manager, Lead Adviser, the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Underlying Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Underlying Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
B. | The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Lead Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Lead Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Lead Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
C. | The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Manager’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Manager or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Manager or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Manager or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was not made in reliance upon information furnished to the Manager by the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
D. | A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any Claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party. |
E. | No party will be liable to another party for consequential, special or punitive damages under any provision of this Agreement. |
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 11 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC provides that:
11. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders
or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which
occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its
duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders, the Manager or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Manager shall indemnify the Adviser, its officers, directors and employees, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, controls the Adviser, for any liability and expenses, including without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which may be sustained as a result of the Manager’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Calamos Advisors LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . Adviser will not be liable for any loss suffered by reason of any investment, decision, recommendation, or other action taken or omitted in what Adviser in good faith believes to be the proper performance of its duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Causeway Capital Management LLC provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Crescent Capital Group LP provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . Neither the Adviser nor any director, officer or employee of the Adviser performing services for the Trust in connection with the Adviser’s discharge of its obligations hereunder shall have liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, the Manager, any affiliated person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Manager or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Trust which may be based upon any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of, the Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Adviser. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Dreman Value Management LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Earnest Partners, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Franklin Advisers, Inc. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Global Evolution USA, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraphs 10 and 11 of the Lead Investment Advisory Agreement with Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P . provide that:
10. Liability of the Lead Adviser . In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Lead Adviser, the Lead Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, the Funds or to any shareholder of the Funds or any third party for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any investment by a Fund.
11. Indemnification
A. | The Lead Adviser shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, any affiliated person of the Manager within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager or Trust, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) (collectively, “Claims”), to which the Manager or Trust or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Lead Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties under this Agreement in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement provided, however, that the Lead Adviser’s obligation under this Section 11A shall be reduced to the extent that such Claim is caused by or is otherwise directly related to (i) any material breach by the Manager of its representations or warranties made herein, (ii) any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the Manager, its affiliated person or controlling person in the performance of any of its or their duties or obligations hereunder, or (iii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the omission to state therein a material fact known to the Manager that was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Manager or the Trust by the Lead Adviser. The indemnification in this Section 11A shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
B. | The Manager shall indemnify and hold harmless the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses) (collectively, “Claims”), to which the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Manager’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties under this Agreement in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement provided, however, that the Manager’s obligation under this Section 11B shall be reduced to the extent that such Claim is caused by or is otherwise directly related to (i) any material breach by the Lead Adviser of its representations or warranties made herein, (ii) any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser, its affiliated person or controlling person in the performance of any of its or their duties or obligations hereunder, or (iii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the omission to state therein a material fact known to the Lead Adviser that was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser by the Manager. The indemnification in this Section 11B shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
C. | A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any Claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party. |
D. | No party will be liable to another party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement. |
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Hillcrest Asset Management, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, the Manager, any affiliated person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Manager or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Trust which may be based upon any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of, the Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Adviser. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Holland Capital Management LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 14 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Impala Asset Management provides that:
14. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. | The Underlying Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Underlying Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Underlying Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
B. | The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Lead Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Lead Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Lead Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
C. | The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Manager’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Manager or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Manager or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Manager or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was not made in reliance upon information furnished to the Manager by the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
D. | A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any Claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party. |
E. | No party will be liable to another party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement. |
Numbered Paragraph 14 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Incline Global Management, LLC provides that:
14. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. | The Underlying Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Underlying Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Underlying Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Underlying Adviser for use therein (and not superseded by revisions provided to Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust prior to the publication of the relevant document or communication). The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
B. | The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Lead Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Lead Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Lead Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
C. | The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Manager’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Manager or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Manager or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Manager or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was not made in reliance upon information furnished to the Manager by the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
D. | A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any Claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party. |
E. | No party will be liable to another party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement. |
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Lazard Asset Management LLC provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Logan Circle Partners, L.P. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Massachusetts Financial Services Co. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 7 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. provides that:
7. (a) Standard of Care . Except as may otherwise be provided by applicable laws and regulations, neither the Adviser nor any of its affiliates or its or their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be subject to any liability to the Manager, the Trust, the Portfolios or any shareholder of a Portfolio or the Trust for any error of judgment or any loss arising out of any investment or other act or omission in the course of, connected with, or arising out of any service to be rendered under this Agreement, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder. The Manager acknowledges and agrees that the Adviser makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Portfolios or the Assets designated by the Manager to the Adviser, or that the Portfolios or such Assets will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Adviser, whether public or private.
(b) Indemnification . The Manager shall hold harmless and indemnify the Adviser for any and all claims, losses, liabilities, costs, damages or expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) (“Losses”) incurred by the Adviser in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require that the Adviser be indemnified for Losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
The Adviser shall hold harmless and indemnify the Manager for any and all Losses incurred by the Manager that arise from the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require that the Manager be indemnified for Losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Manager’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Manager’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C. provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . Adviser will not be liable for any loss suffered by reason of any investment, decision, recommendation, or other action taken or omitted in what Adviser in good faith believes to be the proper performance of its duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Pacific Investment Management Company LLC provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 17 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Passport Capital LLC provides that:
14. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. | Except as otherwise provided within this Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of Underlying Adviser’s obligations and duties hereunder (“Disabling Conduct”) on the part of Underlying Adviser, none of Underlying Adviser, its affiliated persons within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, officers, directors, members, agents, employees or controlling persons shall be subject to liability to the Manager, the Lead Adviser, the Trust or any third party, including shareholders, for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by the Funds. |
B. | The Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, their officers, directors, members, agents, employees and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Disabling Conduct of the Underlying Adviser or its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact pertaining thereto which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished in writing to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser for use therein. The Underlying Adviser shall have no liability or responsibility with respect to other disclosures or statements or omissions. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
C. | The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, its officers, directors, members, agents, employees and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Disabling Conduct of the Lead Adviser or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Lead Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
D. The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, its officers, directors, members, agents, employees and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Investment Company Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of this agreement, except to the extent such claims are determined by a non-appealable final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to result from the Underlying Adviser’s Disabling Conduct or the matters described in Section 17(B). The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
E. A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any Claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights or reputation of the Indemnified Party.
F. No party will be liable to another party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Payden & Rygel provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, the Manager, any affiliated person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Manager or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Trust which may be based upon any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of, the Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Adviser. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with PENN Capital Management Company, Inc. provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 15 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Pine River Capital Management LP provides that:
15. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. Neither the Underlying Adviser, nor any of its directors, officers, members, partners, employees, supervised persons, or affiliated persons (within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act), nor any person who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underling Adviser (collectively, the “Underlying Adviser Affiliates”) shall have any liability to the Trust, its shareholders, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, any person who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, that the Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses, the “Losses”), to which the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Underlying Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Underlying Adviser or by any of the Underlying Adviser Affiliates acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser or any Underlying Adviser Affiliate for use therein and not superseded by revisions furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser or any Underlying Adviser Affiliate prior to the publication of the relevant document or communication. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
B. The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser and any of the Underlying Adviser Affiliates, against any and all Losses to which the Underlying Adviser or an Underlying Adviser Affiliate may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Lead Adviser’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement or the Lead Adviser Management Agreement by the Lead Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, partners, employees, supervised persons, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser; (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any of its directors, officers, partners, employees, supervised persons, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser for use therein; or (iii) the conduct of any other underlying adviser to a Fund. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
C. The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser and any of the Underlying Adviser Affiliates, against any and all Losses to which the Underlying Adviser or an Underlying Adviser Affiliate may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Manager’s, willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Manager’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement or the Investment Management Agreement by the Manager or by any of its directors, officers, employees, supervised persons, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Manager; (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Manager or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was not made in reliance upon information furnished to the Manager by the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent, supervised person or employee of the Lead Adviser or any Underlying Adviser Affiliate for use therein, or (iii) the conduct of any other underlying adviser to a Fund. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
D. A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party.
E. No party will be liable to another party for lost profits under any provision of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Pzena Investment Management, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in its reasonable judgment, in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Agreement, or in accordance with (or in the absence of) specific directions or instructions from the Manager. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 14 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with River Canyon Fund Management LLC provides that:
14. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. The Underlying Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party for any error of judgment or any loss arising out of any investment or other act or omission in the course of, connected with, or arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Trust, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Trust, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Underlying Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Underlying Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Trust by the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
B. The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Lead Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Lead Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Lead Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Lead Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
C. The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Manager’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Manager’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Manager or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Manager or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Funds or the Manager or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was not made in reliance upon information furnished to the Manager by the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of the Lead Adviser or the Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
D. A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any Claim for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party.
E. No party will be liable to another party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Sound Point Capital Management, L.P. provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, provided however, the Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, the Manager, any affiliated person within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, controls the Manager, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Manager or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of the Adviser’s responsibilities to the Trust which may be based upon any willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of, the Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Adviser. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Manager shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Adviser for (a) any action taken, omitted or suffered by Adviser in connection with this Agreement or the services provided hereunder, unless such act or omission shall have resulted from Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence; or (b) any loss arising from Adviser’s adherence to Manager’s instructions. Adviser shall in no event be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Strategic Income Management, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC provides that:
8. Liability of Adviser . No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with The London Company of Virginia, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 15 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Tremblant Capital LP provides that:
15. Liability and Indemnification by Parties .
A. The Underlying Adviser, and its officers, members, partners and employees, shall have no liability to the Manager, the Lead Adviser, the Fund, Fund shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement, except that the Underlying Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, the Manager, the Lead Adviser, any affiliated person of the Manager or the Lead Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, or any controlling person within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of the Fund, the Manager or the Lead Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), to which the Fund, the Manager, the Lead Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person may become subject under the securities laws, any other federal or state law, at common law or otherwise, arising out of (i) the Underlying Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Underlying Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Underlying Adviser or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Underlying Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus and/or proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Allocated Portion or the Underlying Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact that was known, or should have been known, to the Underlying Adviser which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Lead Adviser, the Manager or the Fund by the Underlying Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Underlying Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
B. The Lead Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, or any controlling person within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), incurred by the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person arising out of (i) the Lead Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Lead Adviser’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Lead Adviser or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, and/or proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Fund or the Lead Adviser or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by the Lead Adviser or any director, officer, agent or employee of Lead Adviser for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
C. The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underlying Adviser, any affiliated person of the Underlying Adviser within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, or any controlling person, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, of the Underlying Adviser, against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation (including reasonable legal and other expenses), incurred by the Underlying Adviser or such affiliated person or controlling person arising out of (i) the Manager’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Manager’s obligations and/or duties under this Agreement by the Manager or by any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, or any affiliate acting on behalf of the Manager or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, and/or proxy materials, reports, advertisements, sales literature, or other materials pertaining to the Fund or the Manager or the omission to state therein a material fact which was required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished by Manager or any director, officer, agent or employee of the Manager for use therein. The indemnification in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
D. A party seeking indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) will (i) provide prompt notice to the other of any claim for indemnification (“Claim”) for which it intends to seek indemnification, (ii) grant control of the defense and/or settlement of the Claim to the other party, and (iii) cooperate with the other party in the defense thereof. The Indemnified Party will have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of any Claim, but will not have the right to control the defense, consent to judgment or agree to the settlement of any Claim without the written consent of the other party. The party providing the indemnification will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter any settlement which (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the release by the claimant of all liabilities for Claims against the Indemnified Party or (ii) which otherwise adversely affects the rights of the Indemnified Party.
E. No party will be liable to another party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Zebra Capital Management, LLC provides that:
9. Liability of Adviser . The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
Numbered Paragraph 11 of the Administration Agreement provides that:
11. Limitation of Liability of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (“ABA”) . ABA shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Trust or any Series in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of ABA, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of a Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to any Trust or acting in any business of a Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of ABA even though paid by it.
