SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [ ] Pre-Effective Amendment No. [ ] Post-Effective Amendment No. 30 [X] and/or REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 194 [ ] Amendment No. 39 [X] (Check appropriate box or boxes.) ----------------- |
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
399 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code (617) 449-2810
Coleen Downs Dinneen, Esq.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P.
399 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copy to:
John M. Loder, Esq.
Ropes & Gray
One International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Approximate Date of Public Offering
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
[ ] Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[X] On February 1, 2006 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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[GRAPHIC]
LOOMIS SAYLES HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
[LOGO] Loomis Sayles Funds
PROSPECTUS . FEBRUARY 1, 2006
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., which has been an investment adviser since 1926, is the investment adviser of the Fund.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE FUND'S SHARES OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIME.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund 1 FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND 6 SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS 7 MANAGEMENT 15 Investment Adviser 15 Portfolio Managers 15 GENERAL INFORMATION 17 How Fund Shares Are Priced 17 How to Purchase Shares 19 How to Redeem Shares 19 Other Purchase and Redemption Information 20 Restrictions on Buying and Selling Shares 21 Dividends and Distributions 22 Tax Consequences 22 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 26 |
You can lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
LOOMIS SAYLES HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is high current income. Capital appreciation is the Fund's secondary objective. The Fund's investment objectives are fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of shareholders.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest substantially all of its assets, and may invest up to 100% of its assets, in high income securities. "High Income Securities" are fixed income securities that Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") believes have the potential to generate relatively high levels of current income. High Income Securities include debt securities that are rated below investment grade quality at the time of investment (Ba or lower by Moody's Investor Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or BB or lower by Standard & Poor's Rating Service, Inc. ("S&P") or Fitch Investor Services, Inc. ("Fitch") or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by Loomis Sayles. These high yield debt securities are commonly called "junk bonds." High Income Securities may also include investment grade fixed income securities. The Fund may invest approximately 20% of its assets in investment grade fixed income securities. High Income Securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, or they may carry with them the right to acquire equity securities evidenced by warrants attached to the debt security or acquired as part of a unit with the debt security. The High Income Securities in which the Fund will invest may have fixed or variable principal payments and all types of interest rate and dividend and reset terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, pay-in-kind and auction rate. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in senior floating rate loans made to U.S. and foreign borrowers. A significant portion of the securities purchased by the Fund may be issued by smaller-capitalization companies.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 40% of its assets in debt obligations of foreign companies, foreign governments and their subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored entities ("Foreign Securities"), including emerging markets Foreign Securities. The Fund's investments in Foreign Securities will be denominated in U.S. dollars and the Fund may invest without limit in obligations of supra-national entities (e.g., the World Bank). The Fund may also invest in derivatives, including purchasing or selling options or futures contracts to hedge interest rate risk.
The Fund's investments may include the following: corporate debt securities, U.S. government obligations, U.S. dollar-denominated foreign securities, zero coupon and pay-in-kind securities, loan assignments, delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities, commercial paper, mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, securities lending, collateralized debt and loan obligations and other asset-backed securities, Rule 144A securities, structured notes, when-issued securities, credit default swaps, municipal bonds, repurchase agreements, debt-linked and equity-linked securities, convertible securities, preferred shares, illiquid securities and short sales.
Loomis Sayles' staff monitors the credit quality of the securities owned by the Fund. Although Loomis Sayles considers public credit ratings when making investment decisions, it performs its own credit and investment analysis and does not rely primarily on the ratings assigned by the ratings services. See "Ratings Agencies" under "More Information about the Fund's Investments and Risk Considerations."
The Fund may purchase unrated securities (which are not rated by a rating agency) if Loomis Sayles determines that the securities are of comparable quality to rated securities that the Fund may purchase. An unrated security may be less liquid than a comparable rated security and involve the risk that Loomis Sayles may not accurately evaluate the security's comparative credit rating. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-quality debt obligations. To the extent that the Fund invests in high yield and/or unrated securities, the Fund's success in achieving its investment objectives may depend more heavily on Loomis Sayles' creditworthiness analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in higher-quality and rated securities.
Loomis Sayles believes that high total returns may be obtained through fundamental analysis. In deciding which High Income Securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles will consider, among other things, the financial strength of the issuer, yield, coupon rate, current interest rates and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return of those types of investments. As part of its investment approach, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed income securities of issuers whose credit profiles Loomis Sayles believes have the potential to become stable to improving. With respect to investments in Foreign Securities, Loomis Sayles will also consider the global economic environment of the relevant country, taking into account factors such as GDP growth, inflation, monetary policy, fiscal policy, leadership, and social stability.
Loomis Sayles makes significant use of non-market related securities, which are securities that may not have a direct correlation with changes in interest rates. Loomis Sayles believes the Fund may generate positive returns by having a portion of the Fund's assets invested in non-market related securities, rather than relying primarily on changes in interest rates to produce returns. Loomis Sayles also analyzes different sectors of the economy and differences in the yields of various fixed income securities in an effort to find fixed income securities that Loomis Sayles believes may provide attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk.
The Fund is "non-diversified." As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may invest in fewer issuers, as compared with other mutual funds that are diversified.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. The Fund may miss certain investment
opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Separate Accounts"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund. This risk is generally more pronounced
for funds, such as the Fund, that may invest a significant portion of their
assets in non-investment grade securities.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. emerging market risk - the risk associated with investing in companies
traded in developing securities markets, which may be smaller and have
shorter operating histories than companies in developed markets. Emerging
markets involve risks in addition to and greater than those generally
associated with investing in developed foreign markets. The extent of
economic development, political stability, market depth, infrastructure and
capitalization, and regulatory oversight in emerging market economies is
generally less than in more developed markets.
. non-diversification risk - compared with other mutual funds, the Fund may
invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may
invest in fewer issuers. Therefore, the Fund may have more risk because
changes in the value of a single security or the impact of a single
economic, political or regulatory occurrence may have a greater adverse
impact on the Fund's net asset value.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
Although the Fund will invest only in U.S. dollar-denominated securities,
the value of these investments may be affected by changes in currency
exchange rates.
. high yield securities risk - the risk associated with investing in high
yield securities and unrated securities of similar quality (commonly known
as "junk bonds"), which may be subject to greater levels of interest rate,
credit and liquidity risk than other securities. These securities are
considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing
ability to make principal and interest payments. In addition, an economic
downturn or period of rising
interest rates could adversely affect the market of these securities and
reduce the Fund's ability to sell them.
. inflation/deflation risk - inflation risk is the risk that the value of
assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as
inflation decreases the present value of future payments. Deflation risk is
the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time - the opposite
of inflation. Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness
of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a
decline in the value of the Fund's portfolio.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter durations.
. issuer risk - the risk that the value of securities may decline due to a
number of reasons relating to the issuer, such as management performance,
financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. mortgage-related risk - subject to prepayment risk and extension risk. With
prepayment, the Fund may reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities with
lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a loss
when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a premium.
Extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will
extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the expected
prepayment time, typically reducing the security's value.
. small capitalization companies - small-cap companies tend to have more
limited markets and resources, and less liquidity, than companies with
larger market capitalizations. Consequently, the performance of securities
issued by small-cap companies can be more volatile than, and perform
differently from, larger company securities.
For additional information see section "Summary of Principal Risks".
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each calendar year since its first full year of operations.
[CHART]
TOTAL RETURN
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 3.18% (Second Quarter 2005) and the Fund's worst quarter was down 1.48% (First Quarter of 2005).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for Institutional Class shares of the Fund (before and after taxes) for the one-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lipper High Current Yield Funds Index (the Fund's primary broad-based index), an equally weighted index of typically the 30 largest mutual funds that have high current yield as an investment objective, and the Lehman Brothers High Yield Index, a market-weighted, index of fixed-rate, non-investment grade debt. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lipper High Current Yield Funds Index and the Lehman Brothers High Yield Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing, management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since Inception 1 Year (04/13/04) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LOOMIS SAYLES HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes 3.06% 9.10% Return After Taxes on Distributions1 0.39% 6.35% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares1 1.99% 6.16% LIPPER HIGH CURRENT YIELD FUNDS INDEX2 3.00% 6.50% LEHMAN BROTHERS HIGH YIELD INDEX2 2.74% 6.45% |
1 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and
may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to
investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as
401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual
retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return
before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on the sale of fund
shares at the end of the measurement period.
2 The returns of each index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes. Since-inception data for each index covers the period from the month-end
closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you would pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The Fund does not impose a sales charge, a redemption fee, or an exchange fee./1/
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF DAILY NET
ASSETS)
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND FEE WAIVER/ MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTION OTHER OPERATING EXPENSE NET FEES* (12B-1) FEES EXPENSES EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENT EXPENSES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND 0.41% 0% 0.13% 0.54% 0.54% 0% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* The amount under Management Fees reflects the approximate amount that would be required to compensate Loomis Sayles for providing pure portfolio management services (not the advisory fees charged for the entire "wrap-fee" program or for the investor's separate account with Loomis Sayles), and the amount under Other Expenses reflects the amount of operating expenses of the Fund which are paid for by Loomis Sayles. See Note 1 below.
EXAMPLE
The following example translates the "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" column shown in the preceding table into dollar amounts. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
This example makes certain assumptions. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods shown and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. Please remember that this example is hypothetical, so that your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower but based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND $0 $0 $0 $0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
/1 /The tables show net fees and expenses of the Fund as 0%, reflecting the fact that the Fund does not pay any advisory, administration or distribution and service fees, and that Loomis Sayles has agreed to pay certain expenses of the Fund. You should be aware, however, that shares of the Fund are available only to institutional investment advisory clients of Loomis Sayles and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors") and to participants in "wrap-fee" programs sponsored by broker-dealers and investment advisers that may be affiliated or unaffiliated with the Fund, Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors. The institutional investment advisory clients of Loomis Sayles and IXIS Advisors pay Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors a fee for their investment advisory services, while participants in "wrap fee" programs pay a "wrap" fee to the program's sponsor. The "wrap fee" program sponsors in turn pay fees to IXIS Advisors. "Wrap fee" program participants should read carefully the wrap-fee brochure provided to them by their program's sponsor. The brochure is required to include information about the fees charged by the "wrap fee" program sponsor and the fees paid by such sponsor to IXIS Advisors. Investors pay no additional fees or expenses to purchase shares of the Fund. Investors will, however, indirectly pay a proportionate share of those costs, such as brokerage commissions, taxes and extraordinary expenses that are borne by the Fund through a reduction in its net asset value. See the section "Management - Investment Adviser".
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
This section provides more information on the principal risks that may affect the Fund's portfolio. In seeking to achieve its investment goal, the Fund may also invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment practices which are not the principal focus of the Fund and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities and investment practices and their associated risks are discussed in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which is available without charge upon request. (See back cover.)
The Fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes in accordance with its investment restrictions.
CREDIT RISK
This is the risk that the issuer or the guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to an over-the-counter transaction, will be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal or to otherwise honor its obligations. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit rating. Credit risk will be greater for the Fund than for many other types of funds because it will invest primarily in fixed income securities rated below investment grade ("junk bonds"), or if unrated determined to be of similar quality by Loomis Sayles. Lower rated fixed income securities generally have speculative elements or are predominately speculative credit risks.
To the extent that the Fund invests in fixed income securities issued in connection with corporate restructurings by highly leveraged issuers or in fixed income securities that become not current in the payment of interest or principal (i.e., in default), it may be subject to greater credit risk because of these investments.
Funds, like the Fund, that may invest a significant portion of their assets in Foreign Securities also are subject to increased credit risk because of the difficulties of requiring foreign entities to honor their contractual commitments and because a number of foreign governments and other issuers are already in default.
DERIVATIVES RISK
The Fund may use derivatives, which are financial contracts whose value depends upon or is derived from the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index.
Examples of derivatives include options, futures, and swap transactions. The Fund may use derivatives as part of a strategy designed to reduce other risks ("hedging"). The Fund also may use derivatives to earn income, enhance yield, and broaden Fund diversification. This use of derivatives entails greater risk than using derivatives solely for hedging purposes. Funds that use derivatives also face additional risks, such as the credit risk of the other party to a derivative contract,
the risk of difficulties in pricing and valuation, and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with relevant assets, rates, or indices.
EMERGING MARKETS RISK
Economic and Political Risks. Emerging market countries often experience instability in their political and economic structures. Government actions could have a significant impact on the economic conditions in such countries, which in turn would affect the value and liquidity of the assets of the Fund invested in emerging markets securities. Specific risks that could decrease the Fund's return include seizure of a company's assets, restrictions imposed on payments as a result of blockages on foreign currency exchanges and unanticipated social or political occurrences.
The ability of the government of an emerging market country to make timely payments on its debt obligations will depend on the extent of its reserves, fluctuations in interest rates, and access to international credits and investments. A country which has non-diversified exports or relies on certain key imports will be subject to greater fluctuations in the pricing of those commodities. Failure to generate sufficient earnings from foreign trade will make it difficult for an emerging market country to service its foreign debt.
Companies trading in developing securities markets are generally smaller and have shorter operating histories than companies in developed markets. Foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales. Settlement of securities transaction in emerging markets may be subject to risk of loss and may be delayed more often than in the U.S. Disruptions resulting from social and political factors may cause the securities markets to close. If extended closing were to occur, the liquidity and value of the Fund's assets invested in corporate debt obligations of emerging market companies would decline.
Investment Controls; Repatriation. Foreign investment in emerging market country debt securities is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging market country debt securities.
Certain emerging market countries require government approval before investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit investment by foreign persons only to specific class of securities of an issuer that may have a less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging market countries may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interests.
Emerging market countries may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or proceeds of sale of securities by foreign investors.
In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market country's balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Investing in local markets in emerging market countries may require the Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local governmental approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.
FOREIGN RISK
This is the risk associated with investments in issuers located in foreign countries. The Fund is subject to this risk because it may invest up to 40% of its assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers. The Fund's investments in foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies.
The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of issuers and a small number of securities. In addition, foreign companies often are not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. companies. Reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, or diplomatic developments can cause the value of the Fund's investments in a foreign country to decline. In the event of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation, a fund that invests in foreign securities could lose its entire investment.
As described further in the section below, funds that invest in emerging markets may face greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to experience political and economic instability, and generally are subject to a greater degree to the risks discussed above.
Although the Fund will invest only in U.S. dollar-denominated securities, the value of these securities may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK
Compared with other mutual funds, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may invest in fewer issuers. Therefore, the Fund may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security or the impact of a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence may have a greater adverse impact on the Fund's net asset value.
HIGH YIELD SECURITIES RISK
High yield securities are generally below investment grade quality. These lower-rated securities, also known as "junk bonds," may be considered speculative with
respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities, and the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives may, to the extent the Fund invests in lower-rated securities, be more dependent upon Loomis Sayles' credit analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher quality securities. The issuers of these securities may be in default or have a currently identifiable vulnerability to default on their payments of principal and interest, or may otherwise be subject to present elements of danger with respect to payments of principal or interest. However, the Fund will not invest in securities that are in default as to payment of principal and interest at the time of purchase.
Lower-rated securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher grade securities.
The prices of lower-rated securities have been found to generally be more sensitive to adverse economic downturns or individual corporate developments. Yields on lower-rated securities will fluctuate. If the issuer of lower-rated securities defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.
The secondary markets in which lower-rated securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. A lack of liquidity in the secondary trading markets could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could sell a particular lower-rated security when necessary to meet liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer, and could adversely affect and cause large fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities generally.
It is reasonable to expect that any adverse economic conditions could disrupt the market for lower-rated securities, have an adverse impact on the value of such securities, and adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon. New laws and proposed new laws may adversely impact the market for lower-rated securities.
INFLATION/DEFLATION RISK
Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the present value of future payments. Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time - (the opposite of inflation). Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Fund's portfolio.
INTEREST RATE RISK
This is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Fund's investments in fixed income securities, such as bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, and other income producing securities. Fixed income securities are obligations of the issuer to make payments of principal and/or interest on future dates. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline.
Even funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in high quality fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is greater for funds, such as the Fund, that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in lower rated fixed income securities or comparable unrated securities.
The Fund will be subject to increased interest rate risk to the extent that it invests in fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations, as compared to if it invested in fixed income securities with shorter maturities or durations.
Interest rate risk is compounded for funds that invest a significant portion of their assets in mortgage-related or other asset-backed securities because the value of mortgage-related securities and asset-backed securities generally is more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of fixed income securities. When interest rates rise, the maturities of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities tend to lengthen, and the value of the securities decreases more significantly. In addition, these types of securities are subject to prepayment when interest rates fall, which generally results in lower returns because funds that hold these types of securities must reinvest assets previously invested in these types of securities in fixed income securities with lower interest rates.
The Fund also faces increased interest rate risk when it invests in fixed income securities paying no current interest, such as zero coupon securities, principal-only securities, interest-only securities, and fixed income securities paying non-cash interest in the form of other fixed income securities.
ISSUER RISK
The value of the Fund's investments 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 and services.
LEVERAGING RISK
When the Fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the Fund will be more volatile, and all other risks are generally compounded. The Fund will face this risk if it creates leverage by using investments such as repurchase agreements, inverse floating rate instruments or derivatives, or by borrowing money.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling out of these illiquid securities at an advantageous price. Derivatives and securities that involve substantial interest rate risk or credit risk tend to involve greater liquidity risk. In addition, liquidity risk tends to increase to the extent the Fund invests in securities whose sale may be restricted by law or by contract, such as Rule 144A securities.
MANAGEMENT RISK
Management risk is the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques could fail to achieve the Fund's objectives and could cause your investment in the Fund to lose value. The Fund is subject to management risk because the Fund is actively managed by Loomis Sayles. Loomis Sayles will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that Loomis Sayles' decisions will produce the desired results. For example, in some cases derivative and other investment techniques may be unavailable or Loomis Sayles may determine not to use them, even under market conditions where their use could have benefited the Fund.
MARKET RISK
Market risk is the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will change as financial markets fluctuate and that prices overall may decline. The value of a company's securities may fall as a result of factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. A security's value also may fall because of factors affecting not just the issuer of a security, but other companies in its industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of the Fund's securities also may be affected by changes in financial market conditions, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. Market risk tends to be greater for fixed income securities with longer maturities.
MORTGAGE-RELATED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES RISK
The Fund may invest in a variety of mortgage-related securities, including commercial mortgage securities and other mortgage-backed instruments and the securities of companies that invest in mortgage-backed or other mortgage-related securities. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, mortgage-related securities held by the Fund may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk -- the risk that borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected, particularly when interest rates decline. This can reduce the Fund's returns because the Fund may have to reinvest that
money at lower prevailing interest rates. The Fund's investments in other asset- backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities.
SMALLER COMPANY RISK
The general risks associated with corporate income-producing securities are particularly pronounced for securities issued by companies with smaller market capitalizations. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or they may depend on a few key employees. As a result, they may be subject to greater levels of credit, market and issuer risk. Securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lesser volume than more widely held securities and their values may fluctuate more sharply than other securities. Further, securities of smaller companies may perform differently in different cycles than larger company securities. Companies with medium-sized market capitalizations may have risks similar to those of smaller companies.
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 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.
Investment in structured notes involves certain risks, including the risk that the issuer may be unable or unwilling to satisfy its obligations to pay principal or interest, which are separate from the risk that the note's reference instruments may move in a manner that is disadvantageous to the holder of the note. Structured notes, which are often illiquid, are also subject to market risk, liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. The terms of certain structured notes may provide that a decline in the reference instrument may result in the interest rate or principal amount being reduced to zero. Structured notes may be more volatile than the underlying reference instruments or traditional debt instruments.
TRANSACTIONS WITH OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, the Fund may be permitted to invest its daily cash balances in shares of money market and short-term bond funds advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. (an affiliate of Loomis Sayles) "IXIS Advisors" or its affiliates ("Central Funds"). The Central Funds currently include the IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, Institutional Daily Income Fund, Cortland Trust, Inc. and Short Term Income Fund, Inc. Each Central Fund is advised by Reich & Tang Asset Management, LLC ("Reich & Tang"), except for IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, which is advised by IXIS Advisors and sub-advised by Reich & Tang. Because Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors and Reich & Tang are each subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"), the Fund and the Central Funds may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Fund may also borrow and lend money for temporary or emergency purposes directly to and from other funds through an interfund credit facility. In addition to the Fund and the Central Funds, series of the following mutual fund groups may also be able to participate in the facility: IXIS Advisors Funds Trust I (except the CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund series), IXIS Advisors Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisors Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisors Funds Trust IV, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Harris Associates Investment Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II. The advisers and subadvisers to these mutual funds currently include IXIS Advisors, Reich & Tang, Loomis Sayles, AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., Harris Associates L.P. and Westpeak Global Advisors, L.P. Each of these advisers and subadvisers are subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America and are thus "affiliated persons" under the 1940 Act by reason of being under common control by IXIS Asset Management North America. In addition, because the Fund, and other funds, are advised by firms that are affiliated with one another, they may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the 1940 Act. The Central Funds and AEW Real Estate Income Fund will participate in the Credit Facility only as lenders. Participation in such an interfund lending program would be voluntary for both borrowing and lending funds, and the Fund would participate in an interfund lending program only if the Board of Trustees determined that doing so would benefit the Fund. Should the Fund participate in such an interfund lending program, the Board of Trustees would establish procedures for the operation of the program by the advisers or an affiliate. The Fund may engage in the transactions described above without further notice to shareholders.
MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), located at One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Loomis Sayles is a subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, which is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Founded in 1926, Loomis Sayles is one of the country's oldest investment advisory firms with over $74.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2005. Loomis Sayles is responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund and providing general business management and administration to the Fund.
As previously described in footnote 1 in the "Expenses of the Fund" section, an investor will either pay a "wrap" fee to the program sponsor and such sponsor will pay a fee to IXIS Advisors, or the investor, such as an institutional client of Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors, will pay a fee to Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors under a separate client agreement for advisory services. The Fund does not pay Loomis Sayles a monthly investment advisory fee, also known as a management fee, for investment advisory services and, except as described below, Loomis Sayles pays the other ordinary expenses of the Fund.
The Trust, and not Loomis Sayles or its affiliates, will pay the following expenses: taxes payable by the Trust to federal, state or other governmental agencies; extraordinary expenses as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings, other claims and the legal obligations of the Trust or the Fund to indemnify its trustees, officers, employees, shareholders, distributors, and agents with respect thereto; brokerage fees and commissions (including dealer markups) and transfer taxes chargeable to the Trust in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Fund; costs, including any interest expenses, of borrowing money; costs of hedging transactions; costs of lending portfolio securities; and any expenses indirectly incurred through investments in other pooled investment vehicles.
A discussion of the factors considered by the Fund's Board of Trustees in approving the Fund's investment advisory contract is available in the Fund's annual report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following persons have had primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. Except where noted, each portfolio manager has been employed by Loomis Sayles for at least five years.
Daniel J. Fuss, Kathleen C. Gaffney, Matthew Eagan and Elaine Stokes of Loomis Sayles are responsible for investing and overseeing the assets for the Fund.
Mr. Fuss is Vice Chairman, Director and Managing Partner of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1958 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1976. Mr. Fuss holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Marquette University and has over 47 years of investment experience.
Ms. Gaffney, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began her investment career in 1984 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1984. Ms. Gaffney holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. She received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has over 21 years of investment experience.
Mr. Eagan, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1989 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1997. Mr. Eagan holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from Northeastern University and an M.B.A. from Boston University and has over 16 years of investment experience.
Ms. Stokes, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Loomis Sayles, began her investment career in 1987 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1988. Ms. Stokes holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. She received a B.S. from St. Michael's College and has over 18 years of investment experience.
Please see the SAI for information on the Portfolio Manager compensation, other accounts under management by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of securities in the Fund.
OTHER FEES
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, may pay certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries whose customers are existing shareholders of the Funds a continuing fee at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the value of Fund shares held for these customers' accounts, although this continuing fee is paid by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, out of its own assets and is not assessed against the Fund.
GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED
"Net asset value" is the price of one share of the Fund without a sales charge, and is calculated each business day using this formula:
TOTAL MARKET VALUE OF SECURITIES + CASH AND OTHER ASSETS - LIABILITIES NET ASSET VALUE = ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING SHARES |
The net asset value of Fund shares is determined according to this schedule:
. A share's net asset value is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on the days the Exchange is open for trading. This is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Generally, the Fund's shares will not be priced on the days on which the Exchange is closed for trading. However, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, the Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles in its discretion determines that there has been enough trading in the Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares. This may occur, for example, if the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets are open for trading. In addition, the Fund's shares will not be priced on the holidays listed in the SAI. See the section entitled "Net Asset Value and Public Offering Price" in the SAI for more details.
. The price you pay for purchasing or redeeming a share will be based upon the net asset value next calculated by the Fund's custodian after your order is received "in good order."
. Requests received by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor") after the Exchange closes will be processed based upon the net asset value determined at the close of regular trading on the next day that the Exchange is open with the exception that those orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and received by the Distributor from the investment dealer before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time* on the same day will be based on the net asset value determined on that day.
. If the Fund significantly invests in foreign securities, it may have net asset value changes on days when you cannot buy or sell its shares.
* Under limited circumstances, the Distributor may enter into contractual agreements pursuant to which orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and transmitted to the Distributor prior to 9:30 a.m. on the next business day are processed at the net asset value determined on the day the order was received by your investment dealer.
Generally, Fund securities are valued as follows:
. EQUITY SECURITIES -- market price or as provided by a pricing service if market price is unavailable.
. DEBT SECURITIES (OTHER THAN SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS) -- based upon pricing service valuations, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using market information, transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities which are generally recognized by institutional traders.
. SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS (REMAINING MATURITY OF LESS THAN 60 DAYS) -- amortized cost (which approximates market value).
. SECURITIES TRADED ON FOREIGN EXCHANGES -- market price on the non-U.S. exchange, unless the Fund believes that an occurrence after the close of that exchange will materially affect the security's value. In that case, the security may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing their securities, the Fund may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time the Fund's net asset value is calculated.
. OPTIONS -- last sale price, or if not available, last offering price.
. FUTURES -- unrealized gain or loss on the contract using current settlement price. When a settlement price is not used, futures contracts will be valued at their fair value as determined by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
. ALL OTHER SECURITIES -- fair market value as determined by Loomis Sayles pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale in the ordinary course of business). The Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
An investor may purchase Fund shares at net asset value without a sales charge or other fee.
SHARES OF THE FUND ARE OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY TO INVESTORS IN "WRAP FEE" PROGRAMS APPROVED BY IXIS ADVISORS AND/OR LOOMIS SAYLES AND TO INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORY CLIENTS OF LOOMIS SAYLES OR IXIS ADVISORS THAT, IN EACH CASE, MEET THE FUND'S POLICIES AS ESTABLISHED BY LOOMIS SAYLES.
A purchase order received by the Fund's Transfer Agent, prior to the close of
regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") (normally 4:00
p.m., Eastern Time), on a day the Fund is open for business, will be effected
at that day's net asset value. An order received after the close of regular
trading on the Exchange will be effected at the net asset value determined on
the next business day. The Fund is "open for business" on each day the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading. Purchase orders will be accepted only on
days on which the Fund is open for business.
Additional shares can be purchased if authorized by IXIS Advisors or Loomis Sayles and payment must be wired in federal funds to the Transfer Agent except when shares are purchased in exchange for securities acceptable to the Fund.
Purchases of the Fund's shares will normally be made only in full shares, but may be made in fractional shares under certain circumstances. Certificates for shares will not be issued. The payment for shares to be purchased shall be wired to the Transfer Agent.
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase Institutional Class shares of the Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if Loomis Sayles deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by the Fund in such a transaction will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
Please see the section "Restrictions on Buying and Selling Shares" below for more information.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
Shares normally can be redeemed only through the shareholder's wrap program sponsor for shareholders owning shares through wrap accounts or by contacting Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors or the Transfer Agent for non-wrap program shareholders.
Redemption requests for Fund shares are effected at the net asset value per share next determined after receipt of a redemption request by the Transfer Agent. A redemption request received by the Transfer Agent prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange, on a day the Fund is open for business, is effected at that day's net asset value. A redemption request received after that time is effected at the next business day's net asset value per share. Redemption proceeds will be wired within one business day after the redemption request, but may take up to seven business days. Redemption proceeds will be sent by wire only. The Fund may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the payment date at times when the New York Stock Exchange is closed, or during certain other periods as permitted under the federal securities laws.
The Fund and the Distributor each reserve the right to redeem shares of any shareholder investing through a wrap program at the then-current value of such shares (which will be paid promptly to the shareholder) if the wrap sponsor is no longer approved by Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors. The sponsor will receive advance notice of any such mandatory redemption. Similarly, the Fund and the distributor may redeem shares of any shareholder who no longer participates in any approved wrap program (for example, by withdrawing from the program). The Fund and the Distributor each reserve the right to redeem any shareholder for which Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors ceases to act as investment adviser. In addition, the Fund and the Distributor each reserve the right to redeem any shareholder if the shareholder's continued investment in the Fund becomes inconsistent with the Fund's policies, as established by Loomis Sayles.
It is highly unlikely that shares would ever be redeemed in kind. However, in consideration of the best interests of the remaining investors, the Fund reserves the right to pay any redemption proceeds exceeding this amount in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. When shares are redeemed in kind, the redeeming registered investment adviser should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the distribution. The Fund agrees to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net assets during any 90-day period for any one registered investment adviser.
OTHER PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
The Fund reserves the right to create investment minimums in its sole discretion.
Except to the extent otherwise permitted by the Distributor, the Fund will only accept accounts from U.S. citizens with a U.S. address or resident aliens with a U.S. address and a U.S. taxpayer identification number.
The Fund is required by federal regulations to obtain certain personal information from an investor and to use that information to verify an investor's identity. The Fund may not be able to open an investor's account if the requested information is not provided to the Fund or its delegate. THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT, CLOSE AN ACCOUNT AT THE THEN CURRENT PRICE OR TAKE OTHER SUCH
STEPS THAT THE FUND DEEMS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS IF AN INVESTOR'S IDENTITY IS NOT VERIFIED.
RESTRICTIONS ON BUYING AND SELLING SHARES
Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders may present certain risks for other shareholders in the Fund. This includes the risk of diluting the value of Fund shares for long-term shareholders, interfering with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. Funds investing in securities that require special valuation processes (such as foreign securities, high yield securities, or small cap securities) may also have increased exposure to these risks. The Fund discourages excessive, short-term trading policies that may be detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund's Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares:
The Fund reserves the right to suspend or change the terms of purchasing or exchanging shares. The Fund and the Distributor reserve the right to refuse or limit any purchase or exchange order for any reason, including if the transaction is deemed not to be in the best interests of the Fund's other shareholders or possibly disruptive to the management of the Fund.
LIMITS ON FREQUENT TRADING Without limiting the right of the Fund and the Distributor to refuse any purchase or exchange order, the Fund and the Distributor may (but are not obligated to) restrict purchases and exchanges for the accounts of "market timers." With respect to exchanges, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than two exchange purchases of the Fund are made for the account over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund; or (ii) the account makes one or more exchange purchases of the Fund over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. With respect to new purchases of the Fund, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than twice over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund, there is a purchase in the Fund followed by a subsequent redemption; or (ii) there are two purchases into the Fund by an account, each followed by a subsequent redemption over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. The preceding are not exclusive lists of activities that the Fund and the Distributor may consider to be "market timing."
TRADE ACTIVITY MONITORING Trading activity is monitored selectively on a daily basis in an effort to detect excessive short-term trading activities. If the Fund or the Distributor believes that a shareholder or financial intermediary has engaged in market timing or other excessive, short-term trading activity, it may, in its discretion, request that the shareholder or financial intermediary stop such activities or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the accounts. In its discretion, the Fund or the Distributor may restrict or prohibit transactions by such identified shareholders or intermediaries. In making such judgments, the Fund and the
Distributor seek to act in a manner that they believe is consistent with the best interests of all shareholders. The Fund and the Distributor also reserve the right to notify financial intermediaries of your trading activity. Because the Fund and the Distributor will not always be able to detect market timing activity, investors should not assume that the Fund will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Fund. For example, the ability of the Fund and the Distributor to monitor trades that are placed by omnibus or other nominee accounts is severely limited in those instances in which the broker, retirement plan administrator or fee-based program sponsor maintains the record of the Fund's underlying beneficial owners.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
It is the policy of the Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all of its net investment income. The Fund generally declares and pays dividends monthly. The Fund also distributes all of its net realized capital gains after applying any capital loss carryforwards. Any capital gains distributions normally are made annually in December, but may be made more frequently as deemed advisable by the Trustees. The Trustees may change the frequency with which the Fund declares or pays dividends.
You may choose to:
. reinvest all distributions in additional shares of the Fund; or
. have proceeds sent by wire to the bank account of record for the amount of
the distribution.
If you do not elect an option, all distributions will be reinvested.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
Except where noted, the discussion below addresses only the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Fund and does not address any foreign, state or local tax consequences.
The Fund intends to meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code necessary to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" and thus does not expect to pay any federal income tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders.
TAXATION OF DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FUND. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term
capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. For the taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, distributions of investment income designated by the Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" are taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.
Distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. If you invest right before the Fund pays a dividend, you will be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. You can avoid this, if you choose, by investing after the Fund has paid a dividend. Investors in tax-advantaged retirement accounts do not need to be concerned about this.
Distributions by the Fund to retirement plans and other investors that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will generally not be taxable. Special tax rules apply to investments through such retirement plans. If an investment is through such a plan, an investor should consult a tax adviser to determine the suitability of the Fund as an investment through such a plan and the tax treatment of distributions (including distributions of amounts attributable to an investment in the Fund) from such a plan.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced to, in general, 15%, with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% brackets. For more information, see the SAI, under "Distribution and Taxes."
SALES OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES. The redemption, sale or exchange of Fund shares (including an exchange of Fund shares for another IXIS Advisor Fund or Loomis Sayles Fund) is a taxable event and may result in the recognition of gain or loss. Shareholder transactions in the Fund's share resulting in gains from selling shares held for more than one year generally are taxed at capital gains rates, while those resulting from sales of shares held for one year or less generally are taxed at ordinary income rates.
TAXATION OF CERTAIN INVESTMENTS. The Fund's investments in Foreign Securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the fund's yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes. In addition, the Fund's investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund's distributions.
The Fund's investments in certain debt obligations may cause the fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, the Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including times when it
may not be advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its mandatory distribution requirements.
The Fund may at times buy investments at a discount from the price at which they were originally issued, especially during periods of rising interest rates. For federal income tax purposes, some or all of this market discount will be included in the Fund's ordinary income and will be taxable to shareholders as such when it is distributed.
NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS. Capital Gain Dividends will not be subject to withholding. Generally, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by the Fund to a shareholder who is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are generally subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). However, effective for the taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, the Fund will no longer be required to withhold any amounts with respect to distributions of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses that the Fund properly designates nor with respect to distributions of U.S. source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by a foreign person, in each case to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The Fund does not intend to make such designations.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. The Fund is required in certain circumstances to apply backup withholding on taxable dividends, redemption proceeds and certain other payments that are paid to any shareholder (including a shareholder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the U.S.) who does not furnish the Fund certain information and certifications or who is otherwise subject to backup withholding. The backup withholding rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010 and will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States.
You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table below is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance since-inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns represent the rate that you would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, is included in the Fund's annual reports to shareholders. The annual reports are incorporated by reference into the SAI, both of which are available free of charge upon request from the Distributor.
Income from Investment Operations Less Distributions ------------------------------------ ---------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain on investment net investment realized of the period income(e) investments operations income capital gains -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND 9/30/2005 $10.32 $0.78 $0.17 $0.95 $(0.77) $-- 9/30/2004(a) 10.00 0.33 0.25 0.58 (0.26) -- |
(a) For the period April 13, 2004 (inception) through September 30, 2005.
(b) Periods less than one year are not annualized. (c) Loomis Sayles has agreed
to pay, without reimbursement from the Fund, all expenses associated with the
operating of the Fund. (d) Annualized for periods less than one year. (e) Per
share net investment income has been calculated using the average shares
outstanding during the period.
Ratios to average net assets -------------------------------- Net asset Net assets, value, end of Net Gross Net investment Portfolio Total end of Total the period Expenses Expenses income turnover distributions the period return %(b) (000) (%)(c) (%)(c) (%)(d) rate (%) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.77) $10.50 9.5 $13,115 -- -- 7.40 22 (0.26) 10.32 5.9 9,079 -- -- 7.03 45 |
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE
AVAILABLE FREE UPON REQUEST:
ANNUAL AND SEMIANNUAL REPORTS - Provide additional information about the Fund's
investments. Each report includes a discussion of the market conditions and
investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during
the last fiscal year.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) - Provides more detailed information
about the Fund and its investment limitations and policies. The SAI has been
filed with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference.
To order a free copy of the Fund's annual or semiannual reports or its SAI, to
request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries
generally, contact your financial adviser, or contact Loomis Sayles at
1-800-343-2029. The Fund does not make its SAI, annual report or semiannual
report available through a website due to the limited eligibility for
purchasing shares.
Information about the Fund, including its reports and SAI, can be reviewed and
copied at the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public Reference Room in
Washington, DC. You may call the Commission at 1-202-942-8090 for information
about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You also may access reports
and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR Database on the Commission's
web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may also be
obtained, after payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the
following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission's
Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with
respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in
the Fund's SAI.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("IXIS Distributors"), an affiliate of
Loomis Sayles, and other firms selling shares of Loomis Sayles Funds are
members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"). As a
service to investors, the NASD has asked that we inform you of the availability
of a brochure on its Public Disclosure Program. The program provides access to
information about securities firms and their representatives. Investors may
obtain a copy by contacting the NASD at 1-800-289-9999 or by visiting its Web
site at www.NASD.com.
IXIS Distributors distributes the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds.
If you have a complaint concerning IXIS Distributors or any of its
representatives or associated persons, please direct it to IXIS Asset
Management Distributors, L.P., Attn: Director of Compliance, 399 Boylston
Street - 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02116 or call us at 1-800-225-5478.
[LOGOL]ooLmoiosmiSsaySlaeysleFsunds
P.O. Box 219594
Kansas City, MO 61421-9594
1-800-633-3330
www.loomissayles.com
File No. 811-08282 M-LSH051-0206
[GRAPHIC]
[GRAPHIC]
LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND
[GRAPHIC]
Loomis Sayles Funds I
PROSPECTUS . FEBRUARY 1, 2006
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., which has been an investment adviser since 1926, is the investment adviser of the Funds.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED ANY FUND'S SHARES OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIME.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 1 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 5 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 9 FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS 12 SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS 14 MANAGEMENT Investment Adviser 23 Portfolio Managers 23 Distribution Plans and Administrative and Other Fees 24 GENERAL INFORMATION How Fund Shares Are Priced 25 Accessing Your Account Information 27 How to Purchase Shares 27 How to Redeem Shares 30 How to Exchange Shares 33 Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares 34 Dividends and Distributions 36 Tax Consequences 37 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 40 |
You can lose money by investing in a Fund. A Fund may not achieve its objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is high total investment return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in fixed income securities. In accordance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund invests primarily in investment-grade fixed income securities, although it may invest up to 35% of its assets in lower-rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") and up to 20% of its assets in preferred stocks. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles will consider, among other things, the financial strength of the issuer of the security, current interest rates, Loomis Sayles' expectations regarding general trends in interest rates, and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return of those investments.
Three themes typically drive the Fund's investment approach. First, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed income securities of issuers whose credit profiles it believes are improving. Second, the Fund makes significant use of non-market related securities, which are securities that may not have a direct correlation with changes in interest rates. Loomis Sayles believes that the Fund may generate positive returns by having a portion of the Fund's assets invested in non-market related securities, rather than by relying primarily on changes in interest rates to produce returns for the Fund. Third, Loomis Sayles analyzes different sectors of the economy and differences in the yields ("spreads") of various fixed income securities in an effort to find securities that it believes may produce attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk.
Loomis Sayles generally prefers securities that are protected against calls (early redemption by the issuer).
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities of Canadian issuers and up to 20% of its assets in other foreign securities, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may invest without limit in obligations of supranational entities (e.g., the World Bank).
The fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate securities, U.S. Government securities, commercial paper, zero coupon securities, mortgage-backed securities, stripped mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, when-issued securities, real estate
investment trusts ("REITs"), Rule 144A securities, structured notes, repurchase agreements, and convertible securities. The Fund may engage in options and futures transactions, foreign currency hedging transactions and swap transactions. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall
as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face
greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to
experience political and economic instability.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for
funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer
durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter
durations.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. lower-quality fixed-income securities risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may be subject to fixed-income securities risk to a greater extent that other fixed-income securities. The ability of the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments is predominantly speculative for lower-quality fixed-income securities.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be
prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities
with lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a
loss when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a
premium.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years./1/
[CHART]
Total Return ------------ 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 10.29% 12.69% 4.70% 4.50% 4.36% 2.66% 13.34% 29.18% 11.30% 4.28% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 11.09% (Second quarter 2003), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 5.01% (Third quarter 1998).
1 Average annual total returns shown for the Institutional Class, Retail Class and Admin Class shares of the Fund for periods prior to September 15, 2003 reflect the results of shares of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds II, the Fund's predecessor (the "Predecessor Bond Fund"). The assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Bond Fund reorganized into the Fund on September 12, 2003. For the periods before the inception of the Retail Class shares (December 31, 1996) and Admin Class shares (January 2, 1998) of the Predecessor Bond Fund, performance shown for those Classes is based on the performance of the Predecessor Bond Fund's Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the higher fees paid by the Retail Class and Admin Class shares of the Predecessor Bond Fund. Institutional Class shares of the Predecessor Bond Fund commenced operations on May 16, 1991.
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lehman Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Index, an index that tracks the performance of a broad range of government and corporate fixed income securities. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class-by-class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20051
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (5/16/91) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes 4.28% 11.77% 9.49% 11.27% Return After Taxes on Distributions2 2.11% 8.95% 6.26% 7.84% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 2.77% 8.39% 6.10% 7.62% RETAIL CLASS - Return Before Taxes 4.01% 11.49% 9.21% 10.99% ADMIN CLASS - Return Before Taxes 3.75% 11.22% 8.83% 10.47% LEHMAN BROTHERS U.S. GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX/3/ 2.37% 6.11% 6.17% 7.27% |
1 Average annual total returns shown for the Institutional Class, Retail Class and Admin Class shares of the Fund for periods prior to September 15, 2003 reflect the results of shares of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds II, the Fund's predecessor (the "Predecessor Bond Fund"). The assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Bond Fund reorganized into the Fund on September 12, 2003. For the periods before the inception of the Retail Class shares (December 31, 1996) and Admin Class shares (January 2, 1998) of the Predecessor Bond Fund, performance shown for those Classes is based on the performance of the Predecessor Bond Fund's Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the higher fees paid by the Retail Class and Admin Class shares of the Predecessor Bond Fund. Institutional Class shares of the Predecessor Bond Fund commenced operations on May 16, 1991.
2 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns are shown for the Institutional Class of the Fund. After-tax returns for other classes of the Fund will vary. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
3 The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. Since-inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end following the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is high total investment return through a combination of high current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in fixed-income securities. In accordance with applicable SEC requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund invests primarily in investment-grade fixed-income securities worldwide, although it may invest up to 20% of its assets in lower-rated fixed-income securities ("junk bonds"). Securities held by the Fund may be denominated in any currency and may be of issuers located in countries with emerging securities markets. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles will consider, among other things, the stability and volatility of a country's bond markets, the financial strength of the issuer, current interest rates and Loomis Sayles' expectations regarding general trends in interest rates.
Three themes typically drive the Fund's investment approach. First, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed-income securities of issuers whose credit profiles it believes are improving. Second, Loomis Sayles analyzes political, economic, and other fundamental factors and combines this analysis with a comparison of the yield spreads of various fixed-income securities in an effort to find securities that it believes may produce attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk. Third, if a security that is believed to be attractive is denominated in a foreign currency, Loomis Sayles analyzes whether to accept or to hedge the currency risk.
The fixed-income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate securities, U.S. Government securities, commercial paper, zero coupon securities, mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, when-issued securities, Rule 144A securities, structured notes, repurchase agreements, and convertible securities. The Fund may engage in options and futures transactions foreign currency hedging transactions, and swap transactions. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or in any securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall
as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face
greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to
experience political and economic instability.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise.
. lower-quality fixed-income securities risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may be subject to fixed-income securities risk to a greater extent that other fixed-income securities. The ability of the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments is predominantly speculative for lower-quality fixed-income securities.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses. Interest rate risk generally is greater for funds that invest in fixed-income securities with relatively longer durations than for funds that invest in fixed-income securities with shorter durations.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities with lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a loss when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a premium.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years./1/
[CHART]
Total Return ------------ 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 15.02% 2.31% 10.59% 3.82% -0.34% 5.11% 20.40% 21.25% 9.80% -4.34% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 9.66% (Fourth quarter 1998), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 3.23% (Second quarter 2004).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lehman Brothers Global Aggregate Index, an index that covers the most liquid portion of the global investment-grade fixed-rate bond market. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class by class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers Global Aggregate Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20051
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (5/10/91) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes -4.34% 10.02% 8.06% 8.53% Return After Taxes on Distributions2 -5.95% 8.73% 6.04% 6.46% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 -2.75% 7.94% 5.72% 6.17% RETAIL CLASS - Return Before Taxes -4.60% 9.73% 7.81% 8.36% LEHMAN BROTHERS GLOBAL AGGREGATE INDEX3 -4.49% 6.81% 5.35% 7.04% |
1 Average annual total returns shown for the Institutional Class and Retail Class shares of the Fund for periods prior to September 15, 2003 reflect the results of shares of the corresponding class of the Loomis Sayles Global
Bond Fund, the Fund's predecessor (the "Predecessor Global Bond Fund"). The assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Global Bond Fund reorganized into the Fund on September 12, 2003. For the periods before the inception of the Retail Class shares (December 31, 1996) of the Predecessor Global Bond Fund, performance shown for that Class is based on the performance of the Predecessor Global Bond Fund's Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the higher fees paid by the Retail Class shares of the Predecessor Global Bond Fund. Institutional Class shares of the Predecessor Global Bond Fund commenced operations on May 10, 1991.
2 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns are shown for the Institutional Class of the Fund. After-tax returns for the other class of the Fund will vary. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
3 The returns of the Index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. Since-inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is high total investment return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected securities. In accordance with applicable SEC requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The emphasis will be on debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS). The principal value of these securities is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation, and repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Under normal circumstances, 80% of the Fund's net assets will be invested in such securities.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles will consider, among other things, Loomis Sayles' expectations regarding general trends in interest rates and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return on those investments.
The Fund may invest in other securities, including but not limited to, inflation-protected debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities other than the U.S. Treasury, by other entities such as corporations and foreign governments, and by foreign issuers. The Fund may also invest in nominal treasury securities, corporate bonds, rule 144A securities, structured notes, asset-backed securities, and mortgage-related securities (including mortgage dollar rolls), and up to 10% of its assets in lower-rated fixed-income securities ("junk bonds"). The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity. The Fund may also engage in futures transactions and foreign currency hedging transactions. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of securities. Frequent trading may produce high transaction costs and a high level of taxable capital gains, which may lower the Fund's return. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or in any securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to meet their obligations to the Fund.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of correlation with the underlying investment.
. focused investment risk - the Fund's portfolio is not as diversified as some of the other Funds' portfolios, which means that the Fund generally invests more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers. As a result, changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect on the Fund's net asset value.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for funds that invest in fixed-income securities with relatively longer durations than for funds that invest in fixed-income securities with shorter durations.
. lower-quality fixed-income securities risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may be subject to fixed-income securities risk to a greater extent than other fixed-income securities. The ability of the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments is predominantly speculative for lower-quality fixed-income securities.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities with lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a loss when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a premium.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years./1/
[CHART]
Total Return ------------ 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 1.32% 12.74% 9.28% -4.46% 17.65% 4.68% 14.21% 2.99% 4.39% 1.99% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 8.34% (Third quarter 2002), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 4.70% (First quarter 1996).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for Institutional Class shares (before and after taxes) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lehman Brothers U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Index, an index that measures the performance of the inflation protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class by class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20051
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (5/21/91) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes 1.99% 5.56% 6.28% 8.00% Return After Taxes on Distributions2 -0.23% 3.37% 3.92% 5.18% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 1.32% 3.51% 3.94% 5.16% LEHMAN BROTHERS U.S. TREASURY INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES INDEX3 2.84% 8.74% N/A N/A |
1 The annual total returns shown for periods prior to September 15, 2003 reflect the results of the Institutional Class of the Loomis Sayles U.S. Government Securities Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds II, the Fund's predecessor (the "Predecessor U.S. Government Securities Fund"). The assets and liabilities of the Predecessor U.S. Government Securities Fund were reorganized into the Fund on September 12, 2003.
2 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns 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.
3 The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. The index began on October 1, 1997, therefore, data is unavailable for the ten-year period and the period since the Fund's inception.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of a Fund.
SHAREHOLDER FEES (FEES PAID DIRECTLY FROM YOUR INVESTMENT)
MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE REDEMPTION FEE (LOAD) IMPOSED MAXIMUM (AS A PERCENTAGE ON PURCHASES DEFERRED OF AMOUNT (AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES CHARGE REDEEMED, IF FUND/CLASS OFFERING PRICE) (LOAD) APPLICABLE) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND Institutional Class None None 2% of proceeds* Retail Class None None 2% of proceeds* Admin Class None None 2% of proceeds* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND Institutional Class None None 2% of proceeds* Retail Class None None 2% of proceeds* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND Institutional Class None None None* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
* Will be charged on redemptions and exchanges of shares on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition. For more information see the section "Redemption Fees".
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF DAILY NET
ASSETS)
TOTAL ANNUAL FEE MANAGE- DISTRIBUTION FUND WAIVER/ MENT (12B-1) OTHER OPERATING REIMBURSE- NET FUND/CLASS FEES+ FEES EXPENSES++ EXPENSES MENT EXPENSES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND1 Institutional Class 0.59% 0.00% 0.21% 0.80% 0.05% 0.75% Retail Class 0.59% 0.25% 0.24% 1.08% 0.08% 1.00% Admin Class 0.59% 0.25% 0.69%* 1.53% 0.28% 1.25% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND2 Institutional Class 0.59% 0.00% 0.17% 0.76% 0.01% 0.75% Retail Class 0.59% 0.25% 0.22% 1.06% 0.06% 1.00% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND3 Institutional Class 0.25% 0.00% 0.93% 1.18% 0.78% 0.40% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+ Expense information for the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Global Bond Fund and Inflation Protected Securities Fund reflects a reduction in the management fee from 0.60% to 0.60% for the first $3 billion and 0.50% thereafter, 0.60% to 0.60% for the first $1 billion and 0.50% thereafter and 0.30% to 0.25%, respectively, effective July 1, 2005.
++ Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees and expenses.
1 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund to limit the amount of the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 0.75%, 1.00% and 1.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets for Institutional shares, Retail shares and Admin shares, respectively. This undertaking is in effect
through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking expenses would have been higher.
2 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund to limit the amount of the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 0.75% and 1.00% of the Fund's average daily net assets for Institutional shares and Retail shares, respectively. This undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking expenses would have been higher.
3 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Inflation
Protected Securities Fund to limit the amount of the Fund's total annual fund
operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes
and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 0.40% of the Fund's average
daily net assets for Institutional shares. This undertaking is in effect
through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this
undertaking expenses would have been higher.
*Other expenses include an administrative fee of 0.25% for Admin Class shares.
EXAMPLE*
The following example translates the "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" column shown in the preceding table into dollar amounts. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in a Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
This example makes certain assumptions. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in a Fund for the time periods shown and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. Please remember that this example is hypothetical, so that your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower.
FUND/CLASS 1 YEAR* 3 YEARS* 5 YEARS* 10 YEARS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND Institutional Class $ 77 $250 $439 $ 985 Retail Class $102 $336 $588 $1,310 Admin Class $127 $456 $808 $1,800 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND Institutional Class $ 77 $242 $421 $ 941 Retail Class $102 $331 $579 $1,289 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND Institutional Class $ 41 $297 $574 $1,362 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* The Example is based on the Net Expenses for the 1-year period and on the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for the remaining periods.
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
This section provides more information on the principal risks that may affect a Fund's portfolio. In seeking to achieve their investment goals, the Funds may also invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment practices which are not the principal focus of the Funds and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities and investment practices and their associated risks are discussed in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which is available without charge upon request (see back cover).
Each Fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes in accordance with its investment restrictions.
CREDIT RISK
This is the risk that the issuer or the guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to an over-the-counter transaction, will be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal or to otherwise honor its obligations. Each Fund may be subject to credit risk to the extent that it invests in fixed income securities or is a party to over-the-counter transactions.
Funds that may invest in lower-rated fixed-income securities ("junk bonds") are subject to greater credit risk and market risk than Funds that invest in higher-quality fixed-income securities. Lower-rated fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments.
Funds that invest in fixed-income securities issued in connection with corporate restructurings by highly-leveraged issuers or in fixed-income securities that are not current in the payment of interest or principal (i.e., in default) which may be subject to greater credit risk because of these investments.
Funds that may invest in foreign securities are subject to increased credit risk because of the difficulties of requiring foreign entities to honor their contractual commitments and because a number of foreign governments and other issuers are already in default.
CURRENCY RISK
This is the risk that fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies may cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline. Funds that may invest in securities denominated in, or receive revenues in, foreign currency are subject to currency risk.
DERIVATIVES RISK
Each Fund may use derivatives, which are financial contracts whose value depends upon or is derived from the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index. Examples of derivatives include options, futures and swap transactions. Those
Funds may use derivatives as part of a strategy designed to reduce other risks ("hedging"). The Funds also may use derivatives to earn income, enhance yield, or broaden Fund diversification. This use of derivatives for these purposes entails greater risk than using derivatives solely for hedging purposes. If a Fund uses derivatives, it also faces additional risks, such as the credit risk relating to the other party to a derivative contract, the risk of difficulties in pricing and valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with relevant assets, rates or indices.
EMERGING MARKETS RISK
Economic And Political Risks Emerging market countries often experience instability in their political and economic structures. Government actions could have a significant impact on the economic conditions in such countries, which in turn would affect the value and liquidity of the assets of the Fund invested in emerging markets securities. Specific risks that could decrease the Fund's return include seizure of a company's assets, restrictions imposed on payments as a result of blockages on foreign currency exchanges and unanticipated social or political occurrences.
The ability of the government of an emerging market country to make timely payments on its debt obligations will depend on the extent of its reserves, fluctuations in interest rates, and access to international credits and investments. A country which has non-diversified exports or relies on certain key imports will be subject to greater fluctuations in the pricing of those commodities. Failure to generate sufficient earnings from foreign trade will make it difficult for an emerging market country to service its foreign debt.
Companies trading in developing securities markets are generally smaller and have shorter operating histories than companies in developed markets. Foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales. Settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets may be subject to risk of loss and may be delayed more often than in the U.S. Disruptions resulting from social and political factors may cause the securities markets to close. If extended closing were to occur, the liquidity and value of the Fund's assets invested in corporate debt obligations of emerging market companies would decline.
Investment Controls; Repatriation Foreign investment in emerging market country debt securities is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging market country debt securities. Certain emerging market countries require government approval before investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging market countries may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interests.
Emerging market countries may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or proceeds of sale of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market country's balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Investing in local markets in emerging market countries may require the Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local governmental approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.
FOCUSED INVESTMENT RISK
Compared with other mutual funds, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may invest in fewer issuers. Therefore, the Fund may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security or the impact of a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence may have a greater adverse impact on the Fund's net asset value.
FOREIGN RISK
This is the risk associated with investments in issuers located in foreign countries. A Fund's investments in foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies.
The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of issuers and a small number of securities. In addition, foreign companies often are not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. companies. Reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, or diplomatic developments can cause the value of a Fund's investments in a foreign country to decline. In the event of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation, a Fund could lose its entire foreign investment.
Funds that invest in emerging markets may face greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to experience political and economic instability.
INFLATION/DEFLATION RISK
Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the present value of future payments. Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time - (the opposite of inflation). Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Fund's portfolio.
INTEREST RATE RISK
This is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of a Fund's investments in fixed-income securities, such as bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, and other income-producing securities. Fixed-income securities are obligations of the issuer to make payments of principal and/or interest on future dates. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline.
Even Funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in high-quality fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is greater for funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in lower-rated fixed-income securities ("junk bonds") or comparable unrated securities. Interest rate risk also is greater for Funds that generally invest in fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations than for Funds that invest in fixed-income securities with shorter maturities or durations.
Interest rate risk is compounded for Funds when they invest a significant portion of their assets in mortgage-related or asset-backed securities because the value of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities generally is more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of fixed income securities. When interest rates rise, the maturities of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities tend to lengthen, and the value of these securities decreases more significantly than the value of other types of securities. In addition, these types of securities are subject to prepayment when interest rates fall, which generally results in lower returns because funds that hold these types of securities must reinvest assets previously invested in these types of securities in fixed-income securities with lower interest rates.
Each Fund also faces increased interest rate risk when it invests in fixed-income securities paying no current interest, such as zero coupon securities, principal-only securities, interest-only securities, and fixed-income securities paying non-cash interest in the form of other fixed-income securities, because the prices of those types of securities tend to react more to changes in interest rates.
ISSUER RISK
The value of the Fund's investments 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 and services.
LEVERAGING RISK
When a Fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the Fund will be more volatile, and all other risks are generally compounded. Funds face this risk if they create leverage by using investments such as repurchase agreements, inverse floating rate instruments or derivatives or by borrowing money.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing a Fund from selling these illiquid securities at an advantageous price. Derivatives and securities that involve substantial interest rate or credit risk tend to involve greater liquidity risk. In addition, liquidity risk tends to increase to the extent a Fund invests in securities whose sale may be restricted by law or by contract, such as Rule 144A securities.
LOWER-QUALITY FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES RISK
Lower-quality fixed-income securities, also known as "junk bonds," may be considered speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-quality debt securities, and the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives may, to the extent the Fund invests in lower-rated securities, be more dependent upon Loomis Sayles' credit analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher- quality securities. The issuers of these securities may be in default or have a currently identifiable vulnerability to default on their payments of principal and interest, or may otherwise be subject to present elements of danger with respect to payments of principal or interest. However, the Fund will not invest in securities that are in default as to payment of principal and interest at the time of purchase.
Lower-rated securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher grade securities. Yields on lower-rated securities will fluctuate. If the issuer of lower-rated securities defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.
The secondary markets in which lower-rated securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. A lack of liquidity in the secondary trading markets could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could sell a particular lower-rated security when necessary to meet liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer, and could adversely affect and cause large fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may decrease the values and liquidity of high-yield securities generally.
It is reasonable to expect that any adverse economic conditions could disrupt the market for lower-rated securities, have an adverse impact on the value of such securities and adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon. New laws and proposed new laws may adversely impact the market for lower-rated securities.
MANAGEMENT RISK
Management risk is the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques could fail to achieve a Fund's objective and could cause your investment in a Fund to lose value.
Each Fund is subject to management risk because each Fund is actively managed by Loomis Sayles. Loomis Sayles will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for each Fund, but there can be no guarantee that Loomis Sayles' decisions will produce the desired results. For example, in some cases derivative and other investment techniques may be unavailable or Loomis Sayles may determine not to use them, even under market conditions where their use could have benefited a Fund.
MARKET RISK
This is the risk that the value of a Fund's investments will change as financial markets fluctuate and that prices overall may decline. The value of a company's stock may fall as a result of factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value also may fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but companies in its industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of a company's stock also may be affected by changes in financial market conditions, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a company's stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds or other debt. For this reason, the value of the stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other fixed income securities to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects. Market risk tends to be greater when a Fund invests in fixed-income securities with longer maturities.
MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES RISK
Mortgage-related securities, such as Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") certificates or securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), differ from traditional fixed income securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if a Fund purchases these assets at a premium, a faster-than-expected prepayment rate will reduce yield to maturity, and a slower-than-expected prepayment rate will increase yield to maturity. If a Fund purchases mortgage-related securities at a discount, faster-than-expected prepayments will increase, and slower-than-expected prepayments will reduce, yield to maturity. Prepayments, and resulting amounts available for reinvestment by the Fund, are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on securities purchased at a premium may result in a loss of principal if the premium has not been fully amortized at the time of prepayment. These securities will decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates generally, and they are likely to appreciate less than other fixed-income securities when interest rates decline because of the risk of prepayments.
MORTGAGE DOLLAR ROLLS RISK
A dollar roll involves the sale of a security by a Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price, and may be considered a form of borrowing for some purposes. A Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations under the transactions. A dollar roll involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. A Fund may be required to purchase securities at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since the counterparty in the transaction is required to deliver a similar, but not identical, security to a Fund, the security that a Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. There is no assurance that a Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
REITS RISK
REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely-held securities.
A Fund's investment in a REIT may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received or may result in the Fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. In addition, distributions by a Fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or, generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.
STRUCTURED NOTES
The Funds 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 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.
Investment in structured notes involves certain risks, including the risk that the issuer may be unable or unwilling to satisfy its obligations to pay principal or interest, which are separate from the risk that the note's reference instruments may move in a manner that is disadvantageous to the holder of the note. Structured notes, which are often illiquid, are also subject to market risk, liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. The terms of certain structured notes may provide that a decline in the reference instrument may result in the interest rate or principal amount being reduced to zero. Structured notes may be more volatile than the underlying reference instruments or traditional debt instruments.
TRANSACTIONS WITH OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, each Fund may be permitted to invest its daily cash balances in shares of money market and short-term bond funds advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. (an affiliate of Loomis Sayles) ("IXIS Advisors") or its affiliates ("Central Funds"). The Central Funds currently include the IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, Institutional Daily Income Fund, Cortland Trust, Inc., and Short Term Income Fund, Inc. Each Central Fund is advised by Reich & Tang Asset Management, LLC ("Reich & Tang"), except for IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, which is advised by IXIS Advisors and sub-advised by Reich & Tang. Because Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors and Reich & Tang are each subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"), the Funds and the Central Funds may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Funds may also borrow and lend money for temporary or emergency purposes directly to and from other funds through an interfund credit facility. In addition to the Funds and the Central Funds, series of the following mutual fund groups may also be able to participate in the facility: IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I (except the CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund series), IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Harris Associates Investment Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II. The advisers and sub-advisers to these mutual funds currently include IXIS Advisors, Reich & Tang, Loomis Sayles, AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., Harris Associates L.P. and
Westpeak Global Advisors, L.P. Each of these advisers and sub-advisers are subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America and are thus "affiliated persons" under the 1940 Act by reason of being under common control by IXIS Asset Management North America. In addition, because the Funds, and other funds, are advised by firms that are affiliated with one another, they may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the 1940 Act. The Central Funds and AEW Real Estate Income Fund will participate in the Credit Facility only as lenders. Participation in such an interfund lending program would be voluntary for both borrowing and lending funds, and a Fund would participate in an interfund lending program only if the Board of Trustees determined that doing so would benefit a Fund. Should a Fund participate in such an interfund lending program, the Board of Trustees would establish procedures for the operation of the program by the advisers or an affiliate. The Funds may engage in the transactions described above without further notice to shareholders.
MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), located at One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. Loomis Sayles is a subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America which is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Founded in 1926, Loomis Sayles is one of the country's oldest investment firms with over $74.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2005. Loomis Sayles is well known for its professional research staff, which is one of the largest in the industry. Loomis Sayles is responsible for making investment decisions for each Fund and for providing general business management and administration to each Fund.
The aggregate advisory fee paid by the Fund during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 as a percentage of the Fund's average net assets were:
FUND AGGREGATE ADVISORY FEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 0.55% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 0.52% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 0.00% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
A discussion of the factors considered by the Funds' Board of Trustees in approving the Funds' investment advisory contracts is available in the Funds' annual reports for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following persons have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of each indicated Fund's portfolio since the date stated below. Except where noted, each portfolio manager has been employed by Loomis Sayles for at least five years.
LOOMIS SAYLES BOND FUND Daniel J. Fuss has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund since its inception in May 1991. Mr. Fuss is Vice Chairman, Director and Managing Partner of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1958 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1976. Mr. Fuss holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Marquette University and has over 47 years of investment experience.
Kathleen Gaffney has served as co-portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund since October 1997. Ms. Gaffney, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began her investment career in 1984 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1984. Ms. Gaffney holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. She received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has over 21 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES GLOBAL BOND FUND Kenneth M. Buntrock has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Global Bond fund since September 2000. Mr. Buntrock, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1974
and joined Loomis Sayles in 1997. Mr. Buntrock holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and has over 31 years of investment experience.
David Rolley has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund since September 2000. Mr. Rolley, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1980 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1994. Mr. Rolley holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from Occidental College, a Ph.D. (A.B.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania and has over 25 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND Clifton Rowe has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund since January 2003. Mr. Rowe, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1992 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1992. Prior to becoming a Portfolio Manager, he served as a Trader from 1999 until 2001. Mr. Rowe holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.B.A. from James Madison University, an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and has over 13 years of investment experience.
John Hyll has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund since January 2003. Mr. Hyll, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1983 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1987. Mr. Hyll received a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Baldwin-Wallace College and has over 22 years of investment experience.
Please see the SAI for information on Portfolio Manager compensation, other accounts under management by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of securities in the Funds.
DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER FEES
For the Retail and Admin Classes of the Funds, the Funds offering those classes have adopted distribution plans under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act that allow the Funds to pay fees for the sale and distribution of Retail and Admin Class shares and for services provided to shareholders. This 12b-1 fee currently is 0.25% of a Fund's average daily net assets attributable to the shares of a particular Class. Because these fees are paid out of the Funds' assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Admin Class shares of Loomis Sayles Bond Fund are offered exclusively through intermediaries, who will be the record owners of the shares. Admin Class shares may pay an administrative fee at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Admin Class shares to securities dealers or financial intermediaries for providing personal service and account maintenance for their customers who hold these shares.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, may pay certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries whose customers are existing shareholders of the Funds a continuing fee at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the value of Fund shares held for those customers' accounts, although this continuing fee is paid by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, out of its own assets and is not assessed against the Fund.
GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED
"Net asset value" is the price of one share of a Fund without a sales charge and is calculated each business day using this formula:
TOTAL MARKET VALUE OF SECURITIES + CASH AND OTHER ASSETS - LIABILITIES NET ASSET VALUE = ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING SHARES |
The net asset value of Fund shares is determined according to this schedule:
. A share's net asset value is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on the days the Exchange is open for trading. This is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Generally, a Fund's shares will not be priced on the days on which the Exchange is closed for trading. However, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, a Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles, in its discretion, determines that there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares. This may occur, for example, if the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets are open for trading. In addition, a Fund's shares will not be priced on the holidays listed in the SAI. See the section "Net Asset Value" in the SAI for more details.
. The price you pay for purchasing, redeeming or exchanging a share will be based upon the net asset value next calculated by the Fund's custodian (minus applicable redemption or other charges as described earlier in this Prospectus) after your order is received "in good order."
. Requests received by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("Distributor") after the Exchange closes will be processed based upon the net asset value determined at the close of regular trading on the next day that the Exchange is open, with the exception that those orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and received by the Distributor from the investment dealer before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time* on the same day will be based on the net asset value determined on that day.
. A Fund significantly invested in foreign securities may have net asset value changes on days when you cannot buy or sell its shares.
* Under limited circumstances, the Distributor may enter into contractual agreements pursuant to which orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and transmitted to the Distributor prior to 9:30 a.m. on the next business day are processed at the net asset value determined on the day the order was received by your investment dealer.
Generally, during times of substantial economic or market change, it may be difficult to place your order by phone. During these times, you may deliver your order in person to the Distributor or send your order by mail as described in the sections "How to Purchase Shares" and "How to Redeem Shares."
Generally, Fund securities are valued as follows:
. EQUITY SECURITIES -- market price or as provided by a pricing service if market price is unavailable.
. DEBT SECURITIES (OTHER THAN SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS) -- based upon pricing service valuations, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using market information, transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities which are generally recognized by institutional traders.
. SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS (REMAINING MATURITY OF LESS THAN 60 DAYS) -- amortized cost (which approximates market value).
. SECURITIES TRADED ON FOREIGN EXCHANGES -- market price on the non-U.S. exchange, unless the Fund believes that an occurrence after the close of the exchange will materially affect the security's value. In that case, the security may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing securities, the Funds may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time a Fund's net asset value is calculated.
. OPTIONS -- last sale price, or if not available, last offering price.
. FUTURES -- unrealized gain or loss on the contract using current settlement price. When a settlement price is not used, futures contracts will be valued at their fair value as determined by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
. ALL OTHER SECURITIES -- fair market value as determined by the adviser of the Fund pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale of the security in the ordinary course of business). A Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
ACCESSING YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS WEBSITE You can access our website at www.loomissayles.com to perform transactions (purchases, redemptions or exchanges), to review your account information, change your address, order duplicate statements or tax forms, or to obtain a prospectus, an application or periodic reports.
LOOMIS SAYLES AUTOMATED VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM You have access to your account 24 hours a day by calling Loomis Sayles' automated voice response system at 1-800-633-3330, option 1. Using this customer service option you may review your account balance and Fund prices, order duplicate statements, order duplicate tax forms and obtain wiring instructions.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
You can buy shares of each Fund in several ways:
. THROUGH A FINANCIAL ADVISER Your financial adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Loomis Sayles Funds. Your financial adviser may charge you for his or her services. Your adviser must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV.
. THROUGH A BROKER-DEALER You may purchase shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer that has been approved by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., which can be contacted at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (1-800-633-3330). Your broker-dealer may charge you a fee for effecting such transactions. Your broker-dealer must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV.
. DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND Loomis Sayles Funds must receive your purchase request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for you to receive that day's NAV.
. BY MAIL You can buy shares of each Fund by submitting a completed application form, which is available online at www.loomissayles.com or by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 for the desired Fund or Funds, along with a check payable to Loomis Sayles Funds for the amount of your purchase to:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
After your account has been established, you may send subsequent investments directly to Loomis Sayles Funds at the above addresses. Please include either the
investment slip from your account statement or a letter specifying the Fund name, your account number and your name, address, and telephone number.
. BY WIRE You also may wire subsequent investments by using the following wire instructions. Your bank may charge a fee for transmitting funds by wire.
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Lafayette Corporate Center
2 Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, MA 02111
ABA No. 011000028
DDA 9904-622-9
(Your account number)
(Your name)
(Name of Fund)
. BY TELEPHONE If you established the electronic transfer privilege on your new account, you can make subsequent investments by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. If you did not establish the electronic transfer privilege on your application, you may add the privilege by obtaining an Account Options Form through your financial adviser, by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or visiting www.loomissayles.com.
. BY EXCHANGE You may purchase shares of a Fund by exchange of shares of another Fund by sending a signed letter of instruction to Loomis Sayles Funds, calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or accessing your account online at www.loomissayles.com.
. BY INTERNET If you have established a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and you have established the electronic transfer privilege, you can make subsequent investments through your online account at www.loomissayles.com. If you have not established a PIN but you have established the electronic transfer privilege, from www.loomissayles.com click on "Account Access" then click on the appropriate user type and follow the instructions.
. THROUGH SYSTEMATIC INVESTING You can make regular investments of $50 or more per month through automatic deductions from your bank checking or savings account. If you did not establish the electronic transfer privilege on your application, you may add the privilege by obtaining an Account Options Form through your financial adviser, by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or visiting www.loomissayles.com.
Each Fund sells its shares at the NAV next calculated after the Fund receives a properly completed investment order. The Fund generally must receive your properly completed order before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for your shares to be bought or sold at the Fund's NAV on that day. Purchases made through ACH prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange will receive the NAV calculated on the following business day.
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase Institutional Class shares of a Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if Loomis Sayles deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by a Fund in such a transaction will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Funds reserve the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
All purchases made by check should be in U.S. dollars and made payable to Loomis Sayles Funds. The Funds will not accept checks made payable to anyone other than Loomis Sayles Funds (including third party checks) or starter checks. In addition, the Funds will not accept checks drawn on credit card accounts. When you make an investment by check or by periodic account investment, you will not be permitted to redeem that investment until the shares have been in your account for 15 days.
A Fund may periodically close to new purchases of shares or refuse any order to buy shares if the Fund determines that doing so would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. See "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares" below. Except to the extent otherwise permitted by the Distributor, the Funds will only accept accounts from U.S. citizens with a U.S. address or resident aliens with a U.S. address and a U.S. taxpayer identification number.
Each Fund is required by federal regulations to obtain personal information from you and to use that information to verify your identity. A Fund may not be able to open your account if the requested information is not provided. EACH FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT, CLOSE AN ACCOUNT AND REDEEM YOUR SHARES AT THE THEN CURRENT PRICE OR TAKE OTHER SUCH STEPS THAT THE FUND DEEMS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS IF YOUR IDENTITY IS NOT VERIFIED.
The following table shows the investment minimum for each class of shares of each Fund.
FUND MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Bond Fund Institutional - $100,000 Retail - $2,500 Admin - No Minimum ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund Institutional - $100,000 Retail - $2,500 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund Institutional -$100,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Each Fund's shares (except Admin Class shares) may be purchased by all types of tax-deferred retirement plans. If you wish to open an individual retirement account (IRA) with a Fund, Loomis Sayles Funds has retirement plan forms available online at www.loomissayles.com, or call Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. Admin
Class shares are intended primarily for qualified retirement plans held in an omnibus fashion and are not appropriate for individual investors.
Each subsequent investment must be at least $50. Loomis Sayles Funds reserves the right to waive these minimums in its sole discretion, including for certain retirement plans whose accounts are held on the books of the Funds' transfer agent in an omnibus fashion. At the discretion of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., employees and clients of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., and their respective family members, may purchase shares of the funds offered through this prospectus below the stated minimums.
In our continuing effort to reduce your Fund's expenses and amount of mail that you receive from Loomis Sayles Funds, we will mail only a single copy of prospectuses, proxy statement and financial reports to your household. Additional copies may be obtained by calling 1-800-633-3330.
This program will continue in effect unless you notify us that you do not want to participate in this combined mailing program. If you wish to receive separate mailings for each Fund you own in the future, please call us at the telephone number above or mail your written request to Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 and we will resume separate mailings within 30 days.
SMALL ACCOUNT POLICy In order to address the relatively higher costs of servicing smaller fund positions, each Fund may assess, on an annual basis, a minimum balance fee of $20 on accounts that fall below $500. The minimum balance fee is assessed by the automatic redemption of shares in the account in an amount sufficient to pay the fee. The minimum balance fee does not apply to directly registered accounts that (i) make monthly purchases through systematic investing or (ii) are retirement accounts. Accounts held through intermediaries, regardless of account type, will be included in the fee debit. If your Fund account falls below $50, regardless of account type, the Fund may redeem your remaining shares and send the proceeds to you.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
You can redeem shares of each Fund any day the Exchange is open either through your financial advisor or directly from the Fund. If you are redeeming shares that you purchased within the past 15 days by check, telephone ACH or online ACH, your redemption will be delayed until the shares have been in your account for 15 days.
Because large redemptions are likely to require liquidation by the Fund of portfolio holdings, payment for large redemptions may be delayed for up to seven days to provide for orderly liquidation of such holdings. Under unusual circumstances, the Funds may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days. Although most redemptions are made in cash, as described in the SAI, each Fund reserves the right to redeem shares in kind.
A 2% redemption fee may apply to redemptions of shares on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition. See the section "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares."
REDEMPTIONS THROUGH YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISER Your adviser must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV. Your adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Loomis Sayles Funds on a timely basis and may charge you for his or her services.
REDEMPTIONS THROUGH YOUR BROKER-DEALER You may redeem shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer that has been approved by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., which can be contacted at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (1-800-633-3300). Your broker-dealer may charge you a fee for effecting such transaction. Your broker-dealer must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV. Your redemptions generally will be wired to your broker-dealer on the first business day after your request is received in good order.
REDEMPTIONS DIRECTLY FROM THE FUNDS Loomis Sayles Funds must receive your redemption request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for you to receive that day's NAV. Your redemptions generally will be sent to you via first class mail on the business day after your request is received in good order.
You may make redemptions directly from each Fund in several ways:
. BY MAIL Send a signed letter of instruction that includes the name of the Fund, the exact name(s) in which the shares are registered, any special capacity in which you are signing (such as trustee or custodian or on behalf of a partnership, corporation, or other entity), your address, telephone number, account number and the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed to the following address:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
If you have certificates for the shares you want to sell, you must include them along with completed stock power forms.
All owners of shares must sign the written request in the exact names in which the shares are registered. The owners should indicate any special capacity in which they are signing (such as trustee or custodian or on behalf of a partnership, corporation or other entity).
. BY EXCHANGE You may sell some or all of your shares of a Fund and use the proceeds to buy shares of another Loomis Sayles Fund by sending a letter of
instruction to Loomis Sayles Funds, calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or exchange online at www.loomissayles.com.
. BY INTERNET If you have established a Personal Identification Number (PIN), and you have established the electronic transfer privilege, you can redeem shares through your online account at www.loomissayles.com. If you have not established a PIN, but you have established the electronic transfer privilege, click on "Account Access" at www.loomissayles.com, click on the appropriate user type and then follow the instructions.
. BY TELEPHONE You may redeem shares by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. Proceeds from telephone redemption requests can be wired to your bank account, sent electronically by ACH to your bank account or sent by check in the name of the registered owner(s) to the record address. A wire fee will be deducted from the proceeds. Your bank may charge you a fee to receive the wire.
Retirement shares may not be redeemed by telephone. Please call Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 for an IRA Distribution Form, or download the form online at www.loomissayles.com.
The telephone redemption privilege may be modified or terminated by the Funds without notice. Certain of the telephone redemption procedures may be waived for holders of Institutional Class shares.
The maximum value of shares that you may redeem by telephone or internet is $50,000. For your protection, telephone or internet redemption requests will not be permitted if Loomis Sayles Funds has been notified of an address change for your account within the preceding 30 days. Unless you indicate otherwise on your account application, Loomis Sayles Funds will be authorized to accept redemption and transfer instructions by telephone. If you prefer, you can decline telephone redemption and transfer privileges.
. SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN If the value of your account is $25,000 or more, you can have periodic redemptions automatically paid to you or to someone you designate. Please call 1-800-633-3330 for more information or to set up a systematic withdrawal plan or visit www.loomissayles.com to obtain an Account Options Form.
Before Loomis Sayles Funds can wire redemption proceeds to your bank account, you must provide specific wire instructions to Loomis Sayles Funds in writing. A wire fee will be deducted from the proceeds of each wire.
For ACH redemptions, proceeds (less any applicable redemption fee) will generally arrive at your bank within three business days.
MEDALLION SIGNATURE GUARANTEE You must have your signature guaranteed by a bank, broker-dealer, or other financial institution that can issue a medallion signature guarantee for the following types of redemptions:
. If you are redeeming shares worth more than $50,000.
. If you are requesting that the proceeds check be made out to someone other
than the registered owner(s) or sent to an address other than the record
address.
. If the account registration has changed within the past 30 days.
. If you are instructing us to wire the proceeds to a bank account not
designated on the application.
The Funds will only accept medallion signature guarantees bearing the STAMP2000 Medallion imprint. Please note that a notary public cannot provide a medallion signature guarantee. This guaranteed signature requirement may be waived by Loomis Sayles Funds in certain cases.
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
You may exchange Retail Class shares of your Fund offered through this prospectus, subject to investment minimums, for Retail Class shares of any Loomis Sayles Fund that offers Retail Class shares without paying a sales charge, if any, or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, a money market fund that is advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of Loomis Sayles. You may exchange Admin Class shares of your Fund offered through this prospectus, subject to investment minimums, for Admin Class shares of any Loomis Sayles Fund that offers Admin Class shares without paying a sales charge or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust. You may exchange Institutional shares of your Fund, subject to investment minimums, for Institutional Class shares of any Fund that offers Institutional Class shares, for Class Y shares of any Fund that offers Class Y shares or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust. All exchanges are subject to any restrictions described in the applicable Funds' prospectuses.
The value of Fund shares that you wish to exchange must meet the investment minimum of the new fund. Please call 1-800-633-3330 (option 3) prior to requesting this transaction.
You may make an exchange by sending a signed letter of instruction or by telephone or through your online account at www.loomissayles.com, unless you have elected on your account application to decline telephone exchange privileges.
Please remember that an exchange may be a taxable event for federal and/or state income tax purposes, so that you may realize a gain or loss that is subject to income tax.
A 2% redemption fee may apply to exchanges of shares on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition. See the section "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares."
CONVERSION RIGHTS
In certain limited circumstances, you may convert Retail Class shares of your Fund to Institutional Class shares of the same Fund or convert Institutional Class shares of your Fund to Retail Class shares of the same Fund. The value of shares that you wish to convert must meet the investment minimum of the new Class. The conversion from one class of shares to another will be based on the respective net asset values of the separate classes on the trade date for the conversion. You will not be charged any redemption fee or exchange fee as a result of the exchange. A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event to the shareholder.
You may convert Retail Class shares of your Fund to Institutional Class shares of the same Fund if you have accumulated shares with a net asset value greater than or equal to the minimum investment amount for Institutional Class shares of that same Fund. You may convert from Institutional Class shares to Retail Class shares only if the investment option or program through which you invest no longer permits the use of Institutional Class shares in that option or program or if you otherwise are no longer able to participate in Institutional Class shares. A conversion into a class of shares is subject to the purchase restrictions of such Class as described in the Fund's prospectus (see "How to Purchase Shares").
In order to convert shares, you must complete the Cross Share Exchange Form and return it to Loomis Sayles Funds at the following address:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
You can obtain the form by calling 1-800-633-3330 or by visiting the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com. All requests for conversions (including requests for accounts traded through the National Securities Clearing Corporation) must be provided on the Cross Share Exchange Form.
RESTRICTIONS ON BUYING, SELLING AND EXCHANGING SHARES
Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders may present certain risks for other shareholders in a Fund. This includes the risk of diluting the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, interfering with the efficient management of a Fund's portfolio, and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. Funds investing in securities that require special valuation processes (such as foreign securities, high yield securities, or small cap securities) may also have increased exposure to these risks. Each Fund discourages excessive, short-term trading that may be detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders. The Funds' Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
The Funds reserve the right to suspend or change the terms of purchasing or exchanging shares. Each Fund and the Distributor reserve the right to refuse or limit any purchase or exchange order for any reason, including if the transaction is deemed not to be in the best interests of the Fund's other shareholders or possibly disruptive to the management of the Fund.
LIMITS ON FREQUENT TRADING. Without limiting the right of each Fund and the Distributor to refuse any purchase or exchange order, each Fund and the Distributor may (but are not obligated to) restrict purchases and exchanges for the accounts of "market timers." With respect to exchanges, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than two exchange purchases of any Fund are made for the account over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund; or (ii) the account makes one or more exchange purchases of any Fund over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. With respect to new purchases of a Fund, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than twice over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund, there is a purchase in a Fund followed by a subsequent redemption; or (ii) there are two purchases into a Fund by an account, each followed by a subsequent redemption over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. The preceding are not exclusive lists of activities that the Funds and the Distributor may consider to be "market timing."
TRADE ACTIVITY MONITORING. Trading activity is monitored selectively on a daily basis in an effort to detect excessive short-term trading activities. If a Fund or the Distributor believes that a shareholder or financial intermediary has engaged in market timing or other excessive, short-term trading activity, it may, in its discretion, request that the shareholder or financial intermediary stop such activities or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the accounts. In its discretion, each Fund or the Distributor may restrict or prohibit transactions by such identified shareholders or intermediaries. In making such judgments, the Funds and the Distributor seek to act in a manner that they believe is consistent with the best interests of all shareholders. The Funds and the Distributor also reserve the right to notify financial intermediaries of your trading activity. Because the Funds and the Distributor will not always be able to detect market timing activity, investors should not assume the Funds will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Funds. For example, the ability of the Funds and the Distributor to monitor trades that are placed by omnibus or other nominee accounts is severely limited in those instances in which the broker, retirement plan administrator or fee-based program sponsor maintains the record of a Fund's underlying beneficial owners.
The Funds also seek to prevent excessive and disruptive trading practices through the assessment of redemption fees on shares redeemed or exchanged within a given time period. See the section "Redemption Fees" for more information.
REDEMPTION FEES Shareholders will be charged a 2% redemption fee if they redeem, including redeeming by exchange, any class shares of the Funds on or
before the two month anniversary of their acquisition (including acquisition by exchange). For example, if the shares were purchased on January 10th, the first day the shares could be redeemed or exchanged without a redemption fee is March 11th (or, if the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed for trading that day, the next business day). The redemption fee is intended to offset the costs to the Funds of short-term trading, such as portfolio transaction and market impact costs associated with redemption activity and administrative costs associated with processing redemptions. The redemption fee is deducted from the shareholder's redemption or exchange proceeds and is paid to the Fund, although there may be a delay between the time the fee is deducted from such proceeds and when it is paid to the Fund. Please see the SAI for more details.
The "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method is used to determine the holding period of redeemed or exchange shares, which means that if you acquired shares on different days, the shares acquired first will be redeemed or exchanged first for purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies. A new holding period begins with each purchase or exchange.
The Funds currently do not impose a redemption fee on a redemption of:
. shares acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions of a Fund; or
. shares held in an account of certain retirement plans or profit sharing
plans or purchased through certain intermediaries; or
. shares redeemed as part of a systematic withdrawal plan.
The Funds may modify or eliminate these waivers at any time. In addition, the Funds may modify the way the redemption fee is applied, including the amount of the redemption fee and/or the length of time shares must be held before the redemption fee is no longer applied, for certain categories of investors or for shareholders investing through financial intermediaries which apply the redemption fee in a manner different from that described above.
The ability of a Fund to assess a redemption fee on transactions by underlying shareholders of omnibus and other accounts maintained by brokers, retirement plan accounts and fee-based program accounts may be limited.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
It is the policy of each Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all of its net investment income. Each Fund also distributes all of its net capital gains realized from the sale of portfolio securities. Any capital gain distributions normally are made annually, but may be made more frequently as deemed advisable by the Trustees and as permitted by applicable law. The Trustees may change the frequency with which each Fund declares or pays dividends.
The table below provides further information about each Fund's dividend policy.
FUND DIVIDEND POLICY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Bond Fund Generally, declares and pays dividends Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund quarterly ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund Generally, declares and pays dividends annually ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
You may choose to:
. Reinvest all distributions in additional shares.
. Have checks sent to the address of record for the amount of distribution or
have the distribution transferred through Automated Clearing House ("ACH")
to a bank of your choice.
If you do not select an option when you open your account, all distributions will be reinvested.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
Except where noted, the discussion below addresses only the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in a Fund and does not address any foreign, state, or local tax consequences.
Each Fund intends to meet all requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") necessary to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" and thus do not expect to pay any federal income tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders.
NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS
TAXATION OF FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable to a shareholder receiving such distributions as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. For the taxable years beginning on or before December 31,2008, distributions of investment, income designated by a Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" are taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. The Funds do not expect a significant portion of their distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.
Distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. If you invest right before a Fund pays a dividend, you will be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. If a dividend or distribution is made shortly after you purchase shares of a Fund, while in effect a return of capital to you, the dividend or distribution is taxable. You can avoid this, if you choose, by investing after the Fund has paid a dividend. Investors in tax-advantaged retirement accounts do not need to be concerned about this.
Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced to, in general, 15%, with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets. For more information, see the SAI, under "Distribution and Taxes."
SALE OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES
Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of your shares will generally be subject to tax. Shareholder transactions in a Fund's shares resulting in gains from selling shares held for more than one year generally are taxed at capital gain rates, while those resulting from sales or shares held for one year or less generally are taxed at ordinary income rates.
TAXATION OF CERTAIN INVESTMENTS
A Fund's investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the Fund's yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes. In addition, a Fund's investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund's distributions.
A Fund's investments in certain debt obligations may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including times when it may not be advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its mandatory distribution requirements.
A Fund may at times buy investments at a discount from the price at which they were originally issued, especially during periods of rising interest rates. For federal income tax purposes, some or all of this market discount will be included in such Fund's ordinary income and will be taxable to shareholders as such when it is distributed.
Income distributions from REITs generally are not entitled to be treated as qualified dividend income. For other implications of the Fund's investments in REITs, see the SAI under "Distributions and Taxes."
In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to a shareholder
that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a
"foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a
rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). However, effective for taxable
years of the Funds beginning before January 1, 2008, a Fund generally will not
be required to withhold any amounts with respect to distributions of
(i) U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal
income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, and (ii) net
short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, in each
case to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The
Funds do not intend to make such designations.
Recent legislation modifies the tax treatment of distributions from a Fund that are paid to a foreign person and are attributable to gain from "U.S. real property interests" ("USRPIs"), which the Code defines to include direct holdings of U.S. real property and interests (other than solely as a creditor) in "U.S. real property holding corporations," such as REITs. Effective in respect of dividends paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007, distributions to foreign persons attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs will give rise to an obligation for those foreign persons to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax, and may well be subject to withholding under future regulations.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. Each Funds is required in certain circumstances to apply backup withholding on taxable dividends, redemption proceeds and certain other payments that are paid to any shareholder (including a shareholder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the U.S.) who does not furnish the Fund certain information and certifications or who is otherwise subject to backup withholding. The backup withholding rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010 and will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States.
You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables below are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five years (or since-inception, if shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns represent the rate that you would have earned or lost on an investment in each Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions.
This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with each Fund's financial statements, is included in the Funds' annual reports to shareholders. The annual reports are incorporated by reference into the SAI, both of which are available free of charge upon request from the Distributor.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ----------------------------------- ---------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain (loss) on investment net investment realized of the period income investments operations income capital gains ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOND FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $13.46 $0.67(c) $ 0.57 $ 1.24 $(0.89) $-- 9/30/2004 12.66 0.72(c) 0.82 1.54 (0.74) -- 9/30/2003 10.33 0.78(c) 2.34 3.12 (0.79) -- 9/30/2002+ 10.39 0.82(c) (0.06) 0.76 (0.82) -- 9/30/2001 11.53 0.94(c) (0.91) 0.03 (1.17) -- RETAIL CLASS 9/30/2005 $13.44 $0.64(c) $ 0.57 $ 1.21 $(0.87) $-- 9/30/2004 12.65 0.69(c) 0.82 1.51 (0.72) -- 9/30/2003 10.33 0.75(c) 2.34 3.09 (0.77) -- 9/30/2002+ 10.39 0.79(c) (0.05) 0.74 (0.80) -- 9/30/2001 11.52 0.91(c) (0.91) 0.00 (1.13) -- ADMIN CLASS 9/30/2005 $13.42 $0.60(c) $ 0.56 $ 1.16 $(0.83) $-- 9/30/2004 12.64 0.65(c) 0.82 1.47 (0.69) -- 9/30/2003 10.32 0.72(c) 2.34 3.06 (0.74) -- 9/30/2002+ 10.38 0.76(c) (0.05) 0.71 (0.77) -- 9/30/2001 11.52 0.88(c) (0.92) (0.04) (1.10) -- |
(a) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (b) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expenses during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of operating expenses would have been higher. (c) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. (d) Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share. + As required October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities and reclassifying paydown gains and losses to interest income for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of this change per share to the Institutional, Retail and Admin Classes per share net investment income and net realized and unrealized gain (loss) was less than $0.01. The ratio of net investment income to average net assets for the Institutional, Retail and Admin Classes decreased from 7.77% to 7.76%, 7.53% to 7.51%, 7.24% to 7.22%, respectively, on an annualized basis. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation.
Ratios to Average Net Assets ------------------------------ Net asset Net assets, Net value, end of investment Portfolio Total Redemption end of Total the period Net Gross income turnover distributions fees the period Return(a) (000) expenses(b) expenses (loss) rate --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.89) $0.00(d) $13.81 9.5% $3,303,997 0.75% 0.79% 4.91% 22% (0.74) 0.00(d) 13.46 12.5 2,365,199 0.75 0.79 5.48 42 (0.79) -- 12.66 30.9 1,730,165 0.75 0.78 6.64 35 (0.82) -- 10.33 7.5 1,172,286 0.75 0.79 7.76 22 (1.17) -- 10.39 0.3 1,383,951 0.75 0.78 8.52 20 $(0.87) $0.00(d) $13.78 9.2% $ 707,394 1.00% 1.05% 4.64% 22% (0.72) 0.00(d) 13.44 12.2 275,349 1.00 1.04 5.24 42 (0.77) -- 12.65 30.6 143,932 1.00 1.07 6.35 35 (0.80) -- 10.33 7.3 61,845 1.00 1.14 7.51 22 (1.13) -- 10.39 0.1 77,035 1.00 1.13 8.28 20 $(0.83) $0.00(d) $13.75 8.9% $ 64,263 1.25% 1.31% 4.39% 22% (0.69) 0.00(d) 13.42 11.9 27,299 1.25 1.29 4.99 42 (0.74) -- 12.64 30.4 12,061 1.25 1.40 6.13 35 (0.77) -- 10.32 7.0 6,383 1.25 1.68 7.22 22 (1.10) -- 10.38 (0.3) 5,498 1.25 1.71 8.02 20 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ------------------------------------ --------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain (loss) on investment net investment realized of the period income/(a)/ investments operations income capital gains ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GLOBAL BOND FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $15.59 $0.44 $0.05 $0.49 $(0.46) $(0.05) 9/30/2004 14.93 0.48 0.78 1.26 (0.60) -- 9/30/2003 12.68 0.62 2.25 2.87 (0.62) -- 9/30/2002+ 11.08 0.68 0.92 1.60 -- -- 9/30/2001 10.93 0.72 0.07 0.79 (0.60) (0.04) RETAIL CLASS 9/30/2005 15.46 0.40 0.05 0.45 (0.43) (0.05) 9/30/2004 14.83 0.43 0.79 1.22 (0.59) -- 9/30/2003 12.62 0.58 2.24 2.82 (0.61) -- 9/30/2002+ 11.06 0.65 0.91 1.56 -- -- 9/30/2001 10.91 0.69 0.07 0.76 (0.57) (0.04) |
(a) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. (b) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (c) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expense during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of expenses would have been higher. (d) Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share. + As required effective October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities and reclassifying paydown gains and losses to interest income for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of this change to the Institutional and Retail Classes was a decrease to net investment income by $0.01 and $0.01 per share, respectively, and increase to net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments by $0.01 and $0.01 per share, respectively and a decrease to the ratio of net investment income to average net assets from 5.89% to 5.78% and 5.63% to 5.53%, respectively, on an annualized basis. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation.
Ratios to Average Net Assets -------------------------------- Net asset Net assets, Net value, end of investment Portfolio Total Redemption end of Total the period Net Gross income turnover distributions fees the period return/(b)/ (000) expenses/(c)/ expenses (loss) rate ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.51) $0.00(d) $15.57 3.1 $553,704 0.75 0.80 2.75 63 (0.60) 0.00(d) 15.59 8.6 287,830 0.80 0.85 3.15 61 (0.62) -- 14.93 23.4 83,325 0.90 0.94 4.50 107 -- -- 12.68 14.4 44,810 0.90 1.07 5.78 65 (0.64) -- 11.08 7.7 37,681 0.90 1.09 6.65 58 (0.48) 0.00(d) 15.43 2.8 699,498 1.00 1.09 2.57 63 (0.59) 0.00(d) 15.46 8.4 413,652 1.04 1.10 2.88 61 (0.61) -- 14.83 23.1 55,487 1.15 1.21 4.13 107 -- -- 12.62 14.1 12,103 1.15 1.47 5.53 65 (0.61) -- 11.06 7.4 10,375 1.15 1.47 6.42 58 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ------------------------------------ --------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain (loss) investment net investment realized of the period income on investments operations income capital gains ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $11.02 $0.42(c) $(0.08) $0.34 $(0.52) $ -- 9/30/2004 11.60 0.37(c) (0.12) 0.25 (0.54) (0.29) 9/30/2003 11.94 0.43(c) 0.05 0.48 (0.53) (0.29) 9/30/2002+ 11.19 0.51(c) 0.83 1.34 (0.59) -- 9/30/2001 10.62 0.62(c) 0.70 1.32 (0.75) -- |
(a) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (b) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expense during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of expenses would have been higher. (c) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. + As required effective October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities and reclassifying paydown gains and losses to interest income for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of of this change to the Fund was a decrease to net investment income by $0.06 per share and an increase to net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment by $0.06 per share. The ratio of net investment income to average net assets for the Fund decreased from 5.12% to 4.58% on an annualized basis. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation. (e) Effective July 1, 2005, the Inflation Protected Securities Fund decreased its net expense limitations to 0.40% from 0.50%.
Ratios to average net assets ----------------------------------- Net asset Net assets, value, end of end of the Portfolio Total Redemption the Total period Net Gross Net investment turnover distributions fees period return/(a)/ (000) expenses/(b)/ expenses income (loss) rate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.52) $-- $10.84 3.1% $ 9,298 0.49%(e) 1.54% 3.81% 141% (0.83) -- 11.02 2.3 7,390 0.50 1.73 3.33 99 (0.82) -- 11.60 4.3 9,549 0.50 1.28 3.68 60 (0.59) -- 11.94 12.4 13,492 0.50 1.16 4.58 101 (0.75) -- 11.19 12.9 15,018 0.50 1.25 5.63 124 |
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FREE UPON REQUEST:
ANNUAL AND SEMIANNUAL REPORTS - Provide additional information about the Funds' investments. Each report includes a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) - Provides more detailed information about the Funds and their investment limitations and policies. Each SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference.
To order a free copy of the Funds' annual or semiannual report or their SAIs, to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries generally, contact your financial adviser or contact Loomis Sayles at 1-800-633-3330. The Funds' annual and semiannual reports and SAI are available on the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com.
Information about the Funds, including their reports and SAIs, can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. You may call the SEC at 1-202-942-8090 for information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You also may access reports and other information about the Funds on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may also be obtained, after payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS A description of each Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in the SAI.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("IXIS Distributors"), an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and other firms selling shares of Loomis Sayles Funds are members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"). As a service to investors, the NASD has asked that we inform you of the availability of a brochure on its Public Disclosure Program. The program provides access to information about securities firms and their representatives. Investors may obtain a copy by contacting the NASD at 1-800-289-9999 or by visiting its Web site at www.NASD.com.
IXIS Distributors distributes the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds. If you have a complaint concerning IXIS Distributors or any of its representatives or associated persons, please direct it to IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., Attn: Director of Compliance, 399 Boylston Street - 6/th/ Floor, Boston, MA 02116 or call us at 1-800-225-5478.
Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 Kansas City, MO 61421-9594 1-800-633-3330 www.loomissayles.com Loomis Sayles Funds I M-LSFI-0206 File No. 811-08282 [LOGO] Loomis Sayles |
[GRAPHIC] [GRAPHIC] |
LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND
[LOGO] Loomis Sayles Funds
PROSPECTUS . FEBRUARY 1, 2006
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., which has been an investment adviser since 1926, is the investment adviser of the Funds.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED ANY FUND'S SHARES OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIME.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 1 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 4 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 8 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 12 Loomis Sayles Value Fund 16 FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS 19 SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS 22 MANAGEMENT 29 Investment Adviser 29 Portfolio Managers 29 Distribution Plans and Administrative and Other Fees 31 GENERAL INFORMATION 32 How Fund Shares Are Priced 32 Accessing Your Account Information 34 How to Purchase Shares 34 How to Redeem Shares 37 How to Exchange Shares 40 Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares 41 Dividends and Distributions 43 Tax Consequences 44 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 47 |
You can lose money by investing in a Fund. A Fund may not achieve its objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital growth from investments in common stocks or similar securities. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund invests primarily in common stocks or other equity securities (which may include securities offered in the secondary markets or in initial public offerings) of companies with market capitalizations that fall within the capitalization range of companies included in the Russell Midcap Growth Index, although the Fund may invest in companies of any size.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles seeks to identify companies that it believes have distinctive products, technologies, or services, dynamic earnings growth, prospects for high levels of profitability, and solid management. Loomis Sayles typically does not consider current income when making buy/sell decisions.
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities of Canadian issuers and up to 20% of its assets in other foreign securities. The Fund may engage in foreign currency hedging transactions, options and futures transactions, and securities lending. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and Rule 144A securities. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of securities. Frequent trading may produce high transaction costs and a high level of taxable capital gains, which may lower the Fund's return. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as a result of changes in exchange rates.
.
derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. equity securities risk - the risk that the value of a stock may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
For additional information see the section "Summary of Principal Risks."
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each calendar year since its first full year of operations. The returns for Retail Class shares differ from the Institutional Class returns shown in the bar chart to the extent their respective expenses differ.
[CHART]
TOTAL RETURN
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 22.65% 11.54% 197.78% -5.59% -49.36% -36.52% 40.09% 19.35% 15.41% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 83.44% (Fourth quarter 1999), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 38.63% (First quarter 2001).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Russell Midcap Growth Index, a market capitalization weighted index of medium capitalization stocks determined by Russell to be growth stocks as measured by their price-to-book ratios and forecasted growth values. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class-by-class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Russell Midcap Growth Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years (12/31/96) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes 15.41% -9.11% 10.14% Return After Taxes on Distributions1 15.41% -9.17% 9.39% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares1 10.01% -7.53% 8.52% RETAIL CLASS - Return Before Taxes 15.16% -9.34% 9.84% RUSSELL MIDCAP GROWTH INDEX2 12.10% 1.38% 8.39% |
1 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns are shown for the Institutional Class of the Fund. After-tax returns for other classes of the Fund will vary. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
2 The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital growth from investments in common stocks or other equity securities. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations that fall within the capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Index, an index that tracks stocks of 2,000 of the smallest U.S. companies. In accordance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in companies of any size, including large capitalization companies.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles seeks to identify companies that it believes have distinctive products, technologies, or services, dynamic earnings growth, prospects for high levels of profitability, and solid management. Loomis Sayles typically does not consider current income when making buy/sell decisions.
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities of Canadian issuers and up to 20% of its assets in other foreign securities, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may engage in foreign currency hedging transactions, options and futures transactions, and securities lending. The Fund also may invest in Rule 144A securities. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of securities. Frequent trading may produce high transaction costs and a high level of taxable capital gains, which may lower the Fund's return. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of correlation with the underlying investment.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to experience political and economic instability.
. equity securities risk - the risk that the value of a stock may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. small capitalization companies risk - the risk that the Fund's investments
may be subject to more abrupt price movements, limited markets and less
liquidity than investments in larger, more established companies, which
could adversely affect the value of the portfolio.
For additional information see the section "Summary of Principal Risks."
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compared to those of two broad measures of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each calendar year since its first full year of operations. The returns for Retail Class shares differ from the Institutional Class returns shown in the bar chart to the extent their respective expenses differ.
[CHART]
TOTAL RETURN
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 54.00% (Fourth quarter 1999), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 40.31% (Third quarter 2001).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for the Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Russell 2000 Index and the Russell 2000 Growth Index. The Russell 2000 Index consists of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. The Russell 2000 Growth Index consists of those Russell 2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class-by-class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Russell 2000 Index and the Russell 2000 Growth Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years (12/31/96) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes 10.69% -10.82% 2.56% Return After Taxes on Distributions1 10.69% -10.91% 2.18% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares1 6.95% -8.88% 2.04% RETAIL CLASS - Return Before Taxes 10.40% -11.04% 2.31% RUSSELL 2000 INDEX/2/ 4.55% 8.22% 8.49% RUSSELL 2000 GROWTH INDEX/2/ 4.15% 2.28% 3.98% |
1 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns are shown for the Institutional Class of the Fund. After-tax returns for other classes of the Fund will vary. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
2 The returns of each index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital growth from investments in common stocks or other equity securities. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations that fall within the capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Index, an index that tracks stocks of 2,000 of the smallest U.S. companies. In accordance with applicable SEC requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund may invest the rest of its assets in companies of other capitalizations.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles generally looks for companies that it believes are undervalued by the market in relation to earnings, dividends, assets, and growth prospects. The Fund's investments may include companies that have suffered significant business problems but that Loomis Sayles believes have favorable prospects for recovery.
Loomis Sayles does not consider current income when making buy/sell decisions. Loomis Sayles seeks to identify companies that it believes have, among other things, attractive price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and price-to-cash flow ratios. Loomis Sayles generally seeks to find value by selecting individual stocks that it believes are attractive, rather than by attempting to achieve investment growth by rotating the Fund's holdings among various sectors of the economy.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities of foreign issuers, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may engage in foreign currency hedging transactions and also may invest in REITs, Rule 144A securities, and, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), investment companies. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of securities. Frequent trading may produce high transaction costs and a high level of taxable capital gains, which may lower the Fund's return. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 60 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall
as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face
greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to
experience political and economic instability.
. equity securities risk - the risk that the value of a stock may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
. small capitalization companies risk - the risk that the Fund's investments
may be subject to more abrupt price movements, limited markets and less
liquidity than investments in larger, more established companies, which
could adversely affect the value of the portfolio.
For additional information see the section "Summary of Principal Risks."
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of two broad measures of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each calendar year since its first full year of operations. The returns for Retail Class and Admin Class shares differ from the Institutional Class returns shown in the bar chart to the extent their respective expenses differ.1
[CHART]
TOTAL RETURN
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 30.44% 25.99% -1.08% 0.37% 23.19% 13.87% -13.23% 34.55% 21.83% 6.24% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 18.07% (Fourth quarter 1998), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 18.58% (Third quarter 1998).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for the Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare those of the Russell 2000 Index and the Russell 2000 Value Index. The Russell 2000 Index consists of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. The Russell 2000 Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class-by-class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Russell 2000 Index and the Russell 2000 Value Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20051
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (5/13/91) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Return Before Taxes 6.24% 11.46% 13.21% 14.97% Return After Taxes on Distributions2 4.51% 9.84% 10.90% 12.36% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 5.76% 9.31% 10.39% 11.88% RETAIL CLASS - Return Before Taxes 6.00% 11.20% 12.95% 14.79% ADMIN CLASS - Return Before Taxes 5.73% 10.92% 12.58% 14.43% RUSSELL 2000 INDEX3 4.55% 8.22% 9.26% 11.38% RUSSELL 2000 VALUE INDEX3 4.71% 13.55% 13.08% 14.60% |
1 The annual total returns shown reflect the results of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds II (the "Predecessor Fund") whose assets and liabilities were reorganized into the Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds I, on September 12, 2003. Returns shown for the Institutional Class, Retail Class and Admin Class shares of the Fund reflect the results of shares of the corresponding class of the Predecessor Fund through September 12, 2003. For periods before the inception of Retail Class shares (December 31, 1996) and Admin Class shares (January 2, 1998) of the Predecessor Fund, the returns performance shown for those Classes are based on the returns of the Predecessor Fund's Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the higher fees paid by Retail Class and Admin Class shares of the Predecessor Fund. Institutional Class Shares of the Predecessor Fund commenced operations on May 13, 1991.
2 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns are shown for the Institutional Class of the Fund. After-tax returns for other classes of the Fund will vary. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
3 The returns of each index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. Since-inception data for each index covers the period from the month-end closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital growth.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities. In accordance with applicable SEC requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund may invest in companies of any size.
In seeking its investment objective, the Fund will use a tax-managed approach in an effort to minimize the effect of U.S. federal (and, in some cases, state) income tax on investment returns for investors who are subject to such taxes. This approach may involve, among other techniques, reducing the Fund's net capital gains by selling stocks on which it has unrealized loss, minimizing portfolio turnover, and identifying tax lots when selling part of a portfolio position.
In determining which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles seeks to identify companies that Loomis Sayles believes will experience earnings growth rates that are above average and better than consensus earnings estimate over the next several years. In addition, Loomis Sayles may use a variety of valuation measures, including a company's price-to-earnings, price-to-book and price-to-cash-flow ratios.
The Fund also may invest in U.S. Government securities, when-issued securities, convertible securities, zero coupon securities, REITs and Rule 144A securities. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to meet their obligations to the Fund.
. equity securities risk - the risk that the value of a stock may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. fixed income securities risk - the risk that the value of a fixed-income security may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
. tax risk - the risk that the Fund may be unsuccessful in minimizing the
effect of U.S. federal or state income tax on investment returns.
For additional information see the section "Summary of Principal Risks."
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years.1 The Fund changed its name and investment strategies on June 1, 2003. The Fund's performance may have been different under its current investment strategies.
[CHART]
TOTAL RETURN
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 15.60%2 15.68%2 34.23% 18.57% 17.40% -11.69% -12.95% 20.41% 9.71% 3.62% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 21.09% (Fourth quarter 1998), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 12.52% (Third quarter 2002).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, a commonly used benchmark of U.S. equity securities. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class-by-class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20051
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (10/1/95)2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Returns Before Taxes 3.62% 1.02% 10.15% 9.94% Returns After Taxes on Distributions3 3.40% 0.71% 7.14% 6.99% Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares3 2.35% 0.70% 7.27% 7.12% STANDARD & POOR'S 500 INDEX/4/ 4.91% 0.54% 9.07% 9.46% |
1 The annual total returns shown reflect the results of Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds I (the "Predecessor Fund") whose assets and liabilities were reorganized into the Fund, a series of Loomis Sayles Funds II, on September 12, 2003. Returns shown for Institutional Class shares of the Fund reflect the results of shares of the Predecessor Fund through September 12, 2003.
2 The Fund was registered under the 1940 Act and commenced operations on October 1, 1995. The Fund's shares were registered under the Securities Act of 1933 on March 7, 1997.
3 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns 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.
4 The returns of each index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. Since-inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is long-term growth of capital and income. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, convertible securities, and warrants. The Fund invests primarily in medium-sized and large-sized companies, although it may invest in companies of any size.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles generally looks for companies that it believes are undervalued by the market in relation to earnings, dividends, assets, and growth prospects. The Fund's investments may include companies that have suffered significant business problems but that Loomis Sayles believes have favorable prospects for recovery.
Loomis Sayles does not consider current income when making buy/sell decisions. Loomis Sayles seeks to identify companies that it believes have, among other things, attractive price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and price-to-cash flow ratios. Loomis Sayles generally seeks to find value by selecting individual stocks that it believes are attractive, rather than by attempting to achieve investment growth by rotating the Fund's holdings among various sectors of the economy.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities of foreign issuers, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may invest in REITs and Rule 144A securities. For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash or securities Loomis Sayles deems appropriate. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall
as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face
greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to
experience political and economic instability.
. equity securities risk - the risk that the value of a stock may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
For additional information see the section "Summary of Principal Risks."
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years.
[CHART]
TOTAL RETURN
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 21.16% 29.21% 10.54% -1.33% 7.35% -5.65% -16.69% 26.24% 15.12% 12.80% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 18.11% (Second quarter 2003), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 17.93% (Third quarter 2002).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for each class of the Fund (before and after taxes for Institutional Class shares) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Russell 1000 Value Index. The Russell 1000 Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's total returns reflect its expenses on a class-by-class basis. Institutional Class returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Russell 1000 Value Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (5/13/91) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS Returns Before Taxes 12.80% 5.20% 8.97% 10.53% Returns After Taxes on Distributions1 11.50% 4.64% 7.25% 8.78% Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares1 9.18% 4.26% 6.98% 8.43% RUSSELL 1000 VALUE INDEX2 7.05% 5.28% 10.94% 12.49% |
1 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns 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.
2 The returns of each index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or taxes. Since inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of a Fund.
SHAREHOLDER FEES (FEES PAID DIRECTLY FROM YOUR INVESTMENT)
MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE REDEMPTION FEE (LOAD) IMPOSED MAXIMUM (AS A PERCENTAGE ON PURCHASES DEFERRED OF AMOUNT (AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES CHARGE REDEEMED, IF FUND/CLASS OFFERING PRICE) (LOAD) APPLICABLE) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND Institutional Class None None None Retail Class None None None ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND Institutional Class None None 2% of proceeds* Retail Class None None 2% of proceeds* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND Institutional Class None None 2% of proceeds* Retail Class None None 2% of proceeds* Admin Class None None 2% of proceeds* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND Institutional Class None None None ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND Institutional Class None None None ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* Will be charged on redemptions and exchanges of shares on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition. For more information, see the section "Redemption Fees."
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF DAILY NET
ASSETS)
TOTAL ANNUAL FEE FUND WAIVER/ MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTION OTHER OPERATING REIMBURSE- NET FUND/CLASS FEES (12B-1) FEES EXPENSES+ EXPENSES MENT EXPENSES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND1 Institutional Class 0.75% 0.00% 0.37% 1.12% 0.12% 1.00% Retail Class 0.75% 0.25% 0.57% 1.57% 0.32% 1.25% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND1 Institutional Class 0.75% 0.00% 0.76% 1.51% 0.51% 1.00% Retail Class 0.75% 0.25% 0.71% 1.71% 0.46% 1.25% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND2 Institutional Class 0.75% 0.00% 0.16% 0.91% 0.01% 0.90% Retail Class 0.75% 0.25% 0.22% 1.22% 0.07% 1.15% Admin Class 0.75% 0.25% 0.70%* 1.70% 0.30% 1.40% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND3 Institutional Class 0.50% 0.00% 0.95% 1.45% 0.80% 0.65% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND4 Institutional Class 0.50% 0.00% 0.34% 0.84% -- 0.84% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+ Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees and expenses.
1 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund to limit the amount of each Fund's total annual fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 1.00% for Institutional class shares and 1.25% for Retail class shares. The undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007, and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking, expenses would have been higher.
2 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund to limit the amount of the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 0.90% for Institutional class shares, 1.15% for Retail class shares and 1.40% for Admin class shares. The undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007, and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking, expenses would have been higher.
3 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund to limit the amount of the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 0.65% for Institutional class shares. The undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007, and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking, expenses would have been higher.
4 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to the Loomis Sayles Value Fund to limit the amount of the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses, to 0.85% for Institutional class shares. The undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007, and is reevaluated on an annual basis.
* Other expenses include an administrative fee of 0.25% for Admin Class shares.
EXAMPLE*
The following example translates the "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" column shown in the preceding table into dollar amounts. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in a Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
This example makes certain assumptions. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in a Fund for the time periods shown and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. Please remember that this example is hypothetical, so that your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower.
FUND/CLASS 1 YEAR* 3 YEARS* 5 YEARS* 10 YEARS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND Institutional Class $102 $344 $605 $1,352 Retail Class $127 $464 $825 $1,840 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND Institutional Class $102 $427 $775 $1,758 Retail Class $127 $494 $885 $1,981 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND Institutional Class $ 92 $289 $503 $1,119 Retail Class $117 $380 $664 $1,471 Admin Class $143 $506 $895 $1,984 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND Institutional Class $ 66 $380 $716 $1,666 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND Institutional Class $ 86 $268 $466 $1,037 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* The Examples for Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund, Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund and Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund are based on the Net Expenses for the 1-year period and on the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for the remaining periods. The Example for the Loomis Sayles Value Fund is based on the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for all periods.
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
This section provides more information on the principal risks that may affect a Fund's portfolio. In seeking to achieve their investment goals, the Funds may also invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment practices which are not the principal focus of the Funds and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities and investment practices and their associated risks are discussed in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which is available without charge upon request (see back cover).
Each Fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes in accordance with its investment restrictions.
CREDIT RISK
This is the risk that the issuer or the guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to an over-the-counter transaction, will be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal or to otherwise honor its obligations. Each Fund may be subject to credit risk to the extent that it invests in fixed income securities or is a party to over-the-counter transactions.
Funds that may invest in lower-rated fixed-income securities ("junk bonds") are subject to greater credit risk and market risk than Funds that invest in higher-quality fixed-income securities. Lower-rated fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments.
Funds that invest in fixed-income securities issued in connection with corporate restructurings by highly-leveraged issuers or in fixed-income securities that are not current in the payment of interest or principal (i.e., in default) which may be subject to greater credit risk because of these investments.
Funds that may invest in foreign securities are subject to increased credit risk because of the difficulties of requiring foreign entities to honor their contractual commitments and because a number of foreign governments and other issuers are already in default.
CURRENCY RISK
This is the risk that fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies may cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline. Funds that may invest in securities denominated in, or receive revenues in, foreign currency are subject to currency risk.
DERIVATIVES RISK
Certain Funds may use derivatives, which are financial contracts whose value depends upon or is derived from the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or
index. Examples of derivatives include options, futures and swap transactions. Those Funds may use derivatives as part of a strategy designed to reduce other risks ("hedging"). The Funds also may use derivatives to earn income, enhance yield, or broaden Fund diversification. This use of derivatives for these purposes entails greater risk than using derivatives solely for hedging purposes. If a Fund uses derivatives, it also faces additional risks, such as the credit risk relating to the other party to a derivative contract, the risk of difficulties in pricing and valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with relevant assets, rates or indices.
EMERGING MARKETS RISK
Economic And Political Risks Emerging market countries often experience instability in their political and economic structures. Government actions could have a significant impact on the economic conditions in such countries, which in turn would affect the value and liquidity of the assets of the Fund invested in emerging markets securities. Specific risks that could decrease the Fund's return include seizure of a company's assets, restrictions imposed on payments as a result of blockages on foreign currency exchanges and unanticipated social or political occurrences.
The ability of the government of an emerging market country to make timely payments on its debt obligations will depend on the extent of its reserves, fluctuations in interest rates, and access to international credits and investments. A country which has non-diversified exports or relies on certain key imports will be subject to greater fluctuations in the pricing of those commodities. Failure to generate sufficient earnings from foreign trade will make it difficult for an emerging market country to service its foreign debt.
Companies trading in developing securities markets are generally smaller and have shorter operating histories than companies in developed markets. Foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales. Settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets may be subject to risk of loss and may be delayed more often than in the U.S. Disruptions resulting from social and political factors may cause the securities markets to close. If extended closing were to occur, the liquidity and value of the Fund's assets invested in corporate debt obligations of emerging market companies would decline.
Investment Controls; Repatriation Foreign investment in emerging market country debt securities is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging market country debt securities. Certain emerging market countries require government approval before investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging market countries may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interests.
Emerging market countries may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or proceeds of sale of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market country's balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Investing in local markets in emerging market countries may require the Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local governmental approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.
EQUITY SECURITIES RISK
This is the risk that the value of stock in the Fund's portfolio may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer. Those may include, among other things, management performance, the effects of financial leverage and reduced demand for a company's goods and services.
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES RISK
This is the risk that the value of fixed income securities in the Fund's portfolio may decline for a number of reasons which relate directly to the issuer. This may include, among other things, management performance, the effects of financial leverage and reduced demand for a company's goods and services. Fixed income securities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk.
FOREIGN RISK
This is the risk associated with investments in issuers located in foreign countries. A Fund's investments in foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies.
The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of issuers and a small number of securities. In addition, foreign companies often are not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. companies. Reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, or diplomatic developments can cause the value of a Fund's investments in a foreign country to decline. In the event of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation, a Fund could lose its entire foreign investment.
Funds that invest in emerging markets may face greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to experience political and economic instability.
INTEREST RATE RISK
This is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of a Fund's investments in fixed-income securities, such as bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, and other income-producing securities. Fixed-income securities are obligations of the issuer to make payments of principal and/or interest on future dates. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline.
Each Fund also faces increased interest rate risk when it invests in fixed-income securities paying no current interest, such as zero coupon securities.
LEVERAGING RISK
When a Fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the Fund will be more volatile, and all other risks are generally compounded. Funds face this risk if they create leverage by using investments such as repurchase agreements, inverse floating rate instruments or derivatives, or by borrowing money.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing a Fund from selling these illiquid securities at an advantageous price. Derivatives and securities that involve substantial interest rate or credit risk tend to involve greater liquidity risk. In addition, liquidity risk tends to increase to the extent a Fund invests in securities whose sale may be restricted by law or by contract, such as Rule 144A securities.
MANAGEMENT RISK
Management risk is the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques could fail to achieve a Fund's objective and could cause your investment in a Fund to lose value. Each Fund is subject to management risk because each Fund is actively managed by Loomis Sayles. Loomis Sayles will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for each Fund, but there can be no guarantee that Loomis Sayles' decisions will produce the desired results. For example, in some cases derivative and other investment techniques may be unavailable or Loomis Sayles may determine not to use them, even under market conditions where their use could have benefited a Fund.
MARKET RISK
This is the risk that the value of a Fund's investments will change as financial markets fluctuate and that prices overall may decline. The value of a company's stock may fall as a result of factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value also may fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but companies in its industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of a company's stock also may be affected by changes in financial market conditions, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a company's stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds or other debt. For this reason, the value of the stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other fixed income securities to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects. Market risk tends to be greater when a Fund invests in fixed income securities with longer maturities.
Market risk generally is greater for funds that invest substantially in small and medium-sized companies, since these companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse developments than large companies. Furthermore, for Funds that invest in fixed income securities, market risk tends to be greater when a Fund invests in fixed income securities with longer maturities.
REITS RISK
REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely-held securities.
A Fund's investment in a REIT may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received or may result in the Fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. In addition, distributions by a Fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or, generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.
SMALL CAPITALIZATION COMPANIES RISK
The general risks associated with corporate income-producing securities are particularly pronounced for securities issued by companies with smaller market capitalizations. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or they may depend on a few key employees. As a result, they may be subject to greater levels of credit, market and issuer risk. Securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lesser volume than more widely held securities and their values may fluctuate more sharply than other securities. Further, securities of smaller companies may perform differently in different cycles than larger company securities. Companies with medium-sized market capitalizations may have risks similar to those of smaller companies.
TRANSACTIONS WITH OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, each Fund may be permitted to invest its daily cash balances in shares of money market and short-term bond funds advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. (an affiliate of Loomis Sayles) ("IXIS Advisors") or its affiliates ("Central Funds"). The Central Funds currently include the IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, Institutional Daily Income Fund, Cortland Trust, Inc., and Short Term Income Fund, Inc. Each Central Fund is advised by Reich & Tang Asset Management, LLC ("Reich & Tang"), except for IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, which is advised by IXIS Advisors and sub-advised by Reich & Tang. Because Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors and Reich & Tang are each subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"), the Funds and the Central Funds may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Funds may also borrow and lend money for temporary or emergency purposes directly to and from other funds through an interfund credit facility. In addition to the Funds and the Central Funds, series of the following mutual fund groups may also be able to participate in the facility: IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I (except the CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund series), IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Harris Associates Investment Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II. The advisers and sub-advisers to these mutual funds currently include IXIS Advisors, Reich & Tang, Loomis Sayles, AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., Harris Associates L.P. and Westpeak Global Advisors, L.P. Each of these advisers and sub-advisers are subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America and are thus "affiliated persons" under the 1940 Act by reason of being under common control by IXIS Asset Management North America. In addition, because the Funds, and other funds, are advised by firms that are affiliated with one another, they may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the 1940 Act. The Central Funds and AEW Real Estate Income Fund will
participate in the Credit Facility only as lenders. Participation in such an interfund lending program would be voluntary for both borrowing and lending funds, and a Fund would participate in an interfund lending program only if the Board of Trustees determined that doing so would benefit a Fund. Should a Fund participate in such an interfund lending program, the Board of Trustees would establish procedures for the operation of the program by the advisers or an affiliate. The Funds may engage in the transactions described above without further notice to shareholders.
MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), located at One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. Loomis Sayles is a subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, which is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Founded in 1926, Loomis Sayles is one of the country's oldest investment firms with over $74.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2005. Loomis Sayles is well known for its professional research staff, which is one of the largest in the industry. Loomis Sayles is responsible for making investment decisions for each Fund and for providing general business management and administration to each Fund.
The aggregate advisory fee paid by the Funds during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 as a percentage of the Funds' average net assets were:
FUND AGGREGATE ADVISORY FEE ------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 0.52% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 0.07% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 0.71% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 0.00% (after waiver) ------------------------------------------------------------ Loomis Sayles Value Fund 0.43% ------------------------------------------------------------ |
A discussion of the factors considered by the Funds' Board of Trustees in approving the Funds' investment advisory contracts is available in the Funds' annual reports for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following persons have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of each indicated Fund's portfolio since the date stated below. Except where noted, each portfolio manager has been employed by Loomis Sayles for at least five years.
LOOMIS SAYLES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND Philip C. Fine has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund since February 1999. Mr. Fine, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1988 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1996. Mr. Fine holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a A.B. and a Ph.D. from Harvard University and has over 17 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND Mark F. Burns has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund since January 2005. Mr. Burns, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1993 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1999. Mr. Burns holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from Colby College and a M.B.A. from Cornell University and has over 12 years of investment experience.
John Slavik has served as co-portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund since April 2005. Mr. Slavik, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1991 and joined Loomis Sayles in April 2005. Prior to joining Loomis Sayles, Mr. Slavik was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Westfield Capital Management, LLC from November 2000 to March 2005. Mr. Slavik holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from the University of Connecticut and has over 14 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP VALUE FUND Joseph R. Gatz has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund since January 2000. Mr. Gatz, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1985 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1999. Mr. Gatz holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from Michigan State University and a M.B.A. from Indiana University and has over 20 years of investment experience.
Daniel G. Thelen has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund since April 2000. Mr. Thelen, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1990 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1996. Mr. Thelen holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Michigan State University and has over 15 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND David G. Sowerby has served as co-portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund since August 2005. Mr. Sowerby, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1986 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1998. Mr. Sowerby holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. and M.B.A. from Wayne State University and has over 19 years of investment experience.
Mark Shank has served as co-portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund since June 2003. Mr. Shank, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1981 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1983. Mr. Shank holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. from Drake University and a M.S. from the University of Wisconsin and has over 24 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES VALUE FUND Warren Koontz has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Value Fund since June 2000. Mr. Koontz, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1982 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1995. Mr. Koontz holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.S. and M.B.A. from the Ohio State University and has over 23 years of investment experience.
James Carroll has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Value Fund since November 2002. Mr. Carroll, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1974 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1996. Mr. Carroll holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.A. and M.B.A. from Wayne State University and has over 31 years of investment experience.
Arthur Barry has served as co-portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Value Fund since July 2005. Mr. Barry, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1994 and joined Loomis Sayles in 2005. Prior to joining Loomis Sayles, Mr. Barry was a Senior Vice President and portfolio manager at State Street Research & Management Company from November 2003 to January 2005; Senior Portfolio Manager at INVESCO Capital Management from April 2001 to May 2003; and a portfolio manager at Federated Research Corp. from January 1997 to March 2001. Mr. Barry holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.S. from Lehigh University and a M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and has over 11 years of investment experience.
Please see the SAI for information on Portfolio Manager compensation, other accounts under management by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of securities in the Funds.
DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER FEES
For the Retail and Admin Classes of the Funds, the Funds offering those classes have adopted distribution plans under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act that allow the Funds to pay fees for the sale and distribution of Retail and Admin Class shares and for services provided to shareholders. This 12b-1 fee currently is 0.25% of a Fund's average daily net assets attributable to the shares of a particular Class. Because these fees are paid out of the Funds' assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Admin Class shares of Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund are offered exclusively through intermediaries, who will be the record owners of the shares. Admin Class shares may pay an administrative fee at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Admin Class shares to securities dealers or financial intermediaries for providing personal service and account maintenance for their customers who hold these shares.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, may pay certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries whose customers are existing shareholders of the Funds a continuing fee at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the value of Fund shares held for those customers' accounts, although this continuing fee is paid by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, out of its own assets and is not assessed against the Fund.
GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED
"Net asset value" is the price of one share of a Fund without a sales charge, and is calculated each business day using this formula:
TOTAL MARKET VALUE OF SECURITIES + CASH AND OTHER ASSETS - LIABILITIES NET ASSET VALUE = ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING SHARES |
The net asset value of Fund shares is determined according to this schedule:
. A share's net asset value is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on the days the Exchange is open for trading. This is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Generally, a Fund's shares will not be priced on the days on which the Exchange is closed for trading. However, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, a Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles, in its discretion, determines that there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares. This may occur, for example, if the Exchange is closed but the NASDAQ Stock Market is open for trading. In addition, a Fund's shares will not be priced on the holidays listed in the SAI. See the section "Net Asset Value" in the SAI for more details.
. The price you pay for purchasing, redeeming or exchanging a share will be based upon the net asset value next calculated by the Fund's custodian (minus applicable redemption or other charges as described earlier in this Prospectus) after your order is received "in good order."
. Requests received by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("Distributor") after the Exchange closes will be processed based upon the net asset value determined at the close of regular trading on the next day that the Exchange is open, with the exception that those orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and received by the Distributor from the investment dealer before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time* on the same day will be based on the net asset value determined on that day.
. A Fund significantly invested in foreign securities may have net asset value changes on days when you cannot buy or sell its shares.
* Under limited circumstances, the Distributor may enter into contractual agreements pursuant to which orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and transmitted to the Distributor prior to 9:30 a.m. on the next business day are processed at the net asset value determined on the day the order was received by your investment dealer.
Generally, during times of substantial economic or market change, it may be difficult to place your order by phone. During these times, you may deliver your order in person to the Distributor or send your order by mail as described in the sections "How to Purchase Shares" and "How to Redeem Shares."
Generally, Fund securities are valued as follows:
. EQUITY SECURITIES -- market price or as provided by a pricing service if market price is unavailable.
. DEBT SECURITIES (OTHER THAN SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS) -- based upon pricing service valuations, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using market information, transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities which are generally recognized by institutional traders.
. SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS (REMAINING MATURITY OF LESS THAN 60 DAYS) -- amortized cost (which approximates market value).
. SECURITIES TRADED ON FOREIGN EXCHANGES -- market price on the non-U.S. exchange, unless the Fund believes that an occurrence after the close of the exchange will materially affect the security's value. In that case, the security may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing securities, the Funds may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time a Fund's net asset value is calculated.
. OPTIONS -- last sale price, or if not available, last offering price.
. FUTURES -- unrealized gain or loss on the contract using current settlement price. When a settlement price is not used, futures contracts will be valued at their fair value as determined by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
. ALL OTHER SECURITIES -- fair market value as determined by the adviser of the Fund pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale of the security in the ordinary course of business). A Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities
markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
ACCESSING YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS WEBSITE You can access our website at www.loomissayles.com to perform transactions (purchases, redemptions or exchanges), to review your account information, change your address, order duplicate statements or tax forms, or to obtain a prospectus, an application or periodic reports.
LOOMIS SAYLES AUTOMATED VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM You have access to your account 24 hours a day by calling Loomis Sayles' automated voice response system at 1-800-633-3330, option 1. Using this customer service option you may review your account balance and Fund prices, order duplicate statements, order duplicate tax forms and obtain wiring instructions.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
You can buy shares of each Fund in several ways:
THROUGH A FINANCIAL ADVISER Your financial adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Loomis Sayles Funds. Your financial adviser may charge you for his or her services. Your adviser must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV.
THROUGH A BROKER-DEALER You may purchase shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer that has been approved by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., which can be contacted at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (1-800-633-3330). Your broker-dealer may charge you a fee for effecting such transactions. Your broker-dealer must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV.
DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND Loomis Sayles Funds must receive your purchase request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for you to receive that day's NAV.
You can purchase shares directly from each Fund in several ways:
. BY MAIL You can buy shares of each Fund by submitting a completed application form, which is available online at www.loomissayles.com or by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 for the desired Fund or Funds, along with a check payable to Loomis Sayles Funds for the amount of your purchase to:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
After your account has been established, you may send subsequent investments directly to Loomis Sayles Funds at the above addresses. Please include either the investment slip from your account statement or a letter specifying the Fund name, your account number and your name, address, and telephone number.
. BY WIRE You also may wire subsequent investments by using the following wire instructions. Your bank may charge a fee for transmitting funds by wire.
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Lafayette Corporate Center
2 Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, MA 02111
ABA No. 011000028
DDA 9904-622-9
(Your account number)
(Your name)
(Name of Fund)
. BY TELEPHONE If you established the electronic transfer privilege on your new account, you can make subsequent investments by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. If you did not establish the electronic transfer privilege on your application, you may add the privilege by obtaining an Account Options Form through your financial adviser, by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or visiting www.loomissayles.com.
. BY EXCHANGE You may purchase shares of a Fund by exchange of shares of another Fund by sending a signed letter of instruction to Loomis Sayles Funds, calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or accessing your account online at www.loomissayles.com.
. BY INTERNET If you have established a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and you have established the electronic transfer privilege, you can make subsequent investments through your online account at www.loomissayles.com. If you have not established a PIN but you have established the electronic transfer privilege from www.loomissayles.com, click on "Account Access" then click on the appropriate user type and follow the instructions.
. THROUGH SYSTEMATIC INVESTING You can make regular investments of $50 or more per month through automatic deductions from your bank checking or savings account. If you did not establish the electronic transfer privilege on your application, you may add the privilege by obtaining an Account Options Form through your financial adviser, by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or visiting www.loomissayles.com.
Each Fund sells its shares at the NAV next calculated after the Fund receives a properly completed investment order. The Fund generally must receive your properly completed order before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for your shares to be bought or sold at the Fund's NAV on that day. Purchases made
through ACH prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange will receive the NAV calculated on the following business day.
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase Institutional Class shares of a Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if Loomis Sayles deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by a Fund in such a transaction will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Funds reserve the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
All purchases made by check should be in U.S. dollars and made payable to Loomis Sayles Funds. The Funds will not accept checks made payable to anyone other than Loomis Sayles Funds (including third party checks) or starter checks. In addition, the Funds will not accept checks drawn on credit card accounts. When you make an investment by check or by periodic account investment, you will not be permitted to redeem that investment until the shares have been in your account for 15 days.
