As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 27, 2017
1933 Act Registration No. 333-138592
1940 Act Registration No. 811-21979
UNITED STATES
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. 44 | ☒ | |
and/or | ||
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 |
☐ | |
Amendment No.
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☒ |
Nuveen Investment Trust V
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Declaration of Trust)
333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois | 60606 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (312) 917-7700
Kathleen L. Prudhomme Vice President and Secretary 901 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 (Name and Address of Agent for Service) |
Copies to: Eric F. Fess Chapman and Cutler LLP 111 West Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603 |
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after effectiveness.
Title of Securities Being Registered: Shares of beneficial interest.
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
☐ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) | ☐ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | |||
☒ | on January 31, 2017 pursuant to paragraph (b) | ☐ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) | |||
☐ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | ☐ | 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. |
CONTENTS OF POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 44
This Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement comprises the following papers and contents:
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Mutual Funds |
Prospectus
January 31, 2017 |
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Class / Ticker Symbol | ||||||||||||||
Fund Name | Class A | Class C | Class I | Class T | ||||||||||
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Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
NGVAX | NGVCX | NGVIX | NTGVX | ||||||||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
NGSAX | NGSCX | NGSIX | |
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Section 1 Fund Summaries | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | 2 | |||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | 9 | |||
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money | ||||
Who Manages the Funds | 17 | |||
More About Our Investment Strategies | 21 | |||
What the Risks Are | 24 | |||
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares | ||||
What Share Classes We Offer | 33 | |||
How to Reduce Your Sales Charge | 36 | |||
How to Buy Shares | 39 | |||
Special Services | 40 | |||
How to Sell Shares | 42 | |||
Section 4 General Information | ||||
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes | 44 | |||
Distribution and Service Payments | 46 | |||
Net Asset Value | 48 | |||
Frequent Trading | 49 | |||
Fund Service Providers | 51 | |||
Section 5 Financial Highlights | 52 | |||
NOT FDIC OR GOVERNMENT INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek attractive total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in What Share Classes We Offer on page 33 of the Funds prospectus, How to Reduce Your Sales Charge on page 36 of the prospectus, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares on page S-62 of the Funds statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A | Class C | Class I | Class T | |||||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 5.75% | None | None | 2.50% | ||||||||||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) 1 |
None | 1.00% | None | None | ||||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||
Exchange Fee | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000) 2 | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 | ||||||||||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||||||||||||||||
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class C | Class I | Class T | |||||||||||||
Management Fees | 0.96% | 0.96% | 0.96% | 0.96% | ||||||||||||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 0.00% | 0.25% | ||||||||||||
Other Expenses of the Fund | 0.41% | 0.31% | 0.26% | 0.27% | ||||||||||||
Expenses of the Subsidiary | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% | ||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.72% | 2.37% | 1.32% | 1.58% | ||||||||||||
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 3 | (0.41)% | (0.31)% | (0.26)% | (0.27)% | ||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements | 1.31% | 2.06% | 1.06% | 1.31% |
1 | The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase. |
2 | Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA). |
3 | The Funds investment adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses through January 31, 2018 so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 1.10% of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. This expense limitation may be terminated or modified prior to its expiration only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. |
2
Section 1 Fund Summaries
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Funds operating expenses remain the same and that the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond January 31, 2018. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Redemption | No Redemption | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A | C | I | T | A | C | I | T | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Year | $ | 701 | $ | 209 | $ | 108 | $ | 380 | $ | 701 | $ | 209 | $ | 108 | $ | 380 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 Years | $ | 1,048 | $ | 710 | $ | 393 | $ | 711 | $ | 1,048 | $ | 710 | $ | 393 | $ | 711 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 Years | $ | 1,419 | $ | 1,237 | $ | 699 | $ | 1,064 | $ | 1,419 | $ | 1,237 | $ | 699 | $ | 1,064 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 Years | $ | 2,456 | $ | 2,683 | $ | 1,568 | $ | 2,059 | $ | 2,456 | $ | 2,683 | $ | 1,568 | $ | 2,059 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. However, this portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to cash instruments or derivatives. If such instruments were included, the Funds portfolio turnover rate would be significantly higher.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of commodity futures contracts and fixed income investments. The Funds investment strategy has two elements:
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A portfolio of exchange-traded commodity futures contracts providing long-only exposure to all principal groups in the global commodity markets which is actively managed by Gresham Investment Management LLCs Near Term Active division ( Gresham ), a sub-adviser to the Fund, pursuant to its proprietary Tangible Asset Program ® (referred to herein as TAP ® ). For purposes of posting margin on such futures contracts, Gresham may also invest in U.S. Treasury securities. |
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A portfolio of cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality short-term debt securities which is actively managed by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC ( Nuveen Asset Management ), the Funds other sub-adviser. |
Commodity Investments. The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded commodity futures contracts with an aggregate value substantially equal to the Funds net assets. The Fund invests in futures contracts in the six principal commodity groups in the global commodities markets: energy; industrial metals; agriculture; precious metals; foods and fibers; and livestock. The Fund may also invest in commodity-linked forward contracts, notes, swap agreements and other derivative instruments that provide investment exposure to commodities.