Section 4.2 of the Distribution Agreement provides that:
(a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Foreside shall not be responsible for, and the Clients shall on behalf of each applicable Fund or Class thereof, indemnify and hold harmless Foreside, its employees, directors, officers and managers and any person who controls Foreside within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (for purposes of this Section 4.2(a), "Foreside Indemnitees") from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, liabilities and other expenses of every nature and character (including, but not limited to, direct and indirect reasonable reprocessing costs) arising out of or attributable to all and any of the following (for purposes of this Section 4.2(a), a "Foreside Claim"):
(i) any action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection with this Agreement; provided, that such action (or omission to act) is taken in good faith and without willful misfeasance, negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and obligations under this Agreement;
(ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or arising out of or based upon any alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Clients in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement or exhibits to the Registration Statement by or on behalf of Foreside;
(iii) any material breach of the Clients' agreements, representations, warranties, and covenants in Sections 2.9 and 5.2 of this Agreement; or
(iv) the reliance on or use by Foreside or its agents or subcontractors of information, records, documents or services which have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Clients or any agent of the Clients, including but not limited to any Predecessor Records provided pursuant to Section 2.9(b).
(b) Foreside will indemnify, defend and hold the Clients and their several officers and members of their Governing Bodies and any person who controls the Clients within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (collectively, the "Clients Indemnitees" and, with the Foreside Indemnitees, an "Indemnitee"), free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith), but only to the extent that such claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses result from, arise out of or are based upon all and any of the following (for purposes of this Section 4.2(c), a "Clients Claim" and, with a Foreside Claim, a "Claim"):
(i) any material action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection with this Agreement, provided that such action (or omission to act) is not taken in good faith and with willful misfeasance, negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
(ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Clients in writing in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement by or on behalf of Foreside; or
(iii) any material breach of Foreside's agreements, representations, warranties and covenants set forth in Section 2.4 and 5.1 hereof
(d) The Clients or Foreside (for purpose of this Section 4.2(d), an "Indemnifying Party") may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Foreside Claim or Clients Claim, respectively, and may retain counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party and approved by the other Party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Indemnifying Party shall advise the other Party that it will assume the defense of the suit and retain counsel within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of the claim. If the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of any such suit and retains counsel, the other Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel that they retain. If the Indemnifying Party does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if other Party does not approve of counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party, or if the other Party has been advised that it may have available defenses or claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party will reimburse any Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel that the Indemnitee retains. An Indemnitee shall not settle or confess any claim without the prior written consent of the applicable Client, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(e) An Indemnifying Party's obligation to provide indemnification under this section is conditioned upon the Indemnifying Party receiving notice of any action brought against an Indemnitee within twenty (20) days after the summons or other first legal process is served. Such notice shall refer to the Person or Persons against whom the action is brought. The failure to provide such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of any liability that it may have to any Indemnitee except to the extent that the ability of the party entitled to such notice to defend such action has been materially adversely affected by the failure to provide notice.
(f) The provisions of this section and the parties' representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnitee and shall survive the sale and redemption of any Shares made pursuant to subscriptions obtained by Foreside. The indemnification provisions of this section will inure exclusively to the benefit of each person that may be an Indemnitee at any time and their respective successors and assigns (it being intended that such persons be deemed to be third party beneficiaries under this Agreement).
Section 4.3 of the Distribution Agreement provides that:
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except as specifically set forth below:
(a) Neither Party shall be liable for losses, delays, failure, errors, interruption or loss of data occurring directly or indirectly by reason of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; action or inaction of civil or military authority; public enemy; war; terrorism; riot; fire; flood; sabotage; epidemics; labor disputes; civil commotion; interruption, loss or malfunction of utilities, transportation, computer or communications capabilities; insurrection; or elements of nature;
(b) Neither Party shall be liable for any consequential, special or indirect losses or damages suffered by the other Party, whether or not the likelihood of such losses or damages was known by the Party;
(c) No affiliate, director, officer, employee, manager, shareholder, partner, agent, counsel or consultant of either Party shall be liable at law or in equity for the obligations of such Party under this Agreement or for any damages suffered by the other Party related to this Agreement;
(d) Except as set forth in Section 4.2(f), there are no third party beneficiaries of this Agreement;
(e) Each Party shall have a duty to mitigate damages for which the other Party may become responsible;
(f) The assets and liabilities of each Fund are separate and distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Fund, and no Fund shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Fund, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise; and in asserting any rights or claims under this Agreement, Foreside shall look only to the assets and property of the Fund to which Foreside's rights or claims relate in settlement of such rights or claims; and
(g) Each Party agrees promptly to notify the other party of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding of which it becomes aware arising out of or in any way connected with the issuance or sale of Shares.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised 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. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Supplemental Limited Indemnification from the Administrator
Each of the Trustees of the Trust has entered into an arrangement with the Trust’s Administrator, whereby she or he may be indemnified by the Administrator for liability arising from a failure of the Administrator to carry out its duties under the Administration Agreement with the Trust and for certain securities laws claims. The arrangement is principally designed to supplement the indemnification afforded under the Trust’s Declaration of Trust as well as liability coverage provided by insurance policies. The arrangement is limited to civil and administrative claims.
Item 31.
I. Business and Other Connections of Investment Manager
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the “Manager”) offers investment management and administrative services to the Registrant. It acts in the same capacity to other investment companies, including those listed below.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with American Beacon
Advisors, Inc. |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
Sonia L. Bates; Asst. Treasurer, Dir. Tax & Financial Reporting | Asst. Treasurer, American Beacon Funds Complex; Asst. Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Asst. Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Asst. Treasurer, American Private Equity Management, L.L.C.; Asst. Treasurer, Astro AB Borrower, Inc. | |
Rosemary K. Behan; Secretary | Secretary, American Beacon Funds Complex; Secretary, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Secretary, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Secretary, American Private Equity Management, L.L.C.; Secretary, American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd.; Secretary, Astro AB Borrower, Inc. | |
Christopher L. Collins; Director
|
Manager; APEM, L.L.C.; Director; ABA, Inc.; President and Director; Astro AB Borrower, Inc.; President and Director; Astro AB Acquisition, Inc.; President and Director; Astro AB Topco, Inc.; Vice President and Director; Astro AB Holdings, LLC. | |
Stephen C. Dutton; Director
|
Manager; APEM, L.L.C.; Vice President & Treasurer and Director; Astro AB Borrower, Inc., Vice President & Treasurer and Director; Astro AB Acquisition, Inc., Vice President & Treasurer and Director; Astro AB Topco, Inc., Vice President and Director; Astro AB Holdings, LLC. | |
Melinda G. Heika; Treasurer | Treasurer, American Beacon Funds Complex; Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Treasurer, American Private Equity Management, L.L.C.; Director and Treasurer, American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd.; Treasurer, Astro AB Borrower, Inc. | |
Takashi B. Moriuchi; Director
|
Manager; APEM, L.L.C.; Director; Astro AB Borrower, Inc., Director; Astro AB Acquisition, Inc., Director; Astro AB Topco, Inc., Director; Astro AB Holdings, LLC. |
Gene L. Needles, Jr.; Director, President and Chief Executive Officer | President, American Beacon Funds Complex; Director, President, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; President, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Manager, American Private Equity Management, L.L.C.; President, American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd.; Director, Astro AB Borrower, Inc.; Director, Astro AB Acquisition, Inc.; Director, Astro AB Astro Topco, Inc., President & CEO, Astro AB Holdings, LLC. | |
Jeffrey K. Ringdahl, Chief Operating Officer | Senior Vice President, American Beacon Funds Complex; Senior Vice President, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Vice President, American Private Equity Management; Director and Vice President, American Beacon Cayman Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Ltd.; Director, Astro AB Borrower, Inc.; Director, Astro AB Acquisition, Inc.; Director, Astro AB Astro Topco, Inc., Chief Operating Officer, Astro AB Holdings, LLC. |
The principal address of the Manager, the American Beacon Funds, American Private Equity Management, L.L.C., and Astro AB Holdings, LLC, and Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc. is 220 East Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039.
II. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisers
The investment advisers listed below provide investment advisory services to the Trust.
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. , 220 East Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039.
Acadian Asset Management LLC (“Acadian”) is an investment sub-adviser for the American Beacon Acadian Emerging Markets Managed Volatility Fund. The principal address of Acadian is 260 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Acadian is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Acadian |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
Laurent de Greef, Member of Board of Managers | None | |
John Chisholm, Executive Vice President, CIO, Member of Board of Managers | Director, Acadian Asset Management (UK) Ltd | |
Churchill Franklin, CEO, Member of Board of Managers | Director, Acadian Asset Management (UK) Ltd; Director, Acadian Cayman Limited G.P. | |
Ronald Frashure, Chairman of Board of Managers | Director, Acadian Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd; Director, Acadian Cayman Limited G.P. | |
Mark Minichiello, Executive Vice President, COO, Treasurer, Secretary, Member of Board of Managers | Director, Acadian Asset Management (UK) Ltd; Director, Acadian Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd; Director, Acadian Asset Management (Japan) | |
Brendan Bradley, Senior Vice President, Director, Portfolio Management, Member of Board of Managers | None | |
Ross Dowd, Executive Vice President, Head of Client Service, Member of Board of Managers | Director, Acadian Asset Management (UK) Ltd; Director, Acadian Cayman Limited G.P.; Director, Acadian Asset Management (Australia) Ltd.; Director, Acadian Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd; Director, Acadian Asset Management (Japan) | |
Mauricio Karchmer, Senior Vice President, Member of Board of Managers | None | |
Theodore Noon, Senior Vice President, Member of Board of Managers | None | |
Linda Gibson, Member of Board of Managers | Executive Vice President and Head of Global Distribution – OM Asset Management PLC (a public company traded on the NYSE); Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Distribution – OMAM Inc. (f/k/a Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc.) (a holding company); Director, Acadian Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor); Director, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC (an investment advisor); Director, OMAM (HFL) Inc. (f/k/a Old Mutual (HFL) Inc.) (a holding company for Heitman affiliated financial services firms); Director, OMAM International Ltd. (f/k/a Old Mutual Asset Management International, Ltd.) (an investment advisor) |
Christopher Hadley, Member of Board of Managers | Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer – OM Asset Management PLC (a public company traded on the NYSE); Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer – OMAM Inc. (f/k/a Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc.) (a holding company); Director, Acadian Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor) | |
Aidan Riordan, Member of Board of Managers | Executive Vice President, Head of Affiliate Management - OM Asset Management PLC (a public company traded on the NYSE); Executive Vice President, Head of Affiliate Management - OMAM Inc. (f/k/a Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc.) (a holding company); Director, Acadian Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor); Director, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC (an investment advisor); Director, The Campbell Group, Inc. (a holding company for The Campbell Group LLC); Director, Copper Rock Capital Partners LLC (an investment advisor); Director, OMAM (HFL) Inc. (f/k/a Old Mutual (HFL) Inc. (a holding company for Heitman affiliated financial services firms); Director, Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC (an investment advisor); Director, Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (an investment advisor) | |
Stephen Belgard, Member of Board of Managers | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - OM Asset Management PLC (a public company traded on the NYSE); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - OMAM Inc. (f/k/a Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc.) (a holding company); Director, Acadian Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor); Director, OMAM International Ltd. (f/k/a Old Mutual Asset Management International, Ltd.) (an investment advisor) |
AHL Partners LLP (“AHL”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon AHL Managed Futures Strategy Fund. The principal address of AHL is 2 Swan Lane, London, United Kingdom EC4R 3AD. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 167882), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Bahl & Gaynor, Inc. (“Bahl & Gaynor”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund. The principal address of Bahl & Gaynor is 212 East Third Street, Suite 200 Cincinnati, OH 45202. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 106139), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC (“Barrow”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Balanced Fund, American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund, American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund and American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Barrow is 2200 Ross Avenue, 31 st Floor, Dallas, TX 75201-2761.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Barrow is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Barrow |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