A Fund may periodically close to new purchases of shares or refuse any order to buy shares if the Fund determines that doing so would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. See "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares" below. Except to the extent otherwise permitted by the Distributor, the Funds will only accept accounts from U.S. citizens with a U.S. address or resident aliens with a U.S. address and a U.S. taxpayer identification number.
Each Fund is required by federal regulations to obtain personal information from you and to use that information to verify your identity. A Fund may not be able to open your account if the requested information is not provided. EACH FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT, CLOSE AN ACCOUNT AND REDEEM YOUR SHARES AT THE THEN CURRENT PRICE OR TAKE OTHER SUCH STEPS THAT THE FUND DEEMS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS IF YOUR IDENTITY IS NOT VERIFIED.
Each Fund's shares (except Admin Class shares) may be purchased by all types of tax-deferred retirement plans. If you wish to open an individual retirement account (IRA) with a Fund, Loomis Sayles Funds has retirement plan forms available online at www.loomissayles.com or call Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. The Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund may not be appropriate for tax-exempt investors. Admin Class shares are intended primarily for qualified retirement plans held in an omnibus fashion and are not appropriate for individual investors.
The following table shows the minimum initial investment for each class of shares of each Fund.
FUND MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund Institutional - $100,000 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund Retail - $2,500 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Value Fund Institutional - $100,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund Institutional - $100,000 Retail - $2,500 Admin - No Minimum ---------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund Institutional - $25,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
Each subsequent investment must be at least $50. Loomis Sayles Funds reserves the right to waive these minimums in its sole discretion, including for certain retirement plans whose accounts are held on the books of the Funds' transfer agent in an omnibus fashion. At the discretion of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., employees and clients of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., and their respective family members, may purchase shares of the Funds offered through this prospectus below the stated minimums.
In our continuing effort to reduce your Fund's expenses and amount of mail that you receive from Loomis Sayles Funds, we will mail only a single copy of prospectuses, proxy statement and financial reports to your household. Additional copies may be obtained by calling 1-800-633-3330.
This program will continue in effect unless you notify us that you do not want to participate in this combined mailing program. If you wish to receive separate mailings for each Fund you own in the future, please call us at the telephone number above or mail your written request to Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 and we will resume separate mailings within 30 days.
SMALL ACCOUNT POLICY In order to address the relatively higher costs of servicing smaller fund positions, each Fund may assess, on an annual basis, a minimum balance fee of $20 on accounts that fall below $500. The minimum balance fee is assessed by the automatic redemption of shares in the account in an amount sufficient to pay the fee. The minimum balance fee does not apply to directly registered accounts that (i) make monthly purchases through systematic investing or (ii) are retirement accounts. Accounts held through intermediaries, regardless of account type, will be included in the fee debit. If your Fund account falls below $50, regardless of account type, the Fund may redeem your remaining shares and send the proceeds to you.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
You can redeem shares of each Fund any day the Exchange is open either through your financial advisor or directly from the Fund. If you are redeeming shares that you purchased within the past 15 days by check, telephone ACH or online ACH, your redemption will be delayed until the shares have been in your account for 15 days.
Because large redemptions are likely to require liquidation by the Fund of portfolio holdings, payment for large redemptions may be delayed for up to seven days to provide for orderly liquidation of such holdings. Under unusual circumstances, the Funds may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days. Although most redemptions are made in cash, as described in the SAI, each Fund reserves the right to redeem shares in kind.
A 2% redemption fee may apply to redemptions of shares on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition. See the section "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares."
REDEMPTIONS THROUGH YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISER Your adviser must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV. Your adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Loomis Sayles Funds on a timely basis and may charge you for his or her services.
REDEMPTIONS THROUGH YOUR BROKER-DEALER You may redeem shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer that has been approved by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., which can be contacted at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (1-800-633-3300). Your broker-dealer may charge you a fee for effecting such transaction. Your broker-dealer must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV. Your redemptions generally will be wired to your broker-dealer on the first business day after your request is received in good order.
REDEMPTIONS DIRECTLY FROM THE FUNDS Loomis Sayles Funds must receive your redemption request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for you to receive that day's NAV. Your redemptions generally will be sent to you via first class mail on the business day after your request is received in good order.
You may make redemptions directly from each Fund in several ways:
. BY MAIL Send a signed letter of instruction that includes the name of the Fund, the exact name(s) in which the shares are registered, any special capacity in which you are signing (such as trustee or custodian or on behalf of a partnership, corporation, or other entity), your address, telephone number, account number and the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed to the following address:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
If you have certificates for the shares you want to sell, you must include them along with completed stock power forms.
All owners of shares must sign the written request in the exact names in which the shares are registered. The owners should indicate any special capacity in
which they are signing (such as trustee or custodian or on behalf of a partnership, corporation or other entity).
. BY EXCHANGE You may sell some or all of your shares of a Fund and use the proceeds to buy shares of another Loomis Sayles Fund by sending a letter of instruction to Loomis Sayles Funds, calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or exchanging online at www.loomissayles.com.
. BY INTERNET If you have established a Personal Identification Number (PIN), and you have established the electronic transfer privilege, you can redeem shares through your online account at www.loomissayles.com. If you have not established a PIN, but you have established the electronic transfer privilege, click on "Account Access" at www.loomissayles.com, click on the appropriate user type and then follow the instructions.
. BY TELEPHONE You may redeem shares by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. Proceeds from telephone redemption requests can be wired to your bank account, sent electronically by ACH to your bank account or sent by check in the name of the registered owner(s) to the record address. A wire fee will be deducted from your proceeds. Your bank may charge you a fee to receive the wire.
Retirement shares may not be redeemed by telephone. Please call Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 for an IRA Distribution Form, or download the form online at www.loomissayles.com.
The telephone redemption privilege may be modified or terminated by the Funds without notice. Certain of the telephone redemption procedures may be waived for holders of Institutional Class shares.
The maximum value of shares that you may redeem by telephone or internet is $50,000. For your protection, telephone or internet redemption requests will not be permitted if Loomis Sayles Funds has been notified of an address change for your account within the preceding 30 days. Unless you indicate otherwise on your account application, Loomis Sayles Funds will be authorized to accept redemption and transfer instructions by telephone. If you prefer, you can decline telephone redemption and transfer privileges.
. SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN If the value of your account is $25,000 or more, you can have periodic redemptions automatically paid to you or to someone you designate. Please call 1-800-633-3330 for more information or to set up a systematic withdrawal plan or visit www.loomissayles.com to obtain an Account Options Form.
Before Loomis Sayles Funds can wire redemption proceeds to your bank account, you must provide specific wire instructions to Loomis Sayles Funds in writing. A wire fee will be deducted from the proceeds of each wire.
For ACH redemptions, proceeds (less any applicable redemption fee) will generally arrive at your bank within three business days.
MEDALLION SIGNATURE GUARANTEE You must have your signature guaranteed by a bank, broker-dealer, or other financial institution that can issue a medallion signature guarantee for the following types of redemptions:
. If you are redeeming shares worth more than $50,000.
. If you are requesting that the proceeds check be made out to someone other
than the registered owner(s) or sent to an address other than the record
address.
. If the account registration has changed within the past 30 days.
. If you are instructing us to wire the proceeds to a bank account not
designated on the application.
The Funds will only accept medallion signature guarantees bearing the STAMP2000 Medallion imprint. Please note that a notary public cannot provide a medallion signature guarantee. This guaranteed signature requirement may be waived by Loomis Sayles Funds in certain cases.
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
You may exchange Retail Class shares of your Fund offered through this prospectus, subject to investment minimums, for Retail Class shares of any Loomis Sayles Fund that offers Retail Class shares without paying a sales charge, if any, or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, a money market fund that is advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of Loomis Sayles. You may exchange Admin Class shares of your Fund offered through this prospectus, subject to investment minimums, for Admin Class shares of any Loomis Sayles Fund that offers Admin Class shares without paying a sales charge or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust. You may exchange Institutional Class Shares of your Fund, subject to investment minimums, for Institutional Class shares of any Fund that offers Institutional Class shares, for Class Y shares of any Fund that offers Class Y shares or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust. All exchanges are subject to any restrictions described in the applicable Funds' prospectuses.
The value of Fund shares that you wish to exchange must meet the investment minimum requirements of the new fund. Please call 1-800-633-3330 (option 3) prior to requesting this transaction.
You may make an exchange by sending a signed letter of instruction, through your online account at www.loomissayles.com or by telephone unless you have elected on your account application to decline telephone exchange privileges.
Please remember that an exchange may be a taxable event for federal and/or state income tax purposes, so that you may realize a gain or loss that is subject to income tax.
A 2% redemption fee may apply to exchanges of shares on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition. See the section "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares."
CONVERSION RIGHTS
In certain limited circumstances, you may convert Retail Class shares of your Fund to Institutional Class shares of the same Fund or convert Institutional Class shares of your Fund to Retail Class shares of the same Fund. The value of shares that you wish to convert must meet the investment minimum requirements of the new Class. The conversion from one class of shares to another will be based on the respective net asset values of the separate classes on the trade date for the conversion. You will not be charged any redemption fee or exchange fee as a result of the exchange. A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event to the shareholder.
You may convert Retail Class shares of your Fund to Institutional Class shares of the same Fund if you have accumulated shares with a net asset value greater than or equal to the minimum investment amount for Institutional Class shares of that same Fund. You may convert from Institutional Class shares to Retail Class shares only if the investment option or program through which you invest no longer permits the use of Institutional Class shares in that option or program or if you otherwise are no longer able to participate in Institutional Class shares. A conversion into a class of shares is subject to the purchase restrictions of such Class as described in the Fund's prospectus (see "How to Purchase Shares").
In order to convert shares, you must complete the Cross Share Exchange Form and return it to Loomis Sayles Funds at the following address:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
You can obtain the Form by calling 1-800-633-3330 or by visiting the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com. All requests for conversions (including requests for accounts traded through the National Securities Clearing Corporation) must be provided on the Cross Share Exchange Form.
RESTRICTIONS ON BUYING, SELLING AND EXCHANGING SHARES
Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders may present certain risks for other shareholders in a Fund. This includes the risk of diluting the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, interfering with the efficient management of a Fund's portfolio, and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. Funds investing in securities that require special valuation processes (such as foreign securities, high yield securities, or small cap securities) may also have increased exposure to these risks. Each Fund discourages excessive, short-term trading that may be detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders. The Funds' Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
The Funds reserve the right to suspend or change the terms of purchasing or exchanging shares. Each Fund and the Distributor reserve the right to refuse or
limit any purchase or exchange order for any reason, including if the transaction is deemed not to be in the best interests of the Fund's other shareholders or possibly disruptive to the management of the Fund.
LIMITS ON FREQUENT TRADING. Without limiting the right of each Fund and the Distributor to refuse any purchase or exchange order, each Fund and the Distributor may (but are not obligated to) restrict purchases and exchanges for the accounts of "market timers." With respect to exchanges, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than two exchange purchases of any Fund are made for the account over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund; or (ii) the account makes one or more exchange purchases of any Fund over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. With respect to new purchases of a Fund, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than twice over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund, there is a purchase in a Fund followed by a subsequent redemption; or (ii) there are two purchases into a Fund by an account, each followed by a subsequent redemption over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. The preceding are not exclusive lists of activities that the Funds and the Distributor may consider to be "market timing."
TRADE ACTIVITY MONITORING. Trading activity is monitored selectively on a daily basis in an effort to detect excessive short-term trading activities. If a Fund or the Distributor believes that a shareholder or financial intermediary has engaged in market timing or other excessive, short-term trading activity, it may, in its discretion, request that the shareholder or financial intermediary stop such activities or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the accounts. In its discretion, each Fund or the Distributor may restrict or prohibit transactions by such identified shareholders or intermediaries. In making such judgments, the Funds and the Distributor seek to act in a manner that they believe is consistent with the best interests of all shareholders. The Funds and the Distributor also reserve the right to notify financial intermediaries of your trading activity. Because the Funds and the Distributor will not always be able to detect market timing activity, investors should not assume the Funds will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Funds. For example, the ability of the Funds and the Distributor to monitor trades that are placed by omnibus or other nominee accounts is severely limited in those instances in which the broker, retirement plan administrator or fee-based program sponsor maintains the record of a Fund's underlying beneficial owners.
Certain Funds also seek to prevent excessive and disruptive trading practices through the assessment of redemption fees on shares redeemed or exchanged within a given time period. See the section "Redemption Fees" for more information.
REDEMPTION FEES (Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund only) Shareholders will be charged a 2% redemption fee if they redeem, including redeeming by exchange, any class shares of these Funds on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition (including acquisition by
exchange). For example, if the shares were purchased on January 10th, the first day the shares could be redeemed or exchanged without a redemption fee is March 11th (or, if the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed for trading on that day, the next business day). The redemption fee is intended to offset the costs to the Funds of short-term trading, such as portfolio transaction and market impact costs associated with redemption activity and administrative costs associated with processing redemptions. The redemption fee is deducted from the shareholder's redemption or exchange proceeds and is paid to the Fund, although there may be a delay between the time the fee is deducted from such proceeds and when it is paid to the Fund. Please see the SAI for more details.
The "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method is used to determine the holding period of redeemed or exchange shares, which means that if you acquired shares on different days, the shares acquired first will be redeemed or exchanged first for purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies. A new holding period begins with each purchase or exchange.
The Funds currently do not impose a redemption fee on a redemption of:
. shares acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions of a Fund; or
. shares held in an account of certain retirement plans or profit sharing plans or purchased through certain intermediaries; or
. shares redeemed as part of a systematic withdrawal plan.
The Funds may modify or eliminate these waivers at any time. In addition, the Funds may modify the way the redemption fee is applied, including the amount of the redemption fee and/or the length of time shares must be held before the redemption fee is no longer applied, for certain categories of investors or for shareholders investing through financial intermediaries which apply the redemption fee in a manner different from that described above.
The ability of a Fund to assess a redemption fee on transactions by underlying shareholders of omnibus and other accounts maintained by brokers, retirement plan accounts and fee-based program accounts may be limited.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
It is the policy of each Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all of its net investment income. Each Fund generally declares and pays such dividends annually.
Each Fund also distributes all of its net capital gains realized after applying any capital loss carry forwards.
Any capital gain distributions normally are made annually, but may be made more frequently as deemed advisable by the Trustees and as permitted by applicable law. The Trustees may change the frequency with which each Fund declares or pays dividends.
You may choose to:
. Reinvest all distributions in additional shares.
. Have checks sent to the address of record for the amount of distribution or
have the distribution transferred through Automated Clearing House ("ACH")
to a bank of your choice.
If you do not select an option when you open your account, all distributions will be reinvested.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
Except where noted, the discussion below addresses only the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in a Fund and does not address any foreign, state, or local tax consequences.
Each Fund intends to meet all requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") necessary to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" and thus do not expect to pay any federal income tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders.
TAXATION OF FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable to a shareholder receiving such distributions as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. For the taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, distributions of investment income designated by a Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" are taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level.
Distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. If you invest right before a Fund pays a dividend, you will be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. If a dividend or distribution is made shortly after you purchase shares of a Fund, while in effect a return of capital to you, the dividend or distribution is taxable. You can avoid this, if you choose, by investing after the Fund has paid a dividend. Investors in tax-advantaged retirement accounts do not need to be concerned about this.
Distributions by a Fund to retirement plans and other investors that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will generally not be taxable. Special tax rules apply to investments through such retirement plans. If your investment is through such a plan, you should consult your tax adviser to determine
the suitability of the Funds for investment through your plan and the tax treatment of distributions to you (including distributions of amounts attributable to an investment in a Fund) from such a plan.
Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced to, in general, 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets. For more information, see the Statement of Additional Information under "Distribution and Taxes."
SALE OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of your shares will generally be subject to tax. Shareholder transactions in a Fund's shares resulting in gains from selling shares held for more than one year generally are taxed at capital gain rates, while those resulting from sales or shares held for one year or less generally are taxed at ordinary income rates.
TAXATION OF CERTAIN INVESTMENTS. A Fund's investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the Fund's yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes. In addition, a Fund's investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate a Fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of a Fund's distributions.
A Fund's investments in certain debt obligations may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including times when it may not be advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its mandatory distribution requirements.
A Fund may at times buy investments at a discount from the price at which they were originally issued, especially during periods of rising interest rates. For federal income tax purposes, some or all of this market discount will be included in such Fund's ordinary income and will be taxable to shareholders as such when it is distributed.
Income distributions from REITs generally are not entitled to be treated as qualified dividend income. For other implications of the Fund's investments in REITs, see the SAI under "Distributions and Taxes."
NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). However, for taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, the Fund generally will
not be required to withhold any amounts with respect to distributions of
(i) U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal
income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, and (ii) net
short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, in each
case to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The
Funds do not intend to make such designations.
Recent legislation modifies the tax treatment of distributions from a Fund that are paid to a foreign person and are attributable to gain from "U.S. real property interests" ("USRPIs"), which the Code defines to include direct holdings of U.S. real property and interests (other than solely as a creditor) in "U.S. real property holding corporations," such as REITs. Effective in respect of dividends paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007, distributions to foreign persons attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs will give rise to an obligation for those foreign persons to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax, and may well be subject to withholding under future regulations.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. Each Funds is required in certain circumstances to apply backup withholding on taxable dividends, redemption proceeds and certain other payments that are paid to any shareholder (including a shareholder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the U.S.) who does not furnish the Fund certain information and certifications or who is otherwise subject to backup withholding. The backup withholding rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010 and will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States.
You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables below are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five years (or since-inception, if shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns represent the rate that you would have earned or lost on an investment in each Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions.
This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP whose report, along with each Fund's financial statements, is included in the Funds' annual reports to shareholders. The annual reports are incorporated by reference into the SAI, both of which are available free of charge upon request from the Distributor.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions -------------------------------------- --------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain (loss) on investment net investment realized of the period income (loss) investments operations income capital gains -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $15.50 $(0.10)(c) $ 3.78 $ 3.68 $(0.18) $ -- 9/30/2004 13.69 (0.13)(c) 1.94 1.81 -- -- 9/30/2003 10.70 (0.10)(c) 3.09 2.99 -- -- 9/30/2002 13.56 (0.13)(c) (2.73) (2.86) -- -- 9/30/2001 47.71 (0.20)(c) (33.43) (33.63) -- (0.52) RETAIL CLASS 9/30/2005 $15.20 $(0.14)(c) $ 3.70 $ 3.56 $(0.13) $ -- 9/30/2004 13.46 (0.16)(c) 1.90 1.74 -- -- 9/30/2003 10.55 (0.13)(c) 3.04 2.91 -- -- 9/30/2002 13.41 (0.16)(c) (2.70) (2.86) -- -- 9/30/2001 47.33 (0.25)(c) (33.15) (33.40) -- (0.52) |
(a) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (b) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expenses during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of operating expenses would have been higher. (c) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.
Ratios to Average Net Assets ---------------------------------- Net asset Net assets, Net value, end of investment Portfolio Total Redemption end of Total the period Net Gross income turnover distributions fee the period return %(a) (000) expenses %(b) expenses % (loss) % rate % --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.18) $-- $19.00 23.9 $26,159 1.00 1.21 (0.60) 280 -- -- 15.50 13.2 25,191 1.00 1.17 (0.84) 284 -- -- 13.69 27.9 23,866 1.00 1.23 (0.88) 248 -- -- 10.70 (21.1) 13,421 1.00 1.31 (0.91) 220 (0.52) -- 13.56 (71.1) 16,347 1.00 1.13 (0.75) 258 $(0.13) $-- $18.63 23.6 $25,802 1.25 1.50 (0.85) 280 -- -- 15.20 12.9 25,382 1.25 1.42 (1.10) 284 -- -- 13.46 27.6 32,813 1.25 1.47 (1.13) 248 -- -- 10.55 (21.3) 26,885 1.25 1.45 (1.16) 220 (0.52) -- 13.41 (71.2) 41,456 1.25 1.37 (1.01) 258 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ----------------------------------------- --------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain (loss) on investment net investment realized of the period income (loss) investments operations income capital gains ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $ 8.96 $(0.08)(c) $ 2.20 $ 2.12 $ -- $ -- 9/30/2004 8.59 (0.09)(c) 0.46 0.37 -- -- 9/30/2003 6.35 (0.06)(c) 2.30 2.24 -- -- 9/30/2002 8.83 (0.08)(c) (2.40) (2.48) -- -- 9/30/2001 26.98 (0.12)(c) (17.06) (17.18) -- (0.97) RETAIL CLASS 9/30/2005 $ 8.78 $(0.11)(c) $ 2.17 $ 2.06 $ -- $ -- 9/30/2004 8.45 (0.11)(c) 0.44 0.33 -- -- 9/30/2003 6.26 (0.08)(c) 2.27 2.19 -- -- 9/30/2002 8.72 (0.10)(c) (2.36) (2.46) -- -- 9/30/2001 26.74 (0.15)(c) (16.90) (17.05) -- (0.97) SMALL CAP VALUE FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $25.75 $ 0.13(c) $ 4.22 $ 4.35 $(0.02) $(2.65) 9/30/2004 21.34 0.04(c) 4.97 5.01 (0.05) (0.55) 9/30/2003 17.28 0.05(c) 4.01 4.06 -- -- 9/30/2002 19.89 0.10(c) (0.36) (0.26) (0.11) (2.24) 9/30/2001 20.42 0.16(c) 0.60 0.76 (0.20) (1.09) RETAIL CLASS 9/30/2005 $25.62 $ 0.06(c) $ 4.20 $ 4.26 $ -- $(2.65) 9/30/2004 21.25 (0.02)(c) 4.95 4.93 (0.01) (0.55) 9/30/2003 17.25 (0.00)(c)(d) 4.00 4.00 -- -- 9/30/2002 19.85 0.05(c) (0.35) (0.30) (0.06) (2.24) 9/30/2001 20.38 0.11(c) 0.60 0.71 (0.15) (1.09) ADMIN CLASS 9/30/2005 $25.43 $(0.00)(c)(d) $ 4.16 $ 4.16 $ -- $(2.65) 9/30/2004 21.13 (0.08)(c) 4.93 4.85 -- (0.55) 9/30/2003 17.20 (0.05)(c) 3.98 3.93 -- -- 9/30/2002 19.80 (0.00)(c)(d) (0.35) (0.35) (0.01) (2.24) 9/30/2001 20.34 0.05(c) 0.60 0.65 (0.10) (1.09) |
(a) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (b) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expenses during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of operating expenses would have been higher. (c) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. (d) Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share.
Ratios to Average Net Assets ---------------------------------- Net asset Net assets, Net value, end of investment Portfolio Total Redemption end of the Total the period Net Gross income turnover distributions fee period return %(a) (000) expenses %(b) expenses % (loss) % rate % --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ -- $0.00(d) $11.08 23.7 $ 15,785 1.00 1.70 (0.85) 227 -- 0.00(d) 8.96 4.3 15,867 1.00 1.31 (0.95) 217 -- -- 8.59 35.3 22,519 1.00 1.19 (0.91) 190 -- -- 6.35 (28.1) 42,415 1.00 1.07 (0.90) 162 (0.97) -- 8.83 (65.2) 124,479 0.99 0.99 (0.74) 140 $ -- 0.00(d) $10.84 23.5 $ 3,592 1.25 1.87 (1.14) 227 -- 0.00(d) 8.78 3.9 14,589 1.25 1.52 (1.19) 217 -- -- 8.45 35.0 30,345 1.25 1.43 (1.17) 190 -- -- 6.26 (28.2) 32,135 1.25 1.33 (1.15) 162 (0.97) -- 8.72 (65.3) 50,197 1.25 1.26 (1.01) 140 $(2.67) $0.00(d) $27.43 18.0 $403,110 0.90 0.93 0.48 59 (0.60) 0.00(d) 25.75 23.8 346,356 0.90 0.93 0.16 70 -- -- 21.34 23.5 289,945 0.90 0.94 0.26 74 (2.35) -- 17.28 (2.6) 234,370 0.94 0.96 0.48 86 (1.29) -- 19.89 3.9 215,439 0.98 0.98 0.76 98 $(2.65) $0.00(d) $27.23 17.7 $235,948 1.15 1.20 0.24 59 (0.56) 0.00(d) 25.62 23.5 173,411 1.15 1.18 (0.08) 70 -- -- 21.25 23.2 140,152 1.15 1.20 (0.01) 74 (2.30) -- 17.25 (2.8) 86,816 1.19 1.20 0.22 86 (1.24) -- 19.85 3.6 97,544 1.22 1.22 0.51 98 $(2.65) $0.00(d) $26.94 17.4 $ 67,505 1.40 1.43 (0.01) 59 (0.55) 0.00(d) 25.43 23.3 62,680 1.40 1.43 (0.33) 70 -- -- 21.13 22.9 37,411 1.40 1.47 (0.27) 74 (2.25) -- 17.20 (3.0) 24,655 1.44 1.53 (0.01) 86 (1.19) -- 19.80 3.3 16,471 1.50 1.59 0.23 98 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ----------------------------------- --------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning investment gain (loss) on investment net investment realized of the period income investments operations income capital gains ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $ 8.49 $0.05(c) $ 0.69 $ 0.74 $(0.03) $ -- 9/30/2004 7.66 0.05(c) 0.97 1.02 (0.19) -- 9/30/2003 6.78 0.06(c) 0.85 0.91 (0.03) -- 9/30/2002 7.67 0.06(c) (0.81) (0.75) (0.14) -- 9/30/2001 11.16 0.12(c) (1.60) (1.48) (0.09) (1.92) VALUE FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS 9/30/2005 $15.95 $0.20(c) $ 2.83 $ 3.03 $(0.26) $ -- 9/30/2004 13.52 0.21(c) 2.39 2.60 (0.17) -- 9/30/2003 11.17 0.15(c) 2.29 2.44 (0.09) -- 9/30/2002 13.90 0.13(c) (2.42) (2.29) (0.16) (0.28) 9/30/2001 15.12 0.14(c) (1.19) (1.05) (0.17) -- |
(a) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (b) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expenses during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of operating expenses would have been higher. (c) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.
Ratios to Average Net Assets ----------------------------------- Net asset Net assets, value, end of the Net Portfolio Total Redemption end of the Total period Net Gross investment turnover distributions fee period return %(a) (000) expenses %(b) expenses % income % rate % --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.03) $-- $ 9.20 8.7 $ 9,230 0.65 2.02 0.59 38 (0.19) -- 8.49 13.4 5,202 0.65 3.39 0.59 27 (0.03) -- 7.66 13.5 2,490 0.65 1.82 0.81 200 (0.14) -- 6.78 (10.1) 17,426 0.65 1.14 0.72 188 (2.01) -- 7.67 (15.9) 19,211 0.65 1.05 1.29 300 $(0.26) $-- $18.72 19.2 $37,255 0.85 0.92 1.13 34 (0.17) -- 15.95 19.4 33,563 0.85 0.93 1.38 47 (0.09) -- 13.52 22.0 37,959 0.85 0.92 1.23 56 (0.44) -- 11.17 (17.2) 33,025 0.85 0.90 0.90 66 (0.17) -- 13.90 (7.1) 39,549 0.85 0.96 0.87 90 |
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FREE UPON REQUEST:
ANNUAL AND SEMIANNUAL REPORTS - Provide additional information about the Funds' investments. Each report includes a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) - Provides more detailed information about the Funds and their investment limitations and policies. Each SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference.
To order a free copy of the Funds' annual or semiannual report or their SAIs, to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries generally, contact your financial adviser or contact Loomis Sayles at 1-800-633-3330. The Funds' annual and semiannual reports and SAI are available on the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com.
Information about the Funds, including their reports and SAIs, can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. You may call the SEC at 1-202-942-8090 for information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You also may access reports and other information about the Funds on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may also be obtained, after payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS A description of each Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in the SAI.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("IXIS Distributors"), an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and other firms selling shares of Loomis Sayles Funds are members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"). As a service to investors, the NASD has asked that we inform you of the availability of a brochure on its Public Disclosure Program. The program provides access to information about securities firms and their representatives. Investors may obtain a copy by contacting the NASD at 1-800-289-9999 or by visiting its Web site at www.NASD.com.
IXIS Distributors distributes the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds.
If you have a complaint concerning IXIS Distributors or any of its
representatives or associated persons, please direct it to IXIS Asset
Management Distributors, L.P., Attn: Director of Compliance, 399 Boylston
Street - 6/th/ Floor, Boston, MA 02116 or call us at 1-800-225-5478.
[LOGOL]ooLmoiosmiSsaySlaeysleFsunds
P.O. Box 219594
Kansas City, MO 61421-9594
1-800-633-3330
www.loomissayles.com
Loomis Sayles Funds I M-LSEF51-0206 File No. 811-08282 Loomis Sayles Funds II File No. 811-06241 |
[GRAPHIC] [GRAPHIC] |
LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND
LOOMIS SAYLES INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND
[GRAPHIC]
Loomis Sayles Funds I
PROSPECTUS . FEBRUARY 1, 2006
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., which has been an investment adviser since 1926, is the investment adviser of the Funds.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED ANY FUND'S SHARES OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIME.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 1 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 5 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 9 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 13 FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS 17 SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS 19 MANAGEMENT 28 Investment Adviser 28 Portfolio Managers 28 Other Fees 29 GENERAL INFORMATION 30 How Fund Shares Are Priced 30 Accessing Your Account Information 32 How to Purchase Shares 32 How to Redeem Shares 35 How to Exchange Shares 37 Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares 38 Dividends and Distributions 39 Tax Consequences 40 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 43 |
You can lose money by investing in a Fund. A Fund may not achieve its objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is high total investment return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in fixed income securities. In accordance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund may invest up to 35% of its assets in lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") and up to 20% of its assets in preferred stocks. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") will consider, among other things, the financial strength of the issuer, current interest rates, Loomis Sayles' expectations regarding general trends in interest rates, and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return of those investments.
Three themes typically drive the Fund's investment approach. First, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed income securities of issuers whose credit profiles Loomis Sayles believes are improving. Second, the Fund makes significant use of non-market related securities, which are securities that may not have a direct correlation with changes in interest rates. Loomis Sayles believes that the Fund may generate positive returns by having a portion of the Fund's assets invested in non-market related securities, rather than by relying primarily on changes in interest rates to produce returns for the Fund. Third, Loomis Sayles analyzes different sectors of the economy and differences in the yields ("spreads") of various fixed income securities in an effort to find securities that Loomis Sayles believes may produce attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk.
Loomis Sayles generally prefers securities that are protected against calls (early redemption by the issuer).
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities of Canadian issuers and up to 20% of its assets in other foreign securities, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may invest without limit in obligations of supranational entities (e.g., the World Bank).
The fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate securities, U.S. Government securities, commercial paper, zero coupon securities, mortgage-backed securities, stripped mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, when-issued securities, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), Rule 144A securities, structured notes, repurchase agreements, and convertible securities. The Fund may engage in options and futures transactions, foreign currency hedging transactions, and swap transactions.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described
below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not
described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment
goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall
as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for
funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer
durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter
durations.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. lower quality fixed income securities risk - the risk that the Fund's
investments may be subject to fixed income securities risk to a greater
extent than other fixed income securities. The ability of the issuer's
continuing ability to make principal and interest payments is predominantly
speculative for lower quality fixed income securities.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be
prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities
with lower yields
than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a loss when there is a
prepayment of securities that were purchased at a premium.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total return for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years.1
[CHART]
1996/2/ 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ------ ------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ------ ------ ------ ----- 10.22% 13.40% 3.70% 3.75% 3.84% 4.70% 11.52% 30.15% 12.22% 4.12% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 12.55% (Second quarter 2003), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 4.39% (Third quarter 1998).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for Institutional Class shares of the Fund (before and after taxes) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lehman Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Index, an index that tracks the performance of a broad range of government and corporate fixed income securities. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing, management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (1/17/95)1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS RETURN BEFORE TAXES 4.12% 12.17% 9.51% 11.03% Return After Taxes on Distributions2 1.44% 8.91% 6.26% 7.81% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 2.69% 8.50% 6.14% 7.58% LEHMAN BROTHERS U.S. GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX3 2.37% 6.11% 6.17% 7.17% |
1 The Fund was registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
commenced operations on January 17, 1995. The Fund's shares were registered
under the Securities Act of 1933 on March 7, 1997.
/2/ 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and
may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to
investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as
401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual
retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return
before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund
shares at the end of the measurement period.
/3/ The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes. Since inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end
closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is high total investment return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund invests primarily in lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") and other securities that are expected to produce a relatively high level of income (including income producing preferred stocks and common stocks). The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles will consider, among other things, the financial strength of the issuer, current interest rates, Loomis Sayles' expectations regarding general trends in interest rates, and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return of those investments.
Three themes typically drive the Fund's investment approach. First, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed income securities of issuers whose credit profiles Loomis Sayles believes are improving. Second, the Fund makes significant use of non-market related securities, which are securities that may not have a direct correlation with changes in interest rates. Loomis Sayles believes that the Fund may generate positive returns by having a portion of the Fund's assets invested in non-market related securities, rather than by relying primarily on changes in interest rates to produce returns for the Fund. Third, Loomis Sayles analyzes different sectors of the economy and differences in the yields ("spreads") of various fixed income securities in an effort to find securities that Loomis Sayles believes may produce attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk.
Loomis Sayles generally prefers securities that are protected against calls (early redemption by the issuer).
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in Canadian securities and up to 50% of its assets in other foreign securities, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may invest without limit in obligations of supranational entities (e.g., the World Bank).
The fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate securities, U.S. Government securities, commercial paper, zero coupon securities, mortgage-backed securities, stripped mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, when-issued securities, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), Rule 144A securities, structured notes, repurchase agreements, and convertible securities. The Fund may engage in options and futures transactions, foreign currency hedging transactions, and swap transactions.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments
of U.S. or foreign issuers. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described
below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not
described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment
goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund.
. currency risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall
as a result of changes in exchange rates.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face
greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to
experience political and economic instability.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for
funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer
durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter
durations.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. lower quality fixed income securities risk - the risk that the Fund's
investments may be subject to fixed income securities risk to a greater
extent that other fixed income securities. The ability of the issuer's
continuing ability to make principal and interest payments is predominantly
speculative for lower quality fixed income securities.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be
prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities
with lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a
loss when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a
premium.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates, limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to investments in real estate.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each calendar year since its first full year of operations.1
[CHART]
1997/2/ 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ------ ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ---- 8.84% -8.87% 15.99% -5.73% 0.23% -0.20% 48.01% 14.18% 6.43% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 15.01% (Second quarter 2003), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 16.42% (Third quarter 1998).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for Institutional Class shares of the Fund (before and after taxes) for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lehman Brothers High Yield Index, an index that tracks the performance of fixed-rate, non-investment grade debt. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers High Yield Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing, management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years (6/5/96)1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS RETURN BEFORE TAXES 6.43% 12.47% 8.06% After Taxes on Distributions2 3.95% 8.46% 3.80% After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 4.22% 8.17% 4.08% LEHMAN BROTHERS HIGH YIELD INDEX3 2.74% 8.85% 6.55% |
1 The Fund was registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
commenced operations on June 5, 1996. The Fund's shares were registered under
the Securities Act of 1933 on March 7, 1997.
2 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and
may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to
investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as
401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual
retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return
before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund
shares at the end of the measurement period.
3 The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes. Since inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end
closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is above-average total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowing made for investment purposes) in investment grade fixed income securities. In accordance with applicable SEC requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund's weighted average duration is generally two to five years.
The Fund will purchase only investment grade fixed income securities. In the event that the credit rating of a security held by the Fund falls below investment grade (or, in the case of an unrated security, Loomis Sayles determines that the quality of such security has fallen below investment grade), the Fund will not be obligated to dispose of the security and may continue to hold the security if Loomis Sayles believes the investment is appropriate.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, Loomis Sayles will consider, among other things, the financial strength of the issuer, current interest rates, and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return of those investments.
Three themes typically drive the Fund's investment approach. First, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed income securities of issuers whose credit profiles Loomis Sayles believes are improving. Second, the Fund makes significant use of non-market related securities, which are securities that may not have a direct correlation with changes in interest rates. Loomis Sayles believes that the Fund may generate positive returns by having a portion of the Fund's assets invested in non-market related securities, rather than by relying primarily on changes in interest rates to produce returns for the Fund. Third, Loomis Sayles analyzes different sectors of the economy and differences in the yields ("spreads") of various fixed income securities in an effort to find securities that Loomis Sayles believes may produce attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk.
Loomis Sayles generally prefers securities that are protected against calls (early redemption by the issuer).
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities of Canadian issuers and up to 20% of its assets in other foreign securities, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may invest without limit in obligations of supranational entities (e.g., the World Bank). The Fund may also invest in mortgage-related securities, including mortgage dollar rolls. The Fund may engage in futures transactions.
The fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate securities, U.S. Government securities, zero coupon securities, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, REITs, Rule 144A securities, structured notes, and convertible securities.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described
below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not
described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment
goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. emerging markets risk - the risk that the Fund's investments may face
greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to
experience political and economic instability.
. foreign risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's foreign investments
will fall as a result of foreign political, social, or economic changes.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for
funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer
durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter
durations.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be
prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities
with lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a
loss when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a
premium. A dollar roll involves potential risks of loss that are different
from those related to securities underlying the transactions. The Fund may
be required to purchase securities at a higher
price than may otherwise be available on the open market. There is no
assurance that the Fund's use of cash that it receives from a dollar roll
will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each calendar year since its first full year of operations.1
[CHART]
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- 3.28% 8.85% 10.08% 4.13% 8.26% 3.35% 1.30% |
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 4.17% (First quarter 2001), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 2.63% (Second quarter 2004).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns
for Institutional Class shares of the Fund (before and after taxes) for the
one-year, five-year and since-inception periods compare to those of the Lehman
Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Intermediate Index, an index that tracks the
performance of a broad range of government and corporate fixed income
securities with remaining maturities of one to ten years. You may not invest
directly in an index. The Fund's returns have also been calculated to reflect
return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on
distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers U.S.
Government/Credit Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing, management,
distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years (1/28/98) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS RETURN BEFORE TAXES 1.30% 5.38% 5.32% Return After Taxes on Distributions1 -0.31% 3.29% 3.04% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares1 0.84% 3.34% 3.13% LEHMAN BROTHERS U.S. GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INTERMEDIATE INDEX2 1.58% 5.50% 5.66% |
1 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and
may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to
investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as
401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual
retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return
before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund
shares at the end of the measurement period.
2 The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes. Since inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end
closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
LOOMIS SAYLES INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is above-average total investment return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in investment grade fixed income securities. In accordance with applicable SEC requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") and up to 10% of its assets in preferred stocks. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity.
In deciding which securities to buy and sell, the Fund will consider, among other things, the financial strength of the issuer, current interest rates, Loomis Sayles' expectations regarding future changes in interest rates, and comparisons of the level of risk associated with particular investments with Loomis Sayles' expectations concerning the potential return of those investments.
Three themes typically drive the Fund's investment approach. First, Loomis Sayles generally seeks fixed income securities of issuers whose credit profiles Loomis Sayles believes are improving. Second, the Fund makes significant use of non-market related securities, which are securities that may not have a direct correlation with changes in interest rates. Loomis Sayles believes that the Fund may generate positive returns by having a portion of the Fund's assets invested in non-market related securities, rather than by relying primarily on changes in interest rates to produce returns for the Fund. Third, Loomis Sayles analyzes different sectors of the economy and differences in the yields ("spreads") of various fixed income securities in an effort to find securities that Loomis Sayles believes may produce attractive returns for the Fund in comparison to their risk.
Loomis Sayles generally prefers securities that are protected against calls (early redemption by the issuer).
The Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities of Canadian issuers and up to 20% of its assets in securities of other foreign issuers, including emerging markets securities. The Fund may invest without limit in obligations of supranational entities (e.g., the World Bank). The Fund may also invest in mortgage-related securities, including mortgage dollar rolls. The Fund may engage in futures transactions.
The fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate securities, U.S. Government securities, zero coupon securities, mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, when-issued securities, REITs, Rule 144A securities and structured notes.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds" and then "Fund Holdings"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. In addition, a list of the Fund's top 10 holdings as of the month-end is generally available within 5 days after the month-end on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Mutual Funds," then "Fund Profiles," then the name of the Fund and scroll down to "Holdings/Allocations"). Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described
below. There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not
described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment
goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to
meet their obligations to the Fund.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for
funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer
durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter
durations.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. lower quality fixed income securities risk - the risk that the Fund's
investments may be subject to fixed income securities risk to a greater
extent that other fixed income securities. The ability of the issuer's
continuing ability to make principal and interest payments is predominantly
speculative for lower quality fixed income securities.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related securities risk - the risk that the securities may be
prepaid and result in the reinvestment of the prepaid amounts in securities
with lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a
loss when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a
premium. A dollar roll involves potential risks of loss that are different
from those related to securities underlying the transactions. The Fund may
be required to purchase securities at a higher
price than may otherwise be available on the open market. There is no
assurance that the Fund's use of cash that it receives from a dollar roll
will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
. REITs risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of changes in underlying real estate values, rising interest rates,
limited diversification of holdings, higher costs and prepayment risk
associated with related mortgages, as well as other risks particular to
investments in real estate.
FUND PERFORMANCE The bar chart and table shown below give an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
BAR CHART The bar chart below shows the Fund's total returns for Institutional Class shares for each of the last ten calendar years.1
[CHART]
The Fund's returns will vary. For example, during the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund's best quarter was up 11.98% (Second quarter 2003), and the Fund's worst quarter was down 3.67% (Third quarter 1998).
PERFORMANCE TABLE The table below shows how the average annual total returns for Institutional Class shares of the Fund (before and after taxes) for the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods compare the to the Lehman Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Index, an index that tracks the performance of a broad range of government and corporate fixed income securities. You may not invest directly in an index. The Fund's returns have also been calculated to reflect return after taxes on distributions only and also return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares. The Lehman Brothers U.S. Government/Credit Index returns have not been adjusted for ongoing, management, distribution and operating expenses applicable to mutual fund shares.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Inception 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years (7/1/94)1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND INSTITUTIONAL CLASS RETURN BEFORE TAXES 1.80% 11.48% 9.32% 10.55% Return After taxes on Distributions2 -1.19% 8.47% 6.22% 7.38% Return After taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 1.99% 8.23% 6.16% 7.22% LEHMAN BROTHERS U.S. GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX3 2.37% 6.11% 6.17% 7.05% |
1 The Fund was registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
commenced operations on July 1, 1994. The Fund's shares were registered under
the Securities Act of 1933 on March 7, 1997.
2 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 taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and
may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to
investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as
401(k) plans, qualified plans, education savings accounts or individual
retirement accounts. In some cases the after-tax returns may exceed the return
before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any loss on a sale of fund
shares at the end of the measurement period.
3 The returns of the index do not reflect a deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes. Since inception data for the index covers the period from the month-end
closest to the Fund's inception date through December 31, 2005.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of a Fund.
None of the Funds impose a sales charge, a redemption fee, or an exchange fee.
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF DAILY NET
ASSETS)
TOTAL ANNUAL FEE FUND WAIVER/ MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTION OTHER OPERATING REIMBURSE- NET FUND FEES (12B-1) FEES EXPENSES** EXPENSES MENT EXPENSES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND1 0.50% 0.00% 0.11% 0.61% -- 0.61% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND2 0.60% 0.00% 0.18% 0.78% 0.03% 0.75% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND3* 0.25% 0.00% 0.27% 0.52% 0.12% 0.40% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND4 0.40% 0.00% 0.13% 0.53% -- 0.53% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* Expense information for the Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund reflects a reduction in the management fee from 0.30% of the average daily net assets to 0.25% of the average daily net assets, effective July 1, 2005. ** Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees and expenses. 1 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to limit the amount of the Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund's total fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organization and extraordinary expenses, to 0.65% annually of this Fund's average daily net assets. This undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. 2 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to limit the amount of the Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund's total fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organization and extraordinary expenses, to 0.75% annually of this Fund's average daily net assets. This undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking, expenses would have been higher. 3 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to limit the amount of the Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund's total fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organization and extraordinary expenses, to 0.40% annually of this Fund's average daily net assets. This undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis. Without this undertaking, expenses would have been higher. 4 Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking to limit the amount of the Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund's total fund operating expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organization and extraordinary expenses, to 0.55% annually of this Fund's average daily net assets. This undertaking is in effect through January 31, 2007 and is reevaluated on an annual basis.
EXAMPLE
The following example translates the "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" column shown in the preceding table into dollar amounts. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in a Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
This example makes certain assumptions. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in a Fund for the time periods shown and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. Please remember that this example is hypothetical, so that your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower.
FUND 1 YEAR* 3 YEARS* 5 YEARS* 10 YEARS* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND $62 $195 $340 $762 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND $77 $246 $430 $963 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND $41 $155 $279 $641 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND $54 $170 $296 $665 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* The Examples for the Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund and the Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund are based on the Net Expenses for the 1-year period for each Fund and on the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for the remaining years. The Examples for the Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund and the Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund are based on the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for all periods.
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
This section provides more information on the principal risks that may affect a Fund's portfolio. In seeking to achieve their investment goals, the Funds may also invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment practices which are not the principal focus of the Funds and therefore are not described in the Prospectus. These securities and investment practices and their associated risks are discussed in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which is available without charge upon request. (See back cover.)
A Fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes in accordance with its investment restrictions.
CREDIT RISK
This is the risk that the issuer or the guarantor of a fixed income security, the issuer or guarantor of a security backing the asset-backed securities in which a Fund invests, or the counterparty to an over-the-counter transaction, will be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal or to otherwise honor its obligations. Each Fund may be subject to credit risk to the extent that it invests in fixed income securities or is a party to over-the-counter transactions. Funds that may invest in lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") are subject to greater credit risk and market risk than funds that invest in higher quality fixed income securities. Lower rated fixed income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments.
Funds that invest in certain of the U.S. Government securities, such as mortgage-backed securities that are issued by government sponsored enterprises, and securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Such securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and, as a result, may be subject to greater credit risk than securities issued by the U.S. Treasury.
Funds that invest in fixed income securities issued in connection with corporate restructurings by highly leveraged issuers or in fixed income securities that are not current in the payment of interest or principal (i.e., in default) may be subject to greater credit risk because of these investments.
Funds that may invest in foreign securities are subject to increased credit risk because of the difficulties of requiring foreign entities to honor their contractual commitments and because a number of foreign governments and other issuers are already in default.
CURRENCY RISK
This is the risk that fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies may cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline. Funds that may invest in securities denominated in, or receive revenues in, foreign currency are subject to currency risk.
DERIVATIVES RISK
Each Fund may use derivatives, which are financial contracts whose value depends upon or is derived from the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index. Examples of derivatives include options, futures, and swap transactions. Each Fund may use derivatives as part of a strategy designed to reduce other risks ("hedging"). Each Fund also may use derivatives to earn income, enhance yield, or broaden Fund diversification. This use of derivatives entails greater risk than using derivatives solely for hedging purposes. If a Fund uses derivatives, it also faces additional risks, such as the credit risk of the other party to a derivative contract, the risk of difficulties in pricing and valuation, and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with relevant assets, rates, or indices.
EMERGING MARKETS RISK
Economic and Political Risks Emerging market countries often experience instability in their political and economic structures. Government actions could have a significant impact on the economic conditions in such countries, which in turn would affect the value and liquidity of the assets of the Fund invested in emerging markets securities. Specific risks that could decrease the Fund's return include seizure of a company's assets, restrictions imposed on payments as a result of blockages on foreign currency exchanges and unanticipated social or political occurrences.
The ability of the government of an emerging market country to make timely payments on its debt obligations will depend on the extent of its reserves, fluctuations in interest rates, and access to international credits and investments. A country which has non-diversified exports or relies on certain key imports will be subject to greater fluctuations in the pricing of those commodities. Failure to generate sufficient earnings from foreign trade will make it difficult for an emerging market country to service its foreign debt.
Companies trading in developing securities markets are generally smaller and have shorter operating histories than companies in developed markets. Foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales. Settlement of securities transaction in emerging markets may be subject to risk of loss and may be delayed more often than in the U.S. Disruptions resulting from social and political factors may cause the securities markets to close. If extended closing were to occur, the liquidity and value of a Fund's assets invested in corporate debt obligations of emerging market companies would decline.
Investment Controls; Repatriation Foreign investment in emerging market country debt securities is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging market country debt securities. Certain emerging market countries require government approval before investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging market countries may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interests.
Emerging market countries may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or proceeds of sale of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market country's balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to a Fund of any restrictions on investments. Investing in local markets in emerging market countries may require a Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local governmental approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.
FOCUSED INVESTMENT RISK
This is the risk that a Fund that invests a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer or a small number of industries may have more risk, compared with other mutual funds, because the impact of a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence may have a greater adverse impact on the Fund's net asset value.
FOREIGN RISK
This is the risk associated with investments in issuers located in foreign countries. A Fund's investments in foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies.
The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of issuers and a small number of securities. In addition, foreign companies often are not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. companies. Reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, or diplomatic developments can cause the value of a Fund's investments in a foreign country to decline. In the event of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation, a Fund could lose its entire foreign investment.
Funds that invest in emerging markets may face greater foreign risk since emerging markets countries may be more likely to experience political and economic instability.
INTEREST RATE RISK
This is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of a Fund's investments in fixed income securities, such as bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, and other income producing securities. Fixed income securities are obligations of the issuer to make payments of principal and/or interest on future dates. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline. Even Funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in high quality fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is greater for funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") or comparable unrated securities.
Interest rate risk also is greater for Funds that generally invest in fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations than for Funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter maturities or durations.
Interest rate risk is compounded for Funds when they invest a significant portion of their assets in mortgage-related or asset-backed securities because the value of mortgage related and asset-backed securities generally is more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of fixed income securities. When interest rates rise, the maturities of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities tend to lengthen, and the value of these securities decreases more significantly than the value of other types of securities. In addition, these types of securities are subject to prepayment when interest rates fall, which generally results in lower returns because funds that hold these types of securities must reinvest assets previously invested in these types of securities in fixed income securities with lower interest rates.
Funds also face increased interest rate risk when they invest in fixed income securities paying no current interest, such as zero coupon securities, principal-only securities, interest-only securities, and fixed income securities paying non-cash interest in the form of other fixed income securities.
IPO RISK
Certain funds may purchase securities of companies that are offered pursuant to an initial public offering ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public in the primary market, typically to raise additional capital. The Funds may purchase a "hot" IPO (also known as a "hot issue"), which is an IPO that is oversubscribed and, as a result, is an investment opportunity of limited availability. As a consequence, the price at which these IPO shares open in the secondary market may be significantly higher than the original IPO price. IPO securities tend to involve greater risk due, in part, to public perception and the lack of publicly available information and trading history. There is the possibility of losses resulting
from the difference between the issue price and potential diminished value of the stock once traded in the secondary market. A Fund's investment in IPO securities may have a significant impact on such Fund's performance and may result in significant capital gains.
LEVERAGING RISK
When a Fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the Fund will be more volatile, and all other risks are generally compounded. Funds face this risk if they create leverage by using investments such as repurchase agreements, inverse floating rate instruments or derivatives, or by borrowing money.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing a Fund from selling these illiquid securities at an advantageous price. Derivatives and securities that involve substantial interest rate or credit risk tend to involve greater liquidity risk. In addition, liquidity risk tends to increase to the extent a Fund invests in securities whose sale may be restricted by law or by contract, such as Rule 144A securities.
LOWER QUALITY FIXED INCOME SECURITIES RISK
Lower quality fixed income securities, also known as "junk bonds," may be considered speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities, and a Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives may, to the extent the Fund invests in lower-rated securities, be more dependent upon Loomis Sayles' credit analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher quality securities. The issuers of these securities may be in default or have a currently identifiable vulnerability to default on their payments of principal and interest, or may otherwise be subject to present elements of danger with respect to payments of principal or interest. However, a Fund will not invest in securities that are in default as to payment of principal and interest at the time of purchase.
Lower-rated securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher grade securities. Yields on lower-rated securities will fluctuate. If the issuer of lower-rated securities defaults, a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.
The secondary markets in which lower-rated securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. A lack of liquidity in the secondary trading markets could adversely affect the price at which a Fund could sell a particular lower-rated security when necessary to meet liquidity needs or in response
to a specific economic event, such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer, and could adversely affect and cause large fluctuations in the net asset value of a Fund's shares. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities generally.
It is reasonable to expect that any adverse economic conditions could disrupt the market for lower-rated securities, have an adverse impact on the value of such securities, and adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon. New laws and proposed new laws may adversely impact the market for lower-rated securities.
MANAGEMENT RISK
Management risk is the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques could fail to achieve a Fund's objective and could cause your investment in a Fund to lose value. Each Fund is subject to management risk because each Fund is actively managed by Loomis Sayles. Loomis Sayles will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for each Fund, but there can be no guarantee that Loomis Sayles' decisions will produce the desired results. For example, in some cases derivative and other investment techniques may be unavailable or Loomis Sayles may determine not to use them, even under market conditions where their use could have benefited a Fund.
MARKET RISK
This is the risk that the value of a Fund's investments will change as financial markets fluctuate and that prices overall may decline. The value of a company's stock may fall as a result of factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. A security's value also may fall because of factors affecting not just the issuer of a security, but companies in its industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of a Fund's securities also may be affected by changes in financial market conditions, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a company's stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds or other debt. For this reason, the value of the stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other fixed income securities to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects.
Market risk generally is greater for funds that invest substantially in small and medium-sized companies, since these companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse developments than large companies. Furthermore, for funds that invest in fixed income securities, market risk tends to be greater when a Fund invests in fixed income securities with longer maturities.
MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES RISK
Certain Funds may invest in mortgage-related securities, such as Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") or Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") certificates, which differ from traditional debt securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if a Fund purchases these assets at a premium, a faster-than-expected prepayment rate will tend to reduce yield to maturity, and a slower-than-expected prepayment rate may have the opposite effect of increasing yield to maturity. If a Fund purchases mortgage-related securities at a discount, faster-than-expected prepayments will tend to increase, and slower-than-expected prepayments tend to reduce, yield to maturity. Prepayments, and resulting amounts available for reinvestment by the Fund, are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on securities purchased at a premium may result in a loss of principal if the premium has not been fully amortized at the time of prepayment. Although these securities will decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates generally, they are likely to appreciate less than other fixed income securities when interest rates decline because of the risk of prepayments. In addition, an increase in interest rates would also increase the inherent volatility of the Fund by increasing the average life of the Fund's portfolio securities.
MORTGAGE DOLLAR ROLLS
The Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund and Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund may enter into mortgage dollar rolls. A dollar roll involves the sale of a security by a Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price, and may be considered a form of borrowing for some purposes. A Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations under the transactions. A dollar roll involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. A Fund may be required to purchase securities at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since the counterparty in the transaction is required to deliver a similar, but not identical, security to a Fund, the security that a Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. There is no assurance that a Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST RISK
Real estate investment trusts ("REITs") involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or
extended vacancies of property). Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely held securities.
A Fund's investment in a REIT may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received or may result in the Fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. In addition, distributions by a Fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or, generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.
STRUCTURED NOTES
The Funds 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 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.
Investment in structured notes involves certain risks, including the risk that the issuer may be unable or unwilling to satisfy its obligations to pay principal or interest, which are separate from the risk that the note's reference instruments may move in a manner that is disadvantageous to the holder of the note. Structured notes, which are often illiquid, are also subject to market risk, liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. The terms of certain structured notes may provide that a decline in the reference instrument may result in the interest rate or principal amount being reduced to zero. Structured notes may be more volatile than the underlying reference instruments or traditional debt instruments.
TRANSACTIONS WITH OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, each Fund may be permitted to invest its daily cash balances in shares of money market and short-term bond funds advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. (an affiliate of Loomis Sayles) ("IXIS Advisors") or its affiliates ("Central Funds"). The Central Funds currently include the IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, Institutional Daily Income Fund, Cortland Trust, Inc. and Short Term Income Fund, Inc. Each Central Fund is advised by Reich & Tang Asset Management, LLC ("Reich & Tang"), except for IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, which is advised by IXIS Advisors and subadvised by Reich & Tang. Because Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors and Reich & Tang are each subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"), the Funds and the Central Funds may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Funds may also borrow and lend money for temporary or emergency purposes directly to and from other funds through an interfund credit facility. In addition to the Funds and the Central Funds, series of the following mutual fund groups may also be able to participate in the facility: IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I (except the CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund series), IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Harris Associates Investment Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II. The advisers and subadvisers to these mutual funds currently include IXIS Advisors, Reich & Tang, Loomis Sayles, AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., Harris Associates L.P. and Westpeak Global Advisors, L.P. Each of these advisers and subadvisers are subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America and are thus "affiliated persons" under the 1940 Act by reason of being under common control by IXIS Asset Management North America. In addition, because the Funds, and other funds, are advised by firms that are affiliated with one another, they may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the 1940 Act. The Central Funds and AEW Real Estate Income Fund will participate in the Credit Facility only as lenders. Participation in such an interfund lending program would be voluntary for both borrowing and lending funds, and a Fund would participate in an interfund lending program only if the Board of Trustees determined that doing so would benefit a Fund. Should a Fund participate in such an interfund lending program, the Board of Trustees would establish procedures for the operation of the program by the advisers or an affiliate. The Funds may engage in the transactions described above without further notice to shareholders.
MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), located at One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. Loomis Sayles is a subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, which is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Founded in 1926, Loomis Sayles and is one of the country's oldest investment firms with over $74.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2005. Loomis Sayles is well known for its research staff, which is one of the largest in the industry. Loomis Sayles is responsible for making investment decisions for each Fund and for providing general business management and administration to the Funds.
The aggregate advisory fees paid by the Funds during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 as a percentage of the Funds' daily net assets were:
FUND AGGREGATE ADVISORY FEE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 0.50% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 0.52% (after waiver) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 0.04% (after waiver) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 0.37% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
A discussion of the factors considered by the Funds' Board of Trustees in approving the Funds' investment advisory contracts is available in the Funds' annual reports for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following persons have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of each indicated Fund's portfolio since the date stated below. Except where noted, each portfolio manager has been employed by Loomis Sayles for at least five years.
LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND AND LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND Daniel Fuss has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund and Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund since inception. Mr. Fuss is Vice Chairman, Director and Managing Partner of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1958 and has been at Loomis Sayles since 1976. Mr. Fuss holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Marquette University and has over 47 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND Clifton Rowe has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund since December 2005. Mr. Rowe is a Vice President of Loomis
Sayles. He began his investment career in 1992 and has been at Loomis Sayles since 1992. Mr. Rowe holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.B.A. from James Madison University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and has over 13 years of investment experience.
Richard Raczkowski has served as a co-portfolio manager of the Fund since December 2005. Mr. Raczkowski is a Vice President of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1985 and has been at Loomis Sayles since 2001. He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University, and has over 20 years of investment experience.
Neil Burke has served as a co-portfolio manager of the Fund since December 2005. Mr. Burke is a Vice President of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1991 and has been at Loomis Sayles since 1997. Mr. Burke received a B.A. from Catholic University of America and an M.B.A. from Boston College and has over 14 years of investment experience.
LOOMIS SAYLES INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND Daniel Fuss has served as portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund since its inception in 1991. Mr. Fuss is Vice Chairman, Director and Managing Partner of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1958 and has been at Loomis Sayles since 1976. Mr. Fuss holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Marquette University and has over 47 years of investment experience.
Steven Kaseta has served as a co-portfolio manager of the Fund since February 2002. Mr. Kaseta is a Vice President of Loomis Sayles. He began his investment career in 1982 and has been at Loomis Sayles since 1994. Mr. Kaseta holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He received an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and has over 23 years of investment experience.
Please see the SAI for information on the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts under management by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of securities in the Funds.
OTHER FEES
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, may pay certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries whose customers are existing shareholders of the Funds a continuing fee at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the value of Fund shares held for these customers' accounts, although this continuing fee is paid by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, out of its own assets and is not assessed against the Fund.
GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED
"Net asset value" is the price of one share of a Fund without a sales charge, and is calculated each business day using this formula:
TOTAL MARKET VALUE OF SECURITIES + CASH AND OTHER ASSETS - LIABILITIES NET ASSET VALUE = ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING SHARES |
The net asset value of Fund shares is determined according to this schedule:
. A share's net asset value is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on the days the Exchange is open for trading. This is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Generally, a Fund's shares will not be priced on the days on which the Exchange is closed for trading. However, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, a Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles, in its discretion, determines that there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares. This may occur, for example, if the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets and/or NASDAQ Stock Market are open for trading. In addition, a Fund's shares will not be priced on the holidays listed in the SAI. See the section "Net Asset Value" in the SAI for more details.
. The price you pay for purchasing, redeeming or exchanging a share will be based upon the net asset value next calculated by the Fund's custodian after your order is received "in good order."
. Requests received by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("Distributor") after the Exchange closes will be processed based upon the net asset value determined at the close of regular trading on the next day that the Exchange is open, with the exception that those orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and received by the Distributor from the investment dealer before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time* on the same day will be based on the net asset value determined on that day.
. A Fund significantly invested in foreign securities may have net asset value changes on days when you cannot buy or sell its shares.
*Under limited circumstances, the Distributor may enter into contractual agreements pursuant to which orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and transmitted to the Distributor prior to 9:30 a.m. on the next business day are processed at the net asset value determined on the day the order was received by your investment dealer.
Generally, during times of substantial economic or market change, it may be difficult to place your order by phone. During these times, you may deliver your order in person to the Distributor or send your order by mail as described in the sections "How to Purchase Shares" and "How to Redeem Shares."
Generally, Fund securities are valued as follows:
. EQUITY SECURITIES -- market price or as provided by a pricing service if market price is unavailable.
. DEBT SECURITIES (OTHER THAN SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS) -- based upon pricing service valuations, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using market information, transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities which are generally recognized by institutional traders.
. SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS (REMAINING MATURITY OF LESS THAN 60 DAYS) -- amortized cost (which approximates market value).
. SECURITIES TRADED ON FOREIGN EXCHANGES -- market price on the non-U.S. exchange, unless the Fund believes that an occurrence after the close of the exchange will materially affect the security's value. In that case, the security may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing securities, the Funds may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time a Fund's net asset value is calculated.
. OPTIONS -- last sale price, or if not available, last offering price.
. FUTURES -- unrealized gain or loss on the contract using current settlement price. When a settlement price is not used, futures contracts will be valued at their fair value as determined by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
. ALL OTHER SECURITIES -- fair market value as determined by the adviser of the Fund pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale of the security in the ordinary course of business). A Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
ACCESSING YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS WEBSITE You can access our website at www.loomissayles.com to perform transactions (purchases, redemptions or exchanges), to review your account information, change your address, order duplicate statements or tax forms, or to obtain a prospectus, an application or periodic reports.
LOOMIS SAYLES AUTOMATED VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM You have access to your account 24 hours a day by calling Loomis Sayles' automated voice response system at 1-800-633-3330, option 1. Using this customer service option you may review your account balance and Fund prices, order duplicate statements, order duplicate tax forms and obtain wiring instructions.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
You can buy shares of each Fund in several ways:
THROUGH A FINANCIAL ADVISER Your financial adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Loomis Sayles Funds. Your financial adviser may charge you for his or her services. Your adviser must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV.
THROUGH A BROKER-DEALER You may purchase shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer that has been approved by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., which can be contacted at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (1-800-633-3330). Your broker-dealer may charge you a fee for effecting such transactions. Your broker-dealer must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV.
DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND Loomis Sayles Funds must receive your purchase request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for you to receive that day's NAV.
You can purchase shares directly from each Fund in several ways:
. BY MAIL You can buy shares of each Fund by submitting a completed application form, which is available online at www.loomissayles.com or by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 for the desired Fund or Funds, along with a check payable to Loomis Sayles Funds for the amount of your purchase to:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
After your account has been established, you may send subsequent investments directly to Loomis Sayles Funds at the above address. Please include either the investment slip from your account statement or a letter specifying the Fund name, your account number and your name, address, and telephone number.
. BY WIRE You also may wire subsequent investments by using the following wire instructions. Your bank may charge a fee for transmitting funds by wire.
State Street Bank and Trust Company
1225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
ABA No. 011000028
DDA 9904-622-9
Mutual Funds f/b/o Loomis Sayles Funds I
(Name of Fund)
(Your account number)
(Your name)
. BY TELEPHONE If you established the electronic transfer privilege on your new account, you can make subsequent investments by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. If you did not establish the electronic transfer privilege on your application, you may add the privilege by obtaining an Account Options Form through your financial adviser, by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or visiting www.loomissayles.com.
. BY EXCHANGE You may purchase shares of a Fund by exchange of shares of another Fund by sending a signed letter of instruction to Loomis Sayles Funds, calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or accessing your account online at www.loomissayles.com.
. BY INTERNET If you have established a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and you have established the electronic transfer privilege, you can make subsequent investments through your online account at www.loomissayles.com. If you have not established a PIN but you have established the electronic transfer privilege from www.loomissayles.com click on "Account Access," then click on the appropriate user type and follow the instructions.
Each Fund sells its shares at the NAV next calculated after the Fund receives a properly completed investment order. The Fund generally must receive your properly completed order before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for your shares to be bought and sold at the Fund's NAV on that day. Purchases made through ACH prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange will receive the NAV calculated on the following business day.
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase Institutional Class shares of a Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if Loomis Sayles deems
the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by a Fund in such a transaction will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Funds reserve the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
All purchases made by check should be in U.S. dollars and made payable to Loomis Sayles Funds. The Funds will not accept checks made payable to anyone other than Loomis Sayles Funds (including third party checks) or starter checks. In addition, the Funds will not accept checks drawn on credit card accounts. When you make an investment by check or by periodic account investment, you will not be permitted to redeem that investment until the shares have been in your account for 15 days.
A Fund may periodically close to new purchases of shares or refuse any order to buy shares if the Fund determines that doing so would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. See "Restrictions on Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares" below. Except to the extent otherwise permitted by the Distributor, the Funds will only accept accounts from U.S. citizens with a U.S. address or resident aliens with a U.S. address and a U.S. taxpayer identification number.
Each Fund is required by federal regulations to obtain personal information from you and to use that information to verify your identity. A Fund may not be able to open your account if the requested information is not provided. EACH FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT, CLOSE AN ACCOUNT AND REDEEM YOUR SHARES AT THE THEN CURRENT PRICE OR TAKE OTHER SUCH STEPS THAT THE FUND DEEMS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS IF YOUR IDENTITY IS NOT VERIFIED.
Each Fund's shares may be purchased by all types of tax-deferred retirement plans. If you wish to open an individual retirement account (IRA) with a Fund, Loomis Sayles has retirement forms available online at www.loomissayles.com or by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330.
The following table shows the minimum initial investment for each Fund.
FUND MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $3,000,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund $3,000,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund $3,000,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund $2,000,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Each subsequent investment must be at least $50,000. Loomis Sayles Funds reserves the right to waive these minimums in its sole discretion, including for certain retirement plans whose accounts are held on the books of the Fund's transfer agent in an omnibus fashion. At the discretion of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., employees and clients of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., and their respective family members, may purchase shares of the Funds offered through this prospectus below the stated minimums.
In our continuing effort to reduce your Fund's expenses and amount of mail that you receive from Loomis Sayles Funds, we will mail only a single copy of prospectuses, proxy statement and financial reports to your household. Additional copies may be obtained by calling 1-800-633-3330.
This program will continue in effect unless you notify us that you do not want to participate in this combined mailing program. If you wish to receive separate mailings for each Fund you own in the future, please call us at the telephone number above or mail your written request to Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 and we will resume separate mailings within 30 days.
SMALL ACCOUNT POLICY In order to address the relatively higher costs of servicing smaller fund positions, each Fund may assess, on an annual basis, a minimum balance fee of $20 on accounts that fall below $500. The minimum balance fee is assessed by the automatic redemption of shares in the account in an amount sufficient to pay the fee. The minimum balance fee does not apply to directly registered accounts that (i) make monthly purchases through systematic investing or (ii) are retirement accounts. Accounts held through intermediaries, regardless of account type, will be included in the fee debit. If your Fund account falls below $50, regardless of account type, the Fund may redeem your remaining shares and send the proceeds to you.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
You can redeem shares of each Fund any day the Exchange is open either through your financial advisor or directly from the Fund. If you are redeeming shares that you purchased within the past 15 days by check, telephone ACH or online ACH, your redemption will be delayed until the shares have been in your account for 15 days.
Because large redemptions are likely to require liquidation by the Fund of portfolio holdings, payment for large redemptions may be delayed for up to seven days to provide for orderly liquidation of such holdings. Under unusual circumstances, the Funds may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days. Although most redemptions are made in cash, as described in the SAI, each Fund reserves the right to redeem shares in kind.
REDEMPTIONS THROUGH YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISER Your adviser must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's NAV. Your adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Loomis Sayles Funds on a timely basis and may charge you for his or her services.
REDEMPTIONS THROUGH YOUR BROKER-DEALER You may redeem shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer that has been approved by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., which can be contacted at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (1-800-633-3300). Your broker-dealer may charge you a fee for effecting such transaction. Your broker-dealer must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange for you to receive that day's
NAV. Your redemptions generally will be wired to your broker-dealer on the first business day after your request is received in good order.
REDEMPTIONS DIRECTLY FROM THE FUNDS Loomis Sayles Funds must receive your redemption request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for you to receive that day's NAV. Your redemptions will generally be sent to you via first class mail on the business day after your request is received in good order.
You may make redemptions directly from each Fund in several ways:
. BY MAIL Send a signed letter of instruction that includes the name of the Fund, the exact name(s) in which the shares are registered, any special capacity in which you are signing (such as trustee or custodian or on behalf of a partnership, corporation, or other entity), your address, telephone number, account number, and the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed to the following address:
Regular Mail Overnight Mail ------------ -------------- Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
If you have certificates for the shares you want to sell, you must include them along with completed stock power forms.
All owners of shares must sign the written request in the exact names in which the shares are registered. The owners should indicate any special capacity in which they are signing (such as trustee or custodian or on behalf of a partnership, corporation or other entity).
. BY EXCHANGE You may sell some or all of your shares of a Fund and use the proceeds to buy shares of another Loomis Sayles Fund by sending a letter of instruction to Loomis Sayles Funds, calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or exchange online at www.loomissayles.com.
. BY INTERNET If you have established a Personal Identification Number (PIN), and you have established the electronic transfer privilege, you can redeem shares through your online account at www.loomissayles.com. If you have not established a PIN, but you have established the electronic transfer privilege, click on "Account Access" at www.loomissayles.com, click on the appropriate user type, and then follow the instructions.
. BY TELEPHONE You may redeem shares by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330. Proceeds from telephone redemption requests can be wired to your bank account, sent electronically by ACH to your bank account, or sent by check in the name of the registered owner(s) to the record address. A wire fee will be deducted from your proceeds. Your bank may charge you a fee to receive the wire.
Retirement shares may not be redeemed by telephone. Please call Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 for an IRA Distribution Form, or download the form online at www.loomissayles.com.
The maximum value of shares that you may redeem by telephone or internet is $50,000. For your protection, telephone or internet redemption requests will not be permitted if Loomis Sayles Funds has been notified of an address change for your account within the preceding 30 days. Unless you indicate otherwise on your account application, Loomis Sayles Funds will be authorized to accept redemption and transfer instructions by telephone. If you prefer, you can decline telephone redemption and transfer privileges.
The telephone redemption privilege may be modified or terminated by the Funds without notice. Certain of the telephone redemption procedures may be waived for holders of Institutional Class shares.
. SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN If the value of your account is $25,000 or more, you can have periodic redemptions automatically paid to you or to someone you designate. Please call 1-800-633-3330 for more information or to set up a systematic withdrawal plan or visit www.loomissayles.com to obtain an Account Options Form.
Before Loomis Sayles Funds can wire redemption proceeds to your bank account, you must provide specific wire instructions to Loomis Sayles Funds in writing. A wire fee will be deducted from the proceeds. Your bank may charge you a fee to receive the wire.
For ACH redemption, proceeds (less any applicable redemption fee) will generally arrive at your bank within three business days.
MEDALLION SIGNATURE GUARANTEE You must have your signature guaranteed by a bank, broker-dealer, or other financial institution that can issue a medallion signature guarantee for the following types of redemptions:
. If you are redeeming shares worth more than $50,000.
. If you are requesting that the proceeds check be made out to someone other
than the registered owner(s) or sent to an address other than the record
address.
. If the account registration has changed within the past 30 days.
. If you are instructing us to wire the proceeds to a bank account not
designated on the application.
The Funds will only accept medallion signature guarantees bearing the STAMP2000 Medallion imprint. Please note that a notary public cannot provide a medallion signature guarantee. This guaranteed signature requirement may be waived by Loomis Sayles Funds in certain cases.
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
You may exchange the shares of your Fund, subject to investment minimums, for Institutional Class shares of any Fund that offers Institutional Class shares, for Class Y shares of any Fund that offers Class Y shares or for Class A shares of IXIS Cash Management Trust, a money market fund that is advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of Loomis Sayles. All exchanges are subject to any restrictions described in the applicable Funds' prospectuses.
The value of Fund shares that you wish to exchange must meet the investment minimum of the new fund. Please call 1-800-633-3330 (option 3) prior to requesting this transaction.
You may make an exchange by sending a signed letter of instruction or by telephone or through your online account at www.loomissayles.com, unless you have elected on your account application to decline telephone exchange privileges.
Please remember that an exchange may be a taxable event for federal and/or state income tax purposes, so that you may realize a gain or loss that is subject to income tax.
RESTRICTIONS ON BUYING, SELLING AND EXCHANGING SHARES
Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders may present certain risks for other shareholders in a Fund. This includes the risk of diluting the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, interfering with the efficient management of a Fund's portfolio, and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. Funds investing in securities that require special valuation processes (such as foreign securities, high yield securities, or small cap securities) may also have increased exposure to these risks. Each Fund discourages excessive, short-term trading that may be detrimental to a Fund and its shareholders. The Funds' Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
The Funds reserve the right to suspend or change the terms of purchasing or exchanging shares. Each Fund and the Distributor reserve the right to refuse or limit any purchase or exchange order for any reason, including if the transaction is deemed not to be in the best interests of the Fund's other shareholders or possibly disruptive to the management of the Fund.
LIMITS ON FREQUENT TRADING. Without limiting the right of each Fund and the Distributor to refuse any purchase or exchange order, each Fund and the Distributor may (but are not obligated to) restrict purchases and exchanges for the accounts of "market timers." With respect to exchanges, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than two exchange purchases of any Fund are made for the account over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund; or (ii) the account makes one or more exchange purchases of any Fund over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. With respect to new purchases of a Fund, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than twice over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund, there is a purchase in a Fund followed by a subsequent redemption; or (ii) there are two purchases into a Fund by an account, each followed by a subsequent redemption over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. The preceding are not exclusive lists of activities that the Funds and the Distributor may consider to be "market timing."
TRADE ACTIVITY MONITORING. Trading activity is monitored selectively on a daily basis in an effort to detect excessive short-term trading activities. If a Fund or the Distributor believes that a shareholder or financial intermediary has engaged in market timing or other excessive, short-term trading activity, it may, in its discretion, request that the shareholder or financial intermediary stop such activities or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the accounts. In its discretion, each Fund or the Distributor may restrict or prohibit transactions by such identified shareholders or intermediaries. In making such judgments, the Funds and the Distributor seek to act in a manner that they believe is consistent with the best interests of all shareholders. The Funds and the Distributor also reserve the right to notify financial intermediaries of your trading activity. Because the Funds and the Distributor will not always be able to detect market timing activity, investors should not assume the Funds will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Funds. For example, the ability of the Funds and the Distributor to monitor trades that are placed by omnibus or other nominee accounts is severely limited in those instances in which the broker, retirement plan administrator or fee-based program sponsor maintains the record of a Fund's underlying beneficial owners.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
It is the policy of each Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all of its net investment income. Each Fund also distributes all of its net capital gains realized after applying any capital loss carry forwards.
Any capital gain distributions normally are made annually, but may be made more frequently as deemed advisable by the Trustees and as permitted by applicable law. The Trustees may change the frequency with which each Fund declares or pays dividends. The table below provides further information about each Fund's dividend policy.
FUND DIVIDEND POLICY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund Generally, declares and pays dividends Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund annually -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund Generally, declares and pays dividends Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund monthly -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
You may choose to:
. reinvest all distributions in additional shares; or
. have checks sent to the address of record for the amount of distribution or
have the distribution transferred through Automated Clearing House ("ACH")
to a bank of your choice.
If you do not select an option when you open your account, all distributions will be reinvested.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
Except where noted, the discussion below addresses only the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in a Fund and does not address any foreign, state, or local tax consequences.
Each Fund intends to meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code necessary to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" and thus does not expect to pay any federal income tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders.
Because all of the Funds are designed primarily for tax-exempt investors, such as pension plans, endowments and foundations, they are not managed with a view to reducing taxes.
Unless otherwise noted, the discussion below, to the extent describing shareholder-level tax consequences, pertains solely to taxable shareholders.
TAXATION OF FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable to a shareholder has held Fund shares. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. For the taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, distributions of investment income designated by a Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" are taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. The Funds do not expect a significant portion of their distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.
Distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. If you invest right before a Fund pays a dividend, you will be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. If a dividend or distribution is made shortly after you purchase shares of a Fund, while in effect a return of capital to you, the dividend or distribution is taxable. You can avoid this, if you choose, by investing after the Fund has paid a dividend. Investors in tax-advantaged retirement accounts do not need to be concerned about this.
Distributions by a Fund to retirement plans and other investors that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will generally not be taxable. Special tax rules apply to investments through such retirement plans. If your investment is through such a plan, you should consult your tax adviser to determine the suitability of the Funds for investment through your plan and the tax treatment of distributions to you (including distributions of amounts attributable to an investment in a Fund) from such a plan.
Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced to, in general, 15%, with lower rates applying to shareholders in the 15% and 10% rate brackets. For more information, see the Statement of Additional Information, under "Distribution and Taxes."
SALE OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of your shares will generally be subject to tax. Shareholder transactions in a Fund's shares resulting in gains from selling shares held for more than one year generally are taxed at capital gain rates, while those resulting from sales or shares held for one year or less generally are taxed at ordinary income rates.
TAXATION OF CERTAIN INVESTMENTS. A Fund's investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the Fund's yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes. In addition, a Fund's investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund's distributions.
A Fund's investments in certain debt obligations may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including times when it may not be advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its mandatory distribution requirements.
A Fund may at times buy investments at a discount from the price at which they were originally issued, especially during periods of rising interest rates. For federal income tax purposes, some or all of this market discount will be included in such Fund's ordinary income and will be taxable to shareholders as such when it is distributed.
Income distributions from REITs generally are not entitled to be treated as qualified dividend income. For other implications of the Fund's investments in REITs, see the SAI under "Distributions and Taxes".
NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). However, effective for taxable years of the Funds beginning before January 1, 2008, a Fund generally will not be required to withhold any amounts with respect to distributions of (i) U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, and (ii) net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, in each case to the extent such
distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The Funds do not intent to make such designations.
Recent legislation modifies the tax treatment of distributions from a Fund that are paid to a foreign person and are attributable to gain from "U.S. real property interests" ("USRPIs"), which the Code defines to include direct holdings of U.S. real property and interests (other than solely as a creditor) in "U.S. real property holding corporations," such as REITs. Effective in respect of dividends paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007, distributions to foreign persons attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of ISRPUs will give rise to an obligation for those foreign persons to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax, and may well be subject to withholding under future regulations.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. Each Fund is required in certain circumstances to apply backup withholding on taxable dividends, redemption proceeds and certain other payments that are paid to any shareholder (including a shareholder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the U.S.) who does not furnish the Fund certain information and certifications or who is otherwise subject to backup withholding. The backup withholding rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010 and will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States.
You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables below are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five years (or since inception, if shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns represent the rate that you would have earned or lost on an investment in each Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with each Fund's financial statements, is included in the Fund's annual reports to shareholders. The annual reports are incorporated by reference into the SAI, both of which are available free of charge upon request from the Distributor.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ------------------------------------ ---------------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from from net beginning of investment gain (loss) on investment net investment realized the period income(a) investments operations income capital gains ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIXED INCOME FUND 9/30/2005 $13.93 $0.75 $ 0.58 $1.33 $(1.38) $-- 9/30/2004 13.24 0.82 0.79 1.61 (0.92) -- 9/30/2003 10.95 0.84 2.40 3.24 (0.95) -- 9/30/2002+ 11.23 0.87 (0.15) 0.72 (1.00) -- 9/30/2001 11.95 0.96 (0.78) 0.18 (0.90) -- |
(a) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. (b) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (c) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expense during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of expenses would have been higher. + As required effective October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of this change per share to the Funds's net investment income and net realized and unrealized gain (loss) was less than $0.01. The ratio of net investment income to average net assets for the Fund remained unchanged. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation.
Ratios to Average Net Assets ------------------------------ Net asset Net assets, Net value, end end of the investment Portfolio Total Redemption of the Total period Net Gross income turnover distributions fees period return(b) (000) expenses(c) expenses (loss) rate --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(1.38) $-- $13.88 9.9% $444,552 0.65% 0.65% 5.47% 34% (0.92) -- 13.93 12.6 358,652 0.65 0.66 6.17 35 (0.95) -- 13.24 31.5 412,521 0.65 0.67 7.03 33 (1.00) -- 10.95 6.7 372,141 0.65 0.70 7.87 21 (0.90) -- 11.23 1.6 420,091 0.65 0.68 8.39 24 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations Less Distributions ----------------------------------- ----------------------- Net asset Net realized Total Dividends Distributions value, Net and unrealized from from net from net beginning investment gain (loss) on investment investment realized of the period income investments operations income capital gains ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND 9/30/2005 $ 7.50 $0.55(c) $ 0.39 $ 0.94 $(0.64) $ -- 9/30/2004 6.91 0.55(c) 0.66 1.21 (0.62) -- 9/30/2003 4.81 0.59(c) 1.69 2.28 (0.18) -- 9/30/2002+ 6.50 0.68(c) (0.96) (0.28) (1.41) -- 9/30/2001 8.33 0.91(c) (1.93) (1.02) (0.81) -- INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND 9/30/2005 $ 9.92 $0.40(c) $(0.25) $ 0.15 $(0.45) $(0.02) 9/30/2004 10.10 0.45(c) (0.10) 0.35 (0.53) -- 9/30/2003 9.62 0.51(c) 0.49 1.00 (0.52) -- 9/30/2002++ 10.13 0.60(c) (0.50) 0.10 (0.60) (0.01) 9/30/2001 9.55 0.64(c) 0.57 1.21 (0.63) -- INVESTMENT GRADE FIXED INCOME FUND 9/30/2005 $13.54 $0.57(c) $ 0.27 $ 0.84 $(0.83) $(0.27) 9/30/2004 13.38 0.67(c) 0.75 1.42 (0.88) (0.38) 9/30/2003 11.56 0.77(c) 1.87 2.64 (0.78) (0.04) 9/30/2002+++ 11.16 0.77(c) 0.35 1.12 (0.66) (0.06) 9/30/2001 11.00 0.81(c) 0.15 0.96 (0.79) (0.01) |
(a) Total returns would have been lower had the adviser not reduced its advisory fees and/or borne other operating expenses. (b) The adviser has agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund's expense during the period. Without this reimbursement the Fund's ratio of expenses would have been higher. (c) Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. (d) Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share. + As required effective October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities and reclassifying paydown gains and losses to interest income for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of this change to the Fund's net investment income and net realized and unrealized gain (loss) was less than $.01 per share. The ratio of net investment income to average net assets for the Fund increased from 11.60% to 11.61% on an annualized basis. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation. ++ As required effective October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities and reclassifying paydown gains and losses to interest income for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of this change per share to the Fund was a decrease to net investment income by $0.01 per share and an increase to net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment by $0.01 per share. The ratio of net investment income to average net assets for the Fund decreased from 6.23% to 6.13% on an annualized basis. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation. +++ As required effective October 1, 2001, the Fund has adopted the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, and began amortizing premium on debt securities and reclassifying paydown gains and losses to interest income for financial statement purposes only. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the effect of this change to the Fund's net investment income and net realized and unrealized gain (loss) was less than $0.01 per share. The ratio of net investment income to average net assets for the Fund decreased from 6.77% to 6.76% on an annualized basis. Per share ratios and supplemental data for periods prior to October 1, 2001, have not been restated to reflect this change in presentation. (e) Effective July 1, 2005, the Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund decreased its net expense limitations to 0.40% from 0.45%.
Ratios to Average Net Assets ------------------------------ Net Net assets, Net asset value, end of investment Portfolio Total Redemption end of the Total the period Net Gross income turnover distributions fees period return(a) (000) expenses(b) expenses (loss) rate ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $(0.64) $ -- $ 7.80 13.0% $110,533 0.75% 0.82% 7.24% 22% (0.62) -- 7.50 18.1 97,109 0.75 0.88 7.66 59 (0.18) 0.00(d) 6.91 48.7 86,141 0.75 0.91 10.01 53 (1.41) -- 4.81 (6.0) 57,055 0.75 1.10 11.61 32 (0.81) -- 6.50 (12.6) 31,972 0.75 1.03 12.64 43 $(0.47) $ -- $ 9.60 1.5% $ 40,628 0.44%(e) 0.68% 4.10% 50% (0.53) -- 9.92 3.6 31,051 0.45 0.76 4.48 48 (0.52) -- 10.10 10.7 37,103 0.45 0.74 5.15 63 (0.61) -- 9.62 1.0 40,734 0.45 0.83 6.13 24 (0.63) -- 10.13 13.0 23,568 0.48 0.89 6.48 19 $(1.10) $ -- $13.28 6.4% $186,749 0.55% 0.58% 4.28% 42% (1.26) -- 13.54 11.1 177,094 0.55 0.60 5.03 34 (0.82) -- 13.38 23.8 142,271 0.55 0.62 6.22 32 (0.72) -- 11.56 10.4 136,042 0.55 0.64 6.76 20 (0.80) -- 11.16 9.0 148,168 0.55 0.62 7.25 14 |
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FREE UPON REQUEST:
Annual and Semiannual Reports - Provide additional information about the Funds' investments. Each report includes a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during the last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI) - Provides more detailed information about the Funds' and their investment limitations and policies. Each SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference.
To order a free copy of the Funds' annual or semiannual reports or their SAIs, to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries generally, contact your financial adviser, or contact Loomis Sayles at 1-800-343-2029. The Funds' annual and semiannual reports and SAIs are available on the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com.
Information about the Funds, including their reports and SAIs, can be reviewed and copied at the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. You may call the Commission at 1-202-942-8090 for information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You also may access reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR Database on the Commission's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may also be obtained, after payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS A description of each Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in the Fund's SAI.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("IXIS Distributors"), an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and other firms selling shares of Loomis Sayles Funds are members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"). As a service to investors, the NASD has asked that we inform you of the availability of a brochure on its Public Disclosure Program. The program provides access to information about securities firms and their representatives. Investors may obtain a copy by contacting the NASD at 1-800-289-9999 or by visiting its Web site at www.NASD.com.
IXIS Distributors distributes the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds. If you have a complaint concerning IXIS Distributors or any of its representatives or associated persons, please direct it to IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., Attn: Director of Compliance, 399 Boylston Street - 6/th/ Floor, Boston, MA 02116 or call us at 1-800-225-5478.
Loomis Sayles Funds
P.O. Box 219594
Kansas City, MO 61421-9594
1-800-633-3330
www.loomissayles.com
Loomis Sayles Funds I
File No. 811-08282 M-LS51-0206
[LOGO] Loomis Sayles
[GRAPHIC]
[GRAPHIC]
LOOMIS SAYLES SECURITIZED ASSET FUND
[LOGO] Loomis Sayles Funds
PROSPECTUS . FEBRUARY 1, 2006
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., which has been an investment adviser since 1926, is the investment adviser of the Fund.
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE FUND'S SHARES OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIME.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY 1 Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund 1 FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND 4 SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS 6 MANAGEMENT 11 Investment Adviser 11 Portfolio Managers 11 GENERAL INFORMATION 13 How Fund Shares are Priced 13 How to Purchase Shares 15 How to Redeem Shares 15 Other Purchase and Redemption Information 16 Restrictions on Buying and Selling Shares 17 Dividends and Distributions 18 Tax Consequences 18 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 21 |
You can lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its objective and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
LOOMIS SAYLES SECURITIZED ASSET FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of current income consistent with capital preservation.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund's investment adviser, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), seeks to achieve this objective by investing at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio of securitized assets, such as mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. In accordance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements, the Fund will notify shareholders prior to any change to such policy taking effect. Although under normal circumstances the Fund's investments are expected to consist primarily of mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities similar to those in the Lehman Brothers Securitized Index (the "Index"), the Fund may invest in any type of asset-backed security. The Fund may only buy securities that are rated investment grade at the time of purchase by at least one of the three major agencies (S&P, Moody's and Fitch) or, if unrated, determined by Loomis Sayles to be of comparable quality; it is expected that a majority of the Fund's securities will be rated AAA by at least one of the rating agencies. The Fund may continue to hold securities that are downgraded in quality subsequent to their purchase if Loomis Sayles believes it would be advantageous to do so. The Fund may invest in both fixed and floating rate instruments.
The following is a list of securities in which, among others, the Fund may
invest:
. Mortgage pass-through securities issued or guaranteed by agencies or
instrumentalities of the U.S. Government
. Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) issued by agencies or
instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, as well as privately issued CMOs
. Commercial mortgage-backed securities
. Mortgage-related asset-backed securities (ABS) such as home equity loan ABS
and manufactured housing ABS
. Other ABS securities collateralized by assets such as automobile loans and
leases, equipment loans and leases, and credit card and other types of
receivables
Loomis Sayles uses a bottom-up, fundamental research process to select individual securities for the Fund. Loomis Sayles will seek to construct a portfolio with risk characteristics similar but not identical to the securities in the Index. Examples of typical risk characteristics that Loomis Sayles might consider include average life, credit quality, effective duration, yield curve exposure and sector exposure, among others. The portfolio will not necessarily exhibit similarities with the Index for some or all risk characteristics. It is currently anticipated that the Fund's effective duration will be within +/- 1 year of the effective duration of the Index.
The Fund may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts (including on a "to be announced" basis) or by using investment techniques such as buybacks and dollar rolls.
The Fund's investments also may include the following: U.S. Government securities, corporate debt securities, zero coupon securities, step coupon securities, commercial paper, structured notes, mortgage-related securities (including stripped mortgage-backed securities), when-issued securities, and repurchase agreements. The Fund may engage in options and futures transactions, as well as swap transactions.
The Fund may also engage in active and frequent trading of securities. Frequent trading may produce high transaction costs and a high level of taxable capital gains, which may lower the Fund's return.
The Fund is "non-diversified." As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may invest in fewer issuers, as compared with other mutual funds that are diversified.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if it uses defensive strategies and thus may not achieve its investment objective.
A "snapshot" of the Fund's investments may be found in the current annual or semiannual report. In addition, a list of the Fund's full portfolio holdings, which is updated monthly after an aging period of at least 30 days, is available at www.loomissayles.com (click on "Separate Accounts"). These holdings will remain accessible on the website until the Fund files its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q with the SEC for the period that includes the date of the information. Please see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on obtaining a copy of the Fund's current annual or semiannual report.
PRINCIPAL RISKS The principal risks of investing in the Fund are described below There are other circumstances (including additional risks that are not described here) which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment goal. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.
. credit risk - the risk that companies in which the Fund invests, or with
which it does business, such as counterparties to derivative transactions,
will fail financially, and be unwilling or unable to meet their obligations
to the Fund.
. derivatives risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's derivative
investments will fall as a result of pricing difficulties or lack of
correlation with the underlying investment, or that a counterparty to a
derivatives transaction will be unable or unwilling to meet its obligations
to the Fund.
. interest rate risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will
fall if interest rates rise. Interest rate risk generally is greater for
funds that invest in fixed income securities with relatively longer
durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter
durations.
. issuer risk - the risk that the value of securities may decline due to a
number of reasons relating to the issuer, such as management performance,
financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods and services.
. liquidity risk - the risk that the Fund may be unable to find a buyer for
its investments when it seeks to sell them.
. management risk - the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques will be
unsuccessful and may cause the Fund to incur losses.
. market risk - the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will fall as
a result of movements in financial markets generally.
. mortgage-related risk - subject to prepayment risk and extension risk. With
prepayment, the Fund may reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities with
lower yields than the prepaid obligations. The Fund may also incur a loss
when there is a prepayment of securities that were purchased at a premium.
Extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will
extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the expected
prepayment time, typically reducing the security's value. A dollar roll
involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to
securities underlying the transactions. The Fund may be required to purchase
securities at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open
market. There is no assurance that the Fund's use of cash that it receives
from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
. non-diversification risk - compared with other mutual funds, the Fund may
invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may
invest in fewer issuers. Therefore, the Fund may have more risk because
changes in the value of a single security or the impact of a single
economic, political or regulatory occurrence may have a greater adverse
impact on the Fund's net asset value.
For more information see the section "Summary of Principal Risks."
FUND PERFORMANCE
Because the Fund has not been in operation for a full calendar year, information related to Fund performance, including a bar chart showing annual returns and a comparison of such returns to a broad-based securities market index, has not been included in this prospectus.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you would pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The Fund does not impose a sales charge, a redemption fee, or an exchange fee./1/
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF DAILY NET ASSETS)
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND FEE WAIVER/ MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTION OTHER OPERATING EXPENSE NET FEES* (12B-1) FEES EXPENSES* EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENTS EXPENSES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SECURITIZED ASSET FUND 0.21% 0.00% 0.13% 0.34% 0.34% 0.00% --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* The amount under Management Fees reflects the approximate amount that would be required to compensate Loomis Sayles for providing pure portfolio management services (not the advisory fees charged for the entire "wrap-fee" program or for the investor's separate account with Loomis Sayles), and the amount under Other Expenses reflects the amount of operating expenses of the Fund which are paid for by Loomis Sayles. See Note 1 below.
EXAMPLE
The following example translates the "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" column shown in the preceding table into dollar amounts. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
This example makes certain assumptions. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods shown and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. Please remember that this example is hypothetical, so that your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower but based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS -------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES SECURITIZED ASSET FUND $0 $0 $0 $0 -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
/1/ The tables show net fees and expenses of the Fund as 0%, reflecting the fact that the Fund does not pay any advisory, administration or distribution and service fees, and that Loomis Sayles has agreed to pay certain expenses of the Fund. You should be aware, however, that shares of the Fund are available only to institutional investment advisory clients of Loomis Sayles and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors") and to participants in certain approved "wrap-fee" programs sponsored by broker-dealers and investment advisers that may be affiliated or unaffiliated with the Fund, Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors. The institutional investment advisory clients of Loomis Sayles and IXIS Advisors pay Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors a fee for their investment advisory services, while participants in "wrap fee" programs pay a "wrap" fee to the program's sponsor. The "wrap fee" program sponsors in turn pay fees to IXIS Advisors. "Wrap fee" program participants
should read carefully the wrap-fee brochure provided to them by their program's sponsor. The brochure is required to include information about the fees charged by the "wrap fee" program sponsor and the fees paid by such sponsor to IXIS Advisors. Investors pay no additional fees or expenses to purchase shares of the Fund. Investors will, however, indirectly pay a proportionate share of those costs, such as brokerage commissions, taxes and extraordinary expenses, that are borne by the Fund through a reduction in its net asset value. See the section "Management - Investment Adviser."
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
This section provides more information on the principal risks that may affect
the Fund's portfolio as a whole. In seeking to achieve its investment goal, the
Fund may also invest in various types of securities and engage in various
investment practices which are not the principal focus of the Fund and
therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities and investment
practices and their associated risks are discussed in the Fund's Statement of
Additional Information ("SAI"), which is available without charge upon request.
(See back cover.)
The Fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes in accordance with its investment restrictions.
CREDIT RISK
This is the risk that the issuer or the guarantor of a fixed income security, the issuer or guarantor of a security backing the asset-backed securities in which the Fund invests, or the counterparty to an over-the-counter transaction, will be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal or to otherwise honor its obligations. Although the Fund may only buy securities that are rated investment grade at the time of purchase by at least one of the three major agencies (S&P, Moody's and Fitch) or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by Loomis Sayles, the Fund may continue to hold securities that are downgraded in quality subsequent to their purchase if Loomis Sayles believes it would be advantageous to do so. Lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") are subject to greater credit risk and market risk than higher quality fixed income securities. Lower rated fixed income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments. The Fund will be subject to credit risk because it invests in fixed income securities or is a party to over-the-counter transactions.
Certain of the U.S. Government securities in which the Fund invests, such as mortgage-backed securities that are issued by government sponsored enterprises, and securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Such securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and, as a result, may be subject to greater credit risk than securities issued by the U.S. Treasury.
To the extent that the Fund invests in fixed income securities issued in connection with corporate restructurings by highly leveraged issuers or in fixed income securities that are not current in the payment of interest or principal (i.e., in default), it may be subject to greater credit risk because of these investments.
DERIVATIVES RISK
The Fund may use derivatives, which are financial contracts whose value depends upon or is derived from the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index. Examples of derivatives include options, futures, and swap transactions. The Fund may use derivatives as part of a strategy designed to reduce other risks ("hedging"). The Fund also may use derivatives to earn income, enhance yield, or broaden Fund diversification. This use of derivatives entails greater risk than using derivatives solely for hedging purposes. The Fund's use of derivatives involves additional risks, such as the credit risk of the other party to a derivative contract, the risk of difficulties in pricing and valuation, and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with relevant assets, rates, or indices.
INFLATION/DEFLATION RISK
Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the present value of future payments. Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time - (the opposite of inflation). Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Fund's portfolio.
INTEREST RATE RISK
This is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Fund's investments in fixed income securities, such as bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, and other income producing securities. Fixed income securities are obligations of the issuer to make payments of principal and/or interest on future dates. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. Even funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in high quality fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is greater for funds that generally invest a significant portion of their assets in lower rated fixed income securities ("junk bonds") or comparable unrated securities. In addition, the value of inflation protected securities, such as TIPS, generally decline in value when real interest rates increase.
Interest rate risk also is greater for funds that generally invest in fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations than for funds that invest in fixed income securities with shorter maturities or durations.
Interest rate risk is compounded for funds when they invest a significant portion of their assets in mortgage-related or asset-backed securities, because the value of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities generally is more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of fixed income securities. When interest rates rise, the maturities of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities tend to lengthen, and the value of these securities decreases more significantly. In addition, these types of securities are subject to prepayment when interest rates fall, which generally results
in lower returns because funds that hold these types of securities must reinvest assets previously invested in such securities in fixed income securities with lower interest rates.
The Fund also faces increased interest rate risk when it invests in fixed income securities paying no current interest, such as zero coupon securities, principal-only securities, interest-only securities, and fixed income securities paying non-cash interest in the form of other fixed income securities.
ISSUER RISK
The value of the Fund's investments 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 and services. Because asset-backed securities are typically pools of other securities or assets, this risk also relates to the issuer of securities backing the asset-backed securities in which the Fund invests.
LEVERAGING RISK
When the Fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the Fund will be more volatile, and all other risks are generally compounded. The Fund will face this risk if it creates leverage by using investments such as repurchase agreements, inverse floating rate instruments or derivatives, or by borrowing money.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling these illiquid securities at an advantageous price. Derivatives and securities that involve substantial interest rate or credit risk tend to involve greater liquidity risk. In addition, liquidity risk tends to increase to the extent a Fund invests in securities whose sale may be restricted by law or by contract, such as Rule 144A securities.
MANAGEMENT RISK
Management risk is the risk that Loomis Sayles' investment techniques could fail to achieve the Fund's objective and could cause your investment in the Fund to lose value. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is actively managed by Loomis Sayles. Loomis Sayles will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that Loomis Sayles' decisions will produce the desired results. For example, in some cases derivative and other investment techniques may be unavailable or Loomis Sayles may determine not to use them, even under market conditions where their use could have benefited the Fund.
MARKET RISK
Market risk is the risk that the value of the Fund's investments will change as financial markets fluctuate and that prices overall may decline. The value of a company's securities may fall as a result of factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. A security's value also may fall because of factors affecting not just the issuer of a security, but other companies in its industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of the Fund's securities also may be affected by changes in financial market conditions, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. Market risk tends to be greater for fixed income securities with longer maturities.
MORTGAGE-RELATED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES RISK
The Fund may invest in a variety of mortgage-related securities, including commercial mortgage securities and other mortgage-backed instruments and the securities of companies that invest in mortgage-backed or other mortgage-related securities. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, mortgage-related securities held by the Fund may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk - the risk that borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected, particularly when interest rates decline. This can reduce the Fund's returns because the Fund may have to reinvest that money at lower prevailing interest rates. The Fund's investments in other asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities.
The Fund also may enter into mortgage dollar rolls. A dollar roll involves the sale of a security by the Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price, and may be considered a form of borrowing for some purposes. The Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations under the transactions. A dollar roll involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. The Fund may be required to purchase securities at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since the counterparty in the transaction is required to deliver a similar, but not identical, security to the Fund, the security that the Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. There is no assurance that the Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK
Compared with other mutual funds, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and may invest in fewer issuers. Therefore, the Fund may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security or the impact
of a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence may have a greater adverse impact on the Fund's net asset value.
TRANSACTIONS WITH OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, the Fund may be permitted to invest its daily cash balances in shares of money market and short-term bond funds advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. (an affiliate of Loomis Sayles) ("IXIS Advisors") or its affiliates ("Central Funds"). The Central Funds currently include the IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, Institutional Daily Income Fund, Cortland Trust, Inc. and Short Term Income Fund, Inc. Each Central Fund is advised by Reich & Tang Asset Management, LLC ("Reich & Tang"), except for IXIS Cash Management Trust-Money Market Series, which is advised by IXIS Advisors and subadvised by Reich & Tang. Because Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors and Reich & Tang are each subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"), the Fund and the Central Funds may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act").
Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Fund may also borrow and lend money for temporary or emergency purposes directly to and from other funds through an interfund credit facility. In addition to the Fund and the Central Funds, series of the following mutual fund groups may also be able to participate in the facility: IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I (except the CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund series), IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Harris Associates Investment Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II. The advisers and subadvisers to these mutual funds currently include IXIS Advisors, Reich & Tang, Loomis Sayles, AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., Harris Associates L.P. and Westpeak Global Advisors, L.P. Each of these advisers and subadvisers are subsidiaries of IXIS Asset Management North America, and are thus "affiliated persons" under the 1940 Act by reason of being under common control by IXIS Asset Management North America. In addition, because the Fund, and other funds, are advised by firms that are affiliated with one another, they may be considered to be related companies comprising a "group of investment companies" under the 1940 Act. The Central Funds and AEW Real Estate Income Fund will participate in the Credit Facility only as lenders. Participation in such an interfund lending program would be voluntary for both borrowing and lending funds, and the Fund would participate in an interfund lending program only if the Board of Trustees determined that doing so would benefit the Fund. Should the Fund participate in such an interfund lending program, the Board of Trustees would establish procedures for the operation of the program by the advisers or an affiliate. The Fund may engage in the transactions described above without further notice to shareholders.
MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), located at One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Loomis Sayles is a subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, which is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Founded in 1926, Loomis Sayles is one of the country's oldest investment advisory firms with over $74.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2005. Loomis Sayles is responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund and providing general business management and administration to the Fund.
As previously described in footnote 1 in the "Fees and Expenses of the Fund" section, an investor will either pay a "wrap" fee to the program sponsor and such sponsor will pay a fee to IXIS Advisors, or the investor, such as an institutional client of Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors, will pay a fee to Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors under a separate client agreement for advisory services. The Fund does not pay Loomis Sayles a monthly investment advisory fee, also known as a management fee, for investment advisory services, and, except as indicated below, Loomis Sayles pays the other ordinary expenses of the Fund.
The Trust, and not Loomis Sayles or its affiliates, will pay the following expenses: taxes payable by the Trust to federal, state or other governmental agencies; extraordinary expenses as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings, other claims and the legal obligations of the Trust or the Fund to indemnify its trustees, officers, employees, shareholders, distributors, and agents with respect thereto; brokerage fees and commissions (including dealer markups) and transfer taxes chargeable to the Trust in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Fund; costs, including any interest expense, of borrowing money; costs of hedging transactions; costs of lending portfolio securities; and any expenses indirectly incurred through investments in other pooled investment vehicles.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following persons have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. Except where noted, each portfolio manager has been employed by Loomis Sayles for at least five years.
Craig Smith and Cliff Rowe are responsible for investing and overseeing the assets for the Fund and have co-managed the Fund since its inception.
Mr. Smith, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1994 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1997. Prior to joining Loomis Sayles, Mr. Smith was employed as an investment consultant by Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.
Mr. Smith received both a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Cornell University. He holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst and has over 11 years of investment experience.
Mr. Rowe, Vice President of Loomis Sayles, began his investment career in 1992 and joined Loomis Sayles in 1992. Prior to becoming a Portfolio Manager, Mr. Rowe served as a Trader from 1999 until 2001. He received a B.B.A. from James Madison University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Rowe holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst and has over 13 years of investment experience.
Please see the Statement of Additional Information for information on Portfolio Manager compensation, other accounts under management by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of securities in the Fund.
OTHER FEES
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, may pay certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries whose customers are existing shareholders of the Funds a continuing fee at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the value of Fund shares held for these customers' accounts, although this continuing fee is paid by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., on behalf of Loomis Sayles, out of its own assets and is not assessed against the Fund.
GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED
"Net asset value" is the price of one share of the Fund without a sales charge, and is calculated each business day using this formula:
TOTAL MARKET VALUE OF SECURITIES + CASH AND OTHER ASSETS - LIABILITIES NET ASSET VALUE = ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING SHARES |
The net asset value of Fund shares is determined according to this schedule:
. A share's net asset value is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on the days the Exchange is open for trading. This is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Generally, the Fund's shares will not be priced on the days on which the Exchange is closed for trading. However, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, the Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles, in its discretion, determines that there has been enough trading in the Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares. This may occur, for example, if the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets are open for trading. In addition, the Fund's shares will not be priced on the holidays listed in the Fund's SAI. See the section "Net Asset Value" in the Fund's SAI for more details.
. The price you pay for purchasing or redeeming a share will be based upon the net asset value next calculated by the Fund's custodian after your order is received "in good order."
. Requests received by IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor") after the Exchange closes will be processed based upon the net asset value determined at the close of regular trading on the next day that the Exchange is open with the exception that those orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and received by the Distributor from the investment dealer before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time* on the same day will be based on the net asset value determined on that day.
. If the Fund significantly invests in foreign securities, it may have net asset value changes on days when you cannot buy or sell its shares.
*Under limited circumstances, the Distributor may enter into contractual agreements pursuant to which orders received by your investment dealer before the close of the Exchange and transmitted to the Distributor prior to 9:30 a.m. on the next business day are processed at the net asset value determined on the day the order was received by your investment dealer.
Generally, Fund securities are valued as follows:
. EQUITY SECURITIES -- market price or as provided by a pricing service if market price is unavailable.
. DEBT SECURITIES (OTHER THAN SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS) -- based upon pricing service valuations, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using market information, transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities which are generally recognized by institutional traders.
. SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS (REMAINING MATURITY OF LESS THAN 60 DAYS) -- amortized cost (which approximates market value).
. SECURITIES TRADED ON FOREIGN EXCHANGES -- market price on the non-U.S. exchange, unless the Fund believes that an occurrence after the close of that exchange will materially affect the security's value. In that case, the security may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing their securities, the Fund may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time the Fund's net asset value is calculated.
. OPTIONS -- last sale price, or if not available, last offering price.
. FUTURES -- unrealized gain or loss on the contract using current settlement price. When a settlement price is not used, futures contracts will be valued at their fair value as determined by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
. ALL OTHER SECURITIES -- fair market value as determined by Loomis Sayles pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale of the security in the ordinary course of business). The Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
An investor may purchase Fund shares at net asset value without a sales charge or other fee.
SHARES OF THE FUND ARE OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY TO INVESTORS IN "WRAP FEE" PROGRAMS APPROVED BY IXIS ADVISORS AND/OR LOOMIS SAYLES AND TO INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORY CLIENTS OF LOOMIS SAYLES OR IXIS ADVISORS THAT, IN EACH CASE, MEET THE FUND'S POLICIES AS ESTABLISHED BY LOOMIS SAYLES.
A purchase order received by the Fund's Transfer Agent, prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time), on a day the Fund is open for business, will be effected at that day's net asset value. An order received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will be effected at the net asset value determined on the next business day. The Fund is "open for business" on each day the Exchange is open for trading. Purchase orders will be accepted only on days on which the Fund is open for business.
Additional shares can be purchased if authorized by IXIS Advisors or Loomis Sayles and payment must be wired in federal funds to the Transfer Agent except when shares are purchased in exchange for securities acceptable to the Fund.
Purchases of the Fund's shares will normally be made only in full shares, but may be made in fractional shares under certain circumstances. Certificates for shares will not be issued. The payment for shares to be purchased shall be wired to the Transfer Agent.
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase Institutional Class shares of the Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if Loomis Sayles deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by the Fund in such a transaction will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
Please see the section "Restrictions on Buying and Selling Shares" below for more information.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
Shares normally can be redeemed only through the shareholder's wrap program sponsor for shareholders owning shares through wrap accounts or by contacting Loomis Sayles, IXIS Advisors or the Transfer Agent for non-wrap program shareholders.
Redemption requests for Fund shares are effected at the net asset value per share next determined after receipt of a redemption request by the Transfer Agent. A redemption request received by the Transfer Agent prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange, on a day the Fund is open for business, is effected at that day's net asset value. A redemption request received after that time is effected at the next business day's net asset value per share. Redemption proceeds normally will be wired within one business day after the redemption request, but may take up to seven business days. Redemption proceeds will be sent by wire only. The Fund may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the payment date at times when the Exchange is closed, or during certain other periods as permitted under the federal securities laws.
The Fund and the Distributor each reserve the right to redeem shares of any shareholder investing through a wrap program at the then-current value of such shares (which will be paid promptly to the shareholder) if the wrap sponsor is no longer approved by Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors. The sponsor will receive advance notice of any such mandatory redemption. Similarly, the Fund and the Distributor may redeem shares of any shareholder who no longer participates in an approved wrap program (for example, by withdrawing from the program). The Fund and the Distributor each reserve the right to redeem any shareholder for which Loomis Sayles or IXIS Advisors ceases to act as investment adviser. In addition, the Fund and the Distributor each reserve the right to redeem any shareholder if the shareholder's continued investment in the Fund becomes inconsistent with the Fund's policies, as established by Loomis Sayles.
It is highly unlikely that shares would ever be redeemed in kind. However, in consideration of the best interests of the remaining investors, the Fund reserves the right to pay any redemption proceeds exceeding this amount in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. When shares are redeemed in kind, the redeeming registered investment adviser should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the distribution. The Fund agrees to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net assets during any 90-day period for any one shareholder.
OTHER PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
The Fund reserves the right to create investment minimums in its sole discretion.
Except to the extent otherwise permitted by the Distributor, the Fund will only accept accounts from U.S. citizens with a U.S. address or resident aliens with a U.S. address and a U.S. taxpayer identification number.
The Fund is required by federal regulations to obtain certain personal information from an investor and to use that information to verify an investor's identity. The Fund may not be able to open an investor's account if the requested information is not provided to the Fund or its delegate. THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT, CLOSE AN ACCOUNT AT THE THEN CURRENT PRICE OR TAKE OTHER SUCH STEPS
THAT THE FUND DEEMS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS IF AN INVESTOR'S IDENTITY IS NOT VERIFIED.
RESTRICTIONS ON BUYING AND SELLING SHARES
Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders may present certain risks for other shareholders in the Fund. This includes the risk of diluting the value of Fund shares for long-term shareholders, interfering with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. Funds investing in securities that require special valuation processes (such as foreign securities, high yield securities, or small cap securities) may also have increased exposure to these risks. The Fund discourages excessive, short-term trading that may be detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund's Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares:
The Fund reserves the right to suspend or change the terms of purchasing or exchanging shares. The Fund and the Distributor reserve the right to refuse or limit any purchase or exchange order for any reason, including if the transaction is deemed not to be in the best interests of the Fund's other shareholders or possibly disruptive to the management of the Fund.
LIMITS ON FREQUENT TRADING Without limiting the right of the Fund and the Distributor to refuse any purchase or exchange order, the Fund and the Distributor may (but are not obligated to) restrict purchases and exchanges for the accounts of "market timers." With respect to exchanges, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than two exchange purchases of the Fund are made for the account over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund; or (ii) the account makes one or more exchange purchases of the Fund over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. With respect to new purchases of a Fund, an account may be deemed to be one of a market timer if (i) more than twice over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund, there is a purchase in the Fund followed by a subsequent redemption; or (ii) there are two purchases into the Fund by an account, each followed by a subsequent redemption over a 90-day interval as determined by the Fund in an aggregate amount in excess of 1% of the Fund's total net assets. The preceding are not exclusive lists of activities that the Fund and the Distributor may consider to be "market timing."
TRADE ACTIVITY MONITORING Trading activity is monitored selectively on a daily basis in an effort to detect excessive short-term trading activities. If the Fund or the Distributor believes that a shareholder or financial intermediary has engaged in market timing or other excessive, short-term trading activity, it may, in its discretion, request that the shareholder or financial intermediary stop such activities or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the accounts. In its discretion, the Fund or the Distributor may restrict or prohibit transactions by such identified shareholders or intermediaries. In making such judgments, the Fund and the
Distributor seek to act in a manner that they believe is consistent with the best interests of all shareholders. The Fund and the Distributor also reserve the right to notify financial intermediaries of your trading activity. Because the Fund and the Distributor will not always be able to detect market timing activity, investors should not assume that the Fund will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Fund. For example, the ability of the Fund and the Distributor to monitor trades that are placed by omnibus or other nominee accounts is severely limited in those instances in which the broker, retirement plan administrator or fee-based program sponsor maintains the record of the Fund's underlying beneficial owners.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
It is the policy of the Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all of its net investment income. The Fund generally declares and pays dividends monthly. The Fund also distributes all of its net realized capital gains after applying any capital loss carryforwards. Any capital gains distributions normally are made annually in December, but may be made more frequently as deemed advisable by the Trustees. The Trustees may change the frequency with which the Fund declares or pays dividends.
You may choose to:
. reinvest all distributions in additional shares of the Fund; or
. have proceeds sent by wire to the bank account of record for the amount of
the distribution.
If you do not elect an option, all distributions will be reinvested.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
Except where noted, the discussion below addresses only the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Fund and does not address any foreign, state or local tax consequences.
The Fund intends to meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code necessary to qualify for treatment as a "regulated investment company" and thus does not expect to pay any federal income tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders.
TAXATION OF DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FUND. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable to a
shareholder receiving such distributions as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. For the taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, distributions of investment income designated by the Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" are taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level.
Distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. If you invest right before the Fund pays a dividend, you will be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. If a dividend or distribution is made shortly after you purchase shares of the Fund, while in effect a return of capital to you, the dividend or distribution is taxable. You can avoid this, if you choose, by investing after the Fund has paid a dividend. Investors in tax-advantaged retirement accounts do not need to be concerned about this.
Distributions by the Fund to retirement plans and other investors that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will generally not be taxable. Special tax rules apply to investments through such retirement plans. If an investment is through such a plan, an investor should consult a tax adviser to determine the suitability of the Fund as an investment through such a plan and the tax treatment of distributions (including distributions of amounts attributable to an investment in the Fund) from such a plan.
Dividends and distributions declared by the Fund in October, November, or December of one year and paid in January of the next taxable year generally are taxable in the year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced to, in general, 15%, with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets. For more information, see the SAI, under "Distributions and Taxes."
SALE OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares will generally be subject to tax. Shareholder transactions in the Fund's shares resulting in gains from selling shares held for more than one year generally are taxed at capital gain rates, while those resulting from sales or shares held for one year or less generally are taxed at ordinary income rates.
TAXATION OF CERTAIN INVESTMENTS. The Fund's investments in foreign securities, if any, may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the Fund's yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes. In addition, the Fund's investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or
accelerate the Fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund's distributions.
The Fund's investments in certain debt obligations may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, the Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including times when it may not be advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its mandatory distribution requirements and to eliminate Fund-level tax.
The Fund may at times buy investments at a discount from the price at which they were originally issued, especially during periods of rising interest rates. For federal income tax purposes, some or all of this market discount will be included in the Fund's ordinary income and will be taxable to shareholders as such when it is distributed.
NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by the Fund to a shareholder who is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are generally subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). However, effective for taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, the Fund will generally not be required to withhold any amounts with respect to distributions of (i) net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, and (ii) U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by a foreign person, in each case to the extent that such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The Fund does not intend to make such designations.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. The Fund is required in certain circumstances to apply backup withholding on taxable dividends, redemption proceeds and certain other payments that are paid to any shareholder (including a shareholder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the U.S.) who does not furnish the Fund certain information and certifications or who is otherwise subject to backup withholding. The backup withholding rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010 and will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States.
You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Because the Fund has no performance history as of the date of this prospectus financial highlights have not been included in this prospectus.
If you would like more information about the Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual and Semiannual Reports - Provide additional information about the Fund's investments. Each report includes a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund performance during the last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI) - Provides more detailed information about the Fund and its investment limitations and policies. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference.
To order a free copy of the Fund's annual or semiannual reports or its SAI, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries generally, contact your financial adviser or contact Loomis Sayles at 1-800-343-2029. The Fund does not make its SAI, annual report or semiannual report available through a website due to the limited eligibility for purchasing Fund shares.
Information about the Fund, including its reports and SAI, can be reviewed and copied at the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. You may call the Commission at 1-202-942-8090 for information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You also may access reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR Database on the Commission's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may also be obtained, after payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in the Fund's SAI.
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("IXIS Distributors"), an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and other firms selling shares of Loomis Sayles Funds are members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"). As a service to investors, the NASD has asked that we inform you of the availability of a brochure on its Public Disclosure Program. The program provides access to information about securities firms and their representatives. Investors may obtain a copy by contacting the NASD at 1-800-289-9999 or by visiting its Web site at www.NASD.com.
IXIS Distributors distributes the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds.
If you have a complaint concerning IXIS Distributors or any of its
representatives or associated persons, please direct it to IXIS Asset
Management Distributors, L.P., Attn: Director of Compliance, 399 Boylston
Street - 6/th/ Floor, Boston, MA 02116 or call us at 1-800-225-5478.
Loomis Sayles Funds
P.O. Box 219594
Kansas City, MO 61421-9594
1-800-633-3330
www.loomissayles.com
File No. 811-08282 M-LSSA51-0206
[LOGO] Loomis Sayles
[LOGO OF LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS]
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 1, 2006
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
. Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund
This Statement of Information (the "Statement") contains information which may be useful to investors but which is not included in the Prospectus of the Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund (the "Fund"). This Statement is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution only when accompanied by or preceded by the Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund Prospectus dated February 1, 2006, as from time to time revised or supplemented. This Statement should be read together with the Prospectus. Investors may obtain the Prospectus without charge from Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 614221-9594, or by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-343-2029.
The Fund's financial statements and accompanying notes that appear in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional information. The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports contain additional performance information and are available upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-633-3330.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST............................. 3 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS....... 3 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS.................... 21 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND................ 22 PRINCIPAL HOLDERS..................... 31 INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 32 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE.. 38 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST.............. 40 Voting Rights...................... 40 Shareholder and Trustee Liability.. 41 Purchases and Redemptions.......... 42 Net Asset Value.................... 42 DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES............... 44 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................. 48 APPENDIX A............................ 49 |
THE TRUST
Loomis Sayles Funds I is registered with the SEC as an open-end management
investment company and is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under the
laws of Massachusetts by an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of
Trust (a "Declaration of Trust") dated December 23, 1993, as amended and
restated on June 22, 2005, and is a "series" company as described in
Section 18(f)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). Prior
to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles Funds I was named "Loomis Sayles Investment
Trust." The Trust offers a total of ten series. Loomis Sayles High Income
Opportunities Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust.
Shares of the Fund are continuously offered, freely transferable and entitle shareholders to receive dividends as determined by the Trust's Board of Trustees and to cast a vote for each share held at shareholder meetings. The Trust generally does not hold shareholder meetings and expects to do so only when required by law. Shareholders may call meetings to consider removal of the Trust's trustees.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The investment policies of the Fund set forth in its Prospectus and in this Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") may be changed by the Trust's Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, except that the investment objective of the Fund, as set forth in its Prospectus, and any Fund policy explicitly identified as "fundamental" may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund (which in the Prospectus and this SAI means the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of that Fund present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares). Except in the case of the 15% limitation on illiquid securities, the percentage limitations set forth below and in the Prospectus will apply at the time a security is purchased and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such purchase.
Investment Restrictions
In addition to its investment objective and policies set forth in the Prospectus, the following investment restrictions are policies of the Fund (and those marked with an asterisk are fundamental policies of the Fund):
The Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund will not:
*(1) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(2) Invest in oil, gas, or other mineral leases, rights, or royalty contracts, or in real estate, commodities, or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, currencies, interest rates, or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(3) Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). (For purposes of this investment
restriction, each of the following is not considered the making of a loan:
(i) entering into repurchase agreements; (ii) purchasing debt obligations in
which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies; and
(iii) loaning portfolio securities.)
*(4) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water, and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(5) Borrow money in excess of 10% of its assets (taken at cost) or 5% of its assets (taken at current value), whichever is lower, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes; however, the Fund's use of reverse repurchase agreements and "dollar roll" arrangements shall not constitute borrowing by the Fund for purposes of this restriction.
(6) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
*(7) Issue senior securities other than any borrowing permitted by restriction (5) above. (For the purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge, mortgage, hypothecation, or other encumbrance of assets; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of or entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, or any other derivative investments to the extent that Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") determines that the Fund is not required to treat such investments as senior securities pursuant to the pronouncements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments, if any, in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction (6) above.
Although authorized to invest in restricted securities, the Fund, as a matter of non-fundamental operating policy, currently does not intend to invest in such securities, except Rule 144A securities.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The following is a list of certain investment strategies, including particular types of securities or specific practices, that may be used by Loomis Sayles in managing the Fund. The Fund's primary strategies are detailed in its Prospectus. The list of securities under each category below is not intended to be an exclusive list of securities for investment. Loomis Sayles may invest in a general category listed below and where applicable with particular emphasis on a certain type of security but investment is not limited to the categories listed below or the securities specially enumerated under each category. Loomis Sayles may invest in some securities under a given category as a primary strategy and in other securities under the same category as a secondary strategy. Loomis Sayles may invest in any security that falls under the specific category including securities that are not listed below.
Fund Securities Practices ---- ----------------------------------- --------------------- High Income Debt Securities Lower Quality Debt Temporary Defensive Opportunities Fund Securities, Corporate Securities, Strategies Convertible Securities, U.S. Repurchase Agreements Government Securities, Zero- Swap Contracts Coupon Securities, 144A Securities, Illiquid Securities Pay-in-Kind Securities, Mortgage- Futures Contracts Backed Securities, Asset Backed Options Securities, Stripped Mortgage- Backed Securities, When Issued Securities, Commercial Paper, Loan Assignments, Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities, Securities Lending, Preferred Stock, Common Stock , Municipal Bonds, Senior Floating Rate Loans, Collateralized Debt and Loan Obligations, Warrants, Rights, Collateralized Mortgage Obligations |
U.S. Government Securities
U.S. Government securities have different kinds of government support. Such securities include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, as well as securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, authorities, and instrumentalities, including, among others, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Housing Administration, the Resolution Funding Corporation, the Federal Farm Credit Banks, the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Student Loan Marketing Association, and the Small Business Administration. More detailed information about some of these categories of U.S. Government securities follows.
U.S. Treasury Bills - U.S. Treasury Bills are direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities of one year or less. No interest is paid on Treasury bills; instead, they are issued at a discount and repaid at full face value when they mature. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds - U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds are direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities that vary between one and forty years, with interest normally payable every six months. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
"Ginnie Maes" - Ginnie Maes are debt securities issued by a mortgage banker or other mortgagee that represent an interest in a pool of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmer's Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. The Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest when such payments are due, whether or not these amounts are collected by the issuer of these certificates on the underlying mortgages. It is generally understood that a guarantee by GNMA is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgages included in single family or multi-family residential mortgage pools backing an issue of Ginnie Maes have a maximum maturity of up to 30 years. Scheduled payments of principal and interest are made to the registered holders of Ginnie Maes (such as the Fund) each month. Unscheduled prepayments may be made by homeowners or as a result of a default. Prepayments are passed through to the registered holder of Ginnie Maes along with regular monthly payments of principal and interest.
"Fannie Maes" - The Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders that purchases residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers. Fannie Maes are pass-through securities issued by FNMA that are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
"Freddie Macs" - The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC") is a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government. Freddie Macs are participation certificates issued by FHLMC that represent an interest in residential mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but Freddie Macs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Some U.S. Government securities, called "Treasury inflation-protected securities" or "TIPS," are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on TIPS is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Although repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed, the market value of TIPS is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate.
The values of TIPS generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of TIPS. In contrast, if nominal interest rates were to increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of TIPS. If inflation is lower than expected during the period the Fund holds TIPS, the Fund may earn less on the TIPS than on a conventional bond. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in TIPS may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds' inflation measure. There can be no assurance that the inflation index for TIPS will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.
The yields available from U.S. Government securities are generally lower than the yields available from corporate fixed-income securities. Like other fixed-income securities, however, the values of U.S. Government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in the Fund's net asset value. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when the Fund's average maturity is larger, under certain market conditions each Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, expect lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher yielding long-term securities. Securities such as Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the relevant entity but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. An event affecting the guaranteeing entity could adversely affect the payment of principal or interest or both on the security, and therefore these types of securities should be considered riskier than U.S. government securities.
FNMA and FHLMC have each been the subject of investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting matters. Such investigations, and any resulting restatements of financial statements, may adversely affect the guaranteeing entity and, as a result, the payment of principal or interest on these types of securities.
When-Issued Securities
A when-issued security involves a Fund entering into a commitment to buy a security before the security has been issued. The Fund's payment obligation and the interest rate on the security are determined when the Fund enters into the commitment. The security is typically delivered to the Fund 15 to 120 days later. No interest accrues on the security between the time the Fund enters into the commitment and the time the security is delivered. If the value of the security being purchased falls between the time a Fund commits to buy it and the payment date, the Fund may sustain a loss. The risk of this loss is in addition to the Fund's risk of loss on the securities actually in its portfolio at the time. In addition, when the Fund buys a security on a when-issued basis, it is subject to the risk that market rates of interest will increase before the time the security is delivered, with the result that the yield on the security delivered to the Fund may be lower than the yield available on other, comparable securities at the time of delivery. If a Fund has outstanding obligations to buy when-issued securities, it will segregate liquid assets at its custodian bank in an amount sufficient to satisfy these obligations.
Zero Coupon Securities
Zero coupon securities are debt obligations (e.g., bonds) that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. Such bonds are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the bonds, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of zero coupon bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than non-zero coupon bonds having similar maturities and credit quality. In order to satisfy a requirement for qualification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund must distribute each year at least 90% of its net investment income, including the original issue discount accrued on zero coupon bonds. Because the Fund investing in zero coupon bonds will not on a current basis receive cash payments from the issuer in respect of accrued original issue discount, the Fund may have to distribute cash obtained from other sources in order to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement under the Code. Such cash might be obtained from selling other portfolio holdings of the Fund. In some circumstances, such sales might be necessary in order to satisfy cash distribution requirements even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the Fund to sell such securities at such time.
Repurchase Agreements
Under a repurchase agreement, the Fund purchases a security and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller (a bank or, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, a recognized securities dealer) to repurchase the security at an agreed upon price and date (usually seven days or less from the date of original purchase). The resale price is in excess of the purchase price and reflects an agreed upon market rate unrelated to the coupon rate on the purchased security. Such transactions afford the Fund the opportunity to earn a return on temporarily available cash at minimal market risk. While the underlying security may be a bill, certificate of indebtedness, note, or bond issued by an agency, authority, or instrumentality of the U.S. Government, the obligation of the seller is not guaranteed by the U.S. Government, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying security. In such event, the Fund would attempt to exercise rights with respect to the underlying security, including possible disposition in the market. However, the Fund may be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines in the value of the underlying security during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, (b) possible reduced levels of income and lack of income during this period, and (c) inability to enforce rights and the expenses involved in attempted enforcement.
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs")
REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
Investment in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger securities.
Rule 144A Securities
Rule 144A securities are privately offered securities that can be resold only to certain qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A securities are treated as illiquid, unless Loomis Sayles has determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's trustees, that the particular issue of Rule 144A securities is liquid. Under the guidelines, Loomis Sayles considers such factors as: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for a security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades in the security.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Because investment in securities of foreign issuers will usually involve investments in securities of supranational entities and investment in securities of certain other issuers, it may involve currencies of foreign countries, and because the Fund may temporarily hold funds in bank deposits in foreign currencies during the course of investment programs, the value of the assets of the Fund as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations, and the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversion between various currencies.
If conditions warrant, the Fund may enter into private contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts"). The Fund may enter into forward contracts under two circumstances. First, when the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated or traded in a market in which settlement is made in a foreign currency, it may desire to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Fund will be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the investment is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received.
Second, when Loomis Sayles believes that the currency of a particular country may suffer a substantial decline against another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of another currency, the amount of the first currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio investments denominated in the first currency. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible since the future value of such securities in a currency will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those investments between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures.
The Fund generally will not enter into forward contracts with a term of greater than one year.
The Fund might also purchase exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currencies. Over-the-counter currency options are generally less liquid than exchange-listed options and will be treated as illiquid assets. Options on foreign currencies are similar to forward contracts, except that one party to the option (the holder) is not contractually bound to buy or sell the specified currency. Instead, the holder has discretion whether to "exercise" the option and thereby require the other party to buy or sell the currency on the terms specified in the option. Options transactions involve transaction costs and, like forward contract transactions, involve the risk that the other party may default on its obligations (if the options are not traded on an established exchange) and the risk that expected movements in the relative value of currencies may not occur, resulting in an imperfect hedge or a loss to the Fund.
The Fund, in conjunction with its transactions in forward contracts, options, and futures, will maintain in a segregated account with its custodian liquid assets with a value, marked to market on a daily basis, sufficient to satisfy the Fund's outstanding obligations under such contracts, options, and futures.
Options and Futures
Options and futures transactions involve a Fund buying, selling, or writing options (or buying or selling futures contracts) on securities, securities indices, or currencies. Each Fund may engage in these transactions either to enhance investment return or to hedge against changes in the value of other assets that it owns or intends to acquire. Options and futures fall into the broad category of financial instruments known as "derivatives" and involve special risks. Use of options or futures for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, involving greater risks than are involved in hedging.
Options can generally be classified as either "call" or "put" options. There are two parties to a typical options transaction: the "writer" and the "buyer." A call option gives the buyer the right to buy a security or other asset (such as an amount of currency or a futures contract) from, and a put option gives the buyer the right to sell a security or other asset to, the option writer at a specified price, on or before a specified date. The buyer of an option pays a premium when purchasing the option, which reduces the return on the underlying security or other asset if the option is exercised, and results in a loss if the option expires unexercised. The writer of an option receives a premium from writing an option, which may increase its return if the option expires or is closed out at a profit. If a Fund as the writer of an option is unable to close out an unexpired option, it must continue to hold the underlying security or other asset until the option expires, to "cover" its obligation under the option. An "American style" option allows exercise of the option at any time during the term of the option. A "European style" option allows an option to be exercised only at the end of its term. Options may be traded on or off an established securities exchange.
If the holder of an option wishes to terminate its position, it may seek to effect a closing sale transaction by selling an option identical to the option previously purchased. The effect of the purchase is that the previous option position will be canceled. A Fund will realize a profit from closing out an option if the price received for selling the offsetting position is more than the premium paid to purchase the option; the Fund will realize a loss from closing out an option transaction if the price received for selling the offsetting option is less than the premium paid to purchase the option.
The use of options involves risks. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of options and movements in the price of the securities that are the subject of the hedge. A Fund's hedging strategies will not be fully effective if such imperfect correlation occurs.
Price movement correlation may be distorted by illiquidity in the options markets and the participation of speculators in such markets. If an insufficient number of contracts are traded, commercial users may not deal in options because they do not want to assume the risk that they may not be able to close out their positions within a reasonable amount of time. In such instances, options market prices may be driven by different forces than those driving the market in the underlying securities, and price spreads between these markets may widen. The participation of speculators in the market enhances its liquidity. Nonetheless, the trading activities of speculators in the options markets may create temporary price distortions unrelated to the market in the underlying securities.
An exchange-traded option may be closed out only on an exchange that
generally provides a liquid secondary market for an option of the same series.
If a liquid secondary market for an exchange-traded option does not exist, it
might not be possible to effect a closing transaction with respect to a
particular option, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the
option in order to accomplish the desired hedge. Reasons for the absence of a
liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be
insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be
imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both;
(iii) trading halts, suspensions, or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities;
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation
or other clearing organization may not at all times be adequate to handle
current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or
other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the
trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event
the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options)
would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had
been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that
exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
An over-the-counter option (an option not traded on an established exchange) may be closed out only with the other party to the original option transaction. With over-the-counter options, a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations or will not permit a Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity. While the Fund will seek to enter into over-the-counter options only with dealers who agree to or are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an over-the-counter option at a favorable price at any time prior to its expiration. Accordingly, the Fund might have to exercise an over-the-counter option it holds in order to achieve the intended hedge. Over-the-counter options are not subject to the protections afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation or other clearing organizations.