Although the Fund may make investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund expects to primarily gain exposure to these investments by investing in the Long-Only Commodity Fund Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (referred to herein as the Subsidiary ). The Subsidiary is advised by Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, the Funds investment adviser (the Adviser ), and is sub-advised by Gresham. The Funds investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to commodity markets within the limits of current federal income tax laws applicable to investment companies such as the Fund, which limit the ability of investment companies to invest directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund, but unlike the Fund, it may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments. The Subsidiary is otherwise subject to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as the Fund. Except as otherwise noted, for purposes of this prospectus, references to the Funds investments may also be deemed to include the Funds indirect investments through its Subsidiary.
The Fund intends to invest up to 25% of its net assets in the Subsidiary, which in turn invests in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded commodity futures contracts. Because commodity futures contracts provide investment exposure
Section 1 Fund Summaries
3
that greatly exceeds the margin requirements for such positions, the Subsidiary will be able to use this small portion of the Funds net assets to gain exposure to commodity futures contracts with an aggregate value substantially equal to 100% of the Funds net assets. The Subsidiary may also invest in U.S. Treasury securities for the purpose of posting margin on its commodity futures contracts.
Gresham actively manages the Subsidiarys portfolio of commodity futures contracts pursuant to TAP ® , a fully collateralized, long-only, rules-based commodity investment strategy. TAP ® s rules specify minimum liquidity requirements for commodity futures contracts and other parameters such as eligible commodity futures contracts, contract term, commodity weightings and annual and interim rebalancing of individual commodities. Gresham currently bases its target weights on three inputs: (i) calculations of the values of global commodity production; (ii) total U.S. dollar trading volume on commodity futures and forwards exchanges; and (iii) global import/export trade values. Gresham determines the TAP ® rules governing the specific commodities in which the Subsidiary invests, and the relative target weighting of those commodities, annually. As of January 31, 2017, TAP ® s rules governing the target weighting of commodities resulted in significant exposure to energy commodities. The target weights are expected to remain unchanged until the next annual determination. Gresham limits the Subsidiarys concentration in any single commodity, commodity group and commodity complex in an attempt to moderate risk. Under normal market conditions, Gresham avoids exercising discretion with respect to target weights between annual determinations. However, the actual portfolio weights may vary during the year and may in certain circumstances be rebalanced subject to TAP ® s rule-based procedures. Generally, Gresham intends to invest in short-term commodity futures contracts with terms of one to three months but may invest in contracts with terms of up to twelve months. Gresham intends to replace expiring commodity futures contracts with contracts expiring at a future date (i.e., roll contracts) in order to avoid the Subsidiary taking physical delivery of a commodity.