James P. Barrow; President, Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Director, Member Board of Managers | None | |
J. Ray. Nixon; Executive Director, Member Board of Managers | None | |
Patricia B. Andrews; Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, Director | None | |
John S. Williams; Managing Director | None | |
Linda T. Gibson; Member Board of Managers | OMAM, Inc., Executive Vice President and Head of Global Distribution | |
Aidan J. Riordan; Member Board of Managers | OMAM, Inc., Executive Vice President and Head of Affiliate Management |
Basswood Capital Management, LLC (“Basswood”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of Basswood is 645 Madison Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 138032), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC (“Brandywine”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, American Beacon Balanced Fund, American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund, and American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Brandywine is 2929 Arch Street, 8 th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Brandywine is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Brandywine |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
David F. Hoffman, Senior Managing Director | None | |
Mark P. Glassman, Chief Administrative Officer | None | |
Patrick S. Kaser, Managing Director | None | |
Paul R. Lesutis, Senior Managing Director | None | |
Henry F. Otto, Senior Managing Director | None | |
Stephen S. Smith, Senior Managing Director | None | |
Adam B. Spector, Managing Director | None | |
Steven M. Tonkovich, Senior Managing Director | None | |
Thomas C. Merchant, Secretary | None | |
Beth O’Malley, Assistant Secretary | None | |
Melissa A. Warren, Assistant Secretary | None |
Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. (“Bridgeway”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Bridgeway is 20 Greenway Plaza, Suite 450, Houston, Texas 77046.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Bridgeway is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Bridgeway |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
John N. R. Montgomery, Director/Chairman of the Board of Directors/Chief Investment Officer | Vice President and Director, Bridgeway Funds, Inc. | |
Linda G. Giuffre, Chief Compliance Officer | Chief Compliance Officer and Treasurer, Bridgeway Funds, Inc. | |
Michael D. Mulcahy, Director/President/Chief Operating Officer | President and Director, Bridgeway Funds, Inc. | |
Von D. Celestine, Treasurer/Vice President/Secretary | None | |
Richard P. Cancelmo, Vice President | Vice President, Bridgeway Funds, Inc. | |
Franklin J. Montgomery, Director | None | |
Ann M. Montgomery, Director | Sage Education Group, LLC - Owner |
Calamos Advisors, LLC (“Calamos”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Retirement Income and Appreciation Fund. The principal address of Calamos is 2020 Calamos Court, Naperville, IL 60563-2787.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Calamos is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Calamos |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
John P. Calamos; CEO, Global Co-CIO | Member of Board of Trustees of Benedictine University | |
Member of Board of Trustees of Illinois Institute of Technology | ||
Board of Directors – National Hellenic Museum | ||
Board of Directors – Choose DuPage | ||
Gary D. Black; EVP, Global Co-CIO | None | |
J. Christopher Jackson; SVP, General Counsel and Secretary | None | |
Nimish S. Bhatt; SVP, Chief Financial Officer, Head of Fund Administration | None | |
Jessica Mazza; VP, Chief Compliance Officer | None |
Causeway Capital Management, LLC (“Causeway”), a Delaware limited liability company, is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon International Equity Fund. The principal address of Causeway is 11111 Santa Monica Boulevard, 15th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 113308), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Crescent Capital Group LP (“Crescent Capital”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Crescent Short Duration High Income Fund, whose principal office is located at 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Crescent Capital is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Crescent Capital |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
Mark L. Attanasio, Managing Partner | Chairman and Principal Owner of the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club |
Dreman Value Management, LLC (“Dreman”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Dreman is 777 South Flagler Drive, Suite 800-West Tower, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Dreman is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Dreman |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
Emory C. Hoover; Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director | None | |
Mark J. Roach; Managing Director | None | |
David N. Dreman; Chairman | None | |
Nelson P. Woodard; Co-Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director | None | |
David H. Kanefsky; General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer | None | |
Christian Abadiotakis; Chief Financial Officer | None |
Earnest Partners (“Earnest”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Earnest Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund. The principal address of Earnest is 1180 Peachtree Street, Suite 2300 Atlanta, GA 30309.
Set forth below is the information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Earnest is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged in his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Earnest |
Other Substantial Business and
Connections |
|
Paul E. Viera; CEO & Manager | Manager, Westchester Limited, LLC; | |
Manager, GREYBULL Partners LLC | ||
John G. Whitmore, COO | COO, GREYBULL Partners LLC | |
James M. Wilson, CCO and Secretary | CCO and Secretary, GREYBULL Partners LLC |
Global Evolution USA, LLC (“Global Evolution”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Global Evolution Frontier Markets Income Fund. The principal address of Global Evolution is 790 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 500, Pasadena, CA 91101.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Global Evolution is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Global Evolution | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Soren Rump, Director | None | |
Morten Bugge, Director | None | |
Michael McAdams, Managing Director | Minority partner at and oversees investment allocations for Holly Street Wealth, a California Registered Investment Advisor | |
Kent Roberts, Managing Director | Independent director of Biolargo, Inc.; Member of the Advisory Board for Novus Partners |
Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P. (“Grosvenor”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of Grosvenor is 900 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 106548), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Hillcrest Asset Management, LLC (“Hillcrest”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Hillcrest is 2805 Dallas Parkway, Suite 250, Plano, Texas 75093
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Hillcrest and is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Hillcrest | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Brian Bruce, Chief Executive Officer | None | |
Deborah Ann Trask, Chief Investment Officer | None | |
Douglas E. Stark, Managing Director | None | |
Brandon L. Troegle, Portfolio Manager | None |
Holland Capital Management LLC (“Holland”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Holland Large Cap Growth Fund. The principal address of Holland is 300 W. Madison, Suite 700, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Holland is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Holland | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Louis A. Holland, Jr.; Director | Consultant: Cumota LLC; Cumota Consulting LLC; Brickland Partners, Inc.; TNE Management, LLC | |
Monica L. Walker; President and CEO, Chief Investment Officer – Equity; Director; Former Managing Director, Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager | None | |
Laura J. Janus; Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income; Director; Former Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager | None | |
Susan M. Chamberlain; Chief Compliance Officer | None |
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC (“Hotchkis”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Balance Fund, American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund, and American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Hotchkis is 725 South Figueroa Street, 39 th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012-5439.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Hotchkis is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Hotchkis | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
George H. Davis; Chief Executive Officer and Executive Committee Member | Trustee of the Hotchkis & Wiley Funds and Director of Hotchkis & Wiley Ltd. | |
James E. Menvielle; Chief Financial Officer | Vice President and Treasurer of the Hotchkis & Wiley Funds and Director of Hotchkis & Wiley Ltd. | |
Anna Marie S. Lopez; Chief Operating Officer | President of the Hotchkis & Wiley Funds and Director of Hotchkis & Wiley Ltd. | |
Tina H. Kodama; Chief Compliance Officer | Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Hotchkis & Wiley Funds | |
Sheldon J. Lieberman; Executive Committee Member | None | |
C. Nigel Hurst-Brown; Executive Committee Member | Chief Executive and Director of Hotchkis and Wiley ltd. | |
Douglas H. Martin; Executive Committee Member | Senior Managing Director of Stephens Inc. and Board of Director of Conns, Inc. |
Impala Asset Management, LLC (“Impala”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of Impala is 107 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT 06840. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 138752), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Incline Global Management, LLC (“Incline Global”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of Incline Global is 40 West 57th Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 162607), and is incorporated herein by reference..
Lazard Asset Management, LLC (“Lazard”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon International Equity Fund. The principal address of Lazard is 30 Rockerfeller Plaza, 55 th Floor, New York, NY 10112.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Lazard is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Lazard | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Ashish Bhutani; Director, CEO | Vice Chairman, Lazard Ltd. | |
Gerard B. Mazzari; COO | Chief Financial Officer, Lazard Asset Management Securities, LLC | |
Nathan A. Paul; General Counsel | Vice President and Secretary of the Fund; Chief Legal Officer of Lazard Asset Management Securities, LLC | |
Brian D. Simon; Chief Compliance Officer | Managing Director of Lazard Asset Management, LLC | |
Kenneth M. Jacobs; Director | None | |
Alexander F. Stern; Director | None | |
Charles Carroll; Deputy Chairman | Head of Global Marketing, Lazard Asset Management, LLC; Chief Executive Officer | |
Andrew Lacey; Deputy Chairman | None | |
John Reinsberg; Deputy Chairman | None | |
Robert P. DeConcini; Chairman | None | |
Andreas Huebner; Senior Managing Director | None | |
Robert Prugue; Senior Managing Director | None | |
Bill Smith; Senior Managing Director | None |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company (“MFS”) serves as an investment sub-adviser for the American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund. The principal address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02199. MFS is a subsidiary of Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Financial Services Holdings Inc., which in turn is an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Sun Life Financial, Inc. (a diversified financial services company), located at Sun Life Financial Centre, 150 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director and principal executive officer of MFS is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with MFS |
Other Substantial Business and Connections During the Past Two Fiscal Years |
|
Robert J. Manning; Director, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board of Directors | Trustee of various funds within the MFS Funds complex+ | |
Mark N. Polebaum; Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary | None+ | |
Michael W. Roberge; President, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Director of Global Research, and Director | None+ | |
Amrit Kanwal; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | None+ | |
David A. Antonelli; Vice Chairman | None+ | |
Robin A. Stelmach; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | Trustee of various funds within the MFS Funds complex + | |
Carol W. Geremia; Executive Vice President | None+ | |
James A. Jessee; Executive Vice President | None+ | |
Timothy M. Fagan; Chief Compliance Officer | None+ | |
Colm J. Freyne; Director |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sun Life Financial, Inc. |
|
Stephen C. Peacher; Director | President of Sun Life Investment Management and Chief Investment Officer of Sun Life Financial, Inc. |
+Certain principal executive officers and directors of Massachusetts Financial Services Company ("MFS") serve as officers or directors of some or all of MFS’ corporate affiliates and certain officers of MFS serve as officers of some or all of the MFS Funds and/or officers or directors of certain MFS non-U.S. investment companies. Except as set forth above or in Schedules B and D of Form ADV filed by MFS pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (SEC File No. 801-17352), each principal executive officer of MFS has been engaged during the past two fiscal years in no business profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature other than as an officer of MFS or certain of MFS' corporate affiliates.
The identity of those corporate affiliates is identified below or is incorporated by reference from Schedules B and D of such Form ADV.
Investment Adviser Corporate Affiliate | Address |
MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc. | 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 07618 U.S.A. |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. | 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 07618 U.S.A. |
MFS Service Center Inc. | 100 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171 U.S.A. |
MFS International LTD. | Canon's Court, 22 Victoria Street, Hamilton, HM12, Bermuda |
MFS International Holdings PTY LTD |
One Carter Lane London EC4V 5ER U.K. |
MFS International (U.K.) Limited | Paternoster House, 65 St. Paul 's Churchyard, London EC4M 8AB, U.K. |
MFS International Switzerland GMBH |
Bahnhofstrasse 100, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland |
MFS International (Hong Kong) Limited | Wheelock House, 20 Pedder Street, Level 19, Suite 1901, Central, Hong Kong |
MFS do Brasil Desenvolvimento de Mercado Ltda. (Brazil) |
Rua Joaquim Floriano, 1.052 – 11 o Andar, conjunto 111, Itaim Bibi, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil 04534-004 |
MFS International (Chile) SPA |
Santiago Isidora 3000 Av Isidora Goyenechea #3000, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile |
MFS International Singapore PTE. LTD. |
501 Orchard Road, #13-01/03/04 Wheelock Place Singapore 238880 |
MFS Investment Management Company (LUX.) S.a.r.l. |
19, Rue de Bitbourg, L-1273 Luxembourg |
MFS Investment Management K.K. | 16 F Daido Seimei Kasumigaseki Building, 1-4-2 Kasumigaseki 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 100-0013 |
Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Financial Services Holdings, Inc. | 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 07618 U.S.A. |
3060097 Nova Scotia Company |
1959 Upper Water Street Suite 1100, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J3N2 |
MFS Investment Management Canada Limited |
77 King Street West, 35 th Floor Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5K 1B7 |
MFS Bermuda Holdings LTD. |
Canon's Court 22 Victoria Street Hamilton, HM 12, Bermuda |
MFS Heritage Trust Company | 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 07618 U.S.A. |
The MFS Funds include the following. The address of the MFS Funds is: 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02199.