Income earned by a Fund from its hedging activities will be treated as capital gain and, if not offset by net recognized capital losses incurred by the Fund, will be distributed to shareholders in taxable distributions. Although gain from options transactions may hedge against a decline in the value of a Fund's portfolio securities, that gain, to the extent not offset by losses, will be distributed in light of certain tax considerations and will constitute a distribution of that portion of the value preserved against decline.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a particular commodity (e.g., an interest-bearing security) for a specified price on a specified future date. A futures contract creates an obligation by the seller to deliver and the buyer to take delivery of the type of instrument or cash at the time and in the amount specified in the contract. In the case of futures on an index, the seller and buyer agree to settle in cash, at a future date, based on the difference in value of the contract between the date it is opened and the settlement date. The value of each contract is equal to the value of the index from time to time multiplied by a specified dollar amount. For example, long-term municipal bond index futures trade in contracts equal to $1000 multiplied by the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, and S&P 500 Index futures trade in contracts equal to $500 multiplied by the S&P 500 Index.
When a trader, such as a Fund, enters into a futures contract, it is required to deposit with (or for the benefit of) its broker as "initial margin" an amount of cash or short-term high-quality securities (such as U.S. Treasury bills or high-quality tax exempt bonds acceptable to the broker) equal to approximately 2% to 5% of the delivery or settlement price of the contract (depending on applicable exchange rules). Initial margin is held to secure the performance of the holder of the futures contract. As the value of the contract changes, the value of futures contract positions increases or declines. At the end of each trading day, the amount of such increase and decline is received and paid respectively by and to the holders of these positions. The amount received or paid is known as "variation margin." If the Fund has a long position in a futures contract it will establish a segregated account with the Fund's custodian containing cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund equal to the purchase price of the contract (less any margin on deposit). For short positions in futures contracts, the Fund will establish a segregated account with the custodian with cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments or currency underlying the futures contracts.
Gain or loss on a futures position is equal to the net variation margin received or paid over the time the position is held, plus or minus the amount received or paid when the position is closed, minus brokerage commissions.
Although many futures contracts call for the delivery (or acceptance) of the specified instrument, futures are usually closed out before the settlement date through the purchase (or sale) of a comparable contract. If the price of the sale of the futures contract by a Fund is less than the price of the offsetting purchase, the Fund will realize a loss. A futures sale is closed by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity and with the same delivery date. Similarly, the closing out of a futures purchase is closed by the purchaser selling an offsetting futures contract.
The value of options purchased by a Fund and futures contracts held by a Fund may fluctuate based on a variety of market and economic factors. In some cases, the fluctuations may offset (or be offset by) changes in the value of securities held in a Fund's portfolio. All transactions in options and futures involve the possible risk of loss to the Fund of all or a significant part of the value of its investment. In some cases, the risk of loss may exceed the amount of the Fund's investment. When a Fund writes a call option or sells a futures contract without holding the underlying securities, currencies, or futures contracts, its potential loss is unlimited. The Fund will be required,
however, to segregate liquid assets in amounts sufficient at all times to satisfy its obligations under options and futures contracts.
In accordance with Commodity Futures Trading Commission Rule 4.5, each of the Funds that may engage in futures transactions, including without limitation futures and options on futures, will use futures transactions solely for bona fide hedging purposes or will limit its investment in futures transactions for other than bona fide hedging purposes so that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions will not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such futures transactions.
Certain Funds may, but are not required to, use a number of derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of their investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, and related indexes. Loomis Sayles may decide not to employ any of these strategies and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Funds will succeed. In addition, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Funds will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial. Examples of derivative instruments that the Funds may use include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, zero-strike warrants and options, swap agreements and debt-linked and equity-linked securities.
The successful use of options and futures will usually depend on Loomis Sayles' ability to forecast stock market, currency, or other financial market movements correctly. The Fund's ability to hedge against adverse changes in the value of securities held in its portfolio through options and futures also depends on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of futures or options positions and changes in the values of the portfolio securities. The successful use of futures and exchange-traded options also depends on the availability of a liquid secondary market to enable a Fund to close its positions on a timely basis. There can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. In the case of options that are not traded on an exchange ("over-the-counter" options), a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations, or will not permit a Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity.
The options and futures markets of foreign countries are small compared to those of the United States and consequently are characterized in most cases by less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, foreign markets may be subject to less detailed reporting requirements and regulatory controls than U.S. markets. Furthermore, investments in options in foreign markets are subject to many of the same risks as other foreign investments. See "Foreign Securities" above.
Investment Pools of Credit-Linked, Credit-Default, Interest Rate, Currency-Exchange and Equity-Linked Swap Contracts
The Fund may invest in publicly or privately issued interests in investment pools whose underlying assets are credit default, credit-linked, interest rate, currency exchange and/or equity-linked swap contracts (individually, a "Swap and collectively, "Swaps") and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements. Swaps are agreements between two or more parties to exchange sequences of cash flows over a period in the future. The pools' investment results may be designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified securities index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single security. These types of pools are often used to gain exposure to multiple securities with less of an investment than would be required to invest directly in the individual securities. They may also be used to gain exposure to foreign securities markets without investing in the foreign securities themselves and/or the relevant foreign market. To the extent that the Fund invests in pools of Swaps and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign securities index or one or more of foreign securities, investing in such pools will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities. In addition, the investing Fund bears the risk that the pool may default on its obligations under the interests in the pool. The investing Fund also bears the risk that a counterparty of an underlying Swap, the issuer of a related underlying security or the counterparty of an underlying securities loan agreement may default on its obligations. Swaps are often used for many of the same purposes as, and share many of the same risks with, other derivative instruments such as, participation notes and zero-strike warrants and options
and debt-linked and/or equity-linked securities. Interests in privately offered investment pools of Swaps may be considered illiquid and, except to the extent that such interests are issued under Rule 144A and deemed liquid, subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.
Common Stock
Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over holders of preferred stock, whose claims take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
While offering greater potential for long-term growth, common stock generally is more volatile and more risky than some other forms of investment, particularly debt securities. Therefore, the value of your investment in a Fund may sometimes decrease. The Fund may invest in common stock of companies with relatively small market capitalizations. Securities of such companies may be more volatile than the securities of larger, more established companies and the broad equity market indices. See "Small Companies" below. The Fund's investments may include securities traded "over-the-counter" as well as those traded on a securities exchange. Some securities, particularly over the counter securities may be more difficult to sell under some market conditions.
Small Companies
Investments in companies with relatively small market capitalizations may involve greater risk than is usually associated with more established companies. These companies often have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and they may be dependent upon a relatively small management group. Their securities may have limited marketability and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic movements in price than securities of companies with larger capitalizations or market averages in general. The net asset values of funds that invest in companies with smaller capitalizations therefore may fluctuate more widely than market averages.
Warrants
A warrant is an instrument that gives the holder a right to purchase a given number of shares of a particular security at a specified price until a stated expiration date. Buying a warrant generally can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an investment of an equivalent amount in the underlying common stock. The market value of a warrant does not necessarily move with the value of the underlying securities. If a holder does not sell the warrant, it risks the loss of its entire investment if the market price of the underlying security does not, before the expiration date, exceed the exercise price of the warrant. Investment in warrants is a speculative activity. Warrants pay no dividends and confer no rights (other than the right to purchase the underlying securities) with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Private Placements
The Fund may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for these securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell the securities when Loomis Sayles believes that it is advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if the securities were more widely held. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of the securities for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value.
While private placements may offer opportunities for investment that are not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often "restricted securities," which are securities that cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rule 144 or Rule 144A under the Securities Act), or that are not readily marketable because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays or restrictions on resale.
The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for illiquid investments such as private placements. Disposing of illiquid investments may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. The Fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting the registration. In addition, market quotations typically are less readily available for these securities. The judgment of Loomis Sayles may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of unrestricted securities.
Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. The Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public so that the Fund may be liable to purchasers of the securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of the registration statement, is materially inaccurate or misleading.
Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in investment companies. Investment companies, including companies such as iShares and "SPDR," are essentially pools of securities. Since the value of an investment company is based on the value of the individual securities it holds, the value of the Fund's investment in an investment company will fall if the value of the investment company's underlying securities declines. As a shareholder of an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of the investment company's expenses, including management fees, and the Fund's shareholders will bear such expenses indirectly, in addition to similar expenses of the Fund.
Temporary Defensive Strategies
The Fund has the flexibility to respond promptly to changes in market and economic conditions. In the interest of preserving shareholders' capital, Loomis Sayles may employ a temporary defensive strategy if it determines such a strategy to be warranted. Pursuant to such a defensive strategy, the Fund temporarily may hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. It is impossible to predict whether, when or for how long the Fund will employ defensive strategies. The use of defensive strategies may prevent the Fund from achieving its objectives.
In addition, pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or to meet ordinary daily cash needs, the Fund may temporarily hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies or multinational currency units) and may invest any portion of its assets in money market instruments and high quality debt securities.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund's portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities, excluding securities having maturity dates at acquisition of one year or less, for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year. High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Fund, thereby decreasing the Fund's total return. It is impossible to predict with certainty whether future portfolio turnover rates will be higher or lower than those experienced during past periods.
Generally, the Fund intends to invest for long-term purposes. However, the rate of portfolio turnover will depend upon market and other conditions, and it will not be a limiting factor when an adviser believes that portfolio changes are appropriate.
Structured Notes
The Fund may invest in a broad category of instruments known as "structured notes." These instruments are debt obligations issued by industrial corporations, financial institutions or governmental or international agencies. Traditional debt obligations typically obligate the issuer to repay the principal plus a specified rate of interest. Structured notes, by contrast, obligate the issuer to pay amounts of principal or interest that are determined by reference to changes in some external factor or factors. For example, the issuer's obligations could be determined by reference to changes in the value of a commodity (such as gold or oil), a foreign currency, an index of securities (such as the S&P 500 Index) or an interest rate (such as the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to changes over time in the difference (or "spread") between two or more external factors (such as the U.S. prime lending rate and the total return of the stock market in a particular country, as measured by a stock index). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may fluctuate inversely with changes in an external factor or factors (for example, if the U.S. prime lending rate goes up, the issuer's interest payment obligations are reduced). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may be determined by some multiple of the change in an external factor or factors (for example, three times the change in the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations remain fixed (as with a traditional debt instrument) so long as an external factor or factors do not change by more than the specified amount (for example, if the value of a stock index does not exceed some specified maximum), but if the external factor or factors change by more than the specified amount, the issuer's obligations may be sharply reduced.
Structured notes can serve many different purposes in the management of a mutual fund. For example, they can be used to increase a Fund's exposure to changes in the value of assets that the Fund would not ordinarily purchase directly (such as stocks traded in a market that is not open to U.S. investors). They can also be used to hedge the risks associated with other investments a Fund holds. For example, if a structured note has an interest rate that fluctuates inversely with general changes in a country's stock market index, the value of the structured note would generally move in the opposite direction to the value of holdings of stocks in that market, thus moderating the effect of stock market movements on the value of a Fund's portfolio as a whole.
Risks. Structured notes involve special risks. As with any debt obligation, structured notes involve the risk that the issuer will become insolvent or otherwise default on its payment obligations. This risk is in addition to the risk that the issuer's obligations (and thus the value of a Fund's investment) will be reduced because of adverse changes in the external factor or factors to which the obligations are linked. The value of structured notes will in many cases be more volatile (that is, will change more rapidly or severely) than the value of traditional debt instruments. Volatility will be especially high if the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to some multiple of the change in the external factor or factors. Many structured notes have limited or no liquidity, so that a Fund would be unable to dispose of the investment prior to maturity. As with all investments, successful use of structured notes depends in significant part on the accuracy of the adviser's analysis of the issuer's creditworthiness and financial prospects, and of the adviser's forecast as to changes in relevant economic and financial market conditions and factors. In instances where the issuer of a structured note is a foreign entity, the usual risks associated with investments in foreign securities (described below) apply. Structured notes may be considered derivative securities.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes or preferred stocks of U.S. or foreign issuers that can be converted into (that is, exchanged for) common stocks or other equity securities. Convertible securities also include other securities, such as warrants, that provide an opportunity for equity participation. Because convertible securities can be converted into equity securities, their values will normally vary in some proportion with those of the underlying equity securities. Convertible securities usually provide a higher yield than the underlying equity, however, so that the price decline of a convertible security may sometimes be less substantial than that of the underlying equity security. Convertible securities usually provide a lower yield than comparable fixed-income securities.
Asset-Backed Securities
The securitization techniques used to develop mortgage securities are also being applied to a broad range of other assets. (Mortgage-backed securities are a type of asset-backed security). Through the use of trusts and special purpose vehicles, assets, such as automobile and credit card receivables, are being securitized in pass-through structures similar to mortgage pass-through structures or in a pay-through structure similar to a collateralized mortgage obligation structure. Generally, the issuers of asset-backed bonds, notes or pass-through certificates are special purpose entities and do not have any significant assets other than the receivables securing such obligations. In general, the collateral supporting asset-backed securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans. Instruments backed by pools of receivables are similar to mortgage-backed securities in that they are subject to unscheduled prepayments of principal prior to maturity. When the obligations are prepaid, the Fund will ordinarily reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities the yields of which reflect interest rates prevailing at the time. Therefore, a Fund's ability to maintain a portfolio that includes high-yielding asset-backed securities will be adversely affected to the extent that prepayments of principal must be reinvested in securities that have lower yields than the prepaid obligations. Moreover, prepayments of securities purchased at a premium could result in a realized loss.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs")
CMOs are securities backed by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage securities held under indentures. The underlying mortgages or mortgage securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or an agency or instrumentality thereof. The issuer's obligation to make interest and principal payments is secured by the underlying portfolio of mortgages or mortgage securities. CMOs are issued with a number of classes or series which have different maturities and which may represent interests in some or all of the interest or principal on the underlying collateral or a combination thereof. CMOs of different classes are generally retired in sequence as the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such mortgages, the class or series of CMO first to mature generally will be retired prior to its maturity. Thus, the early retirement of a particular class or series of CMO held by a Fund would have the same effect as the prepayment of mortgages underlying a mortgage pass-through security. CMOs and other asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities may be considered derivative securities.
Mortgage-Related Securities
Mortgage-related securities, such as Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") or Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") certificates, differ from traditional debt securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if a Fund purchases these assets at a premium, a faster-than-expected prepayment rate will tend to reduce yield to maturity, and a slower-than-expected prepayment rate may have the opposite effect of increasing yield to maturity. If a Fund purchases mortgage-related securities at a discount, faster-than-expected prepayments will tend to increase, and slower-than-expected prepayments tend to reduce, yield to maturity. Prepayments, and resulting amounts available for reinvestment by a Fund, are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on securities purchased at a premium may result in a loss of principal if the premium has not been fully amortized at the time of prepayment. Although these securities will decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates generally, they are likely to appreciate less than other fixed-income securities when interest rates decline because of the risk of prepayments. In addition, an increase in interest rates would also increase the inherent volatility of a Fund by increasing the average life of the Fund's portfolio securities.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Security ("ARM")
An ARM, like a traditional mortgage security, is an interest in a pool of mortgage loans that provides investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as mortgage loans in the underlying mortgage pool are paid off by the borrowers. ARMs have interest rates that are reset at periodic intervals, usually by reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Although the rate adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of adjustable rate securities, these securities are still subject to changes in value based on
changes in market interest rates or changes in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the interest rates are reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on ARMs may lag behind changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also, some ARMs (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or floors that limit the maximum change in interest rate during a specified period or over the life of the security. As a result, changes in the interest rate on an ARM may not fully reflect changes in prevailing market interest rates during certain periods. Because of the resetting of interest rates, ARMs are less likely than non-adjustable rate securities of comparable quality and maturity to increase significantly in value when market interest rates fall.
Lower Quality Debt Securities
The Fund may invest in lower quality fixed-income securities. Fixed-income securities rated BB or lower by Standard & Poor's or Fitch or Ba or lower by Moody's (and comparable unrated securities) are of below "investment-grade" quality. Lower quality fixed-income securities generally provide higher yields, but are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher-quality fixed-income securities, including U.S. government and many foreign government securities. Lower quality fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to meet principal and interest payments. Achievement of the investment objective of a Fund investing in lower quality fixed-income securities may be more dependent on the Fund's adviser's own credit analysis than for a Fund investing in higher-quality bonds. The market for lower quality fixed-income securities may be more severely affected than some other financial markets by economic recession or substantial interest rate increases, by changing public perceptions of such market or by legislation that limits the ability of certain categories of financial institutions to invest in these securities. In addition, the secondary market may be less liquid for lower-rated fixed-income securities. This lack of liquidity at certain times may affect the valuation of these securities and may make the valuation and sale of these securities more difficult. Securities of below investment-grade quality are considered high yield, high risk securities and are commonly known as "junk bonds." For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P, Fitch and Moody's, please refer to the Statement's "Appendix A -- Description of Securities Ratings."
Pay-in-Kind Securities
The Fund may invest in pay-in-kind securities, which are securities that pay dividends or interest in the form of additional securities of the issuer, rather than in cash. These securities are usually issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of pay-in-kind securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than are other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
Step Coupon Securities
The Fund may invest in step coupon securities. Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. Market values of these types of securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do conventional interest-paying securities of comparable term and quality. Under many market conditions, investments in such securities may be illiquid, making it difficult for a Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.
"Stripped" Securities
The Fund may invest in stripped securities, which are usually structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distribution on a pool of U.S. government, or foreign government securities or mortgage assets. In some cases, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest-only or "IO" class), while the other class will receive the entire principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). Stripped securities commonly have greater market volatility than other types of fixed-income securities. In the case of stripped mortgage securities, if the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated payments of principal, a Fund may fail to recoup fully its investments in IOs. The staff of the SEC has indicated that it views stripped mortgage securities as illiquid unless the securities are issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and
are backed by fixed-rate mortgages. The Fund intend to abide by the staff's position. Stripped securities may be considered derivative securities.
Tax Exempt Securities
The Fund may invest in "Tax Exempt Securities," which term refers to debt securities the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by the Fund's portfolio manager to be reliable), exempt from federal income tax. Tax Exempt Securities include debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions (for example, counties, cities, towns, villages and school districts) and authorities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which certain Tax Exempt Securities may be issued include the refunding of outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for federal operating expenses, or obtaining funds to lend to public or private institutions for the construction of facilities such as educational, hospital and housing facilities. In addition, certain types of private activity bonds have been or may be issued by public authorities or on behalf of state or local governmental units to finance privately operated housing facilities, sports facilities, convention or trade facilities, air or water pollution control facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas, electricity or sewage or solid waste disposal. Such obligations are included within the term "Tax Exempt Securities" if the interest paid thereon, is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by the Fund's portfolio manager to be reliable), exempt from federal income tax.
A Fund that invests in certain tax-exempt bonds or certain private activity bonds may not be a desirable investment for "substantial users" of facilities financed by such obligations or bonds or for "related persons" of substantial users. You should contact your financial adviser or attorney for more information if you think you may be a "substantial user" or a "related person" of a substantial user.
There are variations in the quality of Tax Exempt Securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, depending on numerous factors (see Appendix A).
The two principal classifications of tax-exempt bonds are general obligation bonds and limited obligation (or revenue) bonds. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from the issuer's general unrestricted revenues and not from any particular fund or source. The characteristics and method of enforcement of general obligation bonds vary according to the law applicable to the particular issuer, and payment may be dependent upon an appropriation by the issuer's legislative body. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities, or in some cases from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source such as the user of the facility. Tax-exempt private activity bonds are in most cases revenue bonds and generally are not payable from the unrestricted revenues of the issuer. The credit and quality of such bonds are usually directly related to the credit standing of the corporate user of the facilities. Principal and interest on such bonds are the responsibilities of the corporate user (and any guarantor).
The yields on Tax Exempt Securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the Tax Exempt Securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Further, information about the financial condition of an issuer of tax-exempt bonds may not be as extensive as that made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. The ratings of Moody's, Fitch and S&P represent their opinions as to the quality of the Tax Exempt Securities, which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, Tax Exempt Securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields while Tax Exempt Securities of the same maturity and interest rates with different ratings may have the same yield. Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue of Tax Exempt Securities or other investments may cease to be rated or the rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event will require the elimination of an investment from the Fund's portfolio, but the Fund's adviser will consider such an event as part of its normal, ongoing review of all the Fund's portfolio securities.
Securities in which the Fund may invest, including Tax Exempt Securities, are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by Congress or the state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their Tax Exempt Securities may be materially affected or that their obligations may be found to be invalid and unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for tax-exempt bonds or certain segments thereof, or materially affecting the credit risk with respect to particular bonds. Adverse economic, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of the Fund's Tax Exempt Securities in the same manner.
From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations issued by states and their political subdivisions and similar proposals may well be introduced in the future. If such a proposal were enacted, the availability of Tax-Exempt Securities for investment by the Fund and the value of the Fund's portfolio could be materially affected, in which event the Fund would reevaluate their investment objectives and policies and consider changes in their structure or dissolution.
All debt securities, including tax-exempt bonds, are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, for any given change in the level of interest rates, prices for longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices for shorter maturity issues.
Equity Securities
Equity securities are securities that represent an ownership interest (or the right to acquire such an interest) in a company and include common and preferred stocks and securities exercisable for, or convertible into, common or preferred stocks (such as warrants, convertible debt securities and convertible preferred stock). Common stocks represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Preferred stocks represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over holders of preferred stock, whose claims take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
While offering greater potential for long-term growth, equity securities generally are more volatile and more risky than some other forms of investment, particularly debt securities. Therefore, the value of your investment in a Fund may sometimes decrease. A Fund may invest in equity securities of companies with relatively small market capitalizations. Securities of such companies may be more volatile than the securities of larger, more established companies and the broad equity market indices. See "Small Capitalization Companies" below. A Fund's investments may include securities traded "over-the-counter" as well as those traded on a securities exchange. Some securities, particularly over the counter securities may be more difficult to sell under some market conditions.
Foreign Securities
The Fund may invest in foreign securities. Such investments present risks not typically associated with investments in comparable securities of U.S. issuers.
Since most foreign securities are denominated in foreign currencies or traded primarily in securities markets in which settlements are made in foreign currencies, the value of these investments and the net investment income available for distribution to shareholders of a Fund may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations. Because a Fund may purchase securities denominated in foreign currencies, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets and the Fund's income available for distribution.
In addition, although a Fund's income may be received or realized in foreign currencies, the Fund will be required to compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars. Therefore, if the value of a currency relative to the U.S. dollar declines after a Fund's income has been earned in that currency, translated into U.S. dollars and declared as a dividend, but before payment of such dividend, the Fund could be required to liquidate portfolio securities to pay such dividend. Similarly, if the value of a currency relative to the U.S. dollar declines between the time a Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the amount of such currency required to be converted into U.S. dollars in order to pay such expenses in U.S. dollars will be greater than the equivalent amount in such currency of such expenses at the time they were incurred.
There may be less information publicly available about a foreign corporate or government issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and foreign corporate issuers are not generally subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions and securities custody costs are often higher than those in the United States, and judgments against foreign entities may be more difficult to obtain and enforce. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of governmental expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and diplomatic developments that could affect the value of investments in those countries. The receipt of interest on foreign government securities may depend on the availability of tax or other revenues to satisfy the issuer's obligations.
Emerging Markets
Investments in foreign securities may include investments in emerging or developing countries, whose economies or securities markets are not yet highly developed. Special considerations associated with these investments (in addition to the considerations regarding foreign investments generally) may include, among others, greater political uncertainties, an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance, currency transfer restrictions, highly limited numbers of potential buyers for such securities and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
In determining whether to invest in securities of foreign issuers, the adviser of the Fund may consider the likely effects of foreign taxes on the net yield available to the Fund and its shareholders. Compliance with foreign tax laws may reduce a Fund's net income available for distribution to shareholders.
Depositary Receipts
The Fund may invest in foreign equity securities by purchasing "depositary receipts." Depositary receipts are instruments issued by a bank that represent an interest in equity securities held by arrangement with the bank. Depositary receipts can be either "sponsored" or "unsponsored." Sponsored depositary receipts are issued by banks in cooperation with the issuer of the underlying equity securities. Unsponsored depositary receipts are arranged without involvement by the issuer of the underlying equity securities and, therefore, less information about the issuer of the underlying equity securities may be available and price may be more volatile than sponsored depositary receipts. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are depositary receipts that are bought and sold in the United States and are typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") are depositary receipts that are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or United States corporation. All depositary receipts, including those denominated in U.S. dollars, will be subject to foreign currency exchange risk.
Supranational Entities
The Fund may invest in obligations of supranational entities. A supranational entity is an entity designated or supported by national governments to promote economic reconstruction, development or trade amongst nations. Examples of supranational entities include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "World Bank") and the European Investment Bank. 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 below under "Foreign Currency."
Foreign Currency Hedging Transactions
The Fund may engage in currency hedging transactions. To protect against a change in the foreign currency exchange rate between the date on which a Fund contracts to purchase or sell a security and the settlement date for the purchase or sale, or to "lock in" the equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in another currency, a Fund might purchase or sell a foreign currency on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate. If conditions warrant, a Fund may also enter into contracts with banks or broker-dealers to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts"). The Fund will maintain cash or other liquid assets eligible for purchase by the Fund in a segregated account with the custodian in an amount at least equal to the lesser of (i) the difference between the current value of the Fund 's liquid holdings that settle in the relevant currency and the Fund's outstanding obligations under currency forward contracts, or (ii) the current amount, if any, that would be required to be paid to enter into an offsetting forward currency contract which would have the effect of closing out the original forward contract. The Fund's use of currency hedging transactions may be limited by tax considerations. The adviser may decide not to engage in currency hedging transactions and there is no assurance that any currency hedging strategy used by a Fund will succeed. In addition, suitable currency hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that a Fund will engage in these transactions when they would be beneficial. A Fund may also purchase or sell foreign currency futures contracts traded on futures exchanges. Foreign currency futures contract transactions involve risks similar to those of other futures transactions. See "Futures Contracts," "Options" and "Swap Contracts" below.
Money Market Instruments
A Fund may seek to minimize risk by investing in money market instruments, which are high-quality, short-term securities. Although changes in interest rates can change the market value of a security, a Fund expects those changes to be minimal with respect to these securities, which are often purchased for defensive purposes.
Money market obligations of foreign banks or of foreign branches or subsidiaries of U.S. banks may be subject to different risks than obligations of domestic banks, such as foreign economic, political and legal developments and the fact that different regulatory requirements apply.
Illiquid Securities
The Fund may purchase illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those that are not readily resalable, which may include securities whose disposition is restricted by federal securities laws. Investment in restricted or other illiquid securities involves the risk that a Fund may be unable to sell such a security at the desired time. Also, a Fund may incur expenses, losses or delays in the process of registering restricted securities prior to resale.
The Fund may purchase Rule 144A securities, which are privately offered
securities that can be resold only to certain qualified institutional buyers
pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act").
The Fund may also purchase commercial paper issued under Section 4(2) of the
Securities Act. Investing in Rule 144A securities and Section 4(2) commercial
paper could have the effect of increasing the level of the Fund's illiquidity
to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time,
uninterested in purchasing these securities. Rule 144A securities and
Section 4(2) commercial paper are treated as illiquid, unless the adviser has
determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees, that
the particular issue is liquid.
Initial Public Offerings
The Fund may purchase securities of companies that are offered pursuant to an initial public offering ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public in the primary market, typically to raise additional capital. The Fund may purchase a "hot" IPO (also known as a "hot issue"), which is an IPO that is oversubscribed and, as a result, is an investment opportunity of limited availability. As a consequence, the price at which these IPO shares open in the secondary market may be significantly higher than the original IPO price. IPO securities tend to involve greater risk due, in part, to public perception and the lack of publicly available information and trading history. There is the possibility of losses resulting from the difference between the issue price and potential diminished value of the stock once traded in the secondary market. The Fund's investment in IPO securities may have a significant impact on the Fund's performance and may result in significant capital gains.
Privatizations
The Fund may participate in privatizations. In a number of countries around the world, governments have undertaken to sell to investors interests in enterprises that the government has historically owned or controlled. These transactions are known as "privatizations" and may in some cases represent opportunities for significant capital appreciation. In some cases, the ability of U.S. investors, such as the Fund, to participate in privatizations may be limited by local law, and the terms of participation for U.S. investors may be less advantageous than those for local investors. Also, there is no assurance that privatized enterprises will be successful, or that an investment in such an enterprise will retain its value or appreciate in value.
Securities Lending
The Funds may lend from their total assets in the form of their portfolio securities to broker-dealers under contracts calling for collateral equal to at least the market value of the securities loaned, marked to market on a daily basis. The Fund will continue to benefit from interest or dividends on the securities loaned and may also earn a return from the collateral, which may include shares of a money market fund subject to any investment restrictions listed in Part I of this Statement. Under some securities lending arrangements the Fund may receive a set fee for keeping its securities available for lending. Any voting rights, or rights to consent, relating to securities loaned pass to the borrower. However, if a material event (as determined by the adviser) affecting the investment occurs, such loans will be called, if possible, so that the securities may be voted by the Fund. The Fund pays various fees in connection with such loans, including shipping fees and reasonable custodian and placement fees approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trusts or persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Boards.
These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times, but involve some credit risk to the Fund if the borrower or the party (if any) guaranteeing the loan should default on its obligation and the Fund is delayed in or prevented from recovering the collateral.
Short-Term Trading
The Fund may, consistent with their investment objectives, engage in portfolio trading in anticipation of, or in response to, changing economic or market conditions and trends. These policies may result in higher turnover rates in the Fund's portfolio, which may produce higher transaction costs and a higher level of taxable capital gains. Portfolio turnover considerations will not limit the adviser's investment discretion in managing a Fund's assets. The Fund anticipate that their portfolio turnover rates will vary significantly from time to time depending on the volatility of economic and market conditions.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Fund has adopted policies to limit the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and to ensure equal access to such information, except in certain circumstances as approved by the Board of Trustees. Generally, portfolio holdings information will not be available except on a monthly basis following an aging period of at least 30 days between the date of the information and the date on which it is disclosed. The portfolio holdings information will generally be made available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com. Any holdings information that is released must clearly indicate the date of the information, and must state that due to active management the Fund may or may not still invest in the securities listed. Portfolio characteristics, such as industry/sector breakdown, current yield, quality breakdown, duration, average price-earnings ratio and other similar information may be provided on a current basis. However, portfolio characteristics do not include references to specific portfolio holdings.
The Board of Trustees has approved exceptions to the general policy on the sharing of portfolio holdings information as in the best interests of the Fund:
(1) Disclosure of portfolio holdings posted on the Fund's website provided the information is shared no sooner than the next day following the day on which the information is posted;
(2) Disclosure to firms offering industry-wide services, provided that the firm has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Fund, their principal underwriter or an affiliate of the Fund's principal underwriter. Entities that receive information pursuant to this exception include Lipper (monthly disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided 5 days after month-end); Vestek (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided the next business day); and FactSet (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings provided the next business day);
(3) Disclosure to ADP Investor Communication Services, Inc. as part of the proxy voting recordkeeping services provided to the Fund, and to Investor Research Services, Inc. and Glass Lewis, LLC, as part of the proxy voting administration and research services, respectively, provided to the Fund's adviser (portfolio holdings of issuers as of record date for shareholder meetings);
(4) Disclosure to employees of the Fund's adviser, principal underwriter, administrator, custodian and fund accounting agent, as well as to broker-dealers executing portfolio transactions for the Fund, provided that such disclosure is made for bona fide business purposes; and
(5) Other disclosures made for non-investment purposes, but only if approved in writing in advance by an officer of the Fund. Such exceptions will be reported to the Board of Trustees.
With respect to (5) above, approval will be granted only when the officer determines that the Fund has a legitimate business reason for sharing the portfolio holdings information and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the information. As of the date of this SAI, the only entity that receives information pursuant to this exception is GCom2 (quarterly, or more frequently as needed, disclosure of full portfolio holdings) for the purpose of performing certain functions related to the production of the Fund's semi-annual financial statements, quarterly Form N-Q filing and other related items. The Fund's Board of Trustees exercises oversight of the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings by reviewing, on a quarterly basis, persons or entities receiving such disclosure. Notwithstanding the above, there is no assurance that the Fund's policies on the sharing of portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
In addition, any disclosures of portfolio holdings information by a Fund or its adviser must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, the Fund's and the adviser's fiduciary duty to shareholders, and the Fund's code of ethics. The Fund's policies expressly prohibit the sharing of portfolio holdings information if the Fund, its adviser, or any other affiliated party receives compensation or other consideration in connection with such arrangement. The term "consideration" includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Fund or in other funds or accounts managed by the Fund's adviser or by any affiliated person of the adviser.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The Fund is governed by a Board of Trustees of the Trust, which is responsible for generally overseeing the conduct of Fund business and for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund and review the Fund's performance.
The following table provides certain information regarding the trustees and officers of the Trust. For purposes of this table and for purposes of this SAI, the term "Independent Trustee" means those trustees who are not "interested persons" as defined in the 1940 Act of the Trust and, when applicable, who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on by the Board of Trustees. For purposes of this SAI, the term "Interested Trustee" means those trustees who are "interested persons" of the Trust and, when applicable, who have a direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on by the Board of Trustees.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all persons below is 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Position(s) Held with Number of Portfolios in the Trust, Length of Fund Complex Time Served and Principal Occupation(s) Overseen*** and Other Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* During Past 5 Years** Directorships Held ---------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Graham T. Allison, Jr. Trustee, since 2003 Douglas Dillon Professor and 38; Director, (3/23/40) Contract Review and Governance Director of the Belfer Center of Taubman Committee Member Science and International Affairs, Centers, Inc. John F. Kennedy School of (real estate Government, Harvard University investment trust); Charles D. Baker Trustee, since 2005 President and Chief Executive 38; None (11/13/56) Contract Review and Governance Officer, Harvard Pilgrim Health Committee Member Care (health plan) Edward A. Benjamin Trustee, since 2002 Retired 38; Director, (5/30/38) Contract Review and Governance Precision Optics Committee Member Corporation Formerly, Audit Committee (optics Member manufacturer) Daniel M. Cain Trustee, since 2003; President and Chief Executive 38; Director, (2/24/45) Chairman of the Audit Committee Officer, Cain Brothers & Sheridan Company, Incorporated Healthcare, Inc. (investment banking) (physician practice management) Paul G. Chenault Trustee, since 2000 Retired; Trustee, First Variable 38; Director, (9/12/33) Contract Review and Governance Life (variable life insurance) Mailco Office Committee Member Products, Inc. (mailing equipment) Kenneth J. Cowan Trustee, since 2003; Retired 38; None (4/5/32) Chairman of the Contract Review and Governance Committee Richard Darman Trustee, since 2003 Partner, The Carlyle Group 38; Director and (5/10/43) Contract Review and Governance (investments); formerly, Chairman of the Committee Member Professor, John F. Kennedy Board of School of Government, Harvard Directors, AES University Corporation (international power company); Sandra O. Moose Trustee, since 2003 President, Strategic Advisory 38; Director, (2/17/42) Chairperson of the Board, since Services (management Verizon 2005 consulting); formerly, Senior Vice Communications; Ex officio member of the Audit President and Director, The Director, Rohm Committee and Contract Review Boston Consulting Group, Inc. and Haas and Governance Committee (management consulting) Company (specialty chemicals); Director, AES Corporation |
Position(s) Held with Number of Portfolios in the Trust, Length of Fund Complex Time Served and Principal Occupation(s) During Past Overseen*** and Other Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* 5 Years** Directorships Held ----------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------ John A. Shane Trustee, since 2003 President, Palmer Service 38; Director, Gensym (2/22/33) Audit Committee Member Corporation (venture capital Corporation (software and (formerly, Contract Review organization) technology services provider); and Governance Committee Director and Chairman of the Member) Board, Abt Associates Inc. (research and consulting firm) Cynthia L. Walker Trustee, since 2005 Dean for Administration 38; None (7/25/56) Audit Committee Member (formerly, Dean for Finance & CFO), Harvard Medical School INTERESTED TRUSTEES Robert J. Blanding/1/ Trustee, since 2002 President, Chairman, Director 38; None (4/14/47) President and Chief Executive and Chief Executive Officer, 555 California Street Officer of Loomis Sayles Loomis, Sayles & Company, San Francisco, CA 94104 Funds I L.P.; Chief Executive Officer of Loomis Sayles Funds II John T. Hailer/2/ Trustee, since 2003 President and Chief Executive 38; None (11/23/60) Executive Vice President of Officer, IXIS Asset Loomis Sayles Funds I, since Management Distributors, 2003 L.P.; President and Chief Executive Officer, IXIS Advisor Funds; President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust and AEW Real Estate Income Fund; President of Loomis Sayles Funds II |
* All Trustees serve until retirement, resignation or removal from the Board. The current retirement age is 72, but was suspended for the calendar year 2005. At a meeting held on August 26, 2005, the Trustees voted to lift the suspension of the retirement policy but to designate 2006 as a transition period so that any Trustees who are currently 72 or older or who reach age 72 during the remainder of 2005 or in 2006 will not be required to retire until the end of calendar year 2006. The position of Chairperson of the Board is appointed for a two-year term.
** Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors") or Loomis Sayles are omitted if not materially different from a trustee's or officer's current position with such entity.
*** The Trustees of the Trust serve as Trustees of a fund complex that includes all series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II.
/1/ Mr. Blanding is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he
holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust:
President, Chairman, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Loomis
Sayles.
/2/ Mr. Hailer is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust: President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Advisors and IXIS Distributors.
Position(s) Term of Office* Name and Date of Held with the and Length of Birth Trust Time Served Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years** -------------------- -------------------- --------------- --------------------------------------------- OFFICERS Coleen Downs Dinneen Secretary, Clerk Since September Senior Vice President, General Counsel, (12/16/60) and Chief Legal 2004 Secretary and Clerk (formerly, Deputy Officer General Counsel, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk) IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. Michael C. Kardok Treasurer, Principal Since 2004 Senior Vice President, IXIS Asset (7/17/59) Financial and Management Advisors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Accounting Officer Management Distributors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Director, PFPC Inc.; formerly, Vice President - Division Manager, First Data Investor Services, Inc. Max J. Mahoney Anti-Money Since August Senior Vice President, Deputy General (5/1/62) Laundering Officer 2005 Counsel, Assistant Secretary and Assistant and Assistant Clerk, IXIS Asset Management Secretary Distribution Corporation, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Chief Compliance Officer, IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Counsel, MetLife, Inc.; formerly, Associate Counsel, LPL Financial Services, Inc. John E. Pelletier Chief Operating Since 2004 Executive Vice President and Chief (6/24/64) Officer Operating Officer (formerly, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (formerly, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation; Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director (formerly, President, Chief Operating Officer and Director IXIS Asset Management Services Company) Daniel J. Fuss Executive Vice , Since June Vice Chairman and Director, Loomis, (9/27/33) President 2003 Sayles & Company, L.P.; Prior to 2002, One Financial Center (Loomis Sayles President and Trustee of Loomis Sayles Boston, MA 02111 Funds Trusts only) Funds II |
Position(s) Term of Office* Name and Date of Held with the and Length of Principal Occupation(s) During Past Birth Trust Time Served 5 Years** ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ------------------------------------------ Kristin Vigneaux Chief Compliance Since 2004 Chief Compliance Officer for Mutual Funds, (9/25/69) Officer IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P ; formerly, Vice President, IXIS Asset Management Services Company |
** Each person listed above, except as noted, holds the same position(s) with the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts. Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Advisors or Loomis Sayles are omitted, if not materially different from an officer's current position with such entity.
Standing Board Committees
The Trustees have delegated certain authority to the two standing committees of the Trust, the Audit Committee and Contract Review and Governance Committee.
The Contract Review and Governance Committee of the Trust is composed solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to advisory, subadvisory and distribution arrangements, potential conflicts of interest between the adviser and the Trust, and governance matters relating to the Trust. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held six meetings.
The Contract Review and Governance Committee also makes nominations for
independent trustee membership on the Board of Trustees when necessary and
considers recommendations from shareholders of the Funds that are submitted in
accordance with the procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the
Board of Trustees. Pursuant to those procedures, shareholders must submit a
recommendation for nomination in a signed writing addressed to the attention of
the Board of Trustees, c/o Secretary of the Funds, IXIS Asset Management
Advisors Group, 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. This written
communication must identify (i) the name and address of the shareholder,
(ii) the Fund(s) to which the communication relates, and (iii) the account
number, class and number of shares held by the shareholder as of a recent date
or the intermediary through which the shares are held. The recommendation must
contain sufficient background information concerning the trustee candidate to
enable a proper judgment to be made as to the candidate's qualifications, which
may include (i) the nominee's knowledge of the mutual fund industry; (ii) any
experience possessed by the nominee as a director or senior officer of other
public companies; (iii) the nominee's educational background; (iv) the
nominee's reputation for high ethical standards and personal and professional
integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed
by the nominee, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the
Board's existing mix of skills and qualifications; (vi) the nominee's perceived
ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the
nominee's ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work
collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the nominee's ability to
qualify as an Independent Trustee for purposes of applicable regulations; and
(viii) such other factors as the appropriate Board Committee may request in
light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or
other transitions. The recommendation must be received in a timely manner (and
in any event no later than the date specified for receipt of shareholder
proposals in any applicable proxy statement with respect to a Fund). A
recommendation for trustee nomination shall be kept on file and considered by
the Board for six (6) months from the date of receipt, after which the
recommendation shall be considered stale and discarded.
The Audit Committee of the Trust is composed solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to the scope and results of the Trust's audits and serves as a forum in which the independent registered public accountants can raise any issues or problems identified in the audit with the Board of Trustees. This Committee also reviews and monitors compliance with stated investment objectives and policies, SEC and Treasury
regulations as well as operational issues relating to the transfer agent and custodian. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held five meetings.
The current membership of each committee is as follows:
Audit Committee Contract Review and Governance Committee --------------- ---------------------------------------- Daniel M. Cain - Chairman Kenneth J. Cowan - Chairman John A. Shane Graham T. Allison, Jr. Cynthia L. Walker Charles D. Baker Edward A. Benjamin Paul G. Chenault Richard Darman |
As chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Moose is an ex officio member of both Committees.
Trustee Fees
The Trust pays no compensation to its officers or to their trustees who are Interested Trustees.
The Chairperson of the Board receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $200,000. The Chairperson does not receive any meeting attendance fees for Board of Trustees meetings or committee meetings that she attends. Each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $55,000. Each Independent Trustee also receives a meeting attendance fee of $6,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends in person and $3,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends telephonically. In addition, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $10,000. Each Contract Review and Governance Committee member is compensated $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,000 for each committee meeting that he or she attends telephonically. Each Audit Committee member is compensated $5,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,500 for each meeting her or she attends telephonically. These fees are allocated among the mutual fund portfolios in the IXIS Advisor Funds Trusts and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts based on a formula that takes into account, among other factors, the relative net assets of each mutual fund portfolio. In addition, for oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund, a closed-end fund advised by AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of IXIS Advisors and Loomis Sayles, each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000 and meeting attendance fees of $375 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends. Each committee member receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000. Furthermore, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $1,000. The retainer fees for the AEW Real Estate Income Fund assume four Committee meetings per year. Each Trustee of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund is compensated $200 per Committee meeting that he or she attends in excess of four per year.
For the period October 1, 2005 to November 18, 2005, the compensation structure for the Chairperson of the Board and attendance fees for the committee meetings were different. Each co-chairman of the Board received a retainer fee at the annual rate of $25,000 in addition to the compensation structure detailed in the paragraph above. Each Committee member received $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended in person and $2,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended telephonically.
Prior to October 1, 2005, each Independent Trustee received, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $50,000 and meeting attendance fees of $5,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attended. The co-chairmen of the Board each received an additional retainer fee of $25,000. Each committee chairman received an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $7,000. Each Trustee was compensated $3,750 for
each Committee meeting that he or she attended. The fees paid for the oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund were the same as the current fees.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 for the Trust, the trustees of the Trust received the amounts set forth in the following table for serving as a trustee of the Trust and for also serving as trustees of the IXIS Advisor Funds Trust and Loomis Sayles Funds II:
Compensation Table
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2005
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Pension or Total Retirement Compensation Aggregate Benefits Accrued Estimated Annual From the Fund Name of Person, Compensation as Part of Trust Benefits Upon Complex/3/ Position from Trust1 Expenses2 Retirement Paid to Trustee --------------- ------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- Independent Trustees Graham T. Allison, Jr. $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Charles D. Baker/4/ $ 8,919 $0 $0 $ 22,025 Edward A. Benjamin $39,914 $0 $0 $105,025 Daniel M. Cain $54,177 $0 $0 $140,810 Paul G. Chenault $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Kenneth J. Cowan $55,371 $0 $0 $144,360 Richard Darman $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Sandra O. Moose $36,242 $0 $0 $ 95,900 John A. Shane $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Cynthia L. Walker/4/ $ 8,919 $0 $0 $ 22,625 Interested Trustees Robert J. Blanding $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 John T. Hailer $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 |
1 Amounts include payments deferred by trustees for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, with respect to the Trust. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued for Loomis Sayles Funds I as of September 30, 2005 for the Trustees is as follows: Allison ($189,748), Benjamin ($26,551), Cain ($50,407), Chenault ($9,163), Cowan ($35,211) and Darman ($67,636).
2 The Trust provides no pension or retirement benefits to Trustees, but have adopted a deferred payment arrangement under which each Trustee may elect not to receive fees from the Trust on a current basis but to receive in a subsequent period an amount equal to the value that such fees would have been if they had been invested in one or more series of the Trust selected by the Trustee on the normal payment date for such fees.
3 Total Compensation represents amounts paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 to a trustee for serving on the board of trustees of eight (8) trusts with a total of thirty-seven (37) funds as of September 30, 2005.
4 Mr. Baker and Ms. Walker were elected as Trustees on June 2, 2005.
Fund Securities Owned by the Trustees
As of December 31, 2005, the Trustees had the following ownership of the Fund:
Independent Trustees:
* A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
Graham T. Charles D. Edward A. Daniel M. Paul G. Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Allison, Jr.** Baker Benjamin** Cain** Chenault** ---------------------------- -------------- ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- Loomis Sayles High A A A A A Income Opportunities Fund Aggregate Dollar Range E A E E E of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex |
**Amountsinclude amounts held through the deferred compensation plan.
Kenneth J. Richard Sandra O. John A. Cynthia L. Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Cowan** Darman** Moose** Shane Walker ---------------------------- ---------- -------- --------- ------- ---------- Loomis Sayles High Income A A A A A Opportunities Fund Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund E E E E A Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex |
**Amountsinclude amounts held through the deferred compensation plan.
Interested Trustees
Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Robert J. Blanding John T. Hailer ---------------------------- ------------------ -------------- Loomis Sayles High Income A A Opportunities Fund Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares E E in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex: |
* A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
Code of Ethics. The Trust, Loomis Sayles and the Distributor each has adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit the personnel of these entities to invest in securities, including securities that the Fund may purchase or hold.
Proxy Voting Policies. The Board of Trustees of the Fund has adopted the Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines (the "Guidelines") for the voting of proxies for securities held by the Fund. Under the Guidelines, the responsibility for voting proxies generally is delegated to the Fund's investment adviser. Decisions regarding the voting of proxies shall be made solely in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders. The exclusive purpose shall be to provide benefits to the shareholders of the Fund by considering those factors that affect the value of the securities. The adviser shall exercise its fiduciary responsibilities to vote proxies with respect to the Fund's investments that are managed by that adviser in a prudent manner in accordance with the Guidelines and the proxy voting policies of the adviser. Proposals that, in the opinion of the adviser, are in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "for" and proposals that, in the judgment of the adviser, are not in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "against". The adviser is responsible for maintaining certain records and reporting to the Audit Committee of the Trusts in connection with the voting of proxies. Upon request for reasonable periodic review as well as annual reporting to the SEC, the adviser shall make available to the Fund, or IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., the Fund's administrator, the records and information maintained by the adviser under the Guidelines.
Loomis Sayles uses the services of third parties ("Proxy Voting Service(s)"), to research and administer the vote on proxies for those accounts and fund for which Loomis Sayles has voting authority. Each Proxy Voting Service has a copy of Loomis Sayles' proxy voting procedures ("Procedures") and provides vote recommendations and/or analysis to Loomis Sayles based on the Proxy Voting Service's own research. Loomis Sayles will generally follow its express policy with input from the Proxy Voting Services unless Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee (the "Proxy Committee") determines that the client's best interests are served by voting otherwise.
All issues presented for shareholder vote will be considered under the oversight of the Proxy Committee. All non-routine issues will be directly considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security, and will be voted in the best investment interests of the Fund. All routine issues will be voted according to Loomis Sayles' policy approved by the Proxy Committee. Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee has established these routine policies in what it believes are the best investment interests of Loomis Sayles' clients.
The specific responsibilities of the Proxy Committee, include,
(1) developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Procedures,
including an annual review of the Procedures, existing voting guidelines and
the proxy voting process in general, (2) oversight of the proxy voting process
including oversight of the vote on proposals according to the predetermined
policies in the voting guidelines, directing the vote on proposals where there
is reason not to vote according to the predetermined policies in the voting
guidelines or where proposals require special consideration, and consultation
with the portfolio managers and analysts for the Fund(s) holding the security
when necessary or appropriate and, (3) engagement and oversight of third-party
vendors, including Proxy Voting Services.
Loomis Sayles has established several policies to ensure that proxy votes are voted in its clients' best interest and are not affected by any possible conflicts of interest. First, except in certain limited instances, Loomis Sayles votes in accordance with its pre-determined policies set forth in the Procedures. Second, where these Procedures allow for discretion, Loomis Sayles will generally consider the recommendations of the Proxy Voting Services in making its voting decisions. However, if the Proxy Committee determines that the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation is not in the best interest of its clients, then the Proxy Committee may use its discretion to vote against the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation, but only after taking the following steps: (1) conducting a review for any material conflict of interest Loomis Sayles may have and, (2) if any material conflict is found to exist, excluding anyone at Loomis Sayles who is subject to that conflict of interest from participating in the voting decision in any way. However, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Proxy Committee after full prior disclosure of any conflict, that person may provide information, opinions or recommendations on any proposal to the Proxy Committee. In such event the Proxy Committee will make reasonable efforts to obtain and consider, prior to directing any vote information, opinions or recommendations from or about the opposing position on any proposal.
Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to their prospective portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2005 is available (i) through the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com and (ii) on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
The following table provides information on the principal holders of the Fund. A principal holder is a person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund's outstanding securities. Information provided in this table is as of January 18, 2006.
To the extent that any shareholder listed below beneficially owns more than 25% of a Fund, it may be deemed to "control" such Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The effect of such control may be to reduce the ability of other shareholders of the Fund to take actions requiring the affirmative vote of holders of a plurality or majority of the Fund's shares without the approval of the controlling shareholder.
Share Class Shareholder and Address Percentage of Shares Held ----------- ----------------------- ------------------------- Institutional US Bank Custodian 39.47% FBO Northern Minnesota Wisconsin Area Retail Clerk 60 Livingston Ave St. Paul, MN 55107 MLPF&S For The Sole Benefit Of It's Customers 26.72% Attn Fund Administration ML#97144 4800 Deer Lake Dr East - 2nd FL Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 Smith Barney Corporate Trust 17.04 Company Custodian FBO Sheet Metal Workers Intl 824 N. Market St Ste 210 Wilmington, DE 19801 State Street Bank & Trust Co 12.10% FBO Harvey Industries Inc Prof & Sh 401K Plan and Trust 200 Newport Avenue EXT North Quincy, MA 02171-2102 |
/1/ As of January 18, 2006, U.S. Bank Custodian, FBO Northern Minnesota Wisconsin Area Retail Clerk, 60 Livingston Ave, St. Paul, MN 55107 and MLPF&S For The Sole Benefit Of It's Customers, Attn Fund Administration ML#97144, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East--2nd FL, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 owned 39.47% and 26.72%, respectively, of the Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than MLPF&S and State Street Bank & Trust.
Management Ownership
As of record on January 18, 2006, the officers and trustees of the Trust collectively owned less than 1% of the then outstanding shares of the Fund.
As of January 18, 2006, the Profit Sharing Plan and Pension Plan each owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
The trustee of the Pension Plan and Profit Sharing Plan is Charles Schwab Trust Company. The Pension Plan's Advisory Committee, which is composed of the same individuals listed below as trustees of the Profit Sharing Plan, has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the Pension Plan's shares. The trustees of the Profit Sharing Plan are John DeBeer, Stephanie Lord, Teri Mason, Richard Skaggs, Timothy Hunt, Greg O'Hara, John McGraw, Paul Sherba, John Russell and Kurt Wagner. Except for Timothy Hunt, John DeBeer and John McGraw, each member of the Advisory Committee is an officer and employee of Loomis Sayles. Plan participants are entitled to exercise investment and voting power over shares owned of record by the Profit Sharing Plan. Shares not voted by participants are voted in the same proportion as the shares voted by the voting participants. The address for the Profit Sharing Plan and the Pension Plan is One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Advisory Agreement. Under the advisory agreement with the Fund, Loomis Sayles manages the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and generally administers its affairs, subject to supervision by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Loomis Sayles furnishes, at its own expense, all necessary office space, facilities and equipment, services of executive and other personnel of the Fund, and certain administrative services. Also, Loomis Sayles has agreed to pay, without reimbursement from the Fund or the Trust, the following expenses of the Fund: compensation to trustees of the Trust who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust; registration, filing and other fees in connection with requirements of regulatory authorities; the charges and expenses of any entity appointed by the Fund for custodial, paying agent, shareholder servicing and plan agent services; charges and expenses of independent accountants retained by the Fund; charges and expenses of any transfer agents and registrars appointed by the Fund; any cost of certificates representing shares of the Fund; legal fees and expenses in connection with the day-to-day affairs of the Fund, including registering and qualifying its shares with federal and state regulatory authorities; expenses of meetings of shareholders and trustees of the Trust; the costs of services, including services of counsel, required in connection with the preparation of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses, including amendments and revisions thereto, annual, semi-annual and other periodic reports of the Fund, and notices and proxy solicitation material furnished to shareholders of the Fund or regulatory authorities, and any costs of printing or mailing these items; and the Fund's expenses of bookkeeping, accounting, auditing and financial reporting, including related clerical expenses.
The advisory agreement provides that Loomis Sayles will not charge the Fund an investment advisory fee, also known as a management fee, or any other fee for those services or for bearing those expenses. Although the Fund does not compensate Loomis Sayles directly for its services under the advisory agreement, Loomis Sayles will typically receive an advisory fee from the sponsors of "wrap programs," who in turn charge the programs' participants. See the Prospectus and the applicable wrap program brochure for more information. Loomis Sayles receives an advisory fee directly from institutional clients whose assets it advises under a separate investment management agreement.
The Trust, and not Loomis Sayles or its affiliates, will pay the following expenses: taxes payable by the Trust to federal, state or other governmental agencies; extraordinary expenses as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings, other claims and the legal obligations of the Trust or the Fund to indemnify its trustees, officers, employees, shareholders, distributors, and agents with respect thereto; brokerage fees and commissions (including dealer markups) and transfer taxes chargeable to the Trust in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Fund; costs, including any interest expenses, of borrowing money; costs of hedging transactions; costs of lending portfolio securities; and any expenses indirectly incurred through investments in other pooled investment vehicles.
The advisory agreement provides that it will continue in effect for two years from its date of execution and thereafter from year to year if its continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. Any amendment to an advisory agreement must be approved by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are
not such interested persons, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The agreement may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, upon sixty days' written notice, or by Loomis Sayles upon ninety days' written notice, and terminates automatically in the event of its assignment. In addition, each agreement will automatically terminate if the Trust or the Fund shall at any time be required by Loomis Sayles to eliminate all reference to the words "Loomis" and "Sayles" in the name of the Trust or the Fund, unless the continuance of the agreement after such change of name is approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or Loomis Sayles.
The advisory agreement provides that Loomis Sayles shall not be subject to any liability in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
In addition to serving as investment adviser to the Fund and each other series of the Trust, Loomis Sayles acts as investment adviser or subadviser to certain series of Loomis Sayles Funds II, and adviser or sub-adviser to certain series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II and IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, each a registered open-end management investment company. Loomis Sayles also serves as subadviser to a number of other open-end management investment companies and also provides investment advice to numerous other corporate and fiduciary clients.
Information About the Organization and Ownership of the Adviser of the Fund
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") is a registered investment adviser whose origins date back to 1926. An important feature of the Loomis Sayles investment approach is its emphasis on investment research. Recommendations and reports of the Loomis Sayles research department are circulated throughout the Loomis Sayles organization and are available to the individuals in the Loomis Sayles organization who are responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund's portfolios as well as numerous other institutional and individual clients to which Loomis Sayles provides investment advice. Loomis Sayles is a limited partnership whose sole general partner, Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management Holdings LLC ("IXIS Holdings"), which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"). IXIS Asset Management North America owns the entire limited partnership interest in Loomis Sayles.
IXIS Asset Management North America is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. IXIS Asset Management Group is ultimately owned principally, directly or indirectly, by three large affiliated French financial services entities: the Caisse des Depots et Consignations ("CDC"), a public sector financial institution created by the French government in 1816; the Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne, a financial institution owned by CDC and by French regional savings banks known as the Caisses d'Epargne; and by CNP Assurances, a large French life insurance company. The registered address of CNP Assurances is 4, place Raoul Dautry, 75015 Paris, France. The registered address Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne is 5, rue Masseran, 75007 Paris, France. The registered office of CDC is 56, rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France.
The 12 principal affiliated asset management firms of IXIS Asset Management North America collectively had approximately $202.7 billion in assets under management or administration as of December 31, 2005.
Allocation of Investment Opportunity Among IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Funds (the "Funds") and Other Investments Managed by the Adviser
Loomis Sayles has organized its business into three investment groups: The Fixed Income Group, The Equity Group and The Investment Counseling Group. The Fixed Income Group and the Equity Group make investment decisions for the funds managed by Loomis Sayles. The groups make investment decisions independently of one another. These groups also have responsibility for the management of other client portfolios. The other investment companies and clients served by Loomis Sayles' investment platforms sometimes invest in securities in which the funds (or segments thereof) advised or subadvised by Loomis Sayles also invest. If one of these funds and such other clients advised or subadvised by the same investment group of Loomis Sayles desire to
buy or sell the same portfolio securities at or about the same time, the respective group allocates purchases and sales, to the extent practicable, on a pro rata basis in proportion to the amount desired to be purchased or sold for each fund or client advised or subadvised by that investment group. It is recognized that in some cases the practices described in this paragraph could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities which each of the funds purchases or sells. In other cases, however, it is believed that these practices may benefit the relevant Fund.
Distribution Agreement. Pursuant to a distribution agreement with the Trust (the "Distribution Agreement"), IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., 399 Boylston St., Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (the "Distributor"), an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, serves as the general distributor of shares of the Fund. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor is not obligated to sell a specific number of shares. The Distributor bears the cost of making information about the Fund available through advertising and other means and the cost of printing and mailing the Prospectus to persons other than shareholders. The Distributor currently is not paid a fee for serving as Distributor for the Fund. Loomis Sayles has agreed to reimburse the Distributor to the extent the Distributor incurs expenses in connection with any redemptions of Fund shares.
The Distribution Agreement was approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement.
The Distribution Agreement may be terminated at any time with respect to the Fund on 60 days' written notice to the Distributor by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement also may be terminated by the Distributor on 90 days' written notice to the Trust, and the Distribution Agreement automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In each such case, such termination will be without payment of any penalty.
The Distribution Agreement will continue in effect for successive one-year periods with respect to the Fund, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or the Distributor, in each case cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
Administration Services. IXIS Advisors performs certain accounting and administrative services for the Trust, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 1, 2005, as amended from time to time (the "Administrative Agreement"). Under the Administrative Agreement, IXIS Advisors provides the following services to the Fund: (i) personnel that perform bookkeeping, accounting, internal auditing and financial reporting functions and clerical functions relating to the Fund, (ii) services required in connection with the preparation of registration statements and prospectuses, registration of shares in various states, shareholder reports and notices, proxy solicitation material furnished to shareholders of the Fund or regulatory authorities and reports and questionnaires for SEC compliance, and (iii) the various registrations and filings required by various regulatory authorities. For these services, Loomis Sayles (without reimbursement from the Trust or Fund) has agreed to pay IXIS Advisors for services to the Fund under this agreement.
Prior to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles performed these same services for the Trust, pursuant to an administrative services agreements with the Trust. On July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles assigned the Administrative Services Agreement to IXIS Services, an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and IXIS Services performed the services listed above through December 31, 2004. Loomis Sayles (without reimbursement from the Trust or Fund) paid for all services provided to the Fund under these agreements.
Transfer Agency Services. Pursuant to a contract between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ("Boston Financial"), whose principal business address is Two Heritage Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts 02171, acts as shareholder servicing and transfer agent for the Fund and is responsible for services in connection with the establishment, maintenance and recording of shareholder accounts, including all related tax and other reporting requirements and the implementation of investment and redemption arrangements offered in connection with the sale of the Fund's shares. Loomis Sayles has agreed to pay (without reimbursement from the Trust or Fund) fees to Boston Financial for services to the Fund under this agreement.
Custodial Arrangements. State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street Bank"), One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, is the Trust's custodian. As such, State Street Bank holds in safekeeping certificated securities and cash belonging to the Fund and, in such capacity, is the registered owner of securities held in book entry form belonging to the Fund. Upon instruction, State Street Bank receives and delivers cash and securities of the Fund in connection with Fund transactions and collects all dividends and other distributions made with respect to Fund portfolio securities. State Street Bank also maintains certain accounts and records of the Fund and calculates the total net asset value, total net income, and net asset value per share of the Fund on a daily basis.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Trust's independent registered public accounting firm is PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 125 High Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110. The independent registered public accounting firm conducts an annual audit of the Fund's financial statements, assists in the review of the Fund's federal and state income tax returns and consults with the Trust as to matters of accounting and federal and state income taxation.
Counsel to the Fund. Ropes & Gray LLP, located at One International Place, Boston, MA 02110, serves as counsel to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
Portfolio Managers' Management of Other Accounts
As of September 30, 2005, many of the Portfolio Managers of the Fund managed other accounts in addition to managing the Fund. The following table provides information on the other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager.
Registered Investment Other Pooled Investment Companies Vehicles Other Accounts --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------- Other Advisory fee Other Advisory fee Other Advisory fee is Accounts is based on Accounts is based on Accounts based on Managed performance Managed performance Managed performance -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ -------------- -------------- Name of Portfolio # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total Manager Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets --------- ----- -------- ----- ------ ----- -------- ----- ------ ----- -------- ----- -------- Matthew $ 53.9 $ 119.9 $ 1.05 Egan..... 2 million 0 $0 1 million 0 $0 25 billion 0 $ 0 Daniel J. $ 7.95 $ 201.9 $ 8.97 $ 731.5 Fuss..... 12 billion 0 $0 4 million 0 $0 85 billion 3 million Kathleen C. $ 5.98 $ 4.06 Gaffney.. 4 billion 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $0 42 billion 0 $ 0 Elaine $ 12.8 $ 804.9 $ 170.0 Stokes... 1 million 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $0 22 million 1 million |
Material Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest may arise in the allocation of investment opportunities and the allocation of aggregated orders among the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. A portfolio manager potentially could give favorable treatment to some accounts for a variety of reasons, including favoring larger accounts, accounts that pay higher fees, accounts that pay performance-based fees or accounts of affiliated companies. Such favorable treatment could lead to more favorable investment opportunities for some accounts. Loomis Sayles makes investment decisions for all accounts (including institutional accounts, mutual funds, hedge funds and affiliated accounts) based on each account's availability of other comparable investment opportunities and Loomis Sayles' desire to treat all accounts fairly and equitably over time. Loomis Sayles maintains trade allocation and aggregation policies and procedures to address these potential conflicts. Conflicts of interest also may arise to the extent a portfolio manager short sells a stock in one client account but holds that stock long in other accounts, including the Fund, and through the use of "soft dollar arrangements", which are discussed in the section "Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage".
Portfolio Managers' Compensation
The following describes the structure of, and the method used to determine, the compensation of each of the above-listed portfolio managers as of September 30, 2005:
Loomis Sayles believes that portfolio manager compensation should be driven primarily by the delivery of consistent and superior long-term performance for its clients. Portfolio manager compensation is made up primarily of three main components: base salary, variable compensation and a long-term incentive program. Although portfolio manager compensation is not directly tied to assets under management, a portfolio manager's base salary and/or variable compensation potential may reflect the amount of assets for which the manager is
responsible relative to other portfolio managers. Loomis Sayles also offers a profit sharing plan. Base salary is a fixed amount based on a combination of factors including industry experience, firm experience, job performance and market considerations. It is an incentive-based component and generally represents a significant multiple of base salary. Variable compensation is based on four factors: investment performance, profit growth of the firm, profit growth of the manager's business unit and team commitment. Investment performance is the primary component of total variable compensation and generally represents at least 60% of the total. The other three factors are used to determine the remainder of variable compensation, subject to the discretion of the department's Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and senior management. The CIO and senior management evaluate these other factors annually.
While mutual fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to compensation calculation, investment performance for fixed-income managers is measured by comparing the performance of the firm's institutional composite (pre-tax and net of fees) in the manager's style to the performance of an external benchmark (the Lehman High Yield Index) and a customized peer group. The customized peer group is created by the firm and is made up of institutional managers in the particular investment style. A manager's relative performance for the past five years is used to calculate the amount of variable compensation payable due to performance. To ensure consistency, the firm analyzes the five-year performance on a rolling three-year basis. If a manager is responsible for more than one product, the rankings of each product are weighted based on relative asset size of accounts represented in each product.
Loomis Sayles uses both an external benchmark and a customized peer group as measuring sticks for fixed-income manager performance because it believes they represent an appropriate combination of the competitive fixed-income product universe and the investment styles offered by the firm.
Mr. Fuss's compensation is also based on his overall contributions to the firm in his various roles as Senior Portfolio Manager, Vice Chairman and Director. As a result of these factors, the contribution of investment performance to Mr. Fuss' total variable compensation may be significantly lower than the percentage reflected above. Mr. Fuss also received fixed payments related to his continued service with the firm. These payments were made by the parent company of Loomis Sayles pursuant to an agreement entered into at the time of the parent company's acquisition of Loomis Sayles' previous parent company.
Mutual funds are not included in the firm's composites, so unlike other managed accounts, fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to this calculation. However, each fund managed by the firm employs strategies endorsed by the firm and fits into the product category for the relevant investment style. Loomis Sayles may adjust compensation if there is significant dispersion among the returns of the composite and accounts not included in the composite.
Loomis Sayles has developed and implemented a long-term incentive plan to attract and retain investment talent. The plan supplements existing compensation. This plan has several important components distinguishing it from traditional equity ownership plans:
. the plan grants units that entitle participants to an annual payment based on a percentage of company earnings above an established threshold;
. upon retirement a participant will receive a multi-year payout for his or her vested units;
. participation is contingent upon signing an award agreement, which includes a non-compete covenant.
Senior management expects that the variable compensation portion of overall compensation will continue to remain the largest source of income for those investment professionals included in the plan. The plan is initially offered to portfolio managers and over time the scope of eligibility is likely to widen. Management has full discretion on what units are issued and to whom.
Portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles profit sharing plan, in which Loomis Sayles makes a contribution to the retirement plan of each employee based on a percentage of base salary (up to a maximum amount). The portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles defined benefit pension plan,
which applies to all Loomis Sayles employees who joined the firm prior to May 1, 2003. The defined benefit is based on years of service and base compensation (up to a maximum amount).
As of September 30, 2005 the Portfolio Managers had the following ownership in the Fund:
Dollar Range of Equity Name of Portfolio Manager Fund(s) Managed Securities Invested ------------------------- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------- Matthew Egan Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund A Daniel J. Fuss Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund A Kathleen C. Gaffney Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund A Elaine Stokes Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund A |
A. None E. $100,001 - $500,000 B.$1 - 10,000 F. $500,001 - $1,000,000 C.$10,001 - $50,000 G. over $1,000,000 D.$50,001 - $100,000 |
There are various reasons why a Portfolio Manager may not own shares of the Fund he or she manages. One reason is that the Fund's investment objectives and strategies may not match those of the Portfolio Manager. Administrative reasons (such as facilitating compliance with an adviser's or subadviser's code of ethics) also may explain why a Portfolio Manager has chosen not to invest in the IXIS Advisor Funds.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
General
In placing orders for the purchase and sale of equity securities, Loomis Sayles selects only brokers that it believes are financially responsible, will provide efficient and effective services in executing, clearing and settling an order and will charge commission rates that, when combined with the quality of the foregoing services, will produce the best price and execution for the transaction. This does not necessarily mean that the lowest available brokerage commission will be paid. However, the commissions are believed to be competitive with generally prevailing rates. The adviser will use its best efforts to obtain information as to the general level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to time and will evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid on transactions by reference to such data. In making such evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker in connection with the order, are taken into account.
Subject to the overriding objective of obtaining the best possible execution of orders, the Fund's adviser may allocate brokerage transactions to affiliated brokers. Any such transactions will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act. In order for the affiliated broker to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees and other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period. Furthermore, the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, have adopted procedures that are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to an affiliated broker are consistent with the foregoing standard.
Generally, Loomis Sayles seeks to obtain quality executions at favorable security prices and at competitive commission rates, where applicable, through brokers and dealers who, in Loomis Sayles' opinion, can provide the best overall net results for its clients. Transactions in unlisted equity securities (including NASDAQ securities) are frequently executed through a primary market maker but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network (ECN), Alternative Trading System (ATS), or other execution system. Fixed income securities are generally purchased from the issuer or a primary market maker acting as principal on a net basis with no brokerage
commission paid by the client. Such securities, as well as equity securities, may also be purchased from underwriters at prices which include underwriting fees.
Commissions and Other Factors in Broker or Dealer Selection
Loomis Sayles uses its best efforts to obtain information as to the general
level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to
time and to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid
on client portfolio transactions by reference to such data. In making this
evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well
as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker or dealer, are taken into
account. Other relevant factors may include, without limitation: (a) the
execution capabilities of the brokers and/or dealers, (b) research and other
products or services (as described under "Soft Dollars" below) provided by such
brokers and/or dealers which are expected to enhance Loomis Sayles' general
portfolio management capabilities, (c) the size of the transaction, (d) the
difficulty of execution, (e) the operations facilities of the brokers and/or
dealers involved, (f) the risk in positioning a block of securities, and
(g) the quality of the overall brokerage and research services provided by the
broker and/or dealer.
Soft Dollars
Loomis Sayles' receipt of brokerage and research products or services may sometimes be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer to execute transactions for the Fund where Loomis Sayles believes that the broker or dealer will provide quality execution of the transactions. Such brokerage and research products or services may be paid for with Loomis Sayles' own assets or may, in connection with transactions effected for client accounts for which Loomis Sayles exercises investment discretion, be paid for with client commissions (the latter, sometimes referred to as "Soft Dollars").
The brokerage and research products and services that may be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer and that may be acquired by Loomis Sayles with Soft Dollars include, without limitation, the following which aid Loomis Sayles in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities: a wide variety of reports, charts, publications, subscriptions, quotation services, news services, investment related hardware and software, and data on such matters as economic and political developments, industries, companies, securities, portfolio strategy, account performance, credit analysis, stock and bond market conditions and projections, asset allocation, portfolio structure, economic forecasts, investment strategy advice, fundamental and technical advice on individual securities, valuation advice, market analysis, advice as to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and meetings with management representatives of issuers and other analysts and specialists. The brokerage and research products or services provided to Loomis Sayles by a particular broker or dealer may include both (a) products and services created by such broker or dealer and (b) products and services created by a third party.
If Loomis Sayles receives a particular product or service that both aids it in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities (i.e., a "research use") and provides non-research related uses, Loomis Sayles will make a good faith determination as to the allocation of the cost of such "mixed-use item" between the research and non-research uses and will only use Soft Dollars to pay for the portion of the cost relating to its research use.
In connection with Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars, the Fund may pay a broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a transaction for the Fund in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if Loomis Sayles determines in good faith that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research products or services provided by the broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or Loomis Sayles' overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund.
Loomis Sayles may use Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage or research products and services that have potential application to all client accounts including the Fund or to acquire brokerage or research products and services that will be applied in the management of a certain group of client accounts and, in some cases, may not be used with respect to the Fund. The products or services may not be used in connection with the management of some of the accounts including the Fund that paid commissions to the broker or dealer providing the products or services and may be used in connection with the management of other accounts.
Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage and research products and services benefits Loomis Sayles by allowing it to obtain such products and services without having to purchase them with its own assets. Loomis Sayles believes that its use of Soft Dollars also benefits the Fund as described above. However, conflicts may arise between the Fund's interest in paying the lowest commission rates available and Loomis Sayles' interest in receiving brokerage and research products and services from particular brokers and dealers without having to purchase such products and services with Loomis Sayles' own assets. Loomis Sayles seeks to ensure that its "soft dollar" practices fall within the "safe harbor" provided by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
For purposes of this Soft Dollars discussion, the term "commission" may include (to the extent applicable) both commissions paid to brokers in connection with transactions effected on an agency basis and markups, markdowns, commission equivalents, or other fees paid to dealers in connection with certain transactions as encompassed by relevant SEC interpretation.
As of September 30, 2005 the Fund did not hold any securities of the Fund's regular broker-dealers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Declaration of Trust currently permits the trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of each series. Each share of each series represents an equal proportionate interest in such series with each other share of that series and is entitled to a proportionate interest in the dividends and distributions from that series. The shares of each series do not have any preemptive rights. Upon termination of any series, whether pursuant to liquidation of the Trust or otherwise, shareholders of that series are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of that series available for distribution to shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also permits the trustees to charge shareholders directly for custodial, transfer agency, and servicing expenses.
The assets received by each series for the issue or sale of its shares and all income, earnings, profits, losses, and proceeds therefrom, subject only to the rights of creditors, are allocated to, and constitute the underlying assets of, that series. The underlying assets are segregated and are charged with the expenses with respect to that series and with a share of the general expenses of the Trust. Any general expenses of the Trust that are not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the trustees in such manner as the trustees determine to be fair and equitable. While the expenses of the series are allocated to the separate books of account of each series, certain expenses may be legally chargeable against the assets of all series.
The Declaration of Trust also permits the trustees, without shareholder approval, to subdivide any series of shares into various classes of shares with such dividend preferences and other rights as the trustees may designate. The trustees may also, without shareholder approval, establish one or more additional separate portfolios for investments in the Trust or merge two or more existing portfolios. Shareholders' investments in such an additional or merged portfolio would be evidenced by a separate series of shares (i.e., a new "fund").
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust, however, provides that the trustees may terminate the Trust or any series upon written notice to the shareholders.
Voting Rights
Shareholders of the Fund are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for each fractional share held) and may vote (to the extent provided in the relevant Declaration of Trust) on the election of trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders.
All classes of shares of the Fund have identical voting rights except that each class of shares has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class, and has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class. Each class of shares has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters pertaining to any distribution or servicing plan or agreement applicable to that class. Matters submitted to shareholder vote will be approved by each series separately except (i) when required by the 1940 Act shares shall be voted together and (ii) when the matter
does not affect all series, then only shareholders of the series affected shall be entitled to vote on the matter. Consistent with the current position of the SEC, shareholders of all series and classes vote together, irrespective of series or class, on the election of trustees and the selection of the Trust's independent accountants, but shareholders of each series vote separately on most other matters requiring shareholder approval, such as certain changes in investment policies of that series or the approval of the investment advisory and subadvisory agreement relating to that series, and shareholders of each class within a series vote separately as to the Rule 12b-1 plan (if any) relating to that class.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees, except that, in accordance with the 1940 Act, (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders' meeting for the election of trustees at such time as less than a majority of the trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if there is a vacancy on the Board of Trustees such vacancy may be filled only by a vote of the shareholders unless, after filing such vacancy by other means, at least two-thirds of the trustees holding office shall have been elected by the shareholders. In addition, trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust's custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for that purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares.
Upon written request by a minimum of ten holders of shares having held their shares for a minimum of six months and having a net asset value of at least $25,000 (with respect to the Trust) or constituting at least 1% of the outstanding shares stating that such shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a trustee, the Trust has undertaken to provide a list of shareholders or to disseminate appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders).
Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. Shareholder voting rights are not cumulative.
The affirmative vote of a majority of shares of the Trust voted (assuming a
quorum is present in person or by proxy) is required to amend the Declaration
of Trust if such amendment (1) affects the power of shareholders to vote,
(2) amends the section of the Declaration of Trust governing amendments, (3) is
one for which a vote is required by law or by the Trust's registration
statement or (4) is submitted to the shareholders by the Trustees. If one or
more new series of the Trust is established and designated by the trustees, the
shareholders having beneficial interests in the Fund shall not be entitled to
vote on matters exclusively affecting such new series, such matters including,
without limitation, the adoption of or any change in the investment objectives,
policies or restrictions of the new series and the approval of the investment
advisory contracts of the new series. Similarly, the shareholders of the new
series shall not be entitled to vote on any such matters as they affect the
Fund.
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Massachusetts law shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the series of the Trust of which they are shareholders. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of each series and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of property of the series for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the series. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered remote since it is limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer is inoperative and the series itself would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a trustee against any liability to which the trustee 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. The By-Laws of the Trust provide for indemnification by the Trust of the trustees and officers of the Trust except with respect to any matter as to which any such person did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust. No officer or trustee may be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or the Trust's
shareholders to which such person 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 office.
Purchases and Redemptions
Shares of the Fund are offered exclusively to institutional clients of Loomis Sayles in the discretion of Loomis Sayles, and "wrap fee" programs approved by IXIS Advisors. Approved investors may purchase and redeem Fund shares at the Fund's net asset value without a sales charge or other fee. For more information about the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, see "General Information--How to Purchase Shares" and "General Information--How to Redeem Shares" in the Fund's Prospectus.
The Fund will normally redeem shares for cash; however, the Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price wholly or partly in kind. If portfolio securities are distributed in lieu of cash, the shareholder will normally incur brokerage commissions upon subsequent disposition of any such securities. However, the Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, pursuant to which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash for any shareholder during any 90-day period up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the total NAV of the Fund at the beginning of such period.
A redemption constitutes a sale of the shares for federal income tax purposes on which the investor may realize a long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. See "Distributions and Taxes."
A purchase order received by Boston Financial, the Fund's transfer agent, prior to the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on a day when the Fund is open for business, will be effected at that day's net asset value. With respect to purchases of shares by institutional clients of Loomis Sayles, the settlement date (i.e., the date by which payment must be made for shares) for purchase orders received by Boston Financial is generally the next business day after receipt of such orders. For other information about the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, see "General Information - How to Redeem Shares" in the Fund's prospectus.
Net Asset Value
The method for determining the public offering price and net asset value ("NAV") per share is summarized in the Prospectus.
The total net asset value of the Fund (the excess of the assets of such Fund over the liabilities) is determined at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the Exchange is open for trading. In addition, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, the Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles in its discretion determines that it is advisable to do so based primarily upon factors such as whether (i) there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares and (ii) whether in Loomis Sayles' view sufficient information (e.g., prices reported by pricing services) is available for the Fund's shares to be priced. For example, the Fund may price its shares on days on which the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets are open for trading. The Fund does not expect to price its shares on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Securities listed on a national securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at market price (generally, their last sale price, or, if there is no reported sale during the day, the last reported bid price estimated by a broker, although "market price" for securities traded on NASDAQ will generally be considered to be the NASDAQ official closing price.) Unlisted securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last reported bid price in the over-the-counter market or on the basis of yield equivalents as obtained from one or more dealers that make a market in the securities. U.S. government securities are traded in the over-the-counter market. Options, interest rate futures and options thereon that are traded on exchanges are valued at their last sale price as of the close of such exchanges. Securities for which current market quotations are not readily available and all other assets are taken at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees, although the actual calculations may be made by persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Board.
Generally, trading in foreign government securities and other fixed-income securities, as well as trading in equity securities in markets outside the United States, is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. Securities traded on a foreign exchange will be valued at their market price on the non-U.S. exchange except for securities traded on the London Stock Exchange ("British Equities"). British Equities will be valued at the mean between the last bid and last asked prices on the London Stock Exchange. The value of other securities principally traded outside the United States will be computed as of the completion of substantial trading for the day on the markets on which such securities principally trade. Securities principally traded outside the United States will generally be valued several hours before the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, when the Fund computes the net asset value of its shares. Occasionally, events affecting the value of securities principally traded outside the United States may occur between the completion of substantial trading of such securities for the day and the close of the Exchange, which events will not be reflected in the computation of the Fund's net asset value. If, in the determination of the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction, events materially affecting the value of the Fund's securities occur during such period, then these securities may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. The effect of fair value pricing is that securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes accurately reflects fair value. When fair valuing its securities, the Fund may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time the Fund's net asset value is calculated.
Because of fair value pricing, as described in the prospectus, securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale in the ordinary course). The Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," is securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value. The Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issue (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a deleting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and / or foreign markets.)
Trading in some of the portfolio securities of some of the Fund takes place in various markets outside the United States on days and at times other than when the Exchange is open for trading. Therefore, the calculation of these Fund's net asset value does not take place at the same time as the prices of many of its portfolio securities are determined, and the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days when the Fund is not open for business and its shares may not be purchased or redeemed.
The per share net asset value of the Fund's shares is computed by dividing the number of shares outstanding into the total net asset value. The public offering price of the Fund is the next-determined net asset value.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
In General. As described in the Prospectus under "Dividends and Distributions," it is the policy of the Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all net investment income and to distribute at least annually all net realized capital gains, if any, after offsetting any capital loss carryovers.
Investment income dividends and capital gain distributions are payable in full and fractional shares of the Fund based upon the net asset value determined as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on the record date for each dividend or distribution. Shareholders, however, may elect to receive their income dividends or capital gain distributions, or both, in cash. The election may be made at any time by submitting a written request directly to the Trust. In order for a change to be in effect for any dividend or distribution, it must be received by the Trust on or before the record date for such dividend or distribution.
As required by federal law, detailed federal tax information will be furnished to each shareholder for each calendar year on or before January 31 of the succeeding year.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify
each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In
order to qualify, a Fund must, among other things, (i) derive at least 90% of
its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with
respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition
of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not
limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with
respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies;
(ii) distribute at least 90% of the sum of its taxable net investment income,
net tax-exempt income, and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains
over net long-term capital losses for such year; and (iii) diversify its
holdings so that at the end of each fiscal quarter, (a) at least 50% of the
value of its total assets consists of cash, U.S. government securities,
securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities
limited generally, with respect to any one issuer, to no more than 5% of the
value of the Fund's total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total
assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government
or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more
issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or
related trades or businesses.
So long as it qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed to its shareholders in a timely manner in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, defined below). If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
A nondeductible excise tax at the rate of 4% will be imposed on the excess, if any, of the Fund's "required distribution" over its actual distributions in any calendar year. Generally, the "required distribution" is 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98% of its capital gain net income recognized during the one-year period ending on October 31st (or December 31st, if a Fund is so permitted to elect and so elects) plus undistributed amounts from prior years. The Fund intends to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.
Taxation of Fund Distributions. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before a shareholder's investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares (other than distributions, if any, designated by the Fund as "exempt-interest dividends"). Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains. Distributions declared and payable by the Fund during October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in any such month and paid by the Fund during the following January will be treated for federal tax purposes as paid by the Fund and received by shareholders on December 31st of the year in which declared rather than the calendar year in which they were received.
Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced--in general, to 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets--for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, "qualified dividend income" received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to a Fund's shares. Income derived from investments in fixed-income securities is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
If the Fund makes a distribution in excess of its current and accumulated "earnings and profits" in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder's basis in his or her shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of such shares.
Sale or Redemption of Shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
A loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less will be disallowed for federal income tax purposes to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares and thereafter treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain dividend paid to the shareholder with respect to such shares. Furthermore, no loss will be allowed on the sale of Fund shares to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the Fund within a period beginning 30 days prior to the sale of the loss shares and ending 30 days after such sale.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Funds that invest in foreign securities may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs"). In order to avoid U.S. federal income tax, and an additional charge on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such companies or gain from the disposition of such shares, the Fund may elect to "mark-to-market" annually its investments in such entities and to distribute any resulting net gain to shareholders. The Fund may also elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" (a "QEF election"), in which case a Fund would be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives distributions from the company. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may require a Fund to sell securities it would have otherwise continued to hold in order to make distributions to shareholders to avoid any Fund -level tax. Income from investments in PFICs generally will not qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Foreign Taxes. Funds that invest in foreign securities may be liable to foreign governments for taxes relating primarily to investment income or capital gains on foreign securities in the Fund's portfolio. The Fund may in some circumstances be eligible to, and in its discretion may, make an election under the Code that would allow Fund shareholders who are U.S. citizens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax return for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities held at least a minimum period specified in the Code. If the Fund makes the election, the amount of each shareholder's distribution reported on the information returns filed by the Fund with the IRS must be increased by the amount of the shareholder's portion of the Fund's foreign tax paid. A shareholder's ability to claim all or a part of a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code.
Foreign Currency Transactions Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign-currency denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, future contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Financial Products The Fund's investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swaps and certain other transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to a Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, convert capital gain into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character distributions to Fund shareholders.
Certain of the Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated instruments) are likely to result in a difference between the Fund's book income and taxable income. This difference may cause a portion of the Fund's income distributions to constitute a return of capital or capital gain for tax purposes or require a Fund to make distributions exceeding book income to avoid excise tax liability and to qualify as a regulated investment company.
Securities loans may or may not be structured in a manner to preserve qualified dividend income treatment on dividends paid with respect to the securities lent. A Fund may receive substitute payments (instead of the dividend) that will not be eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, taxed at the rate applicable to long-term capital gains.
Securities issued or purchased at a discount The Fund's investment in securities issued at a discount and certain other obligations will (and investments in securities purchased at a discount may) require the Fund to accrue and distribute income net yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders Under current law, the Fund serves to "block" (that is, prevent the attribution to shareholders of) unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). If a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Code Section 664) realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, it will lose its tax-exempt status for the year.
Backup Withholding The Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number ("TIN"), who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010. The backup withholding tax rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010.
Other Tax Matters Special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax adviser to determine the suitability of shares of a fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of and investment on their particular tax situation.
Dividends and distributions also may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to federal, state, local and, where applicable, foreign taxes.
The foregoing discussion relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisers concerning the tax consequences of ownership of shares of a Fund, including the certification and filing requirements imposed on foreign investors in order to qualify for exemption from the backup withholding tax rates described above (or a reduced rate of withholding provided by treaty).
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by THE Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 , effective for taxable years of THE Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, the Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund. The Fund does not intend to make such designations.
If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States, or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the applicable provisions of the Code and related regulations currently in effect. For the complete provisions, reference should be made to the pertinent Code sections and regulations. The Code and regulations are subject to change by legislative or administrative actions.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial statements of the Fund and the related report of independent registered public accountants included in the Fund's Annual Report for the year ended September 30, 2005 are incorporated herein by reference. The financial statements and financial highlights for the Fund included in its 2005 Annual Report for the year ended September 30, 2005 are incorporated by reference to such reports. The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports are available upon request and without charge. The Fund will send a single copy of its annual and semi-annual reports to an address at which more than one shareholder of record with the same last name has indicated that mail is to be delivered. Shareholders may request additional copies of any annual or semi-annual report by telephone at (800) 225-5478 or by writing to the Distributor at: IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., 399 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. The annual and semi-annual reports are also available on-line at the SEC's website, at www.sec.gov.
APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
The Fund may make use of average portfolio credit quality standards to assist institutional investors whose own investment guidelines limit their investments accordingly. In determining the Fund's overall dollar-weighted average quality, unrated securities are treated as if rated, based on the adviser's view of their comparability to rated securities. The Fund's use of average quality criteria is intended to be a guide for those investors whose investment guidelines require that assets be invested according to comparable criteria. Reference to an overall average quality rating for the Fund does not mean that all securities held by the Fund will be rated in that category or higher. The Fund's investments may range in quality from securities rated in the lowest category in which the Fund is permitted to invest to securities rated in the highest category (as rated by Moody's, S&P or Fitch or, if unrated, determined by the adviser to be of comparable quality). The percentage of the Fund's assets invested in securities in a particular rating category will vary. Following is a description of Moody's, S&P's and Fitch's ratings applicable to fixed-income securities.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present that make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than with Aaa securities.
A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B: Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca: Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Moody's bond ratings, where specified, are applicable to financial contracts, senior bank obligations and insurance company senior policyholder and claims obligations with an original maturity in excess of one year. Obligations relying upon support mechanisms such as letter-of-credit and bonds of indemnity are excluded unless explicitly rated. Obligations of a branch of a bank are considered to be domiciled in the country in which the branch is located.
Unless noted as an exception, Moody's rating on a bank's ability to repay senior obligations extends only to branches located in countries which carry a Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits. Such branch obligations are rated at the lower of the bank's rating or Moody's Sovereign Rating for the Bank Deposits for the country in which the branch is located. When the currency in which an obligation is denominated is not the same as the currency of the country in which the obligation is domiciled, Moody's ratings do not incorporate an opinion as to whether payment of the obligation will be affected by the actions of the government controlling the currency of denomination. In addition, risk associated with bilateral conflicts between an investor's home country and either the issuer's home country or the country where an issuer branch is located are not incorporated into Moody's ratings.
Moody's makes no representation that rated bank obligations or insurance company obligations are exempt from registration under the Securities Act or issued in conformity with any other applicable law or regulation. Nor does Moody's represent that any specific bank or insurance company obligation is legally enforceable or a valid senior obligation of a rated issuer.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classified from Aa through Caa in its corporate bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
Corporate Short-Term Debt Ratings
Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment-grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior
ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment
ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return
on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance
on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established
access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate
liquidity.
PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
PRIME-3: Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
NOT PRIME: Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
Issue Credit Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.
Issue credit ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any credit rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days, including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations: likelihood of payment - capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; nature of and provisions of the obligation; protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
The issue rating definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Investment-grade
AAA: 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.
AA: An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: 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.
BBB: 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.
Speculative Grade
Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: 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.
B: 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.
CCC: 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.
CC: An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'C' rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A 'C' also will be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
D: An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Provisional ratings: The letter "p" indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project being financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of, such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant
noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected
returns which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include:
obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities;
obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk - such as interest-only or
principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky
interest terms, such as inverse floaters.
The absence of an "r" symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.
N.R.: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Debt obligations of issuers outside the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues. The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account currency exchange and related uncertainties.
Commercial Paper Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from A for the highest quality obligations to D for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1: 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-2: 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-3: 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.
B: A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: 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.
D: A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
A commercial paper rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to Standard & Poor's by the issuer or obtained from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information.
Fitch Investor Services, Inc
Credit Ratings
Fitch's credit ratings provide an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving their money back in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch's credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign (including supranational and sub-national), financial, bank, insurance, municipal and other public finance entities and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.
The use of credit ratings defines their function: "investment grade" ratings
(international Long-term 'AAA' to 'BBB-' categories; Short-term 'F1' to 'F3')
indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while those in the
"speculative" or "non investment grade" categories (international Long-term
'BB+' to 'D'; Short-term 'B' to 'D') either signal a higher level of credit
risk or that a default has already occurred. Credit ratings express risk in
relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk
and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss.
Depending on their application, credit ratings address benchmark measures of probability of default as well relative expectations of loss given default. For example, issuers are typically assigned Issuer Default Ratings that are relative measures of default probability. Similarly, short-term credit ratings give primary consideration to the likelihood that obligations will be met on a timely basis. Securities, however, are rated taking into consideration probability of default and loss given default. As a result, for entities such as corporations security ratings may be rated higher, lower or the same as the issuer rating to reflect expectations of the security's relative recovery prospects, as well as differences in ability and willingness to pay. While recovery analysis plays an important role throughout the ratings scale, it becomes a more critical consideration for below investment-grade securities and obligations, particularly at the lower end of the non-investment-grade ratings scale where Fitch often publishes actual Recovery Ratings, that are complementary to the credit ratings.
Structured finance ratings typically are assigned to each individual security or tranche in a transaction, and not to an issuer. Each structured finance tranche is rated on the basis of various stress scenarios in combination with its relative seniority, prioritization of cash flows and other structural mechanisms.
International Long-Term Credit Ratings
International Long-Term Credit Ratings (LTCR) may also be referred to as Long-Term Ratings. When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations. When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations.
The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings:
Investment Grade
AAA
Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit 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.
AA
Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit 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.
BBB
Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that there is currently
expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial
commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and
economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest
investment grade category.
Speculative Grade
BB
Speculative
'BB' ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B Highly speculative
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, 'B' ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R1' (outstanding).
CCC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R2' (superior), or 'R3' (good) or 'R4' (average).
CC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of 'R4' (average) or 'R5' (below average).
C [ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R6' (poor).
RD
Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations. .
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
- failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation;--the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or--the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.
Issuers will be rated 'D' upon a default. Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of 'C' to 'B' ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to meet pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the
obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the 'B' or 'CCC-C' categories.
Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations' documentation. Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonably determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation's documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch's published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.
International Short-Term Credit Ratings
The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A Short-term rating has 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.
Highest credit quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
Good credit quality. 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.
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.
B Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
RD
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other obligations.
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings:
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)
Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive," indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative," for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving," if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.
Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.
Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.
Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.
Interest Only
Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.
Principal Only
Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.
Rate of Return
Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.
'PIF'
Paid-in -Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or refinanced.
'NR' indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.
'Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.
[LOGO OF LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS]
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 1, 2006
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II
Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund
This Statement of Information (the "Statement") contains information which may be useful to investors but which is not included in the Prospectuses of the series of Loomis Sayles Funds I or Loomis Sayles Funds II listed above (collectively the "Funds," with each series being known as a "Fund"). This Statement is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution only when accompanied by or preceded by the Loomis Sayles Retail Income Funds Prospectus or Loomis Sayles Retail Equity Funds Prospectus, each dated February 1, 2006, each as from time to time revised or supplemented. This Statement should be read together with the Prospectuses. Investors may obtain the Prospectuses without charge from Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 61421-9594, by calling 1-800-633-3330 or by visiting www.loomissayles.com.
The Funds' financial statements and accompanying notes that appear in the Funds' annual and semiannual reports are incorporated by reference into this Statement. Each Fund's annual and semiannual reports contain additional performance information and are available upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-633-3330 or by visiting the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUSTS............................ 3 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS....... 3 Investment Restrictions............ 3 Investment Strategies.............. 15 TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POSITION.......... 31 PORTFOLIO TURNOVER.................... 32 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION........ 32 MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUSTS.............. 33 OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES.............. 41 INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 50 PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION...... 58 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE.. 62 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUSTS............. 66 Voting Rights...................... 66 Shareholder and Trustee Liability.. 67 HOW TO BUY SHARES..................... 68 REDEMPTIONS........................... 68 SHAREHOLDER SERVICES.................. 70 NET ASSET VALUE....................... 72 TAXES................................. 73 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION............... 78 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................. 79 APPENDIX A............................ A-1 |
THE TRUSTS
Loomis Sayles Funds I is registered with the SEC as an open-end management
investment company and is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under the
laws of Massachusetts by an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of
Trust (a "Declaration of Trust") dated December 23, 1993, as amended and
restated on June 22, 2005, and is a "series" company as described in
Section 18(f)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). Prior
to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles Funds I was named "Loomis Sayles Investment
Trust." The Trust offers a total of ten series.
The Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on May 16, 1991. The Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on May 10, 1991. The Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on May 13, 1991. The Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on May 21, 1991. The Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund each reorganized into newly created series of Loomis Sayles Funds I and ceased to be series of Loomis Sayles Funds II on September 12, 2003.
Loomis Sayles Funds II is registered with the SEC as an open-end management
investment company and is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under the
laws of Massachusetts by an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of
Trust (a "Declaration of Trust") dated February 20, 1991, as amended and
restated on July 21, 2005, and is a "series" company as described in
Section 18(f)(2) of the 1940 Act. The Trust offers a total of twelve series.
Prior to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles Funds II was named "Loomis Sayles Funds."
The Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on January 2, 1997. The Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on January 2, 1997. The Loomis Sayles Value Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on May 13, 1991. The Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on October 1, 1995. Admin Class shares of each of the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund and the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund were converted into Retail Class shares on May 21, 2003. The Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund reorganized into a newly created series of Loomis Sayles Funds II and ceased to be a series of Loomis Sayles Funds I on September 12, 2003.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
Investment Restrictions
The following is a description of restrictions on the investments to be made by the Funds. The investment objective of the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund as set forth in its Prospectus and the restrictions marked with an asterisk (*) are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). The other restrictions set forth below are not fundamental policies and may be changed by the Trust's Board of Trustees. Except in the case of the 15% limitation on illiquid securities, the percentages set forth below and the percentage limitations set forth in the Prospectus apply at the time of the purchase of a security and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of a purchase of such security.
The Loomis Sayles Bond Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (i) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (ii) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (iii) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them
or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (i) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (ii) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (iii) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with
respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (i) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (ii) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (iii) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions
in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (1) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (2) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (3) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to
options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
(16) Invest more than 20% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Prior to implementation of any change to such policy adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Fund, the Fund will provide notice to shareholders. In interpreting this restriction, the 20% policy is applied to current market value.
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
In restriction (16), the 20% policy is applied to current market value. However, if the Fund no longer meets the 20% policy (due to changes in the value of its portfolio holdings or other circumstances beyond its control), it would be required to make future investments in a manner that would bring the Fund into compliance with the 20% requirement, but would not be required to sell portfolio holdings that have increased in value.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities
category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (i) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (ii) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (iii) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (i) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (ii) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (iii) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more
securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Value Fund may not:
(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
*(2) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(3) Invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty contracts or in real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(4) Make loans, except that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
(5) With respect to 75% of its assets, purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would then be invested in securities of a single issuer.
(6) With respect to 75% of its assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer.
(7) Pledge, mortgage, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of its assets, except that the Fund may pledge assets having a value not exceeding 10% of its assets to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) below. (For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.)
*(8) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(9) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
(10) Borrow money in excess of 20% of its net assets, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
(11) Purchase securities on margin (except such short term credits as are necessary for clearance of transactions) or make short sales (except where, by virtue of ownership of other securities, it has the right to obtain, without payment of additional consideration, securities equivalent in kind and amount to those sold).
(12) Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any trading account in securities. (The "bunching" of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with Loomis Sayles or accounts under its management to reduce brokerage commissions, to average prices among them or to facilitate such transactions is not considered a trading account in securities for purposes of this restriction.)
(13) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
(14) Write or purchase puts, calls, or combinations of both, except that the Fund may (i) acquire warrants or rights to subscribe to securities of companies issuing such warrants or rights, or of parents or subsidiaries of such companies, (ii) purchase and sell put and call options on securities, and (iii) write, purchase and sell put and call options on currencies and enter into currency forward contracts.
*(15) Issue senior securities. (For purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge or other encumbrance of assets permitted by restriction (7) above; any borrowing permitted by restrictions (9) and (10) above; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts.)
The Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments
in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other
investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction
(13) above.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
The Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund may not:
*(1) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(2) Invest in oil, gas, or other mineral leases, rights, or royalty contracts, or in real estate, commodities, or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates, or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(3) Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this investment restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor (ii) purchasing debt obligations in which the Fund may invest consistent with its investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
*(4) Change its classification pursuant to Section 5(b) of the 1940 Act from a "diversified" to "non-diversified" management investment company.
*(5) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water, and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(6) Borrow money in excess of 10% of its assets (taken at cost) or 5% of its assets (taken at current value), whichever is lower, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes; however, the Fund's use of reverse repurchase agreements and "dollar roll" arrangements shall not constitute borrowing by the Fund for purposes of this restriction.
(7) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
*(8) Issue senior securities other than any borrowing permitted by restriction (6) above. (For the purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge, mortgage, hypothecation, or other encumbrance of assets; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of or entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, or any other derivative investments to the extent that Loomis Sayles determines that the Fund is not required to treat such investments as senior securities pursuant to the pronouncements of the SEC.
The Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund intends, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict its investments, if any, in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction (7) above.
Although authorized to invest in restricted securities, the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund, as a matter of non-fundamental operating policy, currently does not intend to invest in such securities, except Rule 144A securities.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund does not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the staff of the SEC, does the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
Certain Funds have other non-fundamental investment parameters, as listed below. It is a non-fundamental policy that the investment parameters listed below not be changed without 60 days notice to shareholders of the relevant Funds in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act.
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in fixed-income securities.
Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in fixed-income securities.
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected securities.
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations that fall within the capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Index.
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations that fall within the capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Index.
Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities.
Investment Strategies
The following is a list of certain investment strategies, including particular types of securities or specific practices, that may be used by Loomis Sayles in managing the Funds. Each Fund's primary strategies are detailed in its Prospectus. The list of securities under each category below is not intended to be an exclusive list of securities for investment. Loomis Sayles may invest in a general category listed below and where applicable with particular emphasis on a certain type of security but investment is not limited to the categories listed below or the securities specially enumerated under each category. Loomis Sayles may invest in some securities under a given category as a primary strategy and in other securities under the same category as a secondary strategy. Loomis Sayles may invest in any security that falls under the specific category including securities that are not listed below.
Fund Securities Practices ---- ---------- --------- Bond Fund Debt Securities (Investment-Grade Bonds, Temporary Defensive Strategies Corporate Securities, Convertible Securities, U.S. Repurchase Agreements Government Securities, Lower-Quality Debt Swap Contracts Securities, Preferred Stock, Zero-Coupon Illiquid Securities Securities, 144a Securities, Mortgage-Related Futures Contracts Securities, Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities, Options Asset-Backed Securities, REITs, When-Issued Securities, Commercial Paper, Collateralized Mortgage Obligations) Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Currency Hedging Transactions, Supranational Entities) Global Bond Fund Debt Securities (Investment-Grade Bonds, Temporary Defensive Strategies Corporate Bonds, Convertible Securities, World Repurchase Agreements Government Securities, Lower-Quality Debt Currency Hedging Transactions Securities, Asset-Backed Securities, Zero- Futures Contracts Options Coupon Securities, 144a Securities, Mortgage- Related Securities, REITs, When-Issued Securities, Commercial Paper, Collateralized Mortgage Obligations) Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Supranational Entities) Small Cap Value Fund Equity Securities (REITs, Investment 144a Securities Companies, Small Cap Companies) Hedging Transactions Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Currency Temporary Defensive Strategies Hedging Transactions) Inflation Protected Debt Securities (U.S. Government Securities, Futures Transactions Securities Fund Mortgage-Related Securities) Temporary Defensive Strategies |
Fund Securities Practices ---- ---------- --------- Aggressive Growth Fund Equity Securities (REITs, Mid Cap Companies) Initial Public Offerings Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Currency 144a Securities Hedging Transactions) Options Futures Contracts Hedging Transactions Temporary Defensive Strategies Securities Lending Small Cap Growth Fund Equity Securities (Small Cap Companies) 144a Securities Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Currency Options Hedging Transactions) Futures Contracts Securities Lending Temporary Defensive Strategies Value Fund Equity Securities (Mid Cap Companies, Large Temporary Defensive Strategies Cap Companies, Warrants, Convertible Securities, REITs, 144a Securities) Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets) Tax-Managed Equity Equity Securities (Mid Cap Companies, Large Temporary Defensive Strategies Fund Cap Companies, Small Cap Companies, REITs) When-Issued Securities Debt Securities (U.S. Government Securities, 144a Securities Zero Coupon Securities, Convertible Securities) |
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Security ("ARM")
An ARM, like a traditional mortgage security, is an interest in a pool of mortgage loans that provides investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as mortgage loans in the underlying mortgage pool are paid off by the borrowers. ARMs have interest rates that are reset at periodic intervals, usually by reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Although the rate adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of adjustable rate securities, these securities are still subject to changes in value based on changes in market interest rates or changes in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the interest rates are reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on ARMs may lag behind changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also, some ARMs (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or floors that limit the maximum change in interest rate during a specified period or over the life of the security. As a result, changes in the interest rate on an ARM may not fully reflect changes in prevailing market interest rates during certain periods. Because of the resetting of interest rates, ARMs are less likely than non-adjustable rate securities of comparable quality and maturity to increase significantly in value when market interest rates fall.
Asset-Backed Securities
The securitization techniques used to develop mortgage securities are also being applied to a broad range of other assets. (Mortgage-related securities are a type of asset-backed security). Through the use of trusts and special purpose vehicles, assets, such as automobile and credit card receivables, are being securitized in pass-through structures similar to mortgage pass-through structures or in a pay-through structure similar to a collateralized mortgage obligation structure. Generally, the issuers of asset-backed bonds, notes or pass-through certificates are special purpose entities and do not have any significant assets other than the receivables securing such obligations. In general, the collateral supporting asset-backed securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans. Instruments backed by pools of receivables are similar to mortgage-related securities in that they are subject to unscheduled prepayments of principal prior to maturity. When the obligations are prepaid, the Fund will ordinarily reinvest the
prepaid amounts in securities the yields of which reflect interest rates prevailing at the time. Therefore, a Fund's ability to maintain a portfolio that includes high-yielding asset-backed securities will be adversely affected to the extent that prepayments of principal must be reinvested in securities that have lower yields than the prepaid obligations. Moreover, prepayments of securities purchased at a premium could result in a realized loss.
Bank Loans
The Loomis Sayles Bond Fund may invest in bank loans, which include senior secured and unsecured floating rate loans made by U.S. banks and other financial institutions to corporate customers. Typically, these loans hold the most senior position in a borrower's capital structure, may be secured by the borrower's assets and have interest rates that reset frequently. These loans generally will not be rated investment-grade by the rating agencies. Economic downturns generally lead to higher non-payment and default rates and a senior loan could lose a substantial part of its value prior to a default. However, as compared to junk bonds, senior floating rate loans are typically senior in the capital structure and are often secured by collateral of the borrower. The Fund's investments in loans are subject to credit risk, and even secured bank loans may not be adequately collateralized. The interest rates of bank loans reset frequently, and thus bank loans are subject to interest rate risk. Most bank loans, like most investment-grade bonds, are not traded on any national securities exchange. Bank loans generally have less liquidity than investment-grade bonds and there may be less public information available about them. The Fund may participate in the primary syndicate for a loan or it may also purchase loans from other lenders (sometimes referred to as loan assignments). The Fund may also acquire a participation interest in another lender's portion of the senior loan.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs")
CMOs are securities backed by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage securities held under indentures. The underlying mortgages or mortgage securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or an agency or instrumentality thereof. The issuer's obligation to make interest and principal payments is secured by the underlying portfolio of mortgages or mortgage securities. CMOs are issued with a number of classes or series which have different maturities and which may represent interests in some or all of the interest or principal on the underlying collateral or a combination thereof. CMOs of different classes are generally retired in sequence as the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such mortgages, the class or series of CMO first to mature generally will be retired prior to its maturity. Thus, the early retirement of a particular class or series of CMO held by a Fund would have the same effect as the prepayment of mortgages underlying a mortgage pass-through security. CMOs and other asset-backed and mortgage-related securities may be considered derivative securities.
Common Stocks and Other Equity Securities
Common stocks, preferred stocks and similar securities, together called "equity securities," are generally volatile and more risky than some other forms of investment. Equity securities of companies with relatively small market capitalizations may be more volatile than the securities of larger, more established companies and than the broad equity market indices generally. Common stock and other equity securities may take the form of stock in corporations, partnership interests, interests in limited liability companies and other direct or indirect interests in business organizations.
Growth stocks of companies that Loomis Sayles believes have earnings that will grow faster than the economy as a whole are known as growth stocks. The Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund and the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund generally invest a significant portion of their assets in growth stocks. Growth stocks typically trade at higher multiples of current earnings than other stocks. As a result, the values of growth stocks may be more sensitive to changes in current or expected earnings than the values of other stocks. If Loomis Sayles' assessment of the prospects for a company's earnings growth is wrong, or if its judgment of how other investors will value the company's earnings growth is wrong, then the price of that company's stock may fall or may not approach the value that Loomis Sayles has placed on it.
Value stocks of companies that are not expected to experience significant earnings growth, but whose stocks Loomis Sayles believes are undervalued compared to their true worth, are known as value stocks. These
companies may have experienced adverse business developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused their stocks to be out of favor. If Loomis Sayles' assessment of a company's prospects is wrong, or if other investors do not eventually recognize the value of the company, then the price of the company's stock may fall or may not approach the value that Loomis Sayles has placed on it. The Loomis Sayles Value Fund and the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund generally invest a significant portion of their assets in value stocks.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes or preferred stocks of U.S. or foreign issuers that can be converted into (that is, exchanged for) common stocks or other equity securities. Convertible securities also include other securities, such as warrants, that provide an opportunity for equity participation. Because convertible securities can be converted into equity securities, their values will normally vary in some proportion with those of the underlying equity securities. Convertible securities usually provide a higher yield than the underlying equity, however, so that the price decline of a convertible security may sometimes be less substantial than that of the underlying equity security. Convertible securities usually provide a lower yield than comparable fixed-income securities.
Depositary Receipts
Certain Funds may invest in foreign equity securities by purchasing "depositary receipts." Depositary receipts are instruments issued by a bank that represent an interest in equity securities held by arrangement with the bank. Depositary receipts can be either "sponsored" or "unsponsored." Sponsored depositary receipts are issued by banks in cooperation with the issuer of the underlying equity securities. Unsponsored depositary receipts are arranged without involvement by the issuer of the underlying equity securities and, therefore, less information about the issuer of the underlying equity securities may be available and price may be more volatile than sponsored depositary receipts. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are depositary receipts that are bought and sold in the United States and are typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") are depositary receipts that are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or United States corporation. All depositary receipts, including those denominated in U.S. dollars, will be subject to foreign currency exchange risk.
Emerging Markets
Investments in foreign securities may include investments in emerging or developing countries, whose economies or securities markets are not yet highly developed. Special considerations associated with these investments (in addition to the considerations regarding foreign investments generally) may include, among others, greater political uncertainties, an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance, currency transfer restrictions, highly limited numbers of potential buyers for such securities and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
In determining whether to invest in securities of foreign issuers, the adviser of the Fund may consider the likely effects of foreign taxes on the net yield available to the Fund and its shareholders. Compliance with foreign tax laws may reduce a Fund's net income available for distribution to shareholders.
Fixed-Income Securities
Fixed-income securities pay a specified rate of interest or dividends, or a rate that is adjusted periodically by reference to some specified index or market rate. Fixed-income securities include securities issued by federal, state, local, and foreign governments and related agencies, and by a wide range of private or corporate issuers. Fixed-income securities include, among others, bonds, debentures, notes, bills, and commercial paper. Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income of the Fund for any particular period. The net asset value of the Fund's shares will vary as a result of changes in the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio.
To be considered investment-grade quality, at least one major rating agency must have rated the security in one of its top four rating categories at the time the Fund acquires the security or, if the security is unrated, Loomis Sayles must have determined it to be of comparable quality.
A fixed-income security will be considered a lower-rated fixed-income security ("junk bond") if it is of below investment-grade quality. To be considered investment-grade quality, at least one major rating agency must have rated the security in one of its top four rating categories at the time the Fund acquires the security or, if the security is unrated, Loomis Sayles must have determined it to be of comparable quality. Therefore, lower-rated fixed-income securities are securities that, at the time the Fund acquires the security, none of the major rating agencies has rated in one of its top four rating categories, or unrated securities that Loomis Sayles has determined to be of comparable quality.
Lower-rated fixed-income securities are subject to greater credit risk and market risk than higher quality fixed-income securities. Lower-rated fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments. If the Fund invests in lower-rated fixed-income securities, the Fund's achievement of its objective may be more dependent on Loomis Sayles' own credit analysis than is the case with funds that invest in higher quality fixed-income securities. The market for lower-rated fixed-income securities may be more severely affected than some other financial markets by economic recession or substantial interest rate increases, by changing public perceptions of this market, or by legislation that limits the ability of certain categories of financial institutions to invest in these securities. In addition, the secondary market may be less liquid for lower-rated fixed-income securities. This lack of liquidity at certain times may affect the values of these securities and may make the evaluation and sale of these securities more difficult. Lower-rated fixed-income securities may be in poor standing or in default and typically have speculative characteristics.
For more information about the ratings services' descriptions of the various rating categories, see Appendix A. The Fund may continue to hold fixed-income securities that are downgraded in quality subsequent to their purchase if Loomis Sayles believes it would be advantageous to do so.
Foreign Currency Hedging Transactions
To protect against a change in the foreign currency exchange rate between the date on which a Fund contracts to purchase or sell a security and the settlement date for the purchase or sale, or to "lock in" the equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in another currency, a Fund might purchase or sell a foreign currency on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate. If conditions warrant, a Fund may also enter into contracts with banks or broker-dealers to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts"). A Fund will maintain cash or other liquid assets eligible for purchase by the Fund in a segregated account with the custodian in an amount at least equal to the lesser of (i) the difference between the current value of the Fund's liquid holdings that settle in the relevant currency and the Fund's outstanding obligations under currency forward contracts, or (ii) the current amount, if any, that would be required to be paid to enter into an offsetting forward currency contract which would have the effect of closing out the original forward contract. A Fund's use of currency hedging transactions may be limited by tax considerations. The adviser may decide not to engage in currency hedging transactions and there is no assurance that any currency hedging strategy used by the Fund will succeed. In addition, suitable currency hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that a Fund will engage in these transactions when they would be beneficial. A Fund may also purchase or sell foreign currency futures contracts traded on futures exchanges. Foreign currency futures contract transactions involve risks similar to those of other futures transactions.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign-currency denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, future contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Foreign Securities
A Fund may invest in foreign securities. Such investments present risks not typically associated with investments in comparable securities of U.S. issuers.
Since most foreign securities are denominated in foreign currencies or traded primarily in securities markets in which settlements are made in foreign currencies, the value of these investments and the net investment
income available for distribution to shareholders of a Fund may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations. Because a Fund may purchase securities denominated in foreign currencies, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets and the Fund's income available for distribution.
In addition, although a Fund's income may be received or realized in foreign currencies, the Fund will be required to compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars. Therefore, if the value of a currency relative to the U.S. dollar declines after a Fund's income has been earned in that currency, translated into U.S. dollars and declared as a dividend, but before payment of such dividend, the Fund could be required to liquidate portfolio securities to pay such dividend. Similarly, if the value of a currency relative to the U.S. dollar declines between the time a Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the amount of such currency required to be converted into U.S. dollars in order to pay such expenses in U.S. dollars will be greater than the equivalent amount in such currency of such expenses at the time they were incurred.
There may be less information publicly available about a foreign corporate or government issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and foreign corporate issuers are not generally subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions and securities custody costs are often higher than those in the United States, and judgments against foreign entities may be more difficult to obtain and enforce. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of governmental expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and diplomatic developments that could affect the value of investments in those countries. The receipt of interest on foreign government securities may depend on the availability of tax or other revenues to satisfy the issuer's obligations.
Illiquid Securities
Certain Funds may purchase illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those that are not readily resalable, which may include securities whose disposition is restricted by federal securities laws. Investment in restricted or other illiquid securities involves the risk that a Fund may be unable to sell such a security at the desired time. Also, a Fund may incur expenses, losses or delays in the process of registering restricted securities prior to resale.
Certain Funds may purchase Rule 144A securities, which are privately offered
securities that can be resold only to certain qualified institutional buyers
pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act").
The Fund may also purchase commercial paper issued under Section 4(2) of the
Securities Act. Investing in Rule 144A securities and Section 4(2) commercial
paper could have the effect of increasing the level of the Fund's illiquidity
to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time,
uninterested in purchasing these securities. Rule 144A securities and
Section 4(2) commercial paper are treated as illiquid, unless the adviser has
determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees, that
the particular issue is liquid.
Investment Companies
Investment companies, including companies such as "iShares," "SPDRs" and "VIPERs," are essentially pools of securities. Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying securities, but may involve additional expenses at the investment company level, such as investment advisory fees and operating expenses. In some cases, investing in an investment company may involve the payment of a premium over the value of the assets held in that investment company's portfolio. As an investor in another investment company, a Fund will bear its ratable share of the investment company's expenses, including advisory fees, and the Fund's shareholders will bear such expenses indirectly, in addition to similar fees and expenses of the Fund.
Despite the possibility of greater fees and expenses, investment in other investment companies may be attractive nonetheless for several reasons, especially in connection with foreign investments. Because of restrictions on direct investment by U.S. entities in certain countries, investing indirectly in such countries (by purchasing shares of another fund that is permitted to invest in such countries) may be the most practical and efficient way for a Fund to invest in such countries. In other cases, when a Fund's adviser desires to make only a relatively small investment in a particular country, investing through another fund that holds a diversified portfolio in that country may be more effective than investing directly in issuers in that country.
Investment Pools of Credit-Linked, Credit-Default, Interest Rate, Currency-Exchange and Equity-Linked Swap Contracts
Certain Funds may invest in publicly or privately issued interests in investment pools whose underlying assets are credit default, credit-linked, interest rate, currency exchange and/or equity-linked swap contracts (individually a "Swap" and all together "Swaps") and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements. Swaps are agreements between two or more parties to exchange sequences of cash flows over a period in the future. The pools' investment results may be designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified securities index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single security. These types of pools are often used to gain exposure to multiple securities with less of an investment than would be required to invest directly in the individual securities. They may also be used to gain exposure to foreign securities markets without investing in the foreign securities themselves and/or the relevant foreign market. To the extent that the Fund invests in pools of Swaps and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign securities index or one or more of foreign securities, investing in such pools will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities. See "Foreign Securities" above. In addition, the investing Fund bears the risk that the pool may default on its obligations under the interests in the pool. The investing Fund also bears the risk that a counterparty of an underlying Swap, the issuer of a related underlying security or the counterparty of an underlying securities loan agreement may default on its obligations. Swaps are often used for many of the same purposes as, and share many of the same risks with, other derivative instruments such as, participation notes and zero-strike warrants and options and debt-linked and/or equity-linked securities. Interests in privately offered investment pools of Swaps may be considered illiquid and, except to the extent that such interests are issued under Rule 144A and deemed liquid, subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.
Initial Public Offerings
Certain funds may purchase securities of companies that are offered pursuant to an initial public offering ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public in the primary market, typically to raise additional capital. The Fund may purchase a "hot" IPO (also known as a "hot issue"), which is an IPO that is oversubscribed and, as a result, is an investment opportunity of limited availability. As a consequence, the price at which these IPO shares open in the secondary market may be significantly higher than the original IPO price. IPO securities tend to involve greater risk due, in part, to public perception and the lack of publicly available information and trading history. There is the possibility of losses resulting from the difference between the issue price and potential diminished value of the stock once traded in the secondary market. The Fund's investment in IPO securities may have a significant impact on the Fund's performance and may result in significant capital gains.
Mortgage-Related Securities
Mortgage-related securities, such as Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") or Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") certificates, differ from traditional debt securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if a Fund purchases these assets at a premium, a faster-than-expected prepayment rate will tend to reduce yield to maturity, and a slower-than-expected prepayment rate may have the opposite effect of increasing yield to maturity. If a Fund purchases mortgage-related securities at a discount, faster-than-expected prepayments will tend to increase, and slower-than-expected prepayments tend to reduce, yield to maturity. Prepayments, and resulting amounts available for reinvestment by a Fund, are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on securities purchased at a premium may result in a loss of principal if the premium has not been fully amortized at the time of prepayment. Although these securities will decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates generally, they are likely to appreciate less than other fixed-income securities when interest rates decline because of the risk of prepayments. In addition, an increase in interest rates would also increase the inherent volatility of a Fund by increasing the average life of the Fund's portfolio securities.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities
Certain Funds may invest in investment-grade debt securities, which include all types of debt instruments
that are of medium and high-quality. Some possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. A debt security is considered to be investment-grade if it is rated investment-grade by Standard & Poor's Rating Group ("Standard & Poor's" or "S&P") or Moody's Investor's Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by an investment adviser. For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P and Moody's, please refer to the Statement's "Appendix A -- Description of Securities Ratings."
Lower Quality Debt Securities
Certain Funds may invest in lower quality fixed-income securities. Fixed-income securities rated BB or lower by Standard & Poor's or Ba or lower by Moody's (and comparable unrated securities) are of below "investment-grade" quality. Lower quality fixed-income securities generally provide higher yields, but are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher-quality fixed-income securities, including U.S. government and many foreign government securities. Lower quality fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to meet principal and interest payments. Achievement of the investment objective of a Fund investing in lower quality fixed-income securities may be more dependent on the Fund's adviser's own credit analysis than for a Fund investing in higher-quality bonds. The market for lower quality fixed-income securities may be more severely affected than some other financial markets by economic recession or substantial interest rate increases, by changing public perceptions of such market or by legislation that limits the ability of certain categories of financial institutions to invest in these securities. In addition, the secondary market may be less liquid for lower-rated fixed-income securities. This lack of liquidity at certain times may affect the valuation of these securities and may make the valuation and sale of these securities more difficult. Securities of below investment-grade quality are considered high yield, high risk securities and are commonly known as "junk bonds." For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P and Moody's, please refer to the Statement's "Appendix A -- Description of Securities Ratings."
Money Market Instruments
A Fund may seek to minimize risk by investing in money market instruments, which are high-quality, short-term securities. Although changes in interest rates can change the market value of a security, a Fund expects those changes to be minimal with respect to these securities, which are often purchased for defensive purposes.
Money market obligations of foreign banks or of foreign branches or subsidiaries of U.S. banks may be subject to different risks than obligations of domestic banks, such as foreign economic, political and legal developments and the fact that different regulatory requirements apply.
Options and Futures Transactions
An option entitles the holder to receive (in the case of a call option) or to sell (in the case of a put option) a particular security at a specified exercise price. An "American style" option allows exercise of the option at any time during the term of the option. A "European style" option allows an option to be exercised only at the end of its term. Options may be traded on or off an established securities exchange.
If the holder of an option wishes to terminate its position, it may seek to effect a closing sale transaction by selling an option identical to the option previously purchased. The effect of the purchase is that the previous option position will be canceled. A Fund will realize a profit from closing out an option if the price received for selling the offsetting position is more than the premium paid to purchase the option; the Fund will realize a loss from closing out an option transaction if the price received for selling the offsetting option is less than the premium paid to purchase the option.
The use of options involves risks. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of options and movements in the price of the securities that are the subject of the hedge. A Fund's hedging strategies will not be fully effective if such imperfect correlation occurs.
Price movement correlation may be distorted by illiquidity in the options markets and the participation of speculators in such markets. If an insufficient number of contracts are traded, commercial users may not deal in options because they do not want to assume the risk that they may not be able to close out their positions within a
reasonable amount of time. In such instances, options market prices may be driven by different forces than those driving the market in the underlying securities, and price spreads between these markets may widen. The participation of speculators in the market enhances its liquidity. Nonetheless, the trading activities of speculators in the options markets may create temporary price distortions unrelated to the market in the underlying securities.
An exchange-traded option may be closed out only on an exchange that
generally provides a liquid secondary market for an option of the same series.
If a liquid secondary market for an exchange-traded option does not exist, it
might not be possible to effect a closing transaction with respect to a
particular option, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the
option in order to accomplish the desired hedge. Reasons for the absence of a
liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be
insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be
imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both;
(iii) trading halts, suspensions, or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities;
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation
or other clearing organization may not at all times be adequate to handle
current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or
other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the
trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event
the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options)
would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had
been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that
exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
The successful use of options depends in part on the ability of Loomis Sayles to forecast correctly the direction and extent of interest rate, stock price, or currency value movements within a given time frame. To the extent interest rates, stock prices, or currency values move in a direction opposite to that anticipated, a Fund may realize a loss on the hedging transaction that is not fully or partially offset by an increase in the value of portfolio securities. In addition, whether or not interest rates or the relevant stock price or relevant currency values move during the period that the Fund holds options positions, the Fund will pay the cost of taking those positions (i.e., brokerage costs). As a result of these factors, the Fund's total return for such period may be less than if it had not engaged in the hedging transaction.
An over-the-counter option (an option not traded on an established exchange) may be closed out only with the other party to the original option transaction. With over-the-counter options, a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations, or will not permit a Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity. While the Fund will seek to enter into over-the-counter options only with dealers who agree to or are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an over-the-counter option at a favorable price at any time prior to its expiration. Accordingly, the Fund might have to exercise an over-the-counter option it holds in order to achieve the intended hedge. Over-the-counter options are not subject to the protections afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation or other clearing organizations.
Income earned by a Fund from its hedging activities will be treated as capital gain and, if not offset by net recognized capital losses incurred by the Fund, will be distributed to shareholders in taxable distributions. Although gain from options transactions may hedge against a decline in the value of a Fund's portfolio securities, that gain, to the extent not offset by losses, will be distributed in light of certain tax considerations and will constitute a distribution of that portion of the value preserved against decline.
In accordance with Commodity Futures Trading Commission Rule 4.5, each of the Funds that may engage in futures transactions, including without limitation futures and options on futures, will use futures transactions solely for bona fide hedging purposes or will limit its investment in futures transactions for other than bona fide hedging purposes so that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions will not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such futures transactions.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a particular commodity (e.g., an interest-bearing security) for a specified price on a specified future date. In the case of futures on an index, the seller and buyer agree to settle in cash, at a future date, based on the difference in value of the contract between the date it is opened and the settlement date. The value of each contract is equal to the value of the index from time to time
multiplied by a specified dollar amount. For example, long-term municipal bond index futures trade in contracts equal to $1000 multiplied by the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, and S&P 500 Index futures trade in contracts equal to $500 multiplied by the S&P 500 Index.
When a trader, such as a Fund, enters into a futures contract, it is required to deposit with (or for the benefit of) its broker as "initial margin" an amount of cash or short-term high-quality securities (such as U.S. Treasury bills or high-quality tax exempt bonds acceptable to the broker) equal to approximately 2% to 5% of the delivery or settlement price of the contract (depending on applicable exchange rules). Initial margin is held to secure the performance of the holder of the futures contract. As the value of the contract changes, the value of futures contract positions increases or declines. At the end of each trading day, the amount of such increase and decline is received and paid respectively by and to the holders of these positions. The amount received or paid is known as "variation margin." If the Fund has a long position in a futures contract it will establish a segregated account with the Fund's custodian containing cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund equal to the purchase price of the contract (less any margin on deposit). For short positions in futures contracts, the Fund will establish a segregated account with the custodian with cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments or currency underlying the futures contracts.
Although futures contracts by their terms require actual delivery and acceptance of securities (or cash in the case of index futures), in most cases the contracts are closed out before settlement. A futures sale is closed by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity and with the same delivery date. Similarly, the closing out of a futures purchase is closed by the purchaser selling an offsetting futures contract.
Gain or loss on a futures position is equal to the net variation margin received or paid over the time the position is held, plus or minus the amount received or paid when the position is closed, minus brokerage commissions.
Pay-in-Kind Securities
Certain Funds may invest in pay-in-kind securities, which are securities that pay dividends or interest in the form of additional securities of the issuer, rather than in cash. These securities are usually issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of pay-in-kind securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than are other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
Private Placements
The Funds may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for these securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund could find it more difficult or impossible to sell the securities when its investment adviser believes that it is advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if the securities were more widely-held. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of the securities for purposes of computing a Fund's net asset value.
While private placements may offer opportunities for investment that are not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often "restricted securities," which are securities that cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rule 144 or Rule 144A under the Securities Act), or that are not readily marketable because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays or restrictions on resale.
The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for illiquid investments such as private placements. Disposing of illiquid investments may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. A Fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting the
registration. In addition, market quotations typically are less readily available for these securities. The judgment of the Funds' investment adviser may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of unrestricted securities.
Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, in a privately-negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. A Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public so that the Fund may be liable to purchasers of the securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of the registration statement, is materially inaccurate or misleading.
Privatizations
Certain Funds may participate in privatizations. In a number of countries around the world, governments have undertaken to sell to investors interests in enterprises that the government has historically owned or controlled. These transactions are known as "privatizations" and may in some cases represent opportunities for significant capital appreciation. In some cases, the ability of U.S. investors, such as the Funds, to participate in privatizations may be limited by local law, and the terms of participation for U.S. investors may be less advantageous than those for local investors. Also, there is no assurance that privatized enterprises will be successful, or that an investment in such an enterprise will retain its value or appreciate in value.
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs")
REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in either real estate or real-estate-related loans. REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified outside of real estate, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely-held securities.
A Fund's investment in a REIT may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received or may result in the Fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. In addition, distributions by a Fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or, generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Repurchase Agreements
A Fund may enter into repurchase agreements, by which a Fund purchases a
security and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller to repurchase
the security at an agreed-upon price and date. The resale price is in excess of
the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market interest rate unrelated
to the coupon rate on the purchased security. Such transactions afford a Fund
the opportunity to earn a return on temporarily available cash at relatively
low market risk. While the underlying security may be a bill, certificate of
indebtedness, note or bond issued by an agency, authority or instrumentality of
the U.S. government, the obligation of the seller is not guaranteed by the U.S.
government and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the
underlying security. In such event, a Fund would attempt to exercise rights
with respect to the underlying security, including possible disposition in the
market. However, a Fund may be subject to various delays and risks of loss,
including (i) possible declines in the value of the underlying security during
the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, (ii) possible
reduced levels of income and lack of access to income during this period and
(iii) inability to enforce rights and the expenses involved in the attempted
enforcement.
Rule 144A Securities
Rule 144A securities are privately offered securities that can be resold
only to certain qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the
Securities Act. A Fund may also purchase commercial paper issued under
Section 4(2) of the Securities Act. Investing in Rule 144A securities and
Section 4(2) commercial paper could have the effect of increasing the level of
a Fund's illiquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become,
for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities. Rule 144A securities
and Section 4(2) commercial paper are treated as illiquid, unless the adviser
has determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees,
that the particular issue is liquid.
Securities Lending
A Fund may lend from its total assets in the form of their portfolio securities to broker-dealers under contracts calling for collateral equal to at least the market value of the securities loaned, marked to market on a daily basis. A Fund will continue to benefit from interest or dividends on the securities loaned and may also earn a return from the collateral, which may include shares of a money market fund subject to any investment restrictions listed in this Statement. Under some securities lending arrangements a Fund may receive a set fee for keeping its securities available for lending. Any voting rights, or rights to consent, relating to securities loaned pass to the borrower. However, if a material event (as determined by the adviser) affecting the investment occurs, such loans will be called if possible, so that the securities may be voted by the Fund. A Fund pays various fees in connection with such loans, including shipping fees and reasonable custodian and placement fees approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Boards.
These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times, but involve some credit risk to the Fund if the borrower or the party (if any) guaranteeing the loan should default on its obligation and the Fund is delayed in or prevented from recovering the collateral.
Short-Term Trading
The Funds may, consistent with their investment objectives, engage in portfolio trading in anticipation of, or in response to, changing economic or market conditions and trends. These policies may result in higher turnover rates in the Fund's portfolio, which may produce higher transaction costs and a higher level of taxable capital gains. Portfolio turnover considerations will not limit the adviser's investment discretion in managing a Fund's assets. The Funds anticipate that their portfolio turnover rates will vary significantly from time to time depending on the volatility of economic and market conditions.
Small Capitalization Companies
The Funds may invest in companies with relatively small market capitalizations. Such investments may involve greater risk than is usually associated with more established companies. These companies often have sales and earnings growth rates that exceed those of companies with larger market capitalization. Such growth rates may in turn be reflected in more rapid share price appreciation. However, companies with smaller market capitalization often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent upon a relatively small management group. These securities may have limited marketability and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic movements in price than securities of companies with larger market capitalization or market averages in general. The net asset value of funds that invest in companies with relatively small market capitalizations therefore may fluctuate more widely than market averages.
Structured Notes
Certain Funds may invest in a broad category of instruments known as "structured notes." These instruments are debt obligations issued by industrial corporations, financial institutions or governmental or international agencies. Traditional debt obligations typically obligate the issuer to repay the principal plus a specified rate of interest. Structured notes, by contrast, obligate the issuer to pay amounts of principal or interest that are determined by reference to changes in some external factor or factors. For example, the issuer's obligations could be determined by reference to changes in the value of a commodity (such as gold or oil), a foreign currency, an index of securities (such as the S&P 500 Index) or an interest rate (such as the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some
cases, the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to changes over time in the difference (or "spread") between two or more external factors (such as the U.S. prime lending rate and the total return of the stock market in a particular country, as measured by a stock index). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may fluctuate inversely with changes in an external factor or factors (for example, if the U.S. prime lending rate goes up, the issuer's interest payment obligations are reduced). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may be determined by some multiple of the change in an external factor or factors (for example, three times the change in the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations remain fixed (as with a traditional debt instrument) so long as an external factor or factors do not change by more than the specified amount (for example, if the value of a stock index does not exceed some specified maximum), but if the external factor or factors change by more than the specified amount, the issuer's obligations may be sharply reduced.
Structured notes can serve many different purposes in the management of a mutual fund. For example, they can be used to increase a Fund's exposure to changes in the value of assets that the Fund would not ordinarily purchase directly (such as stocks traded in a market that is not open to U.S. investors). They can also be used to hedge the risks associated with other investments a Fund holds. For example, if a structured note has an interest rate that fluctuates inversely with general changes in a country's stock market index, the value of the structured note would generally move in the opposite direction to the value of holdings of stocks in that market, thus moderating the effect of stock market movements on the value of a Fund's portfolio as a whole.
Risks. Structured notes involve special risks. As with any debt obligation, structured notes involve the risk that the issuer will become insolvent or otherwise default on its payment obligations. This risk is in addition to the risk that the issuer's obligations (and thus the value of a Fund's investment) will be reduced because of adverse changes in the external factor or factors to which the obligations are linked. The value of structured notes will in many cases be more volatile (that is, will change more rapidly or severely) than the value of traditional debt instruments. Volatility will be especially high if the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to some multiple of the change in the external factor or factors. Many structured notes have limited or no liquidity, so that a Fund would be unable to dispose of the investment prior to maturity. As with all investments, successful use of structured notes depends in significant part on the accuracy of the adviser's analysis of the issuer's creditworthiness and financial prospects, and of the adviser's forecast as to changes in relevant economic and financial market conditions and factors. In instances where the issuer of a structured note is a foreign entity, the usual risks associated with investments in foreign securities (described below) apply. Structured notes may be considered derivative securities.