Debt Security Investments. Assets not invested by the Fund in the Subsidiary or directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments are invested by Nuveen Asset Management in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality short-term debt securities with final terms not exceeding one year at the time of investment. The Funds debt security investments consist primarily of direct and guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government and senior obligations of U.S. government agencies as well as money market securities. The Funds investments in cash equivalents and short-term debt securities (other than U.S. government securities) will be rated at all times at the applicable highest short-term or long-term debt or deposit rating or money market fund rating as determined by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. 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. The principal risks of investing in the Fund (which include certain risks presented by the Funds investment in the Subsidiary), listed alphabetically, include:
Clearing Broker Risk The failure or bankruptcy of the Subsidiarys clearing broker could result in a substantial loss of Fund assets. Under current Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ) regulations, a clearing broker maintains customers assets in a bulk segregated account. If a clearing broker fails to do so, or is unable to satisfy a substantial deficit in a customer account, its other customers may be subject to risk of loss of their funds in the event of that clearing brokers bankruptcy. In that event, in the case of futures and options on futures, the clearing brokers customers, such as the Subsidiary, are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a proportional share of all property available for distribution to all of that clearing brokers customers. In the case of cleared swaps, customers of a clearing broker in bankruptcy are entitled to recover assets specifically attributable to them pursuant to new CFTC regulations, but may nevertheless risk loss of some or all of their assets due to accounting or operational issues or due to legal risk in connection with the application of bankruptcy law to cleared swaps.
Commodity Risk Investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments have a high degree of price variability and are subject to rapid and substantial price changes. Because the Fund has a significant portion of its assets concentrated in commodity-linked derivative instruments, developments affecting commodities will have a disproportionate impact on the Fund. The Funds investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the instruments involve leverage. Although the Funds commodity exposure as a whole will not be leveraged (i.e., the Funds commodity investments will have an aggregate value substantially equal to its net assets), individual commodity-linked derivative instruments may employ leverage. Such leverage creates the possibility for losses greater than the amount invested and the likelihood of greater volatility of the Funds net asset value, and there can be no assurance that the Funds use of leverage will be successful.
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Section 1 Fund Summaries
Counterparty Risk Certain commodity-linked derivative instruments, repurchase agreements, swap agreements and other forms of financial instruments that involve counterparties subject the Fund to the risk that the counterparty could default on its obligations under the agreement, either through the counterpartys bankruptcy or failure to perform its obligations. In the event of default, the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of its assets or no recovery at all. The Funds investments in the futures markets also introduce the risk that its futures commission merchant ( FCM ) would default on an obligation set forth in an agreement between the Fund and the FCM, including the FCMs obligation to return margin posted in connection with the Funds futures contracts.
Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments.
Cybersecurity Risk Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Derivatives Risk The use of derivatives involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivative instruments can be used to acquire or to transfer the risk and returns of a security or other asset without buying or selling the security or asset. These instruments may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. An over-the-counter derivative transaction between the Fund and a counterparty that is not cleared through a central counterparty also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. The payment obligation for a cleared derivative transaction is guaranteed by a central counterparty, which exposes the Fund to the creditworthiness of the central counterparty.
Energy Risk The Fund may at times have significant investments in energy commodities, which could result in the Fund performing poorly during a downturn in one or more of the industries that heavily impact the energy sector. General risks of the energy sector include volatile fluctuations in price and supply of energy fuels, international politics, terrorist attacks, reduced demand, the success of exploration projects, clean-up and litigation costs relating to oil spills and environmental damage, and tax and other regulatory policies of various governments.
Frequent Trading Risk Gresham regularly purchases and subsequently sells, i.e. rolls, individual commodity futures contracts throughout the year so as to maintain a fully invested position. As the commodity contracts near their expiration dates, Gresham rolls them over into new contracts. This frequent trading of contracts may increase the amount of commissions or mark-ups to broker-dealers that the Subsidiary pays when it buys and sells contracts, which may detract from the Funds performance.
Income Risk Income from the Funds debt securities could decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Funds fixed income investments will decline because of rising interest rates. The Funds fixed income investments may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives.
Non-U.S. Investment Risk The Fund may invest in commodity futures contracts traded on non-U.S. exchanges or enter into over-the-counter derivative contracts with non-U.S. counterparties. Transactions on non-U.S. exchanges or with non-U.S. counterparties present risk because they may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S. counterparts.
Regulatory Risk Greshams investment decisions may need to be modified, and commodity contract positions held by the Fund and/or the Subsidiary may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices, to avoid exceeding position limits established by the CFTC, potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. The regulation of commodity transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Fund.