Massachusetts Investors Trust
Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund
MFS Series Trust I
MFS Series Trust II
MFS Series Trust III
MFS Series Trust IV
MFS Series Trust V
MFS Series Trust VI
MFS Series Trust VII
MFS Series Trust VIII
MFS Series Trust IX
MFS Series Trust X
MFS Series Trust XI
MFS Series Trust XII
MFS Series Trust XIII
MFS Series Trust XIV
MFS Series Trust XV
MFS Series Trust XVI
MFS Municipal Series Trust
MFS Variable Insurance Trust
MFS Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS Variable Insurance Trust III
MFS Institutional Trust
MFS California Municipal Fund
MFS Charter Income Trust
MFS Government Markets Income Trust
MFS High Income Municipal Trust
MFS High Yield Municipal Trust
MFS InterMarket Income Trust I
MFS Intermediate High Income Fund
MFS Intermediate Income Trust
MFS Investment Grade Municipal Trust
MFS Municipal Income Trust
MFS Multimarket Income Trust
MFS Special Value Trust
NISA Investment Advisors, LLC (“NISA”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund. The principal address of NISA is 101 South Hanley Road, Suite 1700, St. Louis, MO 63105-3487.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of NISA is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with NISA | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Jess B. Yawitz; Chairman & Chief Executive Officer & Managing Member | None | |
William J. Marshall; President & Managing Member | None | |
David G. Eichhorn; Managing Director, Investment Strategies & Managing Member | None | |
Kenneth L. Lester; Managing Director, Portfolio Management & Managing Member | None | |
Anthony R. Pope; Managing Director, Portfolio Management & Managing Member | None | |
Gregory J. Yess; Managing Director, Client Services & Managing Member | None | |
Michael R. DeNorscia; Director, Operations | None | |
Mark A. Folkins; Chief Administrative Officer | None | |
Cheryl L. Hanson; Director, Client Services | None | |
Paul L. Jones; Director, Equity Portfolio Management | None | |
Matt D. Kaplan; Chief Risk Officer | None | |
Clarence R. Krebs; Director, Defined Contribution Solutions & Member | None | |
Joseph A. Murphy; Director, Portfolio Management & Member | None | |
Marianne O’Doherty; Chief Compliance Officer | None | |
Donald A. Pinkard; Chief Technology Officer | None | |
Bella L.F., Sanevich; General Counsel & Member | None | |
Daniel A. Scholz; Director, Investment Strategies | None | |
Kevin D. Schuman; Director, Client Services | None |
Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (“PIMCO”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund. The principal address of PIMCO is 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of PIMCO is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with PIMCO | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Douglas M. Hodge, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, PIMCO | Trustee and Senior Vice President of the Trust, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, and PIMCO ETF Trust. Senior Vice President of PIMCO Equity Series and PIMCO Equity Series VIT. Director and Vice President, StocksPLUS Management Inc.; Director, PIMCO Europe Ltd., PIMCO Asia Pte Ltd., PIMCO Australia Pty Ltd, PIMCO Japan Ltd. and PIMCO Asia Limited (Hong Kong) | |
Jennifer E. Durham; Chief Compliance Officer and Executive Vice President | Chief Compliance Officer, the Trust, PIMCO Equity Series VIT, PIMCO Funds, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust and PIMCO ETF Trust | |
Daniel J. Ivascyn, Managing Director and Group Chief Investment Officer, PIMCO | ||
Neel T. Kashkari; Managing Director | Trustee and President of the Trust and PIMCO Equity Series VIT. Formerly Interim Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability, Assistant Secretary for International Economics and Senior Advisor to Secretary Paulson, United States Department of Treasury | |
David C. Flattum; Managing Director and General Counsel | Chief Legal Officer of the Trust, PIMCO Equity Series VIT, PIMCO Funds, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust and PIMCO ETF Trust | |
Brent R. Harris; Managing Director and Executive Committee Member | Director and President, StocksPLUS Management, Inc. Trustee and Chairman of the Trust and PIMCO Equity Series VIT. Trustee, Chairman and President of PIMCO Funds, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust and PIMCO ETF Trust. Director, PIMCO Luxembourg S.A. and PIMCO Luxembourg II | |
Ki M. Hong; Managing Director | Formerly, Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, Bank of America Merrill Lynch | |
Sabrina C. Callin; Managing Director | Acting Head of PIMCO Advisory; and Vice President, StocksPLUS Management, Inc. | |
Makoto Takano; Managing Director | Director and President, PIMCO Japan Ltd. | |
Joseph V. McDevitt; Managing Director | Director and Chief Executive Officer, PIMCO Europe Limited. |
Passport Capital, LLC (“Passport”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of Passport is One Market Street, Steuart Tower, Suite 200 San Francisco, CA 94105. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 138032), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Payden & Rygel (“P&R”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund. The principal address of P&R is 333 South Grand Avenue, 32 nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of P&R is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with P&R | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Joan Payden; President and Chief Executive Officer | None | |
Brian Matthews; Managing Principal and Chief Financial Officer | None | |
James Sarni; Managing Principal | None | |
Mary Beth Syal; Managing Principal | None | |
Scott Weiner; Managing Principal | None | |
Edward Garlock; Managing Principal | None | |
Asha Joshi; Managing Principal | None | |
Robin Creswell; Managing Principal | None | |
Gregory Morrison; Managing Principal | None |
Pine River Capital Management L.P. (“Pine River”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon [Alternative Strategies] Fund. The principal address of Pine River is 601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 330, Minnetonka, MN 55305.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and partner of Pine River is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Global Evolution | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Brian Taylor, CEO and Partner | Chairman and Director of Two Harbors Investment Corp. | |
Thomas Siering, Partner | CEO, President and Director of Two Harbors Investment Corp.; Director of Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp. | |
Bill Roth, Partner | Chief Investment Officer of Two Harbors Investment Corp. |
Pzena Investment Management, LLC (“Pzena”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Pzena is 120 West 45 th Street, 20 th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Pzena is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Pzena | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
John P. Goetz; Managing Principal, Co-Chief Investment Officer, and Member with Class B Units | None | |
Richard S. Pzena; Managing Principal; Chief Executive Officer, Co-Chief Investment Officer, and Member with Class B Units | None | |
William L. Lipsey; Managing Principal, Marketing & Client Services, and Member with Class B Units | None | |
Joan F. Berger; General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Member with Class B Units | None | |
Gary J. Bachman; Chief Financial Officer and Member with Class B Units and Class A common stock | None | |
Benjamin Silver; Co-Director of Research, Portfolio Manager, and Member with Class B Units | None | |
Michael D. Peterson; Managing Principal, Portfolio Manager, Executive Vice President and Member with Class B Units | None |
River Canyon Fund Management LLC (“River Canyon”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of River Canyon is 2000 Avenue of the Stars, 11th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Information as to the officers and directors of River Canyon is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 169465), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Sound Point Capital Management, LP (“Sound Point”) is an investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund. The principal address of Sound Point is 375 Park Avenue, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10152. Information as to the officers and directors of Sound Point is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 157479), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Standish Mellon Asset Management Company, LLC (“Standish”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund. The principal address of Standish is BNY Mellon Center, 201 Washington Street, Suite 2900, Boston, MA 02108-4408.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Standish is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Standish | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
James D. MacIntyre; President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Member | None | |
Julia Braithwaite; Chief Compliance Officer, Secretary | None | |
Steven Lipiner; Treasurer | None | |
Mitchell E. Harris; Chairman of Fixed Income Cash and Currency Group, Executive Chairman Board Member, Trustee of Sole Owner | None | |
John A. Park; Trustee of Sole Owner | None | |
Edward H. Ladd; Board Member | None | |
Christine Todd; Board Member | None | |
Mark Santero | None |
Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC (“SIMG”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund and American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund. The principal address of SIMG and Stephens Inc. is 111 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of SIMG is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with SIMG | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Joseph W. Simpson; President and Chief Executive Officer, Manager | Executive Vice President, Stephens Inc. | |
Ryan E. Crane; Chief Investment Officer, Manager, Member Class B | Senior Vice President, Stephens Inc. | |
Michael W. Nolte; Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, Manager | Senior Vice President, Stephens Inc. | |
David C. Prince; Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel | Senior Vice President, Stephens Inc. |
Strategic Income Management, LLC (“SiM”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund. The principal address of SiM is 1200 Westlake Avenue North, Suite 713, Seattle, WA 98109.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of SiM is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with SiM | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Randall L. Yoakum; Manager, Member, Chief Executive Officer | None | |
Gary J. Pokrzywinski; Manager, Member, Chief Investment Officer | None | |
Timothy T. Black; Elected Manager, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer | None |
Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP (“SGA”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon SGA Global Growth Fund. The principal address of SGA is 301 Tresser Boulevard, Suite 1310, Stamford, CT 06901.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of SGA is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with SGA | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
George P. Fraise, Co-Founder | None | |
Gordon Marchand, Co-Founder | Board Director- Chase Investment Counsel; Board Director- Zounds Hearing Inc. | |
Robert L. Rohn, Co-Founder | None |
Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC (“Templeton”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon International Equity Fund. The principal address of Templeton is 300 Southeast 2 nd Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Templeton is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Templeton | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Donald F. Reed; Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | None | |
Cynthia L. Sweeting; President/Director of Portfolio Management for the Templeton Global Equity Group | None | |
Antonio T. Docal; Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager | None | |
Peter A. Nori; Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager | None | |
Craig S. Tyle; Chief Legal Officer | None | |
Mark L. Constant; Treasurer | None | |
Michael J. D’Agrosa; Chief Compliance Officer | None | |
Gregory E. McGowan; Exec. Vice President | None | |
Madison S. Gulley; Executive Vice President | None |
The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC (“Boston Company”) is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund. The principal address of Boston Company is One Boston Place, Boston, MA 02108.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Boston Company is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Boston Company | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Bart A. Grenier; Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer/Manager | None | |
Adam B. Joffe– Executive Vice President, -Chief Operating Officer | None |
The London Company Of Virginia, LLC (“London Company”) is the investment sub-adviser for the American Beacon London Company Income Equity Fund. The principal place of business address of London Company is 1801 Bayberry Court, Suite 301, Richmond, Virginia 23226.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of London Company is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with London Company | Other Substantial Business and Connections During the Past Two Fiscal Years | |
Stephen, M. Goddard, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer | None | |
Jonathan Moody, Principal and Portfolio Manager | None | |
Andrew Wetzel, Chief Compliance Officer | None |
Tremblant Capital Group (“Tremblant”) is a registered investment adviser and is an investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Grosvenor Long/Short Fund. The principal address of Tremblant is 767 Fifth Avenue, Floor 12A, New York, NY 10153. Information as to the officers and directors of the Investment Adviser is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD number 138743), and is incorporated herein by reference.
WEDGE Capital Management, LLC (“WEDGE”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund. The principal address of WEDGE is 301 South College Street, Suite 2920, Charlotte, NC 28202.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of WEDGE is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with WEDGE | Other Substantial Business and Connections During the Past Two Fiscal Years | |
Michael Gardner, General Partner | None | |
Bradley Fisher, General Partner | None | |
Bradley Horstmann, Chief Compliance Officer and General Partner | None | |
Paul Vezolles, General Partner | None | |
Martin Robinson, General Partner | None | |
John Norman, General Partner | None | |
Andrei Bolshakov, General Partner | None | |
Darrin Witt, General Partner | None |
Zebra Capital Management, LLC (“Zebra”) is the investment sub-advisor for the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund. The principal address of Zebra is 612 Wheelers Farms Rd., Milford, CT 06461.
Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Zebra is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Name; Current Position with Zebra | Other Substantial Business and Connections | |
Roger G. Ibbotson; Chairman | Professor, Yale University | |
John Holmgren, President | None | |
Kevin J. Lake; Chief Compliance Officer | Attorney, Kevin J. Lake, P.C. |
Information as to the officers and directors of each of the above investment advisers may also be included in that adviser's current Form ADV filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 32. | Principal Underwriter |
(a) Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:
1. | Absolute Shares Trust |
2. | AdvisorShares Trust |
3. | ALTMFX Trust |
4. | American Beacon Funds |
5. | American Beacon Select Funds |
6. | Archstone Alternative Solutions Fund |
7. | Ark ETF Trust |
8. | Avenue Mutual Funds Trust |
9. | BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios |
10. | BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios |
11. | Bridgeway Funds, Inc. |
12. | Calamos ETF Trust |
13. | Capital Innovations Global Agri, Timber, Infrastructure Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
14. | Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
15. | Context Capital Funds |
16. | CornerCap Group of Funds |
17. | Corsair Opportunity Fund |
18. | Direxion Shares ETF Trust |
19. | Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund |
20. | Exchange Listed Funds Trust |
21. | FlexShares Trust |
22. | Forum Funds |
23. | Forum Funds II |
24. | FQF Trust |
25. | FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund |
26. | Gottex Trust |
27. | Henderson Global Funds |
28. | Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund) |
29. | Horizons ETF Trust |
30. | Infinity Core Alternative Fund |
31. | Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC |
32. | Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC |
33. | John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust |
34. | Little Harbor Multistrategy Composite Fund |
35. | Manor Investment Funds |
36. | Montage Managers Trust |
37. | Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund |
38. | PENN Capital Funds Trust |
39. | Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
40. | Pine Grove Alternative Fund |
41. | Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund |
42. | Plan Investment Fund, Inc. |
43. | PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
44. | Precidian ETFs Trust |
45. | Quaker Investment Trust |
46. | Recon Capital Series Trust |
47. | Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds |
48. | RevenueShares ETF Trust |
49. | Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
50. | Salient MF Trust |
51. | SharesPost 100 Fund |
52. | Sound Shore Fund, Inc. |
53. | Steben Alternative Investment Funds |
54. | Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund |
55. | The 504 Fund |
56. | The Roxbury Funds |
57. | TIFF Investment Program |
58. | Toroso Newfound Tactical Allocation Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
59. | TrimTabs ETF Trust |
60. | Turner Funds |
61. | West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund) |
62. | Wintergreen Fund, Inc. |
63. | WisdomTree Trust |
(b) The following are the Officers and Managers of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.
Name | Address | Position with Underwriter | Position with Registrant | |||
Mark A. Fairbanks | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | President | None | |||
Richard J. Berthy | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Vice President, Treasurer and Manager | None | |||
Jennifer E. Hoopes | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Secretary | None | |||
Nanette K. Chern | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | None | |||
Paula R. Watson | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Assistant Secretary | None |
(c) | Not applicable. |
Item 33. | Location of Accounts and Records |
The books and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained in the physical possession of 1) the Trust's custodian at State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110; 2) the Manager at American Beacon Advisors, Inc., 220 East Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039; 3) Boston Financial Data Services, an affiliate of the Trust’s transfer agent, 330 West 9 th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105; 4) Mastercraft, 3021 Wichita Court, Fort Worth, Texas 76140; or 5) the Trust's investment advisers at the addresses listed in Item 31 above.
Item 34. | Management Services |
Not applicable.
Item 35. | Undertakings |
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant represents that this Amendment meets all the requirements for effectiveness pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Irving and the State of Texas, on December 23, 2015.
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS | ||
By: | /s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr. | |
Gene L. Needles, Jr. | ||
President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr. | President (Principal Executive Officer) | December 23, 2015 | ||
Gene L. Needles, Jr. | ||||
/s/ Melinda G. Heika | Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) | December 23, 2015 | ||
Melinda G. Heika | ||||
Gilbert G. Alvarado* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Gilbert G. Alvarado | ||||
Joseph B. Armes* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Joseph B. Armes | ||||
Gerard J. Arpey* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Gerard J. Arpey | ||||
W. Humphrey Bogart* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
W. Humphrey Bogart | ||||
Brenda A. Cline* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Brenda A. Cline | ||||
Eugene J. Duffy* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Eugene J. Duffy | ||||
Thomas M. Dunning* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Thomas M. Dunning | ||||
Alan D. Feld* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Alan D. Feld | ||||
Richard A. Massman* | Chairman and Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Richard A. Massman | ||||
Barbara J. McKenna* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
Barbara J. McKenna | ||||
R. Gerald Turner* | Trustee | December 23, 2015 | ||
R. Gerald Turner |
*By | /s/ Rosemary K. Behan | |
Rosemary K. Behan | ||
Attorney-In-Fact |
EXHIBIT INDEX
Type: | Description: | |
99.(a)(4) | Certificates of Designation for American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund and American Beacon Bridgeway Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund | |
99.(h)(3)(B) | Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated December 10, 2015 | |
99.(h)(16)(T) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, dated November 10, 2015 | |
99.(h)(16)(U) | Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement for American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, dated September 9, 2015 | |
99.(i) | Opinion and consent of counsel | |
99.(j) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | |
99.(m)(3)(C) | Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class, dated December 10, 2015 | |
99.(p)(45) | Code of Ethics for Payden & Rygel, dated August 2014 | |
Other Exhibits | Powers of Attorney for Trustees of American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds, dated June 2, 2015 |
Exhibit 99.(a)(4)
Creation and Designation of
Additional Series of Shares of Beneficial Interest of
American Beacon Funds
Pursuant to Article III, Section 1 of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the American Beacon Funds (the “Trust”) dated March 4, 2015 (“Trust Instrument”), the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”), a new series of the Trust, was created by resolution of the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) on June 3, 2015.
The Fund and the Fund’s shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) are designated as follows:
1. | The initial classes of Shares of the Fund are designated as Institutional Class Shares, Investor Class Shares, Y Class Shares, A Class Shares and C Class Shares. Each class of Shares has the same rights and obligations, except as provided in the Trust Instrument, the Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (“Registration Statement”) or by resolution adopted by the Board. The Fund’s Shares shall be offered for sale and redeemed on the terms set forth in the Trust’s Registration Statement. |
2. | All rights and preferences of the Fund and the Shares are as set forth in the Trust Instrument and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Trust dated March 4, 2015. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the undersigned have executed this instrument the 10 th day of November, 2015.
/s/ Gilbert G. Alvarado
Gilbert G. Alvarado
/s/ Joseph B. Armes
Joseph B. Armes
/s/ Gerard J. Arpey
Gerard J. Arpey
/s/ W. Humphrey Bogart
W. Humphrey Bogart
/s/ Brenda A. Cline
Brenda A. Cline
/s/ Eugene J. Duffy
Eugene J. Duffy
/s/ Thomas M. Dunning
Thomas M. Dunning
/s/ Alan D. Feld
Alan D. Feld
/s/ Richard A. Massman
Richard A. Massman
/s/ Barbara J. McKenna
Barbara J. McKenna
R. Gerald Turner
R. Gerald Turner
2 |
Creation and Designation of
Additional Series of Shares of Beneficial Interest of
American Beacon Funds
Pursuant to Article III, Section 1 of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the American Beacon Funds (the “Trust”) dated March 4, 2015 (“Trust Instrument”), the American Beacon Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund (the “Fund”), a new series of the Trust, was created by resolution of the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) on June 3, 2015.
The Fund and the Fund’s shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) are designated as follows:
1. | The initial classes of Shares of the Fund are designated as Institutional Class Shares, Investor Class Shares, Y Class Shares, A Class Shares and C Class Shares. Each class of Shares has the same rights and obligations, except as provided in the Trust Instrument, the Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (“Registration Statement”) or by resolution adopted by the Board. The Fund’s Shares shall be offered for sale and redeemed on the terms set forth in the Trust’s Registration Statement. |
2. | All rights and preferences of the Fund and the Shares are as set forth in the Trust Instrument and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Trust dated March 4, 2015. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the undersigned have executed this instrument the 10 th day of November, 2015.
/s/ Gilbert G. Alvarado
Gilbert G. Alvarado
/s/ Joseph B. Armes
Joseph B. Armes
/s/ Gerard J. Arpey
Gerard J. Arpey
/s/ W. Humphrey Bogart
W. Humphrey Bogart
/s/ Brenda A. Cline
Brenda A. Cline
/s/ Eugene J. Duffy
Eugene J. Duffy
/s/ Thomas M. Dunning
Thomas M. Dunning
/s/ Alan D. Feld
Alan D. Feld
/s/ Richard A. Massman
Richard A. Massman
/s/ Barbara J. McKenna
Barbara J. McKenna
/s/ R. Gerald Turner
R. Gerald Turner
2 |
Exhibit 99.(h)(3)(B)
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
AMERICAN BEACON SELECT FUNDS
AMENDMENT TO
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
The attached amended and restated Schedule A is hereby incorporated into the Administration Agreement dated April 30, 2015 (“Agreement”), by and among the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds, each a Massachusetts business trust (each a “Trust”), and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“AmBeacon”).
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized and their respective seals to be hereunto affixed, as of the day and year written below.
Dated: December 10, 2015
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
AMERICAN BEACON SELECT FUNDS
/s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr.
Gene L. Needles, Jr.
President
AMERICAN BEACON ADVISORS, INC.
/s/ Jeffrey K. Ringdahl
Jeffrey K. Ringdahl
Chief Operating Officer
RESTATED AND AMENDED
SCHEDULE A
Administrative Services Fees
A. | American Beacon Funds |
As compensation pursuant to Paragraph 9 of the Administration Agreement for services rendered pursuant to such Agreement, the American Beacon Funds shall pay to AmBeacon a fee, computed daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rates as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets:
1. | Balanced Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Advisor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
2. | Emerging Markets Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
3. | Flexible Bond Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
4. | High Yield Bond Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
A- 1 |
5. | International Equity Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Advisor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Retirement Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
6. | Large Cap Value Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Advisor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Retirement Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
7. | Mid-Cap Value Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Advisor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
8. | Retirement Income & Appreciation Fund |
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
9. | Small Cap Value Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Advisor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Retirement Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
AMR Class Shares | 0.05 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
A- 2 |
10. | Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.15 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
11. | Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
12. | SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
13. | Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
14. | Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
15. | Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
16. | Holland Large Cap Growth Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
A- 3 |
17. | The London Company Income Equity Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
18. | Earnest Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
19. | SGA Global Growth Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
20. | Acadian Emerging Markets Managed Volatility Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
21. | Global Evolution Frontier Markets Income Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
22. | Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
A- 4 |
23. | AHL Managed Futures Strategy Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
24. | Crescent Short Duration High Income Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
25. | Ionic Strategic Arbitrage Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
26. | Grosvenor Long/Short Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
27. | Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund |
Institutional Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Investor Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
Y Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
A Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
C Class Shares | 0.30 | % | ||
SP Class Shares | 0.30 | % |
B. | American Beacon Select Funds |
As compensation pursuant to Paragraph 9 of the Administration Agreement for services rendered pursuant to such Agreement, the American Beacon Select Funds shall pay to AmBeacon a fee, computed daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rates as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets:
1. | Money Market Select Fund |
Select Class Shares | 0.01 | % |
A- 5 |
2. | U.S. Government Money Market Select Fund |
Select Class Shares | 0.01 | % |
To the extent and for such periods of time that any of the American Beacon Select Funds invests all of its investable assets (i.e., securities and cash) in another registered investment company pursuant to a master-feeder arrangement, then the fee payable by such Fund pursuant to the foregoing schedule shall be reduced by 0.01%.
Dated: December 10, 2015
A- 6 |
Exhibit 99.(h)(16)(T)
November 10, 2015
American Beacon Funds (the “Trust”)
220 East Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 1200
Irving, TX 75039
Re: Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (“AmBeacon”) notifies you that, for the funds listed in Attachment A to this letter (the “Funds”), it will waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund, to the extent necessary so that expenses of the Fund, exclusive of taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses, do not exceed the annual rates listed on Attachment A .