Step Coupon Securities
Certain Funds may invest in step coupon securities. Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. Market values of these types of securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do conventional interest-paying securities of comparable term and quality. Under many market conditions, investments in such securities may be illiquid, making it difficult for a Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.
"Stripped" Securities
Certain Funds may invest in stripped securities, which are usually structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distribution on a pool of U.S. government, or foreign government securities or mortgage assets. In some cases, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest-only or "IO" class), while the other class will receive the entire principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). Stripped securities commonly have greater market volatility than other types of fixed-income securities. In the case of stripped mortgage securities, if the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated payments of principal, a Fund may fail to recoup fully its investments in IOs. The staff of the SEC has indicated that it views stripped mortgage securities as illiquid unless the securities are issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and are backed by fixed-rate mortgages. The Funds intend to abide by the staff's position. Stripped securities may be considered derivative securities.
Supranational Entities
A Fund may invest in obligations of supranational entities. A supranational entity is an entity designated or supported by national governments to promote economic reconstruction, development or trade amongst nations. Examples of supranational entities include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "World Bank") and the European Investment Bank. 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 under "Foreign Securities."
Swap Transactions
A Fund may enter into interest rate or currency swaps to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, to manage duration, or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. A swap transaction involves an agreement (typically with a bank or a brokerage firm as counter party) to exchange two streams of payments (for example, an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of principal). A Fund will segregate liquid assets at its custodian bank in an amount sufficient to cover its current obligations under swap agreements. Because swap agreements are not exchange-traded, but are private contracts into which a Fund and a swap counterparty enter as principals, the Fund may experience a loss or delay in recovering assets if the counterparty defaults on its obligations.
Tax Exempt Securities
The Funds may invest in "Tax Exempt Securities," which term refers to debt securities the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by the Fund's portfolio manager to be reliable), exempt from federal income tax. Tax Exempt Securities include debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions (for example, counties, cities, towns, villages and school districts) and authorities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which certain Tax Exempt Securities may be issued include the refunding of outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for federal operating expenses, or obtaining funds to lend to public or private institutions for the construction of facilities such as educational, hospital and housing facilities. In addition, certain types of private activity bonds have been or may be issued by public authorities or on behalf of state or local governmental units to finance privately operated housing facilities, sports facilities, convention or trade facilities, air or water pollution control facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas, electricity or sewage or solid waste disposal. Such obligations are included within the term "Tax Exempt Securities" if the interest paid thereon, is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by the Fund's portfolio manager to be reliable), exempt from federal income.
The ability of the Funds to invest in securities other than tax-exempt securities is limited by a requirement of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), that, in order to be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends, at least 50% of the value of such Fund's total assets be invested in obligations the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax at the end of each calendar quarter.
Funds that invest in certain tax-exempt bonds or certain private activity bonds may not be a desirable investment for "substantial users" of facilities financed by such obligations or bonds or for "related persons" of substantial users. You should contact your financial adviser or attorney for more information if you think you may be a "substantial user" or a "related person" of a substantial user.
There are variations in the quality of Tax Exempt Securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, depending on numerous factors (see Appendix A).
The two principal classifications of tax-exempt bonds are general obligation bonds and limited obligation (or revenue) bonds. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from the issuer's general unrestricted revenues and not from any particular fund or source. The characteristics and method of enforcement of general obligation bonds vary according to the law applicable to the particular issuer, and payment may be dependent upon an appropriation by the issuer's legislative body. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities, or in
some cases from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source such as the user of the facility. Tax-exempt private activity bonds are in most cases revenue bonds and generally are not payable from the unrestricted revenues of the issuer. The credit and quality of such bonds are usually directly related to the credit standing of the corporate user of the facilities. Principal and interest on such bonds are the responsibilities of the corporate user (and any guarantor).
The yields on Tax Exempt Securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the Tax Exempt Securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Further, information about the financial condition of an issuer of tax-exempt bonds may not be as extensive as that made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. The ratings of Moody's and S&P represent their opinions as to the quality of the Tax Exempt Securities, which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, Tax Exempt Securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields while Tax Exempt Securities of the same maturity and interest rates with different ratings may have the same yield. Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue of Tax Exempt Securities or other investments may cease to be rated or the rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event will require the elimination of an investment from the Fund's portfolio, but the Fund's adviser will consider such an event as part of its normal, ongoing review of all the Fund's portfolio securities.
The Funds do not currently intend to invest in so-called "moral obligation" bonds, in which repayment is backed by a moral commitment of an entity other than the issuer, unless the credit of the issuer itself, without regard to the "moral obligation," meets the investment criteria established for investments by such Fund.
Securities in which a Fund may invest, including Tax Exempt Securities, are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by Congress or the state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their Tax Exempt Securities may be materially affected or that their obligations may be found to be invalid and unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for tax-exempt bonds or certain segments thereof, or materially affecting the credit risk with respect to particular bonds. Adverse economic, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of the Fund's Tax Exempt Securities in the same manner.
From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations issued by states and their political subdivisions and similar proposals may well be introduced in the future. If such a proposal were enacted, the availability of Tax-Exempt Securities for investment by the Funds and the value of such Funds' portfolios could be materially affected, in which event such Funds would reevaluate their investment objectives and policies and consider changes in their structure or dissolution.
All debt securities, including tax-exempt bonds, are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, for any given change in the level of interest rates, prices for longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices for shorter maturity issues.
U.S. Government Securities
The Fund may invest in some or all of the following U.S. government securities:
U.S. Treasury Bills - Direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities of one year or less. No interest is paid on Treasury bills; instead, they are issued at a discount and repaid at full face value when they mature. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds - Direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury issued in maturities that vary between one and 40 years, with interest normally payable every six months. These obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS") - Fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on TIPS is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Although repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed, the market value of TIPS is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate.
Ginnie Maes - Debt securities issued by a mortgage banker or other mortgagee which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmer's Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. The Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest when such payments are due, whether or not these amounts are collected by the issuer of these certificates on the underlying mortgages. It is generally understood that a guarantee by GNMA is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgages included in single family or multi-family residential mortgage pools backing an issue of Ginnie Maes have a maximum maturity of 30 years. Scheduled payments of principal and interest are made to the registered holders of Ginnie Maes (such as the Fund) each month. Unscheduled prepayments may be made by homeowners, or as a result of a default. Prepayments are passed through to the registered holder (such as the Fund, which reinvests any prepayments) of Ginnie Maes along with regular monthly payments of principal and interest.
Fannie Maes - The Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders that purchases residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers. Fannie Maes are pass-through securities issued by FNMA that are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Freddie Macs - The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC") is a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. government. Freddie Macs are participation certificates issued by FHLMC that represent an interest in residential mortgages from FHLMC's National Portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but Freddie Macs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
U.S. government securities generally do not involve the credit risks associated with investments in other types of fixed-income securities, although, as a result, the yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than the yields available from corporate fixed-income securities. Like other debt securities, however, the values of U.S. government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in a Fund's net asset value. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when a Fund's average maturity is longer, under certain market conditions a Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, accept lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher yielding long-term securities. Securities such as Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the relevant entity (e.g., FNMA or FHLMC) but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. An event affecting the guaranteeing entity could adversely affect the payment of principal or interest or both on the security, and therefore, these types of securities should be considered to be riskier than U.S. government securities. FNMA and FHLMC have each been the subject of investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting matters. Such investigations, and any resulting restatements of financial statements, may adversely affect the guaranteeing entity and, as a result, the payment of principal or interest on these types of securities.
The values of TIPS generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of TIPS. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of TIPS. If inflation is lower than expected during the period a Fund holds TIPS, the Fund may earn less on the TIPS than on a conventional bond. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in TIPS may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds' inflation measure. There can be no assurance that the inflation index for TIPS will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.
Warrants
Certain Funds may invest in warrants. A warrant is an instrument that gives the holder a right to purchase a given number of shares of a particular security at a specified price until a stated expiration date. Buying a warrant generally can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an investment of equivalent amounts in the underlying common stock. The market value of a warrant does not necessarily move with the value of the underlying securities. If a holder does not sell the warrant, it risks the loss of its entire investment if the market price of the underlying security does not, before the expiration date, exceed the exercise price of the warrant plus the cost thereof. Investment in warrants is a speculative activity. Warrants pay no dividends and confer no rights (other than the right to purchase the underlying securities) with respect to the assets of the issuer.
When-Issued Securities
"When-issued" equity securities are traded on a price basis prior to actual issuance. Such purchases will only be made to achieve a Fund's investment objective and not for leverage. The when-issued trading period generally lasts from a few days to months, or a year or more; during this period dividends on equity securities are not payable. No dividend income accrues to the Fund prior to the time it takes delivery. A frequent form of when-issued trading occurs when corporate securities to be created by a merger of companies are traded prior to the actual consummation of the merger. Such transactions may involve a risk of loss if the value of the securities falls below the price committed to prior to actual issuance. The Fund's custodian will establish a segregated account for the Fund when it purchases securities on a when-issued basis consisting of cash or liquid securities equal to the amount of the when-issued commitments. Securities transactions involving delayed deliveries or forward commitments are frequently characterized as when-issued transactions and are similarly treated by the Fund.
Zero Coupon Securities
Zero-coupon securities are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligations. These securities are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of zero-coupon securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than are other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality. In order to satisfy a requirement for qualification as a "regulated investment company" under the Code, a Fund must distribute each year at least 90% of its net investment income, including the original issue discount accrued on zero-coupon securities. Because a Fund will not, on a current basis, receive cash payments from the issuer of a zero-coupon security in respect of accrued original issue discount, in some years a Fund may have to distribute cash obtained from other sources in order to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement under the Code. Such cash might be obtained from selling other portfolio holdings of the Fund. In some circumstances, such sales might be necessary in order to satisfy cash distribution requirements even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for a Fund to sell such securities at such time.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POSITION
Each Fund has the flexibility to respond promptly to changes in market and economic conditions. In the interest of preserving shareholders' capital, the adviser of the Fund may employ a temporary defensive strategy if it determines such a strategy to be warranted. Pursuant to such a defensive strategy, a Fund temporarily may hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. It is impossible to predict whether, when or for how long a Fund will employ defensive strategies. The use of defensive strategies may prevent a Fund from achieving its goal.
In addition, pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or to meet ordinary daily cash needs, a Fund may temporarily hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies or multinational currency units) and may invest any portion of its assets in money market instruments.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Each Fund's turnover rate for a fiscal year is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities, excluding securities having maturity dates at acquisition of one year or less, for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by each Fund during the fiscal year. High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by each Fund, thereby decreasing the Fund's total return. It is impossible to predict with certainty whether future portfolio turnover rates will be higher or lower than those experienced during past periods.
Generally, each Fund intends to invest for long-term purposes. However, the rate of portfolio turnover will vary significantly from time to time depending on the volatility of economic and market conditions, and it will not be a limiting factor when Loomis Sayles believes that portfolio changes are appropriate or limit Loomis Sayles' investment discretion in managing the assets of each Fund. High portfolio turnover may generate higher costs and higher levels of taxable gains, both of which may hurt the performance of your investment.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The Funds have adopted policies to limit the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and to ensure equal access to such information, except in certain circumstances as approved by the Board of Trustees. Generally, full portfolio holdings information will not be available except on a monthly basis following an aging period of at least 30 days between the date of the information and the date on which it is disclosed. However, holdings information for certain Funds, such as the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund, may be subject to aging periods that are longer than 30 days if the specific investment style warrants aging beyond 30 days prior to public dissemination. A list of the Funds' top 10 holdings will generally be available on a monthly basis within 5 days of month-end. The portfolio holdings information will generally be made available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com. Any holdings information that is released must clearly indicate the date of the information, and must state that due to active management, the Funds may or may not still invest in the securities listed. Portfolio characteristics, such as industry/sector breakdown, current yield, quality breakdown, duration, average price-earnings ratio and other similar information may be provided on a current basis. However, portfolio characteristics do not include references to specific portfolio holdings.
The Board of Trustees has approved exceptions to the general policy on the sharing of portfolio holdings information as in the best interests of the Funds:
(1)Disclosure of portfolio holdings posted on the Funds' website, provided the information is shared no sooner than the next day following the day on which the information is posted;
(2)Disclosure to firms offering industry-wide services, provided that the firm has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Funds, its principal underwriter or an affiliate of the Funds' principal underwriter. Entities that receive information pursuant to this exception include Lipper (monthly disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided 5 days after month-end); Vestek (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided the next business day); and FactSet (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided the next business day);
(3)Disclosure to ADP Investor Communication Services, Inc. as part of the proxy voting recordkeeping services provided to the Funds, and to Investor Research Services, Inc. and Glass Lewis, LLC, as part of the proxy voting administration and research services, respectively, provided to the Funds' adviser (portfolio holdings of issuers as of record date for shareholder meetings);
(4)Disclosure to employees of the Funds' adviser, principal underwriter, administrator, custodian and fund accounting agent, as well as to broker-dealers executing portfolio transactions for the fund, provided that such disclosure is made for bona fide business purposes; and
(5)Other disclosures made for non-investment purposes, but only if approved in writing in advance by an officer of the Funds. Such exceptions will be reported to the Board of Trustees.
With respect to (5) above, approval will be granted only when the officer determines that the Funds have a
legitimate business reason for sharing the portfolio holdings information and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the information. As of the date of this Statement, the only entity that receives information pursuant to this exception is GCom2 (quarterly, or more frequently as needed, disclosure of full portfolio holdings) for the purpose of performing certain functions related to the production of the Funds' semiannual financial statements, quarterly Form N-Q filing and other related items. The Funds' Board of Trustees exercises oversight of the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio holdings by reviewing, on a quarterly basis, persons or entities receiving such disclosure. Notwithstanding the above, there is no assurance that the Funds' policies on the sharing of portfolio holdings information will protect the Funds from the potential misuse of holdings by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
In addition, any disclosures of portfolio holdings information by a Fund or its adviser must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, the Fund's and the adviser's fiduciary duty to shareholders, and the Fund's code of ethics. The Funds' policies expressly prohibit the sharing of portfolio holdings information if the Fund, its adviser, or any other affiliated party receives compensation or other consideration in connection with such arrangement. The term "consideration" includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Funds or in other funds or accounts managed by the Fund's adviser or by any affiliated person of the adviser.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUSTS
The Funds are governed by a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for generally overseeing the conduct of Fund business and for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Funds' activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Funds and review the Funds' performance.
Trustees and Officers
The table below provides certain information regarding the trustees and officers of the Trusts. For purposes of this table and for purposes of this Statement, the term "Independent Trustee" means those trustees who are not "interested persons" as defined in the 1940 Act of the Trusts. In certain circumstances, trustees are also required to have no direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on in order to be considered "independent" for the purposes of the requisite approval. For purposes of this Statement, the term "Interested Trustee" means those trustees who are "interested persons" of the Trust.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all persons below is 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Position(s) Held with Overseen*** the Trust, Length of and Other Name and Date of Time Served and Term Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Directorships Birth of Office* Years** Held ---------------- ------------------------ ------------------------------------- ------------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Graham T. Allison, Jr. Trustee since 2003 Douglas Dillon Professor and 38 (3/23/40) Contract Review and Director of the Belfer Center of Director, Taubman Governance Committee Science for International Affairs, Centers, Inc. (real Member John F. Kennedy School of estate investment Government, Harvard University trust) Charles D. Baker Trustee since 2005 President and Chief Executive 38 (11/13/56) Contract Review Officer, Harvard Pilgrim Health None and Governance Committee Care (health plan) Member |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Position(s) Held with Overseen*** the Trust, Length of and Other Name and Date of Time Served and Term Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Directorships Birth of Office* Years** Held ---------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------------- Edward A. Benjamin Trustee since 2002 Retired 38 (5/30/38) Contract Review and Governance Director, Precision Committee Member (formerly, Optics Corporation Audit Committee Member) (optics manufacturer) Daniel M. Cain (2/24/45) Trustee since 2003 President and Chief Executive 38 Chairman of the Audit Committee Officer, Cain Brothers & Director, Sheridan Company, Incorporated Healthcare Inc. (investment banking) (physician practice management) Paul G. Chenault (9/12/33) Trustee since 2000 Retired; Trustee, First Variable 38 Contract Review and Governance Life (variable life insurance) Director, Mailco Committee Member Office Products, Inc. (mailing equipment) Kenneth J. Cowan (4/5/32) Trustee since 2003 Retired 38 Chairman of the Contract Review None and Governance Committee Richard Darman (5/10/43) Trustee since 2003 Partner, The Carlyle Group 38 Contract Review and Governance (investments); formerly, Director and Committee Member Professor, John F. Kennedy Chairman of Board School of Government, Harvard of Directors, AES University Corporation (international power company) Sandra O. Moose (2/17/42) Trustee since 2003 President, Strategic Advisory 38 Chairperson of the Board of Services (management Director, Verizon Trustees since November 2005 consulting); formerly, Senior Vice Communications; Ex officio member of the Audit President and Director, The Director, Rohm and Committee and Contract Review Boston Consulting Group, Inc. Haas Company and Governance Committee (management consulting) (specialty chemicals); Director, AES Corporation |
John A. Shane Trustee since 2003 President, Palmer Service 38 (2/22/33) Corporation (venture capital Director, Gensym Contract Review and organization) Corporation Governance Committee Member (software and technology service provider); Director and Chairman of the Board, Abt Associates Inc. (research and consulting firm) Cynthia L. Walker Trustee since 2005 Executive Dean for 38 (7/25/56) Audit Committee Member Administration (formerly, Dean None for Finance and CFO), Harvard Medical School INTERESTED TRUSTEES Robert J. Blanding/1/ Trustee since 2002 President, Chairman, Director, 38 (4/14/47) Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer, None 555 California Street Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.; San Francisco, CA 94104 President and Chief Executive Officer - Loomis Sayles Funds I; Chief Executive Officer - Loomis Sayles Funds II John T. Hailer/2/ Trustee since 2003 President and Chief Executive 38 (11/23/60) President Officer, IXIS Asset Management None Advisors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P.; Executive Vice President, Loomis Sayles Funds I; President and Chief Executive Officer, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III and IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV |
* Each Trustee serves until retirement, resignation or removal from the Board of Trustees. The current retirement age is 72, but the retirement policy was suspended for the calendar year 2005. At a meeting held on August 26, 2005, the trustees voted to lift the suspension of the retirement policy and to designate 2006 as a transition period so that any trustees who are currently age 72 or older or who reach age 72 during the remainder of 2005 or in 2006 will not be required to retire until the end of calendar year 2006. The position of Chairperson of the Board is appointed for a two-year term.
** Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors"), IXIS Asset Management Services Company ("IXIS Services") or Loomis Sayles are omitted if not materially different from a trustee's or officer's current position with such entity.
*** The trustees of the Trust serve as trustees of a fund complex that includes all series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II.
/1/ Mr. Blanding is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he
holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust:
President, Chairman, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Loomis
Sayles.
/2/ Mr. Hailer is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust: Director and Executive Vice President of IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation ("IXIS Distribution Corporation"); and President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Advisors and IXIS Distributors.
Officers of the Trust
Term of Office* and Name and Position(s) Length of Date Held With Time Principal Occupation(s) of Birth the Trust Served During Past 5 Years** ---------- -------------- ----------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Coleen Secretary, Since Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk (formerly, Downs Clerk and September Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk), Dinneen Chief Legal 2004 IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, IXIS Asset (12/16/60) Officer Management Distributors, L.P., and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. Daniel J. Executive Since June Vice Chairman and Director, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.; Prior Fuss Vice President 2003 to 2002, President and Trustee of Loomis Sayles Funds II (9/27/33) (Loomis One Sayles Funds Financial Trusts only) Center Boston, MA 02111 Michael Treasurer, Since Senior Vice President, IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. and Kardok Principal October IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P.; formerly, Senior Director, (7/17/59) Financial and 2004 PFPC Inc; formerly, Vice President - Division Manager, First Data Accounting Investor Services, Inc. Officer Max J. Anti-Money Since Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Secretary Mahoney Laundering August 2005 and Assistant Clerk, IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, (5/01/62) Officer and IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Assistant Management Advisors, L.P.; Chief Compliance Officer, IXIS Asset Secretary Management Advisors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Counsel, MetLife, Inc.; formerly, Associate Counsel, LPL Financial Services, Inc. John E. Chief Since Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (formerly, Pelletier Operating September Senior Vice President General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS (6/24/64) Officer 2004 Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (formerly, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation; Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director (formerly, President, Chief Operating Officer and Director), IXIS Asset Management Services Company. Kristin Chief Since Chief Compliance Officer for Mutual Funds, IXIS Asset Management Vigneaux Compliance August 2004 Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; (9/25/69) Officer formerly, Vice President, IXIS Asset Management Services Company. |
* Each officer of the Trusts serves for an indefinite term in accordance with their current By-laws until the date his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until he or she sooner dies, retires, is removed or becomes disqualified.
** Each person listed above, except as noted, holds the same position(s) with the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts. Mr. Fuss is an officer of the Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts only. Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Advisors or Loomis Sayles are omitted, if not materially different from a trustee's or officer's current position with such entity.
Standing Board Committees
The trustees have delegated certain authority to the two standing committees of the Trust, the Audit Committee and Contract Review and Governance Committee. The Contract Review and Governance Committee of the Trust consists solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to advisory, subadvisory and distribution arrangements, potential conflicts of interest between the adviser and the Trust, and governance matters relating to the Trust. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held six meetings.
The Contract Review and Governance Committee also makes nominations for
independent trustee membership on the Board of Trustees when necessary and
considers recommendations from shareholders of the Fund that are submitted in
accordance with the procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the
Board of Trustees. Pursuant to those procedures, shareholders must submit a
recommendation for nomination in a signed writing addressed to the attention of
the Board of Trustees, c/o Secretary of the Funds, IXIS Asset Management
Advisors, L.P., 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. This written
communication must (i) be signed by the shareholder, (ii) include the name and
address of the shareholder, (iii) identify the Fund(s) to which the
communication relates, and (iv) identify the account number, class and number
of shares held by the shareholder as of a recent date or the intermediary
through which the shares are held. The recommendation must contain sufficient
background information concerning the trustee candidate to enable a proper
judgment to be made as to the candidate's qualifications, which may include
(i) the nominee's knowledge of the mutual fund industry; (ii) any experience
possessed by the nominee as a director or senior officer of other public
companies; (iii) the nominee's educational background; (iv) the nominee's
reputation for high ethical standards and personal and professional integrity;
(v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the
nominee, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board's
existing mix of skills and qualifications; (vi) the nominee's perceived ability
to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the nominee's
ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively
with other members of the Board; (vii) the nominee's ability to qualify as an
Independent Trustee for purposes of applicable regulations; and (viii) such
other factors as the appropriate Board Committee may request in light of the
existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or other
transitions. The recommendation must be received in a timely manner (and in any
event no later than the date specified for receipt of shareholder proposals in
any applicable proxy statement with respect to the Fund). A recommendation for
trustee nomination shall be kept on file and considered by the Board for six
(6) months from the date of receipt, after which the recommendation shall be
considered stale and discarded.
The Audit Committee of the Trust consists solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to the scope and results of the Trust's audits and serves as a forum in which the independent registered public accounting firm can raise any issues or problems identified in the audit with the Board of Trustees. This Committee also reviews and monitors compliance with stated investment objectives and policies, SEC and Treasury regulations as well as operational issues relating to the transfer agent and custodian. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held five meetings.
The current membership of each committee is as follows:
John A. Shane Graham T. Allison, Jr. Cynthia L. Walker Charles D. Baker Edward A. Benjamin Paul G. Chenault Richard Darman |
As chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Moose is an ex officio member of both Committees.
Fund Securities Owned by the Trustees
As of December 31, 2005, the trustees had the following ownership in the Funds:
Interested Trustees:
Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Robert J. Blanding John T. Hailer ---------------------------- ------------------ -------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund C A Loomis Sayles Bond Fund E A Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund A A Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund A A Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund E C Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund E E Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund A A Loomis Sayles Value Fund D A Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares in All Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex E E |
* A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
Independent Trustees:
Dollar Range Graham T. Charles D. Edward A. Daniel M. Paul G. Kenneth J. Richard Sandra O. John A. Cynthia L. of Fund Shares* Allison, Jr. Baker Benjamin** Cain Chenault Cowan** Darman** Moose Shane Walker --------------- ------------ ---------- ---------- --------- -------- ---------- -------- --------- ------- ---------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund A A A A B A A A Loomis Sayles Bond Fund A A A A B A A A Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund A C A A B A A A Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund A A A A A A A A Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund A A A A B A A A Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund A C A C B A A A Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund A A A A B A A A Loomis Sayles Value Fund A A A A B A A A Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares in All Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex E E E E E E E E |
* A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
** Amounts include notional investments held through the deferred compensation
plan.
Trustee Fees
The Trust pays no compensation to its officers or to their trustees who are Interested Trustees.
The Chairperson of the Board receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $200,000. The Chairperson does not receive any meeting attendance fees for Board of Trustees meetings or committee meetings that she attends. Each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $55,000. Each Independent Trustee also receives a meeting attendance fee of $6,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends in person and $3,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends telephonically. In addition, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $10,000. Each Contract Review and Governance Committee member is compensated $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,000 for each committee meeting that he or she attends telephonically. Each Audit Committee member is compensated $5,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,500 for each meeting her or she attends telephonically. These fees are allocated among the mutual fund portfolios in the IXIS Advisor Funds Trusts and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts based on a formula that takes into account, among other factors, the relative net assets of each mutual fund portfolio. In addition, for oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund, a closed-end fund advised by AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of IXIS Advisors and Loomis Sayles, each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000 and meeting attendance fees of $375 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends. Each committee member receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000. Furthermore, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $1,000. The retainer fees for the AEW Real Estate Income Fund assume four Committee meetings per year. Each Trustee of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund is compensated $200 per Committee meeting that he or she attends in excess of four per year.
For the period October 1, 2005 to November 18, 2005, the compensation structure for the Chairperson of the Board and attendance fees for the committee meetings were different. Each co-chairman of the Board received a retainer fee at the annual rate of $25,000 in addition to the compensation structure detailed in the paragraph above. Each Committee member received $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended in person and $2,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended telephonically.
Prior to October 1, 2005, each Independent Trustee received, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $50,000 and meeting attendance fees of $5,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attended. The co-chairmen of the Board each received an additional retainer fee of $25,000. Each committee chairman received an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $7,000. Each Trustee was compensated $3,750 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended. The fees paid for the oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund were the same as the current fees.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 for, the trustees of the Trust received the amounts set forth in the following table for serving as a trustee of the Trust and for also serving as trustees of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, AEW Real Estate Income Fund and Loomis Sayles Funds I. The table also sets forth, as applicable, pension or retirement benefits accrued as part of fund expenses, as well as estimated annual retirement benefits and total compensation paid to trustees by trusts in the IXIS Advisor Funds Trust and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts:
Compensation Table
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2005/1/
Pension or Retirement Aggregate Aggregate Benefits Estimated Compensation Compensation Accrued as Annual Total from Loomis from Loomis Part of Benefits Compensation Sayles Funds Sayles Funds Fund Upon from the Trust I* Trust II** Expenses Retirement Fund Complex+ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Graham T. Allison, Jr. $41,108 $26,635 $0 $0 $108,575 Charles D. Baker/1/ $ 8,919 $ 5,615 $0 $0 $ 22,625 Edward A. Benjamin $39,914 $25,376 $0 $0 $105,025 Daniel M. Cain $54,177 $34,190 $0 $0 $140,810 Kenneth J. Cowan $55,371 $35,450 $0 $0 $144,360 Paul G. Chenault $41,108 $26,635 $0 $0 $108,575 Richard Darman $41,108 $26,635 $0 $0 $108,575 Sandra O. Moose $36,242 $23,064 $0 $0 $ 95,900 John A. Shane $41,108 $26,635 $0 $0 $108,575 Cynthia L. Walker/1/ $ 8,919 $ 5,615 $0 $0 $ 22,625 INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES John T. Hailer $ 0 $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 Robert J. Blanding $ 0 $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 |
* Amounts include payments deferred by trustees for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, with respect to Loomis Sayles Funds I. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued for Loomis Sayles Funds Trust I as of September 30, 2005 for the trustees is as follows: Allison ($189,748), Benjamin ($26,551), Cain ($50,407), Chenault ($9,163), Cowan ($35,211) and Darman ($67,636).
** Amounts include payments deferred by trustees for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, with respect to Loomis Sayles Funds II. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued for Loomis Sayles Funds Trust II as of September 30, 2005 for the trustees is as follows: Allison ($319,808), Benjamin ($44,750), Cain ($84,957), Chenault ($15,444), Cowan ($59,346) and Darman ($113,996).
+ Total Compensation represents amounts paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 to a trustee for serving on the board of trustees of eight (8) trusts with a total of thirty-seven (37) funds as of September 30, 2005.
/1/ Mr. Baker and Ms. Walker were elected as trustees on June 2, 2005.
The IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts do not provide pension or retirement benefits to trustees, but have adopted a deferred payment arrangement under which each Trustee may elect not to receive fees from the Funds on a current basis but to receive in a subsequent period an amount equal to the value that such fees would have been if they had been invested in a Fund or Funds selected by the Trustee on the normal payment date for such fees.
Code of Ethics. The Trusts, Loomis Sayles, and the Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit the personnel of these entities to invest in securities, including securities that the Funds may purchase or hold. The codes of ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.
Proxy Voting Policies. The Board of Trustees of the Funds has adopted the Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines (the "Guidelines") for the voting of proxies for securities held by the Funds. Under the Guidelines, the responsibility for voting proxies generally is delegated to the Funds' investment adviser. Under the Guidelines, decisions regarding the voting of proxies are to be made solely in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders. The adviser shall exercise its fiduciary responsibilities to vote proxies with respect to each Fund's investments that are managed by that adviser in a prudent manner in accordance with the Guidelines and the proxy voting policies of the adviser. Proposals that, in the opinion of the adviser, are in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "for" and proposals that, in the judgment of the adviser, are not in the best interests of shareholders are generally
voted "against". The adviser is responsible for maintaining certain records and reporting to the Audit Committee of the Trusts in connection with the voting of proxies. The adviser shall make available to each Fund, or IXIS Advisors, the Fund's administrator, the records and information maintained by the adviser under the Guidelines.
Loomis Sayles uses the services of third parties ("Proxy Voting Service(s)"), to research and administer the vote on proxies for those accounts and funds for which Loomis Sayles has voting authority. Each Proxy Voting Service has a copy of Loomis Sayles' proxy voting procedures ("Procedures") and provides vote recommendations and/or analysis to Loomis Sayles based on the Proxy Voting Service's own research. Loomis Sayles will generally follow its express policy with input from the Proxy Voting Services unless Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee (the "Proxy Committee") determines that the client's best interests are served by voting otherwise.
All issues presented for shareholder vote will be considered under the oversight of the Proxy Committee. All non-routine issues will be directly considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security, and will be voted in the best investment interests of the Fund. All routine for and against issues will be voted according to Loomis Sayles' policy approved by the Proxy Committee unless special factors require that they be considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security. Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee has established these policies in what it believes are the best investment interests of Loomis Sayles' clients.
The specific responsibilities of the Proxy Committee, include,
(1) developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Procedures,
including an annual review of the Procedures, existing voting guidelines and
the proxy voting process in general, (2) oversight of the proxy voting process
including oversight of the vote on proposals according to the predetermined
policies in the voting guidelines, directing the vote on proposals where there
is reason not to vote according to the predetermined policies in the voting
guidelines or where proposals require special consideration, and consultation
with the portfolio managers and analysts for the Fund(s) holding the security
when necessary or appropriate and, (3) engagement and oversight of third-party
vendors, including Proxy Voting Services.
Loomis Sayles has established several policies to ensure that proxy votes are voted in its clients' best interest and are not affected by any possible conflicts of interest. First, except in certain limited instances, Loomis Sayles votes in accordance with its pre-determined policies set forth in the Procedures. Second, where these Procedures allow for discretion, Loomis Sayles will generally consider the recommendations of the Proxy Voting Services in making its voting decisions. However, if the Proxy Committee determines that the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation is not in the best interest of its clients, then the Proxy Committee may use its discretion to vote against the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation, but only after taking the following steps: (1) conducting a review for any material conflict of interest Loomis Sayles may have and, (2) if any material conflict is found to exist, excluding anyone at Loomis Sayles who is subject to that conflict of interest from participating in the voting decision in any way. However, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Proxy Committee after full prior disclosure of any conflict, that person may provide information, opinions or recommendations on any proposal to the Proxy Committee. In such event the Proxy Committee will make reasonable efforts to obtain and consider, prior to directing any vote information, opinions or recommendations from or about the opposing position on any proposal.
Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies related to their respective portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2005 is available without charge (i) through the Funds' website, www.loomissayles.com and (ii) on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
The following table provides information on the principal holders of each Fund. A principal holder is a person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund's outstanding securities. Information provided in this table is as of January 18, 2006.*
To the extent that any shareholder listed below beneficially owns more than 25% of a Fund, it may be deemed to "control" such Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The effect of such control may be to reduce the
ability of other shareholders of the Fund to take actions requiring the affirmative vote of holders of a plurality or majority of the Fund's shares without the approval of the controlling shareholder.
Percentage of shares Fund Shareholder and Address held ---- ----------------------- ---------- Loomis Sayles Bond Fund/1/ Institutional Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 5.98% Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 40.00% National Financial Services Corp FEBO of Its Customers Attn: Mutual Funds Department, 5/th/ Floor 200 Liberty Street One Financial Center New York NY 10281-1003 11.06% Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc. Merrill Lynch Financial Data Services Attn: Service Team 4800 Deer Lake Drive East, 3/rd/ Floor Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 10.36% Retail Class Shares National Financial Services Corp for exclusive benefit of our customers Attn Mutual Funds Department 5th Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 24.98% Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 15.18% Admin Class Shares Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc For The Sole Ben Of Its Customers Att Service Team 4800 Deer Lake Dr E Fl 3 Jacksonville, FL 32246-6486 19.07% |
Citigroup Institutional Trust Co. Smith Barney 401k Advisor Grp Trust Dtd 1/1/98 Attn John Lombardo 400 Atrium Drive Somerset, NJ 08873-4162 7.64% Nationwide Trust Co FSB PO Box 182029 Columbus, OH 43218-2029 16.90% Reliance Trust Company for MetLife RP 2 Montgomery Street Jersey City, NJ 07302-3802 9.31% Supplemental Income Plan Trust P.O. Box 8338 Boston, MA 02266-8338 6.47% Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund/2/ Institutional Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 28.86% National Financial Services Corp For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers* Attn Mutual Funds Department 5th Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 16.37% Jones Day 401K Plan National City Bank TTEE Trust Mutual Funds PO BOX 94984 Cleveland, OH 44101-4984 6.87% Retail Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 46.81% National Financial Services Corp For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers Attn Mutual Funds Department 5th Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 21.45% |
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund Institutional Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 15.22% Wells Fargo Bank NA FBO WPS 401K Admin - Loomis Small Cap 12687513 Po Box 1533 Minneapolis, MN 55480- 1533 6.2% Westfield Contributory Retirement System 59 Court Street Po Box 106 Westfield, MA 01086-0106 5.80% Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. 388 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013-2375 7.45% National Financial Services Corp For Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers Attn: Mutual Funds Department, 5/th/ Floor 200 Liberty Street One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 5.05% Retail Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 29.53% MetLife Retirement Plans Group Reliance Trust Co As Ttee for DCG 2 Montgomery St Jersey City, NJ 07302-3802 6.40% National Financial Services Corp For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers* Attn Mutual Funds Department 5th Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 9.39% Mercer Trust Company IDX Systems Corporation FBO IDX Systems Corporation DCPA Level 1 LOC 35 Investors Way Norwood, MA 02062 7.27% |
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Co Inc (Fiioc) As Agent For Certain Employee Benefit Plans 100 Magellan Way # KW1C Covington, KY 41015-1999 10.71% Admin Class Shares Smith Barney Corp Trust Co Ttee The Citistreet Retirement Group Trust Dtd 4/21/95 Attn Plan Valuation Two Tower Center Po Box 1063 E Brunswick, NJ 08816- 1063 25.17% New York Life Trust Company Client Lackawanna Ave Parsippany, NJ 07054-1007 7.00% Smith Barney Corp Trust Co Ttee Smith Barney 401k Advisor Grp Trust Dtd 1/1/98 Attn John Lombardo Two Tower Center Po Box 1063 E Brunswick, NJ 08816-1063 9.37% Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc. Merrill Lynch Financial Data Services Attn: Service Team 4800 Deer Lake Drive East, 3/rd/ Floor Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 6.00% Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Co Inc As Agent For Wood Group Petroleum Services 401(k) Plan 10355 100 Magellan Way # KW1C Covington, KY 41015-1999 5.36% Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund Institutional Class Shares/3/ Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 31.73% Loomis Sayles Distributors, L.P. Attn: Estelle Gevers 1 Financial Center Boston, MA 02111-2621 13.12% |
National Financial Services Corp For Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers Attn Mutual Funds Department 5/th/ Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 6.68% Michigan Peer Review Organization 22670 Haggerty Rd. Suite 100 Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2631 7.4% Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund/4/ Institutional Class Shares Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Attn: Mutual Fund Department 101 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 76.44% State Street Bank & Trust Co Custodian for the IRA R/O FFBO Edward P. Bliss P.O. Box 729 38 Bullard St Sherborn, MA 01770-1435 8.75% Retail Class Shares Reliance Trust Company Directed Trustee for Metlife Defined Contribution Group 3384 Peachtree Rd Ne 9th Fl Atlanta, GA 30326-1181 8.74% Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 11.08% MetLife Retirement Plans Group Reliance Trust Co as Trustee for DCG 2 Montgomery Street Jersey City, NJ 07302-3802 11.69% National Financial Services Corp for exclusive benefit of our customers Attn Mutual Funds Department 5th Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 7.62% State Street Bank & Trust Citistreet Corp For the benefit of Core Market Battery March Park III Quincy, MA 02169 16.19% |
Chase Manhattan Bank Directed Trustee for MetLife Defined Contribution Group 4 New York Plaza, Floor 2 New York, NE 10004-2413 13.12% DCGT As Ttee an/or cuts. FBO Indus. International Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan Attn: NPIO Trade Desk 711 High Street Des Moins, IA 50309-2732 16.70% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund/5/ Institutional Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 51.23% YMCA of Greater Boston 316 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116-5019 6.8% Church Mutual Insurance Company 3000 Schuster Lane Merrill, WI 54452-3863 19.21% Retail Class Shares Reliance Trust Company Directed Trust for MetLife Defined Contribution Group 3384 Peachtree Road, NE 9/th/ Floor Atlanta, GA 30326-1181 20.76% MetLife Defined Contribution Group Attn: Adrienne Levis 2 Montgomery St, Fl 3 Jersey City, NJ 07302-3802 5.00% Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company Loomis Sayles/ Omnibus PO BOX 2600, Attn: Outside Funds Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 9.1% Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 11.43% |
National Financial Services Corp FEBO of Its Customers Attn: Mutual Funds Department, 5/th/ Floor 200 Liberty Street One Financial Center New York NY 10281-1003 10.21% Chase Manhattan Bank TTEE MetLife Defined Contribution Group Attn: Cindy Chu 770 Broadway, FL 10 New York, NY 10003-9522 14.99% Loomis Sayles Value Fund/6/ Institutional Class Shares Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Mutual Fund Dept 101 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 47.62% Asbestos Workers Local #84 Pension Fund 36 East Warner Rd Akron, OH 44319-1864 6.09% YMCA Of Greater Boston 316 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115-5019 5.69% Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund/7/ Institutional Class Shares Loomis Sayles Seed Account Attn: Paul Sherba One Financial Center Boston, Ma 02111-2621 26.90% National Financial Services Corp For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers* Attn Mutual Funds Department 5th Fl 200 Liberty St One World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1003 12.00% Southern California University of Health Services - Midlin 16200 Amber Valley Drive Whittier, CA 90604-4051 7.24% |
Deborah C. Deford 5.52% 260 E. Hamilton Lane Battle Creek, MI 49015-4021 Comerica Bank FBO Suburban 8.11% Comm. Cor. P.O. Box 75000 Detroit, MI 48275-0001 |
/1/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 38.52% of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
/2/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 37.64% of the Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. is organized under the laws of California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
/3/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 31.73% of the Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. is organized under the laws of California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
/4/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 36.14% of the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
/5/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 44.78% of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. is organized under the laws of California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
/6/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 47.62% of the Loomis Sayles Value Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. is organized under the laws of California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
/7/ As of January 18, 2006, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Attn: Mutual Fund Department, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 owned 26.90% of the Loomis Sayles Tax Managed Equity Fund and therefore may be presumed to "control" the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than Charles Schwab & Company Inc. Charles Schwab & Company Inc. is organized under the laws of California and is wholly-owned by Schwab Holdings, Inc.
* Such ownership may be beneficially held by individuals or entities other than the owner listed. To the extent that any listed shareholder beneficially owns more than 25% of a Fund, it may be deemed to "control" such Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The effect of such control may be to reduce the ability of other shareholders of the Fund to take actions requiring the affirmative vote of holders of a plurality or majority of the Fund's shares without the approval of the controlling shareholder.
Management Ownership
As of record on January 18, 2006, the officers and trustees of the Trusts collectively owned less than 1% of the then outstanding shares of the Funds except that the officers and trustees of the Trusts owned beneficially 3.75% of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund. These amounts include shares held by the Loomis Sayles Employees' Profit Sharing Plan (the "Profit Sharing Plan") for the accounts of officers and trustees of the Trusts, but exclude all other holdings of the Profit Sharing Plan and the Loomis Sayles Funded Pension Plan (the "Pension Plan").
As of January 10, 2006, the Profit Sharing Plan owned the following percentages of the outstanding Institutional Class shares of the indicated Funds: 16.68% of the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, 0.37% of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, 0.56% of the Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, 25.90% of the Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund, 20.88% of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund, 2.12% of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund and 21.23% of the Loomis Sayles Value Fund.
As of January 10, 2006, the Pension Plan owned the following percentages of the outstanding Institutional Class shares of the indicated Funds: 11.93% of the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, 0.31% of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, 1.01% of the Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, 9.62% of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund, 1.31% of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund and 23.85% of the Loomis Sayles Value Fund.
The trustee of the Pension Plan and Profit Sharing Plan is Charles Schwab Trust Company. The Pension Plan's Advisory/Committee, which is composed of the same individuals listed below as trustees of the Profit Sharing Plan, has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the Pension Plan's shares. The trustees of the Profit Sharing Plan are John DeBeer, Stephanie Lord, Teri Mason, Richard Skaggs, Timothy Hunt, Greg O'Hara, John McGraw, Paul Sherba, John Russell and Kurt Wagner. Except for Timothy Hunt, John DeBeer and John McGraw, each member of the Advisory Committee is an officer and employee of Loomis Sayles. Plan participants are entitled to exercise investment and voting power over shares owned of record by the Profit Sharing Plan. Shares not voted by participants are voted in the same proportion as the shares voted by the voting participants. The address for the Profit Sharing Plan and the Pension Plan is One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Loomis Sayles is a registered investment adviser whose origins date back to 1926. An important feature of the Loomis Sayles investment approach is its emphasis on investment research. Recommendations and reports of the Loomis Sayles research department are circulated throughout the Loomis Sayles organization and are available to the individuals in the Loomis Sayles organization who are responsible for making investment decisions for the
Funds' portfolios as well as numerous other institutional and individual clients to which Loomis Sayles provides investment advice. Loomis Sayles is a limited partnership whose sole general partner, Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management Holdings LLC ("IXIS Holdings"), which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"). IXIS Asset Management North America owns the entire limited partnership interest in Loomis Sayles.
IXIS Asset Management North America is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. IXIS Asset Management Group is ultimately owned principally, directly or indirectly, by three large affiliated French financial services entities: the Caisse des Depots et Consignations ("CDC"), a public sector financial institution created by the French government in 1816; the Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne, a financial institution owned by CDC and by French regional savings banks known as the Caisses d'Epargne; and by CNP Assurances, a large French life insurance company. The registered address of CNP Assurances is 4, place Raoul Dautry, 75015 Paris, France. The registered address Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne is 5, rue Masseran, 75007 Paris, France. The registered office of CDC is 56, rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France.
The 12 principal affiliated asset management firms of IXIS Asset Management North America collectively had approximately $202.7 billion in assets under management or administration as of December 31, 2005.
Advisory Agreements. Each Fund's advisory agreement with Loomis Sayles provides that the adviser will furnish or pay the expenses of the Funds for office space, facilities and equipment, services of executive and other personnel of the Trusts and certain administrative services. The adviser is responsible for obtaining and evaluating such economic, statistical and financial data and information and performing such additional research as is necessary to manage the Funds' assets in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. For these services, the advisory agreements provide that each Fund shall pay Loomis Sayles a monthly investment advisory fee at the following annual percentage rates of the particular Fund's average daily net assets:
Fund Rate ---- ---- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 0.75% Loomis Sayles Bond Fund* 0.60% of the first $3 billion 0.50% thereafter Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund* 0.60% of the first $1 billion 0.50% thereafter Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 0.25% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 0.75% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 0.75% Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 0.50% Loomis Sayles Value Fund 0.50% |
* Prior to July 1, 2005, the advisory fee was 0.60% of the average daily net assets for each of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund and Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund and 0.30% of the average daily net assets for the Inflation Protected Securities Fund.
The Trusts pay all expenses not borne by the adviser including, but not limited to, the charges and expenses of the Funds' custodian and transfer agent, independent accountants and legal counsel for the Funds and the Trusts' Independent Trustees, 12b-1 fees, all brokerage commissions and transfer taxes in connection with portfolio transactions, all taxes and filing fees, the fees and expenses for registration or qualification of its shares under federal and state securities laws, all expenses of shareholders' and trustees' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing reports to shareholders and the compensation of trustees who are not directors, officers or employees of the Funds' adviser, or its affiliates, other than affiliated registered investment companies.
Each advisory agreement provides that it will continue in effect for two years from its date of execution and thereafter from year to year if its continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the relevant Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Each advisory agreement may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund, upon 60 days' written notice, or by the Funds' adviser upon 90 days' written notice, and each terminates automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Each advisory agreement provides that Loomis Sayles shall not be subject to any liability in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
During the periods shown below, pursuant to the advisory agreements described above, Loomis Sayles received the following amount of investment advisory fees from each Fund (before fee reductions and expense assumptions) and bore the following amounts of fee reductions for each Fund. These amounts include amounts paid by the Funds' predecessor, where applicable.
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended 9/30/03 9/30/04 9/30/05 ----------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Advisory Fees Fee Waivers Advisory Fees Fee Waivers Advisory Fees Fee Waivers ------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 337,398 $58,548* $ 411,607 $ 95,630* $ 385,975 $ 116,730* Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 9,652,233 -- 14,085,400 950,102* 19,971,293 1,367,265* Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 545,611 1,135* 2,575,612 211,372* 6,360,185 755,546* Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 36,178 36,178/1/ 24,619 24,619 26,236 26,236 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 457,282 78,790* 333,595 130,564* 168,258 151,644* Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value 2,963,448 32,640* 4,147,405 185,229* 4,818,972 225,273* Loomis Sayles Tax Managed Equity Fund 43,721 43,721* 18,372 18,372* 39,124 39,124* Loomis Sayles Value Fund 181,735 26,518 191,851 29,514 175,567 26,275 |
* In addition to the waiver of management fees, class level and other expenses have been reimbursed as indicated below.
/1/ For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2003 and September 30, 2004, and in addition to the waiver of management fees, class level and other expenses have been reimbursed as indicated below.
The table below shows the class level and other expenses of the Funds that were reimbursed for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2003, September 30, 2004 and September 30, 2005.
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended Fund 9/30/03 9/30/04 9/30/05 ---- ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 50,398 $ -- $ -- Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 519,835 7,345 -- Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 42,108 9,441 -- Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund/1/ Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 43,777 -- -- Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 150,597 -- -- Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 58,198 82,308 67,847 |
/1/ For the fiscal year ended 9/30/03, in addition to the waiver of management fees, the investment adviser reimbursed class level and other expenses of $57,765 for the Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund.
Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking (for all classes of the Funds in the table below) to reduce the advisory fees and, if necessary, to bear certain expenses related to operating the Funds in order to limit their expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses to the annual rates indicated below. The undertaking will be binding on Loomis Sayles for a period of one-year from the date shown, and will be reevaluated on an annual basis.
FUND Expense Limit Date of Undertaking ---- ------------- ------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 1.00% Retail Class 1.25% Loomis Sayles Bond Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 0.75% Retail Class 1.00% Admin Class 1.25% Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 0.75% Retail Class 1.00% Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 0.40% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 1.00% Retail Class 1.25% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 0.90% Retail Class 1.15% Admin Class 1.40% Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund February 1, 2006 Institutional Class 0.65% Loomis Sayles Value Fund Institutional Class 0.85% February 1, 2006 |
In addition to serving as investment adviser to certain series of the Trusts, Loomis Sayles also acts as investment adviser to certain series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I and IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, each a registered open-end management investment company. Loomis Sayles also serves as subadviser to a number of other open-end management companies and provides investment advice to numerous other corporate and fiduciary clients.
Distribution Agreements and Rule 12b-1 Plans. Under agreements with the Trusts, the Distributor, 399 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, serves as the principal distributor of each class of shares of the Funds, a role it assumed on July 1, 2003. Previously, Loomis Sayles Distributors, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles Distributors") served as principal underwriter of the Funds. IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. owns the entire limited partnership interest in each of Distributor and the Loomis Sayles Distributors. Under the Distribution Agreements, the Distributor conducts a continuous offering and is not obligated to sell a specific number of shares. The Distributor bears the cost of making information about the Funds available through advertising and other means and the cost of printing and mailing Prospectuses to persons other than shareholders. Each Fund pays the cost of registering and qualifying their shares under state and federal securities laws and distributing the Prospectuses to existing shareholders. The Distributor currently is paid a fee for serving as Distributor for the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund.
The Distribution Agreements may be terminated at any time with respect to a Fund on 60 days' written notice without payment of any penalty by the relevant Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund or by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees.
As described in their Prospectuses, the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund, Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund have adopted Rule 12b-1 plans ("Plans") for their Retail Class shares and with respect to the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund, their Admin Class shares. The Plans, among other things, permit the Retail and Admin Classes to pay the Distributor monthly fees, at annual rates not exceeding 0.25% of the assets of the Retail Class and Admin Class as compensation for its services as principal underwriter of the shares of such class. Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, each Plan (together with the Distribution Agreements) was approved by the relevant Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Plan or the Distribution Agreements. The principal types of activities for which payments under these Plans may be made include payments to intermediaries for shareholder servicing, for no transaction fee or wrap programs, and for retirement plan record keeping. Payments under these Plans also may be made for activities such as advertising, printing, and mailing the Prospectuses to persons who are not current shareholders, compensation to underwriters, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, and interest, carrying, or other financing charges.
Each Plan may be terminated by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant class of shares of the Fund to which the Plan relates. Each Plan may be amended by vote of the trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose. Any change in any Plan that would materially increase the fees payable thereunder by the relevant Class of a Fund requires approval by the shareholders of such Class of that Fund. The Trusts' trustees review quarterly written reports of such costs and the purposes for which such costs have been incurred. For so long as a Plan is in effect, selection and nomination of those trustees who are Independent Trustees of the Trust shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees.
The Distribution Agreements and the Plans will continue in effect for successive one-year periods, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding securities of the relevant Fund (or relevant class, in the case of the Plans).
The following table provides information on the amount of fees paid by the Funds under these Plans during the past three fiscal years ended on September 30 of the year shown.*
Fund Class 2003 2004 2005 ---------- -------- -------- ---------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund** Retail Class $ 67,644 $ 74,093 $ 64,455 Admin Class $ 3,322 N/A N/A Loomis Sayles Bond Fund Retail Class $242,058 $529,511 1,098,667 Admin Class $ 22,972 $ 92,222 227,210 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund Retail Class $ 78,812 $610,714 1,549,625 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund** Retail Class $ 75,371 $ 54,892 17,147 Admin Class $ 1,379 N/A N/A Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund Retail Class $276,443 $423,988 519,186 Admin Class $ 72,109 $261,292 325,226 Loomis Sayles Value Fund Institutional -- -- -- |
*For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2004, fees received by the Distributor in connection with the Plans were paid as compensation to broker-dealers. The Distributor assumed that role on July 1, 2003. Amounts in the table include amounts paid by the Funds' predecessor.
**Admin Class shares of each of the Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund and the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund were converted into Retail Class shares of such Fund on May 21, 2003.
Other Services. IXIS Advisors performs certain accounting and administrative services for the Funds, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 1, 2005, as amended from time to time (the "Administrative Agreement"). Under the Administrative Agreement, IXIS Advisors provides the following services to the Funds: (i) personnel that perform bookkeeping, accounting, internal auditing and financial reporting functions and clerical functions relating to the Funds, (ii) services required in connection with the preparation of registration statements and prospectuses, registration of shares in various states, shareholder reports and notices, proxy solicitation material furnished to shareholders of the Funds or regulatory authorities and reports and questionnaires for SEC compliance, and (iii) the various registrations and filings required by various regulatory authorities.
Prior to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles performed these same services for the Trusts, pursuant to separate administrative services agreements with each Trust. On July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles assigned the Administrative Services Agreements to IXIS Services, an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and IXIS Services performed the services listed above through December 31, 2004.
Prior to July 1, 2003, pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement between each Trust and Loomis Sayles, Loomis Sayles was reimbursed or was paid by each Trust, on behalf of the Funds, the following amounts:
Period from October 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003 --------------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 11,146 Loomis Sayles Bond Fund $403,882 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund $ 22,508 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund $ 3,269 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund $ 18,191 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund $ 98,750 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund $ 2,326 Loomis Sayles Value Fund $ 9,163 |
For the period July 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004, the fiscal year ended September 30, 2004 and the period October 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004, pursuant to the administrative services agreement between IXIS Services and the Trusts, IXIS Services was reimbursed or was paid by each Trust, on behalf of the Funds, the following amounts:
Period From July 1, 2003 Fiscal Year Ended Period From October 1, to September 30, 2003 Sept. 30, 2004 2004 to December 31, 2004 ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 4,451 $ 36,011 $ 8,568 Loomis Sayles Bond Fund $159,044 $1,540,403 $465,140 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund $ 9,240 $ 281,673 $131,326 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund $ 1,070 $ 5,385 $ 1,184 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund $ 5,592 $ 29,186 $ 5,022 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund $ 39,523 $ 362,854 $ 99,788 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund $ 692 $ 2,411 $ 996 Loomis Sayles Value Fund $ 3,556 $ 25,178 $ 5,466 |
For the period January 1, 2005 through September 30, 2005, pursuant to the administrative services agreement between IXIS Advisors and the Trusts, IXIS Advisors was reimbursed or was paid by each Trust, on behalf of the Funds, the following amounts:
January 1, 2005 to September 30, 2005 ------------------ Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 24,942 Loomis Sayles Bond Fund $1,725,352 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund $ 565,202 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund $ 4,769 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund $ 9,586 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund $ 318,595 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund $ 4,099 Loomis Sayles Value Fund $ 17,398 |
Custodial Arrangements. State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street Bank"), One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, serves as the custodian for the Trusts. As such, State Street Bank holds in safekeeping certificated securities and cash belonging to each Fund and, in such capacity, is the registered owner of securities in book-entry form belonging to each Fund. Upon instruction, State Street Bank receives and delivers cash and securities of each Fund in connection with Fund transactions and collects all dividends and other distributions made with respect to Fund portfolio securities. State Street Bank also maintains certain accounts and records of the Trusts and calculates the total net asset value, total net income and net asset value per share of each Fund on a daily basis.
Transfer Agency Services. Pursuant to a contract between the Trusts, on behalf of each Fund, and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ("Boston Financial"), whose principal business address is Two Heritage Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts, 02171, acts as shareholder servicing and transfer agent for the Funds and is responsible for services in connection with the establishment, maintenance and recording of shareholder accounts, including all related tax and other reporting requirements and the implementation of investment and redemption arrangements offered in connection with the sale of the Funds' shares. Prior to October 1, 2005, IXIS Services served as the transfer agent
for the Funds and it, along with Boston Financial as sub-transfer agent, provided the same services that Boston Financial now provides. For these services, IXIS Services received the following fees from the Funds:
Period From February 1, Fiscal Year Fiscal Year 2003 to Ended Ended September 30, September 30, September 30, 2003* 2004 2005 ------------- ------------- ------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 16,773 $ 30,000 $ 31,000 Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 430,696 620,929 652,677 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 26,676 111,641 199,313 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 11,600 12,000 18,876 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 16,142 30,000 31,000 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 106,618 145,305 98,289 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 8,161 15,000 15,500 Loomis Sayles Value Fund 12,447 15,000 15,500 |
* Prior to February 1, 2003, Boston Financial Data Services served as transfer and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Trusts' independent registered public accounting firm is PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 125 High Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The independent registered public accounting firm conducts an annual audit of each Fund's financial statements, assists in the review of federal and state income tax returns and consults with the Trusts as to matters of accounting and federal and state income taxation.
Counsel to the Funds. Ropes & Gray LLP, located at One International Place, Boston, MA 02110, serves as counsel to the Funds.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
Portfolio Managers' Management of Other Accounts
As of September 30, 2005, many of the Portfolio Managers of the Funds managed other accounts in addition to managing the Funds. The following table provides information on the other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager.
Registered Investment Other Pooled Investment Companies Vehicles Other Accounts ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- Other Advisory fee Other Advisory fee Other Advisory fee Accounts is based on Accounts is based on Accounts is based on Managed performance Managed performance Managed performance ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total Name of Portfolio Manager Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets ------------------------- ----- ------ ----- ------ ----- ------ ----- ------ ----- ------ ----- ------ Arthur Barry $ 37 1 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 11 $2 mil 0 $ 0 Kenneth M. Buntrock $1,277 $815 $119 $2,503 $248 2 mil 0 $0 11 mil 1 mil 45 mil 1 mil Mark F. Burns $ 371 $ 13 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 8 mil 0 $ 0 James Carroll $ 79 $ 193 2 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 11 mil 0 $ 0 Philip C. Fine $ 371 $ 30 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 13 mil 0 $ 0 Daniel Fuss $7,953 $202 $8,966 $731 12 mil 0 $0 4 mil 0 $ 0 85 mil 3 mil Kathleen Gaffney $5,975 $4,064 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 42 mil 0 $ 0 Joseph R. Gatz $1,365 $ 843 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 24 mil 1 $ 8 John Hyll $ 227 $6,660 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 48 mil 0 $ 0 Warren Koontz $ 88 $ 631 3 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 36 mil 0 $ 0 David Rolley $1,286 3 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 17 $ 3 0 $ 0 Clifton Rowe $ 219 $1,441 3 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 46 mil 0 $ 0 Mark Shank $ 451 1 $9 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 194 mil 0 $ 0 John Slavik $ 371 $ 13 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 15 mil 0 $ 0 David G. Sowerby $ 555 1 $9 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 154 mil 0 $ 0 Daniel G. Thelen $1,365 $ 143 4 mil 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $ 0 22 mil 0 $ 0 |
Material Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest may arise in the allocation of investment opportunities and the allocation of aggregated orders among the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. A portfolio manager potentially could give favorable treatment to some accounts for a variety of reasons, including favoring larger accounts, accounts that pay higher fees, accounts that pay performance-based fees or accounts of affiliated companies. Such favorable treatment could lead to more favorable investment opportunities for some accounts. Loomis Sayles makes investment decisions for all accounts (including institutional accounts, mutual funds, hedge funds and affiliated accounts) based on each account's availability of other comparable investment opportunities and Loomis Sayles' desire to treat all accounts fairly and equitably over time. Loomis Sayles maintains trade allocation and aggregation policies and procedures to address these potential conflicts. Conflicts of interest also may arise to the extent a portfolio manager short sells a stock in one client account but holds that stock long in other accounts, including the Fund, and through the use of "soft dollar arrangements," which are discussed in the section "Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage".
Portfolio Managers' Compensation
The following describes the structure of, and the method used to determine, the compensation of each of the above-listed portfolio managers as of September 30, 2005:
Loomis Sayles believes that portfolio manager compensation should be driven primarily by the delivery of consistent and superior long-term performance for its clients. Portfolio manager compensation is made up primarily of three main components: base salary, variable compensation and a long-term incentive program. Although portfolio manager compensation is not directly tied to assets under management, a portfolio manager's base salary and/or variable compensation potential may reflect the amount of assets for which the manager is responsible relative to other portfolio managers. Loomis Sayles also offers a profit sharing plan. Base salary is a fixed amount based on a combination of factors including industry experience, firm experience, job performance and market considerations. It is an incentive-based component and generally represents a significant multiple of base salary. Variable compensation is based on four factors: investment performance, profit growth of the firm, profit growth of the manager's business unit and team commitment. Investment performance is the primary component of total variable compensation and generally represents at least 60% of the total. The other three factors are used to determine the remainder of variable compensation, subject to the discretion of the department's Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and senior management. The CIO and senior management evaluate these other factors annually.
Equity Managers
While mutual fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to the compensation calculation, investment performance for equity managers is measured by comparing the performance of the firm's institutional composite (pre-tax and net of fees) in the manager's style to the performance of a peer group of institutional managers in that style. A manager's performance relative to the peer group for the 1, 3 and 5 year periods is used to calculate the amount of variable compensation payable due to performance. Longer-term performance (3 and 5 years) combined is weighted more than shorter-term performance (1 year). If a manager is responsible for more than one product, the rankings of each product are weighted based on relative asset size of accounts represented in each product. An external benchmark is used as a secondary comparison. The benchmark used for the investment style utilized for each equity fund is noted in the table below:
FUND MANAGER BENCHMARK ---- ----------------- Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Russell 2000 Value Index Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Russell Mid Cap Growth Index Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Russell 2000 Growth Index Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity S&P 500 Index Loomis Sayles Value Russell 1000 Value Index |
Loomis Sayles uses the institutional peer groups as the primary measuring stick for equity manager performance because it believes they represent the most competitive product universe while closely matching the
investment styles offered by the firm. Loomis Sayles considers the institutional composite an accurate proxy for the performance of each investment style.
Fixed Income Managers
While mutual fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to the compensation calculation, investment performance for fixed-income managers is measured by comparing the performance of the firm's institutional composite (pre-tax and net of fees) in the manager's style to the performance of an external benchmark and a customized peer group. The benchmark used for the investment style utilized by each fixed-income fund is noted in the table below:
FUND MANAGER BENCHMARK ---- ----------------- Loomis Sayles Bond Lehman Government/Credit Index Loomis Sayles Global Bond Lehman Global Aggregate Index Citigroup World Government Bond Index Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Lehman U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Index |
The customized peer group is created by the firm and is made up of institutional managers in the particular investment style. A manager's relative performance for the past five years is used to calculate the amount of variable compensation payable due to performance. To ensure consistency, the firm analyzes the 5 year performance on a rolling three year basis. If a manager is responsible for more than one product, the rankings of each product are weighted based on relative asset size of accounts represented in each product.
Loomis Sayles uses both an external benchmark and a customized peer group as measuring sticks for fixed-income manager performance because it believes they represent an appropriate combination of the competitive fixed-income product universe and the investment styles offered by the firm.
Mr. Fuss's compensation is also based on his overall contributions to the firm in his various roles as Senior Portfolio Manager, Vice Chairman and Director. As a result of these factors, the contribution of investment performance to Mr. Fuss' total variable compensation may be significantly lower than the percentage reflected above. Mr. Fuss also received fixed payments related to his continued service with the firm. These payments were made by the parent company of Loomis Sayles pursuant to an agreement entered into at the time of the parent company's acquisition of Loomis Sayles' previous parent company.
General
Mutual funds are not included in the firm's composites, so unlike other managed accounts, fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to this calculation. However, each fund managed by the firm employs strategies endorsed by the firm and fits into the product category for the relevant investment style. Loomis Sayles may adjust compensation if there is significant dispersion among the returns of the composite and accounts not included in the composite.
Loomis Sayles has developed and implemented a long-term incentive plan to attract and retain investment talent. The plan supplements existing compensation. This plan has several important components distinguishing it from traditional equity ownership plans:
. the plan grants units that entitle participants to an annual payment based on a percentage of company earnings above an established threshold;
. upon retirement a participant will receive a multi-year payout for his or her vested units;
. participation is contingent upon signing an award agreement, which includes a non-compete covenant.
Senior management expects that the variable compensation portion of overall compensation will continue to remain the largest source of income for those investment professionals included in the plan. The plan is initially offered to portfolio managers and over time the scope of eligibility is likely to widen. Management has full discretion on what units are issued and to whom.
Portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles profit sharing plan, in which Loomis Sayles makes a contribution to the retirement plan of each employee based on a percentage of base salary (up to a maximum amount). The portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles defined benefit pension plan, which applies to all Loomis Sayles employees who joined the firm prior to May 1, 2003. The defined benefit is based on years of service and base compensation (up to a maximum amount).
Portfolio Managers' Ownership of Fund Shares
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Name of Portfolio Manager Fund(s) Managed Invested* ------------------------- --------------- --------- Arthur Barry Loomis Sayles Value Fund B Kenneth M. Buntrock Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund E Mark F. Burns Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund B James Carroll Loomis Sayles Value Fund A Philip C. Fine Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund E Daniel Fuss Loomis Sayles Bond Fund G Kathleen Gaffney Loomis Sayles Bond Fund E Joseph R. Gatz Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund E John Hyll Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund A Warren Koontz Loomis Sayles Value Fund E David Rolley Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund E Clifton Rowe Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund A Mark Shank Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund E John Slavik Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund B David G. Sowerby Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund B Daniel G. Thelen Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund E |
* A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. $100,001 - $500,000
F. $500,001 - $1,000,000
G. over $1,000,000
There are various reasons why a Portfolio Manager may not own shares of the Fund he or she manages. One reason is that the Fund's investment objectives and strategies may not match those of the Portfolio Manager. Administrative reasons (such as facilitating compliance with an adviser's or subadviser's code of ethics) also may explain why a Portfolio Manager has chosen not to invest in the IXIS Advisor Funds.
Allocation of Investment Opportunity Among IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Funds (the "Funds") and Other Investors Managed by the Adviser; Cross Relationships of Officers and Trustees
Loomis Sayles has organized its business into three investment groups: the Fixed-income Group, the Equity Group and the Investment Counseling Group. The Fixed-income Group and the Equity Group make investment decisions for the funds managed by Loomis Sayles. The groups make investment decisions independently of one another. These groups also have responsibility for the management of other client portfolios. The other investment companies and clients served by Loomis Sayles' investment platforms sometimes invest in securities in which the funds (or segments thereof) advised or subadvised by Loomis Sayles also invest. If one of these funds and such other clients advised or subadvised by the same investment group of Loomis Sayles desire to buy or sell the same portfolio securities at or about the same time, the respective group allocates purchases and sales, to the extent practicable, on a pro rata basis in proportion to the amount desired to be purchased or sold for each fund or client advised or subadvised by that investment group. It is recognized that in some cases the practices described in this paragraph could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities which each of the funds purchases or sells. In other cases, however, it is believed that these practices may benefit the relevant Fund.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
In placing orders for the purchase and sale of equity securities, Loomis Sayles selects only brokers that it believes are financially responsible, will provide efficient and effective services in executing, clearing and settling an order and will charge commission rates that, when combined with the quality of the foregoing services, will produce the best price and execution for the transaction. This does not necessarily mean that the lowest available brokerage commission will be paid. However, the commissions are believed to be competitive with generally prevailing rates. The adviser will use its best efforts to obtain information as to the general level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to time and will evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid on transactions by reference to such data. In making such evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker in connection with the order, are taken into account.
Subject to the overriding objective of obtaining the best possible execution of orders, each Fund's adviser may allocate brokerage transactions to affiliated brokers. Any such transactions will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act. In order for the affiliated broker to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees and other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period. Furthermore, the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, have adopted procedures that are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to an affiliated broker are consistent with the foregoing standard.
Generally, Loomis Sayles seeks to obtain quality executions at favorable security prices and at competitive commission rates, where applicable, through brokers and dealers who, in Loomis Sayles' opinion, can provide the best overall net results for its clients. Transactions in unlisted equity securities (including NASDAQ securities) are frequently executed through a primary market maker but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network (ECN), Alternative Trading System (ATS), or other execution system. Fixed-income securities are generally purchased from the issuer or a primary market maker acting as principal on a net basis with no brokerage commission paid by the client. Such securities, as well as equity securities, may also be purchased from underwriters at prices which include underwriting fees.
Commissions and Other Factors in Broker or Dealer Selection
Loomis Sayles uses its best efforts to obtain information as to the general level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to time and to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid on client portfolio transactions by reference to such data. In making this evaluation, all factors
affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker or dealer, are taken into account. Other relevant factors may include, without limitation: (a) the execution capabilities of the brokers and/or dealers, (b) research and other products or services (as described under "Soft Dollars" below) provided by such brokers and/or dealers which are expected to enhance Loomis Sayles' general portfolio management capabilities, (c) the size of the transaction, (d) the difficulty of execution, (e) the operations facilities of the brokers and/or dealers involved, (f) the risk in positioning a block of securities, and (g) the quality of the overall brokerage and research services provided by the broker and/or dealer.
Soft Dollars
Loomis Sayles' receipt of brokerage and research products or services may sometimes be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer to execute transactions for a Fund where Loomis Sayles believes that the broker or dealer will provide best execution of the transactions. Such brokerage and research products or services may be paid for with Loomis Sayles' own assets or may, in connection with transactions in equity securities effected for client accounts for which Loomis Sayles exercises investment discretion, be paid for with client commissions (the latter, sometimes referred to as "Soft Dollars").
The brokerage and research products and services that may be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer and that may be acquired by Loomis Sayles with Soft Dollars include, without limitation, the following which aid Loomis Sayles in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities: a wide variety of reports, charts, publications, subscriptions, quotation services, news services, investment-related hardware and software, and data on such matters as economic and political developments, industries, companies, securities, portfolio strategy, account performance, credit analysis, stock and bond market conditions and projections, asset allocation, portfolio structure, economic forecasts, investment strategy advice, fundamental and technical advice on individual securities, valuation advice, market analysis, advice as to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and meetings with management representatives of issuers and other analysts and specialists. The brokerage and research products or services provided to Loomis Sayles by a particular broker or dealer may include both (a) products and services created by such broker or dealer and (b) products and services created by a third party.
If Loomis Sayles receives a particular product or service that both aids it in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities (i.e., a "research use") and provides non-research related uses, Loomis Sayles will make a good faith determination as to the allocation of the cost of such "mixed-use item" between the research and non-research uses and will only use Soft Dollars to pay for the portion of the cost relating to its research use.
In connection with Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars, a Fund may pay a broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a transaction for the Fund in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if Loomis Sayles determines in good faith that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research products or services provided by the broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or Loomis Sayles' overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund.
Loomis Sayles may use Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage or research products and services that have potential application to all client accounts including the Funds or to acquire brokerage or research products and services that will be applied in the management of a certain group of client accounts and, in some cases, may not be used with respect to the Funds. The products or services may not be used in connection with the management of some of the accounts including the Funds that paid commissions to the broker or dealer providing the products or services and may be used in connection with the management of other accounts.
Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage and research products and services benefits Loomis Sayles by allowing it to obtain such products and services without having to purchase them with its own assets. Loomis Sayles believes that its use of Soft Dollars also benefits the Funds as described above. However, conflicts may arise between a Fund's interest in paying the lowest commission rates available and Loomis Sayles' interest in receiving brokerage and research products and services from particular brokers and dealers without having to purchase such products and services with Loomis Sayles' own assets. Loomis Sayles seeks to ensure that
its "Soft Dollar" practices fall within the "safe harbor" provided by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
For purposes of this Soft Dollars discussion, the term "commission" may include (to the extent applicable) both commissions paid to brokers in connection with transactions effected on an agency basis and markups, markdowns, commission equivalents, or other fees paid to dealers in connection with certain transactions as encompassed by relevant SEC interpretation. Loomis Sayles does not generate "Soft Dollars" on fixed-income transactions.
Brokerage Commissions
The following tables set forth, for each of the last three fiscal years,
(1) the aggregate dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid on portfolio
transactions during such year, (2) the dollar amount of transactions on which
brokerage commissions were paid during such year that were directed to brokers
providing research services ("directed transactions") and (3) the dollar amount
of commissions paid on directed transactions during such year. Funds not listed
in a table did not pay brokerage commissions during the relevant year. Amounts
in the tables include amounts paid by the Fund's predecessor. The information
in the tables includes transactions that were directed to broker dealers based
on the internal "broker vote" allocation policy of Loomis Sayles as well as
transactions that were allocated under arrangements with brokers providing
research services. The "broker vote" is an internal evaluation conducted by
Loomis Sayles trading personnel which consists of reviewing the brokers or
dealers with whom Loomis Sayles executes client transactions to rate such firms
after considering a variety of factors, including the quality of their
research, the quality of their sales coverage, execution capabilities,
willingness to commit capital on transactions, market knowledge, competitive
commissions rates and prices and their ability to affect difficult trades in
less liquid, smaller capitalized, and more closely held issues. When Loomis
Sayles believes that more than one broker is capable of providing best
execution on a particular transaction, the transaction may be allocated among
those brokers based on the results of the "broker vote" and/or pursuant to Soft
Dollar arrangements.
FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
(1) Aggregate Brokerage (2) Directed (3) Commissions on Fund Commissions Transactions Directed Transactions ---- ------------- ------------ --------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 369,013 $109,695,580 $184,507 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 551,320 129,625,300 275,660 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 1,369,782 293,376,153 684,891 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 35,314 18,163,225 17,657 Loomis Sayles Value Fund 76,905 20,008,398 38,452 |
FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2004
(1) Aggregate Brokerage (2) Directed (3) Commissions on Fund Commissions Transactions Directed Transactions ---- ------------- ------------ --------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 382,567 $157,495,095 $191,283 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 367,010 107,414,232 183,505 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 1,454,967 366,846,933 727,483 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund* 3,438 2,193,971 1,719 Loomis Sayles Value Fund 54,794 19,823,452 27,397 |
* Brokerage commissions for the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund decreased from fiscal year 2003 to 2004 due to a decrease in portfolio turnover.
FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
(1) Aggregate (2) Directed Brokerage Brokerage (3) Commissions on Fund Commission Commission Directed Transactions ---- ------------- ------------ --------------------- Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund $ 320,623 $146,643,510 $160,311 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund $ 190,326 $ 59,287,795 $ 95,163 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund $1,419,229 $379,562,810 $709,615 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund $ 6,620 $ 4,636,634 $ 3,310 Loomis Sayles Value Fund $ 36,175 $ 13,257,810 $ 18,087 |
Regular Broker-Dealers
The table below presents information regarding the securities of the Funds' regular broker-dealers* (or the parent of the regular broker-dealers) that were held by each Fund, if any, as of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005.
Aggregate Value of Securities of each Regular Broker or Dealer Fund Regular Broker-Dealer (or its Parent) held by Fund ---- --------------------- ----------------------------- Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund Goldman Sachs Group $303,950 Citigroup $200,288 Loomis Sayles Value Fund JP Morgan Chase & Co. $908,476 Merrill Lynch & Co. $598,162 Bank of America $434,683 Citigroup $960,472 |
* "Regular Broker-Dealers" are defined by the SEC as: (a) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that received the greatest dollar amount of brokerage commissions by virtue of direct or indirect participation in the company's portfolio transactions during the company's most recent fiscal year; (b) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of portfolio transactions of the investment company during the company's most recent fiscal year; or (c) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that sold the largest dollar amount of securities of the investment company during the company's most recent fiscal year.
General
Subject to procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Funds' brokerage transactions may be executed by brokers that are affiliated with IXIS Asset Management North America or Loomis Sayles. Any such transactions will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, or other applicable restrictions as permitted by the SEC pursuant to exemptive relief or otherwise.
Under the 1940 Act, persons affiliated with the Trust are prohibited from dealing with the Trust's funds as a principal in the purchase and sale of securities. Since transactions in the over-the-counter market usually involve transactions with dealers acting as principals for their own accounts, affiliated persons of the Trust may not serve as the Funds' dealer in connection with such transactions.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, and in all instances subject to the foregoing policy of best execution, the adviser may allocate brokerage transactions to broker-dealers (including affiliates of the Distributor) that have entered into arrangements in which the broker-dealer allocates a portion of the commissions paid by a Fund toward the reduction of that Fund's expenses.
It is expected that the portfolio transactions in fixed-income securities will generally be with issuers or
dealers on a net basis without a stated commission. Securities firms may receive brokerage commissions on transactions involving options, futures and options on futures and the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon exercise of options. The brokerage commissions associated with buying and selling options may be proportionately higher than those associated with general securities transactions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUSTS
Each Declaration of Trust permits the Trust's trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of each series (each, a "Fund"). Each share of each Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in such Fund with each other share of that Fund and is entitled to a proportionate interest in the dividends and distributions from that Fund. The Declarations of Trust further permit each Trust's Board of Trustees to divide the shares of each series into any number of separate classes, each having such rights and preferences relative to other classes of the same series as each Trust's Board of Trustees may determine. When you invest in a Fund, you acquire freely transferable shares of beneficial interest that entitle you to receive dividends as determined by each Trust's Board of Trustees and to cast a vote for each share you own at shareholder meetings. The shares of each Fund do not have any preemptive rights. Upon termination of any Fund, whether pursuant to liquidation of the Trust or otherwise, shareholders of each class of that Fund are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class of shares of that Fund available for distribution to shareholders. Each Declaration of Trust also permits the Board of Trustees to charge shareholders directly for custodial, transfer agency, and servicing expenses.
Shares of each Fund (other than the Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund and the Loomis Sayles Value Fund), are currently divided into at least two classes, designated Retail Class and Institutional Class shares. The Loomis Sayles Bond Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund offer a third class of shares designated Admin Class shares.
The assets received by each class of a Fund for the issue or sale of its shares and all income, earnings, profits, losses and proceeds therefrom, subject only to the rights of the creditors, are allocated to, and constitute the underlying assets of, that class of the Fund. The underlying assets of each class of a Fund are segregated and are charged with the expenses with respect to that class of the Fund and with a share of the general expenses of the relevant Trust. Any general expenses of the relevant Trust that are not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular class of a Fund are allocated by or under the direction of the trustees in such manner as the trustees determine to be fair and equitable. While the expenses of each Trust are allocated to the separate books of account of each Fund, certain expenses may be legally chargeable against the assets of all of the Funds in a Trust.
Each Declaration of Trust also permits the Trusts' Board of Trustees, without shareholder approval, to subdivide any Fund or series or class of shares into various sub-series or sub-classes of shares with such dividend preferences and other rights as the trustees may designate. Each Trusts' Board of Trustees may also, without shareholder approval, establish one or more additional series or classes or merge two or more existing series or classes. Shareholders' investments in such an additional or merged series would be evidenced by a separate series of shares (i.e., a new "Fund").
Each Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Trusts or any Fund, however, may be terminated at any time by vote of at least two thirds of the outstanding shares of each Fund affected. Similarly, any class within a Fund may be terminated by vote of at least two thirds of the outstanding shares of such class. Each Declaration of Trust further provides that the Board of Trustees may also without shareholder approval terminate the relevant Trust or any Fund upon written notice to its shareholders.
Voting Rights
Shareholders of the Funds are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for each fractional share held) and may vote (to the extent provided in the relevant Declaration of Trust) on the election of trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders.
All classes of shares of the Funds have identical voting rights except that each class of shares has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class, and has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other
class. Each class of shares has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters pertaining to any distribution or servicing plan or agreement applicable to that class. Matters submitted to shareholder vote will be approved by each series separately except (i) when required by the 1940 Act shares shall be voted together and (ii) when the matter does not affect all series, then only shareholders of the series affected shall be entitled to vote on the matter. Consistent with the current position of the SEC, shareholders of all series and classes vote together, irrespective of series or class, on the election of trustees and the selection of the Trusts' independent accountants, but shareholders of each series vote separately on most other matters requiring shareholder approval, such as certain changes in investment policies of that series or the approval of the investment advisory and subadvisory agreement relating to that series, and shareholders of each class within a series vote separately as to the Rule 12b-1 plan (if any) relating to that class.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees, except that, in accordance with the 1940 Act, (i) a Trust will hold a shareholders' meeting for the election of trustees at such time as less than a majority of the trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if there is a vacancy on the Board of Trustees, such vacancy may be filled only by a vote of the shareholders unless, after filing such vacancy by other means, at least two-thirds of the trustees holding office shall have been elected by the shareholders. In addition, trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with a Trust's custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for that purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares.
Upon written request by a minimum of ten holders of shares having held their shares for a minimum of six months and having a net asset value of at least $25,000 (with respect to the Trust) or constituting at least 1% of the outstanding shares stating that such shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a trustee, each Trust has undertaken to provide a list of shareholders or to disseminate appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders).
Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. Shareholder voting rights are not cumulative.
The affirmative vote of a majority of shares of the Trusts voted (assuming a
quorum is present in person or by proxy) is required to amend the Declaration
of Trust if such amendment (1) affects the power of shareholders to vote,
(2) amends the section of the relevant Declaration of Trust governing
amendments, (3) is one for which a vote is required by law or by the Trusts'
registration statement or (4) is submitted to the shareholders by the trustees.
If one or more new series of a Trust is established and designated by the
trustees, the shareholders having beneficial interests in the Funds shall not
be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting such new series, such
matters including, without limitation, the adoption of or any change in the
investment objectives, policies or restrictions of the new series and the
approval of the investment advisory contracts of the new series. Similarly, the
shareholders of the new series shall not be entitled to vote on any such
matters as they affect the other Funds.
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trusts. However, each Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of each Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by a Trust or the trustees. Each Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of each Fund's property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund by reason of owning shares of such Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered remote since it is limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer is inoperative and a Fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations.
Each Declaration of Trust further provides that the Board of Trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Declarations of Trust protects a trustee against any liability to which the trustee 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. The By-laws of each
Trust provide for indemnification by the Trusts of trustees and officers of the Trusts, except with respect to any matter as to which any such person did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust. Such persons may not be indemnified against any liability to the Trusts or the Trusts' shareholders to whom 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. Each Trust offers only its own Funds' shares for sale, but it is possible that a Trust might become liable for any misstatements in a prospectus that relate to another Trust. The trustees of the Trusts have considered this possible liability and approved the use of a combined prospectus for Funds of the Trusts.
HOW TO BUY SHARES
The procedures for purchasing shares of each Fund are summarized in its Prospectus under "General Information--How to Purchase Shares."
REDEMPTIONS
The Funds will only accept medallion signature guarantees bearing the STAMP 2000 Medallion imprint. However, a medallion signature guarantee may not be required if the proceeds of the redemption do not exceed $50,000 and the proceeds check is made payable to the registered owner(s) and mailed to the record address or if the proceeds are going to a bank on file.
If you select the telephone redemption service in the manner described in the next paragraph, shares of the Funds may be redeemed by calling toll free 1-800-633-3330. A wire fee, currently $5.00, will be deducted from the proceeds. Telephone redemption requests must be received by the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Requests made after that time or on a day when the Exchange is not open for business will receive the next business day's closing price. The proceeds of a telephone withdrawal will normally be sent on the first business day following receipt of a proper redemption request, which complies with the redemption procedures established by the Funds from time to time.
In order to redeem shares by telephone, a shareholder must either select this service when completing the Fund application or must do so subsequently on the Account Options Form, which is available at www.loomissayles.com or from your investment dealer. When selecting the service, a shareholder may have their withdrawal proceeds sent to his or her bank, in which case the shareholder must designate a bank account on his or her application or Account Options Form to which the redemption proceeds should be sent as well as provide a check marked "VOID" and/or a deposit slip that includes the routing number of his or her bank. Any change in the bank account so designated may be made by furnishing to Boston Financial or your investment dealer a completed Account Options Form, which may require a medallion signature guarantee. Whenever the Account Options Form is used, the shareholder's signature must be guaranteed as described above. Telephone redemptions may only be made if the designated bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System or has a correspondent bank that is a member of the System. If the account is with a savings bank, it must have only one correspondent bank that is a member of the System. The Funds, the Distributor and State Street Bank are not responsible for the authenticity of withdrawal instructions received by telephone, although they will apply established verification procedures. Boston Financial, as agreed to with the Funds, will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that your telephone instructions are genuine, and if it does not, it may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Such verification procedures include, but are not limited to, requiring a form of personal identification prior to acting on an investor's telephone instructions and recording an investor's instructions.
Shares purchased by check or through ACH may not be available immediately for redemption. The Funds may withhold redemption proceeds for 10 days when redemptions are made within 10 calendar days of purchase by check or through ACH.
The redemption price will be the net asset value per share next determined after the redemption request and any necessary special documentation are received by State Street Bank or your investment dealer in proper form. Payment normally will be made by State Street Bank on behalf of a Fund within seven days thereafter. However, in the event of a request to redeem shares for which a Fund has not yet received good payment, the Funds reserve the right to withhold payments of redemption proceeds if the purchase of shares was made by a check which was deposited within ten calendar days prior to the redemption request (unless the Fund is aware that the check has cleared).
Each Fund will normally redeem shares for cash; however, each Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price wholly or partly in kind. If the Trust's Board of Trustees determines it to be advisable and in the interest of the remaining shareholders of a Fund. The redemptions in kind will be selected by the Fund's adviser in light of the Fund's objective and will not generally represent a pro rata distribution of each security held in the Fund's portfolio. If portfolio securities are distributed in lieu of cash, the shareholder will normally incur brokerage commissions upon subsequent disposition of any such securities. However, the Funds have elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, pursuant to which each Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash for any shareholder during any 90-day period up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the total net asset value of each Fund at the beginning of such period.
Redemption Fee Policy
(Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund only)
Shareholders will be charged a 2% redemption fee if they redeem, including redeeming by exchange, any class shares of these Funds on or before the two month anniversary of their acquisition (including acquisition by exchange). For example, if the shares were purchased on January 10/th/, the first day the shares could be redeemed or exchanged without a redemption fee is March 11/th/ (or, if the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed for trading on that day, the next business day). The time periods described above may vary slightly if the month of the redemption has fewer days that the month of purchase. For example, if the shares were purchased on December 31/st/, the first day that the shares could be redeemed or exchanged without a redemption fee is March 1/st/ (or, if the NYSE is closed for trading on that day, the next business day). The redemption fee is intended to offset the costs to the Funds of short-term trading, such as portfolio transaction and market impact costs associated with redemption activity and administrative costs associated with processing redemptions. The redemption fee is deducted from the shareholder's redemption or exchange proceeds and is paid to the Fund although there may be a delay between the time the fee is deducted from such proceeds and when it is paid to the Fund.
The "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method is used to determine the holding period of redeemed or exchange shares, which means that if you acquired shares on different days, the shares acquired first will be redeemed or exchanged first for purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies. A new holding period begins with each purchase or exchange. The Funds currently do not impose a redemption fee on a redemption of:
. shares acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions of a Fund; or
. shares held in an account of certain retirement plans or profit sharing plans or purchased through certain intermediaries; or
. shares redeemed as part of a systematic withdrawal plan.
The Funds may modify or eliminate these waivers at any time. In addition, the Funds may modify the way the redemption fee is applied, including the amount of the redemption fee and/or the length of time share must be held before the redemption fee is no longer applied, for certain categories of investors or for shareholders investing through financial intermediaries which apply the redemption fee in a manner different from that described above.
The ability of a Fund to assess a redemption fee on transactions by underlying shareholders of omnibus and other accounts maintained by brokers, retirement plan accounts and fee-based program accounts may be limited.
Other
The Funds have authorized one or more brokers to accept on their behalf purchase and redemption orders; such brokers are authorized to designate intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. The Funds will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker's authorized designee accepts the order. The broker's customers will receive the Funds' NAV next computed after an order is accepted by an authorized broker or the broker's authorized designee.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
Open Accounts
A shareholder's investment is automatically credited to an open account maintained for the shareholder by Boston Financial. Following each additional investment or redemption from the account initiated by an investor, a shareholder will receive a confirmation statement disclosing the current balance of shares owned and the details of recent transactions in the account. After the close of each calendar year, Boston Financial will send each shareholder a statement providing account information which may include federal tax information on dividends and distributions paid to the shareholder during the year. This statement should be retained as a permanent record. Boston Financial may charge a fee for providing duplicate information.
The open account system provides for full and fractional shares expressed to three decimal places and, by making the issuance and delivery of stock certificates unnecessary, eliminates problems of handling and safekeeping, and the cost and inconvenience of replacing lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed certificates. Certificates will not be issued for any class of shares.
The costs of maintaining the open account system are paid by the Funds, and no direct charges are made to shareholders. Although the Funds have no present intention of making such direct charges to shareholders, they each reserve the right to do so. Shareholders will receive prior notice before any such charges are made.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
A Systematic Withdrawal Plan, referred to in the Prospectus under "General Information--How to Redeem Shares," provides for monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual withdrawal payments of $50 or more from the account of an eligible shareholder, as provided in the Prospectus, provided that the account has a value of at least $25,000 at the time the plan is established.
Payments will be made either to the shareholder or to any other person designated by the shareholder. If payments are issued to an individual other than the registered owner(s), a medallion signature guarantee will be required on the Plan application. All shares in an account that is subject to a Systematic Withdrawal Plan must be held in an open account rather than in certificated form. Income dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested at the net asset value determined as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the record date for the dividend or distribution.
Since withdrawal payments represent proceeds from the liquidation of shares, withdrawals may reduce and possibly exhaust the value of the account, particularly in the event of a decline in net asset value. Accordingly, a shareholder should consider whether a Plan and the specified amounts to be withdrawn are appropriate under the circumstances. The Funds and the Distributor make no recommendations or representations in this regard. It may be appropriate for a shareholder to consult a tax adviser before establishing such a plan. See "Redemptions" and "Taxes" for certain information as to federal income taxes.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan (Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
ONLY)
A Systematic Withdrawal Plan, referred to in the relevant Prospectus under "General Information--How to Redeem Shares," provides for monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual withdrawal payments of $50 or more from the account of an eligible shareholder, as provided in the Prospectus, provided that the account has a value of at least $25,000 at the time the plan is established.
Payments will be made either to the shareholder or to any other person designated by the shareholder. If payments are issued to an individual other than the registered owner(s), a signature guarantee will be required on the Plan application. All shares in an account that is subject to a Systematic Withdrawal Plan must be held in an open account rather than in certificated form. Income dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested at the net asset value determined as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the record date for the dividend or distribution.
Since withdrawal payments represent proceeds from liquidation of shares, the shareholder should recognize that withdrawals may reduce and possibly exhaust the value of the account, particularly in the event of a decline in net asset value. Accordingly, the shareholder should consider whether a Systematic Withdrawal Plan and the specified amounts to be withdrawn are appropriate under the circumstances. The Fund makes no recommendations or representations in this regard. It may be appropriate for the shareholder to consult a tax adviser before establishing such a plan. See "Redemptions" and "Taxes" for certain information regarding federal income taxes.
Exchange Privilege
Retail Class shares of the Funds may be exchanged, subject to investment minimums, for Retail Class shares of any other series of the Trusts that offers Retail Class shares or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, a money market fund advised by IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of Loomis Sayles. Admin Class shares of the Funds may be exchanged, subject to investment minimums, for Admin Class shares of any other series of the Trusts that offers Admin Class shares or for Class A shares of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust. Institutional Class shares of the Funds may be exchanged, subject to investment minimums, for Institutional Class shares of any other series of the Trusts that offers Institutional Class shares, for any IXIS Advisor Fund that offers Class Y shares or for Class A shares of the IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust.
Exchanges may be effected by (1) making a telephone request by calling 1-800-633-3330, provided that a special authorization form is on file with the Funds or (2) sending a written exchange request to Loomis Sayles Funds accompanied by an account application for the appropriate fund. The Trusts reserve the right to modify this exchange privilege without prior notice. An exchange constitutes a sale of shares for federal income tax purposes on which the investor may realize a capital gain or loss.
An exchange transaction is a redemption of shares and is subject to the redemption fee policy. See "Redemption Fee Policy" above.
Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRAs")
IRAs may be established under a prototype plan made available by Loomis Sayles. These plans may be funded with shares of any Fund. All income dividends and capital gain distributions of plan participants must be reinvested. Plan documents and further information can be obtained from Loomis Sayles.
Check with your financial or tax adviser as to the suitability of Fund shares for your retirement plan.
Conversion Rights
In certain limited circumstances, you may convert Retail Class shares of your Fund to Institutional Class shares of the same Fund or convert Institutional Class shares of your Fund to Retail Class shares of the same Fund. The value of shares that you wish to convert must meet the investment minimum of the new Class. The conversion from one class of shares to another will be based on the respective net asset values of the separate classes on the trade date for the conversion. You will not be charged any redemption fee or exchange fee as a result of the exchange. A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event to the shareholder.
You may convert Retail Class shares of your Fund to Institutional Class shares of the same Fund if you have accumulated shares with a net asset value greater than or equal to the minimum investment amount for Institutional Class shares of that same Fund. You may convert from Institutional Class shares to Retail Class shares only if the investment option or program through which you invest no longer permits the use of Institutional Class shares in that option or program or if you otherwise are no longer able to participate in Institutional Class shares. A
conversion into a class of shares is subject to the purchase restrictions of such Class as described in the Fund's prospectus (see "How to Purchase Shares").
In order to convert shares, you must complete the Cross Share Exchange Form and send it to the following address:
Regular Mail: Overnight Mail: ------------- --------------- Loomis Sayles Funds Loomis Sayles Funds P.O. Box 219594 330 West 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64121-9594 Kansas City, MO 64105-1514 |
Transcript Requests
Transcripts of account transactions will be provided, for a fee, at the shareholders request. Transcripts for the current calendar year and the past calendar year will be provided free of charge. Requests for transcripts for periods prior to that will be subject to a fee of $10 per transcript up to a maximum of $75 per account.
NET ASSET VALUE
The method for determining the public offering price and net asset value per share is summarized in the Prospectus.
The total net asset value or "NAV" of each class of shares of a Fund (the excess of the assets of such Fund attributable to such class over the liabilities attributable to such class) is determined at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the Exchange is open for trading. In addition, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, a Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles, in its discretion, determines that it is advisable to do so based primarily upon factors such as whether (i) there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares and (ii) whether in Loomis Sayles' view sufficient information (e.g., prices reported by pricing services) is available for the Fund's shares to be priced. The Funds do not expect to price their shares on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Securities listed on a national securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at market price (generally, their last sale price, or, if there is no reported sale during the day, the last reported bid price estimated by a broker, although "market price" for securities traded on NASDAQ will generally be considered to be the NASDAQ official closing price.) Unlisted securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last reported bid price in the over-the-counter market or on the basis of yield equivalents as obtained from one or more dealers that make a market in the securities. U.S. government securities are traded in the over-the-counter market. Options, interest rate futures and options thereon that are traded on exchanges are valued at their last sale price as of the close of such exchanges. Securities for which current market quotations are not readily available and all other assets are taken at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees, although the actual calculations may be made by persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Board.
Generally, trading in foreign government securities and other fixed-income securities, as well as trading in equity securities in markets outside the United States, is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. Securities traded on a foreign exchange will be valued at their market price on the non-U.S. exchange except for securities traded on the London Stock Exchange ("British Equities"). British Equities will be valued at the mean between the last bid and last asked prices on the London Stock Exchange. The value of other securities principally traded outside the United States will be computed as of the completion of substantial trading for the day on the markets on which such securities principally trade. Securities principally traded outside the United States will generally be valued several hours before the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, when the Funds compute the net asset value of their shares. Occasionally, events affecting the value of securities principally traded outside the United States may occur between the completion of substantial trading of such securities for the day and the close of the Exchange, which events will not be reflected in the computation of a Fund's net asset value. If, in the determination of the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction, events materially affecting the value of a Fund's securities occur during such period, then these securities
may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing their securities, the Funds may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time a Fund's net asset value is calculated.
Because of fair value pricing, securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value. The Funds may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
Trading in some of the portfolio securities of some of the Funds takes place in various markets outside the United States on days and at times other than when the Exchange is open for trading. Therefore, the calculation of these Funds' net asset value does not take place at the same time as the prices of many of its portfolio securities are determined, and the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days when the Fund is not open for business and its shares may not be purchased or redeemed.
TAXES
In General
As described in the Prospectuses, it is the policy of each Fund to pay its shareholders, as dividends, substantially all net investment income and to distribute annually all net realized long-term capital gains, if any, after offsetting any capital loss carryovers.
Ordinary income dividends and capital gain distributions are payable in full and fractional shares of the relevant class of the Funds based upon the net asset value determined as of the close of the Exchange on the record date for each dividend or distribution. Shareholders, however, may elect to receive their ordinary income dividends or capital gain distributions, or both, in cash. The election may be made at any time by submitting a written request directly to IXIS Advisor Funds. In order for a change to be in effect for any dividend or distribution, it must be received by IXIS Advisor Funds on or before the record date for such dividend or distribution.
If you elect to receive your dividends in cash and the dividend checks sent to you are returned "undeliverable" to the Fund or remain uncashed for six months, your cash election will automatically be changed and your future dividends will be reinvested. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed dividend or redemption checks.
As required by federal law, detailed federal tax information will be furnished to each shareholder for each calendar year on or before January 31/st/ of the succeeding year.
Taxation of the Funds
Each Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to
qualify, each Fund must, among other things, (i) derive at least 90% of its
gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with
respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition
of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not
limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with
respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies;
(ii) distribute at least 90% of the sum of its taxable net investment income,
net tax-exempt income, and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains
over net long-term capital losses for such year; and (iii) diversify its
holdings so that at the end of each fiscal quarter, (a) at least 50% of the
value of its total assets consists of cash, U.S. government securities,
securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities
limited generally, with respect to any one issuer, to no more than 5% of the
value of the Fund's total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total
assets
is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses.
So long as it qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, a Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed to its shareholders in a timely manner in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, defined below). If a Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
A nondeductible excise tax at the rate of 4% will be imposed on the excess, if any, of each Fund's "required distribution" over its actual distributions in any calendar year. Generally, the "required distribution" is 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98% of its capital gain net income recognized during the one-year period ending on October 31st (or December 31st if the Fund is so permitted to elect and so elects) plus undistributed amounts from prior years. Each Fund intends to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.
Taxation of Fund Distributions
For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income to the extent of a Fund's earnings and profits. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before a shareholder's investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares (other than distributions, if any, designated by the Fund as "exempt-interest dividends"). Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains. Distributions declared and payable by a Fund during October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in any such month and paid by the Fund during the following January will be treated for federal tax purposes as paid by the Fund and received by shareholders on December 31st of the year in which declared rather than the calendar year in which they were received.
Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced--in general, to 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets--for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, "qualified
dividend income" received by an individual will be taxed at the rates
applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the
dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the
Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some
portion of the dividend -paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder
must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's
shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either
the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to
any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period
beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share
becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, on the case of certain
preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before
such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation
(whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with
respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the
recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or
(4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not
eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United
States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock
of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Income derived from investments in fixed-income securities or REITs is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
In general, distributions of investment income designated by a Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to such Fund's shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by a Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Fund's dividends (other than property designated capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term "gross income" is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
If a Fund makes a distribution in excess of its current and accumulated "earnings and profits" in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder's basis in his or her shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of such shares.
Sale or Redemption of Shares
The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
A loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less will be disallowed for federal income tax purposes to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares and thereafter treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain dividend paid to the shareholder with respect to such shares. Furthermore, no loss will be allowed on the sale of Fund shares to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund within a period beginning 30 days prior to the sale of the loss shares and ending 30 days after such sale.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies
Funds that invest in foreign securities may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs"). In order to avoid U.S. federal income tax, and an additional charge on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such companies or gain from the disposition of such shares, a Fund may elect to "mark-to-market" annually its investments in such entities and to distribute any resulting net gain to shareholders. A Fund may also elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" (a "QEF election"), in which case the Fund would be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives distributions from the company. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may require a Fund to sell securities it would have otherwise continued to hold in order to make distributions to shareholders to avoid any Fund-level tax. Income from investments in PFICs generally will not qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Foreign Taxes
Funds that invest in foreign securities, such as the Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, may be liable to foreign governments for taxes relating primarily to investment income or capital gains on foreign securities in the Fund's portfolio. A Fund may in some circumstances be eligible to, and in its discretion may, make an election under the Code that would allow Fund shareholders who are U.S. citizens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax
credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax return for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by that Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities held at least a minimum period specified in the Code. If a Fund makes the election, the amount of each shareholder's distribution reported on the information returns filed by such Fund with the IRS must be increased by the amount of the shareholder's portion of the Fund's foreign tax paid. A shareholder's ability to claim all or a part of a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign-currency denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, future contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Financial Products
A Fund's investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swaps and certain other transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, convert capital gain into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character distributions to Fund shareholders.
Certain of a Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated instruments) are likely to result in a difference between the Fund's book income and taxable income. This difference may cause a portion of such Fund's income distributions to constitute a return of capital or capital gain for tax purposes or require the Fund to make distributions exceeding book income to avoid excise tax liability and to qualify as a regulated investment company.
Securities issued or purchased at a discount
A Fund's investment in securities issued at a discount and certain other obligations will (and investments in securities purchased at a discount may) require that Fund to accrue and distribute income net yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
A Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make required distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund's receipt of cash in excess of the REIT's earnings; if the Fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Income from REIT securities generally will not be eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders
Under current law, the Funds serve to "block" (that is, prevent that attribution to shareholders of) unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could utilize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if either: (1) the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs"); or (2) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). If a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Code Section 664) realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, it will lose its tax-exempt status for the year. Certain Funds may invest in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs.
Backup Withholding
Each Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish a Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number ("TIN"), who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to a Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010. The backup withholding tax rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010.
Non-U.S. Shareholders
In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 ("2004 Act"), effective for taxable years of a Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, a Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The Funds do not intend to make such designations.
If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.
The 2004 Act modifies the tax treatment of distributions from a Fund that are paid to a foreign person and are attributable to gain from "U.S. real property interests" ("USRPIs"), which the Code defines to include direct holdings of U.S. real property and interests (other than solely as a creditor) in "U.S. real property holding corporations" such as REITs. The Code deems any corporation that holds (or held during the previous five-year period) USRPIs with a fair market value equal to 50% or more of the fair market value of the corporation's U.S. and foreign real property assets and other assets used or held for use in a trade or business to be a U.S. real property holding corporation; however, if any class of stock of a corporation is traded on an established securities market, stock of such class shall be treated as a USRPI only in the case of a person who holds more than 5% of such class of stock at any time during the previous five-year period. Under the 2004 Act, which applies to dividends paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007, distributions to foreign persons attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs will give rise to an obligation for those foreign persons to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax, and may well be subject to withholding under future regulations.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the shares constitute USRPIs or the Capital Gain Dividends are paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007 and are attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs. Effective before January 1, 2008, if a Fund is a U.S. real property holding corporation (as described above) a Fund's shares will nevertheless not constitute USRPIs if a Fund is a "domestically controlled qualified investment entity," which is defined to include a RIC that, at all times during the
shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period during which the RIC was in existence, had less than 50 percent in value of its stock held directly or indirectly by foreign persons.
Other Tax Matters
Special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax adviser to determine the suitability of shares of a fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of and investment on their particular tax situation.
The foregoing discussion relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law. Dividends and distributions also may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to federal, state, local and, where applicable, foreign taxes. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisers concerning the tax consequences of ownership of shares of the Fund, including the certification and filing requirements imposed on foreign investors in order to qualify for exemption from the backup withholding tax rates described above (or a reduced rate of withholding provided by treaty).
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the applicable provisions of the Code and related regulations currently in effect. For the complete provisions, reference should be made to the pertinent Code sections and regulations. The Code and regulations are subject to change by legislative or administrative actions.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Yield and Total Return
Each Fund may from time to time include its total return information in advertisements or in information furnished to present or prospective shareholders. Each of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund and Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund may from time to time include the yield and/or total return of its shares in advertisements or information in advertisements or information furnished to present or prospective shareholders.
Each Fund's yield will vary from time to time depending upon market conditions, the composition of its portfolios and operating expenses of the Trust allocated to each Fund. These factors, possible differences in the methods used in calculating yield, and the tax exempt status of distributions, should be considered when comparing a Fund's yield to yields published for other investment companies and other investment vehicles. Yield should also be considered relative to changes in the value of the Fund's shares and to the relative risks associated with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund.
At any time in the future, yields and total return may be higher or lower than past yields and there can be no assurance that any historical results will continue.
Investors in the Funds are specifically advised that share prices, expressed as the net asset values per share, will vary just as yield will vary. An investor's focus on the yield of a Fund to the exclusion of the consideration of the share price of that Fund may result in the investor's misunderstanding the total return he or she may derive from the Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial statements, financial highlights and report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm included in the Funds' annual reports dated September 30, 2005, are also incorporated by reference to such Reports. The Funds' annual and semiannual reports are available upon request and without charge. Each Fund will send a single copy of its annual and semiannual report to an address at which more than one shareholder of record with the same last name has indicated that mail is to be delivered. Shareholders may request additional copies of any annual or semiannual report by telephone at 1-800-633-3330, by writing Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 61421-9594 or by visiting the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com. The annual and semiannual reports are also available on-line at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
The Fund may make use of average portfolio credit quality standards to assist institutional investors whose own investment guidelines limit their investments accordingly. In determining the Fund's overall dollar-weighted average quality, unrated securities are treated as if rated, based on the adviser's view of their comparability to rated securities. The Fund's use of average quality criteria is intended to be a guide for those investors whose investment guidelines require that assets be invested according to comparable criteria. Reference to an overall average quality rating for the Fund does not mean that all securities held by the Fund will be rated in that category or higher. The Fund's investments may range in quality from securities rated in the lowest category in which the Fund is permitted to invest to securities rated in the highest category (as rated by Moody's, S&P or Fitch or, if unrated, determined by the adviser to be of comparable quality). The percentage of the Fund's assets invested in securities in a particular rating category will vary. Following is a description of Moody's, S&P's and Fitch's ratings applicable to fixed-income securities.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present that make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than with Aaa securities.
A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B: Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca: Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Moody's bond ratings, where specified, are applicable to financial contracts, senior bank obligations and insurance company senior policyholder and claims obligations with an original maturity in excess of one year. Obligations relying upon support mechanisms such as letter-of-credit and bonds of indemnity are excluded unless explicitly rated. Obligations of a branch of a bank are considered to be domiciled in the country in which the branch is located.
Unless noted as an exception, Moody's rating on a bank's ability to repay senior obligations extends only to branches located in countries which carry a Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits. Such branch obligations are rated at the lower of the bank's rating or Moody's Sovereign Rating for the Bank Deposits for the country in which the branch is located. When the currency in which an obligation is denominated is not the same as the currency of the country in which the obligation is domiciled, Moody's ratings do not incorporate an opinion as to whether payment of the obligation will be affected by the actions of the government controlling the currency of denomination. In addition, risk associated with bilateral conflicts between an investor's home country and either the issuer's home country or the country where an issuer branch is located are not incorporated into Moody's ratings.
Moody's makes no representation that rated bank obligations or insurance company obligations are exempt from registration under the Securities Act or issued in conformity with any other applicable law or regulation. Nor does Moody's represent that any specific bank or insurance company obligation is legally enforceable or a valid senior obligation of a rated issuer.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classified from Aa through Caa in its corporate bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
Corporate Short-Term Debt Ratings
Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment-grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior
ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment
ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return
on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance
on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established
access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate
liquidity.
PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
PRIME-3: Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
NOT PRIME: Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
Issue Credit Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.
Issue credit ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any credit rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days, including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations: likelihood of payment - capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; nature of and provisions of the obligation; protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
The issue rating definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Investment-grade
AAA: 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.
AA: An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: 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.
BBB: 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.
Speculative Grade
Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: 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.
B: 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.
CCC: 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.
CC: An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'C' rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A 'C' also will be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
D: An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Provisional ratings: The letter "p" indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project being financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of, such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant
noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected
returns which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include:
obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities;
obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk--such as interest-only or
principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky
interest terms, such as inverse floaters.
The absence of an "r" symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.
N.R.: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Debt obligations of issuers outside the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues. The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account currency exchange and related uncertainties.
Commercial Paper Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from A for the highest quality obligations to D for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1: 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-2: 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-3: 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.
B: A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: 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.
D: A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
A commercial paper rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to Standard & Poor's by the issuer or obtained from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information.
Fitch Investor Services, Inc
Credit Ratings
Fitch's credit ratings provide an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving their money back in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch's credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign (including supranational and sub-national), financial, bank, insurance, municipal and other public finance entities and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.
The use of credit ratings defines their function: "investment grade" ratings
(international Long-term 'AAA' to 'BBB-' categories; Short-term 'F1' to 'F3')
indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while those in the
"speculative" or "non investment grade" categories (international Long-term
'BB+' to 'D'; Short-term 'B' to 'D') either signal a higher level of credit
risk or that a default has already occurred. Credit ratings express risk in
relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk
and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss.
Depending on their application, credit ratings address benchmark measures of probability of default as well relative expectations of loss given default. For example, issuers are typically assigned Issuer Default Ratings that are relative measures of default probability. Similarly, short-term credit ratings give primary consideration to the likelihood that obligations will be met on a timely basis. Securities, however, are rated taking into consideration probability of default and loss given default. As a result, for entities such as corporations security ratings may be rated higher, lower or the same as the issuer rating to reflect expectations of the security's relative recovery prospects, as well as differences in ability and willingness to pay. While recovery analysis plays an important role throughout the ratings scale, it becomes a more critical consideration for below investment-grade securities and obligations, particularly at the lower end of the non-investment-grade ratings scale where Fitch often publishes actual Recovery Ratings, that are complementary to the credit ratings.
Structured finance ratings typically are assigned to each individual security or tranche in a transaction, and not to an issuer. Each structured finance tranche is rated on the basis of various stress scenarios in combination with its relative seniority, prioritization of cash flows and other structural mechanisms.
International Long-Term Credit Ratings
International Long-Term Credit Ratings (LTCR) may also be referred to as Long-Term Ratings. When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations. When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations.
The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings:
Investment Grade
AAA
Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit 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.
AA
Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit 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.
BBB
Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that there is currently expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.
Speculative Grade
BB
Speculative
'BB' ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B Highly speculative
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, 'B' ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R1' (outstanding).
CCC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R2' (superior), or 'R3' (good) or 'R4' (average).
CC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of 'R4' (average) or 'R5' (below average).
C [ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R6' (poor).
RD
Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations. .
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
- failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation; - the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or - the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.
Issuers will be rated 'D' upon a default. Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of 'C' to 'B' ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Additionally, in
structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to meet pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the 'B' or 'CCC-C' categories.
Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations' documentation. Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonably determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation's documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch's published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.
International Short-Term Credit Ratings
The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A Short-term rating has 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.
Highest credit quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
Good credit quality. 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.
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.
B Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
RD
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other obligations.
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings:
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)
Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive," indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative," for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving," if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.
Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.
Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.
Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.
Interest Only
Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.
Principal Only
Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.
Rate of Return
Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.
'PIF'
Paid-in -Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or refinanced.
'NR' indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.
'Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.
[LOGO OF LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS]
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 1, 2006
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
. Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund
. Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund
. Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund
. Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund
This Statement of Information (the "Statement") contains information which may be useful to investors but which is not included in the Prospectus of the series of Loomis Sayles Funds I listed above (collectively the "Funds", with each series being known as a "Fund"). This Statement is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution only when accompanied by or preceded by the Loomis Sayles Institutional Funds Prospectus dated February 1, 2006, as from time to time revised or supplemented. This Statement should be read together with the Prospectus. Investors may obtain the Prospectus without charge from Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 61421-9594, by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-633-3330 or by visiting www.loomissayles.com.
The Funds' financial statements and accompanying notes that appear in the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional information. Each Fund's annual and semi-annual report contains additional performance information and is available upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-633-3330 or by visiting the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST............................. 3 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS....... 3 INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS............... 3 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES................. 5 TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES........ 23 PORTFOLIO TURNOVER.................... 23 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS.................... 24 MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST............... 25 PRINCIPAL HOLDERS..................... 36 INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 40 PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION...... 47 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE.. 50 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST.............. 53 Voting Rights...................... 54 Shareholder and Trustee Liability.. 55 How to Buy Shares.................. 55 Redemptions........................ 56 Net Asset Value.................... 57 SHAREHOLDER SERVICES.................. 59 Open Accounts...................... 59 Exchange Privilege................. 59 Individual Retirement Accounts..... 59 DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES............... 59 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................. 65 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION............... 65 APPENDIX A............................ 66 |
THE TRUST
Loomis Sayles Funds I is registered with the SEC as an open-end management
investment company and is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under the
laws of Massachusetts by an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of
Trust (a "Declaration of Trust") dated December 23, 1993, as amended and
restated on June 22, 2005, and is a "series" company as described in
Section 18(f)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). Prior
to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles Funds I was named "Loomis Sayles Investment
Trust." The Trust offers a total of ten series.
The Loomis Fixed Income Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on January 17, 1995. The Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on June 5, 1996. The Loomis Sayles Intermediate Fixed Income Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on January 28, 1998. The Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund, a diversified series of the Trust, was organized in Massachusetts and commenced operations on July 1, 1994.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The investment policies of each Fund set forth in its Prospectus and in this
Statement of Additional Information may be changed by the Trust's Board of
Trustees without shareholder approval, except that (1) the investment objective
of each Fund as set forth in its Prospectus and (2) any policy (of the Funds)
explicitly identified as "fundamental" may not be changed without the approval
of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the relevant Fund
(which in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information means the
lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of that Fund present at a meeting at which more
than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy or
(ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares). Except in the case of the 15%
limitation on illiquid securities, the percentage limitations set forth below
and in the Prospectus will apply at the time a security is purchased and will
not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists
immediately after and as a result of such purchase.
Investment Restrictions
In addition to its investment objective and policies set forth in the Prospectus, the following investment restrictions are policies of each of the Funds(and those marked with an asterisk are fundamental policies of each of the Funds):
Each Fund will not:
*(1) Act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
*(2) Invest in oil, gas, or other mineral leases, rights, or royalty contracts, or in real estate, commodities, or commodity contracts. (This restriction does not prevent any Fund from engaging in transactions in futures contracts relating to securities indices, interest rates, or financial instruments or options, or from investing in issuers that invest or deal in the foregoing types of assets or from purchasing securities that are secured by real estate.)
*(3) Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). (For purposes of this investment
restriction, neither (i) entering into repurchase agreements nor
(ii) purchasing debt obligations in which a Fund may invest consistent with its
investment policies is considered the making of a loan.)
*(4) Change its classification pursuant to Section 5(b) of the 1940 Act from a "diversified" to "non-diversified" management investment company.
*(5) Purchase any security (other than U.S. Government securities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry (in the utilities category, gas, electric, water, and telephone companies will be considered as being in separate industries).
*(6) Borrow money in excess of 10% of its assets (taken at cost) or 5% of its assets (taken at current value), whichever is lower, nor borrow any money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes; however, the Fund's use of reverse repurchase agreements and "dollar roll" arrangements shall not constitute borrowing by the Fund for purposes of this restriction.
(7) Purchase any illiquid security, including any security that is not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities.
*(8) Issue senior securities other than any borrowing permitted by restriction (6) above. (For the purposes of this restriction, none of the following is deemed to be a senior security: any pledge, mortgage, hypothecation, or other encumbrance of assets; any collateral arrangements with respect to options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and with respect to initial and variation margin; and the purchase or sale of or entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, or any other derivative investments to the extent that Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") determines that the Fund is not required to treat such investments as senior securities pursuant to the pronouncements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").)
The Funds intend, based on the views of the SEC, to restrict their investments, if any, in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, together with other investments in illiquid securities, to the percentage permitted by restriction (7) above.
Although authorized to invest in restricted securities, the Funds, as a matter of non-fundamental operating policy, currently do not intend to invest in such securities, except Rule 144A securities.
For purposes of the foregoing restrictions, the Funds do not consider a swap contract on one or more securities, indices, currencies or interest rates to be a commodity or a commodity contract, nor, consistent with the position of the SEC, do the Funds consider such swap contracts to involve the issuance of a senior security, provided the relevant Fund segregates with its custodian liquid assets (marked to market on a daily basis) sufficient to meet its obligations under such contracts.
Certain Funds have other non-fundamental investment parameters, as listed below. It is a non-fundamental policy that the investment parameters listed below not be changed without providing 60 days' notice to shareholders of the relevant Funds in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act.
Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in fixed income securities.
Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in investment grade fixed income securities.
Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund
The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowing made for investment purposes) in investment grade fixed income securities.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The following is a list of certain investment strategies, including particular types of securities or specific practices, that may be used by Loomis Sayles in managing the Funds. Each Fund's primary strategies are detailed in its Prospectus. The list of securities under each category below is not intended to be an exclusive list of securities for investment. Loomis Sayles may invest in a general category listed below and where applicable with particular emphasis on a certain type of security but investment is not limited to the categories listed below or the securities specially enumerated under each category. Loomis Sayles may invest in some securities under a given category as a primary strategy and in other securities under the same category as a secondary strategy. Loomis Sayles may invest in any security that falls under the specific category including securities that are not listed below.
Fund Securities Practices ---- ---------- --------- Fixed Income Fund........ Debt Securities Investment Grade Bonds, Temporary Defensive Strategies Corporate Securities, Convertible Securities, Repurchase Agreements U.S. Government Securities, Lower Quality Swap Contracts Debt Securities, Preferred Stock, Zero- Illiquid Securities Coupon Securities, Rule 144A Securities, Futures Contracts Mortgage-Backed Securities, Stripped Options Mortgage Backed Securities, Asset Backed Securities, Real Estate Investment Trusts, When-Issued Securities, Commercial Paper Collaterlized Mortgage Obligations, Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Currency Hedging Transactions, Supranational Entities) Institutional High Income Debt Securities Lower Quality Debt Temporary Defensive Strategies Fund................... Securities, Corporate Securities, Convertible Repurchase Agreements Securities, U.S. Government Securities, Swap Contracts Zero-Coupon Securities, Rule 144A Illiquid Securities Securities, Mortgage-Backed Securities, Futures Contracts Stripped Mortgage Backed Securities, Asset Options Backed Securities, Real Estate Investment Trusts, When-Issued Securities, Commercial Paper Collaterlized Mortgage Obligations, Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Currency Hedging Transactions, Supranational Entities) Intermediate Duration Debt Securities Investment Grade Bonds, Temporary Defensive Strategies Fixed Income Fund...... Corporate Bonds, Convertible Securities, Futures Contracts U.S. Government Securities, Zero-Coupon Securities, Rule 144A Securities, Mortgage- Backed Securities, Asset Backed Securities, Real Estate Investment Trusts, When-Issued Securities, Mortgage Related Securities (including dollar rolls) Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Supranational Entities) |
Fund Securities Practices ---- ---------- --------- Investment Grade Fixed Debt Securities Investment Grade Bonds, Temporary Defensive Strategies Income Fund......... Corporate Bonds, U.S. Government Securities, Futures Contracts Lower Quality Debt Securities, Zero-Coupon Securities, Rule 144A Securities, Mortgage- Backed Securities, Real Estate Investment Trusts, When-Issued Securities, Collaterlized Mortgage Obligations, Mortgage Related Securities (including dollar rolls) Foreign Securities (Emerging Markets, Supranational Entities) |
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Security ("ARM")
An ARM, like a traditional mortgage security, is an interest in a pool of mortgage loans that provides investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as mortgage loans in the underlying mortgage pool are paid off by the borrowers. ARMs have interest rates that are reset at periodic intervals, usually by reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Although the rate adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of adjustable rate securities, these securities are still subject to changes in value based on changes in market interest rates or changes in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the interest rates are reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on ARMs may lag behind changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also, some ARMs (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or floors that limit the maximum change in interest rate during a specified period or over the life of the security. As a result, changes in the interest rate on an ARM may not fully reflect changes in prevailing market interest rates during certain periods. Because of the resetting of interest rates, ARMs are less likely than non-adjustable rate securities of comparable quality and maturity to increase significantly in value when market interest rates fall.
Asset-Backed Securities
Through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations, automobile or credit card receivables may be securitized in pass-through structures similar to mortgage pass-through structures or in a pass-through structure similar to the collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) structure described below. Generally, the issuers of asset-backed bonds, notes, or pass-through certificates are special purpose entities and do not have any significant assets other than the receivables securing such obligations. In general, the collateral supporting asset-backed securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans. Instruments backed by pools of receivables are similar to mortgage-backed securities in that they are subject to unscheduled prepayments of principal prior to maturity. When the obligations are prepaid, the Fund ordinarily will reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities the yields of which reflect interest rates prevailing at the time. Therefore, a Fund's ability to maintain a portfolio that includes high-yielding asset-backed securities will be adversely affected to the extent that prepayments of principal must be reinvested in securities that have lower yields than the prepaid obligations. Moreover, prepayments of securities purchased at a premium could result in a realized loss.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation
A collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) is a security backed by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities held under an indenture. CMOs may be issued either by U.S. Government instrumentalities or by non-governmental entities. The issuer's obligation to make interest and principal payments is secured by the underlying portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. CMOs are issued with a number of classes or series which have different maturities and which may represent interests in some or all of the interest or principal on the underlying collateral or a combination thereof. CMOs of different classes are generally retired in sequence as the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such mortgages, the class or series of CMOs first to mature generally will be retired prior to its maturity. As with other mortgage-backed securities, if a particular class or series of CMOs held by a Fund is retired early, the Fund would lose any premium it paid when it acquired the investment, and the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate than the retired CMO paid. Because of the early retirement feature, CMOs may be more volatile than many other fixed-income investments.
Common Stocks and Other Equity Securities
Common stocks, preferred stocks and similar securities, together called "equity securities," are generally volatile and more risky than some other forms of investment. Equity securities of companies with relatively small market capitalizations may be more volatile than the securities of larger, more established companies and than the broad equity market indices generally. Common stock and other equity securities may take the form of stock in corporations, partnership interests, interests in limited liability companies and other direct or indirect interests in business organizations.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes, or preferred stocks of U.S. or foreign issuers that can be converted into (that is, exchanged for) common stocks or other equity securities at a stated price or rate. Convertible securities also include other securities, such as warrants, that provide an opportunity for equity participation. Because convertible securities can be converted into equity securities, their value will normally be directly correlated with the value of the underlying equity securities. Due to the conversion feature, convertible securities generally yield less than nonconvertible fixed income securities of similar credit quality and maturity. A Fund's investment in convertible securities may at times include securities that have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock at a specified date and conversion ratio, or that are convertible at the option of the issuer. When conversion is not at the option of the holder, the Fund may be required to convert the security into the underlying common stock even at times when the value of the underlying common stock has declined substantially.
Depositary Receipts
Certain Funds may invest in foreign equity securities by purchasing "depositary receipts." Depositary receipts are instruments issued by a bank that represent an interest in equity securities held by arrangement with the bank. Depositary receipts can be either "sponsored" or "unsponsored." Sponsored depositary receipts are issued by banks in cooperation with the issuer of the underlying equity securities. Unsponsored depositary receipts are arranged without involvement by the issuer of the underlying equity securities and, therefore, less information about the issuer of the underlying equity securities may be available and price may be more volatile than sponsored depositary receipts. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are depositary receipts that are bought and sold in the United States and are typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") are depositary receipts that are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or United States corporation. All depositary receipts, including those denominated in U.S. dollars, will be subject to foreign currency exchange risk.
Emerging Markets
Investments in foreign securities may include investments in emerging or developing countries, whose economies or securities markets are not yet highly developed. Special considerations associated with these investments (in addition to the considerations regarding foreign investments generally) may include, among others, greater political uncertainties, an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance, currency transfer restrictions, highly limited numbers of potential buyers for such securities and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
In determining whether to invest in securities of foreign issuers, the adviser of the Fund may consider the likely effects of foreign taxes on the net yield available to the Fund and its shareholders. Compliance with foreign tax laws may reduce a Fund's net income available for distribution to shareholders.
Fixed Income Securities
Fixed income securities pay a specified rate of interest or dividends, or a rate that is adjusted periodically by reference to some specified index or market rate. Fixed income securities include securities issued by federal, state, local, and foreign governments and related agencies, and by a wide range of private or corporate issuers. Fixed income securities include, among others, bonds, debentures, notes, bills, and commercial paper. Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income of a Fund for any particular period. The net asset value of a Fund's shares will vary as a result of changes in the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio.
Investment Grade Fixed Income Securities To be considered investment grade quality, at least one major rating agency must have rated the security in one of its top four rating categories at the time a Fund acquires the security or, if the security is unrated, Loomis Sayles must have determined it to be of comparable quality.
Lower Rated Fixed Income Securities A fixed income security will be considered a lower rated fixed income security ("junk bond") if it is of below investment grade quality. To be considered investment grade quality, at least one major rating agency must have rated the security in one of its top four rating categories at the time a Fund acquires the security or, if the security is unrated, Loomis Sayles must have determined it to be of comparable quality. Therefore, lower rated fixed income securities are securities that, at the time a Fund acquires the security, none of the major rating agencies has rated in one of its top four rating categories, or unrated securities that Loomis Sayles has determined to be of comparable quality.
Lower rated fixed income securities are subject to greater credit risk and market risk than higher quality fixed income securities. Lower rated fixed income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments. If a Fund invests in lower rated fixed income securities, a Fund's achievement of its objective may be more dependent on Loomis Sayles' own credit analysis than is the case with funds that invest in higher quality fixed income securities. The market for lower rated fixed income securities may be more severely affected than some other financial markets by economic recession or substantial interest rate increases, by changing public perceptions of this market, or by legislation that limits the ability of certain categories of financial institutions to invest in these securities. In addition, the secondary market may be less liquid for lower rated fixed income securities. This lack of liquidity at certain times may affect the values of these securities and may make the evaluation and sale of these securities more difficult. Lower rated fixed income securities may be in poor standing or in default and typically have speculative characteristics.
For more information about the ratings services' descriptions of the various rating categories, see Appendix A. A Fund may continue to hold fixed income securities that are downgraded in quality subsequent to their purchase if Loomis Sayles believes it would be advantageous to do so.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Because investment in securities of foreign issuers will usually involve investments in securities of supranational entities and investment in securities of certain other issuers may involve currencies of foreign countries, and because a Fund may temporarily hold funds in bank deposits in foreign currencies during the course of investment programs, the value of the assets of a Fund as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations, and a Fund may incur costs in connection with conversion between various currencies.
If conditions warrant, a Fund may enter into private contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts"). A Fund may enter into forward contracts under two circumstances. First, when a Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated or traded in a market in which settlement is made in a foreign currency, it may desire to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Fund will be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the investment is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received.
Second, when Loomis Sayles believes that the currency of a particular country may suffer a substantial decline against another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of another currency, the amount of the first currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio investments denominated in the first currency. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible since the future value of such securities in a currency will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those investments between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures.
The Funds generally will not enter into forward contracts with a term of greater than one year.
The Funds might also purchase exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currencies. Over-the-counter currency options are generally less liquid than exchange-listed options and will be treated as illiquid assets. Options on foreign currencies are similar to forward contracts, except that one party to the option (the holder) is not contractually bound to buy or sell the specified currency. Instead, the holder has discretion whether to "exercise" the option and thereby require the other party to buy or sell the currency on the terms specified in the option. Options transactions involve transaction costs and, like forward contract transactions, involve the risk that the other party may default on its obligations (if the options are not traded on an established exchange) and the risk that expected movements in the relative value of currencies may not occur, resulting in an imperfect hedge or a loss to the Fund.
Each Fund, in conjunction with its transactions in forward contracts, options, and futures, will maintain in a segregated account with its custodian liquid assets with a value, marked to market on a daily basis, sufficient to satisfy the Fund's outstanding obligations under such contracts, options, and futures.
Foreign Currency Hedging Transactions
Certain Funds may engage in currency hedging transactions. To protect against a change in the foreign currency exchange rate between the date on which a Fund contracts to purchase or sell a security and the settlement date for the purchase or sale, or to "lock in" the equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in another currency, a Fund might purchase or sell a foreign currency on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate. If conditions warrant, a Fund may also enter into contracts with banks or broker-dealers to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts"). The Fund will maintain cash or other liquid assets eligible for purchase by the Fund in a segregated account with the custodian in an amount at least equal to the lesser of (i) the difference between the current value of the Fund 's liquid holdings that settle in the relevant currency and the Fund's outstanding obligations under currency forward contracts, or (ii) the current amount, if any, that would be required to be paid to enter into an offsetting forward currency contract which would have the effect of closing out the original forward contract. The Fund's use of currency hedging transactions may be limited by tax considerations. The adviser may decide not to engage in currency hedging transactions and there is no assurance that any currency hedging strategy used by a Fund will succeed. In addition, suitable currency hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that a Fund will engage in these transactions when they would be beneficial. A Fund may also purchase or sell foreign currency futures contracts traded on futures exchanges. Foreign currency futures contract transactions involve risks similar to those of other futures transactions. See "Futures Contracts," "Options" and "Swap Contracts" below.
Foreign Securities
Securities of issuers organized or headquartered outside the United States other than obligations of supranational entities are known as foreign securities. Certain Funds may invest in foreign securities. Such investments present risks not typically associated with investments in comparable securities of U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a foreign corporate or government issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and foreign corporate issuers are not generally subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions and securities custody costs are often higher than those in the United States, and judgments against foreign entities may be more difficult to obtain and enforce. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of governmental expropriation of
assets, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and diplomatic developments that could affect the value of investments in those countries. The receipt of interest on foreign government securities may depend on the availability of tax or other revenues to satisfy the issuer's obligations. A Fund's investments in foreign securities may include investments in countries whose economies or securities markets are not yet highly developed. Special considerations associated with these investments (in addition to the considerations regarding foreign investments generally) may include, among others, greater political uncertainties, an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance, currency transfer restrictions, highly limited numbers of potential buyers for such securities, and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
Since most foreign securities are denominated in foreign currencies or traded primarily in securities markets in which settlements are made in foreign currencies, the value of these investments and the net investment income available for distribution to shareholders of a Fund may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations. Because a Fund may purchase securities denominated in foreign currencies, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets and the Fund's income available for distribution.
In addition, although a Fund's income may be received or realized in foreign currencies, the Fund will be required to compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars. Therefore, if the value of a currency relative to the U.S. dollar declines after a Fund's income has been earned in that currency, translated into U.S. dollars and declared as a dividend, but before payment of such dividend, the Fund could be required to liquidate portfolio securities to pay such dividend. Similarly, if the value of a currency relative to the U.S. dollar declines between the time a Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the amount of such currency required to be converted into U.S. dollars in order to pay such expenses in U.S. dollars will be greater than the equivalent amount in such currency of such expenses at the time they were incurred. In determining whether to invest assets of a Fund in securities of a particular foreign issuer, Loomis Sayles will consider the likely effects of foreign taxes on the net yield available to the Fund and its shareholders. Compliance with foreign tax law may reduce a Fund's net income available for distribution to shareholders.
Illiquid Securities
Certain Funds may purchase illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those that are not readily resalable, which may include securities whose disposition is restricted by federal securities laws. Investment in restricted or other illiquid securities involves the risk that a Fund may be unable to sell such a security at the desired time. Also, a Fund may incur expenses, losses or delays in the process of registering restricted securities prior to resale.
Certain Funds may purchase Rule 144A securities, which are privately offered
securities that can be resold only to certain qualified institutional buyers
pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act").
The Fund may also purchase commercial paper issued under Section 4(2) of the
Securities Act. Investing in Rule 144A securities and Section 4(2) commercial
paper could have the effect of increasing the level of the Fund's illiquidity
to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time,
uninterested in purchasing these securities. Rule 144A securities and
Section 4(2) commercial paper are treated as illiquid, unless the adviser has
determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees, that
the particular issue is liquid.
Initial Public Offerings
Certain funds may purchase securities of companies that are offered pursuant to an initial public offering ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public in the primary market, typically to raise additional capital. The Fund may purchase a "hot" IPO (also known as a "hot issue"), which is an IPO that is oversubscribed and, as a result, is an investment opportunity of limited availability. As a consequence, the price at which these IPO shares open in the secondary market may be significantly higher than the original IPO price. IPO securities tend to involve greater risk due, in part, to public perception and the lack of publicly available information and trading history. There is the possibility of losses resulting from the difference between the issue price and potential diminished value of the stock once traded in the secondary market. The Fund's investment in IPO securities may have a significant impact on the Fund's performance and may result in significant capital gains.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities
Certain Funds may invest in investment-grade debt securities, which include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Some possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. A debt security is considered to be investment-grade if it is rated investment-grade by Standard & Poor's Rating Group ("Standard & Poor's" or "S&P"), Moody's Investor's Service, Inc. ("Moody's") OR Fitch Investor Services, Inc. ("Fitch") or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by an investment adviser. For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P, Moody's and Fitch, please refer to the Statement's "Appendix A -- Description of Securities Ratings."
Investment Pools of Credit-Linked, Credit-Default, Interest Rate, Currency-Exchange and Equity-Linked Swap Contracts
Certain Funds may invest may invest in publicly or privately issued interests in investment pools whose underlying assets are credit default, credit-linked, interest rate, currency exchange and/or equity-linked swap contracts and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements. The pools' investment results may be designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified securities index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single security. These types of pools are often used to gain exposure to multiple securities with less of an investment than would be required to invest directly in the individual securities. They may also be used to gain exposure to foreign securities markets without investing in the foreign securities themselves and/or the relevant foreign market. To the extent that the Fund invests in pools of swaps and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign securities index or one or more of foreign securities, investing in such pools will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities. See "Foreign Securities" above. In addition, the investing Fund bears the risk that the pool may default on its obligations under the interests in the pool. The investing Fund also bears the risk that a counterparty of an underlying swap, the issuer of a related underlying security or the counterparty of an underlying securities loan agreement may default on its obligations. Interests in privately offered investment pools of swaps may be considered illiquid and, except to the extent that such interests are issued under Rule 144A and deemed liquid, subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.