Subsidiary Risk By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiarys investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments. The commodity-linked derivative instruments held by the Subsidiary are the same as those permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and, unless otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to regulation thereunder. Changes in the laws
Section 1 Fund Summaries
5
of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and could adversely affect the Fund.
Tax Risk The Funds ability to make direct and indirect investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments is limited by the Funds intention to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Funds investment in its Subsidiary is intended to allow the Fund to obtain exposure to commodities while permitting it to satisfy the requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under current law. However, if the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, and were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the Fund would be subject to corporate-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders, and all distributions to shareholders from earnings and profits would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. Income and capital gains earned by the Subsidiary and distributed to the Fund and in turn its shareholders will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, even if such income and gains would otherwise have qualified for tax-advantaged capital gain treatment. Also, net losses generated by the Subsidiary may not be netted against income or gains earned within the Fund and may not be carried forward for use in future years to offset gains within the Fund or the Subsidiary, which may cause the Fund during a multi-year period to pay taxable distributions when it had experienced no total return or even negative total return over such period. Changes in tax laws could have a material adverse impact on the Fund or the Subsidiary.
Valuation Risk The debt securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Funds past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
The bar chart below shows the variability of the Funds performance from year to year for Class A shares. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Class A Annual Total Return*
* | The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. |
During the four-year period ended December 31, 2016, the Funds highest and lowest quarterly returns were 11.34% and -14.81%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015.
The table below shows the variability of the Funds average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All 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. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax
6
Section 1 Fund Summaries
returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers had not been in place, returns would have been reduced.
Performance is not shown for Class T shares, which have not been offered for a full calendar year.
Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2016 |
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Inception
Date |
1 Year |
Since
Inception |
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Class A (return before taxes) | 7/30/12 | 4.29 | % | (11.86 | )% | |||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions) | 4.29 | % | (11.97 | )% | ||||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | 2.43 | % | (8.54 | )% | ||||||||
Class C (return before taxes) | 7/30/12 | 9.74 | % | (11.32 | )% | |||||||
Class I (return before taxes) | 7/30/12 | 10.92 | % | (10.42 | )% | |||||||
Bloomberg Commodity Index 1 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 11.77 | % | (10.77 | )% | ||||||||
Lipper Commodities General Funds Category Average 2 (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads) | 11.93 | % | (9.94 | )% |
1 | A broadly diversified index composed of commodities traded on U.S. exchanges, with the exception of aluminum, nickel and zinc, which trade on the London Metal Exchange (LME). |
2 | Represents the average annualized returns for all reporting funds in the Lipper Commodities General Funds Category. |
Management
Investment Adviser
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Advisers
Gresham Investment Management LLC, through its Near Term Active division
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC
Portfolio Managers
Name |
Title |
Portfolio Manager of Fund Since |
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Gresham |
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Randy Migdal | Managing Director | July 2012 | ||
Susan Wager | Managing Director | July 2012 | ||
John Clarke | Vice President | March 2016 | ||
Nuveen Asset Management |
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Chris J. Neuharth | Managing Director | December 2015 | ||
Wan-Chong Kung, CFA | Senior Vice President | December 2015 | ||
Chad W. Kemper | Vice President | December 2015 |
Section 1 Fund Summaries
7
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund either through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the Fund. Class C and Class T shares may not be purchased directly from the Fund. In addition, the availability of Class A, Class C and Class T shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary. The Funds initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although certain financial intermediaries may impose their own investment minimums and the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:
Class A, Class C and Class T | Class I | |||
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment |
$3,000 for all accounts except:
$2,500 for Traditional/Roth IRA accounts.
$2,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.
$250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs. (Class T shares are not available through fee-based programs.)
No minimum for retirement plans. |
Available only through fee-based programs and certain retirement plans, and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus.
$100,000 for all accounts except:
$250 for clients of financial intermediaries and family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level).