During the period until the expiration date of each expense limitation in Attachment A , the related expense limitation arrangements for each of the Funds may only be modified by mutual agreement of the parties that, with respect to the Trust, includes a majority vote of the “non-interested” Trustees of the Trust. For a period of up to three years following AmBeacon’s contractual fee waiver or reimbursement, AmBeacon may be reimbursed by a Fund if reimbursement does not cause the expenses of the Fund exclusive of taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses, to exceed the annual rates listed on Attachment A .
We understand and intend that you will rely on this undertaking in preparing and filing the Registration Statements on Form N-1A for the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in accruing each Fund’s expenses for purposes of calculating its net asset value per share and for other purposes permitted under Form N-1A and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and expressly permit you to do so.
Respectfully, | ||
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. | ||
By: | /s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr. | |
Name: | Gene L. Needles, Jr. | |
Title: | President and CEO |
Agreed and Accepted on behalf of the Trust |
|||
By: | /s/ Melinda G. Heika | ||
Name: | Melinda G. Heika | ||
Title: | Treasurer |
A copy of the document establishing the Trust is filed with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This Agreement is executed by the officer not as an individual and is not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust individually but only upon the assets of each Fund.
Attachment A
American Beacon Funds – Fiscal Year End: August 31
Annual | |||
Expense % | |||
Fund | Class | Limit (Cap) | Expiration |
SiM HYO | Instl | 0.84 | 12/31/2016 |
Flexible Bond Fund | Instl | 0.90 | 12/31/2016 |
Flexible Bond Fund | Y | 0.99 | 12/31/2016 |
Flexible Bond Fund | Investor | 1.27 | 12/31/2016 |
Flexible Bond Fund | A | 1.29 | 12/31/2016 |
Flexible Bond Fund | C | 2.04 | 12/31/2016 |
Exhibit 99.(h)16(U)
September 9, 2015
American Beacon Funds (the "Trust")
220 East Las Colinas Blvd, Suite 1200
Irving, TX 75039
Re: Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
American Beacon Advisors, Inc. notifies you that, for the fund listed in Attachment A to this letter (the "Fund"), it will waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund, to the extent necessary so that expenses of the Fund, exclusive of taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses, do not exceed the annual rates listed on Attachment A .
During the period until the expiration date of each expense limitation in Attachment A , the related expense limitation arrangements for the Fund may only be modified by mutual agreement of the parties that, with respect to the Trust, includes a majority vote of the "non-interested" Trustees of the Trust.
We understand and intend that you will rely on this undertaking in preparing and filing the Registration Statements on Form N-1A for the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in accruing the Fund's expenses for purposes of calculating its net asset value per share and for other purposes permitted under Form N-1A and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and expressly permit you to do so.
Respectfully,
American Beacon Advisors, Inc.
By: s/Gene L. Needles, Jr.
Name: Gene L. Needles, Jr.
Title: President and CEO
Agreed and Accepted
on behalf of the Trust
By: s/Melinda G. Heika
Name: Melinda G. Heika
Title: Treasurer
A copy of the document establishing the Trust is filed with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This Agreement is executed by the officer not as an individual and is not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust individually but only upon the assets of the Fund.
Attachment A
American Beacon Funds
Annual | ||||||||||||
Expense % | ||||||||||||
Fund | Class | Limit | Expiration | |||||||||
Zebra Small Cap Equity | Instl | 0.89% | 12/31/2016 | |||||||||
Zebra Small Cap Equity | Y | 0.99% | 12/31/2016 | |||||||||
Zebra Small Cap Equity | Investor | 1.27% | 12/31/2016 | |||||||||
Zebra Small Cap Equity | A | 1.29% | 12/31/2016 | |||||||||
Zebra Small Cap Equity | C | 2.04% | 12/31/2016 |
K&L Gates LLP
1601 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
T +1 202 778 9000 F +1 202 778 9100 klgates.com
December 23, 2015
American Beacon Funds
220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite 1200
Irving, Texas 75039
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to American Beacon Funds, a business trust formed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the “ Trust ”), in connection with Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 (the “ Post-Effective Amendment ”) to the Trust's registration statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 033-11387; 811-04984) (the “ Registration Statement ”), to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) on or about December 23, 2015, registering an indefinite number of A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares of beneficial interest in the American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund, and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund (the “ Funds ”), each a series of the Trust, (the “ Shares ”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”).
This opinion letter is being delivered at your request in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 29 of Schedule A of the Securities Act and Item 28(i) of Form N-1A under the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Investment Company Act ”).
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of:
(i) | the relevant portions of the prospectuses and statements of additional information (collectively, the “ Prospectus ”) filed as part of the Post-Effective Amendment; | |
(ii) | the declaration of trust and bylaws of the Trust in effect on the date of this opinion letter; and | |
(iii) | the resolutions adopted by the trustees of the Trust relating to the Post-Effective Amendment, the establishment and designation of the Funds and the Shares of each class, and the authorization for issuance and sale of the Shares. |
We also have examined and relied upon certificates of public officials and, as to certain matters of fact that are material to our opinions, we have relied on a certificate of an officer of the Trust. We have not independently established any of the facts on which we have so relied.
|
Page 2 December 23, 2015 |
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed the accuracy and completeness of each document submitted to us, the genuineness of all signatures on original documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified, conformed, or photostatic copies thereof, and the due execution and delivery of all documents where due execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof. We have further assumed the legal capacity of natural persons, that persons identified to us as officers of the Trust are actually serving in such capacity, and that the representations of officers of the Trust are correct as to matters of fact. We have not independently verified any of these assumptions.
The opinions expressed in this opinion letter are based on the facts in existence and the laws in effect on the date hereof and are limited to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the provisions of the Investment Company Act that are applicable to equity securities issued by registered open-end investment companies. We are not opining on, and we assume no responsibility for, the applicability to or effect on any of the matters covered herein of any other laws.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that (1) the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Post-Effective Amendment, when issued and paid for by the purchasers upon the terms described in the Post-Effective Amendment and the Prospectus, will be validly issued, and (2) such purchasers will have no obligation to make any further payments for the purchase of the Shares or contributions to the Trust solely by reason of their ownership of the Shares.
This opinion is rendered solely in connection with the filing of the Post-Effective Amendment and supersedes any previous opinions of this firm in connection with the issuance of Shares. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission in connection with the Post-Effective Amendment and to the reference to this firm’s name under the heading “Other Service Providers” in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement or Prospectus within the meaning of the term “expert” as used in Section 11 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the Commission, nor do we admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ K&L Gates LLP
Exhibit 99.(j)
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the references to our firm under the captions "Financial Highlights" in the Prospectus and "Disclosure of Nonpublic Holdings", "Other Service Providers" and "Financial Statements" in the Statement of Additional Information and to the incorporation by reference and use of our report dated October 30, 2015, on the financial statements and financial highlights of American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund , American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund and American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund, as of and for the periods ended August 31, 2015, in the Registration Statement (Form N-1A) of the American Beacon Funds, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (File No. 033-11387).
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Dallas, Texas
December 22, 2015
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the references to our firm under the captions "Financial Highlights" in the Prospectus and "Disclosure of Nonpublic Holdings", "Other Service Providers" and "Financial Statements" in the Statement of Additional Information and to the incorporation by reference and use of our report dated October 30, 2015, on the financial statements and financial highlights of American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund, as of and for the periods ended August 31, 2015, in the Registration Statement (Form N-1A) of the American Beacon Funds, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (File No. 033-11387).
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Dallas, Texas
December 22, 2015
Exhibit 99.(m)(3)(C)
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
A CLASS
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A
As noted in Paragraph 1 of the American Beacon Funds A Class Distribution Plan, the following Funds have adopted the American Beacon Funds A Class Distribution Plan:
American Beacon Acadian Emerging Markets Managed Volatility Fund
American Beacon AHL Managed Futures Strategy Fund
American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund
American Beacon Balanced Fund
American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund
American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund
American Beacon Crescent Short Duration High Income Fund
American Beacon Earnest Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund
American Beacon Emerging Markets Fund
American Beacon Flexible Bond Fund
American Beacon Global Evolution Frontier Markets Income Fund
American Beacon Grosvenor Long/ Short Fund
American Beacon High Yield Bond Fund
American Beacon Holland Large Cap Growth Fund
American Beacon International Equity Fund
American Beacon Ionic Strategic Arbitrage Fund
American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund
American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund
American Beacon Retirement Income and Appreciation Fund
American Beacon SGA Global Growth Fund
American Beacon SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund
American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund
American Beacon Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund
American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth
American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund
American Beacon The London Company Income Equity Fund
American Beacon Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
Dated: December 10, 2015
Exhibit 99.(p)(45)
Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
Code of Ethics
Part 1. General Principles
Payden & Rygel’s Code of Ethics is designed to set the tone for the conduct and professionalism of our employees, officers and directors. The ethical culture of a firm is critically important to its day-to-day operations and all employees should know that our Code of Ethics is supported and endorsed by our President, Joan Payden, and all nine Managing Principals of the firm.
The following principles, which are the foundation of our Code of Ethics, are designed to emphasize Payden & Rygel’s overarching fiduciary duty to our clients and the obligation of every employee to uphold that fundamental duty. These principles include:
1. | The duty at all times to place the interest of our clients first; |
2. | The requirement that all personal securities transactions of every employee shall be conducted in such a manner as (a) to be consistent with the Code of Ethics, and (b) to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest, or any abuse of an employee’s position of trust and responsibility. |
3. | The principle that no employee shall take inappropriate advantage of his or her position. |
4. | The fiduciary principle that information concerning the identity of security holdings and financial circumstances of clients is confidential; and |
5. | The principle that independence in the investment decision-making process is paramount. |
6. | Payden & Rygel’s good reputation is dependent every day upon each employee conducting himself or herself in a manner deserving of the trust each client gives to the firm, and the employee’s understanding that any breach of that trust can, and will, irreparably harm that good reputation. |
Finally, all employees should remember two things. First, the general principles just discussed govern all conduct, whether or not the conduct is also covered by more specific standards and procedures discussed elsewhere in this Code of Ethics. Second, failure to comply with this Code of Ethics may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
1 |
Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
Part 2. Persons Covered by the Code
All employees, officers and directors of Payden & Rygel are covered by this Code of Ethics. In addition, however, for purposes of the “Personal Securities Transactions” rules (See Part 3, Section D, below) and “Standards of Business Conduct – Conflicts of Interests” rules (See Part 3, Section B, below) only, an employee’s spouse, minor children and relatives resident in the employee’s home, as well as another person if by reason of any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement the employee obtains benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership (individually, an “Affiliated Access Person,” and collectively, “Affiliated Access Persons”) are subject to the terms of this Code of Ethics.
Part 3. Standards of Business Conduct
A. | Compliance with Laws and Regulations |
All employees are required to comply with all applicable federal securities laws, including in particular the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and the regulations pursuant to the Advisers Act, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the regulations pursuant to the 1940 Act, and Regulation S-P (with respect to privacy requirements).
As a part of this requirement, no employee, in connection with the purchase or sale (directly or indirectly) of a security held, or to be acquired, by a client of the firm, shall be permitted:
1. | To defraud such client in any manner; |
2. | To mislead such client, including by making a statement that omits material facts; |
3. | To engage in any act, practice or course of conduct that operates, or would operate, as a fraud or deceit upon such client; |
4. | To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to such client; or |
5. | To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price manipulation. |
B. | Conflicts of Interest |
As a fiduciary, Payden & Rygel has an affirmative duty of care, loyalty, honesty and good faith to act in the best interests of its clients. Compliance with this duty can be achieved by trying to avoid conflicts of interest and by fully disclosing all material facts concerning any conflict that does arise with respect to any client. This policy establishes only the framework within which Payden & Rygel operates its business. Thus, if an employee is uncertain whether a conflict of interest exists, the employee should always seek further clarification by contacting Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer.