Lower Quality Debt Securities
Certain Funds may invest in lower quality fixed-income securities. Fixed-income securities rated BB or lower by Standard & Poor's or Fitch, or Ba or lower by Moody's (and comparable unrated securities) are of below "investment-grade" quality. Lower quality fixed-income securities generally provide higher yields, but are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher-quality fixed-income securities, including U.S. government and many foreign government securities. Lower quality fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to meet principal and interest payments. Achievement of the investment objective of a Fund investing in lower quality fixed-income securities may be more dependent on the Fund's adviser's own credit analysis than for a Fund investing in higher-quality bonds. The market for lower quality fixed-income securities may be more severely affected than some other financial markets by economic recession or substantial interest rate increases, by changing public perceptions of such market or by legislation that limits the ability of certain categories of financial institutions to invest in these securities. In addition, the secondary market may be less liquid for lower-rated fixed-income securities. This lack of liquidity at certain times may affect the valuation of these securities and may make the valuation and sale of these securities more difficult. Securities of below investment-grade quality are considered high yield, high risk securities and are commonly known as "junk bonds." For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P, Fitch and Moody's, please refer to the Statement's Appendix A.
Money Market Instruments
A Fund may seek to minimize risk by investing in money market instruments, which are high-quality, short-term securities. Although changes in interest rates can change the market value of a security, a Fund expects those changes to be minimal with respect to these securities, which are often purchased for defensive purposes.
Money market obligations of foreign banks or of foreign branches or subsidiaries of U.S. banks may be subject to different risks than obligations of domestic banks, such as foreign economic, political and legal developments and the fact that different regulatory requirements apply.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk
Mortgage-backed securities, such as Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") certificates or securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), differ from traditional fixed income securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if a Fund purchases these assets at a premium, a faster-than-expected prepayment rate will reduce yield to maturity, and a slower-than-expected prepayment rate will increase yield to maturity. If a Fund purchases mortgage-backed securities at a discount, faster-than-expected prepayments will increase, and slower-than-expected prepayments will reduce, yield to maturity. Prepayments, and resulting amounts available for reinvestment by the Fund, are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on securities purchased at a premium may result in a loss of principal if the premium has not been fully amortized at the time of prepayment. These securities will decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates generally, and they are likely to appreciate less than other fixed income securities when interest rates decline because of the risk of prepayments.
Mortgage Dollar Rolls
Certain Funds may enter into mortgage dollar rolls. A dollar roll involves the sale of a security by a Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price, and may be considered a form of borrowing for some purposes. A Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations under the transactions. A dollar roll involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. A Fund may be required to purchase securities at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since the counterparty in the transaction is required to deliver a similar, but not identical, security to the Fund, the security that the Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. There is no assurance that a Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs.
Obligations of Supranational Entities
Certain Funds may invest in obligations of supranational entities. A supranational entity is an entity designated or supported by national governments to promote economic reconstruction, development or trade among nations. Examples of supranational entities include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "World Bank") and the European Investment Bank. Obligations of a supranational entity 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 under "Foreign Securities."
Options and Futures
Options and futures transactions involve a Fund buying, selling, or writing options (or buying or selling futures contracts) on securities, securities indices, or currencies. Each Fund may engage in these transactions either to enhance investment return or to hedge against changes in the value of other assets that it owns or intends to acquire. Options and futures fall into the broad category of financial instruments known as "derivatives" and
involve special risks. Use of options or futures for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, involving greater risks than are involved in hedging.
Options can generally be classified as either "call" or "put" options. There are two parties to a typical options transaction: the "writer" and the "buyer." A call option gives the buyer the right to buy a security or other asset (such as an amount of currency or a futures contract) from, and a put option gives the buyer the right to sell a security or other asset to, the option writer at a specified price, on or before a specified date. The buyer of an option pays a premium when purchasing the option, which reduces the return on the underlying security or other asset if the option is exercised, and results in a loss if the option expires unexercised. The writer of an option receives a premium from writing an option, which may increase its return if the option expires or is closed out at a profit. If a Fund as the writer of an option is unable to close out an unexpired option, it must continue to hold the underlying security or other asset until the option expires, to "cover" its obligation under the option. An "American style" option allows exercise of the option at any time during the term of the option. A "European style" option allows an option to be exercised only at the end of its term. Options may be traded on or off an established securities exchange.
If the holder of an option wishes to terminate its position, it may seek to effect a closing sale transaction by selling an option identical to the option previously purchased. The effect of the purchase is that the previous option position will be canceled. A Fund will realize a profit from closing out an option if the price received for selling the offsetting position is more than the premium paid to purchase the option; the Fund will realize a loss from closing out an option transaction if the price received for selling the offsetting option is less than the premium paid to purchase the option.
The use of options involves risks. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of options and movements in the price of the securities that are the subject of the hedge. A Fund's hedging strategies will not be fully effective if such imperfect correlation occurs.
Price movement correlation may be distorted by illiquidity in the options markets and the participation of speculators in such markets. If an insufficient number of contracts are traded, commercial users may not deal in options because they do not want to assume the risk that they may not be able to close out their positions within a reasonable amount of time. In such instances, options market prices may be driven by different forces than those driving the market in the underlying securities, and price spreads between these markets may widen. The participation of speculators in the market enhances its liquidity. Nonetheless, the trading activities of speculators in the options markets may create temporary price distortions unrelated to the market in the underlying securities.
An exchange-traded option may be closed out only on an exchange that
generally provides a liquid secondary market for an option of the same series.
If a liquid secondary market for an exchange-traded option does not exist, it
might not be possible to effect a closing transaction with respect to a
particular option, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the
option in order to accomplish the desired hedge. Reasons for the absence of a
liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be
insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be
imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both;
(iii) trading halts, suspensions, or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities;
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation
or other clearing organization may not at all times be adequate to handle
current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or
other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the
trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event
the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options)
would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had
been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that
exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
An over-the-counter option (an option not traded on an established exchange) may be closed out only with the other party to the original option transaction. With over-the-counter options, a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations or will not permit a Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity. While the Fund will seek to enter into over-the-counter options only with dealers who agree to or are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an over-the-counter option at a favorable price at any time prior to its expiration.
Accordingly, the Fund might have to exercise an over-the-counter option it holds in order to achieve the intended hedge. Over-the-counter options are not subject to the protections afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation or other clearing organizations.
Income earned by a Fund from its hedging activities will be treated as capital gain and, if not offset by net recognized capital losses incurred by the Fund, will be distributed to shareholders in taxable distributions. Although gain from options transactions may hedge against a decline in the value of a Fund's portfolio securities, that gain, to the extent not offset by losses, will be distributed in light of certain tax considerations and will constitute a distribution of that portion of the value preserved against decline.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a particular commodity (e.g., an interest-bearing security) for a specified price on a specified future date. A futures contract creates an obligation by the seller to deliver and the buyer to take delivery of the type of instrument or cash at the time and in the amount specified in the contract. In the case of futures on an index, the seller and buyer agree to settle in cash, at a future date, based on the difference in value of the contract between the date it is opened and the settlement date. The value of each contract is equal to the value of the index from time to time multiplied by a specified dollar amount. For example, long-term municipal bond index futures trade in contracts equal to $1000 multiplied by the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, and S&P 500 Index futures trade in contracts equal to $500 multiplied by the S&P 500 Index.
When a trader, such as a Fund, enters into a futures contract, it is required to deposit with (or for the benefit of) its broker as "initial margin" an amount of cash or short-term high-quality securities (such as U.S. Treasury bills or high-quality tax exempt bonds acceptable to the broker) equal to approximately 2% to 5% of the delivery or settlement price of the contract (depending on applicable exchange rules). Initial margin is held to secure the performance of the holder of the futures contract. As the value of the contract changes, the value of futures contract positions increases or declines. At the end of each trading day, the amount of such increase and decline is received and paid respectively by and to the holders of these positions. The amount received or paid is known as "variation margin." If the Fund has a long position in a futures contract it will establish a segregated account with the Fund's custodian containing cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund equal to the purchase price of the contract (less any margin on deposit). For short positions in futures contracts, the Fund will establish a segregated account with the custodian with cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments or currency underlying the futures contracts.
Gain or loss on a futures position is equal to the net variation margin received or paid over the time the position is held, plus or minus the amount received or paid when the position is closed, minus brokerage commissions.
Although many futures contracts call for the delivery (or acceptance) of the specified instrument, futures are usually closed out before the settlement date through the purchase (or sale) of a comparable contract. If the price of the sale of the futures contract by a Fund is less than the price of the offsetting purchase, the Fund will realize a loss. A futures sale is closed by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity and with the same delivery date. Similarly, the closing out of a futures purchase is closed by the purchaser selling an offsetting futures contract.
The value of options purchased by a Fund and futures contracts held by a Fund may fluctuate based on a variety of market and economic factors. In some cases, the fluctuations may offset (or be offset by) changes in the value of securities held in a Fund's portfolio. All transactions in options and futures involve the possible risk of loss to the Fund of all or a significant part of the value of its investment. In some cases, the risk of loss may exceed the amount of the Fund's investment. When a Fund writes a call option or sells a futures contract without holding the underlying securities, currencies, or futures contracts, its potential loss is unlimited. The Fund will be required, however, to segregate liquid assets in amounts sufficient at all times to satisfy its obligations under options and futures contracts.
In accordance with Commodity Futures Trading Commission Rule 4.5, each of the Funds that may engage in futures transactions, including without limitation futures and options on futures, will use futures transactions solely for bona fide hedging purposes or will limit its investment in futures transactions for other than bona fide
hedging purposes so that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions will not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such futures transactions.
Certain Funds may, but are not required to, use a number of derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of their investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, and related indexes. Loomis Sayles may decide not to employ any of these strategies and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Funds will succeed. In addition, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Funds will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial. Examples of derivative instruments that the Funds may use include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, zero-strike warrants and options, swap agreements and debt-linked and equity-linked securities.
The successful use of options and futures will usually depend on Loomis Sayles' ability to forecast stock market, currency, or other financial market movements correctly. The Fund's ability to hedge against adverse changes in the value of securities held in its portfolio through options and futures also depends on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of futures or options positions and changes in the values of the portfolio securities. The successful use of futures and exchange-traded options also depends on the availability of a liquid secondary market to enable a Fund to close its positions on a timely basis. There can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. In the case of options that are not traded on an exchange ("over-the-counter" options), a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations, or will not permit a Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity.
The options and futures markets of foreign countries are small compared to those of the United States and consequently are characterized in most cases by less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, foreign markets may be subject to less detailed reporting requirements and regulatory controls than U.S. markets. Furthermore, investments in options in foreign markets are subject to many of the same risks as other foreign investments. See "Foreign Securities" above.
Pay-in-Kind Securities
Certain Funds may invest in pay-in-kind securities, which are securities that pay dividends or interest in the form of additional securities of the issuer, rather than in cash. These securities are usually issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of pay-in-kind securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than are other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
Private Placements
Certain Funds may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for these securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell the securities when its investment adviser believes that it is advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if the securities were more widely held. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of the securities for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value.
While private placements may offer opportunities for investment that are not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often "restricted securities," which are securities that cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act, or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as
Rule 144 or Rule 144A under the Securities Act), or that are not readily marketable because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays or restrictions on resale.
The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for illiquid investments such as private placements. Disposing of illiquid investments may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. A Fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting the registration. In addition, market quotations typically are less readily available for these securities. The judgment of a Fund's investment adviser may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of unrestricted securities.
Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. A Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public so that the Fund may be liable to purchasers of the securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of the registration statement, is materially inaccurate or misleading.
Privatizations
Certain Funds may participate in privatizations. In a number of countries around the world, governments have undertaken to sell to investors interests in enterprises that the government has historically owned or controlled. These transactions are known as "privatizations" and may in some cases represent opportunities for significant capital appreciation. In some cases, the ability of U.S. investors, such as the Funds, to participate in privatizations may be limited by local law, and the terms of participation for U.S. investors may be less advantageous than those for local investors. Also, there is no assurance that privatized enterprises will be successful, or that an investment in such an enterprise will retain its value or appreciate in value.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
Investment in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger securities.
A Fund's investment in a REIT may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received or may result in the Fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. In addition, distributions by a Fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Repurchase Agreements
Under a repurchase agreement, a Fund purchases a security and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller (a bank or, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, a recognized securities dealer) to repurchase the security at an agreed upon price and date (usually seven days or less from the date of original purchase). The resale
price is in excess of the purchase price and reflects an agreed upon market rate unrelated to the coupon rate on the purchased security. Such transactions afford the Fund the opportunity to earn a return on temporarily available cash at minimal market risk. While the underlying security may be a bill, certificate of indebtedness, note, or bond issued by an agency, authority, or instrumentality of the U.S. Government, the obligation of the seller is not guaranteed by the U.S. Government, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying security. In such event, the Fund would attempt to exercise rights with respect to the underlying security, including possible disposition in the market. However, the Fund may be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines in the value of the underlying security during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, (b) possible reduced levels of income and lack of income during this period, and (c) inability to enforce rights and the expenses involved in attempted enforcement.
Rule 144A Securities
Rule 144A securities are privately offered securities that can be resold only to certain qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A securities are treated as illiquid, unless Loomis Sayles has determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's trustees, that the particular issue of Rule 144A securities is liquid. Under the guidelines, Loomis Sayles considers such factors as: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for a security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades in the security.
Securities Lending
Securities lending involves a Fund lending its portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other parties under contracts calling for the deposit by the borrower with the Fund's custodian of cash collateral equal to at least the market value of the securities loaned, marked to market on a daily basis. The Fund will continue to benefit from payments in lieu of interest or dividends on the securities loaned and will also receive interest through investment of the cash collateral in short-term liquid investments. No loans will be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of such loans outstanding at any time would exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's assets (taken at current value). Any voting rights, or rights to consent, relating to securities loaned pass to the borrower. However, if a material event affecting the investment occurs, such loans may be called so that the securities may be voted by the Fund. The Fund pays various fees in connection with such loans, including shipping fees and reasonable custodial or placement fees.
Securities loans must be fully collateralized at all times, but involve some credit risk to the Fund if the borrower defaults on its obligation and the Fund is delayed or prevented from recovering the collateral.
Short-Term Trading
The Funds may, consistent with their investment objectives, engage in portfolio trading in anticipation of, or in response to, changing economic or market conditions and trends. These policies may result in higher turnover rates in the Fund's portfolio, which may produce higher transaction costs and a higher level of taxable capital gains. Portfolio turnover considerations will not limit the adviser's investment discretion in managing a Fund's assets. The Funds anticipate that their portfolio turnover rates will vary significantly from time to time depending on the volatility of economic and market conditions.
Small Capitalization Companies
Investments in companies with relatively small market capitalizations may involve greater risk than is usually associated with more established companies. These companies often have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and they may be dependent upon a relatively small management group. Their securities may have limited marketability and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic movements in price than securities of companies with larger capitalizations or market averages in general. The net asset values of funds that invest in companies with smaller capitalizations therefore may fluctuate more widely than market averages.
Step Coupon Securities
Certain Funds may invest in step coupon securities. Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. Market values of these types of securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do conventional interest-paying securities of comparable term and quality. Under many market conditions, investments in such securities may be illiquid, making it difficult for a Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities
Stripped mortgage-backed securities include interest-only and principal-only classes of mortgage-backed securities ("IOs" and "POs", respectively). The yield to maturity of an IO or PO is extremely sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying assets. A rapid rate of principal prepayments may have a measurably adverse effect on a Fund's yield to maturity to the extent it invests in IOs. If the assets underlying the IOs experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, POs tend to decline in value if prepayments are slower than anticipated.
The secondary market for stripped mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than that for other mortgage-backed securities, potentially limiting a Fund's ability to buy or sell those securities at any particular time.
"Stripped" Securities
Certain Funds may invest in stripped securities, which are usually structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distribution on a pool of U.S. government, or foreign government securities or mortgage assets. In some cases, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest-only or "IO" class), while the other class will receive the entire principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). Stripped securities commonly have greater market volatility than other types of fixed-income securities. In the case of stripped mortgage securities, if the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated payments of principal, a Fund may fail to recoup fully its investments in IOs. The staff of the SEC has indicated that it views stripped mortgage securities as illiquid unless the securities are issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and are backed by fixed-rate mortgages. The Funds intend to abide by the staff's position. Stripped securities may be considered derivative securities.
Structured Notes
Certain Funds may invest in a broad category of instruments known as "structured notes." These instruments are debt obligations issued by industrial corporations, financial institutions or governmental or international agencies. Traditional debt obligations typically obligate the issuer to repay the principal plus a specified rate of interest. Structured notes, by contrast, obligate the issuer to pay amounts of principal or interest that are determined by reference to changes in some external factor or factors. For example, the issuer's obligations could be determined by reference to changes in the value of a commodity (such as gold or oil), a foreign currency, an index of securities (such as the S&P 500 Index) or an interest rate (such as the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to changes over time in the difference (or "spread") between two or more external factors (such as the U.S. prime lending rate and the total return of the stock market in a particular country, as measured by a stock index). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may fluctuate inversely with changes in an external factor or factors (for example, if the U.S. prime lending rate goes up, the issuer's interest payment obligations are reduced). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may be determined by some multiple of the change in an external factor or factors (for example, three times the change in the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations remain fixed (as with a traditional debt instrument) so long as an external factor or factors do not change by more than the specified amount (for example, if the value of a stock index does not exceed some specified maximum), but if the external factor or factors change by more than the specified amount, the
issuer's obligations may be sharply reduced.
Structured notes can serve many different purposes in the management of a mutual fund. For example, they can be used to increase a Fund's exposure to changes in the value of assets that the Fund would not ordinarily purchase directly (such as stocks traded in a market that is not open to U.S. investors). They can also be used to hedge the risks associated with other investments a Fund holds. For example, if a structured note has an interest rate that fluctuates inversely with general changes in a country's stock market index, the value of the structured note would generally move in the opposite direction to the value of holdings of stocks in that market, thus moderating the effect of stock market movements on the value of a Fund's portfolio as a whole.
Risks. Structured notes involve special risks. As with any debt obligation, structured notes involve the risk that the issuer will become insolvent or otherwise default on its payment obligations. This risk is in addition to the risk that the issuer's obligations (and thus the value of a Fund's investment) will be reduced because of adverse changes in the external factor or factors to which the obligations are linked. The value of structured notes will in many cases be more volatile (that is, will change more rapidly or severely) than the value of traditional debt instruments. Volatility will be especially high if the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to some multiple of the change in the external factor or factors. Many structured notes have limited or no liquidity, so that a Fund would be unable to dispose of the investment prior to maturity. As with all investments, successful use of structured notes depends in significant part on the accuracy of the adviser's analysis of the issuer's creditworthiness and financial prospects, and of the adviser's forecast as to changes in relevant economic and financial market conditions and factors. In instances where the issuer of a structured note is a foreign entity, the usual risks associated with investments in foreign securities (described below) apply. Structured notes may be considered derivative securities.
Swap Transactions
A Fund may enter into interest rate or currency swaps to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, to manage duration, or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. A swap transaction involves an agreement (typically with a bank or a brokerage firm as counter party) to exchange two streams of payments (for example, an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of principal). The Fund will segregate liquid assets at its custodian bank in an amount sufficient to cover its current obligations under swap agreements. Because swap agreements are not exchange-traded, but are private contracts into which the Fund and a swap counterparty enter as principals, the Fund may experience a loss or delay in recovering assets if the counterparty defaults on its obligations. Swaps are often used for many of the same purposes as, and share many of the same risks with, other derivative instruments such as, participation notes and zero-strike warrants and options and debt-linked and/or equity-linked securities.
Tax Exempt Securities
Certain Funds may invest in "Tax Exempt Securities," which term refers to debt securities the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by the Fund's portfolio manager to be reliable), exempt from federal income tax. Tax Exempt Securities include debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions (for example, counties, cities, towns, villages and school districts) and authorities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which certain Tax Exempt Securities may be issued include the refunding of outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for federal operating expenses, or obtaining funds to lend to public or private institutions for the construction of facilities such as educational, hospital and housing facilities. In addition, certain types of private activity bonds have been or may be issued by public authorities or on behalf of state or local governmental units to finance privately operated housing facilities, sports facilities, convention or trade facilities, air or water pollution control facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas, electricity or sewage or solid waste disposal. Such obligations are included within the term "Tax Exempt Securities" if the interest paid thereon, is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by the Fund's portfolio manager to be reliable), exempt from federal income
tax.
The ability of the Funds to invest in securities other than tax-exempt securities is limited by a requirement of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), that, in order to be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends, at least 50% of the value of such Fund's total assets be invested in obligations the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax at the end of each calendar quarter.
Funds that invest in certain tax-exempt bonds or certain private activity bonds may not be a desirable investment for "substantial users" of facilities financed by such obligations or bonds or for "related persons" of substantial users. You should contact your financial adviser or attorney for more information if you think you may be a "substantial user" or a "related person" of a substantial user.
There are variations in the quality of Tax Exempt Securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, depending on numerous factors (see Appendix A).
The two principal classifications of tax-exempt bonds are general obligation bonds and limited obligation (or revenue) bonds. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from the issuer's general unrestricted revenues and not from any particular fund or source. The characteristics and method of enforcement of general obligation bonds vary according to the law applicable to the particular issuer, and payment may be dependent upon an appropriation by the issuer's legislative body. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities, or in some cases from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source such as the user of the facility. Tax-exempt private activity bonds are in most cases revenue bonds and generally are not payable from the unrestricted revenues of the issuer. The credit and quality of such bonds are usually directly related to the credit standing of the corporate user of the facilities. Principal and interest on such bonds are the responsibilities of the corporate user (and any guarantor).
The yields on Tax Exempt Securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the Tax Exempt Securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Further, information about the financial condition of an issuer of tax-exempt bonds may not be as extensive as that made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. The ratings of Moody's, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the Tax Exempt Securities, which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, Tax Exempt Securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields while Tax Exempt Securities of the same maturity and interest rates with different ratings may have the same yield. Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue of Tax Exempt Securities or other investments may cease to be rated or the rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by a Fund. Neither event will require the elimination of an investment from a Fund's portfolio, but a Fund's adviser will consider such an event as part of its normal, ongoing review of all a Fund's portfolio securities.
Securities in which a Funds may invest, including Tax Exempt Securities, are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by Congress or the state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their Tax Exempt Securities may be materially affected or that their obligations may be found to be invalid and unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for tax-exempt bonds or certain segments thereof, or materially affecting the credit risk with respect to particular bonds. Adverse economic, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of a Fund's Tax Exempt Securities in the same manner.
From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations issued by states and their political subdivisions and similar proposals may well be introduced in the future. If such a proposal were enacted, the availability of Tax-Exempt Securities for investment by the Funds and the value of a Fund's portfolios could be
materially affected, in which event such a Fund would reevaluate their investment objectives and policies and consider changes in their structure or dissolution.
All debt securities, including tax-exempt bonds, are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, for any given change in the level of interest rates, prices for longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices for shorter maturity issues.
U.S. Government Securities
U.S. Government securities have different kinds of government support. Such securities include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, as well as securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, authorities, and instrumentalities, including, among others, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Housing Administration, the Resolution Funding Corporation, the Federal Farm Credit Banks, the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Student Loan Marketing Association, and the Small Business Administration. More detailed information about some of these categories of U.S. Government securities follows.
U.S. Treasury Bills - U.S. Treasury Bills are direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities of one year or less. No interest is paid on Treasury bills; instead, they are issued at a discount and repaid at full face value when they mature. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds - U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds are direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities that vary between one and forty years, with interest normally payable every six months. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
"Ginnie Maes" - Ginnie Maes are debt securities issued by a mortgage banker or other mortgagee that represent an interest in a pool of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmer's Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. The Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest when such payments are due, whether or not these amounts are collected by the issuer of these certificates on the underlying mortgages. An assistant attorney general of the United States has rendered an opinion that the guarantee by GNMA is a general obligation of the United States backed by its full faith and credit. Mortgages included in single family or multi-family residential mortgage pools backing an issue of Ginnie Maes have a maximum maturity of up to 30 years. Scheduled payments of principal and interest are made to the registered holders of Ginnie Maes (such as the Funds) each month. Unscheduled prepayments may be made by homeowners or as a result of a default. Prepayments are passed through to the registered holder of Ginnie Maes along with regular monthly payments of principal and interest.
"Fannie Maes" - The Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders that purchases residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers. Fannie Maes are pass-through securities issued by FNMA that are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
"Freddie Macs" - The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC") is a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government. Freddie Macs are participation certificates issued by FHLMC that represent an interest in residential mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but Freddie Macs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Some U.S. Government securities, called "Treasury inflation-protected securities" or "TIPS," are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on TIPS is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Although repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed, the market value of TIPS is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate.
The values of TIPS generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of TIPS. In contrast, if nominal interest rates were to increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of TIPS. If inflation is lower than expected during the period a Fund holds TIPS, the Fund may earn less on the TIPS than on a conventional bond. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in TIPS may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds' inflation measure. There can be no assurance that the inflation index for TIPS will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.
The yields available from U.S. Government securities are generally lower than the yields available from corporate fixed-income securities. Like other fixed-income securities, however, the values of U.S. Government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in the Fund's net asset value. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when the Fund's average maturity is larger, under certain market conditions each Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, expect lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher yielding long-term securities. Securities such as Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the relevant entity but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. An event affecting the guaranteeing entity could adversely affect the payment of principal or interest or both on the security, and therefore these types of securities should be considered riskier than U.S. government securities.
Warrants
Certain Funds may invest in warrants. A warrant is an instrument that gives the holder a right to purchase a given number of shares of a particular security at a specified price until a stated expiration date. Buying a warrant generally can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an investment of equivalent amounts in the underlying common stock. The market value of a warrant does not necessarily move with the value of the underlying securities. If a holder does not sell the warrant, it risks the loss of its entire investment if the market price of the underlying security does not, before the expiration date, exceed the exercise price of the warrant plus the cost thereof. Investment in warrants is a speculative activity. Warrants pay no dividends and confer no rights (other than the right to purchase the underlying securities) with respect to the assets of the issuer.
When-Issued Securities
A when-issued security involves a Fund entering into a commitment to buy a security before the security has been issued. The Fund's payment obligation and the interest rate on the security are determined when the Fund enters into the commitment. The security is typically delivered to the Fund 15 to 120 days later. No interest accrues on the security between the time the Fund enters into the commitment and the time the security is delivered. If the value of the security being purchased falls between the time a Fund commits to buy it and the payment date, the Fund may sustain a loss. The risk of this loss is in addition to the Fund's risk of loss on the securities actually in its portfolio at the time. In addition, when the Fund buys a security on a when-issued basis, it is subject to the risk that market rates of interest will increase before the time the security is delivered, with the result that the yield on the security delivered to the Fund may be lower than the yield available on other, comparable securities at the time of delivery. If a Fund has outstanding obligations to buy when-issued securities, it will segregate liquid assets at its custodian bank in an amount sufficient to satisfy these obligations.
Zero Coupon Securities
Zero coupon securities are debt obligations (e.g., bonds) that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. Such bonds are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the bonds, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of zero coupon bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond
to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than coupon bonds having similar maturities and credit quality. In order to satisfy a requirement for qualification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), each Fund must distribute each year at least 90% of its net investment income, including the original issue discount accrued on zero coupon bonds. Because a Fund investing in zero coupon bonds will not on a current basis receive cash payments from the issuer in respect of accrued original issue discount, the Fund may have to distribute cash obtained from other sources in order to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement under the Code. Such cash might be obtained from selling other portfolio holdings of the Fund. In some circumstances, such sales might be necessary in order to satisfy cash distribution requirements even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the Fund to sell such securities at such time.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES
The Funds have the flexibility to respond promptly to changes in market and economic conditions. In the interest of preserving shareholders' capital, Loomis Sayles may employ a temporary defensive strategy if they determine such a strategy to be warranted. Pursuant to such a defensive strategy, a Fund temporarily may hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. It is impossible to predict whether, when or for how long a Fund will employ defensive strategies. The use of defensive strategies may prevent the Funds from achieving their goals.
In addition, pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or to meet ordinary daily cash needs, the Funds may temporarily hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies or multinational currency units) and may invest any portion of its assets in money market instruments.
RATINGS AGENCIES
Ratings agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of debt obligations, including convertible securities. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks. Appendix A lists the major ratings agencies and their rating categories. Ratings agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings and an issuer's current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates. In evaluating the quality of a security, whether rated or unrated, Loomis Sayles will normally consider, among other things, the issuer's financial resources and operating history, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, the ability of its management, its debt maturity schedules and borrowing requirements, and the relative values based on anticipated cash flow, interest and asset coverage and earnings prospects. Loomis Sayles will attempt to reduce the risks of investing in lower rated or unrated securities through active portfolio management, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in the economy and financial markets. The ratings of a debt security may change over time. Rating agencies monitor and evaluate the ratings assigned to securities on an ongoing basis. As a result, debt instruments held by the Fund could receive a higher rating (which would tend to increase their value) or a lower rating (which would tend to decrease their value) during the period in which they are held. A Fund will not necessarily sell a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
A Fund's portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities, excluding securities having maturity dates at acquisition of one year or less, for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year. High portfolio turnover may generate higher levels of taxable gains and correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Funds, thereby decreasing the Funds' total return. The portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 was significantly lower for the Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund due to a reallocation to the emerging market sector that occurred within the Fund during the fiscal year ending 2004 and a subsequent decline in such reallocations during 2005. It is impossible to predict with certainty whether future portfolio turnover rates will be higher or lower than those experienced during past periods. Each Fund anticipates that its portfolio turnover rate will vary significantly from time to time depending on the volatility of economic and market conditions.
Generally, each Fund intends to invest for long-term purposes. However, the rate of portfolio turnover will depend upon market and other conditions, and it will not be a limiting factor when an adviser believes that portfolio changes are appropriate. Portfolio turnover considerations will not limit Loomis Sayles' investment discretion in managing the assets of each Fund.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Funds have adopted policies to limit the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and to ensure equal access to such information, except in certain circumstances as approved by the Board of Trustees. Generally, full portfolio holdings information will not be available except on a monthly basis following an aging period of at least 30 days between the date of the information and the date on which it is disclosed. A list of the Funds' top 10 holdings will generally be available on a monthly basis within 5 days of month-end. The portfolio holdings information will generally be made available on the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com. Any holdings information that is released must clearly indicate the date of the information, and must state that due to active management, the Funds may or may not still invest in the securities listed. Portfolio characteristics, such as industry/sector breakdown, current yield, quality breakdown, duration, average price-earnings ratio and other similar information may be provided on a current basis. However, portfolio characteristics do not include references to specific portfolio holdings.
The Board of Trustees has approved exceptions to the general policy on the sharing of portfolio holdings information as in the best interests of the Funds, as follows:
(1) Disclosure of portfolio holdings posted on the Funds' website provided the information is shared no sooner than the next day following the day on which the information is posted;
(2) Disclosure to firms offering industry-wide services, provided that the firm has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Funds, their principal underwriter or an affiliate of the Funds' principal underwriter. Entities that receive information pursuant to this exception include Lipper (monthly disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided 5 days after month-end); Vestek (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided the next business day); and FactSet (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings provided the next business day);
(3) Disclosure to ADP Investor Communication Services, Inc. as part of the proxy voting recordkeeping services provided to the Funds, and to Investor Research Services, Inc. and Glass Lewis, LLC, as part of the proxy voting administration and research services, respectively, provided to the Funds' adviser (portfolio holdings of issuers as of record date for shareholder meetings);
(4) Disclosure to employees of the Funds' adviser, principal underwriter, administrator, custodian and fund accounting agent, as well as to broker-dealers executing portfolio transactions for the Fund, provided that such disclosure is made for bona fide business purposes; and
(5) Other disclosures made for non-investment purposes, but only if approved in writing in advance by an officer of the Funds. Such exceptions will be reported to the Board of Trustees.
With respect to (5) above, approval will be granted only when the officer determines that the Funds have a legitimate business reason for sharing the portfolio holdings information and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the information. As of the date of this SAI, the only entity that receives information pursuant to this exception is GCom2 (quarterly, or more frequently as needed, disclosure of full portfolio holdings) for the purpose of performing certain functions related to the production of the Funds' semi-annual financial statements, quarterly Form N-Q filing and other related items. The Funds' Board of Trustees exercises oversight of the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio holdings by reviewing, on a quarterly basis, persons or entities receiving such disclosure. Notwithstanding the above, there is no assurance that the Funds' policies on the sharing of portfolio holdings information will protect the Funds from the potential misuse of holdings by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
In addition, any disclosures of portfolio holdings information by a Fund or its adviser must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, the Fund's and the adviser's fiduciary duty to
shareholders, and the Fund's code of ethics. The Funds' policies expressly prohibit the sharing of portfolio holdings information if the Fund, its adviser, or any other affiliated party receives compensation or other consideration in connection with such arrangement. The term "consideration" includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Funds or in other funds or accounts managed by the Fund's adviser or by any affiliated person of the adviser.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
The Funds are governed by a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for generally overseeing the conduct of Fund business and for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Funds' activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Funds and review the Funds' performance.
The table below provides certain information regarding the Trustees and officers of Loomis Sayles Funds I. For purposes of this table and for purposes of this Statement, the term "Independent Trustee" means those trustees who are not "interested persons" as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") of the relevant trust and, when applicable, who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on by the relevant Board of Trustees. For purposes of this Statement, the term "Interested Trustee" means those trustees who are "interested persons" of the relevant trust and, when applicable, who have a direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on by the relevant Board of Trustees.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all persons below is 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Number of Portfolios Position(s) Held with in Fund Complex the Trust, Length of Principal Overseen*** and Time Served and Occupation(s) During Other Directorships Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- --------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Graham T. Allison, Jr. Trustee, since 2003 Douglas Dillon Professor and 38; Director, Taubman (3/23/40)............. Contract Review and Director of the Belfer Center Centers, Inc. (real estate Governance Committee of Science and International investment trust) Member Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Charles D. Baker...... Trustee, since 2005 President and Chief Executive 38; None (11/13/56)............ Contract Review and Officer, Harvard Pilgrim Governance Committee Health Care (health plan) Member Edward A. Benjamin.... Trustee, since 2002 Retired 38;Director, Precision (5/30/38)............. Contract Review and Optics Corporation (optics Governance Committee manufacturer) Member Daniel M. Cain........ Trustee, since 2003; President and Chief Executive 38; Director, Sheridan (2/24/45)............. Chairman of the Audit Officer, Cain Brothers & Healthcare, Inc. (physician Committee Company, Incorporated practice management) (investment banking) |
Position(s) Held with Number of Portfolios in the Trust, Length of Principal Fund Complex Time Served and Occupation(s) During Overseen*** and Other Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Directorships Held ---------------------- ------------------------------ ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Paul G. Chenault Trustee, since 2000 Retired; Trustee, First 38; Director, Mailco Office (9/12/33) Variable Life (variable life Products, Inc. (mailing Contract Review and insurance) equipment) Governance Committee Member Kenneth J. Cowan Trustee, since 2003; Retired 38; None (4/5/32) Chairman of the Contract Review and Governance Committee Richard Darman Trustee, since 2003 Partner, The Carlyle Group 38; Director and Chairman of (5/10/43) (investments); formerly, the Board of Directors, AES Contract Review and Professor, John F. Kennedy Corporation (international Governance Committee School of Government, power company) Member Harvard University Sandra O. Moose Trustee, since 2003 President, Strategic Advisory 38; Director, Verizon (2/17/42) Services (management Communications; Director, Chairperson of the Board, consulting); formerly, Senior Rohm and Haas Company since 2005 Vice President and Director, (specialty chemicals); The Boston Consulting Group, Director, AES Corporation Ex officio member of the Audit Inc. (management consulting) Committee and Contract Review and Governance Committee John A. Shane Trustee, since 2003 President, Palmer Service 38; Director, Gensym (2/22/33) Corporation (venture capital Corporation (software and Audit Committee Member organization) technology services provider); (formerly, Contract Review Director and Chairman of the and Governance Committee Board, Abt Associates Inc. Member) (research and consulting firm) Cynthia L. Walker Trustee, since 2005 Executive Dean for 38; None (7/25/56) Administration (formerly, Audit Committee Member Dean for Finance & CFO), Harvard Medical School |
Number of Portfolios in Position(s) Held with Fund Complex the Trust, Length of Principal Overseen*** and Time Served and Occupation(s) During Other Directorships Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------- INTERESTED TRUSTEES Robert J. Blanding/1/ Trustee, since 2002 President, Chairman, Director 38; None (4/14/47) and Chief Executive Officer, 555 California Street President and Chief Executive Loomis, Sayles & Company, San Francisco, CA 94104 Officer of Loomis Sayles L.P.; Funds I John T. Hailer/2/ Trustee, since 2003 President and Chief Executive 38; None (11/23/60) Officer, IXIS Asset Executive Vice President of Management Distributors, Loomis Sayles Funds I, since L.P.; President and Chief 2003 Executive Officer, IXIS Advisor Funds |
* All Trustees serve until retirement, resignation or removal from the Board. The current retirement age is 72, but was suspended for the calendar year 2005. At a meeting held on August 26, 2005, the Trustees voted to lift the suspension of the retirement policy but to designate 2006 as a transition period so that any Trustees who are currently 72 or older or who reach age 72 during the remainder of 2005 or in 2006 will not be required to retire until the end of calendar year 2006. The position of Chairperson of the Board is appointed for a two-year term.
** Each person listed above, except as noted, holds the same position(s) with the Trust. Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors"), IXIS Asset Management Services Company ("IXIS Services") or Loomis Sayles are omitted if not materially different from a trustee's or officer's current position with such entity.
*** The Trustees of the Trust serve as Trustees of a fund complex that includes all series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II.
/1/ Mr. Blanding is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust: President, Chairman, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Loomis Sayles.
/2/ Mr. Hailer is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust: Director and Executive Vice President of IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Advisors and IXIS Distributors.
Number of Portfolios Position(s) Held with in Fund Complex the Trust, Length of Principal Overseen*** and Time Served and Occupation(s) During Other Directorships Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------ -------------------- OFFICERS Coleen Downs Dinneen Secretary, Clerk and Chief Senior Vice President, General Not Applicable (12/16/60) Legal Officer, since 2004 Counsel, Secretary and Clerk (formerly, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk) IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. Michael C. Kardok Treasurer, Principal Financial Senior Vice President, IXIS Not Applicable (7/17/59) and Accounting Officer, since Asset Management Advisors, 2004 L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Director, PFPC Inc.; formerly, Vice President - Division Manager, First Data Investor Services, Inc. Max J. Mahoney Anti-Money Laundering Senior Vice President, Deputy Not Applicable (5/1/62) Officer and Assistant General Counsel, Assistant Secretary, since 2005 Secretary and Assistant Clerk, IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Chief Compliance Officer, IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Counsel, MetLife, Inc.; formerly, Associate Counsel, LPL Financial Services, Inc. |
Number of Portfolios Position(s) Held with in Fund Complex the Trust, Length of Principal Overseen*** and Time Served and Occupation(s) During Other Directorships Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------ -------------------- John E. Pelletier Chief Operating Officer, since Executive Vice President and Not Applicable (6/24/64) 2004 Chief Operating Officer (formerly, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer (formerly, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation; Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director (formerly President, Chief Operating Officer and Director) IXIS Asset Management Services Company Daniel J. Fuss Executive Vice President, Vice Chairman and Director, Not Applicable (9/27/33) since 2003 Loomis Sayles & Company, One Financial Center L.P.; Prior to 2002, President Boston, MA 02111 and Trustee of Loomis Sayles Funds II Kristin Vigneaux Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Compliance Officer for Not Applicable (9/25/69) since 2004 Mutual Funds, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P ; formerly, Vice President, IXIS Asset Management Services Company |
* Each officer of the Trust serves for an indefinite term in accordance with its current By-laws until the date his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until he or she sooner dies, retires, is removed or becomes disqualified.
** Each person listed above, except as noted, holds the same position(s) with the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts. Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Advisors or Loomis Sayles are omitted, if not materially different from an officer's current position with such entity.
Standing Board Committees
The Trustees have delegated certain authority to the two standing committees of the Trust, the Audit Committee and Contract Review and Governance Committee.
The Contract Review and Governance Committee of the Trust consists solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to advisory, subadvisory and distribution arrangements, potential conflicts of interest between the adviser and the Trust, and governance matters relating to the Trust. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held six meetings.
The Contract Review and Governance Committee also makes nominations for
independent trustee membership on the Board of Trustees when necessary and
considers recommendations from shareholders of the Funds that are submitted in
accordance with the procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the
Board of Trustees. Pursuant to those procedures, shareholders must submit a
recommendation for nomination in a signed writing addressed to the attention of
the Board of Trustees, c/o Secretary of the Funds, IXIS Asset Management
Advisors Group, 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. This written
communication must identify (i) the name and address of the shareholder,
(ii) the Fund(s) to which the communication relates, and (iii) the account
number, class and number of shares held by the shareholder as of a recent date
or the intermediary through which the shares are held. The recommendation must
contain sufficient background information concerning the trustee candidate to
enable a proper judgment to be made as to the candidate's qualifications, which
may include (i) the nominee's knowledge of the mutual fund industry; (ii) any
experience possessed by the nominee as a director or senior officer of other
public companies; (iii) the nominee's educational background; (iv) the
nominee's reputation for high ethical standards and personal and professional
integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed
by the nominee, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the
Board's existing mix of skills and qualifications; (vi) the nominee's perceived
ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the
nominee's ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work
collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the nominee's ability to
qualify as an Independent Trustee for purposes of applicable regulations; and
(viii) such other factors as the appropriate Board Committee may request in
light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or
other transitions. The recommendation must be received in a timely manner (and
in any event no later than the date specified for receipt of shareholder
proposals in any applicable proxy statement with respect to a Fund). A
recommendation for trustee nomination shall be kept on file and considered by
the Board for six (6) months from the date of receipt, after which the
recommendation shall be considered stale and discarded.
The Audit Committee of the Trusts consists solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to the scope and results of the Trust's audits and serves as a forum in which the independent registered public accountants can raise any issues or problems identified in the audit with the Board of Trustees. This Committee also reviews and monitors compliance with stated investment objectives and policies, SEC and Treasury regulations as well as operational issues relating to the transfer agent and custodian. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held five meetings.
The current membership of each committee is as follows:
Audit Committee Contract Review and Governance Committee --------------- ---------------------------------------- Daniel M. Cain - Chairman Kenneth J. Cowan - Chairman John A. Shane Graham T. Allison, Jr. Cynthia L. Walker Charles D. Baker Edward A. Benjamin Paul G. Chenault Richard Darman |
As chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Moose is an ex officio member of both Committees.
Trustee Fees
The Trust pays no compensation to its officers or to their trustees who are Interested Trustees.
The Chairperson of the Board receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $200,000. The Chairperson does not receive any meeting attendance fees for Board of Trustees meetings or committee meetings that she attends. Each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $55,000. Each Independent Trustee also receives a meeting attendance fee of $6,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends in person and $3,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends telephonically. In addition, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $10,000. Each Contract Review and Governance Committee member is compensated $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,000 for each committee meeting that he or she attends telephonically. Each Audit Committee member is compensated $5,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,500 for each meeting her or she attends telephonically. These fees are allocated among the mutual fund portfolios in the IXIS Advisor Funds Trusts and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts based on a formula that takes into account, among other factors, the relative net assets of each mutual fund portfolio. In addition, for oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund, a closed-end fund advised by AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of IXIS Advisors and Loomis Sayles, each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000 and meeting attendance fees of $375 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends. Each committee member receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000. Furthermore, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $1,000. The retainer fees for the AEW Real Estate Income Fund assume four Committee meetings per year. Each Trustee of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund is compensated $200 per Committee meeting that he or she attends in excess of four per year.
For the period October 1, 2005 to November 18, 2005, the compensation structure for the Chairperson of the Board and attendance fees for the committee meetings were different. Each co-chairman of the Board received a retainer fee at the annual rate of $25,000 in addition to the compensation structure detailed in the paragraph above. Each Committee member received $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended in person and $2,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended telephonically.
Prior to October 1, 2005, each Independent Trustee received, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $50,000 and meeting attendance fees of $5,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attended. The co-chairmen of the Board each received an additional retainer fee of $25,000. Each committee chairman received an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $7,000. Each Trustee was compensated $3,750 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended. The fees paid for the oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund were the same as the current fees.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 for the Trust, the trustees of the Trust received the amounts set forth in the following table for serving as trustee of the Trust and also for serving as trustees of the IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust Loomis Sayles Funds II and AEW Real Estate Income Fund. The table also sets forth, as applicable, pension or retirement benefits accrued as past fund expenses, as well as estimated annual retirement benefits and total compensation paid to trustees by the Trusts:
Fund Securities Owned by the Trustees
As of December 31, 2005, the trustees and the following ownership in the Funds:
Independent Trustees:
Graham T. Charles D. Edward A. Daniel M. Paul G. Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Allison, Jr.** Baker Benjamin** Cain** Chenault** ---------------------------- -------------- ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund A A A A A Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund A A A A A Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund A A A A A Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund A A A A A Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex E A E E E |
Kenneth J. Richard Sandra O. John A. Cynthia L. Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Cowan** Darman** Moose** Shane** Walker ---------------------------- ---------- -------- --------- ------- ---------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund C A A A A Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund B A A A A Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund A A A A A Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund C A A A A Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex E E E E A |
*A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
**Amounts include amounts held through the deferred compensation plan.
Interested Trustees
Robert J. John T. Dollar Range of Fund Shares* Blanding Hailer ---------------------------- --------- ------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund A A Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund E A Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund A A Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund A A Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex: E E |
*A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
**Amounts include amounts held through the deferred compensation plan.
Compensation Table For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2005
Pension or Estimated Total Compensation Aggregate Retirement Benefits Annual From the Fund Compensation Accrued as Part of Benefits Upon Complex/3/ Name of Person, Position from Trust/1/ Trust Expenses/2/ Retirement Paid to Trustee ------------------------ ------------ ------------------- ------------- ------------------ Independent Trustees Graham T. Allison, Jr. $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Charles D. Baker/4/ $ 8,919 $0 $0 $ 22,625 Edward A. Benjamin $39,914 $0 $0 $105,025 Daniel M. Cain $54,177 $0 $0 $140,810 Paul G. Chenault $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Kenneth J. Cowan $55,371 $0 $0 $144,360 Richard Darman $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Sandra O. Moose $36,242 $0 $0 $ 95,900 John A. Shane $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Cynthia L. Walker/4/ $ 8,919 $0 $0 $ 22,625 Interested Trustees Robert J. Blanding $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 John T. Hailer $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 |
The IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Trusts do not provide pension or retirement benefits to trustees, but have adopted a deferred payment arrangement under which each Trustee may elect not to receive fees from the Funds on a current basis but to receive in a subsequent period an amount equal to the value that such fees would have been if they had been invested in a Fund or Funds selected by the Trustee on the normal payment date of such fees.
1 Amounts include payments deferred by trustees for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, with respect to the Trust. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued for Loomis Sayles Funds I as of September 30, 2005 for the Trustees is as follows: Allison ($189,748), Benjamin ($26,551), Cain ($50,407), Chenault ($9,163), Cowan ($35,211) and Darman ($67,636).
2 The Trusts provides no pension or retirement benefits to Trustees, but have adopted a deferred payment arrangement under which each Trustee may elect not to receive fees from the Trust on a current basis but to receive in a subsequent period an amount equal to the value that such fees would have been if they had been invested in a series or series of the Trusts selected by the Trustee on the normal payment date for such fees.
3 Total Compensation represents amounts paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 20052005 to a trustee for serving on the board of trustees of eight (8) trusts with a total of thirty-seven (37) funds as of September 30, 2005.
4 Mr. Baker and Ms. Walker were elected as Trustees on June 2, 2005.
Code of Ethics. The Trust, Loomis Sayles and the Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit the personnel of these entities to invest in securities, including securities that the Funds may purchase or hold.
Proxy Voting Policies. The Board of Trustees of the Funds has adopted the Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines (the "Guidelines") for the voting of proxies for securities held by any Funds. Under the Guidelines, the responsibility for voting proxies generally is delegated to a Fund's investment adviser. Decisions regarding the voting of proxies shall be made solely in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders. The exclusive purpose shall be to provide benefits to the shareholders of a Fund by considering those factors that affect the value of the securities. The adviser shall exercise its fiduciary responsibilities to vote proxies with respect to the Fund's investments that are managed by that adviser in a prudent manner in accordance with the Guidelines and the proxy voting policies of the adviser. Proposals that, in the opinion of the adviser, are in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "for" and proposals that, in the judgment of the adviser, are not in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "against". The adviser is responsible for maintaining certain records and reporting to the Audit Committee of the Trusts in connection with the voting of proxies. Upon request for reasonable periodic review as well as annual reporting to the SEC, the adviser shall make available to the Fund, or IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., the Fund's administrator, the records and information maintained by the adviser under the Guidelines.
Loomis Sayles uses the services of third parties ("Proxy Voting Service(s)"), to research and administer the vote on proxies for those accounts and funds for which Loomis Sayles has voting authority. Each Proxy Voting Service has a copy of Loomis Sayles' proxy voting procedures ("Procedures") and provides vote recommendations and/or analysis to Loomis Sayles based on the Proxy Voting Service's own research. Loomis Sayles will generally follow its express policy with input from the Proxy Voting Services unless Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee ( the "Proxy Committee") determines that the client's best interests are served by voting otherwise.
All issues presented for shareholder vote will be considered under the oversight of the Proxy Committee. All non-routine issues will be directly considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security, and will be voted in the best investment interests of the Fund. All routine "for" and "against" issues will be voted according to Loomis Sayles' policy approved by the Proxy Committee unless special factors require that they be considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security. Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee has established these routine policies in what it believes are the best investment interests of Loomis Sayles' clients.
The specific responsibilities of the Proxy Committee, include,
(1) developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Procedures,
including an annual review of the Procedures, existing voting guidelines and
the proxy voting process in general, (2) oversight of the proxy voting process
including oversight of the vote on proposals according to the predetermined
policies in the voting guidelines, directing the vote on proposals where there
is reason not to vote according to the predetermined policies in the voting
guidelines or where proposals require special consideration, and consultation
with the portfolio managers and analysts for the Fund(s) holding the security
when necessary or appropriate and, (3) engagement and oversight of third-party
vendors, including Proxy Voting Services.
Loomis Sayles has established several policies to ensure that proxy votes are voted in its clients' best interest and are not affected by any possible conflicts of interest. First, except in certain limited instances, Loomis Sayles votes in accordance with its pre-determined policies set forth in the Procedures. Second, where these Procedures allow for discretion, Loomis Sayles will generally consider the recommendations of the Proxy Voting Services in making its voting decisions. However, if the Proxy Committee determines that the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation is not in the best interest of its clients, then the Proxy Committee may use its discretion to vote against the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation, but only after taking the following steps: (1) conducting a review for any material conflict of interest Loomis Sayles may have and, (2) if any material conflict is
found to exist, excluding anyone at Loomis Sayles who is subject to that conflict of interest from participating in the voting decision in any way. However, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Proxy Committee after full prior disclosure of any conflict, that person may provide information, opinions or recommendations on any proposal to the Proxy Committee. In such event the Proxy Committee will make reasonable efforts to obtain and consider, prior to directing any vote information, opinions or recommendations from or about the opposing position on any proposal.
Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies related to their prospective portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2005 is available (i) through the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com and (ii) on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
The following table provides information on the principal holders of each Fund. A principal holder is a person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund's outstanding securities. Information provided in this table is as of January 18, 2006.
To the extent that any shareholder listed below beneficially owns more than 25% of a Fund, it may be deemed to "control" such Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The effect of such control may be to reduce the ability of other shareholders of the Fund to take actions requiring the affirmative vote of holders of a plurality or majority of the Fund's shares without the approval of the controlling shareholder.
Fund Shareholder and Address Percentage of Shares Held ------------- -------------------------------- -------------------------- LOOMIS SAYLES FIXED INCOME FUND Institutional Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. 23.36% Marsh & McLennan Defined Benefit Plan 1166 Ave of the Americas New York, NY 10036 Municipal Employees Retirement 7.80% System of LA-A Attn: Bob Rust 7937 Office Park Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70809-7606 Massachusetts Water Resources 7.26% Authority Retirement System Attn: Brian M. Leahy 100 First Ave. Charlestown Navy Yard Boston, MA 02129-2043 Somerville Retirement System 7.14% Attn: John Rourke, Chairman 50 Evergreen St. City Hall Annex Somerville, MA 0214-2819 The Northern Trust TTEE 6.79% FBO Centerpoint Energy Employees |
Fund Shareholder and Address Percentage of Shares Held ------------- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Savings Plan-DV PO Box 92994 Chicago, IL 60675-2994 Covenant Ministries of Benevolence 6.45% 5145 N. California Ave. Chicago, IL 60622-3661 Wake Forest University 5.71% Reynolds Hall, Room 203 PO Box 7354 1834 Wake Forest Dr. Winston-Salem, NC 27106-8758 LOOMIS SAYLES INSTITUTIONAL HIGH INCOME FUND Institutional Essex Regional Retirement Board 10.36% Attn: Timothy A. Bassett 491 Maple St. STE 202 Danvers, MA 01923-4025 Daniel J. Fuss 10.03% 44 Longfellow Rd. Wellesley, MA 02481-5221 Wendel & Co. A/C 415307 9.87% c/o The Bank of New York Mutual Fund Dept./Reorg.-6th Floor PO Box 1066 Wall St. Station New York, NY 10286-0001 Meadows Securities Company 8.60% As Nominee 80 E Market St Ste 300 Corning, NY 14830-2722 Brookline Contributory Retirement 8.23% System 333 Washington St. Brookline, MA 02445-6853 AMVESCAP National Trust Co. 7.90% as agent for Fleet Nat'l Bank FBO Loomis Sayles & Co. Deferral Program 400 Colony Square STE 2200 1201 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30361-6302 Rosemary B. Fuss 7.20% 44 Longfellow Rd. Wellesley, MA 02481-5221 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 6.84% Attn: Mutual Fund Dept. 101 Montgomery St. San Francisco, CA 94104-4122 |
Fund Shareholder and Address Percentage of Shares Held ------------- --------------------------------- ------------------------- Worcester Polytechnic Institute 6.33% Attn: Sylvia Cucinotta Associate Treasurer 100 Institute Rd. Worcester, MA 01609-2280 Teamsters Union 25 5.76% Health Services & Insurance Plan 16 Sever St. Charlestown, MA 02129-1305 |
LOOMIS SAYLES INTERMEDIATE DURATION FIXED INCOME FUND
Institutional Trustees of Clark University 21.80% Attn: James Collins 950 Main St Worcester, MA 01610-1477 Wells Fargo Bank NA FBO 21.48% Syntegra Retirement Plan-Loomis 12762405 P.O. Box 1533 Minneapolis, MN 55480-1533 Curry College 16.79% 1071 Blue Hill Ave. Milton, MA 02186-2395 Youngstown Area Jewish Federation 14.13% Attn: Debbie Grinstein 505 Gypsy Ln. Youngstown, OH 44504-1304 Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 138 7.77% Pension Fund 40 Poplar St Danvers, MA 01923-2249 WLCFS Investment Corporation 5.49% PO Box 245039 Milwaukee, WI 53244-9539 Wisconsin Lutheran Retirement 5.32% Community Inc. PO Box 245039 Milwaukee, WI 53244-9539 |
Institutional Bost & Co A/C MAFF1683002 15.23% Mellon Bank NA Mutual Funds Department P.O. Box 3198 Pittsburgh, PA 15230-3198 Braintree Contributory Retirement 12.56% System Attn: Jeanne Martineau 71 Cleveland Ave Braintree, MA 02184-4930 Teamsters Local 522 10.38% C/O William McGrath 2185 Lemoine Ave Fort lee, NJ 07024-6036 Strafe & Co 6.67% FBO SGC Assoc Pen Pl Mutual Fds LP P.O. Box 160 Westerville, OH 43086-0160 Jupiter & Co. 6.65% C/O Investors Bank & Trust P.O. Box 9130 FPG90 Boston, MA 02117-9130 BNY Midwest Trust Company 6.19% Trustee for AGCO Corporation Retirement Plan 700 S. Flower St Ste 200 Los Angeles, CA 90017-4104 SEI Private Trust Co 5.68% C/O M&T Bank ID 337 FBO: 4B01069-02 Attn: Mutual Funds Administrator Ome Freedom Valley Drive Oaks, PA 19456 Northern Trust Co. Cust 5.64% FBO Anne Ray Charitable Trust PO Box 92956 Chicago, IL 60675-2956 Pershing LLC 5.19% P.O. Box 2052 Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 National Cable Satellite Corp 5.14% 400 North Capitol St NW Suite 650 Washington, D.C. 20001-1550 |
Management Ownership
As of record on January 18, 2006, the officers and trustees of the Trust collectively owned less than 1% of the then outstanding shares of the Funds, except that Dan Fuss owned beneficially 10.03% of the Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund. The amounts include shares held by the Loomis Sayles Employees' Profit Sharing Plan (the "Profit Sharing Plan") or the Loomis Sayles Funded Pension Plan (the "Pension Plan").
As of January 10, 2006, the Profit Sharing Plan owned the following percentages of the outstanding Institutional Class shares of the indicated Funds: 4.19% of Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income and 1.32% of Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund.
As of January 10, 2006, the Pension Plan owned the following percentages of the outstanding Institutional Class shares: 2.06% of Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund.
The trustee of the Pension Plan and Profit Sharing Plan is Charles Schwab Trust Company. The Pension Plan's Advisory Committee, which is composed of the same individuals listed below as trustees of the Profit Sharing Plan, has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the Pension Plan's shares. The trustees of the Profit Sharing Plan are John DeBeer, Stephanie Lord, Teri Mason, Richard Skaggs, Timothy Hunt, Greg O'Hara, John McGraw, Paul Sherba, John Russell and Kurt Wagner. Except for Timothy Hunt, John DeBeer and John McGraw, each member of the Advisory Committee is an officer and employee of Loomis Sayles. Plan participants are entitled to exercise investment and voting power over shares owned of record by the Profit Sharing Plan. Shares not voted by participants are voted in the same proportion as the shares voted by the voting participants. The address for the Profit Sharing Plan and the Pension Plan is One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Advisory Agreements. Under each advisory agreement, Loomis Sayles manages the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the relevant Fund and generally administers its affairs, subject to supervision by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Loomis Sayles furnishes, at its own expense, all necessary office space, facilities and equipment, services of executive and other personnel of the Funds, and certain administrative services. For these services, the advisory agreements provide that each Fund shall pay Loomis Sayles a monthly investment advisory fee at the following annual percentage rates of the particular Fund's average daily net assets:
Fund Rate ---- ---- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 0.50% Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 0.60% |
Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 0.25% Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 0.40%
The Trust pays all expenses not borne by the adviser including, but not limited to, the charges and expenses of the Funds' custodian and transfer agent, independent accountants and legal counsel for the Funds and the Trust's Independent Trustees, 12b-1 fees, all brokerage commissions and transfer taxes in connection with portfolio transactions, all taxes and filing fees, the fees and expenses for registration or qualification of its shares under federal and state securities laws, all expenses of shareholders' and trustees' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing reports to shareholders and the compensation of trustees who are not directors, officers or employees of the Funds' adviser, or its affiliates, other than affiliated registered investment companies.
Each advisory agreement provides that it will continue in effect for two years from its date of execution and thereafter from year to year if its continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Each advisory agreement may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund, upon 60 days' written notice, or by the Fund's adviser upon 90 days' written notice, and each terminates automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Each advisory agreement provides that Loomis Sayles shall not be subject to any liability in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
During the periods shown below, pursuant to the advisory agreements described above, Loomis Sayles received the following amount of investment advisory fees from each Fund (before fee reductions and expense assumptions) and bore the following amounts of fee reductions and expense assumptions for each Fund. These amounts include amounts paid by the Fund's predecessors.
Fiscal Year Ended 9/30/03 Fiscal Year Ended 9/30/04 Fiscal Year Ended 9/30/05 ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- Fund Advisory Fees Fee Waivers Advisory Fees Fee Waivers Advisory Fees Fee Waivers ---- ------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $1,909,635 $ 87,352 $1,967,326 $ 52,551 $1,946,050 $11,427 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 427,233 113,990 551,345 117,817 592,394 74,176 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 113,851 111,005 98,780 98,780 104,740 90,431 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 544,476 93,548 652,322 88,099 733,210 50,043 |
Loomis Sayles has given a binding undertaking (for all classes of the Funds in the table below) to reduce the advisory fees and, if necessary, to bear certain expenses related to operating the Funds in order to limit their expenses, exclusive of brokerage expenses, interest expense, taxes and organizational and extraordinary expenses to the annual rates indicated below. The undertaking will be binding on Loomis Sayles for a period of one-year from the date shown, and will be reevaluated on an annual basis.
Fund Expense Limit Date of Undertaking ---- ------------- ------------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund Institutional Class 0.65% February 1, 2006 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund Institutional Class 0.75% February 1, 2006 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund Institutional Class 0.40% February 1, 2006 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund Institutional Class 0.55% February 1, 2006 |
In addition to serving as investment adviser to certain series of the Trust, Loomis Sayles also acts as investment adviser to certain series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II and Loomis Sayles Funds II each a registered open-end management investment company. Loomis Sayles also serves as subadviser to a number of other open-end management companies and provides investment advice to numerous other corporate and fiduciary clients.
Information About the Organization and Ownership of the Adviser of the Fund
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") is a registered investment adviser whose origins date back to 1926. An important feature of the Loomis Sayles investment approach is its emphasis on investment research. Recommendations and reports of the Loomis Sayles research department are circulated throughout the Loomis Sayles organization and are available to the individuals in the Loomis Sayles organization who are responsible for making investment decisions for the Funds' portfolios as well as numerous other institutional and individual clients to which Loomis Sayles provides investment advice. Loomis Sayles is a limited partnership whose sole general partner, Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management Holdings LLC ("IXIS Holdings"), which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"). IXIS Asset Management North America owns the entire limited partnership interest in Loomis Sayles.
IXIS Asset Management North America is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. IXIS Asset Management Group is ultimately owned principally, directly or indirectly, by three large affiliated French financial services entities: the Caisse des Depots et Consignations ("CDC"), a public sector financial institution created by the French government in 1816; the Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne, a financial institution owned by CDC and by French regional savings banks known as the Caisses d'Epargne; and by CNP Assurances, a large French life insurance company. The registered address of CNP Assurances is 4, place Raoul Dautry, 75015 Paris, France. The registered address Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne is 5, rue Masseran, 75007 Paris, France. The registered office of CDC is 56, rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France.
The 12 principal affiliated asset management firms of IXIS Asset Management North America collectively had approximately $202.7 billion in assets under management or administration as of December 31, 2005.
Allocation of Investment Opportunity Among IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Funds (the "Funds") and Other Investors Managed by the Adviser
Loomis Sayles has organized its business into three investment groups: The Fixed Income Group, The Equity Group and The Investment Counseling Group. The Fixed Income Group and the Equity Group make investment decisions for the funds managed by Loomis Sayles. The groups make investment decisions independently of one another. These groups also have responsibility for the management of other client portfolios. The other investment companies and clients served by Loomis Sayles' investment platforms sometimes invest in securities in which the funds (or segments thereof) advised or subadvised by Loomis Sayles also invest. If one of these funds and such other clients advised or subadvised by the same investment group of Loomis Sayles desire to buy or sell the same portfolio securities at or about the same time, the respective group allocates purchases and sales, to the extent practicable, on a pro rata basis in proportion to the amount desired to be purchased or sold for each fund or client advised or subadvised by that investment group. It is recognized that in some cases the practices described in this paragraph could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities which each of the funds purchases or sells. In other cases, however, it is believed that these practices may benefit the relevant Fund.
Distribution Agreement
Under agreements with the Trust (the "Distribution Agreements"), IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., 399 Boylston St., Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (the "Distributor"), serves as the general distributor of each class of shares of the Funds, a role it assumed on July 1, 2003. Previously, Loomis Sayles Distributors, L.P. served as principal underwriter of the Funds. Any reference to Distributor for the period prior to July 1, 2003 is in reference to Loomis Sayles Distributors, L.P. Under the Distribution Agreements, the Distributor is not obligated to sell a specific number of shares. The Distributor bears the cost of making information about the Funds available through advertising and other means and the cost of printing and mailing the Prospectuses to persons other than shareholders. The Funds pay the cost of registering and qualifying their shares under state and federal securities laws and the distribution of the Prospectuses to existing shareholders.
The Distribution Agreements may be terminated at any time with respect to a Fund on 60 days' written notice to the Distributor by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund or by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreements also may be terminated by the Distributor on 90 days' written notice to the Trust, and the Distribution Agreements automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In each such case, such termination will be without payment of any penalty.
The Distribution Agreements will continue in effect for successive one-year periods with respect to each Fund, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or the Distributor, in each case cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
Other Services.
IXIS Advisors performs certain accounting and administrative services for
the Funds, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 1,
2005, as amended from time to time (the "Administrative Agreement"). Under the
Administrative Agreement, IXIS Advisors provides the following services to the
Funds: (i) personnel that perform bookkeeping, accounting, internal auditing
and financial reporting functions and clerical functions relating to the Funds,
(ii) services required in connection with the preparation of registration
statements and prospectuses, registration of shares in various states,
shareholder reports and notices, proxy solicitation material furnished to
shareholders of the Funds or regulatory authorities and reports and
questionnaires for SEC compliance, and (iii) the various registrations and
filings required by various regulatory authorities.
Prior to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles performed these same services for the Trust, pursuant to an administrative services agreements with the Trust. On July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles assigned the Administrative
Services Agreements to IXIS Services, an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and IXIS Services performed the services listed above through December 31, 2004.
Prior to July 1, 2003, pursuant to the administrative services agreement between the Trust and Loomis Sayles, Loomis Sayles was reimbursed or was paid by the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, the following amounts, which include amounts paid by the Fund's predecessor, if applicable:
Period October 1, 2002 Fund through June 30, 2003 ---- ---------------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $95,959 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund $17,743 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund $ 9,651 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund $34,262 |
For the period July 1, 2003 through September 30, 2003, the fiscal year ended September 30, 2004 and the period from October 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004, pursuant to the administrative services agreement between ISC and the Trust, ISC was reimbursed or was paid by the Funds the following amounts:
Period from October 1, 2004 July 1, 2004 to Fiscal year ended through September 30, September 30, December 31, 2003 2004 2004 --------------- ----------------- --------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $37,064 $258,180 $59,744 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund $ 7,135 $ 60,296 $16,127 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund $ 3,601 $ 21,605 $ 5,663 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund $13,116 $107,008 $29,394 |
For the period January 1, 2005 through September 30, 2005, pursuant to the administrative services agreement between IXIS Advisors and the Trust, IXIS Advisors was reimbursed or was paid by the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, the following amounts:
Period from January 1, 2005 through September 30, 2005 --------------------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $193,690 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund $ 48,163 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund $ 18,131 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund $ 89,963 |
Transfer Agency Services.
Pursuant to a contract between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ("Boston Financial"), whose principal business address is Two Heritage Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts, 02171, acts as shareholder servicing and transfer agent for the Fund and is responsible for services in connection with the establishment, maintenance and recording of shareholder accounts, including all related tax and other reporting requirements and the implementation of investment and redemption arrangements offered in connection with the sale of the Fund's shares. Prior to October 1, 2005, IXIS Services served as the transfer agent for the Funds and it, along with Boston Financial as sub-transfer agent, provided the same services that Boston Financial now provides. For these services, IXIS Services received the following fees from the Funds:
Fiscal year Fiscal year ended ended February 1, 2003 to September 30, September 30, September 30, 2003* 2004 2005 ------------------- ------------- ------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $31,651 $39,376 $26,676 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund $ 9,947 $12,000 $23,745 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund $ 8,759 $12,000 $21,755 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund $11,110 $16,318 $22,120 |
* Prior to February 1, 2003, Boston Financial served as transfer agent and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds.
Custodial Arrangements.
State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street Bank"), 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, is the Trust's custodian. As such, State Street Bank holds in safekeeping certificated securities and cash belonging to the Funds and, in such capacity, is the registered owner of securities held in book entry form belonging to the Funds. Upon instruction, State Street Bank receives and delivers cash and securities of the Funds in connection with Fund transactions and collects all dividends and other distributions made with respect to Fund portfolio securities. State Street Bank also maintains certain accounts and records of the Funds and calculates the total net asset value, total net income, and net asset value per share of each Fund on a daily basis.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
The Fund's independent registered public accounting firm is PricewaterhouseCoopers, 125 High Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The independent registered public accounting firm conducts an annual audit of the Fund's financial statements, assists in the review of federal and state income tax returns and consults with the Fund as to matters of accounting and federal and state income taxation.
Counsel to the Funds.
Ropes & Gray LLP, located at One International Place, Boston, MA 02110,
serves as counsel to the Funds.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
Portfolio Managers' Management of Other Accounts
As of September 30, 2005, many of the Portfolio Managers of the Fund managed other accounts in addition to managing the Fund. The following table provides information on the other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager.
Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts ------------------------------- -------------------------------- ----------------------------- Advisory fee Advisory fee Advisory fee is Other Accounts is based on Other Accounts is based on Other Accounts based on Managed performance Managed performance Managed performance ---------------- -------------- ----------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total Name of Portfolio Manager Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets ------------------------- ----- -------- ----- ------ ----- -------- ----- ------ ----- -------- ----- -------- Neil Burke 1.82 $ 70.9 0 $ 0 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $0 46 billion 1 million Daniel Fuss $ 7.95 $ 201.8 8.97 $ 731.5 12 billion 0 $0 4 million 0 $0 85 billion 3 million Steve Kaseta $ 630.6 $ 2.07 $ 4.07 3 million 0 $0 6 billion 0 $0 43 billion 0 $ 0 Richard Raczkowski $ 250.0 $ 54.6 $ 876.6 $ 326.3 1 million 0 $0 2 million 0 $0 31 million 1 million Clifton Rowe $ 218.7 $ 1.44 3 million 0 $0 0 $ 0 0 $0 46 billion 0 $ 0 |
Material Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest may arise in the allocation of investment opportunities and the allocation of aggregated orders among the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. A portfolio manager potentially could give favorable treatment to some accounts for a variety of reasons, including favoring larger accounts, accounts that pay higher fees, accounts that pay performance-based fees or, accounts of affiliated companies. Such favorable treatment could lead to more favorable investment opportunities or allocations for some accounts. Loomis Sayles makes investment decisions for all accounts (including institutional accounts, mutual funds, hedge funds and affiliated accounts) based on each account's availability of other comparable investment opportunities and Loomis Sayles' desire to treat all accounts fairly and equitably over time. In addition, Loomis Sayles maintains trade allocation and aggregation policies and procedures to address of these potential conflicts. Conflicts of interest also may arise to the extent a portfolio manager short sells a stock in one client account but holds that stock long in other accounts, including the Fund, and through the use of "soft dollar arrangements", which are discussed in the section "Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage".
Portfolio Managers' Compensation
The following describes the structure of, and the method used to determine, the compensation of each of the above-listed portfolio managers as of September 30, 2005:
Loomis Sayles believes that portfolio manager compensation should be driven primarily by the delivery of consistent and superior long-term performance for its clients. Portfolio manager compensation is made up primarily of three main components: base salary, variable compensation and a long-term incentive program. Although portfolio manager compensation is not directly tied to assets under management, a portfolio manager's base salary and/or variable compensation potential may reflect the amount of assets for which the manager is responsible relative to other portfolio managers. Loomis Sayles also offers a profit sharing plan. Base salary is a fixed amount based on a combination of factors including industry experience, firm experience, job performance and market considerations. It is an incentive-based component and generally represents a significant multiple of base salary. Variable compensation is based on four factors: investment performance, profit growth of the firm, profit growth of the manager's business unit and team commitment. Investment performance is the primary component of total variable compensation and generally represents at least 60% of the total. The other three factors are used to determine the remainder of variable compensation, subject to the discretion of the department's Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and senior management. The CIO and senior management evaluate these other factors annually.
While mutual fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to compensation calculation, investment performance for fixed-income managers is measured by comparing the performance of the firm's institutional composite (pre-tax and net of fees) in the manager's style to the performance of Lehman Aggregate Index and a customized peer group. The customized peer group is created by the firm and is made up of institutional managers in the particular investment style. A manager's relative performance for the past five years is used to calculate the amount of variable compensation payable due to performance. To ensure consistency, the firm analyzes the five-year performance on a rolling three-year basis. If a manager is responsible for more than one product, the rankings of each product are weighted based on relative asset size of accounts represented in each product.
Loomis Sayles uses both an external benchmark and a customized peer group as measuring sticks for fixed-income manager performance because it believes they represent an appropriate combination of the competitive fixed-income product universe and the investment styles offered by the firm.
Mutual funds are not included in the firm's composites, so unlike other managed accounts, fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to this calculation. However, each fund managed by the firm employs strategies endorsed by the firm and fits into the product category for the relevant investment style. Loomis Sayles may adjust compensation if there is significant dispersion among the returns of the composite and accounts not included in the composite.
While mutual fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to the compensation calculation, investment performance for fixed income managers is measured by comparing the performance of the firm's institutional composite (pre-tax and net of fees) in the manager's style to the performance of an external benchmark and a customized peer group. The benchmark used for the investment style utilized by each fund is noted in the table below:
FUND MANAGER BENCHMARK ---- ----------------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Lehman Government/Credit Index Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Lehman High Yield Index Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Lehman Intermediate Government/Credit Index Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Lehman Aggregate Index |
The customized peer group is created by the firm and is made up of institutional managers in the particular investment style. A manager's relative performance for the past five years is used to calculate the amount of variable compensation payable due to performance. To ensure consistency, the firm analyzes the five-year performance on a rolling three-year basis. If a manager is responsible for more than one product, the rankings of each product are weighted based on relative asset size of accounts represented in each product.
Loomis Sayles uses both an external benchmark and a customized peer group as measuring sticks for fixed income manager performance because it believes they represent an appropriate combination of the competitive fixed income product universe and the investment styles offered by the firm.
Mr. Fuss's compensation is also based on his overall contributions to the firm in his various roles as Senior Portfolio Manager, Vice Chairman and Director. As a result of these factors, the contribution of investment performance to Mr. Fuss' total variable compensation may be significantly lower than the percentage reflected above. Mr. Fuss also received fixed payments related to his continued service with the firm. These payments were made by the parent company of Loomis Sayles pursuant to an agreement entered into at the time of the parent company's acquisition of Loomis Sayles' previous parent company.
General
Mutual funds are not included in the firm's composites, so unlike other managed accounts, fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to this calculation. However, each fund managed by the firm employs strategies endorsed by the firm and fits into the product category for the relevant investment style. Loomis Sayles may adjust compensation if there is significant dispersion among the returns of the composite and accounts not included in the composite.
Loomis Sayles has developed and implemented a long-term incentive plan to attract and retain investment talent. The plan supplements existing compensation. This plan has several important components distinguishing it from traditional equity ownership plans:
. the plan grants units that entitle participants to an annual payment based
on a percentage of company earnings above an established threshold;
. upon retirement a participant will receive a multi-year payout for his or
her vested units;
. participation is contingent upon signing an award agreement, which includes
a non-compete covenant.
Senior management expects that the variable compensation portion of overall compensation will continue to remain the largest source of income for those investment professionals included in the plan. The plan is initially offered to portfolio managers and over time the scope of eligibility is likely to widen. Management has full discretion on what units are issued and to whom.
Portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles profit sharing plan, in which Loomis Sayles makes a contribution to the retirement plan of each employee based on a percentage of base salary (up to a maximum amount). The portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles defined benefit pension plan, which applies to all Loomis Sayles employees who joined the firm prior to May 1, 2003. The defined benefit is based on years of service and base compensation (up to a maximum amount).
Portfolio Managers' Ownership of Fund Shares
Name of Portfolio Manager Fund(s) Managed Dollar Range of Equity Securities Invested ------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Neil Burke Loomis Sayles Intermediate A Duration Fixed Income Fund Daniel Fuss Loomis Sayles Fixed Income G Fund; Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund; Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund Steve Kaseta Loomis Sayles Investment Grade A Fixed Income Fund Richard Raczkowski Loomis Sayles Intermediate A Duration Fixed Income Fund Clifton Rowe Loomis Sayles Intermediate A Duration Fixed Income Fund |
A. None E. $100,001 - $500,000
B. $1 - 10,000 F. $500,001 - $1,000,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000 G. over $1,000,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
There are various reasons why a Portfolio Manager may not own shares of the Fund he or she manages. One reason is that the Fund's investment objectives and strategies may not match those of the Portfolio Manager. Administrative reasons (such as facilitating compliance with an adviser's code of ethics) also may explain why a Portfolio Manager has chosen not to invest in the Loomis Sayles Funds.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
In placing orders for the purchase and sale of equity securities, Loomis Sayles selects only brokers that it believes are financially responsible, will provide efficient and effective services in executing, clearing and settling an order and will charge commission rates that, when combined with the quality of the foregoing services, will produce the best price and execution for the transaction. This does not necessarily mean that the lowest available brokerage commission will be paid. However, the commissions are believed to be competitive with generally prevailing rates. The adviser will use its best efforts to obtain information as to the general level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to time and will evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid on transactions by reference to such data. In making such evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker in connection with the order, are taken into account.
Subject to the overriding objective of obtaining the best possible execution of orders, the Fund's adviser may allocate brokerage transactions to affiliated brokers. Any such transactions will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act. In order for the affiliated broker to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees and other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period. Furthermore, the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, have adopted procedures that are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to an affiliated broker are consistent with the foregoing standard.
Generally, Loomis Sayles seeks to obtain quality executions at favorable security prices and at competitive commission rates, where applicable, through brokers and dealers who, in Loomis Sayles' opinion, can provide the best overall net results for its clients. Transactions in unlisted equity securities (including NASDAQ securities) are frequently executed through a primary market maker but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network (ECN), Alternative Trading System (ATS), or other execution system. Fixed income securities are generally purchased from the issuer or a primary market maker acting as principal on a net basis with no brokerage commission paid by the client. Such securities, as well as equity securities, may also be purchased from underwriters at prices which include underwriting fees.
Commissions and Other Factors in Broker or Dealer Selection
Loomis Sayles uses its best efforts to obtain information as to the general
level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to
time and to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid
on client portfolio transactions by reference to such data. In making this
evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well
as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker or dealer, are taken into
account. Other relevant factors may include, without limitation: (a) the
execution capabilities of the brokers and/or dealers, (b) research and other
products or services (as described under "Soft Dollars" below) provided by such
brokers and/or dealers which are expected to enhance Loomis Sayles' general
portfolio management capabilities, (c) the size of the transaction, (d) the
difficulty of execution, (e) the operations facilities of the brokers and/or
dealers involved, (f) the risk in positioning a block of securities, and
(g) the quality of the overall brokerage and research services provided by the
broker and/or dealer.
Soft Dollars
Loomis Sayles' receipt of brokerage and research products or services may sometimes be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer to execute transactions for a Fund where Loomis Sayles believes that the broker or dealer will provide quality execution of the transactions. Such brokerage and research products or services may be paid for with Loomis Sayles' own assets or may, in connection with transactions effected for client accounts for which Loomis Sayles exercises investment discretion, be paid for with client commissions (the latter, sometimes referred to as Soft Dollars).
The brokerage and research products and services that may be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer and that may be acquired by Loomis Sayles with Soft Dollars include, without limitation, the following which aid Loomis Sayles in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities: a wide variety of reports, charts, publications, subscriptions, quotation services, news services, investment related hardware and software, and data on such matters as economic and political developments, industries, companies, securities, portfolio strategy, account performance, credit analysis, stock and bond market conditions and projections, asset allocation, portfolio structure, economic forecasts, investment strategy advice, fundamental and technical advice on individual securities, valuation advice, market analysis, advice as to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and meetings with management representatives of issuers and other analysts and specialists. The brokerage and research products or services provided to Loomis Sayles by a particular broker or dealer may include both (a) products and services created by such broker or dealer and (b) products and services created by a third party.
If Loomis Sayles receives a particular product or service that both aids it in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities (i.e., a "research use") and provides non-research related uses, Loomis Sayles will make a good faith determination as to the allocation of the cost of such "mixed-use item" between the research and non-research uses and will only use Soft Dollars to pay for the portion of the cost relating to its research use.
In connection with Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars, a Fund may pay a broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a transaction for the Fund in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if Loomis Sayles determines in good faith that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research products or services provided by the broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or Loomis Sayles' overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund.
Loomis Sayles may use Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage or research products and services that have potential application to all client accounts including the Funds or to acquire brokerage or research products and services that will be applied in the management of a certain group of client accounts and, in some cases, may not be used with respect to the Funds. The products or services may not be used in connection with the management of some of the accounts including the Funds that paid commissions to the broker or dealer providing the products or services and may be used in connection with the management of other accounts.
Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage and research products and services benefits Loomis Sayles by allowing it to obtain such products and services without having to purchase them with its own assets. Loomis Sayles believes that its use of Soft Dollars also benefits the Funds as described above. However, conflicts may arise between a Fund's interest in paying the lowest commission rates available and Loomis Sayles' interest in receiving brokerage and research products and services from particular brokers and dealers without having to purchase such products and services with Loomis Sayles' own assets. Loomis Sayles seeks to ensure that its "soft dollar" practices fall within the "safe harbor" provided by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
For purposes of this Soft Dollars discussion, the term "commission" may include (to the extent applicable) both commissions paid to brokers in connection with transactions effected on an agency basis and markups, markdowns, commission equivalents, or other fees paid to dealers in connection with certain transactions as encompassed by relevant SEC interpretation. Loomis Sayles does not generate "Soft Dollars" on fixed-income transactions.
Brokerage Commissions
The following tables set forth, for each of the last fiscal year, (1) the aggregate dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid on portfolio transactions during such year, (2) the dollar amount of transactions on which brokerage commissions were paid during such year that were directed to brokers providing research services ("directed transactions"), and (3) the dollar amount of commissions paid on directed transactions during such year. Funds not listed in a table did not pay brokerage commissions during the relevant year. The information in the table includes transactions that were directed to broker dealers based on the internal "broker vote" allocation policy of Loomis Sayles, as well as transactions that were allocated under arrangements with brokers providing research services. The "broker vote" is an internal evaluation conducted by Loomis Sayles trading personnel which consists of reviewing the brokers or dealers with whom Loomis Sayles executes client transactions to rate such firms after considering a variety of factors including the quality of their research, the quality of their sales transactions, execution capabilities, willingness to commit capital on transactions, market knowledge, competitive commission rates and prices and their ability to affect difficult trades in less liquid, smaller capitalized, and more closely held issues. When Loomis Sayles believes that more than one broker is capable of providing best execution on a particular transaction, the transaction may be allocated among the brokers based on the results of the broker vote and/or pursuant to a soft dollar arrangement.
FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
(1) (3) Aggregate (2) Commissions Brokerage Directed On Directed Fund Commissions Transactions Transactions ---- ----------- ------------ ------------ Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund $ 36,175 $13,257,810 $ 18,087 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund $ 855,861 $23,892,689 $ 427,931 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund $ 50,959 $20,927,474 $ 25,479 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund $4,027,872 $81,197,054 $2,013,936 |
The table below presents information regarding the securities of the Funds' "regular broker-dealers"* (or the parent of the regular broker-dealer) that were held by the Funds as of September 30, 2005.
Market Fund Value ---- ----------- Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund Barclays Bank $10,592,734 Citigroup $ 115,798 HSBC Bank $ 5,064,000 Goldman Sachs $ 146,574 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund Barclays Bank $ 2,830,297 HSBC Bank $ 506,400 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund Citigroup $ 112,238 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $ 295,224 Nomura Asset Securities. $ 106,118 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund Barclays Bank $ 5,968,417 Citigroup $ 1,951,962 HSBC Bank $ 2,025,600 |
* "Regular Broker-Dealers" are defined by the SEC as: (a) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that received the greatest dollar amount of brokerage commissions by virtue of direct or indirect participation in the company's portfolio transactions during the company's most recent fiscal year; (b) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of portfolio transactions of the investment company during the company's most recent fiscal year; or (c) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that sold the largest dollar amount of securities of the investment company during the company's most recent fiscal year.
General
Subject to procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Fund's brokerage transactions may be executed by brokers that are affiliated with IXIS Asset Management U.S. Group or Loomis Sayles. Any such transactions will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, or other applicable restrictions as permitted by the SEC pursuant to exemptive relief or otherwise.
Under the 1940 Act, persons affiliated with the Trust are prohibited from dealing with the Trust's funds as a principal in the purchase and sale of securities. Since transactions in the over-the-counter market usually involve transactions with dealers acting as principals for their own accounts, affiliated persons of the Trust may not serve as the funds' dealer in connection with such transactions.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, and in all instances subject to the foregoing policy of best execution, the adviser may allocate brokerage transactions to broker-dealers (including affiliates of the Distributor) that have entered into arrangements in which the broker-dealer allocates a portion of the commissions paid by the Fund toward the reduction of the Fund's expenses.
It is expected that the portfolio transactions in fixed-income securities will generally be with issuers or dealers on a net basis without a stated commission. Securities firms may receive brokerage commissions on transactions involving options, futures and options on futures and the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon exercise of options. The brokerage commissions associated with buying and selling options may be proportionately higher than those associated with general securities transactions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Declaration of Trust currently permits the trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of each series. Each share of each Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in such Fund with each other share of that Fund and is entitled to a proportionate interest in the dividends and distributions from that Fund.
The shares of each Fund do not have any preemptive rights. Upon termination of any Fund, whether pursuant to liquidation of the Trust or otherwise, shareholders of that Fund are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of that Fund available for distribution to shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also permits the trustees to charge shareholders directly for custodial, transfer agency, and servicing expenses.
The assets received by each Fund for the issue or sale of its shares and all income, earnings, profits, losses, and proceeds therefrom, subject only to the rights of creditors, are allocated to, and constitute the underlying assets of, that Fund. The underlying assets of a Fund are segregated and are charged with the expenses with respect to that Fund and with a share of the general expenses of the Trust. Any general expenses of the Trust that are not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular Fund are allocated by or under the direction of the trustees in such manner as the trustees determine to be fair and equitable. While the expenses of the Trust are allocated to the separate books of account of each Fund, certain expenses may be legally chargeable against the assets of all Funds in a Trust.
The Declaration of Trust also permits the trustees, without shareholder approval, to subdivide any series of shares or Fund into various classes of shares with such dividend preferences and other rights as the trustees may designate. The trustees may also, without shareholder approval, establish one or more additional separate portfolios for investments in the Trust or merge two or more existing portfolios. Shareholders' investments in such an additional or merged portfolio would be evidenced by a separate series of shares (i.e., a new "Fund").
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Trust or any Fund, however, may be terminated at any time by vote of at least two thirds of the outstanding shares of such class. Each Declaration of Trust further provides that the trustees may, also without shareholder approval, terminate the Trust or any Fund upon written notice to its shareholders.
Voting Rights
Shareholders of the Funds are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for each fractional share held) and may vote (to the extent provided in the relevant Declaration of Trust) on the election of trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders.
All classes of shares of the Funds have identical voting rights except that each class of shares has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class, and has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class. Each class of shares has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters pertaining to any distribution or servicing plan or agreement applicable to that class. Matters submitted to shareholder vote will be approved by each series separately except (i) when required by the 1940 Act shares shall be voted together and (ii) when the matter does not affect all series, then only shareholders of the series affected shall be entitled to vote on the matter. Consistent with the current position of the SEC, shareholders of all series and classes vote together, irrespective of series or class, on the election of trustees and the selection of the Trust's independent accountants, but shareholders of each series vote separately on most other matters requiring shareholder approval, such as certain changes in investment policies of that series or the approval of the investment advisory and subadvisory agreement relating to that series, and shareholders of each class within a series vote separately as to the Rule 12b-1 plan (if any) relating to that class.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees, except that, in accordance with the 1940 Act, (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders' meeting for the election of trustees at such time as less than a majority of the trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if there is a vacancy on the Board of Trustees such vacancy may be filled only by a vote of the shareholders unless, after filing such vacancy by other means, at least two-thirds of the trustees holding office shall have been elected by the shareholders. In addition, trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust's custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for that purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares.
Upon written request by a minimum of ten holders of shares having held their shares for a minimum of six months and having a net asset value of at least $25,000 (with respect to the Trust) or constituting at least 1% of the
outstanding shares stating that such shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a trustee, the Trust has undertaken to provide a list of shareholders or to disseminate appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders).
Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. Shareholder voting rights are not cumulative.
The affirmative vote of a majority of shares of the Trust voted (assuming a
quorum is present in person or by proxy) is required to amend the Declaration
of Trust if such amendment (1) affects the power of shareholders to vote,
(2) amends the section of the relevant Declaration of Trust governing
amendments, (3) is one for which a vote is required by law or by the Trust's
registration statement or (4) is submitted to the shareholders by the Trustees.
If one or more new series of the Trust is established and designated by the
trustees, the shareholders having beneficial interests in the Funds shall not
be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting such new series, such
matters including, without limitation, the adoption of or any change in the
investment objectives, policies or restrictions of the new series and the
approval of the investment advisory contracts of the new series. Similarly, the
shareholders of the new series shall not be entitled to vote on any such
matters as they affect the Funds.
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of each Fund's property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund by reason of owning shares of such Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered remote since it is limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer is inoperative and a Fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Board of Trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a trustee against any liability to which the trustee 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. The By-Laws of the Trust provide for indemnification by the Trust of trustees and officers of the Trust, except with respect to any matter as to which any such person did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust. Such persons may not be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or the Trust's shareholders to whom 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. The Trust offers only its own Funds' shares for sale, but it is possible that the Trust might become liable for any misstatements in a Prospectus that relate to another Trust. The trustees of the Trust have considered this possible liability and approved the use of a combined Prospectus for Funds of the Trust.
How to Buy Shares
The procedures for purchasing shares of each Fund are summarized in its Prospectus under "General Information--How to Purchase Shares."
Redemptions
The procedures for redemption of each Fund's shares are summarized in its Prospectus under "General Information--How to Redeem Shares."
Except as noted below, signatures on redemption requests must be guaranteed by commercial banks, trust companies, savings associations, credit unions, or brokerage firms that are members of domestic securities exchanges. The Funds will only accept medallion signature guarantees bearing the STAMP 2000 Medallion imprint. Medallion signature guarantees by notaries public are not acceptable. However, as noted in the Prospectuses, a medallion signature guarantee will not be required if the proceeds of the redemption do not exceed $50,000 and the proceeds check is made payable to the registered owner(s) and mailed to the record address for an account whose account registration has not changed in the past 30 days.
If a shareholder selects the telephone redemption service in the manner described in the next paragraph, Fund shares may be redeemed by making a telephone call directly to the Funds at 1-800-633-3330. When a telephone redemption request is received, the proceeds are generally wired to the bank account previously chosen by the shareholder and a nominal wire fee (currently $5.00) is deducted. Telephone redemption requests must be received by the Funds prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE on a day when the Exchange is open for business. Requests made after that time or on a day when the NYSE is not open for business cannot be accepted by the Trust, and a new request will be necessary.
In order to redeem shares by telephone, a shareholder either must select this service when completing the Fund application or must do so subsequently in writing. When selecting the service, a shareholder must designate a bank account to which the redemption proceeds should be wired. Any change in the bank account so designated must be made by furnishing to the Trust a written request with a medallion signature guarantee. Telephone redemptions may be made only if an investor's bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System or has a correspondent bank that is a member of the System. If the account is with a savings bank, it must have only one correspondent bank that is a member of the System. The Funds, the Distributor, State Street Bank, Boston Financial and their affiliates are not responsible for the authenticity of withdrawal instructions received by telephone.
The redemption price will be the NAV per share next determined after the redemption request and any necessary special documentation are received by the Funds in proper form. Proceeds resulting from a written redemption request will normally be mailed to the shareholder within seven days after receipt of a request in good order. Telephonic redemption proceeds will normally be wired on the first business day following receipt of a proper redemption request. In those cases where a shareholder has recently purchased shares by check and the check was received less than fifteen days prior to the redemption request, the Funds may withhold redemption proceeds until the share have been in the account for fifteen days.
Each Fund normally will redeem shares for cash; however, each Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price wholly or partly in kind. If portfolio securities are distributed in lieu of cash, the shareholder will normally incur brokerage commissions upon subsequent disposition of any such securities. However, the Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, pursuant to which each Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash for any shareholder during any 90-day period up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the total NAV of each Fund at the beginning of such period.
A redemption constitutes a sale of the shares for federal income tax purposes on which the investor may realize a long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. See "DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES."
Other
The Funds have authorized one or more brokers to accept on their behalf purchase and redemption orders; such brokers are authorized to designate intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Funds' behalf. The Funds will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker's authorized designee accepts the order. The broker's customers will receive the Funds' NAV next computed after an order is accepted by an authorized broker or the broker's authorized designee.
Net Asset Value
The method for determining the public offering price and net asset value per share is summarized in the Prospectus.
The total net asset value of each class of shares of a Fund (the excess of the assets of such Fund attributable to such class over the liabilities attributable to such class) is determined at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the Exchange is open for trading. In addition, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, a Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles in its discretion determines that it is advisable to do so based primarily upon factors such as whether (i) there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares and (ii) whether in Loomis Sayles' view sufficient information (e.g., prices reported by pricing services) is available for the Fund's shares to be priced. For example, the Income Funds may price their shares on days on which the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets are open for trading. The Funds do not expect to price their shares on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Securities listed on a national securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at market price (generally, their last sale price, or, if there is no reported sale during the day, the last reported bid price estimated by a broker, although "market price" for securities traded on NASDAQ will generally be considered to be the NASDAQ official closing price.) Unlisted securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last reported bid price in the over-the-counter market or on the basis of yield equivalents as obtained from one or more dealers that make a market in the securities. U.S. government securities are traded in the over-the-counter market. Options, interest rate futures and options thereon that are traded on exchanges are valued at their last sale price as of the close of such exchanges. Securities for which current market quotations are not readily available and all other assets are taken at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees, although the actual calculations may be made by persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Board.
Generally, trading in foreign government securities and other fixed-income securities, as well as trading in equity securities in markets outside the United States, is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. Securities traded on a foreign exchange will be valued at their market price on the non-U.S. exchange except for securities traded on the London Stock Exchange ("British Equities"). British Equities will be valued at the mean between the last bid and last asked prices on the London Stock Exchange. The value of other securities principally traded outside the United States will be computed as of the completion of substantial trading for the day on the markets on which such securities principally trade. Securities principally traded outside the United States will generally be valued several hours before the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, when the Funds compute the net asset value of their shares. Occasionally, events affecting the value of securities principally traded outside the United States may occur between the completion of substantial trading of such securities for the day and the close of the Exchange, which events will not be reflected in the computation of a Fund's net asset value. If, in the determination of the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction, events materially affecting the value of a Fund's securities occur during such period, then these securities may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. When fair valuing their securities, the Funds may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time a Fund's net asset value is calculated.
Because of fair value pricing, as described above for "Securities traded on foreign exchanges" and "All other securities," is securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in
a price that reflects fair value. The Funds may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issue (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a deleting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets.)
Trading in some of the portfolio securities of some of the Funds takes place in various markets outside the United States on days and at times other than when the Exchange is open for trading. Therefore, the calculation of these Funds' net asset value does not take place at the same time as the prices of many of its portfolio securities are determined, and the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days when the Fund is not open for business and its shares may not be purchased or redeemed.
The per share net asset value of a class of a Fund's shares is computed by dividing the number of shares outstanding into the total net asset value attributable to such class. The public offering price of a share of a Fund is the next-determined net asset value.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
Open Accounts
A shareholder's investment in any Fund is automatically credited to an open account maintained for the shareholder by Boston Financial. Following each transaction in the account, the registered shareholder will receive an account statement disclosing the current balance of shares owned and the details of recent transactions in the account. After the close of each fiscal year Boston Financial will send each shareholder a statement providing federal tax information on dividends and distributions paid to the shareholder during the year. This should be retained as a permanent record. Shareholders will be charged a fee for duplicate information.
The open account system permits the purchase of full and fractional shares and, by making the issuance and delivery of certificates representing shares unnecessary, eliminates the problems of handling and safekeeping certificates, and the cost and inconvenience of replacing lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed certificates.
The costs of maintaining the open account system are borne by the Trust, and no direct charges are made to shareholders. Although the Trust has no present intention of making such direct charges to shareholders, it reserves the right to do so. Shareholders will receive notice before any such charges are made.
Exchange Privilege
Institutional Class shares of the Funds may be exchanged, subject to investment minimums, for Institutional Class shares of any series of Loomis Sayles Funds II or any other series of Loomis Sayles Funds I that offers Institutional Class shares, for Class Y shares of any other series of Loomis Sayles Funds II or any IXIS Advisor Fund that offers Class Y shares or for Class A shares of the IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust.
Exchanges may be effected by (1) making a telephone request by calling 800-633-3330, provided that a special authorization form is on file with the Trust or (2) sending a written exchange request to the Trust accompanied by an account application for the appropriate fund. The Trust reserves the right to modify this exchange privilege without prior notice. An exchange constitutes a sale of shares for federal income tax purposes on which the investor may realize a capital gain or loss.
Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRAs")(All Funds)
IRAs may be established under a prototype plan made available by Loomis Sayles. These plans may be funded with shares of any Fund.
All income dividends and capital gain distributions of plan participants must be reinvested. Plan documents and further information can be obtained from Loomis Sayles. Check with your financial or tax adviser as to the suitability of Fund shares for your retirement plan.
Transcript Requests
Transcripts of account transactions will be provided, for a fee, at the shareholders request. Transcripts for the current calendar year and the past calendar year will be provided free of charge. Requests for transcripts for periods prior to that will be subject to a fee of $10 per transcript up to a maximum of $75 per account.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
In General. As described in the Prospectuses under "Dividends and Distributions," it is the policy of each Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all net investment income and to distribute at least annually all net realized capital gains, if any, after offsetting any capital loss carryovers.
Investment income dividends and capital gain distributions are payable in full and fractional shares of the particular Fund based upon the net asset value determined as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on the record date for each dividend or distribution. Shareholders, however, may elect to receive their income dividends or capital gain distributions, or both, in cash. The election may be made at any time by submitting a written request directly to the Trust. In order for a change to be in effect for any dividend or distribution, it must be received by the Trust on or before the record date for such dividend or distribution.
As required by federal law, detailed federal tax information will be furnished to each shareholder for each calendar year on or before January 31 of the succeeding year.
Taxation of Funds. The Funds intends to elect to be treated and qualify each
year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order
to qualify, a Fund must, among other things, (i) derive at least 90% of its
gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with
respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition
of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not
limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with
respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies;
(ii) distribute at least 90% of the sum of its taxable net investment income,
net tax-exempt income, and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains
over net long-term capital losses for such year; and (iii) diversify its
holdings so that at the end of each fiscal quarter, (a) at least 50% of the
value of its total assets consists of cash, U.S. government securities,
securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities
limited generally, with respect to any one issuer, to no more than 5% of the
value of the Fund's total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total
assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government
or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more
issuers which a Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or
related trades or businesses.
So long as it qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, a Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed to its shareholders in a timely manner in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, defined below). If the Funds failed to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Funds would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In addition, the Funds could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
A nondeductible excise tax at the rate of 4% will be imposed on the excess, if any, of the Fund's "required distribution" over its actual distributions in any calendar year. Generally, the "required distribution" is 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98% of its capital gain net income recognized during the one-year period ending on October 31st (or December 31st, if a Fund is so permitted to elect and so elects) plus undistributed amounts from prior years. The Funds intends to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.
Taxation of Fund Distributions. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Funds owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by a Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Funds owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before a shareholder's investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares (other than distributions, if any, designated by the Funds as "exempt-interest dividends"). Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains. Distributions declared and payable by the Funds during October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in any such month and paid by the Funds during the
following January will be treated for federal tax purposes as paid by the Funds and received by shareholders on December 31st of the year in which declared rather than the calendar year in which they were received.
Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced--in general, to 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets--for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, "qualified dividend income" received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, a Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to a Fund's shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, on the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Income derived from investments in fixed-income securities or REITs is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
In general, distributions of investment income designated by the Funds as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund's shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Funds during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Fund's dividends (other than property designated capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term "gross income" is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
If the Funds makes a distribution in excess of its current and accumulated "earnings and profits" in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder's basis in his or her shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of such shares.
Sale or Redemption of Shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Funds are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
A loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less will be disallowed for federal income tax purposes to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares and thereafter treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain dividend paid to the shareholder with respect to such shares. Furthermore, no loss will be allowed on the sale of Fund shares to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the Funds within a period beginning 30 days prior to the sale of the loss shares and ending 30 days after such sale.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Funds that invest in foreign securities may own shares in certain
foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs"). In order to avoid U.S. federal income tax, and an additional charge on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such companies or gain from the disposition of such shares, the Funds may elect to "mark-to-market" annually its investments in such entities and to distribute any resulting net gain to shareholders. The Funds may also elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" (a "QEF election"), in which case a Fund would be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives distributions from the company. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may require a Fund to sell securities it would have otherwise continued to hold in order to make distributions to shareholders to avoid any Fund -level tax. Income from investments in PFICs generally will not qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Foreign Taxes. Funds that invest in foreign securities may be liable to foreign governments for taxes relating primarily to investment income or capital gains on foreign securities in the Fund's portfolio. The Funds may in some circumstances be eligible to, and in its discretion may, make an election under the Code that would allow Fund shareholders who are U.S. citizens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax return for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by The Funds to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities held at least a minimum period specified in the Code. If a Fund makes the election, the amount of each shareholder's distribution reported on the information returns filed by a Fund with the IRS must be increased by the amount of the shareholder's portion of a Fund's foreign tax paid. A shareholder's ability to claim all or a part of a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code.
Foreign Currency Transactions Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign-currency denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, future contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Financial Products The Fund's investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swaps and certain other transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to a Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, convert capital gain into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character distributions to Fund shareholders.
Certain of the Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated instruments) are likely to result in a difference between the Fund's book income and taxable income. This difference may cause a portion of the Fund's income distributions to constitute a return of capital or capital gain for tax purposes or require a Fund to make distributions exceeding book income to avoid excise tax liability and to qualify as a regulated investment company.
Securities loans may or may not be structured in a manner to preserve qualified dividend income treatment on dividends paid with respect to the securities lent. A Fund may receive substitute payments (instead of the dividend) that will not be eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, taxed at the rate applicable to long-term capital gains.
Securities issued or purchased at a discount The Fund's investment in securities issued at a discount and certain other obligations will (and investments in securities purchased at a discount may) require a Fund to accrue and distribute income net yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold.
REITs. A Fund's investment in REIT equity securities may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make required distributions, a Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold (including when it is not advantageous to do so). A Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund's receipt of cash in excess of the REIT's earnings; if a Fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Income from REIT securities generally will not be eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders Under current law, a Fund serves to "block" (that is, prevent the attribution to shareholders of) unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if either: (1) a Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REIMCs"); or (2) shares in a Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). If a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Code Section 664) realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, it will lose its tax-exempt status for the year. Certain Funds may invest in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs.
Backup Withholding A Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish a Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number ("TIN"), who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to a Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010. The backup withholding tax rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010.
Other Tax Matters Special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax adviser to determine the suitability of shares of a fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of and investment on their particular tax situation.
Dividends and distributions also may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to federal, state, local and, where applicable, foreign taxes.
The foregoing discussion relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisers concerning the tax consequences of ownership of shares of a Fund, including the certification and filing requirements imposed on foreign investors in order to qualify for exemption from the backup withholding tax rates described above (or a reduced rate of withholding provided by treaty).
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 ("2004 Act"), effective for taxable years of a Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, a Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund. The Funds do not intend to make such designations.
If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.
The 2004 Act modifies the tax treatment of distributions from a Fund that are paid to a foreign person and are attributable to gain from "U.S. real property interests" ("USRPIs"), which the Code defines to include direct holdings of U.S. real property and interests (other than solely as a creditor) in "US real property holding corporations" such as REITs. The Code deems any corporation that holds (or held during the previous five-year period) USRPIs with a fair market value equal to 50% or more of the fair market value of the corporation's U.S. and foreign real property assets and other assets used or held for use in a trade or business to be a U.S. real property holding corporation; however, if any class of stock of a corporation is traded on an established securities market, stock of such class shall be treated as a USRPI only in the case of a person who holds more than 5% of such class of stock at any time during the previous five-year period. Under the 2004 Act, which applies to dividends paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007, distributions to foreign persons attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs will give rise to an obligation for those foreign persons to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax, and may well be subject to withholding under future regulations.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the shares constitute USRPIs or the Capital Gain Dividends are paid or deemed paid on or before December 31, 2007 and are attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs. Effective before January 1, 2008, if a Fund is a U.S. real property holding corporation (as described above) the Fund's shares will nevertheless not constitute USPRIs if a Fund is a "domestically controlled qualified investment entity," which is defined to include a RIC that, at all times during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period during which the RIC was in existence, had less than 50 percent in value of its stock held directly or indirectly by foreign persons.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the applicable provisions of the Code and related regulations currently in effect. For the complete provisions, reference should be made to the pertinent Code sections and regulations. The Code and regulations are subject to change by legislative or administrative actions.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial statements of the Funds and the related reports of independent registered public accountants included in the Funds' Annual Reports for the year ended September 30, 2005 are incorporated herein by reference. The financial statements and financial highlights for these Funds included in their 2005 Annual Reports for the year ended September 30, 2005 are incorporated by reference to such reports. The Fund's annual and semiannual reports are available upon request and without charge. Each Fund will send a single copy of its annual and semiannual reports to an address at which more than one shareholder of record with the same last name has indicated that mail is to be delivered. Shareholders may request additional copies of any annual or semiannual report by telephone at 1-800-633-3336, by writing to the Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 61421-9594 or by visiting the Funds' website at www.loomissayles.com. The annual and semiannual reports are also available on-line at the SEC's website, at www.sec.gov.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Yield and Total Return. Each Fund may from time to time include its total return information in advertisements or in information furnished to present or prospective shareholders. Each of the Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund and Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund may from time to time include the yield and/or total return of its shares in advertisements or information furnished to present or prospective shareholders.
The Funds' yields will vary from time to time depending upon market conditions, the composition of the Funds' portfolios and operating expenses of the Trust allocated to each Fund. These factors, and possible differences in the methods used in calculating yield, should be considered when comparing a Fund's yield to yields published for other investment companies and other investment vehicles. Yield should also be considered relative to changes in the value of the Fund's shares and to the relative risks associated with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund.
At any time in the future, yields and total returns may be higher or lower than past yields and total returns, and there can be no assurance that any historical results will continue.
Investors in the Funds are specifically advised that the net asset value per share of each Fund may vary, just as yields for each Fund may vary. An investor's focus on yield to the exclusion of the consideration of the value of shares of a Fund may result in the investor's misunderstanding the total return he or she may derive from that Fund.
APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
Certain of the Funds make use of average portfolio credit quality standards to assist institutional investors whose own investment guidelines limit their investments accordingly. In determining a Fund's overall dollar-weighted average quality, unrated securities are treated as if rated, based on the adviser's view of their comparability to rated securities. A Fund's use of average quality criteria is intended to be a guide for those investors whose investment guidelines require that assets be invested according to comparable criteria. Reference to an overall average quality rating for a Fund does not mean that all securities held by the Fund will be rated in that category or higher. A Fund's investments may range in quality from securities rated in the lowest category in which the Fund is permitted to invest to securities rated in the highest category (as rated by Moody's, S&P or Fitch, if unrated, determined by the adviser to be of comparable quality). The percentage of a Fund's assets invested in securities in a particular rating category will vary. Following is a description of Moody's, S&P's and Fitch's ratings applicable to fixed-income securities.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high-quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present that make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than with Aaa securities.
A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Bonds in this class are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small. These bonds are considered speculative and are subject to higher credit risk.
Caa: Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are highly speculative. Such issues are often in default with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of recovery of principal and interest.
Moody's bond ratings, where specified, are applicable to financial contracts, senior bank obligations and insurance company senior policyholder and claims obligations with an original maturity in excess of one year. Obligations relying upon support mechanisms such as letter-of-credit and bonds of indemnity are excluded unless explicitly rated. Obligations of a branch of a bank are considered to be domiciled in the country in which the branch is located.
Unless noted as an exception, Moody's rating on a bank's ability to repay senior obligations extends only to branches located in countries which carry a Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits. Such branch obligations are rated at the lower of the bank's rating or Moody's Sovereign Rating for the Bank Deposits for the country in which the branch is located. When the currency in which an obligation is denominated is not the same as the currency of the country in which the obligation is domiciled, Moody's ratings do not incorporate an opinion as to whether payment of the obligation will be affected by the actions of the government controlling the currency of denomination. In addition, risk associated with bilateral conflicts between an investor's home country and either the issuer's home country or the country where an issuer branch is located are not incorporated into Moody's ratings.
Moody's makes no representation that rated bank obligations or insurance company obligations are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 or issued in conformity with any other applicable law or regulation. Nor does Moody's represent that any specific bank or insurance company obligation is legally enforceable or a valid senior obligation of a rated issuer.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classified from Aa through Caa in its corporate bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
Corporate Short-Term Debt Ratings
Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment-grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior
ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment
ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return
on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance
on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established
access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate
liquidity.
PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
PRIME-3: Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
NOT PRIME: Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
Issue Credit Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.
Issue credit ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any credit rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days, including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations: likelihood of payment - capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; nature of and provisions of the obligation; protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
The issue rating definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Investment-Grade
AAA: 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.
AA: An obligation rated `AA' differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: 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.
BBB: 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.
Speculative Grade
Obligations rated `BB', `B', `CCC', `CC', and `C' are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: 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.
B: 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.
CCC: 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.
CC: An obligation rated `CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated `C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The `C' rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A `C' also will be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
CI: The rating CI is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
D: An obligation rated `D' is in payment default. The `D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The `D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Provisional ratings: The letter "p" indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project being financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his or her own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant
noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected
returns which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include:
obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities;
obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk - such as interest-only or
principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky
interest terms, such as inverse floaters. The absence of an "r" symbol should
not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or
variability in total return.
N.R.: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Debt obligations of issuers outside the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues. The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account currency exchange and related uncertainties.
Commercial Paper Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from A for the highest quality obligations to D for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1: 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-2: 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-3: 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.
B: A short-term obligation rated `B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: 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.
D: A short-term obligation rated `D' is in payment default. The `D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The `D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
A commercial paper rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment on market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to Standard & Poor's by the issuer or obtained from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information.
Fitch's Ratings Service
Fitch's credit ratings provide an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving their money back in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch's credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign (including supranational and sub-national), financial, bank, insurance, municipal and other public finance entities and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.
The use of credit ratings defines their function: "investment grade" ratings
(international Long-term 'AAA' to 'BBB-' categories; Short-term 'F1' to 'F3')
indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while those in the
"speculative" or "non investment grade" categories (international Long-term
'BB+' to 'D'; Short-term 'B' to 'D')
either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred. Credit ratings express risk in relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss.
Depending on their application, credit ratings address benchmark measures of probability of default as well relative expectations of loss given default. For example, issuers are typically assigned Issuer Default Ratings that are relative measures of default probability. Similarly, short-term credit ratings give primary consideration to the likelihood that obligations will be met on a timely basis. Securities, however, are rated taking into consideration probability of default and loss given default. As a result, for entities such as corporations security ratings may be rated higher, lower or the same as the issuer rating to reflect expectations of the security's relative recovery prospects, as well as differences in ability and willingness to pay. While recovery analysis plays an important role throughout the ratings scale, it becomes a more critical consideration for below investment-grade securities and obligations, particularly at the lower end of the non-investment-grade ratings scale where Fitch often publishes actual Recovery Ratings, that are complementary to the credit ratings.
Structured finance ratings typically are assigned to each individual security or tranche in a transaction, and not to an issuer. Each structured finance tranche is rated on the basis of various stress scenarios in combination with its relative seniority, prioritization of cash flows and other structural mechanisms.
International Long-Term Credit Ratings
International Long-Term Credit Ratings (LTCR) may also be referred to as Long-Term Ratings. When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations. When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations.
The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings:
Investment Grade
AAA
Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit 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.
AA
Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit 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.
BBB
Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that there is currently expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.
Speculative Grade
BB
Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B Highly speculative.
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, 'B' ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R1' (outstanding).
CCC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R2' (superior), or 'R3' (good) or 'R4' (average).
CC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of 'R4' (average) or 'R5' (below average).
C [ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R6' (poor).
RD
Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations.
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
- failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation; - the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or - the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.
Issuers will be rated 'D' upon a default. Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of 'C' to 'B' ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to meet pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the 'B' or 'CCC-C' categories.
Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations' documentation. Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonably determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation's documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch's published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.
International Short-Term Credit Ratings
The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A Short-term rating has 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.
Highest credit quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
Good credit quality. 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.
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.
B Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
RD
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other obligations.
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings:
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)
Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.
Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.
Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.
Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.
Interest Only
Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.
Principal Only
Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.
Rate of Return
Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.
'PIF'
Paid-in -Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or refinanced.
'NR' indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.
'Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.
[LOGO OF LOOMIS . SAYLES FUNDS]
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 1, 2006
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
. Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund
This Statement of Information (the "Statement") contains information which may be useful to investors but which is not included in the Prospectus of the Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund (the "Fund"). This Statement is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution only when accompanied by or preceded by the Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund Prospectus dated February 1, 2006, as from time to time revised or supplemented. This Statement should be read together with the Prospectus. Investors may obtain the Prospectus without charge from Loomis Sayles Funds, P.O. Box 219594, Kansas City, MO 61421-9594, or by calling Loomis Sayles Funds at 1-800-343-2029.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST............................. 3 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS....... 3 Investment Restrictions............ 3 Investment Strategies.............. 4 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS.................... 15 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND................ 16 PRINCIPAL HOLDERS..................... 25 INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 28 PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION...... 31 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE.. 33 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST.............. 35 Voting Rights...................... 35 Shareholder and Trustee Liability.. 36 Purchases and Redemptions.......... 37 Net Asset Value.................... 37 DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES............... 38 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................. 42 APPENDIX A............................ A-1 |
THE TRUST
Loomis Sayles Funds I is registered with the SEC as an open-end management
investment company and is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under the
laws of Massachusetts by an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of
Trust (a "Declaration of Trust") dated December 23, 1993, as amended and
restated on June 22, 2005, and is a "series" company as described in
Section 18(f)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). Prior
to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles Funds I was named "Loomis Sayles Investment
Trust." The Trust offers a total of ten series. Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset
Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The investment policies of the Fund set forth in its Prospectus and in this Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") may be changed by the Trust's Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, except that any Fund policy explicitly identified as "fundamental" may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund (which in the Prospectus and this SAI means the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of that Fund present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares). Except in the case of the 15% limitation on illiquid securities, the percentage limitations set forth below and in the Prospectus will apply at the time a security is purchased and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such purchase.
Investment Restrictions
In addition to its investment objective and policies set forth in the Prospectus, the following investment restrictions are policies of the Fund (and those marked with an asterisk are fundamental policies of the Fund):
The following is a description of restrictions on the investments to be made by the Fund. The restrictions marked with an asterisk (*) may not be changed without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act")). Except in the case of restrictions marked with a dagger (+), the percentages set forth below and the percentage limitations set forth in the Prospectus apply at the time of the purchase of a security and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of a purchase of such security.
The Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund may not:
*(1)Purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets (taken at current value) would be invested in any one industry. For purposes of this restriction, telephone, gas and electric public utilities are each regarded as separate industries and finance companies whose financing activities are related primarily to the activities of their parent companies are classified in the industry of their parents. For purposes of this restriction with regard to bank obligations, bank obligations are considered to be one industry, and asset-backed securities are not considered to be bank obligations. For purposes of this restriction, the Fund takes the position that mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities do not represent investments in any industry or group of industries. As a result of this, the Fund may invest more than 25% of its net assets in mortgage-related securities;
*(2)Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position or purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain short-term credits as necessary for the clearance of security transactions, and the Fund may make any short sales or maintain any short positions where the short sales or short positions would not constitute "senior securities" under the 1940 Act;
+*(3)Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act;
*(4)Make loans, except that the Fund may purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, provided however, this restriction does not apply to repurchase agreements or loans of portfolio securities;
*(5)Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers except that, in the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under the federal securities laws;
*(6)Purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase securities of issuers which deal in real estate, securities which are secured by interests in real estate, and securities which represent interests in real estate, and it may acquire and dispose of real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of debt obligations secured by real estate or interests therein;
*(7)Purchase or sell commodities, except that the Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts and options, may enter into foreign exchange contracts and may enter into swap agreements and other financial transactions not requiring the delivery of physical commodities;
*(8)Issue senior securities, except for permitted borrowings or as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act;
(9)Invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securitized assets, such as mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. Prior to any change to such policy adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Fund, the Fund will provide notice to shareholders as required by Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, as such Rule may be interpreted from time to time by the staff of the SEC.
For Restriction (1), the Fund does not reserve the right to concentrate in any industry. If, in the future, mortgage-related securities and other asset-backed securities are considered to represent any particular industry or industries, the Fund reserves the freedom of action to concentrate in such an industry or industries.
Restrictions (2) and (8) shall be interpreted based upon no-action letters and other pronouncements of the staff of the SEC. Under current pronouncements, certain Fund positions are excluded from the definition of "senior security" so long as the Fund maintains adequate cover, segregation of assets or otherwise.
In addition, it is contrary to the Fund's present policy, which may be changed without shareholder vote, to purchase any illiquid security, including any securities whose disposition is restricted under federal securities laws and securities that are not readily marketable, if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's total assets (based on current value) would then be invested in such securities. The staff of the SEC is presently of the view that repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days are subject to this restriction. Until that position is revised, modified or rescinded, the Fund will conduct its operations in a manner consistent with this view. This limitation on investment in illiquid securities does not apply to certain restricted securities, including securities pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and certain commercial paper, that Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") has determined to be liquid under procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Investment Strategies
Fund Securities Practices ---- ---------- --------- Securitized Asset Fund Debt Securities Temporary Defensive Mortgage-Backed Strategies Securities, Asset Backed Repurchase Agreements Securities, Investment Dollar Rolls Grade Securities |
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities ("ARMs")
The Fund may invest in ARMs. An ARM, like a traditional mortgage security, is an interest in a pool of mortgage loans that provides investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as mortgage loans in the underlying mortgage pool are paid off by the borrowers. ARMs have interest rates that are reset at periodic intervals, usually by reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Although the rate adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of adjustable rate securities, these securities are still subject to changes in value based on changes in market interest rates or changes in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the interest rates are reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on ARMs may lag behind changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also, some ARMs (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or floors that limit the maximum change in interest rate during a specified period or over the life of the security. As a result, changes in the interest rate on an ARM may not fully reflect changes in prevailing market interest rates during certain periods. Because of the resetting of interest rates, ARMs are less likely than non-adjustable rate securities of comparable quality and maturity to increase significantly in value when market interest rates fall.
Asset-Backed Securities
Through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations, automobile or credit card receivables may be securitized in pass-through structures similar to mortgage pass-through structures or in a pass-through structure similar to the CMO structure, discussed below. Generally, the issuers of asset-backed bonds, notes, or pass-through certificates are special purpose entities and do not have any significant assets other than the receivables securing such obligations. In general, the collateral supporting asset-backed securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans. Instruments backed by pools of receivables are similar to mortgage-backed securities in that they are subject to unscheduled prepayments of principal prior to maturity. When the obligations are prepaid, the Fund ordinarily will reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities the yields of which reflect interest rates prevailing at the time. Therefore, the Fund's ability to maintain a portfolio that includes high-yielding asset-backed securities will be adversely affected to the extent that prepayments of principal must be reinvested in securities that have lower yields than the prepaid obligations. Moreover, prepayments of securities purchased at a premium could result in a realized loss.
The Fund's investment policies govern the amount of total assets that the Fund may invest in issuers in the same industry. If the Fund is required to treat certain asset-backed securities as issuers in the same industry, its ability to invest in some securities that it might otherwise purchase may be restricted. Similarly, if an asset-backed security is considered to be issued by the financial institution sponsoring the security, or by the assets (such as auto loan receivables) underlying the asset-backed security, the Fund may be limited by its investment policies or other legal or tax considerations in the amount that it may invest in such securities.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations
A collateralized mortgage obligation ("CMO") is a security backed by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities held under an indenture. CMOs may be issued either by U.S. Government instrumentalities or by non-governmental entities. The issuer's obligation to make interest and principal payments is secured by the underlying portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. CMOs are issued with a number of classes or series which have different maturities and which may represent interests in some or all of the interest or principal on the underlying collateral or a combination thereof. CMOs of different classes are generally retired in sequence as the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such mortgages, the class or series of CMOs first to mature generally will be retired prior to its maturity. As with other mortgage-backed securities, if a particular class or series of CMOs held by the Fund is retired early, the Fund would lose any premium it paid when it acquired the investment, and the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate than the retired CMO paid. Because of the early retirement feature, CMOs may be more volatile than many other fixed-income investments.
Debt Securities
The Fund may invest in debt securities. Debt securities are used by issuers to borrow money. The issuer usually pays a fixed, variable or floating rate of interest and must repay the amount borrowed at the maturity of the security. Some debt securities, such as zero-coupon securities, do not pay interest but are sold at a discount from their face values. Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities and mortgage and other asset-backed securities. Debt securities include a broad array of short, medium and long-term obligations issued by the U.S. or foreign governments, government or international agencies and instrumentalities, and corporate issuers of various types. Some debt securities represent uncollateralized obligations of their issuers; in other cases, the securities may be backed by specific assets (such as mortgages or other receivables) that have been set aside as collateral for the issuer's obligation. Debt securities generally involve an obligation of the issuer to pay interest or dividends on either a current basis or at the maturity of the securities, as well as the obligation to repay the principal amount of the security at maturity.
Risks. Debt securities are subject to market risk and credit risk. Credit risk relates to the ability of the issuer to make payments of principal and interest and includes the risk of default. Sometimes, an issuer may make these payments from money raised through a variety of sources, including, with respect to issuers of municipal securities, (i) the issuer's general taxing power, (ii) a specific type of tax such as a property tax, or (iii) a particular facility or project such as a highway. The ability of an issuer to make these payments could be affected by general economic conditions, issues specific to the issuer, litigation, legislation or other political events, the bankruptcy of the issuer, war, natural disasters, terrorism or other major events. U.S. government securities do not involve the credit risks associated with other types of fixed-income securities; as a result, the yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than the yields available from corporate and municipal debt securities. Market risk is the risk that the value of the security will fall because of changes in market rates of interest. (Generally, the value of debt securities falls when market rates of interest are rising.) Some debt securities also involve prepayment or call risk. This is the risk that the issuer will repay the Fund the principal on the security before it is due, thus depriving the Fund of a favorable stream of future interest payments.
Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income of the Fund for any particular period. Fluctuations in the value of the Fund's investments in debt securities will cause the Fund's net asset value to increase or decrease.
Illiquid Securities
Illiquid securities are those that are not readily resalable, which may include securities whose disposition is restricted by federal securities laws. Investment in restricted or other illiquid securities involves the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell such a security at the desired time. Also, the Fund may incur expenses, losses or delays in the process of registering restricted securities prior to resale.
The Fund may purchase Rule 144A securities, which are privately offered securities that can be resold only to certain qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. The Fund may also purchase commercial paper issued under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. Investing in Rule 144A securities and Section 4(2) commercial paper could have the effect of increasing the level of the Fund's illiquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities. Rule 144A securities and Section 4(2) commercial paper are treated as illiquid, unless Loomis Sayles has determined, under guidelines established by the Trust's Board of Trustees, that the particular issue is liquid.
Investment-Grade Debt Securities
The Fund may invest in investment grade debt securities, which include all types of debt instruments that are of medium and high-quality. Some possess speculative characteristics and may be more sensitive to economic changes and to changes in the financial conditions of issuers. A debt security is considered to be investment-grade if it is rated investment-grade by Standard & Poor's Rating Group ("Standard & Poor's" or "S&P"), Fitch Investor Services, Inc. ("Fitch") or Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), or is unrated but considered to be of
equivalent quality by an investment adviser or subadviser. For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P, Fitch and Moody's, please refer to Appendix A in the Prospectus.
Lower-Quality Debt Securities
The Fund may invest in lower-quality fixed-income securities. Fixed-income securities rated BB or lower by Standard & Poor's or Ba or lower by Moody's (and comparable unrated securities) are of below "investment grade" quality. Lower-quality fixed-income securities generally provide higher yields, but are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher-quality fixed-income securities, including U.S. government and many foreign government securities. Lower-quality fixed-income securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the ability of the issuer to meet principal and interest payments. Achievement of the investment objective of a Fund investing in lower-quality fixed-income securities may be more dependent on the Fund's adviser's own credit analysis than for a Fund investing in higher-quality bonds. The market for lower-quality fixed-income securities may be more severely affected than some other financial markets by economic recession or substantial interest rate increases, by changing public perceptions of this market or by legislation that limits the ability of certain categories of financial institutions to invest in these securities. In addition, the secondary market may be less liquid for lower-rated fixed-income securities. This lack of liquidity at certain times may affect the valuation of these securities and may make the valuation and sale of these securities more difficult. Securities of below investment-grade quality are considered high yield, high risk securities and are commonly known as "junk bonds." For more information, including a detailed description of the ratings assigned by S&P, Fitch and Moody's, please refer to Appendix A in the Prospectus.
Money Market Instruments
The Fund may seek to minimize risk by investing in money market instruments, which are high-quality, short-term securities. Although changes in interest rates can change the market value of a security, the Fund expects those changes to be minimal with respect to these securities, which are often purchased for defensive purposes.
Money market obligations of foreign banks or of foreign branches or subsidiaries of U.S. banks may be subject to different risks than obligations of domestic banks, such as foreign economic, political and legal developments and the fact that different regulatory requirements apply.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
Mortgage-backed securities, such as Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") certificates or securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA" or "Fannie Mae"), differ from traditional fixed-income securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if the Fund purchases these assets at a premium, a faster-than-expected prepayment rate will reduce yield to maturity, and a slower-than-expected prepayment rate will increase yield to maturity. If the Fund purchases mortgage-backed securities at a discount, faster-than-expected prepayments will increase, and slower-than-expected prepayments will reduce, yield to maturity. Prepayments, and resulting amounts available for reinvestment by the Fund, are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on securities purchased at a premium may result in a loss of principal if the premium has not been fully amortized at the time of prepayment. These securities will decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates generally, and they are likely to appreciate less than other fixed-income securities when interest rates decline because of the risk of prepayments.
The assets underlying mortgage-backed securities may be represented by a portfolio of first lien residential mortgages (including both whole mortgage loans and mortgage participation interests) or portfolios or mortgage pass-through securities issued or guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"). Mortgage loans underlying a mortgage-related security may in turn by insured or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration ("FHA")or the Veteran's Association ("VA"). In the case of privately issued mortgage-related securities whose underlying assets are neither U.S. Government securities nor U.S. Government-insured mortgages, to the extent that real properties securing such assets may be located in the same geographical region, the security may be subject to a greater risk of default than other comparable securities in the event of
adverse economic, political or business developments that may affect such region and, ultimately, the ability of residential homeowners to make payments of principal and interest on the underlying mortgages. For more information, please see the section "U.S. Government Securities".
Pay-in-kind Securities
The Fund may invest in pay-in-kind securities. Pay-in-kind securities pay dividends or interest in the form of additional securities of the issuer, rather than in cash. These securities are usually issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of pay-in-kind securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than are other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
Step-Coupon Securities
The Fund may invest in step-coupon securities. Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. Market values of these types of securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do conventional interest-paying securities of comparable term and quality. Under many market conditions, investments in such securities may be illiquid, making it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.
Stripped Mortgage Backed Securities
Stripped mortgage-backed securities include interest-only and principal-only classes of mortgage-backed securities ("IOs" and "POs"). The yield to maturity on an IO or PO is extremely sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying assets. A rapid rate of principal prepayments may have a measurably adverse effect on the Fund's yield to maturity to the extent it invests in IOs. If the assets underlying the IOs experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, POs tend to decline in value if prepayments are slower than anticipated.
The secondary market for stripped mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than that for other mortgage-backed securities, potentially limiting the Fund's ability to buy or sell those securities at any particular time.
Structured Notes
The Fund may invest in a broad category of instruments known as "structured notes." These instruments are debt obligations issued by industrial corporations, financial institutions or governmental or international agencies. Traditional debt obligations typically obligate the issuer to repay the principal plus a specified rate of interest. Structured notes, by contrast, obligate the issuer to pay amounts of principal or interest that are determined by reference to changes in some external factor or factors. For example, the issuer's obligations could be determined by reference to changes in the value of a commodity (such as gold or oil), a foreign currency, an index of securities (such as the S&P 500 Index) or an interest rate (such as the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations are determined by reference to changes over time in the difference (or "spread") between two or more external factors (such as the U.S. prime lending rate and the total return of the stock market in a particular country, as measured by a stock index). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may fluctuate inversely with changes in an external factor or factors (for example, if the U.S. prime lending rate goes up, the issuer's interest payment obligations are reduced). In some cases, the issuer's obligations may be determined by some multiple of the change in an external factor or factors (for example, three times the change in the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer's obligations remain fixed (as with a traditional debt instrument) so long as an external factor or factors do not change by more than the specified amount (for example, if the value of a stock index does not exceed some specified maximum), but if the external factor or factors change by more than the specified amount, the issuer's obligations may be sharply reduced.
U.S. Government Securities
U.S. Government securities have different kinds of government support. Such securities include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, as well as securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, authorities, and instrumentalities, including, among others, the GNMA. FHLMC, FNMA, FHA, the Resolution Funding Corporation, the Federal Farm Credit Banks, the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Student Loan Marketing Association, and the Small Business Administration. More detailed information about some of these categories of U.S. Government securities follows.
U.S. Treasury Bills - U.S. Treasury Bills are direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities of one year or less. No interest is paid on Treasury bills; instead, they are issued at a discount and repaid at full face value when they mature. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds - U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds are direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury that are issued in maturities that vary between one and forty years, with interest normally payable every six months. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
"Ginnie Maes" - Ginnie Maes are debt securities issued by a mortgage banker or other mortgagee that represent an interest in a pool of mortgages insured by the FHA or the Farmer's Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. The GNMA guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest when such payments are due, whether or not these amounts are collected by the issuer of these certificates on the underlying mortgages. It is generally understood that a guarantee by GNMA is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgages included in single family or multi-family residential mortgage pools backing an issue of Ginnie Maes have a maximum maturity of up to 30 years. Scheduled payments of principal and interest are made to the registered holders of Ginnie Maes (such as the Fund) each month. Unscheduled prepayments may be made by homeowners or as a result of a default. Prepayments are passed through to the registered holder of Ginnie Maes along with regular monthly payments of principal and interest.
"Fannie Maes" - The FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders that purchases residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers. Fannie Maes are pass-through securities issued by FNMA that are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
"Freddie Macs" - The FHLMC is a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government. Freddie Macs are participation certificates issued by FHLMC that represent an interest in residential mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but Freddie Macs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Some U.S. Government securities, called "Treasury inflation-protected securities" or "TIPS," are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on TIPS is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Although repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed, the market value of TIPS is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate.
The values of TIPS generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of TIPS. In contrast, if nominal interest rates were to increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of TIPS. If inflation is lower than expected during the period the Fund holds TIPS, the Fund may earn less on the TIPS than on a conventional bond. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in TIPS may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds' inflation measure. There can be no assurance that the inflation index for TIPS will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.
Any increase in principal value of TIPS caused by an increase in the consumer price index is taxable in the year the increase occurs, even though the Fund will not receive cash representing the increase at that time. As a result, the Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements as a regulated investment company. See "Distributions and Taxes" below.
In addition to investing directly in U.S. Government securities, the Fund may purchase certificates of accrual or similar instruments ("strips") evidencing undivided ownership interests in interest payments or principal payments, or both, in U.S. Government securities. These investment instruments may be highly volatile.
The yields available from U.S. Government securities are generally lower than the yields available from corporate fixed-income securities. Like other fixed-income securities, however, the values of U.S. Government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in the Fund's net asset value. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when the Fund's average maturity is longer, under certain market conditions the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, expect lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher-yielding long-term securities. Securities such as Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the relevant entity but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. An event affecting the guaranteeing entity could adversely affect the payment of principal or interest or both on the security, and therefore these types of securities should be considered riskier than U.S. government securities. FNMA and FHLMC have each been the subject of investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting matters. Such investigations, and any resulting restatements of financial statements, may adversely affect the guaranteeing entity and, as a result, the payment of principal or interest on these types of securities.
When-Issued Securities
A when-issued security involves a Fund entering into a commitment to buy a security before the security has been issued. The Fund's payment obligation and the interest rate on the security are determined when the Fund enters into the commitment. The security is typically delivered to the Fund 15 to 120 days later. No interest accrues on the security between the time the Fund enters into the commitment and the time the security is delivered. If the value of the security being purchased falls between the time a Fund commits to buy it and the payment date, the Fund may sustain a loss. The risk of this loss is in addition to the Fund's risk of loss on the securities actually in its portfolio at a particular time. In addition, when the Fund buys a security on a when-issued basis, it is subject to the risk that market rates of interest will increase before the time the security is delivered, with the result that the yield on the security delivered to the Fund may be lower than the yield available on other, comparable securities at the time of delivery. If a Fund has outstanding obligations to buy when-issued securities, it will segregate liquid assets at its custodian bank in an amount sufficient to satisfy these obligations.