No minimum for eligible retirement plans and certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus. |
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Minimum Additional Investment | $100 | No minimum. |
Tax Information
The Funds distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan (in which case you may be taxed upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
8
Section 1 Fund Summaries
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek attractive total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in What Share Classes We Offer on page 33 of the Funds prospectus, How to Reduce Your Sales Charge on page 36 of the prospectus, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares on page S-62 of the Funds statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A | Class C | Class I | ||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 5.75% | None | None | |||||||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) 1 |
None | 1.00% | None | |||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None | None | |||||||||
Exchange Fee | None | None | None | |||||||||
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000) 2 | $15 | $15 | $15 | |||||||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||||||||||||
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||||||||||
Class A | Class C | Class I | ||||||||||
Management Fees | 1.16% | 1.16% | 1.16% | |||||||||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 0.00% | |||||||||
Other Expenses of the Fund | 2.22% | 2.22% | 2.23% | |||||||||
Expenses of the Subsidiary | 0.72% | 0.72% | 0.72% | |||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 4.35% | 5.10% | 4.11% | |||||||||
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 3 | (2.64)% | (2.64)% | (2.65)% | |||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements | 1.71% | 2.46% | 1.46% |
1 | The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase. |
2 | Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA). |
3 | The Funds investment adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses through January 31, 2018 so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. This expense limitation may be terminated or modified prior to its expiration only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. |
Section 1 Fund Summaries
9
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Funds operating expenses remain the same and that the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond January 31, 2018. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Redemption | No Redemption | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A | C | I | A | C | I | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Year | $ | 739 | $ | 249 | $ | 149 | $ | 739 | $ | 249 | $ | 149 | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 Years | $ | 1,591 | $ | 1,294 | $ | 1,007 | $ | 1,591 | $ | 1,294 | $ | 1,007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 Years | $ | 2,455 | $ | 2,337 | $ | 1,881 | $ | 2,455 | $ | 2,337 | $ | 1,881 | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 Years | $ | 4,663 | $ | 4,935 | $ | 4,135 | $ | 4,663 | $ | 4,935 | $ | 4,135 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 28% of the average value of its portfolio. However, this portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to cash instruments or derivatives. If such instruments were included, the Funds portfolio turnover rate would be significantly higher.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of commodity futures contracts and debt securities. The Funds investment strategy has two elements:
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A portfolio of long and/or short exchange-traded commodity futures contracts providing long and/or short exposure to all principal groups in the global commodity markets which is actively managed by Gresham Investment Management LLCs Near Term Active division ( Gresham ), a sub-adviser to the Fund, pursuant to its proprietary Long/Short Strategy. For purposes of posting margin on such futures contracts, Gresham may also invest in U.S. Treasury securities. |
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A portfolio of debt securities which is actively managed by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC ( Nuveen Asset Management ), the Funds other sub-adviser. |
Commodity Investments. The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded commodity futures contracts with an aggregate value substantially equal to the Funds net assets. The Fund invests in futures contracts in the six principal commodity groups in the global commodities markets: energy; industrial metals; agriculture; precious metals; foods and fibers; and livestock. The Fund may also invest in commodity-linked forward contracts, notes, swap agreements and other derivative instruments that provide investment exposure to commodities.
Although the Fund may make investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund expects to primarily gain exposure to these investments by investing in the Long-Short Commodity Fund Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (referred to herein as the Subsidiary ). The Subsidiary is advised by Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, the Funds investment adviser (the Adviser ), and is sub-advised by Gresham. The Funds investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to commodity markets within the limits of current federal income tax laws applicable to investment companies such as the Fund, which limit the ability of investment companies to invest directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund, but unlike the Fund, it may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments. The Subsidiary is otherwise subject to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as the Fund. Except as otherwise noted, for purposes of this prospectus, references to the Funds investments may also be deemed to include the Funds indirect investments through its Subsidiary.
The Fund intends to invest up to 25% of its net assets in the Subsidiary, which in turn invests in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded commodity futures contracts. Because commodity futures contracts provide investment exposure that greatly exceeds the margin requirements for such positions, the Subsidiary will be able to use this small portion of
10
Section 1 Fund Summaries
the Funds net assets to gain exposure to commodity futures contracts with an aggregate value substantially equal to 100% of the Funds net assets. The Subsidiary may also invest in U.S. Treasury securities for the purpose of posting margin on its commodity futures contracts.