2 |
Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
1. | Conflicts Among Client Accounts . Conflicts of interest may arise where Payden & Rygel or its employees have reason to favor the interests of one client over another, e.g. , larger accounts over smaller accounts, or accounts compensated by performance fees over accounts not so compensated). In such a situation, Payden & Rygel and its employees are specifically prohibited from engaging in any inappropriate favoritism of one client over another client that would constitute a breach of fiduciary duty. |
2. | Competing with Client Trades . Any employee and Affiliated Access Person (as defined above in Part 2) is prohibited from using knowledge about pending or currently considered securities transactions for clients to profit personally, directly or indirectly, as a result of such transactions, including by purchasing or selling such securities. Conflicts raised by personal securities transactions are addressed more specifically in Part 3, D, below. |
3. | Disclosure of Personal Interest . Any employee who is involved is involved in recommending, implementing or considering any securities transaction for a client is prohibited from engaging in that decision-making process unless the employee discloses to Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer any material beneficial ownership, business or personal relationship or other material interest that the employee or any Affiliated Access Person has in the issuer or its affiliates. If the Chief Compliance Officer deems the disclosed interest to present a material conflict, the employee may not participate in any decision-making process about the securities of that issuer. |
4. | Vendors and Suppliers . All employees are required to disclose to Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer any personal investments, or other interests, by the employee or any Affiliated Access Person in vendors or suppliers with respect to which the employee negotiates or makes decisions on behalf of the firm. Further, the employee with such interests is prohibited from negotiating or making decisions regarding the firm’s business with those companies. |
C. | “Insider Trading” |
"Insider trading" is a top enforcement priority of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the United States Attorneys across the country. In 1988 the President signed into law the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act (the "Act"), which has had a far-reaching impact on all public companies and especially those engaged in the securities brokerage or investment advisory industries, including directors, executive officers and other controlling persons of such companies. While the Act does not provide a statutory definition of "insider trading," it has effected major changes to the previous law.
3 |
Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
One major change added new sections to the Federal securities laws that require brokers, dealers and investment advisers to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by such persons. As a result, Payden & Rygel adopted its “Insider Trading Policy” (the “Policy”), which prohibits any of the firm’s employees, officers, or directors from trading, either personally or on behalf of others (including mutual funds and private accounts), on material nonpublic information or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the Federal securities laws. The full policy is found in the firm’s “Employee Manual” and all employees should read it thoroughly. The following briefly summarizes some of the key elements of the Policy.
1. | The Basic Insider Trading Prohibition . In general, the "insider trading" doctrine under the Federal securities laws prohibits any person (including investment advisers) from: (a) trading on the basis of material, nonpublic information; (b) tipping such information to others; (c) recommending the purchase or sale of securities on the basis of such information; (d) assisting someone who is engaged in any of the above activities; or (e) trading a security, which is the subject of an actual or impending tender offer when in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the offer. |
Thus, "insider trading" is not limited to insiders. It also applies to non-insiders, such as investment analysts and stockbrokers. In addition, it is not limited to persons who trade. It also covers persons who tip material nonpublic information or recommend securities on the basis of such information.
2. | Sanctions . Penalties for trading on material nonpublic information are severe, both for the individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers. An employee of Payden & Rygel who violates the insider trading laws can be subject to some or all of the penalties below, even if the employee does not personally benefit from the violation. Penalties include: (a) injunctions; (b) treble damages or $1,000,000, whichever is greater; (c) disgorgement of profits; (d) jail sentences; and (e) fines for the person who committed the violation (which would, under normal circumstances, be the employee and not the firm) of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, whether or not the individual actually benefited |
In addition, any violation of the Policy can be expected to result in serious sanctions being imposed by Payden & Rygel, including dismissal of the persons involved.
3. | If An Employee Receives Material Nonpublic Information . Whenever an employee receives material nonpublic information, the employee should not: (a) trade in securities to which that information relates; (b) tip the information to others; (c) recommend purchases or sales on the basis of that information; or (d) disclose that information to anyone, except Payden & Rygel’s President or Chief Compliance Officer. |
4 |
Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
D. | Personal Securities Transactions |
Payden & Rygel, pursuant to the requirements of Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), has adopted the following policies and procedures for personal securities transactions (“Personal Securities Transactions Policy”) by its officers, directors and employees, which are designed to prevent designated persons from engaging in inappropriate personal securities transactions and to require reports from such persons of certain purchases and sales of securities.
1. | Definitions |
For purposes of this Personal Securities Transactions Policy, the following terms have the following meanings:
a. | Access Person . The term “Access Person” means any director, officer or employee of Payden & Rygel. |
b. | Advisory Person . The term “Advisory Person” means any director, officer or employee of Payden & Rygel. In the event that any individual or company should be in a control relationship to Payden & Rygel, the term “Advisory Person” would include such an individual or any employee of such a company to the same extent as an employee of Payden & Rygel. |
c. | Affiliated Access Person . The term “Affiliated Access Person” means a spouse, minor children and relatives resident in an Access Person’s home, as well as another person if by reason of any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement the Access Person obtains therefrom benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership. |
d. | Automatic Investment Plan . An automatic investment plan means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An automatic investment plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan. |
e. | Beneficial Ownership . “Beneficial ownership” has the same meaning as would be used in determining whether an employee is subject to the provisions of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations thereunder. “Beneficial ownership” includes accounts of a spouse, minor children and relatives resident in the Access Person’s home, as well as accounts of another person if by reason of any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement the Access Person obtains benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership. A copy of a Release issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission on the meaning of the term “beneficial ownership” is available upon request, and should be studied carefully by any employee concerned with this definition before preparing any report required hereunder. |
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
f. | Considered for Purchase or Sale . A security is “being considered for purchase or sale” when a recommendation to purchase or sell such security has been made and communicated by any Access Person in the course of his or her duties and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person seriously considers making such a recommendation. |
g. | Control . The term “control” has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). |
h. | Disinterested Trustee . The term “disinterested trustee” means a trustee of any investment company who is not an “interested person” of the investment company within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. |
i. | Covered Security . The term “Covered Security” means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act, except that it does not include: |
(i) | Direct obligations of the Government of the United States; |
(ii) | Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; |
(iii) Shares issued by money market Funds;
(iv) Shares issued by open-end Funds; and
(v) | Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end Funds, none of which are Reportable Funds. |
Any prohibition or reporting obligation relating to a Covered Security applies to any option, warrant or right to purchase or sell such Covered Security and any security convertible into or exchangeable for such Covered Security. Further, the term “security” is very broad and includes items such as limited partnerships, foreign unit investment trusts and foreign mutual funds and private investment funds, hedge funds and investment clubs.
j. | Fund . The Term “Fund” means an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. |
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
k. | Initial Public Offering . The term “initial public offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. |
l. | Limited Offering . The term “limited offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6), or pursuant to sections 230.504, 230.505 or 230.506 of the regulations under the Advisers Act. |
m. | Reportable Fund . The term “Reportable Fund” means: |
(i) | Any Fund for which Payden & Rygel serves as an investment adviser as defined in section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act; or |
(ii) | Any Fund whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls Payden & Rygel, is controlled by Payden & Rygel, or is under common control with Payden & Rygel. |
n. | Reportable Security . The term “Reportable Security” means any Covered Security, including any Reportable F und. |
o. | Short-term Trading . “Short-term trading” is defined as a purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) securities, which both occur within any 30-day period. |
2. | Personal Securities Transactions |
a. | Pre-Approval of Covered Securities Transactions . To avoid any appearance of conflict of interest, Payden & Rygel has determined that any Access Person must seek prior approval of all Covered Securities transactions to be entered into by the Access Person or any Affiliated Access Person, except for “Exempt Covered Securities Transactions” specifically listed in paragraph 2.c, below. An Access Person does this by accessing the automated Payden & Rygel Personal Trading Compliance System to determine if a proposed Covered Securities transaction will be approved. This automated process is maintained on Payden & Rygel’s in-house Juneau system. |
Following receipt of approval, the Access Person has two business days to execute the Covered Securities transaction . If the trade is not executed within two business days, the approval lapses and the Access Person will again need to seek approval, if he or she still wishes to transact the trade.
b. | Prohibited Covered Securities Transactions . Unless the Access Person has obtained specific prior written approval (see the Prohibited Covered Securities Transaction: Approval of Exemption Procedures in paragraph 2.d, below), an Access Person may not engage in any of the following prohibited securities transactions: |
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
(i) | No Access Person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Covered Security (a “Restricted Covered Security”) in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership and which to his or her actual knowledge at the time of such purchase or sale is being purchased or sold by Payden & Rygel on behalf of any client of Payden & Rygel, or is being considered for such purchase or sale. This prohibition shall continue until seven days after the time that Payden & Rygel completes the purchase or sale of the Restricted Covered Security, or determines not to make the purchase or sale. Any profits realized by the Access Persons in violation of this provision shall be disgorged to the client of Payden & Rygel. The automated Payden & Rygel Personal Trading Compliance System is programmed to identify such Restricted Covered Securities. |
(ii) | No Access Person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Covered Security (a “Client Covered Security”) in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership and which Client Covered Security is issued by a company that (i) is an investment advisory client of Payden & Rygel, and (ii) any Access Person has in the course of providing investment advisory services or otherwise come into possession of material nonpublic information about the company. Any profits realized by Access Persons in violation of this provision shall be disgorged to the investment advisory client of Payden & Rygel. The automated Payden & Rygel Personal Trading Compliance System is programmed to identify such Client Covered Securities. |
(iii) | Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing any Covered Security in an initial public offering, or in a limited offering, except with the prior written approval of the President of Payden & Rygel, or the Chief Compliance Officer of Payden & R ygel, who shall consult with senior Advisory Persons of Payden & Rygel who have no personal interest in the issuer prior to granting such approval. Any Advisory Person obtaining such approval shall fully disclose to any affected client of Payden & Rygel his or her investment when playing a part in the investment consideration of, or the actual investment in, such an initial public offering or in a limited offering. |
(iv) | No Access Person shall engage in short-term trading of any Covered Security. Any profits realized by the Access Person from short-term trading of the security shall be disgorged to the affected client of Payden & Rygel. |
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
c. | Exempt Covered Securities Transactions . |
(i) | The following Covered Securities transactions are exempt from the (1) “Pre-Approval of Covered Securities Transactions” procedures in paragraph 2.a, above, (2) the “Prohibited Covered Securities Transactions” limitations set forth in paragraph 2.b, above, and (3) the “Reporting Requirements” procedures in paragraph 2.e, below: |
1. | Covered Securities transactions effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control, or in any account of the Access Person which is managed on a discretionary basis by a person other than the Access Person and with respect to which the Access Person does not in fact influence or control such transactions. |
2. | Transactions that are part of an automatic investment plan. |
3. | Exchange-traded derivatives on broad-based indices, interest rates, or currencies, including for example futures and options. Also included in this category are “iShares” or similar securities that represent exchange-traded funds that are open-end funds. |
(ii) | The following Covered Securities transactions are exempt from the (1) “Pre-Approval of Covered Securities Transactions” procedures in paragraph 2.a, above, (2) the “Prohibited Covered Securities Transactions” limitations set forth in paragraph 2.b, above, and (3) the reporting of quarterly transactions under the “Reporting Requirements” procedures in paragraph 2.e, below. However, the securities themselves must still be reported on the Initial Holdings Report and on the Annual Holdings R eport: |
1. | Purchases or sales that are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or any client of Payden & Rygel. |
2. | Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by the issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired. |
Following receipt of approval, the Access Person has two business days to execute the trade . If the trade is not executed within two business days, the approval lapses and the Access Person will again need to seek approval, if he or she still wishes to transact the trade.