Zero Coupon Securities
Zero coupon securities are debt obligations (e.g., bonds) that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. Such bonds are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the bonds, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of zero coupon bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than non-zero coupon bonds having similar maturities and credit quality. In order to satisfy a requirement for qualification as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund must distribute each year at least 90% of its net investment income, including the original issue discount accrued on zero coupon bonds. Because a Fund investing in zero coupon bonds will not on a current basis receive cash payments from the issuer in respect of accrued original issue discount, the Fund may have to distribute cash obtained from other sources in order to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement under the Code. Such cash might be obtained from selling other portfolio holdings of the Fund. In some circumstances, such sales might be necessary in order to satisfy cash distribution requirements even
though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the Fund to sell such securities at such time.
Options and Futures
Options and futures transactions involve a Fund buying, selling, or writing options (or buying or selling futures contracts) on securities, securities indices, or currencies. Each Fund may engage in these transactions either to enhance investment return or to hedge against changes in the value of other assets that it owns or intends to acquire. Options and futures fall into the broad category of financial instruments known as "derivatives" and involve special risks. Use of options or futures for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, involving greater risks than are involved in hedging.
Options can generally be classified as either "call" or "put" options. There are two parties to a typical options transaction: the "writer" and the "buyer." A call option gives the buyer the right to buy a security or other asset (such as an amount of currency or a futures contract) from, and a put option gives the buyer the right to sell a security or other asset to, the option writer at a specified price, on or before a specified date. The buyer of an option pays a premium when purchasing the option, which reduces the return on the underlying security or other asset if the option is exercised, and results in a loss if the option expires unexercised. The writer of an option receives a premium from writing an option, which may increase its return if the option expires or is closed out at a profit. If a Fund as the writer of an option is unable to close out an unexpired option, it must continue to hold the underlying security or other asset until the option expires, to "cover" its obligation under the option. An "American style" option allows exercise of the option at any time during the term of the option. A "European style" option allows an option to be exercised only at the end of its term. Options may be traded on or off an established securities exchange.
If the holder of an option wishes to terminate its position, it may seek to effect a closing sale transaction by selling an option identical to the option previously purchased. The effect of the purchase is that the previous option position will be canceled. A Fund will realize a profit from closing out an option if the price received for selling the offsetting position is more than the premium paid to purchase the option; the Fund will realize a loss from closing out an option transaction if the price received for selling the offsetting option is less than the premium paid to purchase the option.
The use of options involves risks. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of options and movements in the price of the securities that are the subject of the hedge. A Fund's hedging strategies will not be fully effective if such imperfect correlation occurs.
Price movement correlation may be distorted by illiquidity in the options markets and the participation of speculators in such markets. If an insufficient number of contracts are traded, commercial users may not deal in options because they do not want to assume the risk that they may not be able to close out their positions within a reasonable amount of time. In such instances, options market prices may be driven by different forces than those driving the market in the underlying securities, and price spreads between these markets may widen. The participation of speculators in the market enhances its liquidity. Nonetheless, the trading activities of speculators in the options markets may create temporary price distortions unrelated to the market in the underlying securities.
An exchange-traded option may be closed out only on an exchange that
generally provides a liquid secondary market for an option of the same series.
If a liquid secondary market for an exchange-traded option does not exist, it
might not be possible to effect a closing transaction with respect to a
particular option, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the
option in order to accomplish the desired hedge. Reasons for the absence of a
liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be
insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be
imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both;
(iii) trading halts, suspensions, or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities;
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation
or other clearing organization may not at all times be adequate to handle
current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or
other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the
trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event
the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options)
would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
An over-the-counter option (an option not traded on an established exchange) may be closed out only with the other party to the original option transaction. With over-the-counter options, a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations or will not permit a Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity. While the Fund will seek to enter into over-the-counter options only with dealers who agree to or are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an over-the-counter option at a favorable price at any time prior to its expiration. Accordingly, the Fund might have to exercise an over-the-counter option it holds in order to achieve the intended hedge. Over-the-counter options are not subject to the protections afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation or other clearing organizations.
Income earned by a Fund from its hedging activities will be treated as capital gain and, if not offset by net recognized capital losses incurred by the Fund, will be distributed to shareholders in taxable distributions. Although gain from options transactions may hedge against a decline in the value of a Fund's portfolio securities, that gain, to the extent not offset by losses, will be distributed in light of certain tax considerations and will constitute a distribution of that portion of the value preserved against decline.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a particular commodity (e.g., an interest-bearing security) for a specified price on a specified future date. A futures contract creates an obligation by the seller to deliver and the buyer to take delivery of the type of instrument or cash at the time and in the amount specified in the contract. In the case of futures on an index, the seller and buyer agree to settle in cash, at a future date, based on the difference in value of the contract between the date it is opened and the settlement date. The value of each contract is equal to the value of the index from time to time multiplied by a specified dollar amount. For example, long-term municipal bond index futures trade in contracts equal to $1000 multiplied by the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, and S&P 500 Index futures trade in contracts equal to $500 multiplied by the S&P 500 Index.
When a trader, such as a Fund, enters into a futures contract, it is required to deposit with (or for the benefit of) its broker as "initial margin" an amount of cash or short-term high-quality securities (such as U.S. Treasury bills or high-quality tax-exempt bonds acceptable to the broker) equal to approximately 2% to 5% of the delivery or settlement price of the contract (depending on applicable exchange rules). Initial margin is held to secure the performance of the holder of the futures contract. As the value of the contract changes, the value of futures contract positions increases or declines. At the end of each trading day, the amount of such increase and decline is received and paid respectively by and to the holders of these positions. The amount received or paid is known as "variation margin." If the Fund has a long position in a futures contract it will establish a segregated account with the Fund's custodian containing cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund equal to the purchase price of the contract (less any margin on deposit). For short positions in futures contracts, the Fund will establish a segregated account with the custodian with cash or liquid securities eligible for purchase by the Fund that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments or currency underlying the futures contracts.
Gain or loss on a futures position is equal to the net variation margin received or paid over the time the position is held, plus or minus the amount received or paid when the position is closed, minus brokerage commissions.
Although many futures contracts call for the delivery (or acceptance) of the specified instrument, futures are usually closed out before the settlement date through the purchase (or sale) of a comparable contract. If the price of the sale of the futures contract by a Fund is less than the price of the offsetting purchase, the Fund will realize a loss. A futures sale is closed by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity and with the same delivery date. Similarly, the closing out of a futures purchase is closed by the purchaser selling an offsetting futures contract.
The value of options purchased by a Fund and futures contracts held by a Fund may fluctuate based on a variety of market and economic factors. In some cases, the fluctuations may offset (or be offset by) changes in the value of securities held in a Fund's portfolio. All transactions in options and futures involve the possible risk of loss
to the Fund of all or a significant part of the value of its investment. In some cases, the risk of loss may exceed the amount of the Fund's investment. When a Fund writes a call option or sells a futures contract without holding the underlying securities, currencies, or futures contracts, its potential loss is unlimited. The Fund will be required, however, to segregate liquid assets in amounts sufficient at all times to satisfy its obligations under options and futures contracts.
In accordance with Commodity Futures Trading Commission Rule 4.5, if the Fund engages in futures transactions, including without limitation futures and options on futures, it will use futures transactions solely for bona fide hedging purposes or will limit its investment in futures transactions for other than bona fide hedging purposes so that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions will not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such futures transactions.
The Fund may, but is not required to, use a number of derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of its investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, and related indexes. Loomis Sayles may decide not to employ any of these strategies and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Funds will succeed. In addition, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Funds will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial. Examples of derivative instruments that the Funds may use include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, zero-strike warrants and options, swap agreements and debt-linked and equity-linked securities.
The successful use of options and futures will usually depend on Loomis Sayles' ability to forecast stock market, currency, or other financial market movements correctly. The Fund's ability to hedge against adverse changes in the value of securities held in its portfolio through options and futures also depends on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of futures or options positions and changes in the values of the portfolio securities. The successful use of futures and exchange-traded options also depends on the availability of a liquid secondary market to enable the Fund to close its positions on a timely basis. There can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. In the case of options that are not traded on an exchange ("over-the-counter" options), the Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations, or will not permit the Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity.
The options and futures markets of foreign countries are small compared to those of the United States and consequently are characterized in most cases by less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, foreign markets may be subject to less detailed reporting requirements and regulatory controls than U.S. markets. Furthermore, investments in options in foreign markets are subject to many of the same risks as other foreign investments.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund's portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities, excluding securities having maturity dates at acquisition of one year or less, for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year. High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Fund, thereby decreasing the Fund's total return. It is impossible to predict with certainty whether future portfolio turnover rates will be higher or lower than those experienced during past periods.
Generally, the Fund intends to invest for long-term purposes. However, the rate of portfolio turnover will depend upon market and other conditions, and it will not be a limiting factor when the adviser believes that portfolio changes are appropriate.
Repurchase Agreements
Under a repurchase agreement, the Fund purchases a security and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller (a bank or, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, a recognized securities dealer) to repurchase the
security at an agreed upon price and date (usually seven days or less from the date of original purchase). The resale price is in excess of the purchase price and reflects an agreed upon market rate unrelated to the coupon rate on the purchased security. Such transactions afford the Fund the opportunity to earn a return on temporarily available cash at minimal market risk. While the underlying security may be a bill, certificate of indebtedness, note, or bond issued by an agency, authority, or instrumentality of the U.S. Government, the obligation of the seller is not guaranteed by the U.S. Government, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying security. In such event, the Fund would attempt to exercise rights with respect to the underlying security, including possible disposition in the market. However, the Fund may be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines in the value of the underlying security during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, (b) possible reduced levels of income and lack of income during this period, and (c) inability to enforce rights and the expenses involved in attempted enforcement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement the Fund transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another person, such as a financial institution, broker or dealer, in return for cash, and agrees that on a stipulated date in the future the Fund will repurchase the portfolio instrument by remitting the original consideration plus interest at an agreed-upon rate. The ability to use reverse repurchase agreements may enable, but does not ensure the ability of, the Fund to avoid selling portfolio instruments at a time when a sale may be deemed to be disadvantageous. When effecting reverse repurchase agreements, assets of the Fund in a dollar amount sufficient to make payment of the obligations to be purchased are segregated on the Fund's records at the trade date and maintained until the transaction is settled.
Dollar rolls are a special type of reverse repurchase agreement in which the portfolio instrument transferred by the Fund is a mortgage-related security. The Fund gives up the cash flows during the transaction period but has use of the cash proceeds.
Securities Lending
The Fund may lend from its total assets in the form of its portfolio securities to broker-dealers under contracts calling for collateral equal to at least the market value of the securities loaned, marked to market on a daily basis. The Fund will continue to benefit from interest or dividends on the securities loaned and may also earn a return from the collateral, which may include shares of a money market fund subject to any investment restrictions listed in this Statement. Under some securities lending arrangements the Fund may receive a set fee for keeping its securities available for lending. Any voting rights, or rights to consent, relating to securities loaned pass to the borrower. However, if a material event (as determined by Loomis Sayles) affecting the investment occurs, such loans will be called, if possible, so that the securities may be voted by the Fund. The Fund pays various fees in connection with such loans, including shipping fees and reasonable custodian and placement fees approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trusts or persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Boards.
These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times, but involve some credit risk to the Fund if the borrower or the party (if any) guaranteeing the loan should default on its obligation and the Fund is delayed in or prevented from recovering the collateral.
Short-term Trading
The Fund may, consistent with its investment objectives, engage in portfolio trading in anticipation of, or in response to, changing economic or market conditions and trends. These policies may result in higher turnover rates in the Fund's portfolio, which may produce higher transaction costs and a higher level of taxable capital gains. Portfolio turnover considerations will not limit Loomis Sayles' investment discretion in managing the Fund's assets. The Fund anticipates that its portfolio turnover rate will vary significantly from time to time depending on the volatility of economic and market conditions.
Temporary Defensive Strategies
The Fund has the flexibility to respond promptly to changes in market and economic conditions. In the interest of preserving shareholders' capital, Loomis Sayles may employ a temporary defensive strategy if it determines such a strategy to be warranted. Pursuant to such a defensive strategy, the Fund temporarily may hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies, or multinational currency units) and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. or foreign issuers. It is impossible to predict whether, when or for how long the Fund will employ defensive strategies. The use of defensive strategies may prevent the Fund from achieving its objectives.
In addition, pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or to meet ordinary daily cash needs, the Fund may temporarily hold cash (U.S. dollars, foreign currencies or multinational currency units) and may invest any portion of its assets in money market instruments and high quality debt securities.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Fund has adopted policies to limit the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and to ensure equal access to such information, except in certain circumstances as approved by the Board of Trustees. Generally, portfolio holdings information will not be available except on a monthly basis following an aging period of at least 30 days between the date of the information and the date on which it is disclosed. The portfolio holdings information will generally be made available on the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com. Any holdings information that is released must clearly indicate the date of the information, and must state that due to active management, the Fund may or may not still invest in the securities listed. Portfolio characteristics, such as industry/sector breakdown, current yield, quality breakdown, duration, average price-earnings ratio and other similar information may be provided on a current basis. However, portfolio characteristics do not include references to specific portfolio holdings.
The Board of Trustees has approved exceptions to the general policy on the sharing of portfolio holdings information as in the best interests of the Fund:
(1) Disclosure of portfolio holdings posted on the Fund's website provided the information is shared no sooner than the next day following the day on which the information is posted;
(2) Disclosure to firms offering industry-wide services, provided that the firm has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Fund, their principal underwriter or an affiliate of the Fund's principal underwriter. Entities that receive information pursuant to this exception include Lipper (monthly disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided 5 days after month-end); Vestek (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings, provided the next business day); and FactSet (daily disclosure of full portfolio holdings provided the next business day);
(3) Disclosure to ADP Investor Communication Services, Inc. as part of the proxy voting recordkeeping services provided to the Fund, and to Investor Research Services, Inc. and Glass Lewis, LLC, as part of the proxy voting administration and research services, respectively, provided to the Fund's adviser (portfolio holdings of issuers as of record date for shareholder meetings);
(4) Disclosure to employees of the Fund's adviser, principal underwriter, administrator, custodian and fund accounting agent, as well as to broker-dealers executing portfolio transactions for the fund, provided that such disclosure is made for bona fide business purposes; and
(5) Other disclosures made for non-investment purposes, but only if approved in writing in advance by an officer of the Fund. Such exceptions will be reported to the Board of Trustees.
With respect to (5) above, approval will be granted only when the officer determines that the Fund has a legitimate business reason for sharing the portfolio holdings information and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the information. As of the date of this SAI, the only entity that receives information pursuant to this exception is GCom2 (quarterly, or more frequently as needed, disclosure of full
portfolio holdings) for the purpose of performing certain functions related to the production of the Fund's semi-annual financial statements, quarterly Form N-Q filing and other related items. The Fund's Board of Trustees exercises oversight of the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings by reviewing, on a quarterly basis, persons or entities receiving such disclosure. Notwithstanding the above, there is no assurance that the Fund's policies on the sharing of portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
In addition, any disclosures of portfolio holdings information by a Fund or its adviser must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, the Fund's and the adviser's fiduciary duty to shareholders, and the Fund's code of ethics. The Fund's policies expressly prohibit the sharing of portfolio holdings information if the Fund, its adviser, or any other affiliated party receives compensation or other consideration in connection with such arrangement. The term "consideration" includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Fund or in other funds or accounts managed by the Fund's adviser or by any affiliated person of the adviser.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The Fund is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for generally overseeing the conduct of Fund business and for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund and review the Fund's performance.
The table below provides certain information regarding the trustees and officers of the Trust. For purposes of this table and for purposes of this SAI, the term "Independent Trustee" means those trustees who are not "interested persons," as defined in the 1940 Act, and, when applicable, who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on by the relevant Board of Trustees. For purposes of this SAI, the term "Interested Trustee" means those trustees who are "interested persons" of the Trust and, when applicable, who have a direct or indirect financial interest in the approval of a matter being voted on by the Board of Trustees.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all persons below is 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Number of Portfolios Position(s) Held with in Fund Complex the Trust, Length of Principal Overseen*** and Time Served and Occupation(s) During Other Directorships Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES..... Graham T. Allison, Jr. Trustee, since 2003 Douglas Dillon Professor 38; Director, Taubman (3/23/40) and Director of the Centers, Inc. (real Contract Review and Belfer Center of Science estate investment trust) Governance Committee and International Member Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Charles D. Baker Trustee, since 2005 President and Chief 38; None (11/13/56) Executive Officer, Contract Review and Harvard Pilgrim Health Governance Committee Care (health plan) Member Edward A. Benjamin Trustee, since 2002 Retired 38; Director, Precision (5/30/38) Optics Corporation Contract Review and (optics manufacturer) Governance Committee Member |
Number of Portfolios Position(s) Held with in Fund Complex the Trust, Length of Principal Overseen*** and Time Served and Occupation(s) During Other Directorships Name and Date of Birth Term of Office* Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ Daniel M. Cain Trustee, since 2003; President and Chief 38; Director, Sheridan (2/24/45) Chairman of the Audit Executive Officer, Cain Healthcare, Inc. Committee Brothers & Company, (physician practice Incorporated (investment management) banking) Paul G. Chenault Trustee, since 2000 Retired; Trustee, First 38; Director, Mailco (9/12/33) Contract Review and Variable Life (variable Office Products, Inc. Governance Committee life insurance) (mailing equipment) Member Kenneth J. Cowan Trustee, since 2003; Retired 38; None (4/5/32) Chairman of the Contract Review and Governance Committee Richard Darman Trustee, since 2003 Partner, The Carlyle 38; Director and (5/10/43) Contract Review and Group (investments); Chairman of the Board of Governance Committee formerly, Professor, Directors, AES Member John F. Kennedy School Corporation of Government, Harvard (international power University company) Sandra O. Moose Trustee, since 2003 President, Strategic 38; Director, Verizon (2/17/42) Chairperson of the Advisory Services Communications; Board, since 2005 (management consulting); Director, Rohm and Haas Ex officio member of the formerly, Senior Vice Company (specialty Audit Committee and President and Director, chemicals); Director, Contract Review and The Boston Consulting AES Corporation Governance Committee Group, Inc. (management consulting) John A. Shane Trustee, since 2003 President, Palmer 38; Director, Gensym (2/22/33) Audit Committee Member Service Corporation Corporation (software (venture capital and technology services organization) provider); Director and Chairman of the Board, Abt Associates Inc. (research and consulting firm) Cynthia L. Walker Trustee, since 2005 Executive Dean for 38; None (7/25/56) Audit Committee Member Administration (formerly, Dean for Finance & CFO), Harvard Medical School |
Number of Portfolios in Position(s) Held Fund Complex with the Trust, Overseen*** and Length of Time Other Served and Term of Principal Occupation(s) Directorships Name and Date of Birth Office* During Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEES...... Robert J. Blanding/1/ Trustee, since 2002 President, Chairman, 38; None (4/14/47) Director and Chief 555 California Street President and Chief Executive Officer, San Francisco, CA 94104 Executive Officer of Loomis, Sayles & Loomis Sayles Funds I Company, L.P.; Chief Executive Officer, Loomis Sayles Funds II John T. Hailer/2/ Trustee, since 2003 President and Chief 38; None (11/23/60) Executive Officer, IXIS Executive Vice President Asset Management of Loomis Sayles Funds Distributors, L.P.; I, since 2003 President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust and AEW Real Estate Income Fund; President of Loomis Sayles Funds II |
* All Trustees serve until retirement, resignation or removal from the Board. The current retirement age is 72, but was suspended for the calendar year 2005. At a meeting held on August 26, 2005, the Trustees voted to lift the suspension of the retirement policy but to designate 2006 as a transition period so that any Trustees who are currently 72 or older or who reach age 72 during the remainder of 2005 or in 2006 will not be required to retire until the end of calendar year 2006. The position of Chairperson of the Board is appointed for a two-year term.
** Each person listed above, except as noted, holds the same position(s) with the Trust. Previous positions during the past five years with IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. (the "Distributor"), IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors") or Loomis Sayles are omitted if not materially different from a trustee's or officer's current position with such entity.
*** The Trustees of the Trust serve as Trustees of a fund complex that includes all series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, AEW Real Estate Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II.
/1/ Mr. Blanding is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust: President, Chairman, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Loomis Sayles.
/2/ Mr. Hailer is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust because he holds the following positions with affiliated persons of the Trust: Director and Executive Vice President of IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, President and Chief Executive Officer of IXIS Advisors and IXIS Distributors.
Number of Portfolios in Position(s) Held Fund Complex with the Trust, Overseen*** Length of Time and Other Served and Term of Principal Occupation(s) Directorships Name and Date of Birth Office* During Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------- ------------------------ OFFICERS Coleen Downs Dinneen Secretary, Clerk and Senior Vice President, Not Applicable (12/16/60) Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, since 2004 Secretary and Clerk (formerly, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk) IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. Michael C. Kardok Treasurer, Principal Senior Vice President, Not Applicable (7/17/59) Financial and Accounting IXIS Asset Management Officer, since 2004 Advisors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Director, PFPC Inc.; formerly, Vice President - Division Manager, First Data Investor Services, Inc. |
Number of Portfolios in Position(s) Held Fund Complex with the Trust, Overseen*** Length of Time and Other Served and Term of Principal Occupation(s) Directorships Name and Date of Birth Office* During Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------------------ ----------------------------------- -------------- Max J. Mahoney Anti-Money Senior Vice President, Deputy Not Applicable (5/1/62) Laundering General Counsel, Assistant Officer and Secretary and Assistant Clerk, IXIS Assistant Asset Management Distribution Secretary, since Corporation, IXIS Asset 2005 Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Chief Compliance Officer, IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ; formerly, Senior Counsel, MetLife, Inc.; formerly, Associate Counsel, LPL Financial Services, Inc. John E. Pelletier Chief Operating Executive Vice President and Chief Not Applicable (6/24/64) Officer, since Operating Officer (formerly Senior 2004 Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (formerly, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Clerk), IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation; Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director (formerly President, Chief Operating Officer and, Director) IXIS Asset Management Services Company |
Number of Portfolios in Position(s) Held Fund Complex with the Trust, Overseen*** Length of Time and Other Served and Term of Principal Occupation(s) Directorships Name and Date of Birth Office* During Past 5 Years** Held ---------------------- ------- --------------------- ---- Daniel J. Fuss Executive Vice President, since Vice Chairman and Director, Not Applicable (9/27/33) 2003 Loomis Sayles & Company, L.P.; One Financial Prior to 2002, President and Center Trustee of Loomis Sayles Funds II Boston, MA 02111 Kristin Vigneaux Chief Compliance Officer, since Chief Compliance Officer for Not Applicable (9/25/69) 2004 Mutual Funds, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P ; formerly, Vice President, IXIS Asset Management Services Company |
* Each officer of the Trust serves for an indefinite term in accordance with its current By-laws until the date his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until he or she sooner dies, retires, is removed or becomes disqualified.
** Each person listed above, except as noted, holds the same position(s) with the IXIS Advisor Funds and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts. Mr. Fuss is an officer of the Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts only. Previous positions during the past five years with the Distributor, IXIS Advisors or Loomis Sayles are omitted, if not materially different from an officer's current position with such entity.
Standing Board Committees
The Trustees have delegated certain authority to the two standing committees of the Trust: the Audit Committee and Contract Review and Governance Committee. The Contract Review and Governance Committee of the Trust consists solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to advisory, subadvisory and distribution arrangements, potential conflicts of interest between the adviser and the Trust, and governance matters relating to the Trust. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held six meetings.
The Contract Review and Governance Committee also makes nominations for
independent trustee membership on the Board of Trustees when necessary and
considers recommendations from shareholders of the Fund that are submitted in
accordance with the procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the
Board of Trustees. Pursuant to those procedures, shareholders must submit a
recommendation for nomination in a signed writing addressed to the attention of
the Board of Trustees, c/o Secretary of the Funds, IXIS Asset Management
Advisors, L.P., 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. This written
communication must (i) be signed by the shareholder, (ii) include the name and
address of the shareholder, (iii) identify the Fund(s) to which the
communication relates, and (iv) identify the account number, class and number
of shares held by the shareholder as of a recent date or the intermediary
through which the shares are held. The recommendation must contain sufficient
background information concerning the trustee candidate to enable a proper
judgment to be made as to the candidate's qualifications, which may include
(i) the nominee's knowledge of the mutual fund industry; (ii) any experience
possessed by the nominee as a director or senior officer of other public
companies; (iii) the nominee's educational background; (iv) the nominee's
reputation for high ethical standards and personal and professional integrity;
(v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the
nominee, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board's
existing mix of skills and qualifications; (vi) the nominee's perceived ability
to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the nominee's
ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively
with other members of the Board; (vii) the nominee's ability to qualify as an
Independent Trustee for purposes of applicable regulations; and (viii) such
other factors as the appropriate Board Committee may request in light of the
existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or other
transitions. The recommendation must be received in a timely manner (and in any
event no later
than the date specified for receipt of shareholder proposals in any applicable proxy statement with respect to the Fund). A recommendation for trustee nomination shall be kept on file and considered by the Board for six (6) months from the date of receipt, after which the recommendation shall be considered stale and discarded.
The Audit Committee of the Trust consists solely of Independent Trustees and considers matters relating to the scope and results of the Trust's audits and serves as a forum in which the independent registered public accounting firm can raise any issues or problems identified in the audit with the Board of Trustees. This Committee also reviews and monitors compliance with stated investment objectives and policies, SEC and Treasury regulations as well as operational issues relating to the transfer agent and custodian. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, this Committee held five meetings.
The current membership of each committee is as follows:
Audit Committee Contract Review and Governance Committee --------------- ---------------------------------------- Daniel M. Cain - Chairman Kenneth J. Cowan - Chairman John A. Shane Graham T. Allison, Jr. Cynthia L. Walker Charles D. Baker Edward A. Benjamin Paul G. Chenault Richard Darman |
As chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Moose is an ex officio member of both Committees.
Trustee Fees
The Trust pays no compensation to its officers or to their trustees who are Interested Trustees.
The Chairperson of the Board receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $200,000. The Chairperson does not receive any meeting attendance fees for Board of Trustees meetings or committee meetings that she attends. Each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $55,000. Each Independent Trustee also receives a meeting attendance fee of $6,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends in person and $3,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends telephonically. In addition, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $10,000. Each Contract Review and Governance Committee member is compensated $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,000 for each committee meeting that he or she attends telephonically. Each Audit Committee member is compensated $5,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attends in person and $2,500 for each meeting her or she attends telephonically. These fees are allocated among the mutual fund portfolios in the IXIS Advisor Funds Trusts and Loomis Sayles Funds Trusts based on a formula that takes into account, among other factors, the relative net assets of each mutual fund portfolio. In addition, for oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund, a closed-end fund advised by AEW Management and Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of IXIS Advisors and Loomis Sayles, each Independent Trustee (other than the Chairperson) receives a retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000 and meeting attendance fees of $375 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attends. Each committee member receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $2,000. Furthermore, each committee chairman receives an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $1,000. The retainer fees for the AEW Real Estate Income Fund assume four Committee meetings per year. Each Trustee of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund is compensated $200 per Committee meeting that he or she attends in excess of four per year.
For the period October 1, 2005 to November 18, 2005, the compensation structure for the Chairperson of the Board and attendance fees for the committee meetings were different. Each co-chairman of the Board received a retainer fee at the annual rate of $25,000 in addition to the compensation structure detailed in the paragraph above.
Each Committee member received $4,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended in person and $2,000 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended telephonically.
Prior to October 1, 2005, each Independent Trustee received, in the aggregate, a retainer fee at the annual rate of $50,000 and meeting attendance fees of $5,000 for each meeting of the Board of Trustees that he or she attended. The co-chairmen of the Board each received an additional retainer fee of $25,000. Each committee chairman received an additional retainer fee at the annual rate of $7,000. Each Trustee was compensated $3,750 for each Committee meeting that he or she attended. The fees paid for the oversight of the AEW Real Estate Income Fund were the same as the current fees.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 for the Trust, the trustees of the Trust received the amounts set forth in the following table for serving as a trustee of the Trust and for also serving as trustees of the IXIS Advisor Funds Trusts and Loomis Sayles Funds II
Compensation Table
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2005
Pension or Estimated Total Compensation Aggregate Retirement Benefits Annual From the Fund Compensation Accrued as Part of Benefits Upon Complex/3/ Name of Person, Position from Trust/1/ Trust Expenses/2/ Retirement Paid to Trustee ------------------------ ------------ ------------------- ------------- ------------------ Independent Trustees Graham T. Allison, Jr. $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Charles D. Baker/4/ $ 8,919 $0 $0 $ 22,625 Edward A. Benjamin $39,914 $0 $0 $105,025 Daniel M. Cain $54,178 $0 $0 $140,810 Paul G. Chenault $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Kenneth J. Cowan $55,371 $0 $0 $144,360 Richard Darman $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Sandra O. Moose $36,242 $0 $0 $ 95,900 John A. Shane $41,108 $0 $0 $108,575 Cynthia L. Walker/4/ $ 8,919 $0 $0 $ 22,625 Interested Trustees Robert J. Blanding $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 John T. Hailer $ 0 $0 $0 $ 0 |
/1/ Amounts include payments deferred by trustees for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, with respect to the Trust. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued for Loomis Sayles Funds I as of September 30, 2005 for the Trustees is as follows: Allison ($189,748), Benjamin ($26,551), Cain ($50,407), Chenault ($9,163) Cowan ($35,211) and Darman ($67,636).
/2/ The Trust provides no pension or retirement benefits to Trustees, but has adopted a deferred payment arrangement under which each Trustee may elect not to receive fees from the Trust on a current basis but to receive in a subsequent period an amount equal to the value that such fees would have been if they had been invested in one or more series of the Trust selected by the Trustee on the normal payment date for such fees.
/3/ Total Compensation represents amounts paid for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2005 to a trustee for serving on the board of trustees of eight
(8) trusts with a total of thirty-seven (37) funds as of September 30, 2005.
/4/ Mr. Baker and Ms. Walker were elected at Trustees on June 2, 2005.
The IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Trusts do not provide pension or retirement benefits to trustees, but have adopted a deferred payment arrangement under which each Trustee may elect not to receive fees from the
Funds on a current basis but to receive in a subsequent period an amount equal to the value that such fees would have been if they had been invested in a Fund or Funds selected by the Trustee on the normal payment date of such fees.
Fund Securities Owned by the Trustees
As of December 31, 2005, the trustees had the following ownership in the Funds:
Independent Trustees:
*A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
Dollar Range of Fund Graham T. Charles D. Edward A. Daniel M. Paul G. Shares* Allison, Jr.** Baker Benjamin** Cain** Chenault -------------------- -------------- ---------- ---------- --------- -------- Loomis Sayles A A A A A Securitized Asset Fund Aggregate Dollar Range E A E E E of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex |
**Amounts include amounts held through the deferred compensation plan.
Dollar Kenneth J. Richard Sandra O. John A. Cynthia L. Range of Fund Shares* Cowan** Darman** Moose Shane Walker --------------------- ---------- -------- --------- ------- ---------- Loomis Sayles A A A A A Securitized Asset Fund Aggregate Dollar Range E E E E A of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex |
**Amounts include amounts held through the deferred compensation plan.
Interested Trustees:
*A. None
B. $10 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
Robert John Dollar Range of Fund J. T. Shares* Blanding Hailer* -------------------- -------- ------- Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund A A Aggregate Dollar Range of Fund Shares in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Fund Complex: E E |
PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
The Fund's registration statement was declared effective on July 1, 2005. The Fund has not commenced investment operations as of the date of this SAI and, as of the date of this SAI, there were no outstanding shares of the Fund.
Code of Ethics. The Trust, Loomis Sayles and the Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit the personnel of these entities to invest in securities, including securities that the Fund may purchase or hold.
Proxy Voting Policies. The Board of Trustees of the Fund has adopted the Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines (the "Guidelines") for the voting of proxies for securities held by the Fund. Under the Guidelines, the responsibility for voting proxies generally is delegated to the Fund's investment adviser. Decisions regarding the voting of proxies shall be made solely in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders. The exclusive purpose shall be to provide benefits to the shareholders of the Fund by considering those factors that affect the value of the securities. The adviser shall exercise its fiduciary responsibilities to vote proxies with respect to the Fund's investments that are
managed by that adviser in a prudent manner in accordance with the Guidelines and the proxy voting policies of the adviser. Proposals that, in the opinion of the adviser, are in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "for" and proposals that, in the judgment of the adviser, are not in the best interests of shareholders are generally voted "against." The adviser is responsible for maintaining certain records and reporting to the Audit Committee of the Trusts in connection with the voting of proxies. Upon request for reasonable periodic review as well as annual reporting to the SEC, the adviser shall make available to the Fund, or IXIS Advisors, the Fund's administrator, the records and information maintained by the adviser under the Guidelines.
Loomis Sayles uses the services of third parties ("Proxy Voting Service(s)"), to research and administer the vote on proxies for those accounts and fund for which Loomis Sayles has voting authority. Each Proxy Voting Service has a copy of Loomis Sayles' proxy voting procedures ("Procedures") and provides vote recommendations and/or analysis to Loomis Sayles based on the Proxy Voting Service's own research. Loomis Sayles will generally follow its express policy with input from the Proxy Voting Services unless Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee ("Proxy Committee") determines that the client's best interests are served by voting otherwise.
All issues presented for shareholder vote will be considered under the oversight of the Proxy Committee. All non-routine issues will be directly considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security, and will be voted in the best investment interests of the Fund. All routine issues will be voted according to Loomis Sayles' policy approved by the Proxy Committee unless special factors require that they be considered by the Proxy Committee and, when necessary, the equity analyst following the company and/or the portfolio manager of a Fund holding the security. Loomis Sayles' Proxy Committee has established these routine policies in what it believes are the best investment interests of Loomis Sayles' clients.
The specific responsibilities of the Proxy Committee, include,
(1) developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Procedures,
including an annual review of the Procedures, existing voting guidelines and
the proxy voting process in general, (2) oversight of the proxy voting process
including oversight of the vote on proposals according to the predetermined
policies in the voting guidelines, directing the vote on proposals where there
is reason not to vote according to the predetermined policies in the voting
guidelines or where proposals require special consideration, and consultation
with the portfolio managers and analysts for the Fund(s) holding the security
when necessary or appropriate and, (3) engagement and oversight of third-party
vendors, including Proxy Voting Services.
Loomis Sayles has established several policies to ensure that proxy votes are voted in its clients' best interest and are not affected by any possible conflicts of interest. First, except in certain limited instances, Loomis Sayles votes in accordance with its pre-determined policies set forth in the Procedures. Second, where these Procedures allow for discretion, Loomis Sayles will generally consider the recommendations of the Proxy Voting Services in making its voting decisions. However, if the Proxy Committee determines that the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation is not in the best interest of its clients, then the Proxy Committee may use its discretion to vote against the Proxy Voting Services' recommendation, but only after taking the following steps: (1) conducting a review for any material conflict of interest Loomis Sayles may have and, (2) if any material conflict is found to exist, excluding anyone at Loomis Sayles who is subject to that conflict of interest from participating in the voting decision in any way. However, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Proxy Committee after full prior disclosure of any conflict, that person may provide information, opinions or recommendations on any proposal to the Proxy Committee. In such event the Proxy Committee will make reasonable efforts to obtain and consider, prior to directing any vote information, opinions or recommendations from or about the opposing position on any proposal.
Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to their prospective portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2005 is available (i) through the Fund's website at www.loomissayles.com and (ii) on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Board Approval of the Existing Advisory Agreement
The Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, considers matters bearing on the Fund's advisory agreement at most of its meetings throughout the year. The Independent Trustees meet frequently in executive session and are advised by independent legal counsel selected by the Independent Trustees. The advisory agreement of the Fund will be reviewed each year by the Board of Trustees to determine whether the agreement should be continued for an additional one-year period. Continuation of the agreement requires the majority vote of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board of Trustees consists of a majority of Independent Trustees.
In connection with their meetings, the trustees receive materials
specifically relating to the existing advisory agreement. These materials
generally include, among other items (i) information on the investment
performance of the Fund, a peer group of funds and an appropriate index or
combination of indices, (ii) sales and redemption data of the Fund, and
(iii) the economic outlook and the general investment outlook in the markets in
which the Fund invests. The Board of Trustees, including the Independent
Trustees, may also consider other material facts such as (1) Loomis Sayles'
results and financial condition, (2) the Fund's investment objective and
strategies and the size, education and experience of Loomis Sayles' investment
staff and their use of technology, external research and trading cost
measurement tools, (3) arrangements for the distribution of the Fund's shares,
(4) the procedures employed to determine the value of the Fund's assets,
(5) the allocation of the Fund's brokerage, if any, including any allocations
to brokers affiliated with Loomis Sayles, and the use of "soft" commission
dollars to pay for research, (6) the resources devoted to, and the record of
compliance with, the Fund's investment policies and restrictions and policies
on personal securities transactions, and (7) expense arrangements agreed to by
Loomis Sayles.
The Board of Trustees initially approved the advisory agreement at its meeting held on March 11, 2005. In considering the advisory agreement, the Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, did not identify any single factor as determinative. Matters considered by the Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, in connection with its approval of the advisory agreement included the following:
. the benefits to shareholders of investing in a fund that is part of a family of funds offering a variety of investment disciplines and providing for a variety of fund and shareholder services.
. whether other funds advised by Loomis Sayles have operated in accordance with their investment objectives and their record of compliance with their investment restrictions.
. the nature, quality, cost and extent of administrative services performed by Loomis Sayles for other funds under the existing advisory agreements and under separate agreements covering administrative services and to be performed by Loomis Sayles for the Fund under the advisory agreement and a separate agreement covering administrative services.
. the fact that no fees are payable under the advisory agreement but that Loomis Sayles may benefit from its relationship with the sponsors of "wrap" programs for which the Fund is an investment option. For these purposes, the Trustees also took into account so-called "fallout benefits" to Loomis Sayles, such as the reputational value derived from serving as investment adviser to the Fund and the engagement of Loomis Sayles and its affiliates to provide administrative, distribution and transfer agency services to the Fund, and the benefits of research made available to Loomis Sayles by reason of brokerage commissions generated by the Fund's securities transactions.
. the fact that Loomis Sayles will bear most of the Fund's expenses.
. the expected level of Loomis Sayles' profits in respect of the management of the Fund.
. whether there have been economies of scale in respect of the management of the Fund, whether the Fund has appropriately benefited from any economies of scale, and whether there is potential for realization of any further economies of scale.
Based on their evaluation of all factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, and assisted by the advice of independent counsel, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, concluded that the advisory agreement should be approved.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Advisory Agreement. Under the advisory agreement with the Fund, Loomis Sayles manages the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and generally administers its affairs, subject to supervision by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Loomis Sayles furnishes, at its own expense, all necessary office space, facilities and equipment, services of executive and other personnel of the Fund, and certain administrative services. Also, Loomis Sayles has agreed to pay, without reimbursement from the Fund or the Trust, the following expenses of the Fund: compensation to trustees of the Trust who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust; registration, filing and other fees in connection with requirements of regulatory authorities; the charges and expenses of any entity appointed by the Fund for custodial, paying agent, shareholder servicing and plan agent services; charges and expenses of independent accountants retained by the Fund; charges and expenses of any transfer agents and registrars appointed by the Fund; any cost of certificates representing shares of the Fund; legal fees and expenses in connection with the day-to-day affairs of the Fund, including registering and qualifying its shares with federal and state regulatory authorities; expenses of meetings of shareholders and trustees of the Trust; the costs of services, including services of counsel, required in connection with the preparation of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses, including amendments and revisions thereto, annual, semi-annual and other periodic reports of the Fund, and notices and proxy solicitation material furnished to shareholders of the Fund or regulatory authorities, and any costs of printing or mailing these items; and the Fund's expenses of bookkeeping, accounting, auditing and financial reporting, including related clerical expenses.
The advisory agreement provides that Loomis Sayles will not charge the Fund an investment advisory fee, also known as a management fee, or any other fee for those services or for bearing those expenses. Although the Fund does not compensate Loomis Sayles directly for its services under the advisory agreement, Loomis Sayles will typically receive an advisory fee from the sponsors of "wrap programs," who in turn charge the programs' participants. See the Prospectus and the applicable wrap program brochure for more information. Similarly, Loomis Sayles receives an advisory fee directly from institutional clients whose assets it advises under a separate investment management agreement.
The Trust, and not Loomis Sayles or its affiliates, will pay the following expenses: taxes payable by the Trust to federal, state or other governmental agencies; extraordinary expenses as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings, other claims and the legal obligations of the Trust or the Fund to indemnify its trustees, officers, employees, shareholders, distributors, and agents with respect thereto; brokerage fees and commissions (including dealer markups) and transfer taxes chargeable to the Trust in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Fund; costs, including any interest expenses, of borrowing money; costs of hedging transactions; costs of lending portfolio securities; and any expenses indirectly incurred through investments in other pooled investment vehicles.
The advisory agreement provides that it will continue in effect for two years from its date of execution and thereafter from year to year if its continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. Any amendment to an advisory agreement must be approved by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not such interested persons, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The agreement may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, upon sixty days' written notice, or by Loomis Sayles upon ninety days' written notice, and terminates automatically in the event of its assignment. In addition, the agreement will automatically terminate if the Trust or the Fund shall at any time be required by Loomis Sayles to eliminate all reference to the words "Loomis" and "Sayles" in the name of the Trust or the Fund, unless the continuance of the agreement after such change of name is approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or Loomis Sayles.
The advisory agreement provides that Loomis Sayles shall not be subject to any liability in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
In addition to serving as investment adviser to the Fund and each other series of the Trust, Loomis Sayles acts as investment adviser to each series of Loomis Sayles Funds II, and adviser or sub-adviser to certain series of IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II and IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, each a registered open-end management investment company. Loomis Sayles also serves as sub-adviser to a number of other open-end management investment companies and also provides investment advice to numerous other corporate and fiduciary clients.
Information About the Organization and Ownership of the Adviser of the Fund
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. is a registered investment adviser whose origins date back to 1926. An important feature of the Loomis Sayles investment approach is its emphasis on investment research. Recommendations and reports of the Loomis Sayles research department are circulated throughout the Loomis Sayles organization and are available to the individuals in the Loomis Sayles organization who are responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund's portfolio as well as numerous other institutional and individual clients to which Loomis Sayles provides investment advice. Loomis Sayles is a limited partnership whose sole general partner, Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management Holdings LLC ("IXIS Holdings"), which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXIS Asset Management North America, L.P. ("IXIS Asset Management North America"). IXIS Asset Management North America owns the entire limited partnership interest in Loomis Sayles.
IXIS Asset Management North America is part of IXIS Asset Management Group, an international asset management group based in Paris, France. IXIS Asset Management Group is ultimately owned principally, directly or indirectly, by three large affiliated French financial services entities: the Caisse des Depots et Consignations ("CDC"), a public sector financial institution created by the French government in 1816; the Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne, a financial institution owned by CDC and by French regional savings banks known as the Caisses d'Epargne; and by CNP Assurances, a large French life insurance company. The registered address of CNP Assurances is 4, place Raoul Dautry, 75015 Paris, France. The registered address Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne is 5, rue Masseran, 75007 Paris, France. The registered office of CDC is 56, rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France.
The 12 principal affiliated asset management firms of IXIS Asset Management North America collectively had approximately $202.7 billion in assets under management or administration as of December 31, 2005.
Allocation of Investment Opportunity Among IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles Funds (the "Funds") and Other Investments Managed by the Adviser
Loomis Sayles has organized its business into three investment groups: The Fixed Income Group, The Equity Group and The Investment Counseling Group. The Fixed Income Group and the Equity Group make investment decisions for the funds managed by Loomis Sayles. The groups make investment decisions independently of one another. These groups also have responsibility for the management of other client portfolios. The other investment companies and clients served by Loomis Sayles' investment platforms sometimes invest in securities in which the funds (or segments thereof) advised or subadvised by Loomis Sayles also invest. If one of these funds and such other clients advised or subadvised by the same investment group of Loomis Sayles desire to buy or sell the same portfolio securities at or about the same time, the respective group allocates purchases and sales, to the extent practicable, on a pro rata basis in proportion to the amount desired to be purchased or sold for each fund or client advised or subadvised by that investment group. It is recognized that in some cases the practices described in this paragraph could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities which each of the funds purchases or sells. In other cases, however, it is believed that these practices may benefit the Fund.
Distribution Agreement. Pursuant to a distribution agreement with the Trust (the "Distribution Agreement"), IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., 399 Boylston St., Boston, Massachusetts 02116 , an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, serves as the general distributor of shares of the Fund. Under the Distribution
Agreement, the Distributor is not obligated to sell a specific number of shares. The Distributor bears the cost of making information about the Fund available through advertising and other means and the cost of printing and mailing the Prospectus to persons other than shareholders. The Distributor currently is not paid a fee for serving as Distributor for the Fund. Loomis Sayles has agreed to reimburse the Distributor to the extent the Distributor incurs expenses in connection with any redemptions of Fund shares.
The Distribution Agreement was approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement.
The Distribution Agreement may be terminated at any time with respect to the Fund on 60 days' written notice to the Distributor by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement also may be terminated by the Distributor on 90 days' written notice to the Trust, and the Distribution Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its "assignment," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In each such case, such termination will be without payment of any penalty.
The Distribution Agreement will continue in effect for successive one-year periods with respect to the Fund, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or the Distributor, in each case cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
Administration Services. IXIS Advisors performs certain accounting and administrative services for the Trust, pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 1, 2005, as amended from time to time (the "Administrative Agreement"). Under the Administrative Agreement, IXIS Advisors provides the following services to the Fund: (i) personnel that perform bookkeeping, accounting, internal auditing and financial reporting functions and clerical functions relating to the Fund, (ii) services required in connection with the preparation of registration statements and prospectuses, registration of shares in various states, shareholder reports and notices, proxy solicitation material furnished to shareholders of the Fund or regulatory authorities and reports and questionnaires for SEC compliance, and (iii) the various registrations and filings required by various regulatory authorities. For these services, Loomis Sayles (without reimbursement from the Trust or Fund) has agreed to pay IXIS Advisors for services to the Fund under this agreement.
Transfer Agency Services. Prior to July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles performed these same services for the Trust, pursuant to an administrative services agreements with the Trust. On July 1, 2003, Loomis Sayles assigned the Administrative Services Agreements to IXIS Services, an affiliate of Loomis Sayles, and IXIS Services performed the services listed above through December 31, 2004. Loomis Sayles (without reimbursement from the Trust or Fund) paid for all services provided to the Fund under these agreements.
Pursuant to a contract between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ("Boston Financial"), whose principal business address is Two Heritage Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts, 02171, acts as shareholder servicing and transfer agent for the Fund and is responsible for services in connection with the establishment, maintenance and recording of shareholder accounts, including all related tax and other reporting requirements and the implementation of investment and redemption arrangements offered in connection with the sale of the Fund's shares. Loomis Sayles has agreed to pay (without reimbursement from the Trust or Fund) fees to Boston Financial for services to the Fund under this agreement.
Custodial Arrangements. State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street Bank"), One Lincoln Strret, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, is the Trust's custodian. As such, State Street Bank holds in safekeeping certificated securities and cash belonging to the Fund and, in such capacity, is the registered owner of securities held in book entry form belonging to the Fund. Upon instruction, State Street Bank receives and delivers cash and securities of the Fund in connection with Fund transactions and collects all dividends and other distributions made with respect to Fund portfolio securities. State Street Bank also maintains certain accounts and records of the Fund and calculates the total net asset value, total net income, and net asset value per share of the Fund on a daily basis.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Trust's independent registered public accounting firm is PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 125 High Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110. The independent registered public accounting firm conducts an annual audit of the Fund's financial statements, assists in the review of the Fund's federal and state income tax returns and consults with the Trust as to matters of accounting and federal and state income taxation.
Counsel to the Fund. Ropes & Gray LLP, located at One International Place, Boston, MA 02110, serves as counsel to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
Portfolio Managers' Management of Other Accounts
As of September 30, 2005, many of the Portfolio Managers of the Fund managed other accounts in addition to managing the Fund. The following table provides information on the other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager.
Registered Investment Other Pooled Investment Companies Vehicles Other Accounts --------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------- Other Advisory fee Other Advisory fee Other Advisory fee is Accounts is based on Accounts is based on Accounts based on Managed performance Managed performance Managed performance -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ -------------- -------------- Name of Portfolio # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total # of Total Manager Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets Accts Assets ----------------- ----- -------- ----- ------ ----- ------ ----- ------ ----- -------- ----- -------- Cliff Rowe 3 $ 218.7 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 46 $ 1.44 0 $ 0 million billion Craig Smith 0 $ 0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 56 $ 2.06 1 $ 110.1 billion million |
Material Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest may arise in the allocation of investment opportunities and the allocation of aggregated orders among the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. A portfolio manager potentially could give favorable treatment to some accounts for a variety of reasons, including favoring larger accounts, accounts that pay higher fees, accounts that pay performance-based fees or accounts of affiliated companies. Such favorable treatment could lead to more favorable investment opportunities for some accounts. Loomis Sayles makes investment decisions for all accounts (including institutional accounts, mutual funds, hedge funds and affiliated accounts) based on each account's availability of other comparable investment opportunities and Loomis Sayles' desire to treat all accounts fairly and equitably over time. Loomis Sayles maintains trade allocation and aggregation policies and procedures to address these potential conflicts. Conflicts of interest also may arise to the extent a portfolio manager short sells a stock in one client account but holds that stock long in other accounts, including the Fund, and through the use of "soft dollar arrangements", which are discussed in the section "Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage".
Portfolio Managers' Compensation
The following describes the structure of, and the method used to determine, the compensation of each of the above-listed portfolio managers as of September 30, 2005:
Loomis Sayles believes that portfolio manager compensation should be driven primarily by the delivery of consistent and superior long-term performance for its clients. Portfolio manager compensation is made up
primarily of three main components: base salary, variable compensation and a long-term incentive program. Although portfolio manager compensation is not directly tied to assets under management, a portfolio manager's base salary and/or variable compensation potential may reflect the amount of assets for which the manager is responsible relative to other portfolio managers. Loomis Sayles also offers a profit sharing plan. Base salary is a fixed amount based on a combination of factors including industry experience, firm experience, job performance and market considerations. It is an incentive-based component and generally represents a significant multiple of base salary. Variable compensation is based on four factors: investment performance, profit growth of the firm, profit growth of the manager's business unit and team commitment. Investment performance is the primary component of total variable compensation and generally represents at least 60% of the total. The other three factors are used to determine the remainder of variable compensation, subject to the discretion of the department's Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and senior management. The CIO and senior management evaluate these other factors annually.
While mutual fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to compensation calculation, investment performance for fixed-income managers is measured by comparing the performance of the firm's institutional composite (pre-tax and net of fees) in the manager's style to the performance of an external benchmark (the Lehman Brothers Securitized Index) and a customized peer group. The customized peer group is created by the firm and is made up of institutional managers in the particular investment style. A manager's relative performance for the past five years is used to calculate the amount of variable compensation payable due to performance. To ensure consistency, the firm analyzes the five-year performance on a rolling three-year basis. If a manager is responsible for more than one product, the rankings of each product are weighted based on relative asset size of accounts represented in each product.
Loomis Sayles uses both an external benchmark and a customized peer group as measuring sticks for fixed-income manager performance because it believes they represent an appropriate combination of the competitive fixed-income product universe and the investment styles offered by the firm.
Mutual funds are not included in the firm's composites, so unlike other managed accounts, fund performance and asset size do not directly contribute to this calculation. However, each fund managed by the firm employs strategies endorsed by the firm and fits into the product category for the relevant investment style. Loomis Sayles may adjust compensation if there is significant dispersion among the returns of the composite and accounts not included in the composite.
Loomis Sayles has developed and implemented a long-term incentive plan to attract and retain investment talent. The plan supplements existing compensation. This plan has several important components distinguishing it from traditional equity ownership plans:
. the plan grants units that entitle participants to an annual payment based on a percentage of company earnings above an established threshold;
. upon retirement a participant will receive a multi-year payout for his or her vested units;
. participation is contingent upon signing an award agreement, which includes a non-compete covenant.
Senior management expects that the variable compensation portion of overall compensation will continue to remain the largest source of income for those investment professionals included in the plan. The plan is initially offered to portfolio managers and over time the scope of eligibility is likely to widen. Management has full discretion on what units are issued and to whom.
Portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles profit sharing plan, in which Loomis Sayles makes a contribution to the retirement plan of each employee based on a percentage of base salary (up to a maximum amount). The portfolio managers also participate in the Loomis Sayles defined benefit pension plan, which applies to all Loomis Sayles employees who joined the firm prior to May 1, 2003. The defined benefit is based on years of service and base compensation (up to a maximum amount).
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS' OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
As of September 30, 2005, the Portfolio Managers had the following ownership in the Fund:
Dollar Range of Equity Name of Portfolio Manager Fund(s) Managed Securities Invested* ------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ Cliff Rowe Loomis Sayles A Securitized Asset Fund Craig Smith Loomis Sayles A Securitized Asset Fund |
*A. None
B. $1 - 10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. over $100,000
There are various reasons why a Portfolio Manager may not own shares of the Fund he or she manages. One reason is that the Fund's investment objectives and strategies may not match those of the Portfolio Manager. Administrative reasons (such as facilitating compliance with an adviser's or subadviser's code of ethics) also may explain why a Portfolio Manager has chosen not to invest in the IXIS Advisor Funds. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Generally
In placing orders for the purchase and sale of equity securities, Loomis Sayles selects only brokers that it believes are financially responsible, will provide efficient and effective services in executing, clearing and settling an order and will charge commission rates that, when combined with the quality of the foregoing services, will produce the best price and execution for the transaction. This does not necessarily mean that the lowest available brokerage commission will be paid. However, the commissions are believed to be competitive with generally prevailing rates. The adviser will use its best efforts to obtain information as to the general level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to time and will evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid on transactions by reference to such data. In making such evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker in connection with the order, are taken into account.
Subject to the overriding objective of obtaining the best possible execution of orders, the Fund's adviser may allocate brokerage transactions to affiliated brokers. Any such transactions will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act. In order for the affiliated broker to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees and other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period. Furthermore, the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, have adopted procedures that are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to an affiliated broker are consistent with the foregoing standard.
Generally, Loomis Sayles seeks to obtain quality executions at favorable security prices and at competitive commission rates, where applicable, through brokers and dealers who, in Loomis Sayles' opinion, can provide the best overall net results for its clients. Transactions in unlisted equity securities (including NASDAQ securities) are
frequently executed through a primary market maker but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network ("ECN"), Alternative Trading System ("ATS"), or other execution system. Fixed income securities are generally purchased from the issuer or a primary market maker acting as principal on a net basis with no brokerage commission paid by the client. Such securities, as well as equity securities, may also be purchased from underwriters at prices which include underwriting fees.
Commissions and Other Factors in Broker or Dealer Selection
Loomis Sayles uses its best efforts to obtain information as to the general
level of commission rates being charged by the brokerage community from time to
time and to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid
on client portfolio transactions by reference to such data. In making this
evaluation, all factors affecting liquidity and execution of the order, as well
as the amount of the capital commitment by the broker or dealer, are taken into
account. Other relevant factors may include, without limitation: (a) the
execution capabilities of the brokers and/or dealers, (b) research and other
products or services (as described under "Soft Dollars" below) provided by such
brokers and/or dealers which are expected to enhance Loomis Sayles' general
portfolio management capabilities, (c) the size of the transaction, (d) the
difficulty of execution, (e) the operations facilities of the brokers and/or
dealers involved, (f) the risk in positioning a block of securities, and
(g) the quality of the overall brokerage and research services provided by the
broker and/or dealer.
Soft Dollars
Loomis Sayles' receipt of brokerage and research products or services may sometimes be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer to execute transactions for the Fund where Loomis Sayles believes that the broker or dealer will provide quality execution of the transactions. Such brokerage and research products or services may be paid for with Loomis Sayles' own assets or may, in connection with transactions effected for client accounts for which Loomis Sayles exercises investment discretion, be paid for with client commissions (the latter, sometimes referred to as "Soft Dollars").
The brokerage and research products and services that may be a factor in Loomis Sayles' selection of a broker or dealer and that may be acquired by Loomis Sayles with Soft Dollars include, without limitation, the following which aid Loomis Sayles in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities: a wide variety of reports, charts, publications, subscriptions, quotation services, news services, investment related hardware and software, and data on such matters as economic and political developments, industries, companies, securities, portfolio strategy, account performance, credit analysis, stock and bond market conditions and projections, asset allocation, portfolio structure, economic forecasts, investment strategy advice, fundamental and technical advice on individual securities, valuation advice, market analysis, advice as to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities, and meetings with management representatives of issuers and other analysts and specialists. The brokerage and research products or services provided to Loomis Sayles by a particular broker or dealer may include both (a) products and services created by such broker or dealer and (b) products and services created by a third party.
If Loomis Sayles receives a particular product or service that both aids it in carrying out its investment decision-making responsibilities (i.e., a "research use") and provides non-research related uses, Loomis Sayles will make a good faith determination as to the allocation of the cost of such "mixed-use item" between the research and non-research uses and will only use Soft Dollars to pay for the portion of the cost relating to its research use.
In connection with Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars, the Fund may pay a broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a transaction for the Fund in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if Loomis Sayles determines in good faith that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research products or services provided by the broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or Loomis Sayles' overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund.
Loomis Sayles may use Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage or research products and services that have potential application to all client accounts including the Fund or to acquire brokerage or research products and services that will be applied in the management of a certain group of client accounts and, in some cases, may not be
used with respect to the Fund. The products or services may not be used in connection with the management of some of the accounts including the Fund that paid commissions to the broker or dealer providing the products or services and may be used in connection with the management of other accounts.
Loomis Sayles' use of Soft Dollars to acquire brokerage and research products and services benefits Loomis Sayles by allowing it to obtain such products and services without having to purchase them with its own assets. Loomis Sayles believes that its use of Soft Dollars also benefits the Fund as described above. However, conflicts may arise between the Fund's interest in paying the lowest commission rates available and Loomis Sayles' interest in receiving brokerage and research products and services from particular brokers and dealers without having to purchase such products and services with Loomis Sayles' own assets. Loomis Sayles seeks to ensure that its "soft dollar" practices fall within the "safe harbor" provided by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
For purposes of this Soft Dollars discussion, the term "commission" may include (to the extent applicable) both commissions paid to brokers in connection with transactions effected on an agency basis and markups, markdowns, commission equivalents, or other fees paid to dealers in connection with certain transactions as encompassed by relevant SEC interpretation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Declaration of Trust currently permits the trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of each series. Each share of each series represents an equal proportionate interest in such series with each other share of that series and is entitled to a proportionate interest in the dividends and distributions from that series. The shares of each series do not have any preemptive rights. Upon termination of any series, whether pursuant to liquidation of the Trust or otherwise, shareholders of that series are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of that series available for distribution to shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also permits the trustees to charge shareholders directly for custodial, transfer agency, and servicing expenses.
The assets received by each series for the issue or sale of its shares and all income, earnings, profits, losses, and proceeds therefrom, subject only to the rights of creditors, are allocated to, and constitute the underlying assets of, that series. The underlying assets are segregated and are charged with the expenses with respect to that series and with a share of the general expenses of the Trust. Any general expenses of the Trust that are not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the trustees in such manner as the trustees determine to be fair and equitable. While the expenses of the series are allocated to the separate books of account of each series, certain expenses may be legally chargeable against the assets of all series.
The Declaration of Trust also permits the trustees, without shareholder approval, to subdivide any series of shares into various classes of shares with such dividend preferences and other rights as the trustees may designate. The trustees may also, without shareholder approval, establish one or more additional separate portfolios for investments in the Trust or merge two or more existing portfolios. Shareholders' investments in such an additional or merged portfolio would be evidenced by a separate series of shares (i.e., a new "fund").
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust, however, provides that the trustees may terminate the Trust or any series upon written notice to the shareholders.
Voting Rights
Shareholders of the Fund are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for each fractional share held) and may vote (to the extent provided in the relevant Declaration of Trust) on the election of trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders.
All classes of shares of the Fund have identical voting rights except that each class of shares has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class, and has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class. Each class of shares has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters pertaining to any distribution or
servicing plan or agreement applicable to that class. Matters submitted to shareholder vote will be approved by each series separately except (i) when required by the 1940 Act shares shall be voted together and (ii) when the matter does not affect all series, then only shareholders of the series affected shall be entitled to vote on the matter. Consistent with the current position of the SEC, shareholders of all series and classes vote together, irrespective of series or class, on the election of trustees and the selection of the Trust's independent accountants, but shareholders of each series vote separately on most other matters requiring shareholder approval, such as certain changes in investment policies of that series or the approval of the investment advisory and subadvisory agreement relating to that series, and shareholders of each class within a series vote separately as to the Rule 12b-1 plan (if any) relating to that class.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees, except that, in accordance with the 1940 Act, (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders' meeting for the election of trustees at such time as less than a majority of the trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if there is a vacancy on the Board of Trustees such vacancy may be filled only by a vote of the shareholders unless, after filing such vacancy by other means, at least two-thirds of the trustees holding office shall have been elected by the shareholders. In addition, trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust's custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for that purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares.
Upon written request by a minimum of ten holders of shares having held their shares for a minimum of six months and having a net asset value of at least $25,000 (with respect to the Trust) or constituting at least 1% of the outstanding shares stating that such shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a trustee, the Trust has undertaken to provide a list of shareholders or to disseminate appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders).
Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. Shareholder voting rights are not cumulative.
The affirmative vote of a majority of shares of the Trust voted (assuming a
quorum is present in person or by proxy) is required to amend the Declaration
of Trust if such amendment (1) affects the power of shareholders to vote,
(2) amends the section of the relevant Declaration of Trust governing
amendments, (3) is one for which a vote is required by law or by the Trust's
registration statement or (4) is submitted to the shareholders by the Trustees.
If one or more new series of the Trust is established and designated by the
trustees, the shareholders having beneficial interests in the Fund shall not be
entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting such new series, such matters
including, without limitation, the adoption of or any change in the investment
objectives, policies or restrictions of the new series and the approval of the
investment advisory contracts of the new series. Similarly, the shareholders of
the new series shall not be entitled to vote on any such matters as they affect
the Fund.
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Massachusetts law shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the series of the Trust of which they are shareholders. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of each series and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of property of the series for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the series. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered remote since it is limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer is inoperative and the series itself would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a trustee against any liability to which the trustee 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. The By-Laws of the Trust provide for indemnification by the Trust of the trustees and officers of the Trust except with respect to any matter as to which any such person did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such action was in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Trust. No officer or trustee may be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or the Trust's shareholders to which such person 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 office.
Purchases and Redemptions
Shares of the Fund are offered exclusively to institutional clients of Loomis Sayles in the discretion of Loomis Sayles and to "wrap fee" programs approved by IXIS Advisors. Approved investors may purchase and redeem Fund shares at the Fund's net asset value without a sales charge or other fee. For more information about the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, see "General Information--How to Purchase Shares" and "General Information--How to Redeem Shares" in the Fund's Prospectus.
The Fund will normally redeem shares for cash; however, the Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price wholly or partly in kind. If portfolio securities are distributed in lieu of cash, the shareholder will normally incur brokerage commissions upon subsequent disposition of any such securities. However, the Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, pursuant to which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash for any shareholder during any 90-day period up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the total net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of such period.
A redemption constitutes a sale of the shares for federal income tax purposes on which the investor may realize a long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. See "Distributions and Taxes below."
A purchase order received by Boston Financial, the Fund's transfer agent, prior to the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on a day when the Fund is open for business, will be effected at that day's net asset value. With respect to purchases of shares by institutional clients of Loomis Sayles, the settlement date (i.e., the date by which payment must be made for shares) for purchase orders received by Boston Financial is generally the next business day after receipt of such orders. For other information about the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, see "General Information - How to Redeem Shares" in the Fund's prospectus.
Net Asset Value
The method for determining the public offering price and net asset value ("NAV") per share is summarized in the Prospectus.
The total net asset value of the Fund (the excess of the assets of such Fund over the liabilities) is determined at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the Exchange is open for trading. In addition, in Loomis Sayles' discretion, the Fund's shares may be priced on a day the Exchange is closed for trading if Loomis Sayles in its discretion determines that it is advisable to do so based primarily upon factors such as whether (i) there has been enough trading in that Fund's portfolio securities to materially affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares and (ii) whether in Loomis Sayles' view sufficient information (e.g., prices reported by pricing services) is available for the Fund's shares to be priced. For example, the Fund may price its shares on days on which the Exchange is closed but the fixed income markets are open for trading. The Fund does not expect to price its shares on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Securities listed on a national securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at market price (generally, their last sale price, or, if there is no reported sale during the day, the last reported bid price estimated by a broker, although "market price" for securities traded on NASDAQ will generally be considered to be the NASDAQ official closing price.) Unlisted securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last reported bid price in the over-the-counter market or on the basis of yield equivalents as obtained from one or more dealers that make a market in the securities. U.S. government securities are traded in the over-the-counter market. Options, interest rate futures and options thereon that are traded on exchanges are valued at their last sale price as of the close of such exchanges. Securities for which current market quotations are not readily available and all other assets are taken at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees, although the actual calculations may be made by persons acting pursuant to the direction of the Board.
Generally, trading in foreign government securities and other fixed-income securities, as well as trading in equity securities in markets outside the United States, is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. Securities traded on a foreign exchange will be valued at their market price on the non-U.S. exchange except for securities traded on the London Stock Exchange ("British Equities"). British Equities will be valued at the mean between the last bid and last asked prices on the London Stock Exchange. The value of other securities principally traded outside the United States will be computed as of the completion of substantial trading for the day on the markets on which such securities principally trade. Securities principally traded outside the United States will generally be valued several hours before the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, when the Fund computes the net asset value of its shares. Occasionally, events affecting the value of securities principally traded outside the United States may occur between the completion of substantial trading of such securities for the day and the close of the Exchange, which events will not be reflected in the computation of the Fund's net asset value. If, in the determination of the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction, events materially affecting the value of the Fund's securities occur during such period, then these securities may be fair valued at the time the Fund determines its net asset value by or pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. The effect of fair value pricing is that securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes accurately reflects fair value. When fair valuing its securities, the Fund may, among other things, use modeling tools or other processes that may take into account factors such as securities market activity and/or significant events that occur after the close of the local market and before the time the Fund's net asset value is calculated.
Because of fair value pricing, as described in the prospectus, securities may not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees believes is more likely to result in a price that reflects fair value (which is the amount that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from a current sale of a security in the ordinary course of business). The Fund may also value securities at fair value or estimate their value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in other circumstances such as when extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the close of the Exchange. This may include situations relating to a single issuer (such as a declaration of bankruptcy or a delisting of the issuer's security from the primary market on which it has traded) as well as events affecting the securities markets in general (such as market disruptions or closings and significant fluctuations in U.S. and/or foreign markets).
Trading in some of the portfolio securities of the Fund may takes place in various markets outside the United States on days and at times other than when the Exchange is open for trading. Therefore, the calculation of the Fund's net asset value may not take place at the same time as the prices of many of its portfolio securities are determined, and the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days when the Fund is not open for business and its shares may not be purchased or redeemed.
The per share net asset value of the Fund's shares is computed by dividing the number of shares outstanding into the total net asset value. The public offering price of the Fund is the next-determined net asset value.
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
In General. As described in the Prospectus under "Dividends and Distributions," it is the policy of the Fund to pay its shareholders each year, as dividends, substantially all net investment income and to distribute at least annually all net realized capital gains, if any, after offsetting any capital loss carryovers.
Investment income dividends and capital gain distributions are payable in full and fractional shares of the Fund based upon the net asset value determined as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange on the record date for each dividend or distribution. Shareholders, however, may elect to receive their income dividends or capital gain distributions, or both, in cash. The election may be made at any time by submitting a written request directly to the Trust. In order for a change to be in effect for any dividend or distribution, it must be received by the Trust on or before the record date for such dividend or distribution.
As required by federal law, detailed federal tax information will be furnished to each shareholder for each calendar year on or before January 31 of the succeeding year.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify
each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In
order to qualify, the Fund must, among other things, (i) derive at least 90% of
its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with
respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition
of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not
limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with
respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies;
(ii) distribute at least 90% of the sum of its taxable net investment income,
net tax-exempt income, and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains
over net long-term capital losses for such year; and (iii) diversify its
holdings so that at the end of each fiscal quarter, (a) at least 50% of the
value of its total assets consists of cash, U.S. government securities,
securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities
limited generally, with respect to any one issuer, to no more than 5% of the
value of the Fund's total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total
assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government
or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more
issuers which a Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or
related trades or businesses.
So long as it qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed to its shareholders in a timely manner in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, defined below). If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
A nondeductible excise tax at the rate of 4% will be imposed on the excess, if any, of the Fund's "required distribution" over its actual distributions in any calendar year. Generally, the "required distribution" is 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98% of its capital gain net income recognized during the one-year period ending on October 31st (or December 31st, if the Fund is so permitted to elect and so elects) plus undistributed amounts from prior years. The Fund intends to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.
Taxation of Fund Distributions. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before a shareholder's investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares (other than distributions, if any, designated by the Fund as "exempt-interest dividends"). Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains. Distributions declared and payable by the Fund during October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in any such month and paid by the Fund during the following January will be treated for federal tax purposes as paid by the Fund and received by shareholders on December 31st of the year in which declared rather than the calendar year in which they were received.
Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced--in general, to 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets--for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, "qualified dividend income" received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, on the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Income derived from investments in fixed-income securities or real estate investment trusts ("REITs") is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.
In general, distributions of investment income designated by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund's shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Fund's dividends (other than properly designated capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term "gross income" is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Return of Capital Distributions. If the Fund makes a distribution in excess of its current and accumulated "earnings and profits" in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder's basis in his or her shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of such shares.
Sale or Redemption of Shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
A loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less will be disallowed for federal income tax purposes to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares and thereafter treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain dividend paid to the shareholder with respect to such shares. Furthermore, no loss will be allowed on the sale of Fund shares to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the Fund within a period beginning 30 days prior to the sale of the loss shares and ending 30 days after such sale.
Foreign Taxes. Funds that invest in foreign securities may be liable to foreign governments for taxes relating primarily to investment income or capital gains on foreign securities in the Fund's portfolio. The Fund may in some circumstances be eligible to, and in its discretion may, make an election under the Code that would allow Fund shareholders who are U.S. citizens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax return for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities held at least a minimum period specified in the Code. If the Fund makes the election, the amount of each shareholder's distribution reported on the information returns filed by the Fund with the IRS must be increased by the amount of the shareholder's portion of a Fund's foreign tax paid. A shareholder's
ability to claim all or a part of a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code.
Foreign Currency Transactions. Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign-currency denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, future contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Financial Products. The Fund's investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swaps and certain other transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to a Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, convert capital gain into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character distributions to Fund shareholders.
Certain of the Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated instruments) are likely to result in a difference between the Fund's book income and taxable income. This difference may cause a portion of the Fund's income distributions to constitute a return of capital or capital gain for tax purposes or require the Fund to make distributions exceeding book income to avoid excise tax liability and to qualify as a regulated investment company.
Securities loans may or may not be structured in a manner to preserve qualified dividend income treatment on dividends paid with respect to the securities lent. The Fund may receive substitute payments (instead of the dividend) that will not be eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, taxed at the rate applicable to long-term capital gains.
Securities issued or purchased at a discount. The Fund's investment in securities issued at a discount and certain other obligations will (and investments in securities purchased at a discount may) require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, a Fund serves to "block" (that is, prevent the attribution to shareholders of) unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could utilize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if either: (1) a Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REIMCs"); or (2) shares in a Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). If a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Code Section 664) realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, it will lose its tax-exempt status for the year.
Backup Withholding. A Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish a Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number ("TIN"), who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to a Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010. The backup withholding tax rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 ("2004 Act"), effective for taxable years of a Fund beginning before January 1, 2008, a Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information
exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by a Fund. The Fund does not intend to make such designations.
If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.
Other Tax Matters. Special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax adviser to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of and investment on their particular tax situation.
Dividends and distributions also may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to federal, state, local and, where applicable, foreign taxes.
The foregoing discussion relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisers concerning the tax consequences of ownership of shares of a Fund, including the certification and filing requirements imposed on foreign investors in order to qualify for an exemption from the backup withholding tax rates described above (or a reduced rate of withholding provided by treaty).
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the applicable provisions of the Code and related regulations currently in effect. For the complete provisions, reference should be made to the pertinent Code sections and regulations. The Code and regulations are subject to change by legislative or administrative actions.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Because the Fund had not commenced investment operations as of September 30, 2005, the financial statements for the Fund have not been included in this SAI.
APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
Certain of the Funds make use of average portfolio credit quality standards to assist institutional investors whose own investment guidelines limit their investments accordingly. In determining a Fund's overall dollar-weighted average quality, unrated securities are treated as if rated, based on the adviser's view of their comparability to rated securities. A Fund's use of average quality criteria is intended to be a guide for those investors whose investment guidelines require that assets be invested according to comparable criteria. Reference to an overall average quality rating for a Fund does not mean that all securities held by the Fund will be rated in that category or higher. A Fund's investments may range in quality from securities rated in the lowest category in which the Fund is permitted to invest to securities rated in the highest category (as rated by Moody's, S&P or Fitch or, if unrated, determined by the adviser to be of comparable quality). The percentage of a Fund's assets invested in securities in a particular rating category will vary. Following is a description of Moody's, S&P's and Fitch's ratings applicable to fixed-income securities.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high-quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present that make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than with Aaa securities.
A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Bonds in this class are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small. These bonds are considered speculative and are subject to higher credit risk.
Caa: Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are highly speculative. Such issues are often in default with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest..
C: Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of recovery of principal and interest.
Moody's bond ratings, where specified, are applicable to financial contracts, senior bank obligations and
insurance company senior policyholder and claims obligations with an original maturity in excess of one year. Obligations relying upon support mechanisms such as letter-of-credit and bonds of indemnity are excluded unless explicitly rated. Obligations of a branch of a bank are considered to be domiciled in the country in which the branch is located.
Unless noted as an exception, Moody's rating on a bank's ability to repay senior obligations extends only to branches located in countries which carry a Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits. Such branch obligations are rated at the lower of the bank's rating or Moody's Sovereign Rating for the Bank Deposits for the country in which the branch is located. When the currency in which an obligation is denominated is not the same as the currency of the country in which the obligation is domiciled, Moody's ratings do not incorporate an opinion as to whether payment of the obligation will be affected by the actions of the government controlling the currency of denomination. In addition, risk associated with bilateral conflicts between an investor's home country and either the issuer's home country or the country where an issuer branch is located are not incorporated into Moody's ratings.
Moody's makes no representation that rated bank obligations or insurance company obligations are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 or issued in conformity with any other applicable law or regulation. Nor does Moody's represent that any specific bank or insurance company obligation is legally enforceable or a valid senior obligation of a rated issuer.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classified from Aa through Caa in its corporate bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
Corporate Short-Term Debt Ratings
Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment-grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior
ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment
ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return
on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance
on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established
access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate
liquidity.
PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
PRIME-3: Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
NOT PRIME: Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
Issue Credit Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with
respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.
Issue credit ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any credit rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days, including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations: likelihood of payment--capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; nature of and provisions of the obligation; protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
The issue rating definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.
Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings
Investment-Grade
AAA: 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.
AA: An obligation rated `AA' differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: 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.
BBB: 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.
Speculative Grade
Obligations rated `BB', `B', `CCC', `CC', and `C' are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: 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.
B: 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.
CCC: 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.
CC: An obligation rated `CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated `C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The `C' rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A `C' also will be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
CI: The rating CI is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
D: An obligation rated `D' is in payment default. The `D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The `D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Provisional ratings: The letter "p" indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project being financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his or her own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant
noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected
returns which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include:
obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities;
obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk--such as interest-only or
principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky
interest terms, such as inverse floaters. The absence of an "r" symbol should
not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or
variability in total return.
N.R.: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Debt obligations of issuers outside the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues. The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account currency exchange and related uncertainties.
Commercial Paper Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging
from A for the highest quality obligations to D for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1: 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-2: 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-3: 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.
B: A short-term obligation rated `B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: 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.
D: A short-term obligation rated `D' is in payment default. The `D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The `D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
A commercial paper rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment on market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to Standard & Poor's by the issuer or obtained from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information.
Fitch Investor Services, Inc
Credit Ratings
Fitch's credit ratings provide an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving their money back in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch's credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign (including supranational and sub-national), financial, bank, insurance, municipal and other public finance entities and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.
The use of credit ratings defines their function: "investment grade" ratings
(international Long-term 'AAA' to 'BBB-' categories; Short-term 'F1' to'F3')
indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while those in the
"speculative" or "non investment grade" categories (international Long-term
'BB+' to 'D'; Short-term 'B' to 'D') either signal a higher level of credit
risk or that a default has already occurred. Credit ratings express risk in
relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk
and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss.
Depending on their application, credit ratings address benchmark measures of probability of default as well relative expectations of loss given default. For example, issuers are typically assigned Issuer Default Ratings that are relative measures of default probability. Similarly, short-term credit ratings give primary consideration to the likelihood that
obligations will be met on a timely basis. Securities, however, are rated taking into consideration probability of default and loss given default. As a result, for entities such as corporations security ratings may be rated higher, lower or the same as the issuer rating to reflect expectations of the security's relative recovery prospects, as well as differences in ability and willingness to pay. While recovery analysis plays an important role throughout the ratings scale, it becomes a more critical consideration for below investment-grade securities and obligations, particularly at the lower end of the non-investment-grade ratings scale where Fitch often publishes actual Recovery Ratings, that are complementary to the credit ratings.
Structured finance ratings typically are assigned to each individual security or tranche in a transaction, and not to an issuer. Each structured finance tranche is rated on the basis of various stress scenarios in combination with its relative seniority, prioritization of cash flows and other structural mechanisms.
International Long-Term Credit Ratings
International Long-Term Credit Ratings (LTCR) may also be referred to as Long-Term Ratings. When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations. When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations.
The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings:
Investment Grade
AAA
Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit 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.
AA
Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit 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.
BBB
Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that there is currently expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.
Speculative Grade
BB
Speculative
'BB' ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B Highly speculative
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, 'B' ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R1' (outstanding).
CCC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R2' (superior), or 'R3' (good) or 'R4' (average).
CC
[ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of 'R4' (average) or 'R5' (below average).
C [ ] For issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent.
[ ] For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R6' (poor).
RD Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations. .
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
- failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation;--the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or--the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.
Issuers will be rated 'D' upon a default. Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of 'C' to 'B' ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to meet pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the 'B' or 'CCC-C' categories.
Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations' documentation. Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonably determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation's documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch's published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.
International Short-Term Credit Ratings
The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A Short-term rating has 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.
Highest credit quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
Good credit quality. 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.
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.
B Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
RD
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other obligations.
D Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings:
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)
Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.
Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.
Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.
Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.
Interest Only
Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.
Principal Only
Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will
receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled
maturity date.
Rate of Return
Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.
'PIF'
Paid-in -Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or
refinanced.
'NR' indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.
'Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of
information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an
obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch
Ratings deems sufficient.
Registration Nos. 333-22931 811-8282
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 23. Exhibits
(a) Articles of Incorporation. (1) The Registrant's First Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 22, 2005 (the "Agreement and Declaration of Trust") is incorporated by reference to exhibit (a)(1) to post-effective amendment ("PEA") No. 29 to the initial registration statement ("Registration Statement") filed on June 30, 2005. (b) By-Laws. (1) The Registrant's Amended and Restated By-Laws dated June 22, 2005 (the "By-laws") are incorporated by reference to exhibit (b)(1) to PEA No. 29 to the Regulation Statement filed on June 30, 2005. (c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders. Rights of shareholders as described in Article III, Section 4 of the Agreement and Declaration is incorporated by reference to exhibit (a)(1) to PEA No. 29 to the Regulation Statement filed on June 30, 2005. (d) Investment Advisory Contracts. (1) Advisory Agreement dated October 30, 2000 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(4) to PEA No. 12 to the Registration Statement filed on January 30, 2001. (2) Advisory Agreement dated October 30, 2000 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(5) to PEA No. 12 to the Registration Statement filed on January 30, 2001. (i) Addendum dated July 1, 2005 to Advisory Agreement dated October 30, 2000 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund, and Loomis Sayles is filed herewith. (3) Advisory Agreement dated October 30, 2000 between Registrant on behalf of Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(6) to PEA No. 15 to the Registration Statement filed on January 30, 2002. (4) Advisory Agreement dated October 30, 2000 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(7) to PEA No. 12 to the Registration Statement filed on January 30, 2001. (5) Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(9) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. |
(i) Addendum dated July 1, 2005 to Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles is filed herewith. (6) Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(10) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (i) Addendum dated July 1, 2005 to Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, and Loomis Sayles is filed herewith. (7) Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant on behalf of Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund, Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(11) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (8) Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (d)(12) to PEA No. 22 to the Registrant Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (i) Addendum dated July 1, 2005 to Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund, and Loomis Sayles is filed herewith. (9) Advisory Agreement dated April 1, 2004 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund, and Loomis Sayles is incorporated by reference to exhibit (b)(2) to PEA No. 26 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2004. (10) Advisory Agreement between dated July 1, 2005 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund, and Loomis Sayles is filed herewith. (e) Underwriting Contracts. (1) Distribution Agreement dated July 1, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund and Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund, and IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("IXIS Distributors") is incorporated by reference to exhibit (e)(1) to PEA No. 20 filed on September 10, 2003. (2) Distribution Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund and Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund and IXIS Distributors is incorporated by reference to exhibit (e)(2) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (3) Form of Dealer Agreement used by IXIS Distributors is filed herewith. (4) Distribution Agreement dated April 1, 2004 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund, and IXIS Distributors is incorporated by reference to exhibit (b)(2) to PEA No. 26 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2004. (5) Distribution Agreement dated July 1, 2005 between the Registrant, on behalf of Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund, and IXIS Distributors is filed herewith. |
(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. Not applicable. (g) Custodian Agreements. (1) Custodian Contract dated September 1, 2005 between the Registrant, on behalf of its respective series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company is filed herewith. (h) Other Material Contracts. (1) (i) Transfer Agency and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2005 between the Registrant, on behalf of its respective series, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds II and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ("Boston Financial") is filed herewith. (ii) First Addendum dated November 1, 2005 to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement is filed herewith. (2) (i) Administrative Services Agreement dated January 3, 2005, between the Registrant on behalf of each of its series, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds II and IXIS Advisors is incorporated by reference to exhibit (h)(2)(i) to the Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2005. (ii) Letter Agreement to Administrative Services Agreement relating to the applicability of such agreement to the Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund is filed herewith. (iii) First Amendment dated November 1, 2005 to the Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant, on behalf of its respective series, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds II and IXIS Advisors is filed herewith. (iv) Second Amendment dated January 1, 2006 to Administrative Services Agreement between Registrant on behalf of its respective series, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds II and IXIS Advisors is filed herewith. (3) Reliance Agreement for Exchange Privileges dated September 30, 2003 by and among IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds II and Registrant is incorporated by reference to the exhibit (h)(3) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (4) Loomis Sayles Fee Waiver/Reimbursement Undertakings dated February 1, 2006 between Loomis Sayles and the Registrant on behalf of its series enumerated in such undertaking is filed herewith. (5) Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September 1, 2005 between the Registrant, on behalf of its series enumerated on Schedule B thereto, and State Street Bank and Trust Company is filed herewith. |
(i) Legal Opinion. Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP with respect to Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund is incorporated by reference to exhibit (i) to PEA No. 29 to Registration Statement filed on June 30, 2005. (j) Other Opinions. Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is filed herewith. (k) Omitted Financial Statements. Not applicable. (l) Initial Capital Agreements. Not applicable. (m) Rule 12b-1 Plans. (1) Distribution Plan relating to Retail Class shares of Loomis Sayles Bond Fund is incorporated by reference to the exhibit (m)(2) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (2) Distribution Plan relating to Retail Class shares of Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund is incorporated by reference to the exhibit (m)(3) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (3) Distribution Plan relating to Retail Class shares of Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund is incorporated by reference to the exhibit (m)(4) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (4) Distribution Plan relating to Admin Class shares of Loomis Sayles Bond Fund is incorporated by reference to the exhibit (m)(5) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (5) Distribution Plan relating to Admin Class shares of Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund is incorporated by reference to the exhibit (m)(6) to PEA No. 22 to the Registration Statement filed on November 28, 2003. (n) Rule 18f-3 Plan Registrant's Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, effective August 2005, is filed herewith. (p) Code of Ethics (1) Code of Ethics for Registrant dated July 1, 2004 is incorporated by reference to exhibit (b)(2) to PEA No. 26 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2004.. (2) Code of Ethics dated January 14, 2000 as amended August 23, 2005 for Loomis Sayles is filed herewith. (3) Code of Ethics dated June 1, 2004 for IXIS Distributors is incorporated by reference to exhibit (b)(2) to PEA No. 26 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2004. |
(q) Powers of Attorney (1) Powers of Attorney for Graham T. Allison, Jr., Daniel M. Cain, Kenneth J. Cowan, Richard Darman, John T. Hailer, Paul Chenault, Edward Benjamin, Robert Blanding, Sandra O. Moose and John A. Shane dated October 18, 2004 designating John M. Loder, Coleen Downs Dinneen, Russell Kane and Michael Kardok as attorneys to sign for each Trustee is incorporated by reference to exhibit (b)(2) to PEA No. 26 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2004. (2) Powers of Attorney for Charles D. Baker and Cynthia L. Walker dated June 2, 2005 designating John M. Loder, Coleen Downs Dinneen, Russell Kane and Michael Kardok as attorneys to sign for each Trustee is incorporated by reference to exhibit (g)(2) to PEA No. 29 to Registration Statement on July 1, 2005. |
Item 24. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Fund.
Persons that owned of record, as of January 18, 2006, 25% or more of outstanding voting securities of one or more series of the Registrant, and this may be deemed to "control" the Fund within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are listed in the statements of additional information under the sections tilted "Principal Owners" and are incorporated herein by reference. The Registrant is not aware of any person controlled by or under common control with any of its series.
Item 25. Indemnification.
Article VIII of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Article 4 of the Registrant's By-Laws provide for indemnification of its trustees and officers. The effect of these provisions is to provide indemnification for each of the Registrant's trustees and officers against liabilities and counsel fees reasonably incurred in connection with the defense of any legal proceeding in which such trustee or officer may be involved by reason of being or having been a trustee or officer, except with respect to any matter as to which such trustee or officer shall have been adjudicated not to have acted in good faith and in the reasonable belief that such trustee's or officer's action was in the best interest of the Registrant, and except that no trustee or officer shall be indemnified against any liability to the Registrant or its shareholders to which such trustee or officer otherwise would be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such trustee's or officer's office.
Item 26. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
(a) Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., ("Loomis Sayles"), the investment advisor of the Registrant, provides investment advice to each series of Loomis Sayles Funds I and to other registered investment companies, organizations, and individuals.
The sole general partner of Loomis Sayles is Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
The list required by this Item 26 regarding any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by officers and partners of Loomis Sayles during the past two years is incorporated herein by reference to schedules A, C and D of Form ADV filed by Loomis Sayles pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 as amended (SEC File No. 801-170; IARD/CRD No. 105377).
Item 27.Principal Underwriter
(a) IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. also serves as principal underwriter for:
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV
IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust
Loomis Sayles Funds II
(b) The general partner and officers of the Registrant's principal underwriter, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., and their addresses are as follows:
Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Name with Principal Underwriter with Registrant ---- ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ IXIS Asset Management Distribution General Partner None Corporation John T. Hailer President and Chief Executive Officer Executive Vice President and Trustee John E. Pelletier Executive Vice President and Chief Chief Operating Officer Operating Officer Coleen Downs Dinneen Senior Vice President, General Secretary, Clerk and Chief Legal Counsel, Secretary and Clerk Officer Russell Kane Vice President, Associate General Assistant Secretary Counsel, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk Michael Kardok Senior Vice President Treasurer, Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Kristin Vigneaux Chief Compliance Officer for Mutual Chief Compliance Officer Funds Beatriz Pina Smith Senior Vice President, Treasurer and None Chief Financial Officer Anthony Loureiro Senior Vice President, Chief None Compliance Officer-Broker/Dealer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer Max J. Mahoney Senior Vice President, Deputy General Assistant Secretary and Anti-Money Counsel, Assistant Secretary, Laundering Officer Assistant Clerk, and Chief Compliance Officer-Investment Adviser Robert Krantz Executive Vice President None |
Frank S. Maselli Executive Vice President None Matt Witkos Executive Vice President None Diane Whelan Executive Vice President None Jeffrey Coron Senior Vice President None Curt Overway Senior Vice President None Maureen O'Neill Senior Vice President None Susannah Wardly Senior Vice President None Mark Doyle Senior Vice President None Matthew Coldren Senior Vice President None Michael Raso Senior Vice President None Christopher Mullahy Senior Vice President None KC Chew Senior Vice President None Caren Leedom Senior Vice President None |
The principal business address of all the above persons or entities is 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Item 28. Location of Accounts and Records
The following companies maintain possession of the documents required by the specified rules:
For all series of Registrant:
(i) Loomis Sayles Funds I 399 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116
(ii) Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
(iii) State Street Bank and Trust Company 225 Franklin Street Boston, Massachusetts 02110
(iv) IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P.
399 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Item 29. Management Services
None.
Item 30. Undertakings
(a) The Registrant undertakes to provide a copy of the annual report of any of its series to any person who receives a prospectus for such series and who requests the annual report.
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment ("PEA") No. 30 to its Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this PEA No. 30 to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 30th day of January, 2006.
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ------------------------------ John T. Hailer Executive Vice President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this amendment to the Registration Statement of the Registrant has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature Title Date --------- ----- ---- /s/ MICHAEL KARDOK --------------------------- Michael Kardok Treasurer January 30, 2006 /s/ GRAHAM T. ALLISON, JR.* --------------------------- Graham T. Allison, Jr. Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ CHARLES D. BAKER* --------------------------- Charles D. Baker Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ EDWARD A. BENJAMIN* --------------------------- Edward A. Benjamin Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ ROBERT J. BLANDING* --------------------------- Robert J. Blanding Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ DANIEL M. CAIN* --------------------------- Daniel M. Cain Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ PAUL G. CHENAULT* --------------------------- Paul G. Chenault Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ KENNETH J. COWAN* --------------------------- Kenneth J. Cowan Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ RICHARD DARMAN* --------------------------- Richard Darman Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ JOHN T. HAILER --------------------------- John T. Hailer Trustee, Executive Vice January 30, 2006 President |
/s/ SANDRA O. MOOSE* ------------------------ Trustee; Chairperson of January 30, 2006 Sandra O. Moose the Board /s/ JOHN A. SHANE* ------------------------ John A. Shane Trustee January 30, 2006 /s/ CYNTHIA L. WALKER*** ------------------------ Cynthia L. Walker Trustee January 30, 2006 *By: /s/ COLEEN DOWNS DINNEEN ----------------------------- Coleen Downs Dinneen Attorney-In-Fact**/*** January 30, 2006 |
** Powers of Attorney are incorporated by reference to exhibit (q) to PEA No. 124 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2004.
*** Powers of Attorney for Charles D. Baker and Cynthia L. Walker are incorporated by reference to exhibit (q)(2) to PEA No. 29 to the Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2005.
Registration Nos. 333-22931 811-08282
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
Exhibit Index
(d)(3)(i) Addendum to Advisory Agreement for Loomis Sayles Intermediate
Duration Fixed Income Fund
(d)(5)(i) Addendum to Advisory Agreement for Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
(d)(6)(i) Addendum to Advisory Agreement for Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
(d)(8)(i) Addendum to Advisory Agreement for Loomis Sayles Inflation
Protected Securities Fund
(d)(10) Advisory Agreement for Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset fund
(e)(3) Form of Dealer Agreement
(e)(5) Distribution Agreement for Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund
(g)(1) Custodian Contract
(h)(1)(i) Transfer Agency and Services Agreement
(h)(1)(ii) First Addendum to Transfer Agency and Services Agreement
(h)(2)(ii) Letter Agreement to Administrative Agreement for Loomis Sayles
Securitized Asset Fund
(h)(2)(iii) First Amendment to the Administrative Services Agreement
(h)(2)(iv) Second Amendment to the Administrative Services Agreement
(h)(4) Fee Waiver/Reimbursement Undertakings
(h)(5) Securities Lending Authorization Agreement
(j) Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan
(p)(2) Code of Ethics - Loomis Sayles
Exhibit (d)(3)(i)
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
July 1, 2005
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Attn: Michael C. Kardok, Treasurer
Re: Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund Advisory Agreement Addendum
Dear Mr. Kardok:
The Advisory Agreement dated October 30, 2000 between Loomis Sayles Funds I (formerly, Loomis Sayles Investment Trust) (the "Trust"), with respect to its Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund series (the "Series"), and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (the "Adviser") is hereby revised, effective July 1, 2005, to delete Section 7 and to replace it with the following:
7. As full compensation for all services rendered, facilities furnished and expenses borne by the Adviser hereunder, the Trust shall pay the Adviser compensation at the annual percentage rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Series, or such lesser rate as the Adviser may agree to from time to time. Such compensation shall be payable monthly in arrears or at such other intervals, not less frequently than quarterly, as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may from time to time determine and specify in writing to the Adviser. The Adviser hereby acknowledges that the Trust's obligation to pay such compensation is binding only on the assets and property belonging to the Series.
To indicate your approval and acceptance of the terms of this letter, please sign below where indicated.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ KEVIN CHARLESTON --------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Director |
ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO:
Loomis Sayles Funds I, on behalf of
Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund
By: /s/ MICHAEL C. KARDOK --------------------- Michael C. Kardok Title: Treasurer Date: July 1, 2005 |
Exhibit (d)(5)(i)
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
July 1, 2005
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Attn: Michael C. Kardok, Treasurer
Re: Loomis Sayles Bond Fund Advisory Agreement Addendum
Dear Mr. Kardok:
The Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between Loomis Sayles Funds I (the "Trust"), with respect to its Loomis Sayles Bond Fund (the "Series"), and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (the "Adviser") is hereby revised, effective July 1, 2005, to delete Section 7 and to replace it with the following:
7. As full compensation for all services rendered, facilities furnished and expenses borne by the Adviser hereunder, the Trust shall pay the Adviser compensation at the annual percentage rate of 0.60% of the first $3 billion of the average daily net assets of the Series and 0.50% over $3 billion of such assets, respectively, or such lesser rate as the Adviser may agree to from time to time. Such compensation shall be payable monthly in arrears or at such other intervals, not less frequently than quarterly, as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may from time to time determine and specify in writing to the Adviser. The Adviser hereby acknowledges that the Trust's obligation to pay such compensation is binding only on the assets and property belonging to the Series.
To indicate your approval and acceptance of the terms of this letter, please sign below where indicated.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ KEVIN CHARLESTON --------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Director |
ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO:
Loomis Sayles Funds I, on behalf of
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
By: /s/ MICHAEL KARDOK ----------------------------- Michael C. Kardok Title: Treasurer Date: July 1, 2005 |
Exhibit (d)(6)(i)
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
July 1, 2005
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Attn: Michael C. Kardok, Treasurer
Re: Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund Advisory Agreement Addendum
Dear Mr. Kardok:
The Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between Loomis Sayles Funds I (the "Trust"), with respect to its Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund (the "Series"), and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (the "Adviser") is hereby revised, effective July 1, 2005, to delete Section 7 and to replace it with the following:
7. As full compensation for all services rendered, facilities furnished and expenses borne by the Adviser hereunder, the Trust shall pay the Adviser compensation at the annual percentage rate of 0.60% of the first $1 billion of the average daily net assets of the Series and 0.50% over $1 billion of such assets, respectively, or such lesser rate as the Adviser may agree to from time to time. Such compensation shall be payable monthly in arrears or at such other intervals, not less frequently than quarterly, as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may from time to time determine and specify in writing to the Adviser. The Adviser hereby acknowledges that the Trust's obligation to pay such compensation is binding only on the assets and property belonging to the Series.
To indicate your approval and acceptance of the terms of this letter, please sign below where indicated.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ KEVIN CHARLESTON --------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Director |
ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO:
Loomis Sayles Funds I, on behalf of
Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
By: /s/ MICHAEL C. KARDOK --------------------- Michael C. Kardok Title: Treasurer Date: July 1, 2005 |
Exhibit (d)(8)(i)
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
July 1, 2005
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Attn: Michael C. Kardok, Treasurer
Re: Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund Advisory Agreement Addendum
Dear Mr. Kardok:
The Advisory Agreement dated September 12, 2003 between Loomis Sayles Funds I (the "Trust"), with respect to its Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund (formerly, Loomis Sayles U.S. Government Securities Fund) (the "Series"), and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (the "Adviser") is hereby revised, effective July 1, 2005, to delete Section 7 and to replace it with the following:
7. As full compensation for all services rendered, facilities furnished and expenses borne by the Adviser hereunder, the Trust shall pay the Adviser compensation at the annual percentage rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Series, or such lesser rate as the Adviser may agree to from time to time. Such compensation shall be payable monthly in arrears or at such other intervals, not less frequently than quarterly, as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may from time to time determine and specify in writing to the Adviser. The Adviser hereby acknowledges that the Trust's obligation to pay such compensation is binding only on the assets and property belonging to the Series.
To indicate your approval and acceptance of the terms of this letter, please sign below where indicated.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ KEVIN CHARLESTON --------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Director |
ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO:
Loomis Sayles Funds I, on behalf of
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
By: /s/ MICHAEL C. KARDOK --------------------- Michael C. Kardok Title: Treasurer Date: July 1, 2005 |
Exhibit (d)(10)
LOOMIS SAYLES SECURITIZED ASSET FUND
Advisory Agreement
AGREEMENT made the 1st day of July 2005, by and between LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Fund"), with respect to its Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund series (the "Series"), and LOOMIS, SAYLES & COMPANY, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the "Manager").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Manager wish to enter into an agreement setting forth the terms upon which the Manager (or certain other parties acting pursuant to delegation from the Manager) will perform certain services for the Series and bear the expenses of the Series;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and covenants hereinafter contained, the parties agree as follows:
1. (a) The Fund hereby employs the Manager to furnish the Fund with Portfolio Management Services (as defined in Section 2 hereof), subject to the authority of the Manager to delegate any or all of its responsibilities hereunder to other parties as provided in Section 1(b) hereof. The Manager hereby accepts such employment and agrees, at its own expense, to furnish such services (either directly or pursuant to delegation to other parties as permitted by Section 1(b) hereof) and to assume the obligations herein set forth. The Manager shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund.
(b) The Manager may delegate any or all of its responsibilities hereunder with respect to the provision of Portfolio Management Services (and assumption of related expenses) to one or more other parties (each such party, a "Sub-Adviser"), pursuant in each case to a written agreement with such Sub-Adviser that meets the requirements of Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules thereunder (the "1940 Act") applicable to contracts for service as investment adviser of a registered investment company (including without limitation the requirements for approval by the trustees of the Fund and the shareholders of the Series), subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any Sub-Adviser may (but need not) be affiliated with the Manager. If different Sub-Advisers are engaged to provide Portfolio Management Services with respect to different segments of the portfolio of the Series, the Manager shall determine, in the manner described in the prospectus of the Series from time to time in effect, what portion of the assets belonging to the Series shall be managed by each Sub-Adviser.
2. As used in this Agreement, "Portfolio Management Services" means management of the investment and reinvestment of the assets belonging to the Series, consisting specifically of the following:
(a) obtaining and evaluating such economic, statistical and financial data and information and undertaking such additional investment research as shall be necessary or advisable for the management of the investment and reinvestment of the assets belonging to the Series in accordance with the Series' investment objectives and policies;
(b) taking such steps as are necessary to implement the investment policies of the Series by purchasing and selling of securities, including the placing of orders for such purchase and sale; and
(c) regularly reporting to the Board of Trustees of the Fund with respect to the implementation of the investment policies of the Series.
3. [RESERVED]
4. The Manager also agrees that it or one of its affiliates, and not the Fund or the Series, shall bear the following expenses of the Series, whether incurred directly by the Series or incurred by the Fund on behalf of the Series:
(a) any of the costs of printing and mailing the items referred to in sub-section (k) of this section 4;
(b) any of the costs of preparing, printing and distributing sales literature;
(c) compensation of trustees of the Fund who are not directors, officers or employees of the Manager, any Sub-Adviser or any administrator or of any affiliated person (other than a registered investment company) of the Manager, any Sub-Adviser or any administrator;
(d) registration, filing and other fees in connection with requirements of regulatory authorities;
(e) the charges and expenses of any entity appointed by the Fund for custodial, paying agent, shareholder servicing and plan agent services;
(f) charges and expenses of independent accountants retained by the Fund;
(g) charges and expenses of any transfer agents and registrars appointed by the Fund;
(h) any cost of certificates representing shares of the Fund;
(i) legal fees and expenses in connection with the day-to-day affairs of the Fund, including registering and qualifying its shares with Federal and State regulatory authorities;
(j) expenses of meetings of shareholders and trustees of the Fund;
(k) the costs of services, including services of counsel, required in connection with the preparation of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses, including amendments and revisions thereto, annual, semiannual and other periodic reports of the Fund, and notices and proxy solicitation material furnished to shareholders of the Fund or regulatory authorities; and
(l) the Fund's expenses of bookkeeping, accounting, auditing and financial reporting, including related clerical expenses.
5. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Manager or any of its affiliates to bear or to reimburse the Series or the Fund for:
(a) taxes payable by the Fund to federal, state or other governmental agencies;
(b) extraordinary expenses as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings, other claims and the legal obligations of the Fund or the Series to indemnify its trustees, officers, employees, shareholders, distributors, and agents with respect thereto;
(c) brokerage fees and commissions (including dealer markups) and transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Series;
(d) costs, including any interest expenses, of borrowing money;
(e) costs of hedging transactions;
(f) costs of lending portfolio securities; and
(g) any expenses indirectly incurred through investments in other pooled investment vehicles.
6. All activities undertaken by the Manager or any Sub-Adviser pursuant to this Agreement shall at all times be subject to the supervision and control of the Board of Trustees of the Fund, any duly constituted committee thereof or any officer of the Fund acting pursuant to like authority.
7. The services to be provided by the Manager and any Sub-Adviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive and the Manager and any Sub-Adviser shall be free to render similar services to others, so long as its services hereunder are not impaired thereby.
8. The Manager shall receive no investment advisory or other fee from the Fund for the services provided under this Agreement.
9. It is understood that any of the shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Fund may be a shareholder, director, officer, employee or agent of, or be otherwise interested in, the Manager, any affiliated person of the Manager, any organization in which the Manager may have an interest or any organization which may have an interest in the Manager; that the Manager, any such affiliated person or any such organization may have an interest in the Fund; and that the existence of any such dual interest shall not affect the validity hereof or of any transactions hereunder except as otherwise provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Fund, the partnership agreement of the Manager or specific provisions of applicable law.
10. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date of its execution, and
(a) unless otherwise terminated, this Agreement shall continue in effect
for two years from the date of execution, and from year to year thereafter
so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually
(i) by the Board of Trustees of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Series, and (ii) by vote of a majority
of the trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons of the Fund or
the Manager, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting
on, such approval;
(b) this Agreement may at any time be terminated on sixty days' written notice to the Manager either by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Series;
(c) this Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment;
(d) this Agreement may be terminated by the Manager on ninety days' written notice to the Fund;
Termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9 shall be without the payment of any penalty.
11. This Agreement may be amended at any time by mutual consent of the parties, provided that any material amendment of this Agreement shall require the approval by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Series and by vote of a majority of the trustees of the Fund who are not interested persons of the Fund or the Manager, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
12. For the purpose of this Agreement, the terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested person," "affiliated person" and "assignment" shall have their respective meanings defined in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to such
exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act. References in this Agreement to any assets, property or liabilities "belonging to" the Series shall have the meaning defined in the Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust as amended from time to time.
13. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Manager, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder, the Manager shall not be subject to any liability to the Fund, to any shareholder of the Fund or to any other person, firm or organization, for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder.
14. In accordance with Regulation S-P, if non-public personal information regarding either party's customers or consumers is disclosed to the other party in connection with this Agreement, the party receiving such information will not disclose or use that information other than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
on behalf of its Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund series
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ------------------------- Name: John T. Hailer Title: Executive Vice President |
LOOMIS, SAYLES & COMPANY, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ KEVIN CJARLESTON ------------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Director |
NOTICE
A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust establishing the Fund is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this Agreement is executed with respect to the Series on behalf of the Fund by officers of the Fund as officers and not individually and that the obligations of or arising out of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the trustees, officers or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property belonging to the Series.
Exhibit (e)(3)
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P.
399 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Dealer Agreement
This dealer agreement ("Dealer Agreement") is entered into between IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. ("our", "us", or "we") and the undersigned company (the "Company" or "you"). As dealer for our own account, we offer to sell to you shares of each of the mutual funds distributed by us (the "Funds" and each a "Fund"), for each of which Funds we are a principal underwriter as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), and from which we have the right to purchase shares.
With respect to each of the Funds (except for paragraph 4, which applies only with respect to each Fund having in effect from time to time a service plan, service and distribution plan or other plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act):
1. In all sales of shares of the Funds you shall act as dealer for your own account, and in no transaction shall you have any authority to act as agent, broker or employee for any of the Funds or for us. You agree not to purchase any Fund shares for any customer, unless you deliver or cause to be delivered to such customer, at or prior to the time of such purchase, a copy of the then current Prospectus of the applicable Fund. You hereby represent that you understand your obligation to deliver a Prospectus to customers who purchase Fund shares pursuant to federal securities laws and you have taken all necessary steps to comply with such Prospectus delivery requirements.
2. Orders received from you will be accepted by us only at the public offering price applicable to each order, except for transactions to which a reduced offering price applies as provided in the then current Prospectus (which term as hereinafter used shall include the Statement of Additional Information) of the Fund(s). The minimum dollar purchase of shares of each Fund by any investor shall be the applicable minimum amount described in the then current Prospectus of the Fund and no order for less than such amount will be accepted hereunder. The public offering price shall be the net asset value per share plus the sales charge, if any, applicable to the transaction, expressed as a percentage of the public offering price, as determined and effective as of the time specified in the then current Prospectus of the Fund(s). The procedures relating to the handling of orders shall be subject to any instructions that we shall forward from time to time to you. All orders are subject to acceptance or rejection by us in our sole discretion. You hereby agree to comply with the attached Policies and Procedures with Respect to the Sales of Shares of Funds Offering Multiple Classes of Shares.
3. The sales charge applicable to any sale of Fund shares by you and the dealer concession or commission applicable to any order from you for the purchase of Fund shares accepted by us shall be set forth in the then current Prospectus of the Fund. You may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with sales by you of shares of the Fund where you receive all or substantially all of the sales charge as set forth in the Fund's Prospectus, and therefore you may be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Act of 1933.
(a) We are entitled to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on redemptions of applicable Classes of shares of the Funds, as described in the then current Prospectus. You agree that you will sell shares subject to a CDSC and that are to be held in omnibus accounts only if you are a NETWORKING participant with the National Securities Clearing Corporation and if such accounts are established pursuant to a NETWORKING Agreement.
(b) Reduced sales charges or no sales charge may apply to certain transactions under letter of intent, combined purchases or investments, reinvestment of dividends and distributions, repurchase privilege, unit investment trust distribution reinvestment or other programs, as described in the then current Prospectus of the Fund(s). To obtain any such reductions, you must notify us when the sale that would qualify for such reduction takes place.
4. Rule 12b-1 Plans. The substantive provisions of this Paragraph 4 have been adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act by certain Funds, under plans pursuant to such Rule (each a "Plan").
(a) You agree to provide (i) for the Funds with a Service Plan, personal services to investors in shares of the Funds and/or services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts, and (ii) for those Funds with a Service and Distribution Plan, both personal services to investors in shares of the Funds and/or services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts and also distribution and marketing services in the promotion of Fund shares. As compensation for these services, we shall
pay you, upon receipt by us from the Fund(s), a quarterly service fee or service fee and distribution fee based on the average daily net asset value of Fund shares at the rate set forth with respect to the relevant Class(es) of shares of the Fund(s) in the then current Prospectus. This fee will be based on the average daily net asset value of Fund shares which are owned of record by your firm as nominee for your customers or which are owned by those shareholders whose records, as maintained by the Fund or its agent, designate your firm as the shareholder's dealer of record. No such fee will be paid to you with respect to shares purchased by you or your customers and redeemed or repurchased by the Fund or by us as agent within seven (7) business days after the date of our confirmation of such purchase. No such fee will be paid to you with respect to any of your customers if the amount of such fee based upon the value of such customer's Fund shares would be less than $5.00. Normally, payment of such fee to you shall be made within forty-five (45) days after the close of each quarter for which such fee is payable provided, however, that any other provision of this Dealer Agreement or the Prospectuses to the contrary notwithstanding, we shall not have any obligation whatsoever to pay any amount of distribution and/or service fee with respect to shares of any Fund except to the extent, and only to the extent, that we have actually received payment of at least such amount of distribution and/or service fee from the Funds with respect to such shares pursuant to a Plan in consideration of you furnishing distribution and client services hereunder with respect to your customers that own such class of shares of such Fund
(b) You shall furnish us and the Fund with such information as shall reasonably be requested by the Trustees of the Fund with respect to the fees paid to you pursuant to this paragraph 4.
(c) The provisions of this Paragraph 4 may be terminated by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Funds who are not interested persons of the Funds and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan, or by a vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding shares, on sixty (60) days' written notice, without payment of any penalty. Such provisions will be terminated also by any act that terminates either the Fund's Distribution Contract or Underwriting Agreement with us or this Dealer Agreement and shall terminate automatically in the event of the assignment (as that term is defined in the Act) of this Dealer Agreement.
(d) The provisions of the Distribution Contract or Underwriting Agreement between the Fund and us, insofar as they relate to the Plan, are incorporated herein by reference. The provisions of this paragraph 4 shall continue in full force and effect only so long as the continuance of the Plan, the Distributor's Contract or Underwriting Agreement and these provisions are approved at least annually by a vote of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting thereon.
5. You agree to purchase Fund shares only from us or from your customers. If
you purchase Fund shares from us, you agree that all such purchases shall be
made only: (a) to cover orders already received by you from your customers;
(b) for shares being acquired by your customers pursuant to either the exchange
privilege or the reinvestment privilege, as described in the then current
Prospectus of the Fund; (c) for your own bona fide investment; or (d) for
investments by any IRS qualified pension, profit sharing or other trust
established for the benefit of your employees or for investments in Individual
Retirement Accounts established by your employees, and if you so advise us in
writing prior to any sale of Fund shares pursuant to this subparagraph (d), you
agree to waive all your dealer concessions with respect to all sales of Fund
shares pursuant to this subparagraph (d). If you purchase shares from your
customers, you agree to pay such customers not less than the applicable
redemption price next quoted by the Fund pursuant to the procedures set forth
in the then current Prospectus of the Fund.
6. You shall sell shares only: (a) to customers at the applicable public offering price, except for shares being acquired by your customers at net asset value pursuant to either the exchange privilege or the repurchase privilege as described in the then current Prospectus of the Fund, and (b) to us as agent for the Fund at the redemption price. In such a sale to us, you may act either as principal for your own account or as agent for your customer. If you act as principal for your own account in purchasing shares for resale to us, you agree to pay your customer not less than the price that you receive from us. If you act as agent for your customer in selling shares to us, you agree not to charge your customer more than a fair commission or fee for handling the transaction, except that you agree to receive no compensation of any kind based on the reinvestment of redemption or repurchase proceeds pursuant to the repurchase privilege, as described in the current Prospectus of the Fund.
7. You hereby certify that all of your customers' taxpayer identification numbers ("TIN") or social security numbers ("SSN") furnished to us by you are correct and that you will not open an account without providing us with the customer's TIN or SSN.
8. You shall not withhold placing with us orders received from your customers so as to profit yourself as a result of such withholding; e.g., by a change in the net asset value from that used in determining the public offering price to your customers.
9. We will not accept from you any conditional orders for shares.
10. If any Fund shares sold to you or your customers under the terms of this
Dealer Agreement are redeemed by the Fund or repurchased by us as agent for the
Fund within seven (7) business days after the date of our confirmation of the
original purchase by you or your customers, it is agreed that you shall forfeit
your right to the dealer concession or commission received by you on such Fund
shares. We will notify you of any such repurchase or redemption within ten
(10) business days after the date thereof and you shall forthwith refund to us
the entire concession or commission allowed or paid to you on such sale. We
agree, in the event of any such repurchase or redemption, to refund to the Fund
the portion of the sales charge, if any, retained by us and, upon receipt from
you of the concession allowed to you on any Fund shares, to pay such refund
forthwith to the Fund.
11. Payment for Fund shares sold to you shall be made on or before the settlement date specified in our confirmation, at the office of our clearing agent, and by check payable to the order of the Fund, which reserves the right to delay issuance, redemption or transfer of shares until such check has cleared. If such payment is not received by us, we reserve the right, without notice, forthwith either to cancel the sale, or at our option, or to sell the shares ordered back to the Fund, in which case you shall bear any loss resulting from your failure to make payment as aforesaid.
12. You will also act as principal in all purchases by a shareholder for whom you are the dealer of record of Fund shares with respect to payments sent directly by such shareholder to the Shareholder Services and Transfer agent (the "Agent") specified in the then current Prospectus of the Fund, and you authorize and appoint the Agent to execute and confirm such purchases to such shareholders on your behalf. The Agent will remit not less frequently than monthly to you the amount of any concessions due with respect to such purchases, except that no concessions will be paid to you on any transaction for which your net sales concession is less than $5.00 in any one month. You also represent that with respect to all such direct purchases by such shareholder, you may lawfully sell shares of such Fund in the state designated as such shareholder's record address.
13. Stock certificates for shares sold to you shall be issued only if specifically requested and upon terms specified from time to time by the Trustees of the Fund. If no open account registration or transfer instructions are received by the Agent within 20 days after payment by you for shares sold to you, an open account for such shares will be established in your name. You agree to hold harmless and indemnify us, the Agent and the Fund, for any loss or expenses resulting from such open account registration of such shares.
14. No person is authorized to make any representations concerning shares of the Funds except those contained in the then current Prospectuses of the Funds and in sales literature issued by us supplemental to such Prospectuses or approved in writing by us. In purchasing shares from us, you shall rely solely on the representations contained in such Prospectuses and such sales literature. We will furnish you with additional copies of such Prospectuses and such sales literature and other releases and information issued by us in reasonable quantities upon request.
(a) If, with prior approval from us, you use any advertisement or sales literature which has not been supplied by us, you are responsible for ensuring that the material complies with all applicable regulations and has been filed with the appropriate authorities. Also, you will send us copies of all such materials within (10) days after first use.
(b) You shall indemnify and hold us (and our directors, officers, employees, controlling persons and agents) and the Fund and its Trustees and officers harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) ("Losses") incurred by us or any of them arising out of (i) your dissemination of information regarding any Fund that is alleged to contain an untrue statement of material fact or any omission of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and that was not published or provided to you by or on behalf of us, or accurately derived from information published or provided by or on behalf of us or any of our Affiliates, (ii) any breach by you of any representation, warranty or agreement contained in this Dealer Agreement, or (iii) any willful misconduct or negligence on your part in the performance of, or failure to perform, your obligations under this Dealer Agreement, except to the extent such losses are caused by our breach of this Dealer Agreement or our willful misconduct or negligence in the performance, or failure to perform, our obligations under this Dealer Agreement. This Section (14) shall survive termination of this Dealer Agreement.
15. The Fund reserves the right in its discretion and we reserve the right in our discretion, without notice, to refuse any order for the purchase of Fund shares for any reason whatsoever, and to suspend sales or withdraw the offering of Fund shares (or shares of any class(es)) entirely. We reserve the right, by written notice to you, to amend, modify, cancel or assign this Dealer
Agreement and any appendices that are now or in the future attached to this Dealer Agreement. Notice for all purposes shall be deemed to be given when mailed or electronically transmitted to you.
16. This Dealer Agreement shall replace any prior agreement between you and us or any of our predecessor entities (including but not limited to CDC IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P., Nvest Funds Distributor, L.P., New England Funds, L.P., TNE Investment Services Corporation, and Investment Trust of Boston Distributors, Inc.) and is conditioned upon your representation and warranty that you are (i) registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are a member in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"), (ii) a Registered Investment Adviser under state and/or federal law, (iii) ineligible for NASD membership because you are a foreign dealer, or (iv) bank chartered by the appropriate state or federal agency and authorized to enter into and perform the transactions contemplated by this Dealer Agreement. Regardless of whether you qualify, under (i), (ii) (iii) or (iv), you and we agree to abide by the Rules and Regulations of the NASD, including without limitation Conduct Rules 2310, 2420, 3110, 3510 and 2830, and all applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
(a) You will not offer Fund shares for sale in any state (a) where they are not
qualified for sale under the blue sky laws and regulations of such state or
(b) where you are not qualified to act as a dealer or adviser.
(b) In the event that you offer Fund shares outside the United States, you agree to comply with the applicable laws, rules and regulations of the foreign government having jurisdiction over such sales, including any regulations of United States military authorities applicable to solicitations to military personnel.
17. If non-public personal information regarding either party's customers or consumers is disclosed to the other party in connection with this Dealer Agreement, the party receiving such information will not disclose or use that information other than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Dealer Agreement and in accordance with Regulation S-P.
18. Each party to this Dealer Agreement hereby agrees to abide by and comply with all relevant anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including without limitation the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended, and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. Each party represents that it has established an Anti-Money Laundering Program that complies with all material aspects of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and other applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Each party also hereby agrees to comply with any new or additional anti-money laundering laws or regulations.
19. You hereby represent that you have established and will maintain a business continuity program, in compliance with NASD Rules 3510 and 3520, designed to ensure that you will at all times fulfill your obligations as set forth in this Dealer Agreement.
20. All communications to us should be sent to the above address. Any notice to you shall be duly given if mailed or faxed to you at the address specified by you below.
21. This Dealer Agreement together with attached appendices shall be effective when accepted by you below and shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
22. This Dealer Agreement together with attached appendices shall be effective as against you and your successor in interest. All obligations, representations, warranties and covenants made and belonging to you shall be enforceable against your successor in interest to the same extent that such would be enforceable against you.
Accepted: IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. --------------------- Dealer's Name By: IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, its general partner Address: Address: 399 Boylston Street --------------------- Boston, MA 02116 --------------------- --------------------- By: By: --------------------- -------------------------------- Authorized Signature of Dealer Authorized Signature ------------------------------- (Please print name) Date: --------------------- |
Appendix A IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. Policies and Procedures with Respect to Mutual Fund Trading
The Company shall establish and maintain effective internal policies and controls, including operational and system controls, with respect to the processing of orders of the funds received prior to and after the close of the New York Stock Exchange - normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time ("Pricing Time") for the purchase, redemption and exchange of shares of mutual funds, including mutual funds distributed by us (each, a "Fund").
For all transactions in the Funds, the Company shall follow all applicable rules and regulations and shall establish internal policies regarding the timely handling of orders for the purchase, redemption and exchange of shares of the Funds ("Fund Orders") and maintain effective internal controls over the ability to distinguish and appropriately process Fund Orders received prior to and after the Fund's Pricing Time, including operational and systems controls. Specifically, the Company represents as of the date of this amendment and each time that it accepts a Fund Order on behalf of a Fund that:
. The Company's policies and procedures provide reasonable assurance that Fund Orders received by the Company prior to the Fund's Pricing Time are segregated from Fund Orders received by the Company after the Fund's Pricing Time and are properly transmitted to the Funds (or their agents) for execution at the current day's net asset value ("NAV").
. The Company's policies and procedures provide reasonable assurances that Fund Orders received by the Company after the Fund's Pricing Time are properly transmitted to the Funds (or their agents) for execution at the next day's NAV.
. The Company's policies and procedures provide reasonable assurance that transactional information is delivered to the Funds (or their agents) in a timely manner.
. The Company has designed procedures to provide reasonable assurance that policies with regard to the receipt and processing of Fund Orders are complied with. Such procedures either prevent or detect on a timely basis instances of noncompliance with the policies governing the receipt and processing of Fund Orders.
. Policies and procedures governing the timely handling of Fund Orders have been designed and implemented effectively by all third parties to whom the Company has designated the responsibility to distinguish and appropriately process Fund Orders received prior to and after the Fund's Pricing Time.
To the extent we or IXIS Asset Management Services, Inc., our affiliated transfer agent, have entered into related agreements with the Company regarding your handling of Fund Orders, you acknowledge and agree that this appendix shall apply to your handling of all Fund Orders, whether authorized under the Dealer Agreement or any other agreement with us or our affiliates. The Company's submission and our acceptance of an order for the Funds, or receipt by us of an executed copy of this Dealer Agreement from you represents your acknowledgement and acceptance of the terms and conditions of this appendix.
Appendix B
IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P.
Policies and Procedures with Respect to Sales of Funds Offering Multiple
Classes Of Shares
In connection with the offering of certain Funds (the Funds") with multiple classes of shares, one subject to a front-end sales load and a service fee or service and distribution fee ("Class A shares"), one subject to a service fee, a distribution fee, no front-end sales load and a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on redemptions within a time period specified in the then current Prospectus (which for purposes of these policies and procedures shall include the Funds' then current statement of additional information) of the Fund ("Class B shares"), one subject to a front-end sales load, service fee, distribution fee and a CDSC on redemptions within a period specified in the then current Prospectus of the Fund ("Class C shares") and one intended only for certain institutional investors and subject to no front-end sales load ("Class Y shares"), an investor must choose the method of purchasing shares which best suits his/her particular circumstances. To assist investors in these decisions, the Distributor has instituted the following policies with respect to orders for Fund shares. These policies apply to every entity distributing Fund shares.
1. No purchase order may be placed for Class B shares if the amount of the orders equals or exceeds $100,000 or the order is eligible for a net asset value purchase price (i.e., no front-end sales charge) of Class A shares, as provided in the Prospectus.
2. No purchase order may be placed for Class C shares if the amount of the order equals or exceeds $1,000,000 or the order is eligible for a net asset value purchase price (i.e., no front-end sales charge) of Class A shares unless the investor indicates on the relevant section of the application that the investor has been advised of the relative advantages and disadvantages of Classes A and C shares.
3. Any purchase order for less than $1,000,000 may be for either Class A, B or C shares in light of the relevant facts and circumstances, including:
a) the specific purchase order dollar amount;
b) the length of time the investor expects to hold his/her shares; and
c) any other relevant circumstances such as the availability of purchase
under a Letter of Intent, Breakpoints (a volume discount), or Rights of
Accumulation, as described in the Prospectus.
4. Investors may purchase Class Y shares only if they meet the identity, suitability, minimum investment and other standards set forth in the Funds' then current Class Y Prospectuses:
a) tax-qualified retirement plans ($2,000,000 minimum initial investment);
b) endowments, foundations and other tax-qualified organizations
($1,000,000 minimum initial investment);
c) separate accounts of certain insurance companies (no minimum);
d) omnibus accounts of retirement plans with at least 500 eligible plan
participants and $1,000,000 of plan assets.
Investors otherwise eligible to purchase Class Y shares but who will not make the initial minimum investment amount are eligible to invest in Class A, B or C shares. They should be advised, however, of the lower fees and expenses applicable to Class Y shares and should consider whether a larger investment, to meet the Class Y requirements, would be appropriate and desirable for their circumstances.
There are instances when purchasing one class of shares may be more appropriate than the others. For example, investors who would qualify for a significant discount from the maximum sales load on Class A shares may determine that payment of such a reduced front-end sales load and service fee is preferable to payment of a higher ongoing distribution fee. Investors whose orders would not qualify for such a discount and who anticipate holding their investment for more than eight years might consider Class B shares because 100% of the purchase price is invested immediately. Investors making smaller investments who anticipate redeeming their shares within eight years might consider Class C shares for the same reason.
Appropriate supervisory personnel within your organization must ensure that all employees and representatives receiving investor inquiries about the purchase of shares of a Fund advise the investor of then available pricing structures offered by the Funds, and the impact of choosing one class of shares over another. You shall inform investors of available breakpoints and ensure that such investor receives access to representatives and employees within your organization to answer any inquiries that such investor may have with respect to available and applicable breakpoints. In some instances it may be appropriate for a supervisory person to discuss a purchase with the investor. This policy is effective with respect to any order for the purchase of shares of a Fund offering multiple classes of shares.
Questions relating to this policy should be directed to John T. Hailer, President and Chief Executive Officer, IXIS Asset Management Distributors, L.P. at (617) 449-2500.
Exhibit (e)(5)
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund
Distribution Agreement
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of July 2005, by and between LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS
I, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust"), on behalf of LOOMIS SAYLES
SECURITIZED ASSET FUND (the "Series"), IXIS ASSET MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTORS,
L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the "Distributor"), and for purposes of
Section 5 of this Agreement, LOOMIS, SAYLES & COMPANY, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership ("Loomis Sayles").
W I T N E S S E T H:
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and covenants hereinafter contained, the Trust and the Distributor agree as follows:
1. Distributor. The Trust hereby appoints the Distributor as general distributor of shares of beneficial interest of the Series ("Series shares") during the term of this Agreement. The Trust reserves the right, however, to refuse at any time or times to sell Series shares hereunder for any reason deemed adequate by the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
2. Sale and Payment. Under this agreement, the following provisions shall apply with respect to the sale of and payment for Series shares:
(a) The Distributor shall have the right, as principal, to purchase Series shares from the Trust at their net asset value and to sell such shares to the public against orders therefor at the applicable public offering price, as defined in Section 3 hereof. The Distributor shall also have the right, as principal, to sell shares to dealers against orders therefor at the public offering price less a concession determined by the Distributor.
(b) Prior to the time of delivery of any shares by the Trust to, or on the order of, the Distributor, the Distributor shall pay or cause to be paid to the Trust or to its order an amount in Boston or New York clearing house funds equal to the applicable net asset value of such shares. The Distributor shall retain so much of any underwriting discount as is not allowed by it as a concession to dealers.
3. Public Offering Price. The public offering price shall be the net asset value of Series shares all as set forth in the current prospectus and statement of additional information ("prospectus") of the Trust relating to the Series shares. In no event shall the public offering price exceed 1000/935 of such net asset value, and in no event shall any applicable underwriting discount exceed 6.5% of the public offering price. The net asset value of Series shares shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the
agreement and declaration of trust and by-laws of the Trust and the current prospectus of the Trust relating to the Series shares.
4. Trust Issuance of Series Shares. The delivery of Series shares shall be made promptly by a credit to a shareholder's open account for the Series or by delivery of a share certificate. The Trust reserves the right (a) to issue Series shares at any time directly to the shareholders of the Series as a stock dividend or stock split, (b) to issue to such shareholders shares of the Series, or rights to subscribe to shares of the Series, as all or part of any dividend that may be distributed to shareholders of the Series or as all or part of any optional or alternative dividend that may be distributed to shareholders of the Series, and (c) to sell Series shares in accordance with the current applicable prospectus of the Trust relating to the Series shares.
5. Redemption or Repurchase. The Distributor shall act as agent for the Trust in connection with the redemption or repurchase of Series shares by the Trust to the extent and upon the terms and conditions set forth in the current applicable prospectus of the Trust relating to the Series shares, and Loomis Sayles, and not the Trust or the Series, agrees to reimburse the Distributor, from time to time upon demand, for any reasonable expenses incurred in connection with such redemptions or repurchases.
6. Undertaking Regarding Sales. The Distributor shall use reasonable efforts to sell Series shares but does not agree hereby to sell any specific number of Series shares and shall be free to act as distributor of the shares of other investment companies. Series shares will be sold by the Distributor only against orders therefor. The Distributor shall not purchase Series shares from anyone except in accordance with Sections 2 and 5 and shall not take "long" or "short" positions in Series shares contrary to the agreement and declaration of trust or by-laws of the Trust.
7. Compliance. The Distributor shall conform to the Conduct Rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") and the sale of securities laws of any jurisdiction in which it sells, directly or indirectly, any Series shares. The Distributor agrees to make timely filings, with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. (the "SEC"), the NASD and such other regulatory authorities as may be required, of any sales literature relating to the Series and intended for distribution to prospective investors. The Distributor also agrees to furnish to the Trust sufficient copies of any agreements or plans it intends to use in connection with any sales of Series shares in adequate time for the Trust to file and clear them with the proper authorities before they are put in use (which the Trust agrees to use its best efforts to do as expeditiously as reasonably possible), and not to use them until so filed and cleared.
8. Registration and Qualification of Series Shares. The Trust agrees to execute such papers and to do such acts and things as shall from time to time be reasonably requested by the Distributor for the purpose of qualifying and maintaining qualification of the Series shares for sale under the so-called Blue Sky Laws of any state or for maintaining the registration of the Trust and of the Series shares under the federal Securities Act of 1933 and the federal Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), to the end that there will be available for sale from time to time such number of Series shares as the
Distributor may reasonably be expected to sell. The Trust shall advise the Distributor promptly of (a) any action of the SEC or any authorities of any state or territory, of which it may be advised, affecting registration or qualification of the Trust or the Series shares, or rights to offer Series shares for sale, and (b) the happening of any event which makes untrue any statement or which requires the making of any change in the Trust's registration statement or its prospectus relating to the Series shares in order to make the statements therein not misleading.
9. Distributor Independent Contractor. The Distributor shall be an independent contractor and neither the Distributor nor any of its officers or employees as such is or shall be an employee of the Trust. The Distributor is responsible for its own conduct and the employment, control and conduct of its agents and employees and for injury to such agents or employees or to others through its agents or employees. The Distributor assumes full responsibility for its agents and employees under applicable statutes and agrees to pay all employer taxes thereunder.
10. Expenses Paid by Distributor. While the Distributor continues to act as agent of the Trust to obtain subscriptions for and to sell Series shares, the Distributor shall pay the following:
(a) all expenses of printing (exclusive of typesetting) and distributing any prospectus for use in offering Series shares for sale, and all other copies of any such prospectus used by the Distributor, and
(b) all other expenses of advertising and of preparing, printing and distributing all other literature or material for use in connection with offering Series shares for sale.
11. Interests in and of Distributor. It is understood that any of the shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust may be a shareholder, director, officer, employee or agent of, or be otherwise interested in, the Distributor, any affiliated person of the Distributor, any organization in which the Distributor may have an interest or any organization which may have an interest in the Distributor; that the Distributor, any such affiliated person or any such organization may have an interest in the Trust; and that the existence of any such dual interest shall not affect the validity hereof or of any transaction hereunder except as otherwise provided in the agreement and declaration of trust or by-laws of the Trust, in the limited partnership agreement of the Distributor or by specific provision of applicable law.
12. Effective Date and Termination. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date of its execution, and
(a) Unless otherwise terminated, this Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to the shares of the Series so long as such continuation is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by the vote of a majority of the votes which may be cast by shareholders of the Series and (ii) by a vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust who are not
interested persons of the Distributor or the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
(b) This Agreement may at any time be terminated on sixty days' notice to the Distributor either by vote of a majority of the Trust's Board of Trustees then in office or by the vote of a majority of the votes which may be cast by shareholders of the Series.
(c) This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.
(d) This Agreement may be terminated by the Distributor on ninety days' written notice to the Trust.
Termination of this Agreement pursuant to this section shall be without payment of any penalty.
13. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) The "vote of a majority of the votes which may be cast by shareholders of the Series" means (1) 67% or more of the votes of the Series present (in person or by proxy) and entitled to vote at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Series entitled to vote at such meeting are present; or (2) the vote of the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Series entitled to vote at such meeting, whichever is less.
(b) The terms "affiliated person," "interested person" and "assignment" shall have their respective meanings as defined in the 1940 Act subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the SEC under the 1940 Act.
14. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended at any time by mutual consent of the parties, provided that such consent on the part of the Series shall be approved (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the votes which may be cast by shareholders of the Series and (ii) by a vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Distributor or the Trust cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
15. Applicable Law and Liabilities. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. All sales hereunder are to be made, and title to the Series shares shall pass, in Boston, Massachusetts.
16. Limited Recourse. The Distributor hereby acknowledges that the Trust's obligations hereunder with respect to the shares of the Series are binding only on the assets and property belonging to the Series.
17. Privacy. In accordance with Regulation S-P, if non-public personal information regarding either party's customers or consumers is disclosed to the other party in connection with this Agreement, the party receiving such information will not disclose or use that information other than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.
18. Anti-Money Laundering. Each party to this agreement hereby agrees to abide by and comply with all relevant anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including without limitation the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended, and the USA Patriot Act of 2001. Each party represents that it has established an Anti-Money Laundering Program that complies with all material aspects of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and other applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Each party also hereby agrees to comply with any new or additional anti-money laundering laws or regulations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I,
on behalf of its Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund series
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ------------------------- Name: John T. Hailer Title: Executive Vice President |
IXIS ASSET MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTORS, L.P.
By: IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, its general partner
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ------------------------- Name: John T. Hailer Title: Executive Vice President |
LOOMIS, SAYLES & COMPANY, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ KEVIN CHARLESTON ------------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Director |
NOTICE
A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust establishing the Trust is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this Agreement is executed with respect to the Series on behalf of the Trust by officers of the Trust as officers and not individually and that the obligations of or arising out of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the trustees, officers or shareholders of the Trust individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Series.
Exhibit (g)(1)
MASTER CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made as of September 1, 2005 by and among each management investment company identified on Appendix A hereto (each such investment company and each management investment company made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 18.6 below, shall hereinafter be referred to as a "Fund"), and STATE STREET BANK and TRUST COMPANY, a Massachusetts trust company (the "Custodian"),
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, each Fund may or may not be authorized to issue shares of common stock or shares of beneficial interest in separate series ("Shares"), with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, each Fund so authorized intends that this Agreement be applicable to each of its series set forth on Appendix A hereto (such series together with all other series subsequently established by the Fund and made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 18.7 below, shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Portfolio(s)").