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
d. | Prohibited Covered Securities Transaction: Approval of Exemption P rocedures. If an Access Person desires to engage in a Prohibited Covered Securities Transaction (see paragraph 2.b, above), the Access Person must have the prior written approval of Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer, or in his absence, the prior written approval of (i) Brian W. Matthews, a Managing Principal of Payden & Rygel, or (ii) Payden & Rygel’s Vice President, Risk Management. Such approval may be granted only on the basis that (i) the transaction is not likely to be harmful to a Payden & Rygel Covered Client, or to a Fund advised by Payden & Rygel, and (ii) the decision to buy or sell the security is not based on material non-public information concerning the issuer. |
To obtain prior approval to engage in a Prohibited Covered Securities Transaction, the Access Person must:
(i) | Complete a Prohibited Covered Securities Transaction: Approval of Exemption form. This form may be accessed as a part of the automated Payden & Rygel Personal Trading Compliance System . |
(ii) | Present the completed form to Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer, or in his absence, (i) Brian Matthews, a Managing Principal of Payden & Rygel, or (ii) Payden & Rygel’s Vice President, Risk Management, to obtain written approval before executing the trade. |
The form must be completed and the written approval obtained before the transaction may be completed.
(iii) | Deliver the completed form with the written approval to Payden & Rygel’s Compliance Department. |
Once the Access Person obtains exemption approval, he or she will have two business days to execute the trade . If the trade is not executed within two business days, the approval lapses and the Access Person will again need to seek approval, if he or she still wishes to transact the trade.
e. | Reporting Requirements . |
(i) | Disinterested T rustees. A disinterested trustee of any Fund client of Payden & Rygel shall report any Covered Security Transaction in a security if such trustee, at the time of the transaction, knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a trustee of the Fund client, should have known that, during the 15-day period immediately preceding or after the date of the transaction by the trustee, such security is or was purchases or sold by the Fund client or is or was considered for purchase or sale. |
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
(ii) | Access Persons (other than disinterested t rustees). To ensure that all Access Persons and their Affiliated Access Persons adhere to the Payden & Rygel Personal Trading Policies and Procedures , all Access Persons, on behalf of themselves and any Affiliated Access Persons, must provide the following information: |
1. | Initial Holdings Report. Upon being hired, all Access Persons are required to complete a Disclosure of Personal Reportable Securities Holdings – Initial Report and submit the completed report within ten (10) days of their first day of employment. This report lists the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security, other than Exempt Covered Securities (see paragraph 2.c.(i), a bove), in which the Access Person and any Affiliated Access Persons have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership at the time the Access Person joins Payden & Rygel. It also lists the name of any broker-dealer or bank at which the Access Person or Affiliated Access Person maintains an account for the Reportable Securities. |
2. | Annual Holdings Report. No later than February 14 of each year, all Access Persons are required to complete a Disclosure of Personal Reportable Securities Holdings – Annual Report . This report lists the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security, other than Exempt Covered Securities (see paragraph 2.c.(i), a bove), in which the Access Person and any Affiliated Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership as of December 31 of the preceding year. It also lists the name of any broker-dealer or bank at which the Access Person or Affiliated Access Person maintains an account for the Reportable Securities. |
3. | Quarterly Transactions Report. All Access Persons, on behalf of themselves and any Affiliated Access Persons, are required to complete a Quarterly Report of Personal Reportable Securities Transactions within the first thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter providing information regarding the Reportable Securities transactions in which they engaged during the preceding quarter. |
This report is submitted electronically through the Payden & Rygel Personal Trading Compliance System , which is accessed through the firm’s Juneau system.
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
For Reportable Securities transactions, other than Exempt Covered Securities Transactions listed in paragraph 2.c.(i) and (ii), above, this report lists the date of the transaction, the security, the ticker symbol or CUSIP number of the security, the quantity ( e.g. , number of shares), the nature of the transaction ( i.e. , purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition), the share price at which the transaction was effected, the total dollar amount of the transaction, the name of the broker-dealer or bank through which the transaction was effected, and the account number at the broker- dealer or bank.
In addition, with respect to any account established by the Access Person or any Affiliated Access Person in which securities, other than Exempt Covered Securities listed in paragraph 2.c.(i) and (ii), a bove, were held during the quarter, the name of the broker-dealer or bank with whom the account was established, the date the account was established, the account number and such other information on the account as may be requested by Payden & Rygel.
Each Access Person must complete this form, even if the Access Person or any Affiliated Access Person did not have any reportable transactions during the preceding quarter.
4. | Duplicate Confirmations. Each Access Person must advise Payden & Rygel’s Compliance Department of the name, address and contact person at any broker/dealer or bank at which the Access Person, or any Affiliated Access Person, has any securities accounts, other than accounts containing only Exempt Covered Securities listed in paragraph 2.c.(i) and (ii), a bove. |
This information is required so that Payden & Rygel’s Compliance Department may request the broker/dealer or bank to provide Payden & Rygel with duplicate confirmation statements or monthly/quarterly account statements for any Reportable Securities transactions by the Access Person or any Affiliated Access Person.
(iv) | Review of R eports. The initial holdings report, annual holdings report and quarterly transactions reports for each Access Person will be reviewed quarterly and annually, as the case may be, or more frequently, if necessary, by the Compliance Department to ensure compliance with the Payden & Rygel Personal Securities Transactions Policy . |
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
3. Consequences
The policies and procedures outlined above have been established to ensure that all Access Persons and their Affiliated Access Persons adhere to the highest standards in their personal securities trading. Failure to comply with these policies and procedures constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics. Any material violations are reported to the Board of Directors of Payden & Rygel and to the Board of Trustees of any Fund for which Payden & Rygel is an investment adviser. Payden & Rygel’s Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees of any Fund client may impose any sanctions it deems appropriate under the circumstances, including censure, suspension, or termination of employment.
E. | Gifts and Entertainment |
1. General Statement . A conflict of interest occurs when the personal interests of employees interfere, or could potentially interfere, with their responsibilities to Payden & Rygel and its clients. The overriding principle is that employees should not accept inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations, or other things of material value that could influence their decision-making or make them feel beholden to a person or firm. Similarly, employees should not offer gifts, favors, entertainment or other things of value that could be viewed as overly generous or aimed at influencing decision-making or making a client feel beholden to Payden & Rygel or the employee.
2. Gifts . No employee may receive any gift, service or other thing of more than $100 in value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of Payden & Rygel without the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer. No employee may give or offer any gift of more than $100 in value to existing clients, prospective clients, or any entity that does business with or on behalf of Payden & Rygel without the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer.
3. Cash . No employee may give or accept cash gifts or cash equivalents to or from a client, prospective client or any entity that does business with or on behalf of Payden & Rygel.
4. Entertainment . No employee may provide or accept extravagant or excessive entertainment to or from a client, prospective client or any person or entity that does or seeks to do business with or on behalf of Payden & Rygel. Employees may provide or accept a business entertainment event, such as lunch, dinner or a sporting event, of reasonable value, if the person or entity providing the entertainment is present.
5. Pre-Clearance . An employee must obtain the prior approval of his supervising Managing Principal or of the Chief Compliance Officer before the employee may accept any offer of business entertainment event costs that involve travel expenses, hotel accommodations, registration fees or the like associated with events such as industry conferences or the like.
6. Quarterly Reporting . No later than thirty (30) days following the end of each quarter, all employees must file a “Gifts and Entertainment Received” report listing the gifts and entertainment received by the employee during the preceding quarter, and if no such gifts or entertainment were received, the employee must still file the report, indicating “None.”
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
F. | Confidentiality |
In the course of employment, employees may acquire knowledge or information of a secret, confidential or proprietary nature relating to the business, finances, operations of Payden & Rygel, its clients, or of any third party with whom it is doing business that has not been previously publicly released by duly authorized representatives of Payden & Rygel or such third party (“Confidential Information”). Examples of such Confidential Information include, but are not limited to, financial figures, employee lists, vendor information, information regarding the personal and financial matters of third parties with whom Payden & Rygel is negotiating or doing business, methods of operations, or any other papers or documents, used by Payden & Rygel and made known to the employee by Payden & Rygel or any of its officers or other employees, or learned by the employee while in the employment of Payden & Rygel. This obligation to maintain strict confidentiality exists during employment and continues after the employee leaves Payden
& Rygel’s employ.
All employees are required to sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement as a condition of employment. Any employee who breaches Payden & Rygel’s confidentiality policy or who discloses Confidential Information will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate discharge. Such employees also may be subject to legal action, even if they do not actually benefit from the disclosed information.
A more detailed description of the procedures to be observed to safeguard Confidential Information is contained in Payden & Rygel’s Employee Manual.
G. | Service as a Director of a Publicly Traded Company |
Payden & Rygel recognizes the potential for conflicts or interest and for insider trading problems that may arise if a member of the firm serves as a director of a publicly traded company. As a result, any employee must seek the prior authorization of Payden
& Rygel’s President before accepting a position as a director of a publicly traded company, and in deciding the issue, the President shall consider the recommendation of Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer on the matter.
A more detailed discussion of the procedures to be observed on this matter is contained in Payden & Rygel’s Employee Manual.
H. | Obligation to Report Any Violations of the Code of Ethics |
Every Access Person is obligated to report any violations of this Code of Ethics promptly to Payden & Rygel’s Chief Compliance Officer, or in his absence to the Chief Executive Officer.
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Payden & Rygel Compliance Policy No. I.B.2.
I. | Certification of Compliance |
1. Initial Certification . Upon joining Payden & Rygel, each employee shall be provided a copy of this Code of Ethics and the Payden & Rygel Employee Manual, which contains related compliance policies and procedures. At that time, the employee shall certify in writing that he (a) has received a copy of the Code of Ethics and the Payden & Rygel Employee Manual, (b) has read and understands all provisions of the Code of Ethics and related compliance policies and procedures contained in the Payden & Rygel Employee Manual, and (c) agrees to comply with the terms of the Code of Ethics and such related compliance policies and procedures.
2. Acknowledgement of Amendments . Payden & Rygel shall provide all employees with any amendments to this Code of Ethics and at such time each employee shall submit a written acknowledgement that he has received, read and understands such amendments to the Code of Ethics.
3. Annual Certification . On an annual basis, all employees shall certify that they have read, understand and complied with the Code of Ethics and any related compliance policies and procedures contained in the Payden & Rygel Employee Manual.
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Exhibit 99.OTHER
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Gilbert G. Alvarado , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Gilbert G. Alvarado
Gilbert G. Alvarado, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Joseph B. Armes , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Joseph B. Armes
Joseph B. Armes, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Gerard J. Arpey , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Gerard J. Arpey
Gerard J. Arpey, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, W. Humphrey Bogart , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ W. Humphrey Bogart
W. Humphrey Bogart, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Brenda A. Cline , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Brenda A. Cline
Brenda A. Cline, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Eugene J. Duffy , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Eugene J. Duffy
Eugene J. Duffy, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Thomas M. Dunning , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Thomas M. Dunning
Thomas M. Dunning, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Alan D. Feld , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Alan D. Feld
Alan D. Feld, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Richard A. Massman , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Richard A. Massman
Richard A. Massman, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, Barbara J. McKenna , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ Barbara J. McKenna
Barbara J. McKenna, Trustee
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I, R. Gerald Turner , Trustee of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Trusts”), hereby constitute and appoint Rosemary K. Behan, Trinh N. Lai, and Teresa A. Oxford, each of them with the power to act without any other and with full power of substitution, my true and lawful attorney with full power to sign for me in my capacity as Trustee for the Trusts any Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any amendments thereto of the Trusts and all instruments necessary or desirable in connection therewith, hereby ratifying and confirming my signature as it may be signed by said attorney to any and all amendments to said Registration Statements.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this instrument has been signed below by the following in my capacity and on the 2nd day of June, 2015.
/s/ R. Gerald Turner
R. Gerald Turner, Trustee