WHEREAS, each Fund not so authorized intends that this Agreement be applicable to it and all references hereinafter to one or more "Portfolio(s)" shall be deemed to refer to such Fund(s); and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION 1. EMPLOYMENT OF CUSTODIAN AND PROPERTY TO BE HELD BY IT
Each Fund hereby employs the Custodian as a custodian of assets of the
Portfolios, including securities which the Fund, on behalf of the applicable
Portfolio, desires to be held in places within the United States ("domestic
securities") and securities it desires to be held outside the United States
(`foreign securities"). The Custodian shall not be responsible for any property
of a Portfolio which is not received by it or which is delivered out in
accordance with Proper Instructions (as such term is defined in Section 7
hereof) including, without limitation, Portfolio property (i) held by brokers,
private bankers or other entities on behalf of the Portfolio (each a "Local
Agent"), (ii) held by Special Sub-Custodians (as such term is defined in
Section 5 hereof), (iii) held by entities which have advanced monies to or on
behalf of the Portfolio and which have received Portfolio property as security
for such advance(s) (each a "Pledgee"), or (iv) delivered or otherwise removed
from the custody of the Custodian pursuant to Special Instructions (as such
term is defined in Section 7 hereof). With respect to uncertificated shares
(the "Underlying Shares") of registered "investment companies" (as defined in
Section 3(a)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to
time (the "1940 Act")),
whether in the same "group of investment companies" (as defined in
Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the 1940 Act) or otherwise, including pursuant to
Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the
"Underlying Portfolios") the holding of confirmation statements that identify
the shares as being recorded in the Custodian's name on behalf of the
Portfolios will be deemed custody for purposes hereof.
Upon receipt of Proper Instructions and as duly authorized by a Fund, the Custodian shall, on behalf of the applicable Portfolio(s), from time to time employ one or more sub-custodians located in the United States, provided that the Custodian shall have no more or less responsibility or liability to any Fund on account of any actions or omissions of any sub-custodian so employed than any such sub-custodian has to the Custodian. The Custodian may place and maintain each Fund's foreign securities with foreign banking institution sub-custodians employed by the Custodian and/or foreign securities depositories, all as designated in Schedules A and B hereto, but only in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 3 and 4 hereof.
SECTION 2. DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY OF THE PORTFOLIOS TO BE HELD IN THE UNITED STATES
SECTION 2.1 HOLDING SECURITIES. The Custodian shall hold and physically
segregate for the account of each Portfolio all non-cash property, to be held
by it in the United States, including all domestic securities owned by such
Portfolio other than (a) securities which are maintained pursuant to
Section 2.8 in a clearing agency which acts as a securities depository or in a
book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (each, a
"U.S. Securities System") and (b) Underlying Shares owned by each Fund which
are maintained pursuant to Section 2.10 hereof in an account with State Street
Bank and Trust Company or such other entity which may from time to time act as
a transfer agent for the Underlying Portfolios and with respect to which the
Custodian is provided with Proper Instructions (the "Underlying Transfer
Agent").
SECTION 2.2 DELIVERY OF SECURITIES. The Custodian shall release and deliver domestic securities owned by a Portfolio held by the Custodian, in a U.S. Securities System account of the Custodian or in an account at the Underlying Transfer Agent, only upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, and only in the following cases:
1) Upon sale of such securities for the account of the Portfolio and receipt of payment therefor;
2) Upon the receipt of payment in connection with any repurchase agreement related to such securities entered into by the Portfolio;
3) In the case of a sale effected through a U.S. Securities System, in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.8 hereof;
4) To the depository agent in connection with tender or other similar offers for securities of the Portfolio;
5) To the issuer thereof or its agent when such securities are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable; provided that, in any such case, the cash or other consideration is to be delivered to the Custodian;
6) To the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Portfolio or into the name of any nominee or nominees of the Custodian or into the name or nominee name of any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.7 or into the name or nominee name of any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1; or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units; provided that, in any such case, the new securities are to be delivered to the Custodian;
7) Upon the sale of such securities for the account of the Portfolio, to the broker or its clearing agent, against a receipt, for examination in accordance with "street delivery" custom; provided that in any such case, the Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such securities prior to receiving payment for such securities except as may arise from the Custodian's own negligence or willful misconduct;
8) For exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the securities of the issuer of such securities, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement; provided that, in any such case, the new securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;
9) In the case of warrants, rights or similar securities, the surrender thereof in the warrants, rights or similar securities or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary securities for definitive securities; provided that, in any such case, the new securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian;
10) For delivery in connection with any loans of securities made by the Portfolio, but only (a) against receipt of collateral as agreed upon from time to time by the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, except that in connection with any loans for which collateral is to be credited to the Custodian's account in the book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Custodian will not be held liable or responsible for the delivery of securities owned by the Portfolio prior to the receipt of such collateral or (b) to the lending agent, or the lending agent's custodian, in accordance with written Proper Instructions (which may not provide for the receipt by the Custodian of collateral therefor) agreed upon from time to time by the Custodian and the Fund;
11) For delivery as security in connection with any borrowing by a Fund on behalf of a Portfolio requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund on behalf of such Portfolio;
12) For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and a member of The National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"), relating to compliance with the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange, or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund on behalf of a Portfolio;
13) For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among a Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, the Custodian, and a futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC') and/or any contract market, or any similar organization or organizations, regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund on behalf of a Portfolio;
14) Upon the sale or other delivery of such investments (including,
without limitation, to one or more (a) Special Sub-Custodians or
(b) additional custodians appointed by the Fund, and communicated to
the Custodian from time to time via a writing duly executed by an
authorized officer of the Fund, for the purpose of engaging in
repurchase agreement transactions(s), each a "Repo Custodian"), and
prior to receipt of payment therefor, as set forth in written Proper
Instructions (such delivery in advance of payment, along with payment
in advance of delivery made in accordance with Section 2.6(7), as
applicable, shall each be referred to herein as a "Free Trade"),
provided that such Proper Instructions shall set forth (a) the
securities of the Portfolio to be delivered and (b) the person(s) to
whom delivery of such securities shall be made;
15) Upon receipt of instructions from the Fund's transfer agent (the "Transfer Agent") for delivery to such Transfer Agent or to the holders of Shares in connection with distributions in kind, as may be described from time to time in the currently effective prospectus and statement of additional information of the Fund related to the Portfolio (the "Prospectus"), in satisfaction of requests by holders of Shares for repurchase or redemption;
16) In the case of a sale processed through the Underlying Transfer Agent of Underlying Shares, in accordance with Section 2.10 hereof; and
17) For any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions
from the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolio specifying
(a) the securities of the Portfolio to be delivered and (b) the
person or persons to whom delivery of such securities shall be made.
SECTION 2.3 REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES. Domestic securities held by the Custodian (other than bearer securities) shall be registered in the name of the Portfolio or in the name of
any nominee of a Fund on behalf of the Portfolio or of any nominee of the Custodian which nominee shall be assigned exclusively to the Portfolio, unless the Fund has authorized in writing the appointment of a nominee to be used in common with other registered management investment companies having the same investment adviser as the Portfolio, or in the name or nominee name of any agent appointed pursuant to Section 2.7 or in the name or nominee name of any sub-custodian appointed pursuant to Section 1. All securities accepted by the Custodian on behalf of the Portfolio under the terms of this Agreement shall be in "street name" or other good delivery form. If, however, a Fund directs the Custodian to maintain securities in "street name", the Custodian shall utilize its best efforts only to timely collect income due the Fund on such securities and to notify the Fund on a best efforts basis only of relevant corporate actions including, without limitation, pendency of calls, maturities, tender or exchange offers.
SECTION 2.4 BANK ACCOUNTS. The Custodian shall open and maintain a separate bank account or accounts in the United States in the name of each Portfolio of each Fund, subject only to draft or order by the Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall hold in such account or accounts, subject to the provisions hereof, all cash received by it from or for the account of the Portfolio, other than cash maintained by the Portfolio in a bank account established and used in accordance with Rule 17f-3 under the 1940 Act. Funds held by the Custodian for a Portfolio may be deposited by it to its credit as Custodian in the banking department of the Custodian or in such other banks or trust companies as it may in its discretion deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that every such bank or trust company shall be qualified to act as a custodian under the 1940 Act and that each such bank or trust company and the funds to be deposited with each such bank or trust company shall on behalf of each applicable Portfolio be duly approved by the applicable Fund. Such funds shall be deposited by the Custodian in its capacity as Custodian and shall be withdrawable by the Custodian only in that capacity.
SECTION 2.5 COLLECTION OF INCOME. Except with respect to Portfolio property
released and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(14) or purchased pursuant to
Section 2.6(7), and subject to the provisions of Section 2.3, the Custodian
shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to
registered domestic securities held hereunder to which each Portfolio shall be
entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business, and
shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to
bearer domestic securities if, on the date of payment by the issuer, such
securities are held by the Custodian or its agent thereof and shall credit such
income, as collected, to such Portfolio's custodian account. Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, the Custodian shall detach and present for
payment all coupons and other income items requiring presentation as and when
they become due and shall collect interest when due on securities held
hereunder. Income due each Portfolio on securities loaned pursuant to the
provisions of Section 2.2 (10) shall be the responsibility of the applicable
Fund. The Custodian will have no duty or responsibility in connection
therewith, other than to provide the Fund with such information or data as may
be necessary to assist the Fund in arranging for the timely delivery to the
Custodian of the income to which the Portfolio is properly entitled.
SECTION 2.6 PAYMENT OF FUND MONIES. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, the Custodian shall pay out monies of a Portfolio in the following cases only:
1) Upon the purchase of domestic securities, options, futures contracts
or options on futures contracts for the account of the Portfolio but
only (a) against the delivery of such securities or evidence of title
to such options, futures contracts or options on futures contracts to
the Custodian (or, subject to Section 2.7, any bank, banking firm or
trust company doing business in the United States or abroad which is
qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian and has been
designated by the Custodian as its agent for this purpose) registered
in the name of the Portfolio or in the name of a nominee of the
Custodian referred to in Section 2.3 hereof or in proper form for
transfer; (b) in the case of a purchase effected through a U.S.
Securities System, in accordance with the conditions set forth in
Section 2.8 hereof; (c) in the case of a purchase of Underlying
Shares, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 2.10
hereof, (d) in the case of repurchase agreements entered into between
the applicable Fund on behalf of a Portfolio and the Custodian, or
another bank, or a broker-dealer which is a member of NASD,
(i) against delivery of the securities either in certificate form or
through an entry crediting the Custodian's account at the Federal
Reserve Bank with such securities or (ii) against delivery of the
receipt evidencing purchase by the Portfolio of securities owned by
the Custodian along with written evidence of the agreement by the
Custodian to repurchase such securities from the Portfolio; or
(e) for transfer to a time deposit account of the Fund in any bank,
whether domestic or foreign; such transfer may be effected prior to
receipt of a confirmation from a broker and/or the applicable bank
pursuant to Proper Instructions from the Fund as defined herein;
2) In connection with conversion, exchange or surrender of securities owned by the Portfolio as set forth in Section 2.2 hereof;
3) For the redemption or repurchase of Shares issued as set forth in
Section 6 hereof,
4) For the payment of any expense or liability incurred by the Portfolio, including but not limited to the following payments for the account of the Portfolio: interest, taxes, management, accounting, transfer agent and legal fees, and operating expenses of the Fund whether or not such expenses are to be in whole or part capitalized or treated as deferred expenses;
5) For the payment of any dividends on Shares declared pursuant to the Fund's articles of incorporation or organization and by-laws or agreement or declaration of trust, as applicable, and Prospectus (collectively, "Governing Documents");
6) For payment of the amount of dividends received in respect of securities sold short;
7) Upon the purchase of domestic investments including, without limitation, repurchase agreement transactions involving delivery of Portfolio monies to Repo Custodian(s), and prior to receipt of such investments, as set forth in written
Proper Instructions (such payment in advance of delivery, along with
delivery in advance of payment made in accordance with
Section 2.2(14), as applicable, shall each be referred to herein as a
"Free Trade"), provided that such Proper Instructions shall also set
forth (a) the amount of such payment and (b) the person(s) to whom
such payment is made; and
8) For any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions from the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio specifying (a) the amount of such payment and (b) the person or persons to whom such payment is to be made.
SECTION 2.7 APPOINTMENT OF AGENTS. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion appoint (and may at any time remove) any other bank or trust company which is itself qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian, as its agent to carry out such of the provisions of this Section 2 as the Custodian may from time to time direct; provided, however, that the appointment of any agent shall not relieve the Custodian of its responsibilities or liabilities hereunder. The Underlying Transfer Agent, acting in its capacity as transfer agent for any Underlying Portfolios, shall not be deemed an agent or sub-custodian of the Custodian for purposes of this Section 2.7 or any other provision of this Agreement.
SECTION 2.8 DEPOSIT OF FUND ASSETS IN U.S. SECURITIES SYSTEMS. The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain securities owned by a Portfolio in a U.S. Securities System in compliance with the conditions of Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time.
SECTION 2.9 SEGREGATED ACCOUNT. The Custodian shall upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of each applicable Portfolio, establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of each such Portfolio, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or securities, including securities maintained in an account by the Custodian pursuant to Section 2.8 hereof, (a) in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the NASD (or any futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act), relating to compliance with the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or the CFTC or any registered contract market), or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Portfolio, (b) for purposes of segregating cash or government securities in connection with options purchased, sold or written by the Portfolio or commodity futures contracts or options thereon purchased or sold by the Portfolio, (c) for the purposes of compliance by the Portfolio with the procedures required by Investment Company Act Release No. 10666, or any subsequent release of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC'), or interpretative opinion of the staff of the SEC, relating to the maintenance of segregated accounts by registered investment companies, and (d) for any other purpose in accordance with Proper Instructions.
SECTION 2.10 DEPOSIT OF FUND ASSETS WITH THE UNDERLYING TRANSFER AGENT. Underlying Shares beneficially owned by the Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, shall be deposited and/or maintained in an account or accounts maintained with an Underlying Transfer
Agent and the Custodian's only responsibilities with respect thereto shall be limited to the following:
1) Upon receipt of a confirmation or statement from an Underlying Transfer Agent that such Underlying Transfer Agent is holding or maintaining Underlying Shares in the name of the Custodian (or a nominee of the Custodian) for the benefit of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall identify by book-entry that such Underlying Shares are being held by it as custodian for the benefit of the Portfolio.
2) In respect of the purchase of Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall pay out monies of such Portfolio as so directed, and record such payment from the account of such Portfolio on the Custodian's books and records.
3) In respect of the sale or redemption of Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall transfer such Underlying Shares as so directed, record such transfer from the account of such Portfolio on the Custodian's books and records and, upon the Custodian's receipt of the proceeds therefor, record such payment for the account of such Portfolio on the Custodian's books and records.
The Custodian shall not be liable to the Fund for any loss or damage to the Fund or any Portfolio resulting from the maintenance of Underlying Shares with Underlying Transfer Agent except for losses resulting directly from the fraud, negligence or willful misconduct of the Custodian or any of its agents or of any of its or their employees.
SECTION 2.11 OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATES FOR TAX PURPOSES. The Custodian shall execute ownership and other certificates and affidavits for all federal and state tax purposes in connection with receipt of income or other payments with respect to domestic securities of each Portfolio held by it and in connection with transfers of securities.
SECTION 2.12 PROXIES. Except with respect to Portfolio property released and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(14), or purchased pursuant to Section 2.6(7), the Custodian shall, with respect to the domestic securities held hereunder, cause to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such securities, if the securities are registered otherwise than in the name of the Portfolio or a nominee of the Portfolio, all proxies, without indication of the manner in which such proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Fund such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials and all notices relating to such securities.
SECTION 2.13 COMMUNICATIONS RELATING TO PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Except with
respect to Portfolio property released and delivered pursuant to
Section 2.2(14), or purchased pursuant to Section 2.6(7), and subject to the
provisions of Section 2.3, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the
applicable Fund for each Portfolio all written information (including, without
limitation, pendency of calls and maturities of domestic securities and
expirations of rights in connection therewith and notices of exercise of call
and put options written by the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio and the maturity
of futures contracts purchased or
sold by the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio) received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities being held for the Portfolio. With respect to tender or exchange offers, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund all written information received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities whose tender or exchange is sought and from the party (or its agents) making the tender or exchange offer. If a Fund desires to take action with respect to any tender offer, exchange offer or any other similar transaction, the Fund shall notify the Custodian at least three business days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take such action. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to each Fund for the applicable Portfolio's) all written information received by the Custodian regarding any class action or other litigation in connection with a Portfolio's securities or other assets issued in the United States and then held, or previously held during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian for the account of a Fund for a Portfolio, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. For avoidance of doubt, upon and after the effective date of any termination of this Agreement in its entirety or with respect to any Fund or Portfolio, as may be applicable, the Custodian shall have no responsibility to so transmit any information under this Section 2.13.
SECTION 3. PROVISIONS RELATING TO RULES 17F-5 AND 17F-7
SECTION 3.1. DEFINITIONS. As used throughout this Agreement, the capitalized terms set forth below shall have the indicated meanings:
"Country Risk" means all factors reasonably related to the systemic risk of holding Foreign Assets in a particular country including, but not limited to, such country's political environment, economic and financial infrastructure (including any Eligible Securities Depository operating in the country), prevailing or developing custody and settlement practices, and laws and regulations applicable to the safekeeping and recovery of Foreign Assets held in custody in that country.
"Eligible Foreign Custodian" has the meaning set forth in section (a)(1) of
Rule 17f-5, including a majority-owned or indirect subsidiary of a U.S. Bank
(as defined in Rule 17f-5), a bank holding company meeting the requirements of
an Eligible Foreign Custodian (as set forth in Rule 17f-5 or by other
appropriate action of the SEC), or a foreign branch of a Bank (as defined in
Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act) meeting the requirements of a custodian under
Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act; the term does not include any Eligible
Securities Depository.
"Eligible Securities Depository" has the meaning set forth in section (b)(1) of Rule 17f-7.
"Foreign Assets" means any of the Portfolios' investments (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States and such cash and cash equivalents as are reasonably necessary to effect the Portfolios' transactions in such investments.
"Foreign Custody Manager" has the meaning set forth in section (a)(3) of Rule 17f-5.
"Rule l7f-5" means Rule 17f-5 promulgated under the 1940 Act.
"Rule l7f-7" means Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act.
SECTION 3.2. THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER.
3.2.1 DELEGATION TO THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER. Each Fund,
by resolution adopted by its Board, hereby delegates to the Custodian, subject
to Section (b) of Rule 17f-5, the responsibilities set forth in this
Section 3.2 with respect to Foreign Assets of the Portfolios held outside the
United States, and the Custodian hereby accepts such delegation as Foreign
Custody Manager with respect to the Portfolios.
3.2.2 COUNTRIES COVERED. The Foreign Custody Manager shall be responsible for performing the delegated responsibilities defined below only with respect to the countries and custody arrangements for each such country listed on Schedule A to this Agreement, which list of countries may be amended from time to time by any Fund with the agreement of the Foreign Custody Manager. The Foreign Custody Manager shall list on Schedule A the Eligible Foreign Custodians selected by the Foreign Custody Manager to maintain the assets of the Portfolios, which list of Eligible Foreign Custodians may be amended from time to time in the sole discretion of the Foreign Custody Manager. The Foreign Custody Manager will provide amended versions of Schedule A in accordance with Section 3.2.5 hereof.
Upon the receipt by the Foreign Custody Manager of Proper Instructions to open an account or to place or maintain Foreign Assets in a country listed on Schedule A, and the fulfillment by each Fund, on behalf of the applicable Portfolio(s), of the applicable account opening requirements for such country, the Foreign Custody Manager shall be deemed to have been delegated by such Fund's Board on behalf of such Portfolio(s) responsibility as Foreign Custody Manager with respect to that country and to have accepted such delegation. Execution of this Agreement by each Fund shall be deemed to be a Proper Instruction to open an account, or to place or maintain Foreign Assets, in each country listed on Schedule A. Following the receipt of Proper Instructions directing the Foreign Custody Manager to close the account of a Portfolio with the Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager in a designated country, the delegation by the Board on behalf of such Portfolio to the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager for that country shall be deemed to have been withdrawn and the Custodian shall immediately cease to be the Foreign Custody Manager with respect to such Portfolio with respect to that country.
The Foreign Custody Manager may withdraw its acceptance of delegated responsibilities with respect to a designated country upon written notice to the Fund. Thirty days (or such longer period to which the parties agree in writing) after receipt of any such notice by the Fund, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility in its capacity as Foreign Custody Manager to the Fund with respect to the country as to which the Custodian's acceptance of delegation is withdrawn.
3.2.3 SCOPE OF DELEGATED RESPONSIBILITIES:
(a) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE FOREIGN CUSTODIANS. Subject to the provisions of this Section 3.2, the Foreign Custody Manager may place and maintain the Foreign Assets in the care of the Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager in
each country listed on Schedule A, as amended from time to time. In performing its delegated responsibilities as Foreign Custody Manager to place or maintain Foreign Assets with an Eligible Foreign Custodian, the Foreign Custody Manager shall determine that the Foreign Assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the country in which the Foreign Assets will be held by that Eligible Foreign Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation the factors specified in Rule 17f-5(c)(1).
(b) CONTRACTS WITH ELIGIBLE FOREIGN CUSTODIANS. The Foreign Custody Manager shall determine that the contract governing the foreign custody arrangements with each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager will satisfy the requirements of Rule 17f-5(c)(2).
(c) MONITORING. In each case in which the Foreign Custody Manager maintains Foreign Assets with an Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager, the Foreign Custody Manager shall establish a system to monitor (i) the appropriateness of maintaining the Foreign Assets with such Eligible Foreign Custodian and (ii) the contract governing the custody arrangements established by the Foreign Custody Manager with the Eligible Foreign Custodian. In the event the Foreign Custody Manager determines that the custody arrangements with an Eligible Foreign Custodian it has selected are no longer appropriate, the Foreign Custody Manager shall notify the Board in accordance with Section 3.2.5 hereunder.
3.2.4 GUIDELINES FOR THE EXERCISE OF DELEGATED AUTHORITY. For purposes of this Section 3.2, the Board, or at the Board's delegation, a Portfolio's investment adviser, shall be deemed to have considered and determined to accept such Country Risk as is incurred by placing and maintaining the Foreign Assets in each country for which the Custodian is serving as Foreign Custody Manager of the Portfolios.
3.2.5 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Foreign Custody Manager shall report
the withdrawal of the Foreign Assets from an Eligible Foreign Custodian and the
placement of such Foreign Assets with another Eligible Foreign Custodian by
providing to the Board an amended Schedule A at the end of the calendar quarter
in which an amendment to such Schedule has occurred. The Foreign Custody
Manager shall make written reports notifying the Board of any other material
change in the foreign custody arrangements of the Portfolios described in this
Section 3.2 after the occurrence of the material change.
3.2.6 STANDARD OF CARE AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER OF A PORTFOLIO. In performing the responsibilities delegated to it, the Foreign Custody Manager agrees to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of assets of management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act would exercise.
3.2.7 REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO RULE 17F-5. The Foreign Custody
Manager represents to each Fund that it is a U.S. Bank as defined in section
(a)(7) of Rule 17f-5. Each Fund represents to the Custodian that its Board has
determined that it is
reasonable for such Board to rely on the Custodian to perform the responsibilities delegated pursuant to this Agreement to the Custodian as the Foreign Custody Manager of the Portfolios.
3.2.8 EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERMINATION OF THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER. Each Board's delegation to the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager of the Portfolios shall be effective as of the date hereof and shall remain in effect until terminated at any time, without penalty, by written notice from the terminating party to the non-terminating party. Termination will become effective thirty (30) days after receipt by the non-terminating party of such notice. The provisions of Section 3.2.2 hereof shall govern the delegation to and termination of the Custodian as Foreign Custody Manager of the Portfolios with respect to designated countries.
SECTION 3.3 ELIGIBLE SECURITIES DEPOSITORIES.
3.3.1 ANALYSIS AND MONITORING. The Custodian shall (a) provide the Fund (or its duly-authorized investment manager or investment adviser) with an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Eligible Securities Depositories set forth on Schedule B hereto in accordance with section (a)(1)(i)(A) of Rule 17f-7, and (b) monitor such risks on a continuing basis, and promptly notify the Fund (or its duly-authorized investment manager or investment adviser) of any material change in such risks, in accordance with section (a)(1)(i)(B) of Rule 17f-7.
3.3.2 STANDARD OF CARE. The Custodian agrees to exercise reasonable
care, prudence and diligence in performing the duties set forth in
Section 3.3.1.
SECTION 4. DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY OF THE PORTFOLIOS TO BE HELD OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES SECTION
4.1 DEFINITIONS. As used throughout this Agreement, the capitalized terms set forth below shall have the indicated meanings:
"Foreign Securities System" means an Eligible Securities Depository listed on Schedule B hereto.
"Foreign Sub-Custodian" means a foreign banking institution serving as an Eligible Foreign Custodian.
SECTION 4.2. HOLDING SECURITIES. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the Portfolios the foreign securities held by each Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System. The Custodian may hold foreign securities for all of its customers, including the Portfolios, with any Foreign Sub-Custodian in an account that is identified as belonging to the Custodian for the benefit of its customers, provided however, that (i) the records of the Custodian with respect to foreign securities of the Portfolios which are maintained in such account shall identify those securities as belonging to the Portfolios and (ii), to the extent permitted and customary in the market in which the account is maintained, the Custodian shall
require that securities so held by the Foreign Sub-Custodian be held separately from any assets of such Foreign Sub-Custodian or of other customers of such Foreign Sub-Custodian.
SECTION 4.3. FOREIGN SECURITIES SYSTEMS. Foreign securities shall be maintained in a Foreign Securities System in a designated country through arrangements implemented by the Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian, as applicable, in such country.
SECTION 4.4. TRANSACTIONS IN FOREIGN CUSTODY ACCOUNT.
4.4.1. DELIVERY OF FOREIGN ASSETS. The Custodian or a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall release and deliver foreign securities of the Portfolios held by the Custodian or such Foreign Sub-Custodian, or in a Foreign Securities System account, only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, and only in the following cases:
(i) Upon the sale of such foreign securities for the Portfolio in accordance with commercially reasonable market practice in the country where such foreign securities are held or traded, including, without limitation: (A) delivery against expectation of receiving later payment; or (B) in the case of a sale effected through a Foreign Securities System, in accordance with the rules governing the operation of the Foreign Securities System;
(ii) In connection with any repurchase agreement related to foreign securities;
(iii) To the depository agent in connection with tender or other similar offers for foreign securities of the Portfolios;
(iv) To the issuer thereof or its agent when such foreign securities are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable;
(v) To the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Custodian (or the name of the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian or of any nominee of the Custodian or such Foreign Sub-Custodian) or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units;
(vi) To brokers, clearing banks or other clearing agents for examination or trade execution in accordance with market custom; provided that in any such case, the Foreign Sub-Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such foreign securities prior to receiving payment for such foreign securities except as may arise from the Foreign Sub-Custodian's own negligence or willful misconduct;
(vii) For exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the securities of the issuer of such securities, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement;
(viii) In the case of warrants, rights or similar foreign securities, the surrender thereof in the exercise of such warrants, rights or similar securities or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary securities for definitive securities;
(ix) For delivery as security in connection with any borrowing by a Fund on behalf of a Portfolio requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund on behalf of such Portfolio;
(x) In connection with trading in options and futures contracts, including delivery as original margin and variation margin;
(xi) Upon the sale or other delivery of such foreign securities (including, without limitation, to one or more Special Sub-Custodians or Repo Custodians) as a Free Trade, provided that applicable Proper Instructions shall set forth (A) the foreign securities to be delivered and (B) the person or persons to whom delivery shall be made;
(xii) In connection with the lending of foreign securities; and
(xiii) For any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying (A) the foreign securities to be delivered and (B) the person or persons to whom delivery of such securities shall be made.
4.4.2. PAYMENT OF PORTFOLIO MONIES. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, the Custodian shall pay out, or direct the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian or the respective Foreign Securities System to pay out, monies of a Portfolio in the following cases only:
(i) Upon the purchase of foreign securities for the Portfolio in accordance with commercially reasonable market practice in the country where such foreign securities are held or traded, unless otherwise directed by Proper Instructions, by (A) delivering money to the seller thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent for such seller or dealer) against expectation of receiving later delivery of such foreign securities; or (B) in the case of a purchase effected through a Foreign Securities System, in accordance with the rules governing the operation of such Foreign Securities System;
(ii) In connection with the conversion, exchange or surrender of foreign securities of the Portfolio;
(iii) For the payment of any expense or liability of the Portfolio, including but not limited to the following payments: interest, taxes, investment advisory fees, transfer agency fees, fees under this Agreement, legal fees, accounting fees, and other operating expenses;
(iv) For the purchase or sale of foreign exchange or foreign exchange contracts for the Portfolio, including transactions executed with or through the Custodian or its Foreign Sub-Custodians;
(v) In connection with trading in options and futures contracts, including delivery as original margin and variation margin;
(vi) Upon the purchase of foreign investments including, without limitation, repurchase agreement transactions involving delivery of Portfolio monies to Repo Custodian(s), as a Free Trade, provided that applicable Proper Instructions shall set forth (A) the amount of such payment and (B) the person or persons to whom payment shall be made;
(vii) For payment of part or all of the dividends received in respect of securities sold short;
(viii) In connection with the borrowing or lending of foreign securities; and
(ix) For any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying (A) the amount of such payment and (B) the person or persons to whom such payment
4.4.3. MARKET CONDITIONS. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, settlement and payment for Foreign Assets received for the account of the Portfolios and delivery of Foreign Assets maintained for the account of the Portfolios may be effected in accordance with the customary established securities trading or processing practices and procedures in the country or market in which the transaction occurs, including, without limitation, delivering Foreign Assets to the purchaser thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent for such purchaser or dealer) with the expectation of receiving later payment for such Foreign Assets from such purchaser or dealer.
The Custodian shall provide to each Board the information with respect to custody and settlement practices in countries in which the Custodian employs a Foreign Sub-Custodian described on Schedule C hereto at the time or times set forth on such Schedule. The Custodian may revise Schedule C from time to time, provided that no such revision shall result in a Board being provided with substantively less information than had been previously provided hereunder.
SECTION 4.5. REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN SECURITIES. The foreign securities maintained in the custody of a Foreign Sub-Custodian (other than bearer securities) shall be registered in the name of the applicable Portfolio or in the name of the Custodian or in the name of any Foreign SubCustodian or in the name of any nominee of the foregoing, and the applicable Fund on behalf of such Portfolio agrees to hold any such nominee harmless from any liability that results from such nominee's status as a holder of record of such foreign securities. The Custodian or a Foreign SubCustodian shall not be obligated to accept securities on behalf of a Portfolio under the terms of this Agreement unless the form of such securities and the manner in which they are delivered are in accordance with reasonable market practice.
SECTION 4.6 BANK ACCOUNTS. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the applicable Fund cash (including cash denominated in foreign currencies) deposited with the Custodian. Where the Custodian is unable to maintain, or market practice does not facilitate the maintenance of, cash on the books of the Custodian, a bank account or bank accounts shall be opened and maintained outside the United States on behalf of a Portfolio with a Foreign SubCustodian. All accounts referred to in this Section shall be subject only to draft or order by the Custodian (or, if applicable, such Foreign Sub-Custodian) acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement to hold cash received by or from or for the account of the Portfolio. Cash maintained on the books of the Custodian (including its branches, subsidiaries and affiliates), regardless of currency denomination, is maintained in bank accounts established under, and subject to the laws of, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
SECTION 4.7. COLLECTION OF INCOME. The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to collect all income and other payments with respect to the Foreign Assets held hereunder to which the Portfolios shall be entitled and shall credit such income, as collected, to the applicable Portfolio. In the event that extraordinary measures are required to collect such income, the Fund and the Custodian shall consult as to such measures and as to the compensation and expenses of the Custodian relating to such measures.
SECTION 4.8 SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS. With respect to the foreign securities held pursuant to this Section 4, the Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to facilitate the exercise of voting and other shareholder rights, subject always to the laws, regulations and practical constraints that may exist in the country where such securities are issued. Each Fund acknowledges that local conditions, including lack of regulation, onerous procedural obligations, lack of notice and other factors may have the effect of severely limiting the ability of such Fund to exercise shareholder rights.
SECTION 4.9. COMMUNICATIONS RELATING TO FOREIGN SECURITIES. The Custodian
shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund written information with respect
to materials received by the Custodian via the Foreign Sub-Custodians from
issuers of the foreign securities being held for the account of the Portfolios
(including, without limitation, pendency of calls and maturities of foreign
securities and expirations of rights in connection therewith). With respect to
tender or exchange offers, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the
applicable Fund written information with respect to materials so received by
the Custodian from issuers of the foreign securities whose tender or exchange
is sought or from the party (or its agents) making the tender or exchange
offer. The Custodian shall not be liable for any untimely exercise of any
tender, exchange or other right or power in connection with foreign securities
or other property of the Portfolios at any time held by it unless (i) the
Custodian or the respective Foreign Sub-Custodian is in actual possession of
such foreign securities or property and (ii) the Custodian receives Proper
Instructions with regard to the exercise of any such right or power, and both
(i) and (ii) occur at least three business days prior to the date on which the
Custodian is to take action to exercise such right or power.
SECTION 4.10. LIABILITY OF FOREIGN SUB-CUSTODIANS. Each agreement pursuant to which the Custodian employs a Foreign Sub-Custodian shall, to the extent possible, require the Foreign Sub-Custodian to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties,
and to indemnify, and hold harmless, the Custodian from and against any loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim arising out of or in connection with the Foreign Sub-Custodian's performance of such obligations. At a Fund's election, the Portfolios shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claims against a Foreign Sub-Custodian as a consequence of any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim if and to the extent that the Portfolios have not been made whole for any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim.
SECTION 4.11 TAX LAW. The Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any obligations now or hereafter imposed on any Fund, the Portfolios or the Custodian as custodian of the Portfolios by the tax law of the United States or of any state or political subdivision thereof. It shall be the responsibility of each Fund to notify the Custodian of the obligations imposed on such Fund with respect to the Portfolios or the Custodian as custodian of the Portfolios by the tax law of countries other than those mentioned in the above sentence, including responsibility for withholding and other taxes, assessments or other governmental charges, certifications and governmental reporting. The sole responsibility of the Custodian with regard to such tax law shall be to use reasonable efforts to assist the Fund and, if requested by the Fund, the Fund's accountants with respect to any claim for exemption or refund under the tax law of countries for which such Fund has provided such information.
SECTION 4.12. LIABILITY OF CUSTODIAN. The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of a Foreign Sub-Custodian to the same extent as set forth with respect to sub-custodians generally in this Agreement and, regardless of whether assets are maintained in the custody of a Foreign Sub-Custodian or a Foreign Securities System, the Custodian shall not be liable for any loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim resulting from nationalization, expropriation, currency restrictions, or acts of war or terrorism, or any other loss where the Sub-Custodian has otherwise acted without fraud, negligence or willful misconduct.
SECTION 5. SPECIAL SUB-CUSTODIANS
Upon receipt of Special Instructions (as such term is defined in Section 7 hereof), the Custodian shall, on behalf of one or more Portfolios, appoint one or more banks, trust companies or other entities designated in such Special Instructions to act as a sub-custodian for the purposes of effecting such transaction(s) as may be designated by a Fund in Special Instructions. Each such designated sub-custodian is referred to herein as a "Special Sub-Custodian." Each such duly appointed Special Sub-Custodian shall be listed on Schedule D hereto, as it may be amended from time to time by a Fund, with the acknowledgment of the Custodian. In connection with the appointment of any Special Sub-Custodian, and in accordance with Special Instructions, the Custodian shall enter into a sub-custodian agreement with the Fund and the Special Sub-Custodian in form and substance approved by such Fund, provided that such agreement shall in all events comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the terms and provisions of this Agreement.
SECTION 6. PAYMENTS FOR SALES OR REPURCHASES OR REDEMPTIONS OF SHARES
The Custodian shall receive from the distributor of the Shares or from the Transfer Agent and deposit into the account of the appropriate Portfolio such payments as are received for Shares thereof issued or sold from time to time by the applicable Fund. The Custodian will provide timely notification to such Fund on behalf of each such Portfolio and the Transfer Agent of any receipt by it of payments for Shares of such Portfolio.
From such funds as may be available for the purpose, the Custodian shall, upon receipt of instructions from the Transfer Agent, make funds available for payment to holders of Shares who have delivered to the Transfer Agent a request for redemption or repurchase of their Shares. In connection with the redemption or repurchase of Shares, the Custodian is authorized upon receipt of instructions from the Transfer Agent to wire funds to or through a commercial bank designated by the redeeming shareholders. In connection with the redemption or repurchase of Shares, the Custodian shall honor checks drawn on the Custodian by a holder of Shares, which checks have been furnished by a Fund to the holder of Shares, when presented to the Custodian in accordance with such procedures and controls as are mutually agreed upon from time to time between such Fund and the Custodian.
SECTION 7. PROPER INSTRUCTIONS AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
"Proper Instructions," which may also be standing instructions, as such term is used throughout this Agreement shall mean instructions received by the Custodian from a Fund, a Fund's duly authorized investment adviser, or a person or entity duly authorized by either of them, as evidenced by the certificate described below. Such instructions may be in writing signed by the authorized person or persons or may be in a tested communication or in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro-mechanical or electronic devices or may be by such other means and utilizing such intermediary systems and utilities as may be agreed from time to time by the Custodian and the person(s) or entity giving such instruction, provided that the Fund has followed any security procedures agreed to from time to time by the applicable Fund and the Custodian including, but not limited to, the security procedures selected by the Fund via the form of Funds Transfer Addendum hereto. Oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions if the Custodian reasonably believes them to have been given by a person authorized to provide such instructions with respect to the transaction involved; the Fund shall cause all oral instructions to be confirmed in writing. For purposes of this Section, Proper Instructions shall include instructions received by the Custodian pursuant to any multi-party agreement which requires a segregated asset account in accordance with Section 2.9 hereof.
"Special Instructions," as such term is used throughout this Agreement, means
Proper Instructions countersigned or confirmed in writing by the Treasurer or
any Assistant Treasurer of the applicable Fund or any other person designated
in writing by the Treasurer of such Fund, which countersignature or
confirmation shall be (a) included on the same instrument containing the Proper
Instructions or on a separate instrument clearly relating thereto and
(b) delivered by hand, by facsimile transmission, or in such other manner as
the Fund and the Custodian agree in writing.
Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and from time to time
thereafter, as appropriate, each Fund shall deliver to the Custodian, duly
certified by such Fund's Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer, a certificate
setting forth: (i) the names, titles, signatures and scope of authority of all
persons authorized to give Proper Instructions or any other notice, request,
direction, instruction, certificate or instrument on behalf of the Fund and
(ii) the names, titles and signatures of those persons authorized to give
Special Instructions. Such certificate may be accepted and relied upon by the
Custodian as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall be
considered to be in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of a
similar certificate to the contrary.
SECTION 8. EVIDENCE OF AUTHORITY
Subject to Section 15 hereof, the Custodian shall be protected in acting upon any instructions, notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument or paper believed by it to be genuine and to have been properly executed by or on behalf of the applicable Fund. The Custodian may receive and accept a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of any Fund as conclusive evidence (a) of the authority of any person to act in accordance with such resolution or (b) of any determination or of any action by the applicable Board as described in such resolution, and such resolution may be considered as in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of written notice to the contrary.
SECTION 9. ACTIONS PERMITTED WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY
The Custodian may in its discretion, without express authority from the applicable Fund on behalf of each applicable Portfolio:
1) Make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of handling securities or other similar items relating to its duties under this Agreement; provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio;
2) Surrender securities in temporary form for securities in definitive form;
3) Endorse for collection, in the name of the Portfolio, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments; and
4) In general, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with the securities and property of the Portfolio except as otherwise directed by the applicable Board.
SECTION 10. DUTIES OF CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO THE BOOKS OF ACCOUNT AND CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND NET INCOME
The Custodian shall cooperate with and supply necessary information to the entity or entities appointed by the applicable Board to keep the books of account of each Portfolio and/or compute
the net asset value per Share of the outstanding Shares or, if directed in writing to do so by a Fund on behalf of a Portfolio, shall itself keep such books of account and/or compute such net asset value per Share. If so directed, the Custodian shall also calculate daily the net income of the Portfolio as described in the Prospectus and shall advise the Fund and the Transfer Agent daily of the total amounts of such net income and, if instructed in writing by an officer of the Fund to do so, shall advise the Transfer Agent periodically of the division of such net income among its various components. Each Fund acknowledges and agrees that, with respect to investments maintained with the Underlying Transfer Agent, the Underlying Transfer Agent is the sole source of information on the number of shares of a fund held by it on behalf of a Portfolio and that the Custodian has the right to rely on holdings information furnished by the Underlying Transfer Agent to the Custodian in performing its duties under this Agreement, including without limitation, the duties set forth in this Section 10 and in Section 11 hereof; provided, however, that the Custodian shall be obligated to reconcile information as to purchases and sales of Underlying Shares contained in trade instructions and confirmations received by the Custodian and to report promptly any discrepancies to the Underlying Transfer Agent and to the Fund. The calculations of the net asset value per Share and the daily income of each Portfolio shall be made at the time or times described from time to time in the Prospectus. Each Fund acknowledges that, in keeping the books of account of the Portfolio and/or making the calculations described herein with respect to Portfolio property released and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(14), or purchased pursuant to Section 2.6(7) hereof, the Custodian is authorized and instructed to rely upon information provided to it by the Fund, the Fund's counterparty(ies), or the agents of either of them.
SECTION 11. RECORDS
The Custodian shall with respect to each Portfolio create and maintain all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement in such manner as will meet the obligations of each Fund under the 1940 Act, with particular attention to section 31 thereof and Rules 31 a-1 and 31 a-2 thereunder. All such records shall be the property of the Fund and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of such Fund and employees and agents of the SEC. The Custodian shall, at a Fund's request, supply the Fund with a tabulation of securities owned by each Portfolio and held by the Custodian and shall, when requested to do so by the Fund and for such compensation as shall be agreed upon between the Fund and the Custodian, include certificate numbers in such tabulations. Each Fund acknowledges that, in creating and maintaining the records as set forth herein with respect to Portfolio property released and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(14), or purchased pursuant to Section 2.6(7) hereof, the Custodian is authorized and instructed to rely upon information provided to it by the Fund, the Fund's counterparty(ies), or the agents of either of them.
SECTION 12. OPINION OF FUND'S INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANT
The Custodian shall take all reasonable action, as a Fund with respect to a Portfolio may from time to time request, to obtain from year to year favorable opinions from the Fund's independent accountants with respect to its activities hereunder in connection with the preparation of the Fund's Form N-1 A or Form N-2, as applicable, Form N-CSR (including the reports to
shareholders included therein) and Form N-SAR or other reports to the SEC and with respect to any other requirements thereof.
SECTION 13. REPORTS TO FUND BY INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Custodian shall provide the applicable Fund, on behalf of each of the Portfolios at such times as such Fund may reasonably require, with reports by independent public accountants on the accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding securities, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including securities deposited and/or maintained in a U.S. Securities System or a Foreign Securities System (either, a "Securities System"), relating to the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement; such reports, shall be of sufficient scope and in sufficient detail, as may reasonably be required by the Fund to provide reasonable assurance that any material inadequacies would be disclosed by such examination, and, if there are no such inadequacies, the reports shall so state.
SECTION 14. COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN
The Custodian shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as Custodian, as agreed upon in writing from time to time between each Fund on behalf of each applicable Portfolio and the Custodian.
SECTION 15. RESPONSIBILITY OF CUSTODIAN
So long as and to the extent that it is in the exercise of reasonable care, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property or evidence of title thereto received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement and shall be held harmless in acting upon any notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed by the proper party or parties, including any futures commission merchant acting pursuant to the terms of a three-party futures or options agreement. The Custodian shall be held to the exercise of reasonable care in carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, but shall be kept indemnified by and shall be without liability to any Fund for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith without negligence, including, without limitation, acting in accordance with any Proper Instruction. It shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel (who may be counsel for the Fund) on all legal matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. The Custodian shall be without liability to any Fund or Portfolio for any loss, liability, claim or expense resulting from or caused by anything which is part of Country Risk (as defined in Section 3 hereof), including without limitation nationalization, expropriation, currency restrictions, or acts of war, revolution, riots or terrorism.
Except as may arise from the Custodian's own fraud, negligence or willful misconduct or the negligence or willful misconduct of a sub-custodian or agent, the Custodian shall be without liability to any Fund for any loss, liability, claim or expense resulting from or caused by; (i) events or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian or any sub-custodian or Securities System or any agent or nominee of any of the foregoing, including, without limitation, the interruption, suspension or restriction of trading on or the closure of any securities market,
power or other mechanical or technological failures or interruptions, computer
viruses or communications disruptions, work stoppages, natural disasters, or
other similar events or acts; (ii) errors by any Fund or its duly authorized
investment manager or investment adviser in their instructions to the Custodian
provided such instructions have been in accordance with this Agreement;
(iii) the insolvency of or acts or omissions by a Securities System; (iv) any
act or omission of a Special SubCustodian including, without limitation,
reliance on reports prepared by a Special Sub-Custodian; (v) any delay or
failure of any broker, agent or intermediary, central bank or other
commercially prevalent payment or clearing system to deliver to the Custodian's
sub-custodian or agent securities purchased or in the remittance or payment
made in connection with securities sold; (vi) any delay or failure of any
company, corporation, or other body in charge of registering or transferring
securities in the name of the Custodian, any Fund, the Custodian's
sub-custodians, nominees or agents or any consequential losses arising out of
such delay or failure to transfer such securities including non-receipt of
bonus, dividends and rights and other accretions or benefits; (vii) delays or
inability to perform its duties due to any disorder in market infrastructure
with respect to any particular security or Securities System; and (viii) any
provision of any present or future law or regulation or order of the United
States of America, or any state thereof, or any other country, or political
subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction.
The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of a Foreign Sub-Custodian (as such term is defined in Section 4 hereof) to the same extent as set forth with respect to sub-custodians generally in this Agreement.
If a Fund on behalf of a Portfolio requires the Custodian to take any action with respect to securities, which action involves the payment of money or which action may, in the opinion of the Custodian, result in the Custodian or its nominee assigned to the Fund or the Portfolio being liable for the payment of money or incurring liability of some other form, such Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, as a prerequisite to requiring the Custodian to take such action, shall provide indemnity to the Custodian in an amount and form satisfactory to it.
If a Fund requires the Custodian, its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents, to advance cash or securities for any purpose (including but not limited to securities settlements, foreign exchange contracts and assumed settlement) or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee shall incur or be assessed any taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims or liabilities in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except such as may arise from its or its nominee's own negligent action, negligent failure to act or willful misconduct, any property at any time held for the account of the applicable Portfolio shall be security therefor and should the Fund fail to repay the Custodian promptly, the Custodian shall be entitled to utilize available cash and to dispose of such Portfolio's assets to the extent necessary to obtain reimbursement.
In no event shall the Custodian be liable for indirect, special or consequential damages.
SECTION 16. EFFECTIVE PERIOD, TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT
This Agreement shall become effective as of its execution and shall be applicable to each Portfolio listed on Appendix A on the date set forth therein, shall continue in full force and effect until terminated as hereinafter provided, may be amended at any time by mutual agreement of
the parties hereto and may be terminated by either party by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed, postage prepaid to the other party, such termination to take effect not sooner than sixty (60) days after the date of such delivery or mailing; provided, however, that no party shall amend or terminate this Agreement in contravention of any applicable federal or state regulations (except that the Custodian may terminate this Agreement even if a Fund or a Portfolio thereof does not have a successor custodian meeting the requirements of the 1940 Act), or any provision of such party's Governing Documents, and further provided, that any Fund on behalf of one or more of the Portfolios may at any time by action of its Board (i) substitute another bank or trust company for the Custodian by giving notice as described above to the Custodian, or (ii) immediately terminate this Agreement in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the Custodian by the Comptroller of the Currency or upon the happening of a like event at the direction of an appropriate regulatory agency or court of competent jurisdiction.
Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Fund or Portfolio shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to any other Fund or Portfolio.
Upon termination of the Agreement, the applicable Fund on behalf of each applicable Portfolio shall pay to the Custodian such compensation as may be due as of the date of such termination and shall likewise reimburse the Custodian for its reasonable costs, expenses and disbursements.
SECTION 17. SUCCESSOR CUSTODIAN
If a successor custodian for one or more Portfolios shall be appointed by the applicable Board, the Custodian shall, upon termination and receipt of Proper Instructions, deliver to such successor custodian at the office of the Custodian, duly endorsed and in the form for transfer, all securities of each applicable Portfolio then held by it hereunder and shall transfer to an account of the successor custodian all of the securities of each such Portfolio held in a Securities System or at the Underlying Transfer Agent.
If no such successor custodian shall be appointed, the Custodian shall, in like manner, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, deliver at the office of the Custodian and transfer such securities, funds and other properties in accordance with such resolution.
In the event that no Proper Instructions designating a successor custodian or alternative arrangements shall have been delivered to the Custodian on or before the date when such termination shall become effective, then the Custodian shall have the right to deliver to a bank or trust company, which is a "bank" as defined in the 1940 Act, doing business in Boston, Massachusetts or New York, New York, of its own selection, having an aggregate capital, surplus, and undivided profits, as shown by its last published report, of not less than $25,000,000, all securities, funds and other properties held by the Custodian on behalf of each applicable Portfolio and all instruments held by the Custodian relative thereto and all other property held by it under this Agreement on behalf of each applicable Portfolio, and to transfer to an account of such successor custodian all of the securities of each such Portfolio held in any Securities System or at the Underlying Transfer Agent. Thereafter, such bank or trust company shall be the successor of the Custodian under this Agreement.
In the event that securities, funds and other properties remain in the possession of the Custodian after the date of termination hereof owing to failure of any Fund to provide Proper Instructions as aforesaid, the Custodian shall be entitled to fair compensation for its services during such period as the Custodian retains possession of such securities, funds and other properties and the provisions of this Agreement relating to the duties and obligations of the Custodian shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 18. GENERAL
SECTION 18.1 MASSACHUSETTS LAW TO APPLY. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
SECTION 18.2 PRIOR AGREEMENTS. This Agreement supersedes and terminates, as of the date hereof, all prior Agreements between each Fund on behalf of each of the Portfolios and the Custodian relating to the custody of such Fund's assets.
SECTION 18.3 ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement may not be assigned by (a) any Fund without the written consent of the Custodian or (b) by the Custodian without the written consent of each applicable Fund.
SECTION 18.4 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF EACH FUND. Each Fund hereby represents and warrants that: (a) it is duly organized and is validly existing in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization; (b) it has the requisite power and authority under applicable law and its Governing Documents to enter into and perform this Agreement; (c) all requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement; (d) this Agreement constitutes its legal, valid, binding and enforceable agreement; (e) its entrance into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Fund or any law or regulation applicable to it, and (f) it is an investment company registered under the 1940 Act, as amended and will continue to be a registered investment company under the 1940 Act for the term of this Agreement.
SECTION 18.5 INTERPRETIVE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Custodian and each Fund on behalf of each of the Portfolios, may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by all parties and shall be annexed hereto, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable federal or state regulations or any provision of a Fund's Governing Documents. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Agreement.
SECTION 18.6 ADDITIONAL FUNDS. In the event that any management investment company in addition to those listed on Appendix A hereto desires to have the Custodian render services as custodian under the terms hereof, it shall so notify the Custodian. in writing, and if
the Custodian agrees in writing to provide such services, such management investment company shall become a Fund hereunder and be bound by all terms and conditions and provisions hereof including, without limitation, making the representations and warranties set forth in Section 18.4.
SECTION 18.7 ADDITIONAL PORTFOLIOS. In the event that any Fund establishes one or more series of Shares in addition to those set forth on Appendix A hereto with respect to which it desires to have the Custodian render services as custodian under the terms hereof, it shall so notify the Custodian in writing, and if the Custodian agrees in writing to provide such services, such series of Shares shall become a Portfolio hereunder.
SECTION 18.8 TRUST NOTICE. On behalf of each Fund that is organized as a Massachusetts business trust, notice is hereby given that a copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of such Fund is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that this Agreement is executed by an officer of such Fund, as an officer and not individually, on behalf of the trustees of the Fund, as trustees and not individually, and that the obligations of this Agreement with respect to such Fund shall be binding upon the assets and properties of such Fund only and shall not be binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders of the Fund individually.
SECTION 18.9 NO LIABILITY OF OTHER PORTFOLIOS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the parties agree that the assets and liabilities of each Portfolio are separate and distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Portfolio and that no Portfolio shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Portfolio arising under this Agreement.
SECTION 18.10 REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM. The Custodian and each Fund agree to be bound by the terms of the Remote Access Services Addendum hereto.
SECTION 18.11 NOTICES. Any notice, instruction or other instrument required to be given hereunder may be delivered in person to the offices of the parties as set forth herein during normal business hours or delivered prepaid registered mail or by telex, cable or telecopy to the parties at the following addresses or such other addresses as may be notified by any party from time to time.
To any Fund: IXIS Advisor Funds 399 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 Attention: Fund Administration Department Head Telephone: 617-449-2000 Facsimile: 617-449-2880 with a copy to: General Counsel Facsimile: 617-369-9632 To the Custodian: STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY Lafayette Corporate Center, 5th Floor |
2 Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
Attention: John M. Stratton, Vice President
Telephone: 617-662-1776
Facsimile: 617-662-0071
Such notice, instruction or other instrument shall be deemed to have been served in the case of a registered letter at the expiration of five business days after posting, in the case of cable twenty-four hours after dispatch and, in the case of telex, immediately on dispatch and if delivered outside normal business hours it shall be deemed to have been received at the next time after delivery when normal business hours commence and in the case of cable, telex or telecopy on the business day after the receipt thereof. Evidence that the notice was properly addressed, stamped and put into the post shall be conclusive evidence of posting.
SECTION 18.12 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement.
SECTION 18.13 SEVERABILITY. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.
SECTION 18.14 REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS. This Agreement and all schedules, addenda, exhibits, appendices, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.
SECTION 18.15 CONFIDENTIALITY. The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially all information provided by each party to the other party regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party without the prior written consent or at the direction of the party providing the information. In addition, during the term of this Agreement, the Custodian will maintain policies reasonably designed to prohibit the Custodian and its employees from engaging in securities transactions based on knowledge of the Fund's non-public portfolio holdings. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is (i) publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is independently derived by any party hereto without the use of any information provided by the other party hereto in connection with this Agreement, (ii) aggregated, without reference to such Fund, in whole or in part, with other client information for the Custodian's own marketing, reporting or other purposes, or (iii) required in any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit,
examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process, or by operation of law or regulation.
SECTION 18.16 PROVISIONS SURVIVING TERMINATION. The provisions of Sections
4.11 (Tax Law), 4.12 (Liability of Custodian), 15 (Responsibility of
Custodian), 16 (Effective Period, Termination and Amendment), 17 (Successor
Custodian), 18.1 (Massachusetts Law to Apply), 18.10 (Remote Access Services
Addendum) and 18.15 (Confidentiality) of this Agreement shall survive
termination of this Agreement for any reason.
SECTION 18.17 SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS ELECTION. SEC Rule 14b-2 requires banks which hold securities for the account of customers to respond to requests by issuers of securities for the names, addresses and holdings of beneficial owners of securities of that issuer held by the bank unless the beneficial owner has expressly objected to disclosure of this information. In order to comply with the rule, the Custodian needs each Fund to indicate whether it authorizes the Custodian to provide such Fund's name, address, and share position to requesting companies whose securities the Fund owns. If a Fund tells the Custodian "no," the Custodian will not provide this information to requesting companies. If a Fund tells the Custodian "yes" or does not check either "yes" or "no" below, the Custodian is required by the rule to treat the Fund as consenting to disclosure of this information for all securities owned by the Fund or any funds or accounts established by the Fund. For a Fund's protection, the Rule prohibits the requesting company from using the Fund's name and address for any purpose other than corporate communications. Please indicate below whether the Fund consents or objects by checking one of the alternatives below.
YES [ ] The Custodian is authorized to release the Fund's name, address, and share positions. NO [X] The Custodian is not authorized to release the Fund's name, address, and share positions. |
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
SIGNATURE PAGE
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this instrument to be executed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative(s) as of the date set forth above.
EACH OF THE ENTITIES SET FORTH ON THE
APPENDIX A ATTACHED HERETO
By: /s/ MICHAEL C. KARDOK ------------------------------ Name: Michael C. Kardok Title: Treasurer |
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ JOSEPH L. HOOLEY ------------------------------ Joseph L. Hooley, Executive Vice President |
APPENDIX A
TO
MASTER CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES REGISTERED WITH THE SEC AND PORTFOLIOS THEREOF IF ANY
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund 9/1/05 LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Value Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles High Income Fund 10/1/05 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Limited Term Government and Agency Fund 10/1/05 Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund 10/1/05 Loomis Sayles Research Fund 9/1/05 Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund 10/1/05 IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST Money Market Series 9/1/05 |
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I
CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund 9/1/05 Hansberger International Fund 9/1/05 IXIS U.S. Diversified Portfolio 9/l/05 IXIS Value Fund 9/l/05 Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund 10/1/05 Vaughan Nelson Small Cap Value Fund 9/l/05 Westpeak Capital Growth Fund 9/1/05 IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free Income Fund 10/1/05 Harris Associates Large Cap Value Fund 9/1/05 IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III Harris Associates Focused Value Fund 9/l/05 IXIS Equity Diversified Portfolio 9/l/05 IXIS Moderate Diversified Portfolio 9/l/05 IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV AEW Real Estate Fund 9/l/05 AEW REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND (closed end) 9/1/05 -30- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK SUBCUSTODIANS Country Subcustodian Argentina Citibank, N.A. Australia Westpac Banking Corporation Citibank Pty. Limited Austria HSBC Bank Middle East (as delegate of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Bangladesh Standard Chartered Bank Belgium BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A. Benin via Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Bermuda The Bank of Bermuda Limited Botswana Barclays Bank of Botswana Limited Brazil Citibank, N.A. Bulgaria ING Bank N.V. Burkina Faso via Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Canada State Street Trust Company Canada Cayman Islands Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) Limited Chile BankBoston, N.A. |
People's Republic The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, of China Shanghai and Shenzhen branches
06/30/05
SCHEDULE A
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
SUBCUSTODIANS
Country Subcustodian Colombia Cititrust Colombia S.A. Sociedad Fiduciaria Costa Rica Banco BCT S.A. Croatia Privredna Banka Zagreb d.d Cyprus Cyprus Popular Bank Ltd. |
Czech Republic Ceskoslovenska Obchodni Banka, A.S.
Denmark Danske Bank A/S Ecuador Banco de la Produccion S.A. Egypt HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E. (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Estonia AS Hansabank Finland Nordea Bank Finland Plc. France BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A. Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Paris branch) Germany Deutsche Bank AG Ghana Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited Greece National Bank of Greece S.A. 06/30/05 -32- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK SUBCUSTODIANS Country Subcustodian Guinea-Bissau via Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Hong Kong Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited Hungary HVB Bank Hungary Rt. Iceland Kaupthing Bank hf. India Deutsche Bank AG The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Indonesia Deutsche Bank AG Ireland Bank of Ireland Israel Bank Hapoalim B.M. Italy BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A. Ivory Coast Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire Jamaica Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Ltd. Japan Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Jordan HSBC Bank Middle East (as delegate of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Kazakhstan HSBC Bank Kazakhstan (as delegate of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) 06/30/05 -33- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK SUBCUSTODIANS Country Subcustodian Kenya Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited Republic of Korea Deutsche Bank AG The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Latvia A/s Hansabanka Lebanon HSBC Bank Middle East (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Lithuania SEB Vilniaus Bankas AB Malaysia Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad Mali via Societe Generale de Banques en Cote d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Malta HSBC Bank Malta Plc. Mauritius The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Mexico Banco Nacional de Mexico S.A. Morocco Attijariwafa bank Namibia Standard Bank Namibia Limited Netherlands Deutsche Bank N.V. KAS BANK N.V. New Zealand Westpac Banking Corporation 06/30/05 -34- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK SUBCUSTODIANS Country Subcustodian Niger via Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Nigeria Stanbic Bank Nigeria Limited Norway Nordea Bank Norge ASA Oman HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Pakistan Deutsche Bank AG Palestine HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Panama HSBC Bank (Panama) S.A. Peru Citibank del Peru, S.A. |
Philippines Standard Chartered Bank
Poland Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A.
Portugal Banco Comercial Portugues S.A.
Puerto Rico Citibank N.A.
Qatar HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) Romania ING Bank N.V. 06/30/05 -35- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK SUBCUSTODIANS Country Subcustodian Russia ING Bank (Eurasia) ZAO, Moscow Senegal via Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Serbia HVB Bank Serbia and Montenegro a.d. Singapore DBS Bank Limited United Overseas Bank Limited Slovak Republic Ceskoslovenska Obchodni Banka, A.S., pobocka zahranicnej banky v SR Slovenia Bank Austria Creditanstalt d.d. - Ljubljana South Africa Nedcor Bank Limited Standard Bank of South Africa Limited Spain Santander Central Hispano Investment S.A. Sri Lanka The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Swaziland Standard Bank Swaziland Limited Sweden Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB Switzerland UBS AG Taiwan - R.O.C. Central Trust of China Thailand Standard Chartered Bank Togo via Societe Generale de Banques en C6te d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 06/30/05 -36- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK SUBCUSTODIANS Country Subcustodian Trinidad & Tobago Republic Bank Limited Tunisia Banque Internationale Arabe de Tunisie Turkey Citibank, A.S. Uganda Barclays Bank of Uganda Limited Ukraine ING Bank Ukraine United Arab Emirates HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) United Kingdom State Street Bank and Trust Company, United kingdom Branch Uruguay BankBoston, N.A. Venezuela Citibank, N.A. Vietnam The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Zambia Barclays Bank of Zambia Plc. Zimbabwe Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited 06/30/05 -37- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories Argentina Caja de Valores S.A. Australia Austraclear Limited Austria Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (Wertpapiersammelbank Division) Bahrain Clearing, Settlement, and Depository System of the Bahrain Stock Exchange Bangladesh Central Depository Bangladesh Limited Belgium Banque Nationale de Belgique Caisse Interprofessionnelle de Depots et de Virements de Titres, S.A. Benin Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Bermuda Bermuda Securities Depository Brazil Central de Custodia e de Liquidagao Financeira de Titulos Privados (CETIP) Companhia Brasileira de Liquidagao e Custodia Sistema Especial de Liquidardo e de Custodia (SELIC) Bulgaria Bulgarian National Bank Central Depository AD Burkina Faso Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Canada The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited Chile Deposito Central de Valores S.A. 06/30/05 -38- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories People's Republic of China China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited Shanghai Branch China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited Shenzhen Branch Colombia Deposito Central de Valores Deposito Centralizado de Valores de Colombia S.A. (DECEVAL) Costa Rica Central de Valores S.A. Croatia Sredisnja Depozitarna Agencija d.d. Cyprus Central Depository and Central Registry Czech Republic Czech National Bank Stredisko cennych papiru - Ceska republika Denmark Vxrdipapircentralen (Danish Securities Center) Egypt Misr for Clearing, Settlement, and Depository S.A.E. Estonia AS Eesti Vaartpaberikeskus Finland Suomen Arvopaperikeskus France Euroclear France Germany Clearstream Banking AG, Frankfurt Greece Apothetirion Titlon AE - Central Securities Depository Bank of Greece, System for Monitoring Transactions in Securities in Book-Entry Form 06/30/05 -39- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories Guinea-Bissau Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Hong Kong Central Moneymarkets Unit Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited Hungary Kozponti Elszamol6haz es Ertektar (Budapest) Rt. (KELER) Iceland Icelandic Securities Depository Limited India Central Depository Services (India) Limited National Securities Depository Limited Reserve Bank of India Indonesia Bank Indonesia PT Kustodian Sentral Efek Indonesia Israel Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Clearing House Ltd. (TASE Clearinghouse) Italy Monte Titoli S.p.A. Ivory Coast Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Jamaica Jamaica Central Securities Depository Japan Bank of Japan - Net System Japan Securities Depository Center (JASDEC) Incorporated Jordan Securities Depository Center Kazakhstan Central Securities Depository 06/30/05 -40- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories Kenya Central Depository and Settlement Corporation Limited Central Bank of Kenya Republic of Korea Korea Securities Depository Latvia Latvian Central Depository Lebanon Banque du Liban Custodian and Clearing Center of Financial Instruments for Lebanon and the Middle East (Midclear) S.A.L. Lithuania Central Securities Depository of Lithuania Malaysia Bank Negara Malaysia Bursa Malaysia Depository Sdn. Bhd. Mali Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Malta Central Securities Depository of the Malta Stock Exchange Mauritius Bank of Mauritius Central Depository and Settlement Co. Ltd. Mexico S.D. Indeval, S.A. de C.V. Morocco Maroclear Namibia Bank of Namibia Netherlands Euroclear Nederland New Zealand New Zealand Central Securities Depository Limited Niger Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement 06/30/05 -41- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories Nigeria Central Securities Clearing System Limited Norway Verdipapirsentralen (Norwegian Central Securities Depository) Oman Muscat Depository & Securities Registration Company, SAOC Pakistan Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited State Bank of Pakistan Palestine Clearing, Depository and Settlement, a department of the Palestine Stock Exchange Panama Central Latinoamericana de Valores, S.A. (LatinClear) Peru Caja de Valores y Liquidaciones, Instituci6n de Compensaci6n y Liquidaci6n de Valores S.A Philippines Philippine Central Depository, Inc. Registry of Scripless Securities (ROSS) of the Bureau of Treasury Poland Rejestr Papier6w Wartosciowych Krajowy Depozyt Papier6w Wartosciowych S.A. Portugal INTERBOLSA - Sociedade Gestora de Sistemas de Liquidagao e de Sistemas Centralizados de Valores Mobiliarios, S.A. Qatar Central Clearing and Registration (CCR), a department of the Doha Securities Market Romania Bucharest Stock Exchange Registry Division National Bank of Romania National Securities Clearing, Settlement and Depository Company Russia Vneshtorgbank, Bank for Foreign Trade of the Russian Federation 06/30/05 -42- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories Senegal Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Serbia Central Registrar and Central Depository for Securities Singapore The Central Depository (Pte) Limited Monetary Authority of Singapore Slovak Republic Naodna banka slovenska Centralny depozitar cennych papierov SR, a.s. Slovenia KDD - Centralna klirinsko depotna druzba d.d. South Africa Share Transactions Totally Electronic (STRATE) Ltd. Spain IBERCLEAR Sri Lanka Central Depository System (Pvt) Limited Sweden Vardepapperscentralen VPC AB (Swedish Central Securities Depository) Switzerland SegaIntersettle AG (SIS) Taiwan - R.O.C. Taiwan Securities Central Depository Company Limited Thailand Bank of Thailand Thailand Securities Depository Company Limited Togo Depositaire Central - Banque de Reglement Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank Tunisia Societe Tunisienne Interprofessionelle pour la Compensation et de Depots des Valeurs Mobilieres (STICODEVAM) 06/30/05 -43- |
SCHEDULE A STATE STREET GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS Country Depositories Turkey Central Bank of Turkey Takas ve Saklama Bankasi A.S. (TAKASBANK) Uganda Bank of Uganda Ukraine Mizhregionalny Fondovy Souz National Bank of Ukraine United Arab Emirates Clearing and Depository System, a department of the Dubai Financial Market United Kingdom CrestCo. Uruguay Banco Central del Uruguay Venezuela Banco Central de Venezuela Caja Venezolana de Valores Vietnam Securities Registration, Clearing and Settlement, Depository Department of the Securities Trading Center Zambia Bank of Zambia LuSE Central Shares Depository Limited TRANSNATIONAL Euroclear Clearstream Banking, S.A. |
06/30/05
SCHEDULE C
MARKET INFORMATION
Publication/Type of Information Brief Description ------------------------------- ----------------- (scheduled frequency) The Guide to Custody in World An overview of settlement and safekeeping Markets (hardcopy annually and procedures, custody practices and foreign regular website updates) investor considerations for the markets in which State Street offers custodial services. Global Custody Network Review Information relating to Foreign (annually) Sub-Custodians in State Street's Global Custody Network. The Review stands as an integral part of the materials that State Street provides to its U.S. mutual fund clients to assist them in complying with SEC Rule 17f-5. The Review also gives insight into State Street's market expansion and Foreign Sub-Custodian selection processes, as well as the procedures and controls used to monitor the financial condition and performance of our Foreign SubCustodian banks. Securities Depository Review Custody risk analyses of the Foreign (annually) Securities Depositories presently operating in Network markets. This publication is an integral part of the materials that State Street provides to its U.S. mutual fund clients to meet informational obligations created by SEC Rule 17f-7. Global Legal Survey (annually) With respect to each market in which State Street offers custodial services, opinions relating to whether local law restricts (i) access of a fund's independent public accountants to books and records of a Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System, (ii) a fund's ability to recover in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of a Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System, (iii) a fund's ability to recover in the event of a loss by a Foreign Sub-Custodian or Foreign Securities System, and (iv) the ability of a foreign investor to convert cash and cash equivalents to U.S. dollars. |
Subcustodian Agreements (annually) Copies of the contracts that State Street has entered into with each Foreign Sub-Custodian that maintains U.S. mutual fund assets in the markets in which State Street offers custodial services.
Global Market Bulletin Information on changing settlement and (daily or as necessary) custody conditions in markets where State Street offers custodial services. Includes changes in market and tax regulations, depository developments, dematerialization information, as well as other market changes that may impact State Street's clients. Foreign Custody Advisories For those markets where State Street offers (as necessary) custodial services that exhibit special risks or infrastructures impacting custody, State Street issues market advisories to highlight those unique market factors which might impact our ability to offer recognized custody service levels. Material Change Notices (presently Informational letters and accompanying on a quarterly basis or as materials confirming State Street's foreign otherwise necessary) custody arrangements, including a summary of material changes with Foreign Sub-Custodians that have occurred during the previous quarter. The notices also identify any material changes in the custodial risks associated with maintaining assets with Foreign Securities Depositories. |
SCHEDULE D
TO
MASTER CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
SPECIAL SUB-CUSTODIANS
None
FUNDS TRANSFER ADDENDUM
OPERATING GUIDELINES
1. OBLIGATION OF THE SENDER: State Street is authorized to promptly debit Client's account(s) upon the receipt of a payment order in compliance with the selected Security Procedure chosen for funds transfer and in the amount of money that State Street has been instructed to transfer. State Street shall execute payment orders in compliance with the Security Procedure and with the Client's instructions on the execution date provided that such payment order is received by the customary deadline for processing such a request, unless the payment order specifies a later time. All payment orders and communications received after this time will be deemed to have been received on the next business day.
2. SECURITY PROCEDURE: The Client acknowledges that the Security Procedure it has designated on the Selection Form was selected by the Client from Security Procedures offered by State Street. The Client agrees that the Security Procedures are reasonable and adequate for its wire transfer transactions and agrees to be bound by any payment orders, amendments and cancellations, whether or not authorized, issued in its name and accepted by State Street after being confirmed by any of the selected Security Procedures. The Client also agrees to be bound by any other valid and authorized payment order accepted by State Street. The Client shall restrict access to confidential information relating to the Security Procedure to authorized persons as communicated in writing to State Street. The Client must notify State Street immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such information or of any change in the Client's authorized personnel. State Street shall verify the authenticity of all instructions according to the Security Procedure.
3. ACCOUNT NUMBERS: State Street shall process all payment orders on the basis of the account number contained in the payment order. In the event of a discrepancy between any name indicated on the payment order and the account number, the account number shall take precedence and govern. Financial institutions that receive payment orders initiated by State Street at the instruction of the Client may also process payment orders on the basis of account numbers, regardless of any name included in the payment order. State Street will also rely on any financial institution identification numbers included in any payment order, regardless of any financial institution name included in the payment order.
4. REJECTION: State Street reserves the right to decline to process or delay the processing of a payment order which (a) is in excess of the collected balance in the account to be charged at the time of State Street's receipt of such payment order; (b) if initiating such payment order would cause State Street, in State Street's sole judgment, to exceed any volume, aggregate dollar, network, time, credit or similar limits upon wire transfers which are applicable to State Street; or (c) if State Street, in good faith, is unable to satisfy itself that the transaction has been properly authorized.
FUNDS TRANSFER ADDENDUM
5. CANCELLATION OR AMENDMENT: State Street shall use reasonable efforts to act on all authorized requests to cancel or amend payment orders received in compliance with the Security Procedure provided that such requests are received in a timely manner affording State Street reasonable opportunity to act. However, State Street assumes no liability if the request for amendment or cancellation cannot be satisfied.
6. ERRORS: State Street shall assume no responsibility for failure to detect any erroneous payment order provided that State Street complies with the payment order instructions as received and State Street complies with the Security Procedure. The Security Procedure is established for the purpose of authenticating payment orders only and not for the detection of errors in payment orders.
7. INTEREST AND LIABILITY LIMITS: State Street shall assume no responsibility for lost interest with respect to the refundable amount of any unauthorized payment order, unless State Street is notified of the unauthorized payment order within thirty (30) days of notification by State Street of the acceptance of such payment order. In no event shall State Street be liable for special, indirect or consequential damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages and even for failure to execute a payment order.
8. AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE ("ACH") CREDIT ENTRIES/PROVISIONAL PAYMENTS: When a Client initiates or receives ACH credit and debit entries pursuant to these Guidelines and the rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association and the New England Clearing House Association, State Street will act as an Originating Depository Financial Institution and/or Receiving Depository Institution, as the case may be, with respect to such entries. Credits given by State Street with respect to an ACH credit entry are provisional until State Street receives final settlement for such entry from the Federal Reserve Bank. If State Street does not receive such final settlement, the Client agrees that State Street shall receive a refund of the amount credited to the Client in connection with such entry, and the party making payment to the Client via such entry shall not be deemed to have paid the amount of the entry.
9. CONFIRMATION STATEMENTS: Confirmation of State Street's execution of payment orders shall ordinarily be provided within 24 hours. Notice may be delivered through State Street's proprietary information systems, such as, but not limited to Horizon and GlobalQuestp, account statements, advices, or by facsimile or callback. The Client must report any objections to the execution of a payment order within 30 days.
10. LIABILITY ON FOREIGN ACCOUNTS: State Street shall not be required to repay any deposit made at a non-U.S. branch of State Street, or any deposit made with State Street and denominated in a non-U.S. dollar currency, if repayment of such deposit or the use of assets denominated in the non-U.S. dollar currency is prevented, prohibited or otherwise blocked due to: (a) an act of war, insurrection or civil strife; (b) any action by a non-U.S. government or instrumentality or authority asserting governmental, military or police power of any kind, whether such authority be recognized as a defacto or a dejure government, or by any entity,
political or revolutionary movement or otherwise that usurps, supervenes or
otherwise materially impairs the normal operation of civil authority; or
(c) the closure of a non-U.S. branch of State Street in order to prevent, in
the reasonable judgment of State Street, harm to the employees or property of
State Street. The obligation to repay any such deposit shall not be transferred
to and may not be enforced against any other branch of State Street.
The foregoing provisions constitute the disclosure required by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 167D, Section 36.
While State Street is not obligated to repay any deposit made at a non-U.S. branch or any deposit denominated in a non-U.S. currency during the period in which its repayment has been prevented, prohibited or otherwise blocked, State Street will repay such deposit when and if all circumstances preventing, prohibiting or otherwise blocking repayment cease to exist.
11. MISCELLANEOUS: State Street and the Client agree to cooperate to attempt to recover any funds erroneously paid to the wrong party or parties, regardless of any fault of State Street or the Client, but the party responsible for the erroneous payment shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in trying to effect such recovery. These Guidelines may not be amended except by a written agreement signed by the parties.
FUNDS TRANSFER ADDENDUM
Security-Procedure(s) Selection Form
Please select one or more of the funds transfer security procedures indicated below.
[ ]SWIFT
SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is a cooperative society owned and operated by member financial institutions that provides telecommunication services for its membership. Participation is limited to securities brokers and dealers, clearing and depository institutions, recognized exchanges for securities, and investment management institutions. SWIFT provides a number of security features through encryption and authentication to protect against unauthorized access, loss or wrong delivery of messages, transmission errors, loss of confidentiality and fraudulent changes to messages. SWIFT is considered to be one of the most secure and efficient networks for the delivery of funds transfer instructions.
Selection of this security procedure would be most appropriate for existing SWIFT members.
[ ]Standing Instructions
Standing Instructions may be used where funds are transferred to a broker on the Client's established list of brokers with which it engages in foreign exchange transactions. Only the date, the currency and the currency amount are variable. In order to establish this procedure, State Street will send to the Client a list of the brokers that State Street has determined are used by the Client. The Client will confirm the list in writing, and State Street will verify the written confirmation by telephone. Standing Instructions will be subject to a mutually agreed upon limit. If the payment order exceeds the established limit, the Standing Instruction will be confirmed by telephone prior to execution.
[ ]Remote Batch Transmission
Wire transfer instructions are delivered via Computer-to-Computer (CPU-CPU) data communications between the Client and State Street. Security procedures include encryption and or the use of a test key by those individuals authorized as Automated Batch Verifiers.
Clients selecting this option should have an existing facility for completing CPU-CPU transmissions. This delivery mechanism is typically used for high-volume business.
[ ]Global Horizon Interchange(sm) Funds Transfer Service
Global Horizon Interchange Funds Transfer Service (FTS) is a State Street proprietary microcomputer-based wire initiation system. FTS enables Clients to electronically transmit authenticated Fedwire, CHIPS or internal book transfer instructions to State Street.
This delivery mechanism is most appropriate for Clients with a low-to-medium number of transactions (5-75 per day), allowing Clients to enter, batch, and review wire transfer instructions on their PC prior to release to State Street.
[ ]Telephone Confirmation (Callback)
Telephone confirmation will be used to verify all non-repetitive funds transfer instructions received via untested facsimile or phone. This procedure requires Clients to designate individuals as authorized initiators and authorized verifiers. State Street will verify that the instruction contains the signature of an authorized person and prior to execution, will contact someone other than the originator at the Client's location to authenticate the instruction.
Selection of this alternative is appropriate for Clients who do not have the capability to use other security procedures.
[ ]Repetitive Wires
For situations where funds are transferred periodically (minimum of one instruction per calendar quarter) from an existing authorized account to the same payee (destination bank and account number) and only the date and currency amount are variable, a repetitive wire may be implemented. Repetitive wires will be subject to a mutually agreed upon limit. If the payment order exceeds the established limit, the instruction will be confirmed by telephone prior to execution. Telephone confirmation is used to establish this process. Repetitive wire instructions must be reconfirmed annually.
This alternative is recommended whenever funds are frequently transferred between the same two accounts.
[ ]Transfers Initiated by Facsimile
The Client faxes wire transfer instructions directly to State Street Mutual Fund Services. Standard security procedure requires the use of a random number test key for all transfers. Every six months the Client receives test key logs from State Street. The test key contains alpha-numeric characters, which the Client puts on each document faxed to State Street. This procedure ensures all wire instructions received via fax are authorized by the Client.
We provide this option for Clients who wish to batch wire instructions and transmit these as a group to State Street Mutual Fund Services once or several times a day.
[ ]"Automated Clearing House (ACH)
State Street receives an automated transmission or a magnetic tape from a Client for the initiation of payment (credit) or collection (debit) transactions through the ACH network. The transactions contained on each transmission or tape must be authenticated by the Client. Clients using ACH must select one or more of the following delivery options:
[ ]Global Horizon Interchange Automated Clearing House Service
Transactions are created on a microcomputer, assembled into batches and delivered to State Street via fully authenticated electronic transmissions in standard NACHA formats.
[ ]Transmission from Client PC to State Street Mainframe with Telephone Callback
FUNDS TRANSFER ADDENDUM
[ ]Transmission from Client Mainframe to State Street Mainframe with Telephone Callback
[ ]Transmission from DST Systems to State Street Mainframe with Encryption
Magnetic Tape Delivered to State Street with Telephone Callback
State Street is hereby instructed to accept funds transfer instructions only via the delivery methods and security procedures indicated. The selected delivery methods and security procedure(s) will be effective for payment orders initiated by our organization.
Key Contact Information
Whom shall we contact to implement your selection(s)?
CLIENT OPERATIONS CONTACT ALTERNATE CONTACT ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Name Name ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Address Address ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- City/State/Zip Code City/State/Zip Code ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Telephone Number Telephone Number ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Facsimile Number Facsimile Number --------------------- ---------------------------------- SWIFT Number --------------------- Telex Number |
FUNDS TRANSFER ADDENDUM
INSTRUCTION(S)
TELEPHONE CONFIRMATION
Fund
Investment Adviser
Authorized Initiators
Please Type or Print
Please provide a listing of Fund officers or other individuals who are currently authorized to INITIATE wire transfer instructions to State Street:
NAME TITLE (Specify whether position is SPECIMEN SIGNATURE with Fund or Investment (Adviser)
Authorized Verifiers
Please Type or Print
Please provide a listing of Fund officers or other individuals who will be CALLED BACK to verify the initiation of repetitive wires of $10 million or more and all non-repetitive wire instructions:
NAME CALLBACK PHONE NUMBER DOLLAR LIMITATION (if any)
REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM TO MASTER CUSTODIAN CONTRACT
ADDENDUM to that certain Master Custodian Contract dated as of September 1, 2005 (the "Custodian Agreement") between each of the entities set forth on Appendix A thereto (collectively, the "Customer") and State Street Bank and Trust Company, including its subsidiaries and affiliates ("State Street").
State Street has developed and utilizes proprietary accounting and other systems in conjunction with the custodian services which State Street provides to the Customer. In this regard, State Street maintains certain information in databases under its control and ownership which it makes available to its customers (the "Remote Access Services").
The Services
State Street agrees to provide the Customer, and its designated investment advisors, consultants or other third parties authorized by State Street ("Authorized Designees") with access to In-Sightsm as described in Exhibit A or such other systems as may be offered from time to time (the "System") on a remote basis.
Security Procedures
The Customer agrees to comply, and to cause its Authorized Designees to comply, with remote access operating standards and procedures and with user identification or other password control requirements and other security procedures as may be issued from time to time by State Street for use of the System and access to the Remote Access Services. The Customer agrees to advise State Street immediately in the event that it learns or has reason to believe that any person to whom it has given access to the System or the Remote Access Services has violated or intends to violate the terms of this Addendum and the Customer will cooperate with State Street in seeking injunctive or other equitable relief. The Customer agrees to discontinue use of the System and Remote Access Services, if requested, for any security reasons cited by State Street.
Fees
Fees and charges for the use of the System and the Remote Access Services and related payment terms shall be as set forth in the Custody Fee Schedule in effect from time to time between the parties (the "Fee Schedule"). The Customer shall be responsible for any tariffs, duties or taxes imposed or levied by any government or governmental agency by reason of the transactions contemplated by this Addendum, including, without limitation, federal, state and local taxes, use, value added and personal property taxes (other than income, franchise or similar taxes which may be imposed or assessed against State Street). Any claimed exemption from such tariffs, duties or taxes shall be supported by proper documentary evidence delivered to State Street.
Proprietary Information/Injunctive Relief
The System and Remote Access Services described herein and the databases, computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, formulae, processes, systems, software, knowhow, algorithms, programs, training aids, printed materials, methods, books, records, files, documentation and other information made available to the Customer by State Street as part of the Remote Access Services and through the use of the System and all copyrights, patents, trade secrets and other proprietary rights of State Street related thereto are the exclusive, valuable and confidential property of State Street and its relevant licensors (the "Proprietary Information"). The Customer agrees on behalf of itself and its Authorized Designees to keep the Proprietary Information confidential and to limit access to its employees and Authorized Designees (under a similar duty of confidentiality) who require access to the System for the purposes intended. The foregoing shall not apply to Proprietary Information in the public domain or required by law to be made public.
The Customer agrees to use the Remote Access Services only in connection with the proper purposes of this Addendum. The Customer will not, and will cause its employees and Authorized Designees not to, (i) permit any third party to use the System or the Remote Access Services, (ii) sell, rent, license or otherwise use the System or the Remote Access Services in the operation of a service bureau or for any purpose other than as expressly authorized under this Addendum, (iii) use the System or the Remote Access Services for any fund, trust or other investment vehicle without the prior written consent of State Street, or (iv) allow or cause any information transmitted from State Street's databases, including data from third party sources, available through use of the System or the Remote Access Services, to be published, redistributed or retransmitted for other than use for or on behalf of the Customer, as State Street's customer.
The Customer agrees that neither it nor its Authorized Designees will modify the System in any way; enhance or otherwise create derivative works based upon the System; nor will the Customer or Customer's Authorized Designees reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise attempt to secure the source code for all or any part of the System.
The Customer acknowledges that the disclosure of any Proprietary Information, or of any information which at law or equity ought to remain confidential, will immediately give rise to continuing irreparable injury to State Street inadequately compensable in damages at law and that State Street shall be entitled to obtain immediate injunctive relief against the breach or threatened breach of any of the foregoing undertakings, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available.
Limited Warranties
State Street represents and warrants that it is the owner of and has the right to grant access to the System and to provide the Remote Access Services contemplated herein. Because of the nature of computer information technology, including but not limited to the use of the Internet, and the necessity of relying upon third party sources, and data and pricing information obtained from third parties, the System and Remote Access Services are provided "AS IS", and the Customer and its Authorized Designees shall be solely responsible for the investment decisions, results
obtained, regulatory reports and statements produced using the Remote Access Services. State Street and its relevant licensors will not be liable to the Customer or its Authorized Designees for any direct or indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the System or the Remote Access Services, nor shall either party be responsible for delays or nonperformance under this Addendum arising out of any cause or event beyond such party's control.
State Street will take reasonable steps to ensure that its products (and those of its third-party suppliers) reflect the available state of the art technology to offer products that are Year 2000 compliant, including, but not limited to, century recognition of dates, calculations that correctly compute same century and multi century formulas and date values, and interface values that reflect the date issues arising between now and the next one-hundred years, and if any changes are required, State Street will make the changes to its products at no cost to you and in a commercially reasonable time frame and will require third-party suppliers to do likewise. The Customer will do likewise for its systems.
EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS ADDENDUM, STATE STREET, FOR ITSELF AND ITS RELEVANT LICENSORS, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES CONCERNING THE SYSTEM AND THE SERVICES TO BE RENDERED HEREUNDER, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Infringement
State Street will defend or, at our option, settle any claim or action brought
against the Customer to the extent that it is based upon an assertion that
access to the System or use of the Remote Access Services by the Customer under
this Addendum constitutes direct infringement of any patent or copyright or
misappropriation of a trade secret, provided that the Customer notifies State
Street promptly in writing of any such claim or proceeding and cooperates with
State Street in the defense of such claim or proceeding. Should the System or
the Remote Access Services or any part thereof become, or in State Street's
opinion be likely to become, the subject of a claim of infringement or the like
under any applicable patent or copyright or trade secret laws, State Street
shall have the right, at State Street's sole option, to (i) procure for the
Customer the right to continue using the System or the Remote Access Services,
(ii) replace or modify the System or the Remote Access Services so that the
System or the Remote Access Services becomes noninfringing, or (iii) terminate
this Addendum without further obligation.
Termination
Either party to the Custodian Agreement may terminate this Addendum (i) for any reason by giving the other party at least one-hundred and eighty (180) days' prior written notice in the case of notice of termination by State Street to the Customer or thirty (30) days' notice in the case of notice from the Customer to State Street of termination, or (ii) immediately for failure of the other party to comply with any material term and condition of the Addendum by giving the other party written notice of termination. This Addendum shall in any event terminate within ninety (90) days after the termination of the Custodian Agreement. In the event of termination, the
Customer will return to State Street all copies of documentation and other confidential information in its possession or in the possession of its Authorized Designees. The foregoing provisions with respect to confidentiality and infringement will survive termination for a period of three (3) years.
Miscellaneous
This Addendum and the exhibits hereto constitute the entire understanding of the parties to the Custodian Agreement with respect to access to the System and the Remote Access Services. This Addendum cannot be modified or altered except in a writing duly executed by each of State Street and the Customer and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
By its execution of the Custodian Agreement, the Customer accepts responsibility for its and its Authorized Designees' compliance with the terms of this Addendum.
EXHIBIT A
to
REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM TO CUSTODIAN CONTRACT
IN~SIGHT(SM)
System Product Description
In-Sight(sm) provides bilateral information delivery, interoperability, and on-line access to State Street. In-Sight(sm) allows users a single point of entry into State Street's diverse systems and applications. Reports and data from systems such as Investment Policy Monitor(sm), Multicurrency Horizons"', Securities Lending, Performance & Analytics, and Electronic Trade Delivery can be accessed through In-Sight(sm). This Internet-enabled application is designed to run from a Web browser and perform across low-speed data lines or corporate high-speed backbones. In-Sight(sm) also offers users a flexible toolset, including an ad-hoc query function, a custom graphics package, a report designer, and a scheduling capability. Data and reports offered through In-Sight(sm) will continue to increase in direct proportion with the customer roll out, as it is viewed as the information delivery system will grow with State Street's customers.
Execution Copy
Exhibit (h)(1)(i)
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
EACH OF THE ENTITIES LISTED ON APPENDIX A
AND
BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page ---- 1. Terms of Appointment and Duties 1 2. Third Party Administrators for Defined Contribution Plans 7 3. Fees and Expenses 8 4. Representations and Warranties of the Transfer Agent 8 5. Representations and Warranties of the Fund 9 6. Wire Transfer Operating Guidelines 9 7. Data Access and Proprietary Information 11 8. Indemnification 13 9. Standard of Care/Limitation on Liability 14 10. Confidentiality 14 11. Covenants of the Fund and the Transfer Agent 15 12. Termination of Agreement 16 13. Assignment and Third Party Beneficiaries 17 14. Subcontractors 18 15. Miscellaneous 18 16. Additional Funds/Portfolios 20 17. Limitations of Liability of the Trustees and Shareholders 21 Appendix A Funds and Portfolios Schedule 1.2(f) AML Delegation Schedule 1.3 Service Level Agreement Schedule 1.6 Simple IRA Services Schedule 2.1 Third Party Administrator(s) Procedures Schedule 3.1 Fees and Expenses Schedule 9 Transfer Agent's Liability |
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT made as of the 1st day of October, 2005, by and between each of the entities listed on Appendix A hereto and each being an entity of a type as set forth on Appendix A and organized under the laws of the state as set forth on Appendix A, each with place of business at 399 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 and each of which is acting on its own behalf and on behalf of each of the portfolios listed under its name on Appendix A, but not jointly with any other entities listed on Appendix A (each such entity, together with its Portfolios (as defined below), shall be severally referred to as the "Fund") and BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC., a Massachusetts corporation having its principal office and place of business at Two Heritage Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts 02171 (the "Transfer Agent").
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, each Fund currently set forth on Appendix A is a trust registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; and
WHEREAS, each Fund currently set forth on Appendix A is authorized to issue shares in separate series, with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets (each such series, together with all other series subsequently established by the Fund and made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 16 being herein referred to severally as the Fund's "Portfolios"); and
WHEREAS, it is contemplated that additional Funds and their Portfolios may become parties to this Agreement by mutual consent of the parties hereto and by execution of a counterpart signature page to this Agreement subject to the provisions of Section 16 hereto; and
WHEREAS, the Fund (as used herein "the Fund" shall refer severally to each entity listed on Appendix A together with its Portfolios) on behalf of the Portfolios desires to appoint the Transfer Agent as its transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and agent in connection with certain other activities, and the Transfer Agent desires to accept such appointment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Terms of Appointment and Duties
1.1 Transfer Agency Services. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios, hereby employs and appoints the Transfer Agent to act as, and the Transfer Agent agrees to act as, its transfer agent for the Fund's authorized and issued shares of its beneficial interest ("Shares"), dividend disbursing agent and agent in connection with any accumulation, open-account or similar plan provided to the shareholders of each of the respective Portfolios of the Fund ("Shareholders") and set out in the currently effective prospectus(es) and statement(s) of additional information ("prospectus") of the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, including without limitation any periodic investment plan or periodic withdrawal program. In accordance with the prospectus and the procedures established from time to time by agreement between the Fund on behalf of each of the Portfolios, as applicable and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent agrees that it will perform the following services:
Appendix A - 2
(a) Receive for acceptance, orders for the purchase of Shares, and promptly deliver payment and appropriate documentation thereof to the Custodian of the Fund authorized pursuant to the Trust Instrument of the Fund (the "Custodian");
(b) Pursuant to purchase orders, issue the appropriate number of Shares and hold such Shares in the appropriate Shareholder account;
(c) Receive for acceptance redemption requests and redemption directions and deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to the Custodian;
(d) In respect to the transactions in items (a), (b) and (c) above, the Transfer Agent shall execute transactions directly with broker-dealers authorized by the Fund;
(e) At the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, pay over or cause to be paid over in the appropriate manner such monies as instructed by the redeeming Shareholders;
(f) Effect transfers of Shares by the registered owners thereof upon receipt of appropriate instructions;
(g) Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and distributions declared by the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolio;
(h) Issue replacement certificates for those certificates alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon receipt by the Transfer Agent of indemnification satisfactory to the Transfer Agent and protecting the Transfer Agent and the Fund, and the Transfer Agent at its option, may issue replacement certificates in place of mutilated stock certificates upon presentation thereof and without such indemnity;
(i) Issue replacement checks and place stop orders on original checks based on Shareholder's representation that a check was not received or was lost. Such stop orders and replacements will be deemed to have been made at the request of the Fund, and the Fund shall be responsible for all losses or claims resulting from such replacement;
(j) Maintain records of account for and advise the Fund and its Shareholders as to the foregoing;
(k) Record the issuance of Shares of the Fund and maintain pursuant to Rule 17Ad-10(e) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, a record of the total number of Shares of the Fund which are authorized, based upon data provided to it by the Fund, and issued and outstanding. The Transfer Agent shall also provide the Fund on a regular basis with the total number of Shares which are authorized and issued and outstanding and shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Fund;
(l) Maintain such bank accounts (demand deposit accounts or "DDAs") as the Transfer Agent shall deem necessary to the performance of its duties hereunder, including, but not
Appendix A - 3
limited to, the processing of Share purchases and redemptions and the payment of Portfolio dividends;
(m) Report abandoned property to state authorities as authorized by the Fund in accordance with the policies and procedures agreed upon by the Fund and the Transfer Agent;
(n) Provide Shareholder proxy coordination;
(o) Provide Shareholder account information through various means, including but not limited to, telephone calls, correspondence and research;
(p) Monitor transactions in the Fund for market timing activity in
accordance with the specifications and procedures agreed upon by the
parties in writing, which may be amended from time to time. The
services provided under this Section 1.1(p) will be ministerial only
and such monitoring will not subject the Transfer Agent to any
liability for failure to detect market timing activity; provided,
however that the Transfer Agent shall be liable for its willful
misconduct in connection with performing the services in this
Section 1.1(p); and
(q) Account for and administer the redemption fees on the redemption and exchange of Shares.
1.2 Additional Services. In addition to, and neither in lieu nor in contravention of, the services set forth in the above paragraph, the Transfer Agent shall perform the following services:
(a) Other Customary Services. Perform the customary services of a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and, as relevant, agent in connection with accumulation, open-account or similar plan (including without limitation any periodic investment plan, DRIP or periodic withdrawal program), including but not limited to: maintaining all Shareholder accounts, preparing Shareholder meeting lists, mailing Shareholder proxies, Shareholder reports and prospectuses to current Shareholders, withholding taxes on U.S. resident and non-resident alien accounts, preparing and filing U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other appropriate forms required with respect to dividends and distributions by federal authorities for all Shareholders, preparing and mailing confirmation forms and statements of account to Shareholders for all purchases and redemptions of Shares and other confirmable transactions in Shareholder accounts, preparing and mailing activity statements for Shareholders, providing Shareholder account information and coordinating with and overseeing the print/mail vendor in accordance with the provisions of Section 14.1 below;
(b) Control Book (also known as "Super Sheet"). Maintain a daily record and produce a daily report for the Fund of all transactions and receipts and disbursements of money and securities and deliver a copy of such report for the Fund for each business day to the Fund no later than 9:00 AM Eastern Time, or such earlier time as the Fund may reasonably require, on the next business day;
Appendix A - 4
(c) "Blue Sky" Reporting. The Fund shall (i) identify to the Transfer Agent in writing those transactions and assets to be treated as exempt from blue sky reporting for each State and (ii) verify the establishment of transactions for each State on the system prior to activation and thereafter monitor the daily activity for each State. The responsibility of the Transfer Agent for the Fund's blue sky State registration status is solely limited to the initial establishment of transactions subject to blue sky compliance by the Fund and providing a system which will enable the Fund to monitor the total number of Shares sold in each State;
(d) National Securities Clearing Corporation (the "NSCC"). (i) accept
and effectuate the registration and maintenance of accounts through
Networking and the purchase, redemption, transfer and exchange of
shares in such accounts through Fund/SERV (Networking and Fund/SERV
being programs operated by the NSCC on behalf of NSCC's participants,
including the Fund), in accordance with, instructions transmitted to
and received by the Transfer Agent by transmission from NSCC on behalf
of broker-dealers and banks which have been established by, or in
accordance with the instructions of authorized persons, as hereinafter
defined on the dealer file maintained by the Transfer Agent;
(ii) issue instructions to Fund's banks for the settlement of
transactions between the Fund and NSCC (acting on behalf of its
broker-dealer and bank participants); (iii) provide account and
transaction information from the affected Fund's records on DST
Systems, Inc. computer system TA2000 ("TA2000 System") in accordance
with NSCC's Networking and Fund/SERV rules for those broker-dealers;
(iv) comply with NSCC rules and procedures applicable to the Transfer
Agent's use of Networking; (v) implement and maintain procedures
reasonably designed to ensure the accuracy of all transmissions
through Networking and to limit the access to, and the imputing of
data into, Networking to persons specifically authorized by the
Transfer Agent; and (vi) otherwise perform any and all duties,
functions, procedures and responsibilities pursuant to each NSCC
matrix level and as otherwise established by NSCC from time to time.
(e) New Procedures. New procedures as to who shall provide certain of these services in Section 1 may be established in writing from time to time by agreement between the Fund and the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent may at times perform only a portion of these services and the Fund or its agent may perform these services on the Fund's behalf;
(f) Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") Delegation. The Fund has elected to delegate to the Transfer Agent certain AML duties and customer identification procedure ("CIP") duties under this Agreement and the parties have agreed to such duties and terms as stated in the attached schedule (Schedule 1.2(f) entitled "AML Delegation"), which may be changed from time to time subject to mutual written agreement between the parties.
(g) Laws and Regulation. The Transfer Agent will take reasonable steps to stay informed of new securities and tax laws and regulations which apply to the Transfer Agent's products and services hereunder and will take reasonable steps to update its products and/or services to comply with new securities and tax laws and regulations applicable to its transfer agency business in the time and manner as required by such laws and regulations. On a quarterly basis, upon request of the Fund, the Transfer Agent shall provide the Fund with a Rule 38a-1 certification substantially in the format previously provided to the Fund in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to amend and update the form of its Rule 38a-1 certification from
Appendix A - 5
time to time to comply with new or amended requirements of applicable law or to enhance its Compliance+ program.
1.3 Service Level Agreement. The Transfer Agent shall maintain a quality control process designed to provide a consistent level of quality and timeliness for its call center, correspondence services and transaction processing and level of systems availability. The Transfer Agent's performance of the services under this Agreement will be measured against service levels and standards ("SLAs"), which will be established in good faith by mutual written agreement of the parties and shall be made a part of this Agreement as Schedule 1.3.
1.4 Facsimile Communications.
(a) The Fund hereby authorizes and instructs the Transfer Agent, as transfer agent for the Portfolios listed on Appendix A: (i) to accept facsimile transaction requests on behalf of individual Shareholders received from broker/dealers of record, third-party administrators ("TPAs") or the Fund; (ii) that the broker/dealers, TPAs and the Fund are duly authorized to initiate such transactions on behalf of the Shareholders; and (iii) that the original source documentation is in good order and the broker/dealers, TPAs or the Fund will retain such documentation.
(b) The Transfer Agent acknowledges that requests for a change in wiring instructions or for redemptions, the proceeds of which are to be paid to third parties or wired to an account other than the account of record, may not be accepted by facsimile transmission in accordance with the Fund's current prospectus. The Transfer Agent will not accept facsimile requests for the foregoing unless and until such time as the Fund's prospectus permits the acceptance of such instructions by facsimile.
1.5 E-Mail Communications.
(a) The Fund hereby instructs the Transfer Agent, as transfer agent for the Portfolios listed on Appendix A, to accept instructions using e-mail ("E-mail Communications"), as further set out below. The Fund instructs the Transfer Agent to accept such E-mail Communications to and from the Fund. The Fund acknowledges that the Transfer Agent will not act on E-mail Communications to it coming directly from Shareholders.
(b) The Fund acknowledges that the Transfer Agent is not extending any warranties or making any representations with respect to the services of any internet services provider. Any delays or errors attributable to the non-functioning of the internet is at the risk of the Fund. The Fund has been advised by the Transfer Agent that E-mail Communications to or from the Transfer Agent may not be encrypted.
(c) The Fund, when submitting instructions via e-mail, will be responsible for determining that any original source documentation supporting such instructions is in good order and for retaining such original documentation.
1.6 SIMPLE IRAs.
(a) Background. The Fund, if such Fund executes Schedule 1.6 hereto and only in such event, intends to make available to certain of its customers who are employers
Appendix A - 6
("Employers") SIMPLE IRA plans within the meaning of Section 408(p) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), ("SIMPLE IRAs") pursuant to which Employers may adopt a SIMPLE IRA for the benefit of their individual employees ("Participants"). The Transfer Agent, at the request of the Fund, shall arrange for the provision of ministerial data processing and record-keeping services for such SIMPLE IRAs as specified in Schedule 1.6.
(b) Investment Directions. The parties agree that the Transfer Agent shall have no investment responsibility or liability for the selection of investments made by Employers or Participants with respect to any SIMPLE IRAs. The Transfer Agent will accept investment directions from Participants regarding their SIMPLE IRA. Employers of the SIMPLE IRAs shall deliver directions to Transfer Agent regarding the investment of the SIMPLE IRAs' assets for which no Participant directions are received or where implementing Participant directions is administratively infeasible.
2. Third Party Administrators for Defined Contribution Plans
2.1 The Fund may decide to make available to certain of its customers, a qualified plan program (the "Program") pursuant to which Employers may adopt certain plans of deferred compensation ("Plan or Plans") for the benefit of the individual Plan participant (the "Plan Participant"), such Plan(s) being qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and administered by TPA(s) which may be plan administrators as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
2.2 In accordance with the procedures established in the initial Schedule 2.1 entitled "Third Party Administrator Procedures", as may be amended by the Transfer Agent and the Fund from time to time ("Schedule 2.1"), the Transfer Agent shall:
(a) Treat Shareholder accounts established by the Plans in the name of the trustees, Plans or TPAs as the case may be as omnibus accounts;
(b) Maintain omnibus accounts on its records in the name of the TPA or its designee as the trustee for the benefit of the Plan; and
(c) Perform all services under Section 1 as transfer agent of the Fund and not as a record-keeper for the Plans.
2.3 Transactions identified under Section 2 of this Agreement shall be deemed exception services ("Exception Services") when such transactions:
(a) Require the Transfer Agent to use methods and procedures other than those usually employed by the Transfer Agent to perform services under Section 1 of this Agreement;
(b) Involve the provision of information to the Transfer Agent after the commencement of the nightly processing cycle of the TA2000 System; or
(c) Require more manual intervention by the Transfer Agent, either in the entry of data or in the modification or amendment of reports generated by the TA2000 System, than is
Appendix A - 7
usually required by non-retirement plan and pre-nightly transactions.
3. Fees and Expenses
3.1 Fee Schedule. For the performance by the Transfer Agent pursuant to this Agreement, the Fund agrees to pay the Transfer Agent an annual maintenance fee for each Shareholder account as set forth in the attached fee schedule ("Schedule 3.1"). Such fees and out-of-pocket expenses and advances identified under Section 3.2 below may be changed from time to time subject to mutual written agreement between the Fund and the Transfer Agent.
3.2 Out-of-Pocket Expenses. In addition to the fee paid under Section 3.1 above, the Fund agrees to reimburse the Transfer Agent for out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with the terms of Schedule 3.1 attached hereto.
3.3 Postage. Postage for mailing of dividends, proxies, Fund reports and other mailings to all shareholder accounts shall be advanced to the Transfer Agent by the Fund at least seven (7) days prior to the mailing date of such materials.
3.4 Invoices. The Fund agrees to pay all fees and reimbursable expenses within thirty (30) days following the receipt of the respective billing notice, except for any fees or expenses that are subject to good faith dispute. In the event of such a dispute, the Fund may only withhold that portion of the fee or expense subject to the good faith dispute. The Fund shall notify the Transfer Agent in writing within twenty-one (21) calendar days following the receipt of each billing notice if the Fund is disputing any amounts in good faith. If the Fund does not provide such notice of dispute within the required time, the billing notice will be deemed accepted by the Fund. The Fund shall settle such disputed amounts within five (5) days of the day on which the parties agree on the amount to be paid by payment of the agreed amount. If no agreement is reached, then such disputed amounts shall be settled as may be required by law or legal process.
3.5 Cost of Living Adjustment. Unless otherwise agreed to at the time of renewal, commencing in the initial year of the first Renewal Term (if any), the total fee for all services for that year and for each successive year of that or any subsequent Renewal Term shall equal the fee that would be charged for the same services based on a fee rate (as reflected in a fee rate schedule) increased by the percentage increase for the twelve-month period of such previous calendar year of the CPI-W (defined below), or, in the event that publication of such Index is terminated, any successor or substitute index, appropriately adjusted, acceptable to both parties. As used herein, "CPI-W" shall mean the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT, (Base Period: 1982-84 = 100), as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Transfer Agent
The Transfer Agent represents and warrants to the Fund that:
4.1 It is a corporation duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Appendix A - 8
4.2 It is duly qualified to carry on its business in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
4.3 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of Organization and By-Laws to enter into and perform this Agreement.
4.4 All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement.
4.5 It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
5. Representations and Warranties of the Fund
The Fund represents and warrants to the Transfer Agent that:
5.1 It is a trust duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its organization as set forth on Appendix A.
5.2 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws to enter into and perform this Agreement.
5.3 All corporate proceedings required by said Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement.
5.4 The Fund and each of its Portfolios is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
5.5 A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is currently effective and will remain effective, and appropriate state securities law filings have been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all Shares being offered for sale.
6. Wire Transfer Operating Guidelines/Articles 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code
6.1 Obligation of Sender. The Transfer Agent is authorized to promptly debit the appropriate Fund account(s) upon the receipt of a payment order in compliance with the selected security procedure (the "Security Procedure") chosen for funds transfer and in the amount of money that the Transfer Agent has been instructed to transfer. The Transfer Agent shall execute payment orders in compliance with the Security Procedure and with the Fund instructions on the execution date provided that such payment order is received by the customary deadline for processing such a request, unless the payment order specifies a later time. All payment orders and communications received after the customary deadline will be deemed to have been received the next business day.
6.2 Security Procedure. The Fund acknowledges that the Security Procedure it has designated on the Fund Selection Form was selected by the Fund from security procedures offered by the Transfer Agent. The Fund shall restrict access to confidential information relating to the Security Procedure to authorized persons as communicated to the Transfer Agent in writing. The Fund must notify the Transfer Agent immediately if it
Appendix A - 9
has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such information or of any change in the Fund's authorized personnel. The Transfer Agent shall verify the authenticity of all Fund instructions according to the Security Procedure.
6.3 Account Numbers. The Transfer Agent shall process all payment orders on the basis of the account number contained in the payment order. In the event of a discrepancy between any name indicated on the payment order and the account number, the Transfer Agent shall use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve the discrepancy. For all discrepancies that remain unresolved after the use of commercially reasonable efforts, the account number shall take precedence and govern.
6.4 Rejection. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to decline to process or delay the processing of a payment order which (a) is in excess of the collected balance in the account to be charged at the time of the Transfer Agent's receipt of such payment order; (b) if initiating such payment order would cause the Transfer Agent, in the Transfer Agent's sole judgement, to exceed any volume, aggregate dollar, network, time, credit or similar limits which are applicable to the Transfer Agent; or (c) if the Transfer Agent, in good faith, is unable to satisfy itself that the transaction has been properly authorized.
6.5 Cancellation Amendment. The Transfer Agent shall use reasonable best efforts to act on all authorized requests to cancel or amend payment orders received in compliance with the Security Procedure provided that such requests are received in a timely manner affording the Transfer Agent reasonable opportunity to act. However, the Transfer Agent assumes no liability if the request for amendment or cancellation cannot be satisfied.
6.6 Errors. The Transfer Agent shall assume no responsibility for failure to detect any erroneous payment order provided that the Transfer Agent complies with the payment order instructions as received and the Transfer Agent complies with the Security Procedure. The Security Procedure is established for the purpose of authenticating payment orders only and not for the detection of errors in payment orders.
6.7 Interest. The Transfer Agent shall assume no responsibility for lost interest with respect to the refundable amount of any unauthorized payment order, unless the Transfer Agent is notified of the unauthorized payment order within thirty (30) days of notification by the Transfer Agent of the acceptance of such payment order.
6.8 ACH Credit Entries/Provisional Payments. When the Fund initiates or receives Automated Clearing House credit and debit entries pursuant to these Section 6 guidelines and the rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association and the New England Clearing House Association, State Street Bank and Trust Company will act as an Originating Depository Financial Institution and/or Receiving Depository Financial Institution, as the case may be, with respect to such entries. Credits given by the Transfer Agent with respect to an ACH credit entry are provisional until the Transfer Agent receives final settlement for such entry from the Federal Reserve Bank. If the Transfer Agent does not receive such final settlement, the Fund agrees that the Transfer Agent shall receive a refund of the amount credited to the Fund in connection with such entry, and the party making payment to the Fund via such entry shall not be deemed to have paid the amount of the entry.
Appendix A - 10
6.9 Confirmation. Confirmation of Transfer Agent's execution of payment
orders shall ordinarily be provided within twenty four (24) hours
notice of which may be delivered through the Transfer Agent's
proprietary information systems, or by facsimile or call-back. Fund
must report any objections to the execution of an order within thirty
(30) days.
7. Data Access and Proprietary Information
7.1 The Fund acknowledges that the databases, computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, and documentation manuals furnished to the Fund by the Transfer Agent as part of the Fund's ability to access certain Fund-related data maintained by the Transfer Agent on databases under the control and ownership of the Transfer Agent or other third party ("Data Access Services") constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information (collectively, "Proprietary Information") of substantial value to the Transfer Agent or other third party. In no event shall Proprietary Information be deemed to include Customer Data (as defined in Section 10.1 below) which shall remain proprietary to the Fund. The Fund agrees to treat all Proprietary Information as proprietary to the Transfer Agent and further agrees that it shall not divulge any Proprietary Information to any person or organization except as may be provided hereunder. Without limiting the foregoing, the Fund agrees for itself and its employees and agents to:
(a) Use such programs and databases (i) solely on the Fund's computers or those of the Fund's investment adviser, administrator or distributor, or (ii) solely from equipment at the location agreed to between the Fund and the Transfer Agent and (iii) solely in accordance with the Transfer Agent's applicable user documentation;
(b) Refrain from copying or duplicating in any way (other than in the normal course of performing processing on the Fund's computer(s) or those of the Fund's investment adviser, administrator or distributor), the Proprietary Information;
(c) Refrain from obtaining unauthorized access to any portion of the Proprietary Information, and if such access is inadvertently obtained, to inform in a timely manner of such fact and dispose of such information in accordance with the Transfer Agent's instructions;
(d) Refrain from causing or allowing information transmitted from the Transfer Agent's computer to the Fund's terminal or that of the Fund's investment adviser, administrator or distributor to be retransmitted to any other computer terminal or other device except as expressly permitted by the Transfer Agent (such permission not to be unreasonably withheld); and
(e) Honor all reasonable written requests made by the Transfer Agent to protect at the Transfer Agent's expense the rights of the Transfer Agent in Proprietary Information at common law, under federal copyright law and under other federal or state law.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Transfer Agent acknowledges that the Fund may share the Proprietary Information of the Transfer Agent with the Fund's investment adviser, administrator or distributor or any of their affiliates; provided that such parties are subject
Appendix A - 11
to obligations of confidentiality to the Fund with regard to such Proprietary Information of the Transfer Agent no less stringent than those set forth in this Agreement
7.2 Proprietary Information shall not include all or any portion of any of the foregoing items that: (i) are or become publicly available without breach of this Agreement; (ii) are released for general disclosure by a written release by the Transfer Agent; or (iii) are already in the possession of the receiving party at the time of receipt without obligation of confidentiality or breach of this Agreement.
7.3 The Fund acknowledges that its obligation to protect the Transfer Agent's Proprietary Information is essential to the business interest of the Transfer Agent and that the disclosure of such Proprietary Information in breach of this Agreement would cause the Transfer Agent immediate, substantial and irreparable harm, the value of which would be extremely difficult to determine. Accordingly, the parties agree that, in addition to any other remedies that may be available in law, equity, or otherwise for the disclosure or use of the Proprietary Information in breach of this Agreement, the Transfer Agent shall be entitled to seek and obtain a temporary restraining order, injunctive relief, or other equitable relief against the continuance of such breach.
7.4 If the Fund notifies the Transfer Agent that any of the Data Access Services do not operate in material compliance with the most recently issued user documentation for such services, the Transfer Agent shall endeavor in a timely manner to correct such failure. Organizations from which the Transfer Agent may obtain certain data included in the Data Access Services are solely responsible for the contents of such data and the Fund agrees to make no claim against the Transfer Agent arising out of the contents of such third-party data, including, but not limited to, the accuracy thereof. DATA ACCESS SERVICES AND ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS IS, AS AVAILABLE BASIS. THE TRANSFER AGENT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
7.5 If the transactions available to the Fund include the ability to
originate electronic instructions to the Transfer Agent in order to
(i) effect the transfer or movement of cash or Shares or (ii) transmit
Shareholder information or other information, then in such event the
Transfer Agent shall be entitled to rely on the validity and
authenticity of such instruction without undertaking any further
inquiry as long as such instruction is undertaken in conformity with
security procedures established by the Transfer Agent from time to
time and agreed to by the Fund.
7.6 Each party shall take reasonable efforts to advise its employees of
their obligations pursuant to this Section 7. The obligations of this
Section shall survive any earlier termination of this Agreement.
Appendix A - 12
8. Indemnification
8.1 The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for, and the Fund shall
indemnify and hold the Transfer Agent harmless, and with respect to
Section 8.1(f) herein, also State Street Bank and Trust Company
("State Street"), from and against, any and all losses, damages,
costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees (including the defense of any
law suit in which the Transfer Agent or its affiliate is a named
party), payments, expenses and liability arising out of or
attributable to:
(a) All actions of the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that such actions are taken in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct;
(b) The Fund's lack of good faith, negligence or willful misconduct;
(c) The reliance upon, and any subsequent use of or action taken or
omitted, by the Transfer Agent, or its agents or subcontractors on:
(i) any information, records, documents, data, stock certificates or
services, which are received by the Transfer Agent or its agents or
subcontractors by machine readable input, facsimile, CRT data entry,
electronic instructions or other similar means authorized by the Fund,
and which have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Fund or
any other person or firm on behalf of the Fund including but not
limited to any broker-dealer, TPA or previous transfer agent; (ii) any
instructions or requests of the Fund or any of its officers; (iii) any
instructions or opinions of legal counsel with respect to any matter
arising in connection with the services to be performed by the
Transfer Agent under this Agreement which are provided to the Transfer
Agent after consultation with such legal counsel; or (iv) any paper or
document, reasonably believed to be genuine, authentic, or signed by
the proper person or persons;
(d) The offer or sale of Shares in violation of federal or state securities laws or regulations requiring that such Shares be registered or in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal or any state agency with respect to the offer or sale of such Shares;
(e) The acceptance of facsimile transaction requests on behalf of individual Shareholders received from broker-dealers, TPAs or the Fund, and the reliance by the Transfer Agent on the broker-dealer, TPA or the Fund ensuring that the original source documentation is in good order and properly retained;
(f) The negotiation and processing of any checks, wires or ACH transmissions (including in connection with payroll or MSA transmissions) including without limitation for deposit into, or credit to, the Fund's demand deposit account maintained by the Transfer Agent;
(g) Upon the Fund's request entering into any agreements required by the NSCC for the transmission of Fund or Shareholder data through the NSCC clearing systems; or
(h) The breach of any representation or warranty set forth in
Section 5 above.
Appendix A - 13
8.2 To the extent the Transfer Agent is not entitled to indemnification pursuant to Section 8.1 above, the Fund shall not be responsible for, and the Transfer Agent shall indemnify and hold the Fund, its Board of Trustees, officers, employees and agents, harmless from and against any losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability arising directly out of or attributable to any action or failure of the Transfer Agent to act as a result of the Transfer's Agent's lack of good faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its services hereunder or the breach of any representation or warranty set forth in Section 4 above.
8.3 In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this
Section 8 shall apply, upon the assertion of an indemnification claim,
the party seeking the indemnification shall promptly notify the other
party of such assertion, and shall keep the other party advised with
respect to all developments concerning such claim. The Fund shall have
the option to participate with the Transfer Agent in the defense of
such claim or to defend against said claim in its own name or that of
the Transfer Agent. The party seeking indemnification shall in no case
confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the
other party may be required to indemnify it except with the
indemnifying party's written consent, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld.
9. Standard of Care/Limitation of Liability
The Transfer Agent shall at all times act in good faith and agrees to use its best efforts within reasonable limits to ensure the accuracy of all services performed under this Agreement, but assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for loss or damage due to errors, including encoding and payment processing errors, unless said errors are caused by its negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct or that of its employees or agents. The parties agree that any encoding or payment processing errors shall be governed by this standard of care and Section 4-209 of the Uniform Commercial Code is superseded by Section 9 of this Agreement. This standard of care also shall apply to Exception Services, as defined in Section 2.3 herein, but such application shall take into consideration the manual processing involved in, and time sensitive nature of, Exception Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Transfer Agent's aggregate liability during any term of this Agreement, whether in contract, or in tort, or otherwise shall be as determined and as set forth on Schedule 9 to this Agreement.
10. Confidentiality
10.1 (a) The Transfer Agent and the Fund agree that they will not, at any time during the term of this Agreement or after its termination, reveal, divulge, or make known to any person, firm, corporation or other business organization, any customers' lists, trade secrets, cost figures and projections, profit figures and projections, or any other secret or confidential information whatsoever, whether of the Transfer Agent or of the Fund, used or gained by the Transfer Agent or the Fund during performance under this Agreement (such party's "Confidential Information"). The Fund and the Transfer Agent further covenant and agree to retain all such Confidential Information of the other party whatsoever in trust for the sole benefit of the Transfer Agent or the Fund and their successors and assigns. In the event of breach of the foregoing by either party, the remedies provided by Section 7.3 shall be available to the party whose confidential information is disclosed. The Transfer Agent acknowledges that the Fund may share the Confidential Information of the
Appendix A - 14
Transfer Agent with the Fund's investment adviser, administrator and distributor and any of their affiliates, agents, legal counsel and consultants provided that such parties are subject to obligations of confidentiality to the Fund with regard to such Confidential Information of the Transfer Agent no less stringent than those set forth in this Agreement.
(b) The Transfer Agent represents, covenants, and warrants that Transfer Agent will use the nonpublic personal information of the Fund's Shareholders ("Customer Data") only in compliance with (i) this Agreement, (ii) its own Privacy and Information Sharing Policy, as amended from time to time, (iii) the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the "GLB Act") and Regulation S-P promulgated thereunder to the extent each is specifically applicable to its transfer agency business, and (iv) as directed by authorized persons of the Fund in writing and will not, except as set forth above, at any time during the term of this Agreement or after its termination, reveal, divulge or make known to any person, firm or other business organization any Customer Data as obtained by the Transfer Agent in performance of its services pursuant to this Agreement.
10.2 In the event that any requests or demands are made for the inspection of the Shareholder records of the Fund, other than request for records of Shareholders pursuant to standard subpoenas from state or federal government authorities (i.e., divorce and criminal actions), the Transfer Agent will use best efforts to notify the Fund and to secure instructions from an authorized officer of the Fund as to such inspection. The Transfer Agent expressly reserves the right, however, to exhibit the Shareholder records to any person whenever it is advised by counsel that it may be held liable for the failure to exhibit the Shareholder records to such person or if required by law or court order.
11. Covenants of the Fund and the Transfer Agent
11.1 The Fund shall promptly furnish to the Transfer Agent the following:
(a) A certified copy of the resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Fund authorizing the appointment of the Transfer Agent and the execution and delivery of this Agreement; and
(b) A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Fund and all amendments thereto.
11.2 The Transfer Agent hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities and procedures reasonably acceptable to the Fund for safekeeping of stock certificates, check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if any; and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such certificates, forms and devices.
11.3 The Transfer Agent shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable. To the extent required by Section 31 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder, the Transfer Agent agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by the Transfer Agent relating to the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent hereunder are the property of the Fund and will be preserved, maintained and made available in accordance with such Section and rules thereunder, and will be surrendered promptly to the Fund on and in accordance with its request.
Appendix A - 15
11.4 The Transfer Agent shall maintain a fidelity bond covering larceny and embezzlement and an insurance policy with respect to directors' and officers' errors and omissions coverage in amounts that are appropriate in light of its duties and responsibilities hereunder. Upon the request of the Fund, the Transfer Agent shall provide evidence that coverage is in place. The Transfer Agent shall notify the Fund should its insurance coverage with respect to professional liability or errors and omissions be canceled. Such notification shall include the date of cancellation and the reasons therefore. The Transfer Agent shall notify the Fund of any material claims against it with respect to the services provided under this Agreement to the Fund, whether or not they may be covered by insurance, and shall notify the Fund should the total outstanding claims made by the Transfer Agent under its insurance coverage materially impair, or threaten to materially impair, the adequacy of its coverage.
12. Termination of Agreement
12.1 Term. The initial term of this Agreement (the "Initial Term") shall be three (3) years from the date first stated above unless terminated pursuant to the provisions of this Section 12. Unless a terminating party gives written notice to the other party at least one hundred and twenty (120) days before the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal Term (as defined herein), this Agreement will renew automatically for an additional one-year term and, thereafter, for successive one-year terms (each such year-to-year renewal term, a "Renewal Term"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, during a Renewal Term, this Agreement may be terminated by either party upon at least one hundred and twenty (120) days' written notice to the other party. The notification requirements herein shall not apply to a termination for cause, which shall be governed by the provisions of Section 12.6 below. One hundred and twenty (120) days before the expiration of the Initial Term or a Renewal Term the parties to this Agreement will agree upon a Fee Schedule for the upcoming Renewal Term. Otherwise, the fees shall be increased pursuant to Section 3.5 of this Agreement.
12.2 Early Termination. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, should the Fund desire to move any of its services provided by the Transfer Agent hereunder to a successor service provider prior to the expiration of the then-current Initial or Renewal Term, or without the required notice, the Transfer Agent shall make a good faith effort to facilitate the conversion on such prior date; however, there can be no guarantee or assurance that the Transfer Agent will be able to facilitate a conversion of services on such prior date. In connection with the foregoing, if during the Initial Term, the Fund should convert all or substantially all of such services to a successor service provider, or if the Fund or substantially all of its Portfolios are liquidated or all or substantially all of its assets are merged or purchased or the like with or by another entity which does not utilize the services of the Transfer Agent, its affiliates or the TA2000 platform as set forth below, the fees payable to the Transfer Agent shall be calculated as if the services had been performed by the Transfer Agent until the expiration of the Initial Term and calculated at the asset and/or Shareholder account levels, as the case may be, on the date notice of termination was given to the Transfer Agent, and the payment of all fees to the Transfer Agent as set forth herein shall be accelerated to the business day immediately prior to the conversion or termination of services (the "Early Termination Fee"). In the event that (i) the Fund terminates this Agreement as the result of its acquisition by or merger into another fund and such other fund's shareholder records are, at
Appendix A - 16
the time of such acquisition or merger, maintained by the Transfer Agent or its affiliates, or (ii) the Fund wishes to move its transfer agency servicing operation from the Transfer Agent to an affiliated entity or another DST TA2000 platform (i.e., become a remote user of DST's TA2000 system) as the result of Fund's acquisition by or merger into another fund, then the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to determine whether or to what extent the Early Termination Fee shall apply to such termination.
12.3 Termination Expenses and Costs. During the Initial Term or Renewal Term, whichever currently is in effect, should either party exercise its right to terminate, all out-of-pocket expenses or costs associated with the movement of records and material will be borne by the Fund. Additionally, the Transfer Agent reserves the right to charge for any other reasonable expenses associated with such termination.
12.4 Confidential Information. Upon termination of this Agreement, each party shall return to the other party all copies of confidential or proprietary materials or information received from such other party hereunder, other than materials or information required to be retained by such party under applicable laws or regulations. Each party hereby agrees to dispose of any "consumer report information," as such term is defined under Regulation S-P promulgated under the GLB Act, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation S-P and the GLB Act applicable to its respective business.
12.5 Unpaid Invoices. Except with respect to any amount subject to a good faith dispute within the meaning of Section 3.4 of this Agreement, the Transfer Agent may terminate this Agreement in the event that an invoice payable by the Fund to the Transfer Agent remains outstanding for more than ninety (90) days; provided that the Transfer Agent has provided written notice to the Fund at least thirty (30) days prior to such termination (which notice may be provided prior to the expiration of the ninety (90) day period).
12.6 Termination by either Party for Cause. In the event that: (i) the
Transfer Agent defaults in the performance of its obligations under
Schedule 1.3 "Service Level Agreement" in accordance with the terms of
such schedule and, as a result thereof, the Fund is entitled to
exercise a Service Level Termination Right as defined in such schedule
or (ii) either party fails perform its duties hereunder (including any
material interruption or cessation of its operations), which failure
materially adversely affects the business operations of the other
party and which failure continues for thirty (30) days after receipt
of written notice from the first party, unless such failure is excused
under the terms of Schedule 1.3 or Section 15.3 (Force Majeure) of
this Agreement, such non-defaulting party may terminate this Agreement
by giving written notice to the other party as of the termination date
specified in the notice of termination. The Transfer Agent shall make
a good faith effort to facilitate conversion as described in
Section 12.2 above. In the event of a termination by the Fund for
cause, the Fund shall not be obligated to pay the Early Termination
Fee as defined in Section 12.2 above.
13. Assignment and Third Party Beneficiaries
13.1 Except as provided in Section 14.1 below neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either party without the written consent of the other party. Any attempt to do so in violation of this Section shall be void. Unless specifically stated to the contrary in any written consent to an assignment, no assignment
Appendix A - 17
will release or discharge the assignor from any duty or responsibility under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, a transaction involving a merger or sale of substantially all of the assets of a Portfolio or a Fund shall not require the written consent of the Transfer Agent.
13.2 Except as explicitly stated elsewhere in this Agreement, nothing under this Agreement shall be construed to give any rights or benefits in this Agreement to anyone other than the Transfer Agent and the Fund, and the duties and responsibilities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Transfer Agent and the Fund. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
13.3 This Agreement does not constitute an agreement for a partnership or joint venture between the Transfer Agent and the Fund. Other than as provided in Section 14.1 and Schedule 1.2(f), neither party shall make any commitments with third parties that are binding on the other party without the other party's prior written consent.
14. Subcontractors
14.1 The Transfer Agent may, without further consent on the part of the Fund, subcontract for the performance hereof with an affiliate of the Transfer Agent duly registered as a transfer agent or, with regard to print/mail services, with another affiliate or provider; provided, however, that consent of the Fund shall be required with regard to print/mail services which the Fund currently maintains by a separate agreement. The Transfer Agent shall be fully responsible to the Fund for the acts and omissions of its affiliate as it is for its own acts and omissions. With regard to print/mail services that are provided by a vendor not affiliated with the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will use all reasonable commercial efforts to coordinate with such outside print/mail vendor and to timely and accurately provide all information requested by such print/mail vendor; provided, however, that the Transfer Agent shall not be held liable to the Fund or any affiliated party of the Fund for any act or failure to act by such outside print/mail vendor except where the Transfer Agent's negligent acts or omissions were the proximate cause of such vendor's non-performance.
14.2 Nothing herein shall impose any duty upon the Transfer Agent in connection with or make the Transfer Agent liable for the actions or omissions to act of unaffiliated third parties such as by way of example and not limitation, Airborne Services, Federal Express, United Parcel Service, the U.S. Mails, the NSCC and telecommunication companies, provided that, if the Transfer Agent selected such company, the Transfer Agent shall have exercised due care in selecting the same.
15. Miscellaneous
15.1 Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written agreement executed by both parties.
15.2 Massachusetts Law to Apply. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Appendix A - 18
15.3 Force Majeure. In the event either party is unable to perform its obligations under the terms of this Agreement because of acts of God, acts of war or terrorism, strikes, equipment or transmission failure or damage reasonably beyond its control, or other causes reasonably beyond its control, such party shall not be liable for damages to the other for any damages resulting from such failure to perform or otherwise from such causes; provided, however, that this provision shall not imply that the Transfer Agent is excused from maintaining reasonable business continuity plans to address potential service outages. 15.4 Consequential Damages. Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for special, indirect or consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement or for any special, indirect or consequential damages arising out of any act or failure to act hereunder. 15.5 Survival. All provisions regarding indemnification, warranty, liability, and limits thereon, and confidentiality and/or protections of proprietary rights and trade secrets shall survive the termination of this Agreement. 15.6 Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired. 15.7 The Parties. All references herein to the "Fund" are to each of the management investment companies listed on Appendix A hereto, and each management company made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 16 below, individually, as if the Agreement were between each such Fund and the Transfer Agent. In the case of a series trust, all references to "Portfolio" are to the individual series or portfolio of such trust or to such trust on behalf of the individual series or portfolio, as appropriate. 15.8 Priorities Clause. In the event of any conflict, discrepancy or ambiguity between the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and any Schedules or attachments hereto, the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement shall take precedence. 15.9 Waiver. No waiver by either party or any breach or default of any of the covenants or conditions herein contained and performed by the other party shall be construed as a waiver of any succeeding breach of the same or of any other covenant or condition. 15.10 Merger of Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written. 15.11 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. 15.12 Reproduction of Documents. This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto each Appendix A - 19 |
agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence. 15.13 Notices. All notices and other communications as required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows or to such other address or addresses of which the respective party shall have notified the other. (a) If to Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., to: Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. 2 Heritage Drive, 4th Floor North Quincy, Massachusetts 02171 Attention: Legal Department Facsimile: (617) 483-2490 (b) If to an entity set forth on Appendix A hereto, to: Secretary of the Fund c/o General Counsel 399 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116 Facsimile: (617) 449-2880 16. Additional Funds/Portfolios In the event that the Fund establishes one or more series of Shares, in addition to those listed on the attached Appendix A, with respect to which it desires to have the Transfer Agent render services as transfer agent under the terms hereof, it shall so notify the Transfer Agent in writing, and if the Transfer Agent agrees in writing to provide such services, such series of Shares shall become a Portfolio hereunder. Furthermore, in the event that one or more additional funds affiliated with the Fund desire(s) to have the Transfer Agent render services as transfer agent under the terms hereof, such fund or funds shall so notify the Transfer Agent in writing, and if the Transfer Agent agrees in writing to provide such services, such fund or funds, together with their portfolios, may become parties to this Agreement by execution of a counterpart signature page hereto. In the event that new affiliated funds and their portfolios become parties to this Agreement, the fees and expenses set forth on Schedule 3.1 shall apply to such funds and portfolios for their applicable initial term or renewal term, provided that the requirements of such funds and portfolios are generally consistent with the services then being provided by the Transfer Agent under this Agreement to the Fund and its Portfolios. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, at such time as the number of CUSIPs serviced by the Transfer Agent for all IXIS Advisor and Loomis Sayles funds and their affiliated funds has increased by forty percent (40%) or more from the number of CUSIPs serviced by the Transfer Agent on the first date of this Agreement (as to all IXIS Advisor and Appendix A - 20 |
Loomis Sayles funds and their affiliates together) the parties agree to review and, if necessary, negotiate the fees and expenses set forth on Schedule 3.1 for the Fund and its Portfolios and any new affiliated funds and their portfolios in light of the additional administrative, technical and other service costs imposed on the Transfer Agent by such additional services. 17. Limitations of Liability of the Trustees and Shareholders A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of each Fund listed on Appendix A is on file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed by an officer of the Trust on behalf of the Trustees of the Trust as Trustees and not individually and that the obligations of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Fund. |
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Appendix A - 21
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.
IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II
By: /s/ John E. Pelletier ----------------------------- Name: John Pelletier Title: Chief Operating Officer As an Authorized Officer on behalf of each of the Funds listed above. ATTEST: /s/ Coleen Downs Dinneen ------------------------- BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC. By: /s/ Richard Ahl ----------------------------- Name: Richard Ahl Title: Senior Vice President ATTEST: /s/ Katherine Comer ------------------------- Appendix A - 22 |
APPENDIX A
Funds and Portfolios
Dated: October 1, 2005
IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
IXIS Cash Management Trust - Money Market Series (formerly, CDC Nvest Cash Management Trust - Money Market Series)
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund
Hansberger International Fund
IXIS U.S. Diversified Portfolio (formerly, CDC Nvest Star Advisers Fund)
IXIS Value Fund (formerly, CDC Nvest Star Value Fund)
Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund
Vaughan Nelson Small Cap Value Fund
Westpeak Capital Growth Fund
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II , a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Harris Associates Large Cap Value Fund Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free Income Fund
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Harris Associates Focused Value Fund
IXIS Equity Diversified Portfolio
IXIS Moderate Diversified Portfolio (formerly, CDC IXIS Moderate Diversified
Portfolio)
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
AEW Real Estate Fund
Loomis Sayles Funds I, a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund
Schedule 9 - 1
Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Funds II, a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles High Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund (except for Class J shares)
Loomis Sayles Limited Term Government and Agency Fund
Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Research Fund
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund
Loomis Sayles Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund
IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.
By: /s/ John E. Pelletier By: /s/ Richard Ahl -------------------------------- ----------------------------- Name: John Pelletier Name: Richard Ahl Title: Chief Operating Officer Title: Senior Vice President |
As an Authorized Officer on behalf
of each of the Funds listed above.
Schedule 9 - 2
Exhibit (h)(1)(ii)
LOGO OF LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS
October 1, 2005
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
Two Heritage Drive
Quincy, MA 02171
Attn: Legal Department
Re: Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund and the Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund Letter Agreement
Dear Legal Department:
In accordance with the Section 15.1 of that certain Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, dated October 1, 2005, by and between the IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, Loomis Sayles Funds I, Loomis Sayles Funds II (together the "Trusts") and Boston Financial Services, Inc. ("Boston Financial") (as amended to the date hereof, the "Transfer Agency Agreement"), Loomis Sayles Funds I hereby notifies you that, with respect to the Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund and the Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund (the "Funds") only, Section 3 of the Transfer Agency Agreement is hereby revised to provide that Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., and not the Funds, shall be responsible for all payments relating to the Funds under Section 3 of the Transfer Agency Agreement. Section 3 of the Transfer Agency Agreement shall continue to apply to all other series of the Trusts and shall remain unaffected with respect to those series by this Letter Agreement.
Please indicate your acceptance of the foregoing with respect to the Transfer Agency Agreement by executing three copies of this Letter Agreement, returning two copies to the Trust and retaining one copy for your records.
By: /s/ John Hailer ----------------------------------- John Hailer Executive Vice President, Loomis Sayles Funds I |
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
By: /s/ Richard Ahl ------------------------------------- Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its general partner By: /s/ Kevin Charleston ------------------------------------- Kevin Charleston Director |
Exhibit (h)(2)(ii)
LOGO OF LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS
June 27, 2005
IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Attn: John T. Hailer
Re: Loomis Sayles Funds I (the "Trust")
Dear Mr. Hailer:
This is to advise you that, effective July 1, 2005, one new series has been established in the Trust, the Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund (the "New Fund").
In accordance with the Section 1 of that certain Administrative Services Agreement, dated January 3, 2005, by and between the Trust and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors") (the "Administration Agreement"), the Trust hereby notifies you that, effective July 1, 2005, Schedule A of the Administration Agreement shall be deemed to include the New Fund and requests that you act as Administrator for the New Fund under the terms of the Administration Agreement, as revised by this Letter Agreement. With respect to the New Fund only, Section 3 of the Administration Agreement is hereby revised to provide that IXIS Advisors shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as Administrator, as agreed upon from time to time among the Trust, on behalf of the New Fund, IXIS Advisors and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles"), investment adviser to the New Fund. The parties further agree that Loomis Sayles, and not the Trust, shall be responsible for payment of such reasonable compensation and expenses relating to the New Fund. Section 3 of the Administration Agreement shall continue to apply to all other series of the Trust and shall remain unaffected with respect to those series by this Letter Agreement.
Please indicate your acceptance of the foregoing with respect to the Administration Agreement by executing three copies of this Letter Agreement, returning two copies to the Trust and retaining one copy for your records.
By: /s/ JOHN HAILER ----------------------------------- John Hailer Executive Vice President, Loomis Sayles Funds I |
Agreed to this 27th day of June, 2005.
IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.
By: IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, its general partner
By: /s/ JOHN HAILER ------------------------------- John Hailer Executive Vice President |
Agreed to this __ day of June, 2005.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
By: Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., its generalpartner
By: /s/ KEVIN CHARLESTON ------------------------------- Kevin Charleston Director |
Exhibit (h)(2)(iii)
FIRST AMENDMENT TO
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT
This Amendment made as of November 1, 2005, by and between IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors"), IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II (collectively, the "Trusts").
WHEREAS, IXIS Advisors and the Trusts are parties to an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 3, 2005, (the "Agreement"), governing the terms and conditions under which IXIS Advisors provides certain administrative services to the series of the Trusts; and
WHEREAS, IXIS Advisors and the Trusts desire to amend Schedule A of the Agreement to reflect changes in Trust Portfolios;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and covenants contained herein, IXIS Advisors and the Trusts hereby agree as follows:
1. Schedule A of the Agreement is deleted in its entirety and replaced with Schedule A attached hereto.
2. Except as specifically superseded or modified herein, the terms and provisions of the Agreement shall continue to apply with full force and effect.
3. This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this instrument to be executed as a sealed instrument in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative as of the date first above written.
IXIS ASSET MANAGEMENT ADVISORS, L.P.
By IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, its general partner
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ----------------------------------- John T. Hailer, Executive Vice President |
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV
IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ----------------------------------- John T. Hailer, President |
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ----------------------------------- John T. Hailer, Executive Vice President |
Schedule A
Trust Portfolios
As of: November 1, 2005
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I
CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund
Hansberger International Fund
IXIS Income Diversified Portfolio
IXIS U.S. Diversified Portfolio
IXIS Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund
Vaughan Nelson Small Cap Value Fund
Westpeak Capital Growth Fund
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II
Harris Associates Large Cap Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free Income Fund
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III
Harris Associates Focused Value Fund
IXIS Equity Diversified Portfolio
IXIS Moderate Diversified Portfolio
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV
AEW Real Estate Fund
IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust
IXIS Cash Management Trust - Money Market Series
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund*
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund*
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund
* With respect to these Funds only, paragraph 3 of the Agreement is revised to provide that IXIS Advisors shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as Administrator, but Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles), the adviser to the Funds, and not Loomis Sayles Funds I, shall be responsible for payment of such compensation and expenses relating to the Funds, as agreed upon by Loomis Sayles in separate Letter Agreements dated January 3, 2005 and July 1, 2005, respectively.
Loomis Sayles Funds II
Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles High Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund
Loomis Sayles Limited Term Government and Agency Fund
Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Research Fund
Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund
Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund
Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund
Loomis Sayles Value Fund
Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund
Exhibit (h)(2)(iv)
SECOND AMENDMENT TO
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT
This Amendment made as of January 1, 2006, by and between IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. ("IXIS Advisors"), IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV, IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II (collectively, the "Trusts").
WHEREAS, IXIS Advisors and the Trusts are parties to an Administrative Services Agreement dated January 3, 2005 (the "Agreement"), governing the terms and conditions under which IXIS Advisors provides certain administrative services to the series of the Trusts; and
WHEREAS, IXIS Advisors and the Trusts desire to amend Schedule B of the Agreement to reflect the provision by IXIS Advisors of the Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Compliance Analyst to administer the Funds' Rule 38a-1 Compliance Program.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and covenants contained herein, IXIS Advisors and the Trusts hereby agree as follows:
1. A new subheading "Rule 38a-1 Compliance Services" is added to Schedule B and the following description is added under the new subheading:
. Provide the Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Compliance Analyst to administer the Funds' Compliance Program required by Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
2. Except as specifically superseded or modified herein, the terms and provisions of the Agreement shall continue to apply with full force and effect.
3. This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this instrument to be executed as a sealed instrument in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative as of the date first above written.
IXIS ASSET MANAGEMENT ADVISORS, L.P.
By IXIS Asset Management Distribution Corporation, its general partner
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ----------------------------- John T. Hailer, Executive Vice President |
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV
IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ----------------------------- John T. Hailer, President |
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
By: /s/ JOHN T. HAILER ----------------------------- John T. Hailer, Executive Vice President |
Exhibit (h)(4)
LOGO
January 31, 2006
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Funds II
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Re: Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. notifies you that it will waive its management fee (and, to the extent necessary, bear other expenses of the Funds listed below) through January 31, 2007 to the extent that expenses of each class of a Fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes and deferred organizational and extraordinary expenses, would exceed the following annual rates:
Name of Fund Expense Cap ------------ ----------- February 1, 2006 through January 31, 2007: Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 1.00% for Institutional class shares 1.25% for Retail class shares Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 0.75% for Institutional class shares 1.00% for Retail class shares 1.25% for Admin class shares Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 1.00% for Institutional class shares 1.25% for Retail class shares Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 0.90% for Institutional class shares 1.15% for Retail class shares 1.40% for Admin class shares 1 |
Loomis Sayles Value Fund 0.85% for Institutional class shares Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund 1.25% for Class A shares 2.00% for Class C shares 1.00% for Class Y shares Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 0.65% for Institutional class shares Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income 0.75% for Institutional class Fund shares Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed 0.55% for Institutional class Income Fund shares Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 0.65% for Institutional class shares Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 0.75% for Institutional class shares 1.00% for Retail class shares Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 1.25% for Class A shares 2.00% for Class B shares 2.00% for Class C shares 0.85% for Class Y shares Loomis Sayles Research Fund 1.25% for Class A shares 2.00% for Class B shares 2.00% for Class C shares 0.85% for Class Y shares Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund 0.95% for Class A shares 1.70% for Class B shares 1.70% for Class C shares 0.55% for Class Y shares 1.30% for Class J shares Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund 1.25% for Class A shares 2.00% for Class B shares 2.00% for Class C shares 1.00% for Class Y shares 2 |
Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected 0.40% for Institutional class Securities Fund shares Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration 0.40% for Institutional class Fixed Income Fund shares Loomis Sayles High Income Fund 1.25% for Class A shares 2.00% for Class B shares 2.00% for Class C shares Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free 0.95% for Class A shares Income Fund* 1.70% for Class B shares Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund* 1.05% for Class A shares 1.80% for Class B shares 1.80% for Class C shares 0.80% for Class Y shares Loomis Sayles Limited Term 1.00% for Class A shares Government and Agency 1.75% for Class B shares 1.75% for Class C shares 0.75% for Class Y shares Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund 0.95% for Class A shares 1.70% for Class B shares -------- |
* The expense caps above account for advisory administration fees payable to IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. and IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P. have agreed to equally bear the waiver.
With respect to each Fund, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. shall be permitted to recover expenses it has borne subsequent to the effective date of this agreement (whether through reduction of its management fee or otherwise) in later periods to the extent that a Fund's expenses fall below the annual rates set forth above. Provided, however, that a Fund is not obligated to pay any such deferred fees more than one year after the end of the fiscal year in which the fee was deferred.
During the periods covered by this letter agreement, the expense cap arrangement set forth above for each of the Funds may only be modified by a majority vote of the "non-interested" Trustees of the Trusts affected.
For purposes of determining any such waiver or expense reimbursement, expenses of the class of the Funds shall not reflect the application of balance credits made available by the Funds' custodian or arrangements under which broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions for the Funds' agree to bear some portion of Fund expenses.
We understand and intend that you will rely on this undertaking in preparing and filing the Registration Statements on Form N-1A for the above referenced Funds 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.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
By: /s/ Kevin Charleston ----------------------------- Name: Kevin Charleston Title: Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit (h)(5)
SECURITIES LENDING AUTHORIZATION AGREEMENT
Between
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV
IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I
LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II
each on behalf of its respective series listed on Schedule B, severally and not jointly
and
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ---- 1. DEFINITIONS 1 2. APPOINTMENT OF STATE STREET 2 3. SECURITIES TO BE LOANED 2 4. BORROWERS 3 5. SECURITIES LOAN AGREEMENTS 3 6. LOANS OF AVAILABLE SECURITIES 3 7. DISTRIBUTIONS ON AND VOTING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO LOANED SECURITIES 4 8. COLLATERAL 5 9. INVESTMENT OF CASH COLLATERAL AND COMPENSATION 6 10. FEE DISCLOSURE 7 11. RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTS 8 12. STANDARD OF CARE 8 13. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES 9 14. INDEMNIFICATION 11 15. CONTINUING AGREEMENT AND TERMINATION 13 16. NOTICES 14 17. MISCELLANEOUS 14 18. SECURITIES INVESTORS PROTECTION ACT 15 19. COUNTERPARTS 16 21. FUNDS 16 22. TRUST NOTICE 17 |
EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES EXHIBIT 5 (Securities Loan Agreement - U.S. Government Securities) SCHEDULE A (Schedule of Fees/Investment Vehicle for Cash Collateral) SCHEDULE A-1 (Securities Loan Limitation) SCHEDULE B (Funds) SCHEDULE 8.1 (Acceptable Forms of Collateral) |
SECURITIES LENDING AUTHORIZATION AGREEMENT
Agreement dated the 1st day of September, 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, each on behalf of its respective series listed on Schedule B, severally and not jointly, each a registered management investment company organized and existing under the laws of Massachusetts (the "Trusts," and each a "Trust"), and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, its affiliates or subsidiaries ("State Street"), setting forth the terms and conditions under which State Street is authorized to act on behalf of the Trusts with respect to the lending of certain securities of the Trusts held by State Street as trustee, agent or custodian.
This Agreement shall be deemed for all purposes to constitute a separate and discrete agreement between State Street and each of the series of shares of the Trusts as listed on Schedule B to this Agreement (each a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") as it may be amended by the parties, and no series of shares of the Trusts shall be responsible or liable for any of the obligations of any other series of the Trusts under this Agreement or otherwise, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein. This Agreement will be effective with respect to each Fund on the date set forth opposite each Fund's name on the attached Schedule B-1.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and of the mutual covenants contained herein, each of the parties does hereby covenant and agree as follows:
1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof:
(a) "Available Securities" means the securities of the Funds that are available for Loans pursuant to Section 3.
(b) "Borrower" means any of the entities to which Available Securities may be loaned under a Securities Loan Agreement, as described in Section 4.
(c) "Collateral" means collateral delivered by a Borrower to secure its obligations under a Securities Loan Agreement.
(d) "Investment Manager" when used in any provision, means the person or entity who has discretionary authority over the investment of the Available Securities to which the provision applies.
(e) "Loan" means a loan of Available Securities to a Borrower.
(f) "Loaned Security" shall mean any "security" which is delivered as a Loan under a Securities Loan Agreement; provided that, if any new or different security shall be exchanged for any
Loaned Security by recapitalization, merger, consolidation, or other corporate action, such new or different security shall, effective upon such exchange, be deemed to become a Loaned Security in substitution for the former Loaned Security for which such exchange was made.
(g) "Market Value" of a security means the market value of such security (including, in the case of a Loaned Security that is a debt security, the accrued interest on such security) as determined by the independent pricing service designated by State Street, or such other independent sources as may be selected by State Street on a reasonable basis, provided that the Market Value of a Loaned Security shall mean the value of that security as calculated for purposes of determining the Fund's net asset value.
(h) "Securities Loan Agreement" means the agreement between a Borrower and
State Street (on behalf of the Funds) that governs Loans, as described in
Section 5.
(i) "Replacement Securities" means securities of the same issuer, class and denomination as Loaned Securities.
2. Appointment of State Street.
Each Fund hereby appoints and authorizes State Street, its affiliates or subsidiaries, as its agent to lend Available Securities to Borrowers in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. State Street shall have the responsibility and authority to do or cause to be done all acts State Street shall determine to be desirable, necessary, or appropriate to implement and administer this securities lending program. Each Fund agrees that State Street is acting as a fully disclosed agent and not as principal in connection with the securities lending program. State Street may take action as agent of the Fund on an undisclosed or a disclosed basis.
Each Fund also authorizes State Street, its affiliates or subsidiaries, as its agent, to enter into fee for holds arrangements with respect to certain Available Securities. State Street will, in return for a fee from the Borrower, hold and reserve certain Available Securities and refrain from lending such Available Securities to any third party without the Borrower's permission, provided, however, that the fee for holds arrangements shall not restrict or otherwise affect the Fund's ownership rights with regard to the Available Securities, and the Fund shall have the right to terminate any such arrangement at any time. The fee from the Borrower shall be allocated between State Street and the Fund in accordance with Schedule A.
3. Securities to be Loaned.
All of the Fund's securities held by State Street as agent, trustee or custodian shall be subject to this securities lending program and constitute Available Securities hereunder, except for one percent (1%) of the shares or other units or principal amount owned by the Fund of any class or series of issuer's securities and except for those securities which the Fund or the Investment Manager specifically identifies herein or in notices to State Street as not being Available Securities. In addition, no Loans shall be made on behalf of a particular Fund if, as a result, the aggregate value of all Loans of such Fund exceeds the percentage of the value of its total assets as shown for such Fund on Schedule A-1. In the absence of any such identification herein or other notices identifying specific securities as not being Available Securities (and except for the one percent (1%) exclusion
set forth immediately above), State Street shall have no authority or responsibility for determining whether any of the Fund's securities should be excluded from the securities lending program.
4. Borrowers.
The Available Securities may be loaned to any Borrower identified on the Schedule of Approved Borrowers agreed to by State Street and the Funds in writing from time to time. Such Schedule of Approved Borrowers may be modified from time to time by the written agreement of State Street and the Fund.
5. Securities Loan Agreements.
Each Fund authorizes State Street to enter into one or more Securities Loan Agreements with such Borrowers as may be selected by State Street. Each Securities Loan Agreement shall have such terms and conditions as State Street may negotiate with the Borrower. Certain terms of individual Loans, including rebate fees to be paid to the Borrower for the use of cash Collateral, shall be negotiated at the time a Loan is made. A form of the Securities Loan Agreement provided to U.S. domiciled Borrowers that want to borrow U.S. Government Securities is attached hereto as Exhibit 5. Copies of other forms of Securities Loan Agreements to be entered into between State Street and Borrowers shall be provided promptly to a Fund upon its request. State Street agrees not to revise such form in any way that is material or adverse to the interests of the Funds.
6. Loans of Available Securities.
State Street shall be responsible for determining whether any Loans shall be made and shall have the authority to terminate any Loan in its discretion, at any time and without prior notice to the Fund.
Each Fund acknowledges that State Street administers securities lending programs for other clients of State Street. State Street will allocate securities lending opportunities among its clients (including State Street and its affiliates, to the extent they are lenders of securities), using reasonable and equitable methods established by State Street from time to time. State Street does not represent or warrant that any amount or percentage of the Fund's Available Securities will in fact be loaned to Borrowers. Each Fund agrees that it shall have no claim against State Street and State Street shall have no liability arising from, based on, or relating to, loans made for other clients, or loan opportunities refused hereunder, whether or not State Street has made fewer or more loans for any other client, and whether or not any loan for another client, or the opportunity refused, could have resulted in loans made under this Agreement.
Each Fund also acknowledges that, under the applicable Securities Loan Agreements, the Borrowers will not be required to return Loaned Securities immediately upon receipt of notice from State Street terminating the applicable Loan, but instead will be required to return
such Loaned Securities within such period of time following such notice as is specified in the applicable Securities Loan Agreement and in no event later than within three (3) trading days after notice is received by the Borrower. Upon receiving a notice from the Fund or the Investment Manager that Available Securities which have been loaned to a Borrower should no longer be considered Available Securities (whether because of the sale of such securities or otherwise), State Street shall notify promptly thereafter the Borrower which has borrowed such securities that the Loan of such Available Securities is terminated and that such Available Securities are to be returned within the time specified by the applicable Securities Loan Agreement and in no event later than within three (3) trading days after notice is received by the Borrower.
7. Distributions on and Voting Rights with Respect to Loaned Securities.
Each Fund represents and warrants that it is the beneficial owner of (or exercises complete investment discretion over) all Available Securities free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests and encumbrances (except for any liens, claims, security interests or encumbrances arising under its custodial arrangements) and no such security has been sold, and that it is entitled to receive all distributions made by the issuer with respect to Loaned Securities. Except as provided in the next sentence, all interest, dividends, and other distributions paid with respect to Loaned Securities shall be credited to the Fund's account on the date such amounts are delivered by the Borrower to State Street. Any non-cash distribution on Loaned Securities which is in the nature of a stock split or a stock dividend shall be added to the Loan (and shall be considered to constitute Loaned Securities) as of the date such non-cash distribution is received by the Borrower; provided that the Fund or Investment Manager may, by giving State Street ten (l0) business days' notice prior to the date of such non-cash distribution, direct State Street to request that the Borrower deliver such non-cash distribution to State Street, pursuant to the applicable Securities Loan Agreement, in which case State Street shall credit such non-cash distribution to the Fund's account on the date it is delivered to State Street.
Each Fund acknowledges that it will not be entitled to participate in any dividend reinvestment program or to vote with respect to Available Securities that are on loan on the applicable record date for such Available Securities.
Each Fund also acknowledges that any payments of distributions from Borrower to the Fund are in substitution for the interest or dividend accrued or paid in respect of Loaned Securities and that the tax and accounting treatment of such payment may differ from the tax and accounting treatment of such interest or dividend.
If an installment, call or rights issue becomes payable on or in respect of any Loaned Securities, State Street shall use all reasonable endeavors to ensure that any timely instructions from the Fund or its Investment Manager are complied with, but State Street shall not be required to make any payment unless the Fund has first provided State Street with funds to make such payment.
8. Collateral.
(a) Receipt of Collateral. Each Fund hereby authorizes State Street to receive and to hold, on the Fund's behalf, Collateral from Borrowers to secure the obligations of Borrowers with respect to any Loan of Available Securities made on behalf of the Fund pursuant to the Securities Loan Agreements. All investments of cash Collateral shall be for the account and at the risk of the Fund. Concurrently with or prior to the delivery of the Loaned Securities to the Borrower under any Loan, State Street shall receive from the Borrower Collateral in any of the forms listed on Schedule 8.1. Said Schedule may be amended from time to time by the mutual consent of State Street and the Fund.
(b) Marking to Market. The initial Collateral received shall have a value of at least 102% of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities except that the initial Collateral received for Loans of non-US equity securities shall have a value of at least 105% of the Market Value of such non-US equity securities, and the initial Collateral received for Loans of UK Gilts shall have a value of at least 102.5% of the Market Value of such UK Gilts.
Pursuant to the terms of the applicable Securities Loan Agreement, State Street shall, in accordance with State Street's reasonable and customary practices, and prevailing industry practices, mark Loaned Securities and Collateral to their Market Value each business day based upon the Market Value of the Collateral and the Loaned Securities at the close of business employing the most recently available pricing information, and ensure that each applicable Securities Loan Agreement shall require each Borrower to deliver additional Collateral (for Collateral comprised of a letter of credit, an additional or replacement letter of credit) to State Street as follows:
In the case of a Loan of US equity securities or US corporate debt, the Borrower will be required to deliver additional Collateral in the event that the Market Value of the Collateral is less than one hundred and two percent (102%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities, and such additional Collateral together with the Collateral previously delivered shall have a Market Value of not less than one hundred and two percent (102%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities.
In the case of a Loan of non-US equities, the Borrower will be required to deliver additional Collateral in the event that the Market Value of the Collateral is less than one hundred and five percent (105%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities, and such additional Collateral together with the Collateral previously delivered shall have a Market Value of not less than one hundred and five percent (105%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities.
In the case of a Loan of United States government securities (including securities issued by US agencies or instrumentalities), or a Loan of sovereign debt issued by non-US governments, or a Loan of non-US corporate debt, the Borrower will be required to deliver
additional Collateral in the event that the Market Value of the Collateral provided with respect to such Loan is less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities. Such additional Collateral together with the Collateral previously delivered with respect to such Loan, and all other Loans with such Borrower as described in this paragraph, shall have a Market Value not less than one hundred and two percent (102%) of the Market Value of all such Loaned Securities.
In the case of a Loan which is comprised of UK Gilts, the Borrower will be required to deliver additional Collateral in the event that the Market Value of the Collateral is less than one hundred and two and one-half percent (102.5%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities, and such additional Collateral together with the Collateral previously delivered shall have a Market Value not less than one hundred and two and one-half percent (102.5%) of the Market Value of the Loaned Securities.
(c) Return of Collateral. The Collateral shall be returned to Borrower at the termination of the Loan upon the return of the Loaned Securities by Borrower to State Street in accordance with the applicable Securities Loan Agreement.
(d) Limitations. State Street shall invest cash Collateral in accordance with the directions set forth in Paragraph 3 of Schedule A. State Street shall exercise reasonable care, skill, diligence and prudence in the investment of Collateral. Subject to the foregoing limits and standard of care, State Street does not assume any market or investment risk of loss with respect to the investment of cash Collateral. If the value of the cash Collateral so invested is insufficient to return any and all other amounts due to such Borrower pursuant to the Securities Loan Agreement, the Fund shall be responsible for such shortfall as set forth in Section 9.
9. Investment of Cash Collateral and Compensation.
To the extent that a Loan is secured by cash Collateral, such cash Collateral, including money received with respect to the investment of the same, or upon the maturity, sale, or liquidation of any such investments, shall be invested by State Street subject to the directions set forth in Paragraph 3 of Schedule A.
Each Fund acknowledges that the investment guidelines for the State Street Securities Lending Quality Trust allow for investment in obligations or other securities of State Street or of any State Street affiliate and investments in any short-term investment fund, mutual fund, securities lending trust or other collective investment fund with respect to which State Street and/or its affiliates provide investment management or advisory, trust, custody, transfer agency, shareholder servicing and/or other services for which they are compensated.
Each Fund acknowledges that interests in mutual funds, securities lending trusts and other collective investment funds, to which State Street and/or one or more of its affiliates
provide services are not guaranteed or insured by State Street or any of its affiliates or by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency. Each Fund hereby authorizes the investment manager of the State Street Securities Lending Quality Trust to purchase or sell investments of the State Street Securities Lending Quality Trust to or from other accounts held by State Street or its affiliates.
The net income generated by any investment made pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 9 shall be allocated among the Borrower, State Street, and the Fund, as follows: (a) a portion of such income shall be paid to the Borrower in accordance with the agreement negotiated between the Borrower and State Street; (b) the balance, if any, shall be split between State Street, as compensation for its services in connection with this securities lending program, and the Fund and such income shall be credited to the Fund's account, in accordance with the fee split set forth on Schedule A.
In the event the net income generated by any investment made pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 9 does not equal or exceed the amount due the Borrower (the rebate fee for the use of cash Collateral) in accordance with the agreement between Borrower and State Street, State Street and the Fund shall, in accordance with the fee split set forth on Schedule A, share the amount equal to the difference between the net income generated and the amounts to be paid to the Borrower pursuant to the Securities Loan Agreement. The Fund shall be solely responsible for any and all other amounts due to such Borrower pursuant to the Securities Loan Agreement and State Street may debit the Fund's account accordingly. In the event debits to the Fund's account produce a deficit therein, State Street shall sell or otherwise liquidate investments made with cash Collateral and credit the net proceeds of such sale or liquidation to satisfy the deficit. In the event the foregoing does not eliminate the deficit, State Street shall have the right to charge the deficiency to any other account or accounts maintained by the Fund with State Street.
To the extent that a Loan is secured by non-cash Collateral, the Borrower shall be required to pay a loan premium, the amount of which shall be negotiated by State Street. Such loan premium shall be allocated between State Street and the Fund as follows: (a) a portion of such loan premium shall be paid to State Street as compensation for its services in connection with this securities lending program, in accordance with Schedule A hereto; and (b) the remainder of such loan premium shall be credited to the Fund's account.
Each Fund hereby agrees that it shall reimburse State Street for any and all funds advanced by State Street on behalf of the Fund as a consequence of the Fund's obligations hereunder, including the Fund's obligation to return cash Collateral to the Borrower and to pay any fees due the Borrower, all as provided in Section 8 hereof.
10. Fee Disclosure.
The fees associated with the investment of cash Collateral in funds maintained or advised by State Street are disclosed on Schedule A hereto. Said fees may be changed from
time to time by State Street upon notice to the Funds. An annual report with respect to such funds is available to the Funds, at no expense, upon request.
11. Recordkeeping and Reports.
State Street will establish and maintain such records as are reasonably necessary to account for Loans that are made and the income derived therefrom. On a monthly basis, State Street will provide the Funds with a statement describing the Loans made, and the income derived from the Loans, during the period covered by such statement. Each party to this Agreement shall comply with the reasonable requests of the other for information necessary to the requester's performance of its duties in connection with this securities lending program.
12. Standard of Care
Subject to the requirements of applicable law, State Street shall not be liable under this Agreement for any loss or damage, including counsel fees and court costs, whether or not resulting from its acts or omissions to act hereunder or otherwise, unless the loss or damage arises out of State Street's negligence, willful misconduct, recklessness, bad faith, misfeasance or nonfeasance. Except for any liability, loss, or expense arising from or connected with State Street's negligence, willful misconduct, recklessness, bad faith, misfeasance or nonfeasance, each Fund agrees to reimburse and hold State Street harmless from and against any liability, loss and expense, including reasonable counsel fees, expenses and court costs, arising in connection with any breach of any representation, covenant or agreement of the Fund contained in this Agreement or any Loan or arising from or connected with claims of any third parties, including any Borrower, from and against all taxes and other governmental charges, and from and against any out-of-pocket or incidental expenses. State Street may charge any amounts to which it is entitled hereunder against the relevant Fund's account. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Fund agrees: (i) that State Street shall not be responsible for any statements, representations or warranties which any Borrower makes in connection with any securities loans hereunder, or for the performance by any Borrower of the terms of a Loan, or any agreement related thereto, and shall not be required to ascertain or inquire as to the performance or observance of, or a default under the terms of, a Loan or any agreement related thereto; (ii) that State Street shall be fully protected in acting in accordance with the oral or written instructions of any person reasonably believed by State Street to be authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Trusts to execute this Agreement on behalf of the Funds, as evidenced by a written certificate provided to State Street by the Funds (an "Authorized Person"); and (iii) that in the event of a default by a Borrower under a Loan, State Street shall be fully protected in acting in its sole discretion in a manner it deems appropriate.
Each Fund acknowledges that in the event that its participation in securities lending generates income for the Fund, State Street may be required to withhold tax or may claim such tax from the Fund as is appropriate in accordance with applicable law.
State Street, in determining the Market Value of Securities, including without limitation, Collateral, may rely upon any recognized pricing service and shall not be liable for any errors made by such service, unless the choice of such pricing service by State Street amounts to negligence, willful misconduct, recklessness, bad faith, misfeasance or nonfeasance on the part of State Street.
13. Representations and Warranties.
Each party hereto represents and warrants that (a) it has the power to execute and deliver this Agreement, to enter into the transactions contemplated hereby, and to perform its obligations hereunder; (b) it has taken all necessary action to authorize such execution, delivery, and performance; (c) this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid, and binding obligation enforceable against it; and (d) the execution, delivery, and performance by it of this Agreement will at all times comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
Each Fund represents and warrants that it has made its own determination as to the tax and accounting treatment of any dividends, remuneration or other funds received hereunder.
Each Fund represents and warrants that it will immediately notify State Street, orally and by written notice, of the relevant details of any corporate actions, private consent offers/agreements and/or any other off-market arrangements that may require the recall and/or restriction of a security from lending activity. Such written notices shall be delivered sufficiently in advance so as to: (a) provide State Street with reasonable time to notify Borrowers of any instructions necessary to comply with the terms of the corporate actions, private consent offers/agreements and/or other off-market arrangements and (b) provide such Borrowers with reasonable time to comply with any such instructions.
The person executing this Agreement on behalf of each party represents that he or she has the authority to execute this Agreement on behalf of such party.
In the event that the Funds direct State Street to invest cash Collateral in one or more of the following cash Collateral investment vehicles: the (i) Securities Lending Quality Trust, (ii) State Street Global Securities Lending Trust or (iii) State Street Global Securities Lending
Euro Trust (each an "Investment Trust", collectively, the "Investment Trusts"), each Fund also represents and warrants to, and agrees and covenants with the Trustee of the relevant Investment Trust, as of the date hereof and as of the date or dates on which any units ("Units") of the Investment Trust are purchased (collectively, the "Date of Purchase") that:
(a) The Units will be purchased for the account of the Fund for investment only and not with a view to, or with any intention of, a distribution or resale thereof, in whole or in part, or the grant of any participation therein. Each Fund is aware of the risks associated with an investment in the relevant Investment Trust and has not received any form of general solicitation or advertising in connection with its decision to purchase Units.
(b) Each Fund understands that the none of the Investment Trusts
will be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940
(the "1940 Act") because each Investment Trust will be
qualified as an excepted entity under Section 3(c)(7) of the
1940 Act. Pursuant to such exception, each Investment Trust
will be beneficially owned only by "qualified purchasers" as
defined in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder and by such other persons as are
otherwise entitled to participate in an entity qualified under
Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Accordingly, each Fund hereby
represents that as of the date hereof and as of the Date of
Purchase of the Units, the Fund is either:
[Please check and initial the appropriate box or boxes]
Initial of [ ] a qualified institutional buyer as defined in paragraph (a) of
Authorized Rule 144A (the "Rule") of the Securities Act of 1933, acting Signer for its own account, the account of another qualified institutional buyer, or the account of a qualified purchaser, and is not: (i) a dealer described in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of the Rule that owns and invests on a discretionary basis less than $25 million in securities of issuers that are not affiliated persons of the dealer; or (ii) a plan referred to in paragraph (a)(1)(D) or (a)(1)(E) of the Rule, or a trust fund referred to in paragraph (a)(1)(F) of the Rule that holds the assets of such a plan, if investment decisions with respect to the plan are made by the beneficiaries of the plan; or Initial of [ ] an entity that in the aggregate owns and invests on a Authorized discretionary basis $25 million or more in Qualified Purchaser Signer Investments (as defined in Exhibit A). In making this determination, the amount of any outstanding indebtedness incurred to make the Qualified Purchaser Investments held by the Fund shall be subtracted from the Qualified Purchaser Investments. 10 |
(c) No beneficiary or investor of the Fund has any right to consult with |
regard to, advise or direct the investments made by or on behalf of the Fund and the Fund has not been organized for the purpose of purchasing Units.
(d) If the Fund: is (A) classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, (B) a "grantor trust," any portion of which is treated as owned by the grantor(s) or other person(s) under sections 671-679 of the Code, or (C) an "S corporation" within the meaning of section 1361(a) of the Code (any of (A), (B), or (C), a "Flow-Through Entity"), the beneficial owners of the Fund which is a Flow-Through Entity are not investing in the relevant Trust through the Fund for the principal purpose of avoiding the 100-partner limitation in Treasury Regulations (S)1.7704-1(h)(i)(ii).
(e) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Fund does not require any approval, authorization, license, or filing from or with any foreign, federal, state or municipal board or agency on the part of the Fund or in connection with the offer and sale of the Units on the part of the relevant Investment Trust or Trustee or any of its affiliates.
(f) No provision of any applicable law, regulation or document by which the Fund is bound prohibits the purchase of Units in the relevant Investment Trust by the Fund.
(g) Simultaneously herewith the Fund has completed, executed and delivered to the relevant Investment Trust a Form W-9 setting forth certain taxpayer identification information required by the relevant Investment Trust.
Each Fund hereby further represents that it is not subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA") with respect to this Agreement and the Securities; that it qualifies as an "accredited investor" within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and that the taxpayer identification number(s) and corresponding tax year-end are as set forth on Schedule B.
14. Indemnification.
(a) If at the time of a default by a Borrower with respect to a Loan (within the meaning of the applicable Securities Loan Agreement), some or all of the Loaned Securities under such Loan have not been returned by the Borrower, and subject to the terms of this Agreement, State Street shall indemnify the Fund against the failure of the Borrower as follows. State Street shall purchase a number of Replacement Securities equal to the number of such unreturned Loaned Securities, to the extent that such Replacement Securities are available on the open market. Such Replacement Securities shall be purchased by applying the proceeds of the Collateral with respect to such Loan to the purchase of such Replacement
Securities. Subject to the Fund's obligations pursuant to Section 8 hereof, if and to the extent that such proceeds are insufficient or the Collateral is unavailable, the purchase of such Replacement Securities shall be made at State Street's expense.
(b) If State Street is unable to purchase Replacement Securities pursuant to Paragraph (a) hereof, State Street shall credit to the Fund's account an amount equal to the Market Value of the unreturned Loaned Securities for which Replacement Securities are not so purchased, determined as of (i) the last day the Collateral continues to be successfully marked to market by State Street against the unreturned Loaned Securities; or (ii) the next business day following the day referred to in (i) above, if the Market Value is higher on such date.
(c) In addition to making the purchases or credits required by Paragraphs
(a) and (b) hereof, State Street shall credit to the Fund's account the value
of all distributions on the Loaned Securities (not otherwise credited to the
Fund's accounts with State Street), for record dates which occur before the
date that State Street purchases Replacement Securities pursuant to Paragraph
(a) or credits the Fund's account pursuant to Paragraph (b).
(d) Any credits required under Paragraphs (b) and (c) hereof shall be made by application of the proceeds of the Collateral, if any, that remains after the purchase of Replacement Securities pursuant to Paragraph (a). If and to the extent that the Collateral is unavailable or the value of the proceeds of the remaining Collateral is less than the value of the sum of the credits required to be made under Paragraphs (b) and (c), such credits shall be made at State Street's expense.
(e) If after application of Paragraphs (a) through (d) hereof, additional Collateral remains or any previously unavailable Collateral becomes available or any additional amounts owed by the Borrower with respect to such Loan are received from the Borrower, State Street shall apply the proceeds of such Collateral or such additional amounts first to reimburse itself for any amounts expended by State Street pursuant to Paragraphs (a) through (d) above, and then to credit to the Fund's account all other amounts owed by the Borrower to the Fund with respect to such Loan under the applicable Securities Loan Agreement.
(f) In the event that State Street is required to make any payment and/or incur any loss or expense under this Section, State Street shall, to the extent of such payment, loss, or expense, be subrogated to, and succeed to, all of the rights of the Fund against the Borrower under the applicable Securities Loan Agreement.
(g) The provisions of this Section 14 shall not apply to losses attributable to war, riot, revolution, acts of government or other causes beyond the reasonable control or apprehension of State Street. For the sake of clarity, the parties agree that "causes beyond the reasonable control or apprehension of State Street" shall not include a default by a Borrower in returning when due some or all of the Loaned Securities that are the subject of any Loan or
Borrower otherwise failing to perform its obligations under the applicable Securities Loan Agreement.
15. Continuing Agreement and Termination.
It is the intention of the parties hereto that this Agreement shall constitute a continuing agreement in every respect and shall apply to each and every Loan, whether now existing or hereafter made. The Funds and State Street may each at any time terminate this Agreement upon five (5) business days' written notice to the other to that effect. The only effects of any such termination of this Agreement will be that (a) following such termination, no further Loans shall be made hereunder by State Street on behalf of the Funds, and (b) State Street shall immediately terminate any and all outstanding Loans. The provisions hereof shall continue in full force and effect in all other respects until all Loans have been terminated and all obligations satisfied as herein provided. State Street does not assume any market or investment risk of loss associated with the Fund's change in cash Collateral investment vehicles or termination of, or change in, its participation in this securities lending program and the corresponding liquidation of cash Collateral investments. State Street shall immediately terminate any Loan upon receipt of written instructions to do so from the Funds.
16. Notices.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, notices under this Agreement may be made orally, in writing, or by any other means mutually acceptable to the parties. If in writing, a notice shall be sufficient if delivered to the party entitled to receive such notices at the following addresses:
If to the Funds:
c/o IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P.
399 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Attn: Fund Administration, Dept. Head
with a copy to: General Counsel
Fax 617-369-9632
If to State Street:
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Securities Finance
State Street Financial Center
One Lincoln Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02111-2900
or to such other addresses as either party may furnish the other party by written notice under this section.
Whenever this Agreement permits or requires the Funds to give notice to, direct, provide information to State Street, such notice, direction, or information shall be provided to State Street on the Funds' behalf by any individual designated for such purpose by the Funds in a written notice to State Street. This Agreement shall be considered such a designation of the person executing the Agreement on the Funds' behalf. After State Street's receipt of such a notice of designation and until its receipt of a notice revoking such designation, State Street shall be fully protected in relying upon the notices, directions, and information given by such designee.
17. Miscellaneous.
This Agreement supersedes any other agreement between the parties or any representations made by one party to the other, whether oral or in writing, concerning Loans of Available Securities by State Street on behalf of the Funds. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective heirs, representatives, successors, and assigns. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of any Massachusetts state or Federal court sitting in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts in any action or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement and hereby irrevocably agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such Massachusetts state or Federal court except that this provision shall not preclude any party from removing any action to Federal court. Each party hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding. Each Fund hereby irrevocably appoints Coleen Downs Dinneen, Esq., General Counsel of IXIS Asset Management Advisors, L.P., as its agent to receive on its behalf service of copies of the summons and complaint and any other process which may be served in any such action or proceeding (the "Process Agent"). Such service may be made by mailing or delivering a copy of such process, in care of the Process Agent at the above address. Each Fund hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Process Agent to accept such service on its behalf. As an alternative method of service, each Fund also irrevocably consents to the service of any and all process in any such action or proceeding by the mailing of copies of such process to the Funds at their address specified in Section 16 hereof. Each Fund agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding, all appeals having been taken or the time period for such appeals having expired, shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement. If in the construction of this Agreement any court should deem any provision to be invalid because of scope or duration, then such court shall forthwith reduce such scope or duration to that which is appropriate and enforce this Agreement in its modified scope or duration.
18. Securities Investors Protection Act of 1970 Notice.
EACH FUND IS HEREBY ADVISED AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION ACT OF 1970 MAY NOT PROTECT THE FUND WITH RESPECT TO THE LOAN OF SECURITIES HEREUNDER AND THAT, THEREFORE, THE COLLATERAL DELIVERED TO THE FUND MAY CONSTITUTE THE ONLY SOURCE OF SATISFACTION OF THE BROKER'S OR DEALER'S OBLIGATION IN THE EVENT THE BROKER OR DEALER FAILS TO RETURN THE SECURITIES.
19. Counterparts.
The Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall, together, constitute only one (1) instrument.
20. Modification.
This Agreement shall not be modified except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.
21. Funds. This Agreement is an agreement entered into between State Street and each Trust with respect to each Fund. With respect to any obligation of the Trusts on behalf of any Fund arising out of this Agreement, State Street shall look for payment or satisfaction of such obligation solely to the assets of the Fund to which such obligation relates as though State Street had separately contracted with each Trust by separate written instrument with respect to such Fund. Furthermore, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Agreement to any actions to be taken by the Trusts shall be deemed to refer to duties and obligations with respect to such respective Fund. If a Trust selects additional Funds for which it seeks to employ State Street as a securities lending agent hereunder, that Trust shall notify State Street in writing. Upon written acceptance by State Street, such additional Fund or Funds shall become subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as the existing Funds, except to the extent that such provisions (including those relating to the compensation and expenses payable by the relevant Trust and its Funds) may be modified with respect to each additional Fund in writing by such Trust and State Street at the time of the addition of the Fund.
22. Trust Notice. A copy of each Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, establishing the Trusts is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this Agreement is executed on behalf of the Trusts by the officers of the Trusts as officers and not individually and that the obligations of or arising out of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the trustees, officers or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property belonging respectively to the respective Fund(s).
IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS
ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR
FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS
TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH
MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES
FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II,
each on behalf of its respective
series as listed on Schedule B,
severally and not jointly
Name: /s/ Michael C. Kardok ----------------------------- By: Michael C. Kardok Its: Treasurer |
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
Name: /s/ Edward J. O'Brien ----------------------------- By: Edward J. O'Brien Its: Executive Vice President |
EXHIBIT 5
This Schedule is attached to and made part of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated the 1st day of September 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B, SEVERALLY AND NOT JOINTLY (the "Funds") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY ("State Street").
SECURITIES LOAN AGREEMENT - U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
The attached document contains information which is confidential and proprietary to State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"). It is being provided for the exclusive purpose of allowing you to assess participation in a securities lending program operated by State Street. Its use for any other purpose or its distribution to anyone other than your own personnel engaged in this assessment is prohibited without State Street's prior written permission.
This document is the current standard agreement which forms the basis of negotiations with potential borrowers under State Street's securities lending program. During the course of such negotiations with various borrowers, State Street may in its discretion modify this document in whole or part.
SECURITIES LOAN AGREEMENT
(United States Government Securities)
Between
And
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST AND COMPANY
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ---- DEFINITIONS 1 1. LOAN OF SECURITIES 2 2. DELIVERIES AND TREATMENT OF COLLATERAL 3 3. DELIVERIES AND TREATMENT OF BORROWED SECURITIES 4 4. MARKS TO MARKET; MAINTENANCE OF COLLATERAL 5 5. FEES 6 6. REPRESENTATIONS 6 7. COVENANTS 8 8. TERMINATION OF LOAN WITHOUT DEFAULT 9 9. EVENTS OF DEFAULT 9 10. LENDER'S REMEDIES ON BORROWER'S DEFAULT 11 11. BORROWER'S REMEDIES ON LENDER'S DEFAULT 12 12. RESERVED 12 13. INDEMNIFICATION 12 14. WAIVER 12 15. CONTINUING AGREEMENT; TERMINATION 12 16. NOTICES 13 17. TIME 13 18. SECURITIES CONTRACTS 13 19. SUPERSEDING AGREEMENT 14 20. ASSIGNMENTS 14 21. GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; SERVICE OF PROCESS 14 22. SEVERABILITY 14 23. MODIFICATION 15 |
SECURITIES LOAN AGREEMENT (United States Government Securities) |
Agreement dated the __ day of __________, 200_ between ______________ of ________________, a registered broker-dealer, registered government securities dealer, or a bank ("Borrower") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, a Massachusetts trust company ("Lender"), acting in its capacity as trustee, custodian, or agent for various employee benefit plans, endowment funds, custodial accounts, and other clients (the "Clients"), setting forth the terms and conditions under which Lender, from time to time and on behalf of the Clients, may lend to Borrower, against the receipt of collateral, certain securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government or its agencies.
Definitions.
For the purposes hereof:
"Affiliate" means (i) any person directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with another person; (ii) any officer, director, or partner, employee or relative (as defined in Section 3(15) of ERISA) of such other person; and (iii) any corporation or partnership of which such other person is an officer, director or partner. For purposes of this definition the term "control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a person other than an individual.
"Borrowed Security" shall mean any "security" (as defined in the Exchange
Act) which is a U.S. Security, and is delivered as a Loan hereunder, until such
security is credited through the Federal Reserve book-entry system, to the
Lender's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston or until the security is
replaced by purchase. For purposes of the return of Borrowed Securities by
Borrower pursuant to Section 8 or the purchase of securities pursuant to
Section 10, such term shall include securities of the same issuer, class, and
quantity as the Borrowed Securities.
"Business Day" shall mean any day recognized as a settlement day by the Federal Reserve System and on which Lender is open for business to the public.
"Collateral" shall mean, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, (a) that collateral permitted by the SEC under the Exchange Act and delivered to Lender pursuant to Section 3 or 4, and (b) all accounts in which such collateral is deposited and all securities and the like in which all cash collateral is invested or reinvested.
"Loan" shall mean a loan of securities hereunder.
"Margin Percentage" shall mean one hundred and two percent (102%) or such greater percentage as is agreed to by the parties pursuant to Section 1.1.
"Market Value" of a security means the fair market value of such security (including, in the case of any Borrowed Security that is a debt security, the accrued interest on such security) as determined by the independent pricing service designated by Lender, or by such other independent sources as may be selected on a reasonable basis by Lender.
"Prime Rate" shall mean the prime rate as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Edition, for the business day preceding the date on which such determination is made. If more than one rate is so quoted, the Prime Rate shall be the average of the rates so quoted.
"Replacement Value" shall mean the price, including any brokerage or other expenses and accrued interest, at which a like amount of securities identical to the Borrowed Securities could be purchased in the principal market for such securities at the time of the Lender's election under Section 10.1 hereof.
"U.S. Security" means a security issued or guaranteed by the United States government or any of its agencies.
Borrower and Lender as the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Loan of Securities.
1.1 Upon request of Borrower, Lender may, from time to time, in its discretion and on behalf of the Clients, lend securities to Borrower against the receipt of collateral delivered by Borrower. The parties shall agree on the terms of each Loan, including the identity and amount of the securities to be lent, the basis of compensation, and the type and amount of Collateral to be delivered by Borrower (subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement), which terms may be amended during the period of the Loan only by mutual agreement of the parties hereto.
1.2 Loans, all applicable terms and conditions thereof, and amendments and activity, if any, with respect thereto, shall be evidenced by Lender's records pertaining to such Loans maintained by Lender in the regular course of its business and such records shall represent conclusive evidence thereof except for manifest error or willful misconduct. Lender will send Borrower monthly statements of outstanding Loans showing Loan activity which Borrower agrees to examine promptly and to advise Lender of any error or exceptions. Borrower's failure to so advise Lender within twenty (20) days after delivery of any such statement shall be deemed to be Borrower's admission of the accuracy and correctness of the contents thereof and Borrower shall be fully bound thereby.
1.3 Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Agreement with respect to when a Loan occurs, a Loan hereunder shall not occur until the Borrowed Securities and the
Collateral therefor are delivered. If, on any Business Day, Borrower delivers Collateral, as provided in Section 2.1 hereunder, and Lender does not deliver the Borrowed Securities, Borrower shall have the absolute right to the prompt return of the Collateral; and if, on any Business Day, Lender delivers Borrowed Securities and Borrower does not deliver Collateral as provided in Section 2.1 hereunder, Lender shall have the absolute right to the prompt return of the Borrowed Securities.
2. Deliveries and Treatment of Collateral.
2.1 Concurrently with the receipt of the Borrowed Securities, Borrower shall deliver to Lender Collateral in an amount not less than the Margin Percentage of the current Market Value of the Borrowed Securities. The Collateral shall be delivered by one or both of the following methods, as agreed to by the parties pursuant to Section 1.1: (a) Borrower delivering U.S. Securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry system to the account of Lender at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and/or (b) Borrower delivering federal funds to the Lender's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
2.2 The Collateral delivered by Borrower to Lender, as adjusted pursuant to
Section 4 below, shall be security for the due and punctual performance by
Borrower of any and all of its obligations to the Lender hereunder and under
any other securities loan agreement between Borrower and Lender, now or
hereafter arising, and Borrower hereby pledges with, assigns to, and grants
Lender a continuing first security interest in, and a lien upon, the
Collateral. Such first security interest shall attach upon the delivery of the
Collateral to Lender, shall survive the termination of this Agreement, and
shall cease only upon the redelivery of the Collateral to Borrower subsequent
to the return of the Borrowed Securities to the Lender. In addition to the
rights and remedies given to Lender hereunder, Lender shall have all the rights
and remedies of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code of
Massachusetts.
2.3 It is understood that Lender may use or invest the Collateral, to the extent that such Collateral consists of cash. Such use or investment shall be at Lender's risk and, subject to the payment of an agreed rebate fee pursuant to Section 5.2, Lender shall be entitled to retain all income and profits therefrom and shall bear all losses therefrom. Except as provided in Section 10, Lender may not pledge, repledge, hypothecate, rehypothecate, lend, or relend the Collateral, to the extent such Collateral consists of other than cash. However, the Lender may commingle and hold non-cash Collateral in bulk.
2.4 With the approval of Lender, Borrower may at any time substitute for any securities held by Lender as Collateral for the Borrowed Securities other Collateral with respect to the Borrowed Securities of equal current Market Value to the Securities for which it is to be substituted. Prior to the maturity of any U.S. Security that is delivered to the Lender as Collateral, the Borrower shall replace such U.S. Security with other Collateral acceptable to the Lender and of equal current Market Value to the U.S. Security for which it
is to be substituted. Substituted collateral shall be considered Collateral for all purposes hereof.
2.5 Borrower shall be entitled to receive all distributions made on or in respect of non-cash Collateral the record or payable dates for which are during the term of the Loan and which are not otherwise received by Borrower, to the full extent it would be so entitled if the Collateral had not been delivered to Lender; provided, however, that the amount, type or value of such distribution which Borrower is entitled to receive hereunder shall not exceed the amount, type and value received by State Street or its agents. Any distributions made on or in respect of such Collateral which Borrower is entitled to receive under this section shall be paid by Lender to Borrower forthwith upon receipt by Lender, so long as Borrower is not in Default at the time of such receipt.
2.6 Except as provided in Sections 10 and 11 hereunder, Lender shall be obligated to return the Collateral to Borrower upon the return to Lender of the Borrowed Securities.
2.7 As further security for the due and punctual performance by Borrower of any and all obligations to Lender hereunder, or under any other securities loan agreement between Borrower and Lender, Borrower hereby grants and transfers to Lender a lien upon and a security interest in any and all property (together with the proceeds thereof) in which the Borrower at any time has rights and which at any time has been delivered, transferred, or deposited in or credited to an account with, the Lender or otherwise at any time is in the possession or under the control or recorded on the books of the Lender, whether expressly as collateral or for safekeeping or for any other or different purpose, including (without limitation) Collateral delivered as security under any other securities loan agreement between Borrower and Lender and any property which may be in transit by mail or carrier for any purpose, or converted or affected by any documents in the Lender's possession.
3. Deliveries and Treatment of Borrowed Securities.
3.1 Lender shall deliver the Borrowed Securities to Borrower by causing the Borrowed Securities to be credited to Borrower's account and debited from Lender's account within the Federal Reserve book-entry system, and such crediting and debiting shall result in receipt by Borrower and Lender of a notice of such crediting and debiting, which notice shall constitute a schedule of the Borrowed Securities.
3.2 Except as provided in Section 3.3, Borrower shall exercise all of the incidents of ownership with respect to the Borrowed Securities, including the right to transfer the Borrowed Securities to others, until the Borrowed Securities are returned to Lender in accordance with the terms hereof.
3.3 Lender shall be entitled to receive all distributions (including payments upon maturity and other redemption) made on or in respect of the Borrowed Securities, the record and/or payable dates for which are during the term of the Loan and which are not otherwise
received by Lender, to the full extent it would be so entitled if the Borrowed Securities had not been lent to Borrower, including, without limitation, interest payments, and any other distributions or other income. Payment of each such distribution shall be made by delivery of federal funds to the Lender's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on payable, maturity, or redemption date of such distribution.
4. Marks to Market; Maintenance of Collateral.
4.1 Borrower shall daily mark to market any Loans hereunder and in the event that at the close of trading on any day the Market Value of all the Collateral delivered by Borrower to Lender with respect to any Loan hereunder shall be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Market Value of all Borrowed Securities outstanding with respect to such Loan, Borrower shall deliver to Lender additional Collateral by the close of the next Business Day so that the Market Value of additional Collateral when added to Market Value of the Collateral with respect to such Loan shall equal at least the Margin Percentage of the Market Value of the Borrowed Securities outstanding with respect to such Loan. Such additional Collateral shall be delivered as provided in Section 3.1 above.
4.2 In the event that at the close of trading on any day the Market Value of
all the Collateral delivered by Borrower to Lender with respect to any Loan
hereunder shall be less than the Margin Percentage of the Market Value of all
the Borrowed Securities outstanding with respect to such Loan, Lender may, by
notice to Borrower, demand that Borrower deliver to Lender additional
Collateral so that the Market Value of such additional Collateral when added to
the Market Value of the Collateral with respect to such Loan shall equal at
least the Margin Percentage of the Market Value of the Borrowed Securities
outstanding with respect to such Loan. Such delivery is to be made by the close
of business of the day of Lender's notice to Borrower if such notice is given
before 11:30 a.m. on a Business Day. If Lender's notice is given after 11:30
a.m. on a Business Day or is given on a day other than a Business Day, such
delivery is to be made by the close of business of the next Business Day,
unless (a) such notice has been superseded by a proper demand made pursuant to
this Section 4.2 or Section 4.3 given before 11:30 a.m. of that next Business
Day or (b) a greater amount of additional Collateral is required to be
delivered on that next Business Day pursuant to Section 4.1. Such additional
Collateral shall be delivered as provided in Section 3.1 above.
4.3 In the event that at the close of trading on any day the Market Value of all the Collateral delivered by Borrower to Lender with respect to any Loan hereunder shall be greater than the Margin Percentage of the Market Value of all the Borrowed Securities outstanding with respect to such Loan, Borrower may, by notice to Lender, demand that Lender redeliver to Borrower such amount of Collateral as may be selected by Borrower, so long as the Market Value of the remaining Collateral equals at least the Margin Percentage of the Market Value of the Borrowed Securities outstanding with respect to such Loan. Such redelivery is to be made by the close of business of the day of Borrower's notice to Lender if such notice is given before 11:30 a.m. on a Business Day. If Borrower's notice is given after 11:30 a.m. on a Business Day or is given on a day other than a Business Day, such redelivery
is to be made by the close of business of the next Business Day, unless (a)
such notice has been superseded by a proper demand made pursuant to Section 4.2
or this Section 4.3 given before 11:30 a.m. of that next Business Day, or (b)
additional Collateral is required to be delivered on that next Business Day
pursuant to Section 4.1. Such Collateral shall be delivered as provided in
Section 3.1 above.
5. Fees.
5.1 When the agreement to lend securities is made, the parties shall agree on the basis of compensation to be paid in respect of the Loan.
5.2 To the extent that a Loan of Borrowed Securities is collateralized by cash, the parties may agree that Lender's compensation shall consist of the right to use and invest such cash Collateral, and that, in consideration for such right to use and invest cash Collateral, Lender will pay Borrower a loan rebate fee computed daily for each such Loan and based on the amount of cash Collateral delivered with respect to such Loan. The amount of such loan rebate fee shall be computed daily from the first Business Day that cash Collateral is delivered to Lender, through and including the earliest of: (a) the date next preceding the date that such cash Collateral is returned to Borrower; (b) the date of a Default by Borrower; and (c) the date Lender gives notice of termination pursuant to Section 8.2, provided that the parties may mutually agree that a loan rebate fee will be paid for all or an agreed upon number of days after such notice is given (but in no event for a period beyond the earlier of the dates described in clauses (a) and (b) of this sentence). Provided the Borrower is not in Default, such loan rebate fee shall be payable upon the date the Borrowed Securities are returned to the Lender upon termination of the Loan.
5.3 To the extent that a Loan of Borrowed Securities is collateralized by other than cash, the parties may agree that Borrower shall pay to Lender a loan premium based on the par value of the borrowed securities. The amount of such loan premium shall be computed from the first Business Day that the Borrowed Securities are delivered to Borrower, through and including the date next preceding the date that securities identical to the Borrowed Securities are returned to Lender pursuant to Section 8 or the date that Lender makes a purchase of securities or an election to treat the Borrowed Securities as sold pursuant to Section 10.1 Any fee payable by Borrower hereunder shall be payable upon the earliest of the following: (a) the seventh Business Day of the month following the month in which the fee was incurred; or (b) immediately, in the event of a Default hereunder by Borrower; or (c) the date this Agreement is terminated.
5.4 All transfer taxes and transfer fees with respect to any transfers hereunder of Borrowed Securities shall be paid by Borrower.
6. Representations of the Parties.
The parties hereby make the following representations and warranties, which shall continue during the term of any Loan hereunder;
6.1 Each party hereto represents and warrants that (a) it has the power to
execute and deliver this Agreement, to enter into the Loans contemplated
hereby, and to perform its obligations hereunder; (b) it has taken all
necessary action to authorize such execution, delivery, and performance; and
(c) this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid, and binding obligation
enforceable against it (in the case of Lender, in its capacity as trustee,
custodian or agent of the Clients).
6.2 Each party hereto represents and warrants that the execution, delivery and performance by it of this Agreement and each Loan hereunder will at all times comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those of applicable securities regulatory and self-regulatory organizations.
6.3 Each party hereto represents and warrants that it has made its own determination as to the tax treatment of any dividends, remuneration, or other funds received hereunder.
6.4 Borrower represents and warrants that (a) it is a corporation,
partnership, or other entity duly organized and validly existing under federal
law or the laws of the state of its organization, (b) it is a broker-dealer
registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), a
bank within the meaning of Section 3(a)(6)(A)-(C) of the Exchange Act or a
government securities dealer or a government securities broker as defined in
Section 400.3 of the regulations promulgated by the Department of the Treasury
under Section 15C of the Exchange Act and registered or exempt from
registration pursuant to said Act, (c) it has, or will have at the time of
delivery of any Collateral, the right to grant a first security interest
therein subject to the terms and conditions hereof, and (d) it (or the party to
whom it relends the Borrowed Securities) is borrowing or will borrow the
Borrowed Securities (except for Borrowed Securities that qualify as "exempted
securities" under Regulation T of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System) for the purpose of making delivery of such securities in the case of
short sales, failure to receive securities required to be delivered, or as
otherwise permitted pursuant to Regulation T.
6.5 Borrower represents that the statements provided to Lender pursuant to
Section 7 fairly represent its financial condition and the financial position
of any parent company and, if the Borrower is a broker or a government
securities dealer or government securities broker, its net capital ratio as of
the date of such statements, and that there has been no material adverse change
in its financial condition or the financial condition of any parent company or
net capital ratio since that date that has not been disclosed in writing to
Lender. Each request by Borrower for a Loan shall constitute a present
representation: (a) that there has been no material adverse change in
Borrower's financial condition or the financial condition of any parent company
that has not been disclosed in writing to Lender, since the date of the most
recent statement furnished to Lender pursuant to Section 7; and (b) that, as
of the date of such request for a Loan, if the Borrower is a broker or a government securities dealer or government securities broker, it is in compliance with Rule 15c3-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Exchange Act as modified, in the case of a Borrower which is a government securities broker or government securities dealer, by the regulations promulgated by the Department of the Treasury under Section 15C of said Act.
6.6 To the extent that Lender has provided Borrower with written statements identifying any of its Clients as employee benefit plans subject to title I of the Employees Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), each request by Borrower for a Loan shall constitute a present representation that, except as disclosed in writing by Borrower to Lender, neither Borrower nor any Affiliate of Borrower is a "fiduciary" (within the meaning of Section 3(21) of ERISA) with respect to the assets of the Clients so identified that may be Borrowed Securities hereunder.
[6.7 Borrower represents and warrants that it has an unqualified obligation to reimburse [name of Guarantor] for the full amount of any and all payments made or required to be made by [name of Guarantor] in compliance with the Bank Act (Canada)] Note: Delete unless Borrower's obligations are being guaranteed by a Canadian Bank
6.7[8] Lender represents and warrants (a) that it is a trust company duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and (b) that it has, or will have at the time of delivery of any Borrowed Securities, the authority to deliver, on behalf of its Client(s), the Borrowed Securities subject to the terms and conditions hereof.
7. Covenants.
7.1 If Borrower is a broker or a government securities dealer or government
securities broker, it makes the covenants set forth in this Section 7.1. Upon
execution of this Agreement, Borrower shall deliver to the Lender Borrower's
and Borrower's parent company's most recent statements required to be furnished
to Borrower's and Borrower's parent company's customers by Rule 17a-5(c) and
(d) of the SEC under the Exchange Act as modified, in the case of a Borrower
which is a government securities broker or government securities dealer, by the
regulations promulgated by the Department of the Treasury under Section 15C of
said Act. As long as any Loan is outstanding under this Agreement, Borrower
shall promptly deliver to Lender all such statements subsequently required to
be furnished to Borrower's and Borrower's parent company's customers by such
Rule. Upon execution of this Agreement, Borrower shall also deliver to Lender
Borrower's and Borrower's parent company's most recent financial information
otherwise available to its shareholders, the SEC, or the public, including
(without limitation) the most recent available audited and unaudited statements
of Borrower's and Borrower's parent company's financial conditions and any
report of notice required by Rules 17a-5(a)(2)(i) and (ii) and 17a-11 of the
SEC under the Exchange Act as modified, in the case of a Borrower which is a
government securities broker or government securities dealer, by regulations
promulgated by the Department of the
Treasury under Section 15C of said Act. As long as any Loan is outstanding under this Agreement, Borrower will promptly deliver to the Lender all such financial information subsequently available, and any other financial information or statements that Lender may reasonably request.
7.2 If Borrower is a Bank, Borrower makes the covenants set forth in this
Section 7.2. Upon execution of this Agreement, Borrower shall furnish to Lender
(i) the most recent available audited statement of Borrower's and Borrower's
parent company's financial condition, and (ii) the most recent available
unaudited statement of Borrower's and Borrower's parent company's financial
condition. As long as any Loan is outstanding under this Agreement, Borrower
will promptly deliver to Lender all such financial information that is
subsequently available, and any other financial information or statements that
Lender may reasonably request.
8. Termination of Loan without Default.
8.1 Borrower may cause the termination of a Loan at any time by returning the Borrowed Securities to Lender.
8.2 Lender may cause the termination of a Loan by giving notice of termination of such Loan to Borrower on any Business Day. Upon such notice, Borrower shall deliver Borrowed Securities to Lender no later than the earlier of:
(a) the close of operations of the federal book entry system on the same Business Day on which Lender gives notice of termination of such Loan to Borrower, provided that such notice is given to Borrower on or before 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time); or
(b) the close of operations of the federal book entry system on the first Business Day following the day on which Lender gives notice of termination of such Loan to Borrower, provided that such notice is given to Borrower after 9:00 a.m. but before 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
8.3 Borrower's delivery of the Borrowed Securities to Lender pursuant to
Section 8.1 or 8.2 shall be made by causing the account of the Lender at the
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to be credited with securities identical to the
Borrowed Securities. Upon such delivery by or on behalf of Borrower, Lender
shall concurrently therewith deliver the Collateral (as adjusted pursuant to
Section 4) to Borrower; provided, however, that if upon the return of the
Borrowed Securities there is not sufficient time for Lender to effect a return
of the Collateral to Borrower through the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on
that same day, Lender may return such Collateral on the next day such return
can be so effected.
9. Events of Default
9.1 All loans between Borrower and Lender may (at the option of the non-defaulting party, exercised by notice to the defaulting party) be terminated immediately upon the occurrence of any one or more of the following events (individually, a "Default"):
(a) if either party fails to return Borrowed Securities or Collateral as required by Section 8 hereof;
(b) if either party fails to deliver or return Collateral, as required by
Section 4 hereof;
(c) if either party fails to make the payment of distributions as required by Section 2.5 and 3.3 hereof and such default is not cured within one Business Day of notice of such failure to Borrower or Lender, as the case may be;
(d) if either party or any parent company of the Borrower makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they become due, or files or becomes subject to a petition in bankruptcy or is adjudicated as bankrupt or insolvent, or files or becomes subject to a petition seeking reorganization, liquidation, dissolution, or similar relief under any present or future law or regulation, or seeks, consents to or acquiesces in the appointment of any trustee, receiver, or liquidator of it or any material part of its properties;
(e) if Borrower (if it is a broker or a government securities dealer or government securities broker) is suspended or expelled from membership or participation in the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, or any other securities exchange or securities association, or if it is suspended from dealing in securities by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury, or if its authority to deal in securities is suspended or revoked under any state securities law or regulation;
(f) if Borrower (if it is a Bank) or Lender has its license, charter, or other authorization necessary to conduct a material portion of its business withdrawn, suspended or revoked by any applicable federal or state government of agency thereof;
(g) if it is found that the Borrower has made a material misrepresentation of its financial condition or the financial condition of any parent company;
(h) if Borrower (if it is a broker or government securities dealer or government securities broker) becomes subject to Rule 17a-11 of the SEC under the Exchange Act as modified, in the case of a Borrower which is a government securities broker or government securities dealer, by regulations promulgated by the Department of the Treasury under Section 15C of said Act;
(i) if Borrower breaches any covenants, representations, or agreements herein;
(j) if a final judgment for the payment of money shall be rendered against Borrower and such judgment shall not have been discharged or its execution stayed pending appeal within sixty (60) days of entry or such judgment shall not have been discharged within sixty (60) days of expiration of any such stay.
9.2 All references to "Lender" in this Agreement shall be construed to reflect that each Client shall have, in connection with any Loan or Loans entered into by Lender as agent on its behalf, the rights, responsibilities, privileges and obligations of a "Lender" directly entering into such Loan or Loans with Borrower under the Agreement. Both Lender and its Client shall be deemed "parties" to this Agreement such that all references to Lender in this Agreement shall be deemed to include references to each Client; provided, however, a Default by Lender and/or Client with respect to a loan or loans on behalf of one Client shall be an event of Default by that Client and the Borrower may not treat all other loans between Borrower and Lender (on behalf of non-defaulting Clients) as being in Default.
9.3 In the event: (i) Borrower and Lender enter into other securities loan agreements as well as this Agreement (to govern, for example, borrowing different security types) and, (ii) Borrower defaults under this Agreement or under any other securities loan agreements with Lender, the default under that one agreement would be considered an event of default under all securities loan agreements between Borrower and Lender. Borrower acknowledges that should it default under this or any of its other securities loan agreements with Lender, a surplus of collateral under one loan to Borrower under one securities loan agreement may be applied to another loan to Borrower under another securities loan agreement. Borrower further acknowledges that such cross collateralization applies to loans from all Clients to Borrower so that in the event of default, collateral from an overcollateralized loan from one Client may be applied to an undercollateralized loan from another Client.
10. Lender's Remedies on Borrower's Default.
10.1 In the event of any Default by Borrower under Section 9 hereof, Lender
shall have the right, in addition to any other remedies provided herein or
under applicable law (without further notice to Borrower), at its option either
(a) to purchase a like amount of the Borrowed Securities in any market for such
securities or (b) to elect to treat the Borrowed Securities as having been
purchased by Borrower at a purchase price equal to the Replacement Value.
Lender may apply the Collateral to the payment of such purchase, after
deducting therefrom all amounts, if any, due Lender under this Agreement,
including (without limitation) Sections 2 and 5 hereof. In such event,
Borrower's obligation to return the Borrowed Securities shall terminate. The
Lender shall not be obligated to assert or enforce any rights, liens or
security interest hereunder or to take any action in reference thereto, and the
Lender may in its discretion at any time relinquish its rights hereunder as to
particular property, in each case without thereby affecting or invalidating its rights hereunder as to all or any other property securing or purporting to secure the Loans. Borrower shall be liable to Lender for the cost of funds which Lender must advance to purchase such securities during any stay on the application of the Collateral (whether such stay is automatic or imposed by a court or any other governmental agency).
10.2 In the event such purchase price or Replacement Value exceeds the amount of the Collateral, Borrower shall be liable to Lender for the amount of such excess (plus all amounts, if any, due to Lender hereunder) together with interest on all such amounts at the Prime Rate, as it fluctuates from day to day, on demand from the date of such purchase or election until the date of payment of such excess. Lender shall have, as security for Borrower's obligation to pay such excess, a first security interest in or right of setoff against any property of Borrower then held by Lender (in any capacity) and any other amount payable by Lender (in any capacity) to Borrower including, without limitation, any property of Borrower then held by the Lender under any other security loan agreement between the Lender and the Borrower. The purchase price of securities purchased under this Section 10 shall include broker's fees and commissions and all other reasonable costs, fees, and expenses related to such purchase. Upon the satisfaction of all of Borrower's obligations hereunder, any remaining Collateral shall be returned to Borrower.
10.3 This section applies if Borrower is a broker. Without waiving any rights given to the Lender hereunder, it is understood that the provisions of the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 may not protect the Lender with respect to Borrowed Securities hereunder and that, therefore, the Collateral delivered to the Lender may constitute the only source of satisfaction of Borrower's obligations in the event Borrower fails to return the Borrowed Securities.
11. Borrower's Remedies on Lender's Default.
11.1 In the event of any Default by Lender under Section 9 hereof, Borrower shall have the right to sell an amount of the Borrowed Securities, in the principal market for such securities, that will provide proceeds equal in value to the Market Value of the Collateral on the date of Default. In such event, Borrower may retain the proceeds of such sale and Lender's obligation to return the Collateral shall terminate. In the event the sale price received from such securities is less than the value of the Collateral, Lender shall be liable to Borrower for the amount of any deficiency (plus all amounts, if any, due to Borrower hereunder). Upon the satisfaction of all Lender's obligations hereunder, any remaining Borrowed Securities shall be returned to Lender.
12. Reserved.
13. INDEMNIFICATION.
Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Lender, each Client, and in the case of a Client that is an employee benefit plan, the sponsor and fiduciaries of such plan, from any and all damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including attorney's fees) that the Lender or any such Client, plan sponsor, or plan fiduciary may incur or suffer due to the failure of the Borrower to perform its obligations under this Agreement. This right to indemnification shall survive the termination of any Loan or of this Agreement.
14. Waiver.
The failure of either party to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term of any other term of this Agreement. All waivers in respect of a Default must be in writing.
15. Continuing Agreement; Termination.
It is the intention of the parties hereto that, subject to the termination provisions set forth herein, this Agreement shall constitute a continuing agreement in every respect and shall apply to each and every Loan, whether now existing or hereafter made by Lender to Borrower. Borrower and Lender may each at any time terminate this Agreement upon five (5) days' written notice to the other to that effect. The sole effect of any such termination of this Agreement will be that, following such termination, no further Loans by Lender shall be made or considered made hereunder, but the provisions hereof shall continue in full force and effect in all other respects until all Loans have been terminated and all obligations satisfied as herein provided.
16. Notices.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, notices under this Agreement may be made orally, in writing, or by any other means mutually acceptable to the parties. If in writing, a notice shall be sufficient if delivered to the party entitled to receive such notices at the following addresses:
If to Lender: State Street Bank and Trust Company Securities Finance Division One Lincoln Street, Floor 3 Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Attn.: U.S. Government Securities Lending Area |
Telephone and facsimile notices shall be sufficient if communicated to the party entitled to receive such notice at the following numbers:
If to Borrower:
Telephone _______________ Facsimile _______________
If to Lender:
Telephone (6l7) 644-BOND(2663) Facsimile (6l7) 644-2667
The parties shall promptly notify each other in writing of any change of address, addressee, telephone number or facsimile number. Lender shall consider Borrower's address, addressee, telephone number and facsimile number correct unless Borrower notifies Lender in writing otherwise.
17. Time.
All times specified herein shall be based on New York City time.
18. Securities Contracts.
Each party hereto agrees that this Agreement and the Loans made hereunder shall be "securities contracts" for purposes of the Bankruptcy Code and any bankruptcy proceeding thereunder.
19. Superseding Agreement.
This Agreement supersedes any other agreement between the parties concerning loans of securities between the parties hereto.
20. Assignments.
This Agreement shall not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, representatives, successors and assigns.
21. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Service of Process.
This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Borrower hereby irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of any Massachusetts state or federal court sitting in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in any action or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement, hereby irrevocably agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such Massachusetts state or Federal court except that this provision shall not preclude any
party from removing any action to Federal court. Borrower hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding. Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints ________________ [Massachusetts Person] as its agent to receive on its behalf service of copies of the summons and complaint and any other process which may be served in any such action or proceeding (the "Process Agent"). Such service may be made by mailing or delivering a copy of such process, in care of the Process Agent at the above address. Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Process Agent to accept such service on its behalf. As an alternative method of service, Borrower also irrevocably consents to the service of any and all process in any such action or proceeding by the mailing of copies of such process to Borrower at its address specified in Section 16 hereof. Borrower agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding, all appeals having been taken or the time period for such appeals having expired, shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.
22. Severability.
The provisions of this Agreement are severable and the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement. If in the construction of this Agreement any court should deem any provision to be invalid because of scope or duration, then such court shall forthwith reduce such scope or duration to that which is appropriate and enforce this Agreement in its modified scope or duration.
23. Modification.
This Agreement shall not be modified, except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.
BORROWER:
Name ------------------------------ By ------------------------------ Title ------------------------------ LENDER: STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, in its capacity as trustee, custodian, or agent of the Clients. Name ------------------------------ By ------------------------------ Title ------------------------------ |
Schedule A
This Schedule is attached to and made part of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated the 1st day of September 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, EACH ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B, SEVERALLY AND NOT JOINTLY (the "Funds") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY ("State Street").
Schedule of Fees
1. Subject to Paragraph 2 below, all proceeds collected by State Street on investment of cash Collateral or any fee income shall be allocated, with respect to each Fund, as follows:
. Sixty-Five percent (65%) payable to the Fund, and
. Thirty-Five percent (35%) payable to State Street.
2. All payments to be allocated under Paragraph 1 above shall be made after deduction of such other amounts payable to State Street or to the Borrower under the terms of this Securities Lending Authorization Agreement.
3. Cash Collateral may only be invested in the State Street Securities Lending Quality Trust.
On an annualized basis, the management/trustee/custody/fund administration fee for investing cash Collateral in the Securities Lending Quality Trust (the "Investment Trust") is not more than 7.00 basis points netted out of yield. The trustee of the Investment Trust may pay out of the assets of the Investment Trust all reasonable expenses and fees of the Investment Trust, including professional fees or disbursements incurred in connection with the operation of the Investment Trust.
Schedule A-1
This Schedule is attached to and made part of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated the 1st day of September 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, EACH ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B, SEVERALLY AND NOT JOINTLY (the "Funds") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY ("State Street").
FUNDS SECURITIES LOAN LIMITATION ----- -------------------------- IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund 33 1/3% Hansberger International Fund 33 1/3% IXIS U.S. Diversified Portfolio 33 1/3% IXIS Value Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund 33 1/3% Vaughan Nelson Small Cap Value Fund 33 1/3% Westpeak Capital Growth Fund 33 1/3% IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II Harris Associates Large Cap Value Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free Income Fund 33 1/3% IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III Harris Associates Focused Value Fund 33 1/3% IXIS Equity Diversified Portfolio 33 1/3% IXIS Moderate Diversified Portfolio 33 1/3% IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV AEW Real Estate Fund 33 1/3% IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust IXIS Cash Management Trust - Money Market Series 33 1/3% |
Loomis Sayles Funds I Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Funds II Loomis Sayles High Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Limited Term Government and Agency Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Research Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Value Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund 33 1/3% Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 33 1/3% |
Schedule 8.1
This Schedule is attached to and made part of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated the 1st day of September 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, EACH ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B, SEVERALLY AND NOT JOINTLY (the "Funds") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY ("State Street").
Acceptable Forms of Collateral
. Cash (U.S. and foreign currency)
Schedule B
This Schedule is attached to and made part of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated the 1st day of September 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, EACH ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B, SEVERALLY AND NOT JOINTLY (the "Funds") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY ("State Street").
Fund Name Taxpayer Id Number Tax Year-End IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund 04-2443453 December 31st Hansberger International Fund 04-3293754 December 31st IXIS U.S. Diversified Portfolio 04-3231674 December 31st IXIS Value Fund 04-2464932 December 31st Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund 04-2519841 September 30th Vaughan Nelson Small Cap Value Fund 04-3331744 December 31st Westpeak Capital Growth Fund 04-3159430 December 31st IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II Harris Associates Large Cap Value Fund 04-1990692 December 31st Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free Income Fund 04-6502765 September 30th IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III Harris Associates Focused Value Fund 04-3543882 December 31st IXIS Equity Diversified Portfolio 51-0532614 December 31st IXIS Moderate Diversified Portfolio 76-0759073 December 31st IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV AEW Real Estate Fund 04-3510288 January 31st |
IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust IXIS Cash Management Trust - Money Market Series 04-6447044 June 30th Loomis Sayles Funds I Loomis Sayles Bond Fund 04-3113274 September 30th Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund 04-3219175 September 30th Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund 04-3113281 September 30th Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund 65-1214747 September 30th Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund 04-3362512 September 30th Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund 04-3448648 September 30th Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 04-3219179 September 30th Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund 04-3113271 September 30th Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund 51-0544654 September 30th Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund 04-3113283 September 30th Loomis Sayles Funds II Loomis Sayles High Income Fund 04-2814890 September 30th Loomis Sayles Limited Term Government and Agency Fund 04-6610760 September 30th Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund 04-2603057 September 30th Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund 04-3268670 September 30th Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund 04-3339561 September 30th Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 04-3113270 September 30th Loomis Sayles Research Fund 04-3520219 September 30th Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund 04-3339593 September 30th Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund 04-3339616 September 30th Loomis Sayles Value Fund 04-3113285 September 30th Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund 04-3308834 September 30th Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund 04-3284782 September 30th |
Schedule B-1
This Schedule is attached to and made part of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated the 1st day of September 2005 between IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST I, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST II, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST III, IXIS ADVISOR FUNDS TRUST IV, IXIS ADVISOR CASH MANAGEMENT TRUST, LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS I, and LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II, EACH ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE SERIES AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE B, SEVERALLY AND NOT JOINTLY (the "Funds") and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY ("State Street").
FUNDS EFFECTIVE DATE OF AGREEMENT ----- --------------------------- IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I CGM Advisor Targeted Equity Fund September 1, 2005 Hansberger International Fund September 1, 2005 IXIS U.S. Diversified Portfolio September 1, 2005 IXIS Value Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund October 1, 2005 Vaughan Nelson Small Cap Value Fund September 1, 2005 Westpeak Capital Growth Fund September 1, 2005 IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II Harris Associates Large Cap Value Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Massachusetts Tax Free Income Fund October 1, 2005 IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III Harris Associates Focused Value Fund September 1, 2005 IXIS Equity Diversified Portfolio September 1, 2005 IXIS Moderate Diversified Portfolio September 1, 2005 IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV AEW Real Estate Fund September 1, 2005 |
IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust IXIS Cash Management Trust - Money Market Series September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Funds I Loomis Sayles Bond Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Funds II Loomis Sayles High Income Fund October 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Limited Term Government and Agency Fund October 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Municipal Income Fund October 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Strategic Income Fund October 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Bond Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Growth Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Research Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Aggressive Growth Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Value Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Worldwide Fund September 1, 2005 Loomis Sayles Tax-Managed Equity Fund September 1, 2005 |
Exhibit (j)
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 30 to the registration statement on Form N-1A ("Registration Statement") of our reports dated November 23, 2005, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights which appear in the September 30, 2005 Annual Reports to Shareholders of the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles Fixed Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Global Bond Fund, Loomis Sayles High Income Opportunities Fund, Loomis Sayles Inflation Protected Securities Fund (formerly Loomis Sayles U.S. Government Securities Fund), Loomis Sayles Institutional High Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Intermediate Duration Fixed Income Fund, Loomis Sayles Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund, and Loomis Sayles Small Cap Value Fund, each a series of Loomis Sayles Funds I, which are also incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also consent to the references to us under the headings "Financial Highlights" and "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" in such Registration Statement.
/s/ PRICEWATERSHOUSE COOPERS LLP -------------------------------- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Boston, Massachusetts January 26, 2006 |
Exhibit (n)
IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust IV
Loomis Sayles Funds I
Loomis Sayles Funds II
Amended and Restated Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940
Effective as of August, 2005
Each series of IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust I,
IXIS Advisor Funds Trust II, IXIS Advisor Funds Trust III, IXIS Advisor Funds
Trust IV, Loomis Sayles Funds I and Loomis Sayles Funds II (each series
individually a "Fund" and such Trusts collectively the "Trusts") may from time
to time issue one or more of the following classes of shares: Class A shares,
Class B shares, Class C shares, Class J shares, Class Y shares, Admin Class
shares, Institutional Class shares and Retail Class shares. Shares of each
class of a Fund shall represent an equal pro rata interest in such Fund and,
generally, shall have identical voting, dividend, liquidation, and other
rights, preferences, powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications and
terms and conditions, except that: (a) each class shall have a different
designation; (b) each class shall bear any Class Expenses, as defined in below;
(c) each class shall have separate voting rights on any matter submitted to
shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of
any other class, and shall have exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted
to shareholders that relates solely to that class; and (d) each class may have
different conversion and exchange rights, as described below. In addition, each
class is subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of
eligibility as are set forth in the Funds' prospectuses (including statements
of additional information) as from time to time in effect. The differences in
expenses among these classes of shares, and the conversion and exchange
features of each class of shares, are set forth below in this Plan, which is
subject to change, to the extent permitted by law and by the Declaration of
Trust and By-Laws of each Trust, by action of the Board of Trustees of each
Trust. IXIS Advisor Cash Management Trust (the "Money Market Fund") in certain instances is treated differently. In such instances, the treatment is specifically noted.
Initial Sales Charge
Class A shares are offered at a public offering price that is equal to their net asset value ("NAV") plus a sales charge of up to 5.75% of the public offering price (which maximum may be less for certain Funds, as described in the Funds' prospectuses as from time to time in effect). The sales charges on Class A shares are subject to reduction or waiver as permitted by Rule 22d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and as described in the Funds' prospectuses as from time to time in effect.
Prior to December 1, 2000, Class C shares were offered at a public offering price equal to their NAV, without an initial sales charge. From December 1, 2000 through January 31, 2004, Class C shares were offered at a public offering price that was equal to their net asset value ("NAV") plus a sales charge of 1.00% of the public offering price (which maximum may be less for certain Funds, as was described in the Funds' then effective prospectuses as may have been in effect from time to time ). The sales charges on Class C shares were subject to reduction or waiver as permitted by Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act and as described in the Funds' then effective prospectuses as may have been in effect from time to time. On and after February 1, 2004, Class C shares are offered at a public offering price equal to their NAV, without an initial sales charge.
Class J shares of the Funds are offered at a public offering price that is equal to their net asset value ("NAV") plus a front end sales charge of up to 3.50% of the public offering price (which maximum may be less for certain Funds, as described in the Fund's prospectus as from time to time in effect). The sales charges on Class J shares are subject to reduction or waiver as permitted by Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act and as described in the Funds' prospectuses as from time to time in effect.
Class B, Class C, Class Y, Admin Class, Retail Class and Institutional Class shares are offered at their NAV, without an initial sales charge.
Class A shares of the Money Market Fund are offered at their net asset value ("NAV"), without an initial sales charge.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
Purchases of Class A shares of $1 million or more, purchases of Class C shares or purchases by certain retirement plans as described in the Funds prospectuses, that are redeemed within one year from purchase are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (a "CDSC") of 1% of either the purchase price or the NAV of the shares redeemed, whichever is less. Class A and C shares are not otherwise subject to a CDSC.
Class B shares that are redeemed within 6 years from purchase are subject to a CDSC of up to 5% (4% for shares purchased prior to May 1, 1997) of either the purchase price or the NAV of the shares redeemed, whichever is less; such percentage declines the longer the shares are held, as described in the Funds' prospectuses as from time to time in effect. Class B shares purchased with reinvested dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to a CDSC.
The CDSC on Class A, Class B and Class C shares is subject to reduction or waiver in certain circumstances, as permitted by Rule 6c-10 under the 1940 Act and as described in the Funds' prospectuses as from time to time in effect.
Class J, Class Y, Admin Class, Institutional Class and Retail Class shares are not subject to any CDSC.
Class A, Class B and Class C shares of the Money Market Fund are offered at their net asset value ("NAV"), without a CDSC.
Service, Administration and Distribution Fees
Class A, Class B, Class C, Class J, Admin Class and Retail Class shares pay distribution and service fees pursuant to plans adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "12b-1 Plans") for such classes. Class A, Class B, Class C, Class J, Admin Class and Retail Class shares also bear any costs associated with obtaining shareholder approval of any amendments to a 12b-1 Plan. There is no 12b-1 Plan for Class Y or Institutional Class shares. Amounts payable under the 12b-1 Plans are subject to such further limitations as the Trustees may from time to time determine and as set forth in the registration statement of each Fund as from time to time in effect.
Class A, Class B, Class C, Retail Class shares each pay, pursuant to the 12b-1 Plans, a service fee of up to .25% per annum of the average daily net assets
attributable to such class (which percentage may be less for certain Funds, as described in the Funds' registration statements as from time to time in effect).
Class A shares do not pay a distribution fee pursuant to the 12b-1 Plans.
Class B and Class C shares pay, pursuant to the 12b-1 Plans, a distribution fee of up to .75% per annum of the average daily net assets attributable to such class of shares.
Class J shares pay, pursuant to the 12b-1 Plans, distribution and service fees of up to .75% of the average net assets attributable to Class J shares (which percentage may be less for certain Funds, as described in the Funds' registration statements as from time to time in effect).
Admin Class shares pay, pursuant to the 12b-1 Plans, distribution and service fees of up to .25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Admin class shares. In addition, Admin Class shares pay administrative fees to certain financial intermediaries for providing personal service and account maintenance for their customers who hold Admin class shares. These fees are paid on the average daily net assets attributable to Admin Class shares at the annual rate stated in the Funds' registration statements as from time to time in effect.
Class A, Class B and Class C shares of the Money Market Fund do not pay any distribution or service fees.
Conversion and Exchange Features
Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares of the same Fund eight years after purchase, except that Class B shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and other distributions on Class B shares convert to Class A shares at the same time as the shares with respect to which they were purchased are converted. This conversion from Class B shares to Class A shares occurs once per month for all Class B shares that reach their eighth year over the course of that particular month. Class Y shares of a Fund purchased through wrap fee programs offered by certain broker-dealers will, upon termination of the holder's participation in the wrap fee program and at the discretion of the broker-dealer, be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund.
A Retail Class shareholder of a Fund who accumulates shares with a value greater than or equal to the minimum investment amount for Institutional Class shares of that same Fund may, at the shareholder's option upon written notice to the Trust, convert the shareholder's Retail Class shares of that Fund into Institutional Class shares of the same Fund at NAV, provided that the shareholder would otherwise be eligible to purchase Institutional Class shares of the Fund. An Institutional Class shareholder may, upon written notice to the Trust, convert the shareholder's Institutional Class shares into Retail Class shares of the same Fund at NAV if the investment option or program through which the shareholder invests no longer permits the use of Institutional Class shares in that option or program or if the shareholder is otherwise no longer eligible to participate in Institutional Class shares, provided that the shareholder would otherwise be eligible to purchase Retail Class shares of the Fund.
Class A, Class C, Class Y, Class J or Admin Class shares do not convert to any other class of shares.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Class A shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, for Class A shares of any other Fund that offers Class A shares without the payment of a sales charge, except that if Class A shares of a Fund are exchanged for shares of a Fund with a higher sales charge, then the difference in sales charges must be paid on the exchange. The holding period for determining any CDSC will include the holding period of the shares exchanged. Class A shares may also be exchanged for Class A shares of the Money Market Fund, in which case the holding period for purposes of determining the expiration of the CDSC on such shares, if any, will stop and will resume only when an exchange is made back into Class A shares of a Fund other than the Money Market Fund. If the Money Market Fund shares received in an exchange are subsequently redeemed for cash, they will be subject to a CDSC to the same extent that the shares exchanged would have been subject to a CDSC at the time of the exchange into the Money Market Fund. Class A shares of the Money Market Fund so purchased may be exchanged for Class A shares of a Fund without sales charge or CDSC to the same extent as the Class A shares exchanged for the Money Market Fund Class A shares could have been so exchanged. The holding period for determining any CDSC for the acquired Fund shares will not include the period during which the Money Market Fund shares were held, but will include the holding period for the Class A Fund shares that were exchanged for the Money Market Fund
shares. Class A shares of the Money Market Fund on which no sales charge was previously paid or for which no holding period for purposes of determining the applicable CDSC may be exchanged for Class A shares of any other Funds on the basis of relative net asset value plus the sales charge applicable to initial purchases of Class A shares of the other Fund into which the shareholder is exchanging, and the holding period for purposes of determining the CDSC will commence at the time of the exchange.
Class A shares of a Fund acquired in connection with certain deferred compensation plans offered by New England Life Insurance Company ("NELICO") and its affiliates to any of their directors, senior officers, agents or general agents may be exchanged, at the holder's option and with the consent of NELICO, for Class Y shares of the same Fund or for Class Y shares of any other Fund that offers Class Y shares.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Class B shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, for Class B shares of any other Fund that offers Class B shares, without the payment of a CDSC. The holding period for determining the CDSC and the conversion to Class A shares will include the holding period of the shares exchanged. Class B shares of any Fund may also be exchanged for Class B shares of the Money Market Fund, without the payment of a CDSC, in which case the holding period for purposes of determining the expiration of the CDSC on such shares, if any, will stop and will resume only when an exchange is made back into Class A shares of a Fund other than the Money Market Fund. If the Money Market Fund shares received in an exchange are subsequently redeemed for cash, they will be subject to a CDSC to the same extent that the shares exchanged would have been subject to a CDSC at the time of the exchange into the Money Market Fund. If such Money Market Fund shares are exchanged for Class B shares of a Fund other than the Money Market Fund, no CDSC will apply to the exchange, and the holding period for the acquired shares will include the holding period of the shares that were exchanged for the Money Market Fund shares (but not the period during which the Money Market Fund shares were held). Class B shares of the Money Market Fund may be exchanged for Class B shares of any other Fund on the basis of relative net asset value, subject to the CDSC schedule of the Fund acquired. For purposes of computing the CDSC payable upon redemption of shares acquired by such exchange, and the conversion of such shares to Class A shares, the holding period of any other Fund's shares that were exchanged for
Class B shares of the Money Market Fund is included, but the holding period of the Class B shares of the Money Market Fund is not included.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Class C shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, for Class C shares of any other Fund that offers Class C shares, without payment of a CDSC. The holding period for determining the CDSC will include the holding period of the shares exchanged. Class C shares may also be exchanged for Class C shares of the Money Market Fund without the payment of a CDSC in which case the holding period for purposes of determining the expiration of the CDSC on such shares, if any, will stop and will resume only when an exchange is made back into Class C shares of a Fund. If the Money Market Fund shares received in an exchange are subsequently redeemed for cash, they will be subject to a CDSC to the same extent that the shares exchanged would have been subject to a CDSC at the time of the exchange into the Money Market Fund. Class C shares of the Money Market Fund may be exchanged for Class C shares of any other Fund on the basis of relative net asset value, subject to the CDSC schedule of the Fund acquired. Class C shares in accounts of a Money Market Fund that were established prior to December 1, 2000 or that had previously been subject to a sales charge or that are established after January 31, 2004, may be exchanged for Class C shares of a Fund without a sales charge. Class C shares in accounts of a Money Market Fund established on or after December 1, 2000 and through January 31, 2004 may have been exchanged into Class C shares of a Fund subject to the Fund's applicable sales charge and CDSC.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Class J shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, for Class J shares of any other Fund that offers Class J shares without the payment of a sales charge.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as
from time to time in effect, Class Y shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at
the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, (i) for
Class Y shares of any other Fund that offers Class Y shares, (ii) for
Institutional Class of any other Fund that offers Institutional Class or
(iii) for Class A shares of the Money Market Fund that does not offer Class Y
shares or Institutional Class shares to the general public.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Admin Class shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, for Admin Class shares of any other Fund that offers Admin Class shares without the payment of a sales charge. Admin Class shares may also be exchanged for Class A shares of the Money Market Fund.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Institutional Class shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, (i) for Institutional Class shares of any other Fund that offers Institutional Class shares, (ii) for Class Y shares of any other Fund that offers Class Y shares or (iii) for Class A shares of the Money Market Fund that does not offer Class Y shares or Institutional Class shares to the general public.
To the extent provided in the registration statement of the relevant Fund as from time to time in effect, Retail Class shares of any Fund may be exchanged, at the holder's option and subject to minimum investment requirements, for Retail Class shares of any other Fund that offers Retail Class shares without the payment of a sales charge. Retail Class shares may also be exchanged for Class A shares of the Money Market Fund.
All exchanges are subject to the eligibility requirements or other restrictions of the Fund to which the shareholder is exchanging. The Funds reserve the right to terminate or limit the exchange privilege of any shareholder deemed to be engaging in market timing activity as defined in the Funds' prospectuses as from time to time in effect. The Funds may terminate or change the exchange privilege at any time upon 60 days' notice to shareholders.
Allocation of Income and Expenses
Each Class of shares pays the expenses associated with its different distribution and shareholder servicing arrangements ("Account Expenses"). Each class of shares may, at the Trustees' discretion, also pay a different share of other expenses (together with 12b-1 fees and Account Expenses, "Class Expenses"), not including advisory fees or other expenses related to the management of the Trust's assets, if these expenses are actually incurred in a different amount by that class, or if the class receives services of a different kind or to a different degree than other classes.
The gross income of each Fund generally shall be allocated to each class on the basis of net assets. To the extent practicable, certain expenses (other than Class Expenses as defined above, which shall be allocated more specifically) shall be subtracted from the gross income on the basis of the net assets of each class of each Fund. These expenses include:
. Expenses incurred by a Trust (including, but not limited to, fees of Trustees, insurance and legal counsel) not attributable to a particular Fund or to a particular class of shares of a Fund ("Trust Level Expenses"); and
. Expenses incurred by a Fund not attributable to any particular class of the Fund's shares (for example, advisory fees, custodial fees, or other expenses relating to the management of the Fund's assets) ("Fund Expenses").
Expenses of a Fund shall be apportioned to each class of shares depending upon the nature of the expense item. Trust Level Expenses and Fund Expenses shall be allocated among the classes of shares based on their relative net assets in relation to the net assets of the relevant Trust. Approved Class Expenses shall be allocated to the particular class to which they are attributable. However, if a Class Expense can no longer be attributed to a class, it will be charged to a Fund for allocation among classes in proportion to the net assets of each such class. Any additional Class Expenses not specifically identified above which are subsequently identified and determined to be properly allocated to one class of shares shall not be so allocated until approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust in light of the requirements of the 1940 Act and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").
Each Trust reserves the right to utilize any other appropriate method to allocate income and expenses among the classes, including those specified in Rule 18f-3(c)(1), provided that a majority of the Trustees and a majority of the Independent Trustees determine that the method is fair to the shareholders of each class and consistent with the requirements of Rule 18f-3.
Exhibit (p)(2)
LOOMIS, SAYLES & CO., L.P.
Code of Ethics
Policy on Personal Trading and Related Activities by Loomis Sayles Personnel
EFFECTIVE:
January 14, 2000
AS AMENDED:
January 1, 2003
March 1, 2004
January 1, 2005
LOOMIS, SAYLES & CO., L.P.
Code of Ethics
Policy on Personal Trading and Related Activities
1. INTRODUCTION
This Code of Ethics ("Code") has been adopted by Loomis, Sayles & Co., L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") to govern personal trading in securities and related activities of those individuals whom have been deemed Access Persons thereunder, and under certain circumstances, those Access Persons' family members and others in a similar relationship to them.
The policies in this Code reflect Loomis Sayles' desire to detect and prevent not only situations involving actual or potential conflicts of interest or unethical conduct, but also those situations involving even the appearance of these.
2. STATEMENT OF GENERAL PRINCIPLES
It is the policy of Loomis Sayles that no Access Person as defined under the Loomis Sayles' Code, (please note that Loomis Sayles treats all employees as Access Persons) shall engage in any act, practice or course of conduct that would violate the Code, the fiduciary duty owed by Loomis Sayles and its personnel to Loomis Sayles' clients, Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), or the provisions of Section 17(j) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and Rule 17j-1 there under. The fundamental position of Loomis Sayles is, and has been, that it must at all times place the interests of its clients first. Accordingly, your personal financial transactions (and in some cases, those of your family members and others in a similar relationship to you) and related activities must be conducted consistently with this Code and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or abuse of your position of trust and responsibility.
Without limiting in any manner the fiduciary duty owed by Loomis Sayles to its clients, it should be noted that Loomis Sayles considers it proper that purchases and sales be made by Access Persons in the marketplace of securities owned by Loomis Sayles' clients, provided that such securities transactions comply with the spirit of, and the specific restrictions and limitations set forth in the Code. In making personal investment decisions, however, you must exercise extreme care to ensure that the provisions of the Code are not violated and under no circumstances, may an Access Person use the knowledge of Covered Securities purchased or sold by any client of Loomis Sayles or Covered Securities being considered for purchase or sale by any client of Loomis Sayles to profit personally, directly or indirectly, by the market effect of such transactions.
Improper trading activity can constitute a violation of the Code. The Code can also be violated by your failure to file required reports, by making inaccurate or misleading reports or statements concerning trading activity, or by opening an account with a non-Select Broker.
It is not intended that these policies will specifically address every situation involving personal
trading. These policies will be interpreted and applied, and exceptions and amendments will be made, by Loomis Sayles in a manner considered fair and equitable, but in all cases with the view of placing Loomis Sayles' clients' interests paramount. It also bears emphasis that technical compliance with the procedures, prohibitions and limitations of this Code will not automatically insulate you from scrutiny of, and sanctions for, securities transactions which indicate an abuse of Loomis Sayles' fiduciary duty to any of its clients.
You are encouraged to bring any questions you may have about the Code to Personal Trading Compliance. Please do not guess at the answer.
Personal Trading Compliance, the Chief Compliance Officer and the Ethics Committee will review the terms and provisions of the Code at least annually and make amendments as necessary. Any amendments to the Code will be provided to you.
3. A FEW KEY TERMS
Boldfaced terms have special meaning in this Code. The application of a particular Code requirement to you may hinge on the elements of the definition of these terms. See the Glossary at the end of this Code for definitions of these terms. In order to have a basic understanding of the Code, however, you must have an understanding of the terms "Covered Security", "Beneficial Ownership" and "Investment Control" as used in the Code.
3.1 Covered Security
This Code generally relates to transactions in and ownership of an investment that is a Covered Security. Currently, this means any type of equity or debt security (such as common and preferred stocks, and corporate and government bonds or notes), any equivalent (such as ADRs), any derivative, instrument representing, or any rights relating to, a Covered Security, and any closely related security (such as certificates of participation, depository receipts, put and call options, warrants, and related convertible or exchangeable securities and securities indices). Shares of closed-end funds, municipal obligations and securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government (e.g. GNMA obligations) are also considered Covered Securities under the Code.
Additionally, the shares of any investment company that is registered under
the Investment Company Act that is advised, sub-advised, or distributed by
Loomis Sayles, and those investment companies that are advised, sub-advised, or
distributed by any affiliated investment adviser within the IXIS organization
(e.g. IXIS Asset Management Advisers, Harris Associates, Hansberger, etc.)
("Reportable Funds") are deemed to be Covered Securities for purposes of
certain provisions of the Code. Reportable Funds include any closed-end funds
but exclude money market funds. A current list of Reportable Funds is attached
as Exhibit One and will be maintained on the firm's intranet site under the
Legal and Compliance page.
All Access Persons are expected to comply with the spirit of the Code, as well as the specific rules contained in the Code. Therefore, while the list of Reportable Funds is subject to change, it is ultimately the responsibility of all Access Persons to determine whether or not an investment company or mutual fund is advised, sub-advised, or distributed by Loomis Sayles or advised, sub-advised, or distributed by an IXIS investment adviser prior to investing in such a fund to ensure that you comply with all aspects of the Code regarding your investment in a Reportable Fund.
Please see Exhibit Two for the application of the Code to a specific Covered Security or instrument.
It should be noted that private placements, hedge funds and investment pools are deemed to be Covered Securities for purposes of the Code whether or not advised, sub-advised, or distributed by Loomis Sayles or an IXIS investment adviser. Investments in such securities are discussed under sections 4.14 and 5.2.
3.2 Beneficial Ownership
The Code governs any Covered Security in which you have any direct or indirect "Beneficial Ownership." Beneficial Ownership for purposes of the Code means a direct or indirect "pecuniary interest" that is held or shared by you directly or indirectly (through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise) in a Covered Security. The term "pecuniary interest" in turn generally means your opportunity directly or indirectly to receive or share in any profit derived from a transaction in a Covered Security, whether or not the Covered Security or the relevant account is in your name and regardless of the type of account (i.e. brokerage account, direct account, or retirement plan account). Although this concept is subject to a variety of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") rules and interpretations, you should know that you are presumed under the Code to have an indirect pecuniary interest as a result of:
. ownership of a Covered Security by your spouse or minor children;
. ownership of a Covered Security by a live-in partner who shares your household and combines his/her financial resources in a manner similar to that of married persons;
. ownership of a Covered Security by your other family members sharing your household (including an adult child, a stepchild, a grandchild, a parent, stepparent, grandparent, sibling, mother- or father-in-law, sister- or brother-in-law, and son- or daughter-in-law);
. your share ownership, partnership interest or similar interest in Covered Securities held by a corporation, general or limited partnership or similar entity you control;
. your right to receive dividends or interest from a Covered Security even if that right is separate or separable from the underlying securities;
. your interest in a Covered Security held for the benefit of you alone or for you and others in a trust or similar arrangement (including any present or future right to income or principal); and
. your right to acquire a Covered Security through the exercise or conversion of a "derivative Covered Security."
Explanatory Note:
Any account of an Access Person, even if also a client account of the firm, will be subject to the Code as an account in which an Access Person has Beneficial Ownership.
Please see Exhibit Three to this Code for specific examples of the types of interests and accounts subject to the Code.
3.3 Investment Control
The Code governs any Covered Security in which you have direct or indirect "Investment Control." The term Investment Control encompasses any influence (i.e., power to manage, trade, or give instructions concerning the investment disposition of assets in the account or to approve or disapprove transactions in the account), whether sole or shared, direct or indirect, you exercise over the account or Covered Security.
You should know that you are presumed under the Code to have Investment Control as a result of having:
. Investment Control (shared) over your personal brokerage account(s)
. Investment Control (shared) over an account(s) in the name of your spouse or minor children, unless, you have renounced an interest in your spouse's assets (subject to the approval of Personal Trading Compliance)
. Investment Control (shared) over an account(s) in the name of any family member, friend or acquaintance
. Involvement in an Investment Club
. Trustee power over an account(s)
. The existence and/or exercise of a power of attorney over an account
Please see Exhibit Three to this Code for specific examples of the types of interests and accounts subject to the Code.
3.4 Maintaining Personal Accounts
All Access Persons who have personal accounts that hold or can hold Covered Securities in which they have direct or indirect Investment Control and Beneficial Ownership are required to maintain such accounts at one of the following firms: Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch or TD Waterhouse (collectively, the "Select Brokers"). Additionally, an Access Person may only purchase and hold shares of Reportable Funds through either a Select Broker, directly from the Reportable Fund through its transfer agent, or through one or more of Loomis Sayles' retirement plans.
Accounts in which the Access Person only has either Investment Control or Beneficial Ownership; certain retirement accounts with an Access Person's prior employer; and/or the retirement accounts of an Access Person's spouse may be maintained with a firm other than the Select Brokers with the approval of Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer.
4. SUBSTANTIVE RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING
The following are substantive prohibitions and restrictions on your personal trading and related activities. In general, the prohibitions set forth below relating to trading activities apply to accounts holding Covered Securities in which an Access Person has Beneficial Ownership and Investment Control.
4.1 Preclearance
Each Access Person must pre-clear through the iTrade Preclearance System ("iTrade System") all Volitional transactions in Covered Securities (including Reportable Funds) (i.e. transactions in which the Access Person has determined the timing as to when the purchase or sale transaction will occur and amount of shares to be purchased or sold) and all transactions in closed-end mutual funds regardless of whether or not the fund is a Reportable Fund in which he or she has Investment Control and in which he or she has or would acquire Beneficial Ownership. Limited exceptions to the preclearance requirement are set forth in Exhibit Four.
Explanatory Note: Fixed income transactions, short sales, warrants and options transactions in Covered Securities must be manually pre-cleared by Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer since the iTrade System cannot currently handle such transactions. Initial and secondary public offerings, private placements transactions, including hedge funds whether or not they are advised, sub-advised, or distributed by Loomis Sayles or an IXIS investment adviser. Participation in investment clubs and private pooled vehicles require special preclearance as detailed under Sections 4.13, 4.14 and 5.2 of the Code.
Any transaction approved pursuant to the preclearance request procedures must be executed by the end of the trading day on which it is approved unless Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer, or designee thereof, extends the pre-clearance for an additional trading day. If the Access Person's trade has not been executed by the end of the same trading day (or the next trading day in the case of an extension), the "preclearance" will lapse and the Access Person may not trade without again seeking and obtaining preclearance of the intended trade.
Preclearance requests can only be submitted through iTrade and/or to Personal Trading Compliance Monday - Friday from 9:30am-4:00pm Eastern Standard Time.
If after preclearance is given and before it has lapsed, an Access Person becomes aware that a Covered Security as to which he or she obtained preclearance has become the subject of a buy or sell order or is being considered for purchase or sale for a client account, the Access Person who obtained the preclearance must consider the preclearance revoked. If the transaction has already been executed before the Access Person becomes aware of such facts, no violation will be considered to have occurred as a result of the Access Person's transactions.
If an Access Person has actual knowledge that a requested transaction is nevertheless in violation of this Code or any provision thereof, approval of the request will not protect the Access Person's transaction from being considered in violation of the Code. The Chief Compliance Officer or Personal Trading Compliance may deny or revoke preclearance for any reason that is deemed to be consistent with the spirit of the Code.
4.2 Good Until Canceled and Limit Orders
No Access Person shall place a "good until canceled," "limit" or equivalent order with his/her broker except that a Access Person may utilize a "day order with a limit" so long as the transaction is consistent with provisions of this Code, including the preclearance procedures. All orders must expire at the end of the trading day on which they are pre-cleared unless otherwise extended by Personal Trading Compliance.
4.3 Short Term Trading Profits
No Access Person may profit from the Volitional purchase and sale, or conversely the Volitional sale and purchase, of the same or equivalent Covered Security (including Reportable Funds) within 60 calendar days. Hardship exceptions may be requested (in advance) from Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer.
An Access Person may sell a Covered Security (including Reportable Funds) or cover an existing short position at a loss within 60 calendar days. Such request must be submitted to the iTrade System and to Personal Trading Compliance for approval because the iTrade System does not have the capability to determine whether the Covered Security will be sold at a gain or a loss.
4.4 Restrictions on Round Trip Transactions in Reportable Funds
In addition to the 60 day holding period requirement for purchases and sales of Reportable Funds, with the exception of closed-end Reportable Funds, an Access Person is prohibited from purchasing, selling and then re-purchasing shares of the same Reportable Fund within a 90 day period ("Round Trip" restriction). The Round Trip restriction does not limit the number of times an Access Person can purchase a Reportable Fund or sell a Reportable Fund during a 90 day period. In fact, subject to the holding period requirement described above, an Access Person can purchase a Reportable Fund (through one or multiple transactions) and can liquidate their position in that fund (through one or several transactions) during a 90 day period. However, an Access Person cannot then reacquire a position in the same Reportable Fund previously sold within the same 90 day period.
The Round Trip restriction will only apply to Volitional transactions in Reportable Funds. Therefore, shares of Reportable Funds acquired through a dividend reinvestment or dollar cost averaging program, and automatic monthly contributions to the firm's 401K plan will not be considered when applying the Round Trip restriction.
Finally, all Volitional purchase and sale transactions of Reportable Funds, in any share class and in any employee account (i.e., direct account with the Reportable Fund, Select Broker account, 401K account, etc.) will be matched for purposes of applying the Round Trip restriction.
4.5 Futures and Related Options
No Access Person shall use derivatives including futures, options on futures, or options or warrants on a Covered Security to evade the restrictions of the Code. In other words, no Access Person may use derivative transactions with respect to a Covered Security if the Code would prohibit the Access Person from taking the same position directly in the Covered Security.
4.6 Short Sales
No Access Person may purchase a put option, sell a call option, sell a Covered Security short or otherwise take a short position in a Covered Security then being held in a Loomis Sayles client account, unless, in the cases of the purchase of a put or sale of a call option, the option is on a broad based index.
4.7 Competing with Client Trades
Except as set forth in Section 4.9, an Access Person may not, directly or indirectly, purchase or sell a Covered Security (Reportable Funds are not subject to this rule.) when the Access Person knows, or reasonably should have known, that such Covered Securities transaction competes in the market with any actual or considered Covered Securities transaction for any client of Loomis Sayles, or otherwise acts to harm any Loomis Sayles client's Covered Securities transactions.
Generally preclearance will be denied if:
. a Covered Security or a closely related Covered Security is the subject of a pending "buy" or "sell" order for a Loomis Sayles client until that buy or sell order is executed or withdrawn.
. the Covered Security is being considered for purchase or sale for a Loomis Sayles client, until that security is no longer under consideration for purchase or sale.
. the Covered Security is on the Loomis Sayles "Restricted List" or "Concentration List" (or such other trading restriction list as Loomis Sayles, may from time to time establish).
For those transactions pre-cleared through the iTrade System, such system will have the information necessary to deny preclearance if any of these situations apply. Therefore, you may assume the Covered Security is not being considered for purchase or sale for a client account unless you have actual knowledge to the contrary in which case, the preclearance you received is null and void. For Covered Securities requiring manual preclearance (i.e. bonds, futures, options, warrants and short sales of Covered Securities), the applicability of such restrictions will be determined by Personal Trading Compliance upon the receipt of the preclearance request.
4.8 Investment Person Seven-Day Blackout
Except as set forth in Section 4.9 below, no Investment Person shall, directly or indirectly, purchase or sell any Covered Security (Reportable Funds are not subject to this rule.) within a period of seven (7) calendar days (trade date being day zero) before and after the date that a Loomis Sayles client, with respect to which he or she is an Investment Person, has purchased or sold such Covered Security. It is ultimately the Investment Person's responsibility to understand the rules and restrictions of the Code and to know what Covered Securities are being traded in his/her client(s) account(s) or any account(s) with which he/she is associated.
Explanatory Note:
The "seven days before" element of this restriction is based on the premise that an Investment Person can normally be expected to know, when he or she is effecting a personal trade, whether any client as to which he or she is designated an Investment Person has traded, or will be trading in the same Covered Security within seven days of the Investment Person's trade. Furthermore, an Investment Person has a fiduciary obligation to recommend and/or effect suitable and attractive trades for clients regardless of whether such trades may cause a prior personal trade to be considered an apparent violation of this restriction. It would constitute a breach of fiduciary duty and a violation of this Code to delay or fail to make any such recommendation or transaction in a client account in order to avoid a conflict with this restriction.
It is understood that there maybe particular circumstances (i.e. news on an issuer, a client initiated liquidation, subscription or rebalancing) that may occur after an Investment Person's personal trade which gives rise to an opportunity or necessity for his or her client to trade in that Covered Security which did not exist or was not anticipated by that person at the time of that person's personal trade. Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer, will review any extenuating circumstances which may warrant the waiving of any remedial actions in a particular situation involving an inadvertent violation of this restriction.
4.9 Large Cap/De Minimis Exemption
An Access Person who wishes to make a trade in a Covered Security that would otherwise be denied preclearance solely because the Covered Security is under consideration or pending execution for a client as provided in Section 4.7 or an Investment Person who wishes to make a trade in a Covered Security that would otherwise be denied preclearance solely because either the Covered Security is under consideration or pending execution for a client as provided in Section 4.7 or because such transaction would violate the Investment Person Seven Day Blackout Restriction set forth in Section 4.8 above, will nevertheless receive preclearance provided that:
. The issuer of the Covered Security in which the Access Person wishes to transact has a market capitalization exceeding U.S. $5 billion (a "Large Cap Security"), AND
. The aggregate amount of the Access Person's transactions in that Large Cap Security on that day across all personal accounts does not exceed $10,000 USD.
Such transactions will be subject to all other provisions of the Code
4.10 Research Analyst Three-Day Blackout Before a Recommendation
During the three (3) business day period before a Research Analyst issues a Recommendation on a Covered Security, that Research Analyst may not purchase or sell that Covered Security.
Explanatory Note:
It's understood that there may be particular circumstances such as a news release, change of circumstance or similar event that may occur after a Research Analyst's personal trade which gives rise to a need, or makes it appropriate, for a Research Analyst to issue a Recommendation on said Covered Security. A Research Analyst has an affirmative duty to make unbiased Recommendations and issue reports, both with respect to their timing and substance, without regard to his or her personal interest. It would constitute a breach of a Research Analyst's fiduciary duty and a violation of this Code to delay or fail to issue a Recommendation in order to avoid a conflict with this restriction.
Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer, will review any extenuating circumstances which may warrant the waiving of any remedial sanctions in a particular situation involving an inadvertent violation of this restriction.
4.11 Access Person Seven-Day Blackout After Recommendation Change
During the seven (7) day period after a Recommendation is issued for a Covered Security, no Access Person may purchase or sell that Covered Security. A request to pre--clear a transaction in a Covered Security will be denied if there has been a Recommendation issued for such Covered Security during the past seven (7) days.
4.12 Hedge Fund Team Restrictions
Due to the unique trading practices and strategies associated with hedge funds, a hedge fund team member (i.e., any Investment Person for a hedge fund) is prohibited from trading Covered Securities in their personal brokerage accounts that are eligible investments for the hedge fund with which he/she is associated. Hedge fund team members must therefore, contact Personal Trading Compliance for special preclearance approval prior to executing any personal securities transactions.
4.13 Initial and Secondary Public Offerings
Investing in Initial and Secondary Public Offerings of Covered Securities is prohibited unless such opportunities are connected with your prior employment compensation (i.e. options, grants, etc.) or your spouse's employment compensation. No Access Person may, directly or indirectly, purchase any Covered Security sold in an Initial or Secondary Public Offering without obtaining prior written approval from the Chief Compliance Officer.
4.14 Private Placement Transactions
No Access Person may, directly or indirectly, purchase any Covered Security offered and sold pursuant to a Private Placement Transaction without obtaining prior written approval from the Chief Compliance Officer. A request for an approval form for a private placement investment can be obtained by contacting Personal Trading Compliance.
Explanatory Note:
If you have been authorized to acquire a Covered Security in a Private Placement Transaction, you must disclose to Personal Trading Compliance if you are involved in a client's subsequent consideration of an investment in the issuer of the Private Placement, even if that investment involves a different type or class of Covered Security. In such circumstances, the decision to purchase securities of the issuer for a client must be independently reviewed by an Investment Person with no personal interest in the issuer.
The purchase of additional shares or the subsequent sale of an approved Private Placement Transaction does not require preclearance provided there are no publicly traded Covered Securities in the corporation, partnership or limited liability company whose shares the Access Person owns. However, if the issuer of the Private Placement has publicly traded Covered Securities, then the sale of such Private Placements must be pre-cleared with Personal Trading Compliance. Further, additional purchases and any subsequent sales of an approved private placement, regardless of whether or not the issuer is publicly traded, must be reported quarterly and annually as detailed in Section 6 of the Code.
4.15 Exemptions Granted by the Chief Compliance Officer
Subject to applicable law, the Chief Compliance Officer may from time to time grant exemptions, other than or in addition to those described in Exhibit Four, from the trading restrictions, preclearance requirements or other provisions of the Code with respect to particular individuals such as non-employee directors, consultants, temporary employee, intern or independent contractor, and types of transactions or Covered Securities, where in the opinion of the Chief Compliance Officer, such an exemption is appropriate in light of all the surrounding circumstances.
5. PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED ACTIVITIES
5.1 Public Company Board Service and Other Affiliations
To avoid conflicts of interest, inside information and other compliance and business issues, the firm prohibits Access Persons from serving as officers or members of the board of any publicly traded entity. This prohibition does not apply to service as an officer or board member of any parent subsidiary of the firm.
In addition, in order to identify potential conflicts of interests, compliance and business issues, before accepting any service, employment, engagement, connection, association, or affiliation in or within any enterprise, business or otherwise, (herein after, collectively outside activity(ies)), an Access Person must obtain the advance written approval of Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer and the applicable Access Person's supervisor or other appropriate member of senior management.
A request form for approval of such Outside Activities can be obtained by contacting Personal Trading Compliance. In determining whether to approve such Outside Activity, Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer will consider whether such service will involve an actual or perceived conflict of interest with client trading, place impediments on Loomis Sayles' ability to trade on behalf of clients or otherwise materially interfere with the effective discharge of Loomis Sayles' or the Access Person's duties to clients.
5.2 Participation in Investment Clubs and Private Pooled Vehicles
No Access Person shall participate in an investment club or invest in a hedge fund, or similar private organized investment pool (but not an SEC registered open-end mutual fund) without the express permission of Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer, whether or not the investment vehicle is advised, sub-advised or distributed by Loomis Sayles or an IXIS investment adviser.
6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
6.1 Initial Holdings Reporting, Account Disclosure and Acknowledgement of Code
Within 10 days after becoming an Access Person, each Access Person must file with Personal Trading Compliance, a report (by paper) of all Covered Securities holdings (including holdings of Reportable Funds) in which such Access Person has Beneficial Ownership or Investment Control. The information contained therein must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the individual becoming an Access Person.
Additionally, within 10 days of becoming an Access Person, such Access Person must report all brokerage or other accounts that hold or can hold Covered Securities in which the Access Person has Beneficial Ownership or Investment Control. The information must be as of the date the person became an Access Person. An Access Person can satisfy these reporting requirements by providing Personal Trading Compliance with a current copy of his or her brokerage account or other account statements, which hold or can hold Covered Securities.
Explanatory Note:
Loomis Sayles treats all of its employees as Access Persons. Therefore, you are deemed to be an Access Person as of the first day you begin working for the firm.
Finally, upon becoming an Access Person and annually thereafter, each Access Person must acknowledge that he or she has received, read and understands the Code and recognizes that he or she is subject hereto, and certify that he or she will comply with the requirements of the Code.
6.2 Brokerage Confirmations and Brokerage Account Statements
Each Access Person must notify Personal Trading Compliance immediately upon opening an account that holds or may hold Covered Securities (including Reportable Funds), and must assist Personal Trading Compliance in ensuring that Loomis Sayles receives copies of the Access Person's confirmations and account statements for all accounts holding Covered Securities in which the Access Person has either Beneficial Ownership or Investment Control.
6.3 Quarterly Transaction Reporting and Account Disclosure Procedure
Utilizing the automated reporting procedure ("Blue Sheets"), each Access Person must file by electronic means a Blue Sheet on all Volitional transactions in Covered Securities (including Volitional transactions in Reportable Funds) made during each calendar quarterly period in which such Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires or disposes of, any Beneficial Ownership of a Covered Security (even if such Access Person has no direct or indirect Investment Control over such Covered Security), or as to which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Investment Control (even if such Access Person has no Beneficial Ownership in such Covered Security). Non-volitional transactions in Covered Securities (including Reportable Funds) are subject to annual reporting only and are not required for purposes of the Blue Sheets (such as automatic monthly payroll deductions, changes to future contributions within the Loomis Sayles Retirement Plans, dividend reinvestment programs, dollar cost averaging programs, and transactions made within the Guided Choice Program). If no transactions in any Covered Securities, required to be reported, were effected during a quarterly period by an Access Person, such Access Person shall nevertheless submit a Blue Sheet within the time frame specified below stating that no reportable securities transactions were affected.
Access Persons are also required to report each account that may hold or holds Covered Securities (including accounts that hold or may hold Reportable Funds) opened or closed by the Access Person during the reporting period, other then those accounts described in Exhibit Three.
Every Blue Sheet must be submitted not later than thirty (30) calendar days after the close of each calendar quarter.
6.4 Annual Holdings and Code Compliance Reporting Requirements
On an annual basis, by a date specified by Personal Trading Compliance, each Access Person must file with Personal Trading Compliance a dated Annual Package which identifies all holdings in Covered Securities (including Reportable Funds) in which such Access Person has a Beneficial Ownership and/or over which such Access Person has Investment Control. This reporting requirement also applies to shares of Covered Securities, including shares of Reportable Funds that were acquired during the year in Non-volitional transactions. The information in the Annual Package shall reflect holdings in the Access Person's account(s) that are current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date on which the Annual Package was submitted.
Additionally, on an annual basis, each Access Person must acknowledge that he/she has received, read and understood the Code and Loomis Sayles Policies and Procedures on Insider Trading ("Insider Trading Policy") and recognizes that he/she is subject thereto, and certify that he/she has complied with the requirements of the Code and Insider Trading Policy during the past year, except as otherwise disclosed in writing to Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer.
6.5 Review of Reports by Chief Compliance Officer
The Chief Compliance Officer shall establish procedures as the Chief Compliance Officer may from time to time determine appropriate for the review of the information required to be compiled under this Code regarding transactions by Access Persons and to report any violations thereof to all necessary parties.
6.6 Internal Reporting of Violations to the Chief Compliance Officer
Prompt internal reporting of any violation of the Code to the Chief Compliance Officer or Personal Trading Compliance is required under Rule 204A-1. While the daily monitoring process undertaken by Personal Trading Compliance is designed to identify any violations of the Code and handle any such violations immediately, Access Persons are required to promptly report any violations they learn of resulting from either their own conduct or those of other Access Persons to the Chief Compliance Officer or Personal Trading Compliance. It is incumbent upon Loomis Sayles to create an environment that encourages and protects Access Persons who report violations. In doing so, individuals have the right to remain anonymous in reporting violations. Furthermore, any form of retaliation against an individual who reports a violation could constitute a further violation of the Code, as deemed appropriate by the Chief Compliance Officer. All Access Persons should therefore feel safe to speak freely in reporting any violations.
7. SANCTIONS
Any violation of the substantive or procedural requirements of this Code will result in the imposition of a sanction as set forth in the firm's then current Sanctions Policy, or as the Ethics Committee may deem appropriate under the circumstances of the particular violation. These sanctions may include, but are not limited to:
. a letter of caution or warning (i.e. Procedures Notice);
. payment of a fine, disgorgement of profits generated or payment of losses avoided and/or restitution to an affected client;
. suspension of personal trading privileges;
. actions affecting employment status, such as suspension of employment without pay, demotion or termination of employment; and
. referral to the SEC, other civil authorities or criminal authorities.
Serious violations, including those involving deception, dishonesty or knowing breaches of law or fiduciary duty, will result in one or more of the most severe sanctions regardless of the violator's history of prior compliance.
Fines, penalties and disgorged profits will be donated to a charity selected by the Loomis Sayles Charitable Giving Committee.
8. RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS
Loomis Sayles shall maintain and preserve records, in an easily accessible place, relating to the Code of the type and in the manner and form and for the time period prescribed from time to time by applicable law. Currently, Loomis Sayles is required by law to maintain and preserve:
. in an easily accessible place, a copy of this Code (and any prior Code of Ethics that was in effect at any time during the past five years) for a period of five years;
. in an easily accessible place a record of any violation of the Code and of any action taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;
. a copy of each report (or information provided in lieu of a report including any manual preclearance forms and information relied upon or used for reporting) submitted under the Code for a period of five years, provided that for the first two years such copy must be preserved in an easily accessible place;
. copies of Access Persons' written acknowledgment of receipt of the Code;
. in an easily accessible place, a record of the names of all Access Persons within the past five years, even if some of them are no longer Access Persons, the holdings and transactions reports made by these Access Persons, and records of all Access Persons' personal securities reports (and duplicate brokerage confirmations or account statements in lieu of these reports);
. a copy of each report provided to any Investment Company as required by paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor provision for a period of five years following the end of the fiscal year in which such report is made, provided that for the first two years such record shall be preserved in an easily accessible place; and
. a written record of any decision, and the reasons supporting any decision, to approve the purchase by a Access Person of any Covered Security in an Initial or Secondary Public Offering or Private Placement Transaction or other limited offering for a period of five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.
Explanatory Note:
Under Rule 204-2, the standard retention period required for all documents and records listed above is five years, in easily accessible place, the first two years in an appropriate office of Personal Trading Compliance.
9. MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 Confidentiality
Loomis Sayles will keep information obtained from any Access Person hereunder in strict confidence. Notwithstanding the forgoing, reports of Covered Securities transactions and violations hereunder will be made available to the SEC or any other regulatory or self-regulatory organizations to the extent required by law rule or regulation, and in certain circumstances, may in Loomis Sayles' discretion be made available to other civil and criminal authorities. In addition, information regarding violations of the Code may be provided to clients or former clients of Loomis Sayles that have been directly or indirectly affected by such violations.
9.2 Disclosure of Client Trading Knowledge
No Access Person may, directly or indirectly, communicate to any person who is not an Access Person or other approved agent of Loomis Sayles (e.g., legal counsel) any non-public information relating to any client of Loomis Sayles or any issuer of any Covered Security owned by any client of Loomis Sayles, including, without limitation, the purchase or sale or considered purchase or sale of a Covered Security on behalf of any client of Loomis Sayles, except to the extent necessary to comply with applicable law or to effectuate Covered Securities transactions on behalf of the client of Loomis Sayles.
9.3 Notice to Access Persons, Investment Personnel and Research Analysts as to Status
Personal Trading Compliance will initially determine an employee's status as an Access Person, Research Analyst or Investment Person and the client accounts to which Investment Persons should be associated, and will inform such persons of their respective reporting and duties under the Code.
All Access Persons and/or the applicable Supervisor thereof, have an obligation to inform Personal Trading Compliance if an Access Person's responsibilities change during the Access Person's tenure at Loomis Sayles.
9.4 Notice to Personal Trading Compliance of Engagement of Independent Contractors
Any person engaging a consultant, temporary employee, intern or independent contractor shall notify Personal Trading Compliance of this engagement and provide to Personal Trading Compliance, the information necessary to make a determination as to how the Code shall apply to such consultant, temporary employee, intern or independent contractor, if at all.
9.5 Questions and Educational Materials
Employees are encouraged to bring to Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief
Compliance Officer any questions you may have about interpreting or complying with the Code about Covered Securities, accounts that hold or may hold Covered Securities or personal trading activities of you, your family, or household members, about your legal and ethical responsibilities or about similar matters that may involve the Code.
Personal Trading Compliance will from time to time circulate educational materials or bulletins or conduct training sessions designed to assist you in understanding and carrying out your duties under the Code.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The boldface terms used throughout this policy have the following meanings:
1. "Access Person" means an "access person" as defined from time to time in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act or any applicable successor provision. Currently, this means any director, or officer of Loomis Sayles, or any Advisory Person (as defined below) of Loomis Sayles.
2. "Advisory Person" means an "advisory person" and "advisory representative" as defined from time to time in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204-2(a)(12) under the Advisers Act, respectively, or any applicable successor provision. Currently, this means (i) every employee of Loomis Sayles (or of any company in a Control relationship to Loomis Sayles), who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of a Covered Security by Loomis Sayles on behalf of clients, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and (ii) every natural person in a Control relationship to Loomis Sayles who obtains information concerning recommendations made to a client with regard to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security. Advisory Person also includes: (a) any other employee designated by Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer as an Advisory Person under this Code; (b) any consultant, temporary employee, intern or independent contractor (or similar person) engaged by Loomis Sayles designated as such by Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer as a result of such person's access to information about the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by Loomis Sayles on behalf of clients (by being present in Loomis Sayles offices, having access to computer data or otherwise) and (c) members of the Board of Directors of Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc., the sole general partner of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., who are not employees of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("non-employee directors").
3. "Beneficial Ownership" is defined in Section 3.2 of the Code.
4. "Chief Compliance Officer" refers to the officer or employee of Loomis Sayles designated from time to time by Loomis Sayles to receive and review reports of purchases and sales by Access Persons, and to address issues of personal trading. "Personal Trading Compliance" means the employee or employees of Loomis Sayles designated from time to time by the General Counsel of Loomis Sayles to receive and review reports of purchases and sales, and to address issues of personal trading, by the Chief Compliance Officer, and to act for the Chief Compliance Officer in the absence of the Chief Compliance Officer.
5. "Investment Control" is defined in Section 3.3 of the Code. This means "control" as defined from time to time in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204-2(a)(12) under the Advisers Act or any applicable successor provision. Currently, this means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of Loomis Sayles, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with Loomis Sayles.
6. "Initial Public Offering" means an "initial public offering" as defined from time to time in Rule 17j-l under the 1940 Act or any applicable successor provision. Currently, this means any offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933 the issuer of which immediately before the offering, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
7. "Investment Company" means any Investment Company registered as such under the 1940 Act and for which Loomis Sayles serves as investment adviser or subadviser or which an affiliate of Loomis Sayles serves as an investment adviser.
8. "Investment Person" means all Portfolio Managers of Loomis Sayles and other Advisory Persons who assist the Portfolio Managers in making and implementing investment decisions for an Investment Company or other client of Loomis Sayles, including, but not limited to, designated Research Analysts and traders of Loomis Sayles. A person is considered an Investment Person only as to those client accounts or types of client accounts as to which he or she is designated by Personal Trading Compliance or the Chief Compliance Officer as such. As to other accounts, he or she is simply an Access Person.
9. "Non-volitional" transactions are any transaction in which the employee has not determined the timing as to when the purchase or sale will occur and the amount of shares to be purchased or sold, i.e. changes to future contributions within the Loomis Sayles Retirement Plans, dividend reinvestment programs, dollar cost averaging program, automatic monthly payroll deductions, and any transactions made within the Guided Choice Program. Non-volitional transactions are not subject to the preclearance or quarterly reporting requirements under the Code.
10. "Portfolio Manager" means any individual employed by Loomis Sayles who has been designated as a Portfolio Manager by Loomis Sayles. A person is considered a Portfolio Manager only as to those client accounts as to which he or she is designated by the Chief Compliance Officer as such. As to other client accounts, he or she is simply an Access Person.
11. "Private Placement Transaction" means a "limited offering" as defined from time to time in Rule 17j-l under the 1940 Act or any applicable successor provision. Currently, this means an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Section 4(2) or 4(6) or Rule 504, 505 or 506 under that Act, including hedge funds.
12. "Recommendation" means any initial rating or change therein, in the case of an equity Covered Security, or any initial rating or status, or change therein in the case of a fixed income Covered Security in either case issued by a Research Analyst.
13. Reportable Fund" is defined in Section 3.1 of the Code and a list of such funds is found in Exhibit One.
14. "Research Analyst" means any individual employed by Loomis Sayles who has been designated as a Research Analyst by Loomis Sayles. A person is considered a Research Analyst only as to those Covered Securities which he or she is assigned to cover and about which he or she issues research reports to other Investment Personnel. As to other securities, he or she is simply an Access Person.
15. "Covered Security" is defined in Section 3.1 of the Code.
16. "Secondary Public Offering" is defined as a registered offering of a block of Covered Securities which had been previously issued to the public, by a current shareholder.
17. "Select Broker" is defined in Section 3.4 of the Code.
18. "Volitional" transactions are any transactions in which the employee has determined the timing as to when the purchase or sale transaction will occur and amount of shares to be purchased or sold, i.e. making changes to existing positions or asset allocations within the Loomis Sayles retirement plans, sending a check or wire to the Transfer Agent of a Reportable Fund, and buying or selling shares of a Reportable Fund in a brokerage account or direct account held with the applicable fund's Transfer Agent. Volitional transactions are subject to the preclearance and reporting requirements under the Code.