Gresham actively manages the Subsidiarys portfolio of commodity futures contracts pursuant to its Long/Short Strategy, a fully collateralized, long/short, rules-based commodity investment strategy. The Long/Short Strategys rules specify minimum liquidity requirements for commodity futures contracts and other parameters such as eligible commodity futures contracts, contract term, commodity weightings and annual and interim rebalancing of individual commodities. Gresham currently bases its target weights on three inputs: (i) calculations of the values of global commodity production; (ii) total U.S. dollar trading volume on commodity futures and forwards exchanges; and (iii) global import/export trade values. Gresham determines the rules governing the specific commodities in which the Subsidiary invests, and the relative target weighting of those commodities, annually. The target weights are expected to remain unchanged until the next annual determination. Gresham limits the Subsidiarys concentration in any single commodity, commodity group and commodity complex in an attempt to moderate risk. Under normal market conditions, Gresham avoids exercising discretion with respect to target weights between annual determinations. However, the actual portfolio weights may vary during the year and may in certain circumstances be rebalanced subject to the Long/Short Strategys rule-based procedures. Generally, Gresham intends to invest in short-term commodity futures contracts with terms of one to three months but may invest in contracts with terms of up to twelve months. Gresham intends to replace expiring commodity futures contracts with contracts expiring at a future date (i.e., roll contracts) in order to avoid the Subsidiary taking or being required to make physical delivery of a commodity.
Gresham employs a momentum-based rule (a trading rule which incorporates information about price momentum in the commodity markets) to determine whether the Subsidiarys commodity futures contracts within each group are held long, short or, in the case of petroleum-based contracts, flat. Greshams momentum-based rule compares the current price of an individual commodity contract, as adjusted for the return generated by rolling an expiring contract into a contract expiring at a future date, against the contracts moving average price to determine whether to take a long or short position in that contract. Gresham does not intend to short petroleum-based contracts because the prices of such contracts are generally more sensitive to geopolitical events than to supply-demand imbalances. Therefore, if Greshams momentum-based rule signals for a short position in a petroleum-based contract, Gresham will instead move that position to cash (i.e., flat). The relative balance of the Subsidiarys long, short and/or flat exposure may vary significantly over time, and at certain times, the Subsidiarys aggregate exposure may be all long or various combinations of long, short and/or flat. Gresham intends to manage its overall strategy so that the aggregate value of the Subsidiarys combined long, short and flat commodity contracts is not expected to exceed 100% of the Funds net assets.
Debt Security Investments. Assets not invested by the Fund in the Subsidiary or directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments are invested by Nuveen Asset Management in debt securities including (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, or their political subdivisions or agencies or instrumentalities, (iii) U.S. and foreign corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations, (iv) asset-backed securities, and (v) residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities. Any foreign debt securities in which the Fund invests will be U.S. dollar-denominated securities of issuers located in developed markets. Up to 10% of the debt securities in which Nuveen Asset Management invests may be securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by Nuveen Asset Management (securities commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than B at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by Nuveen Asset Management. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so.
Nuveen Asset Management makes portfolio decisions using an investment process that incorporates both top-down and bottom-up elements. The sub-adviser uses top-down macroeconomic analysis to develop sector allocation, duration, credit quality and other parameters for its portion of the Funds portfolio. At the same time, the sub-adviser analyzes the various sectors of the market for investment opportunities. When buying and selling specific securities within a sector of the market, the sub-advisor utilizes a bottom-up process that incorporates fundamental credit analysis and relative value metrics into the security selection process.
Under normal market conditions, Nuveen Asset Management attempts to maintain an average effective duration of the debt securities in which it invests of no more than three years. Effective duration is a measure of how the value of the debt securities portion of the Funds portfolio may react to interest rate changes.
Nuveen Asset Management may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates,
Section 1 Fund Summaries
11
security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Funds portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Funds yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. 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. The principal risks of investing in the Fund (which include certain risks presented by the Funds investment in the Subsidiary), listed alphabetically, include:
Bond Market Liquidity Risk Dealer inventories of bonds, which provide an indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to make markets in those bonds, are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the debt securities markets in which the Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, recent federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of bonds, which may further decrease the Funds ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds prices.
Call Risk If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.
Clearing Broker Risk The failure or bankruptcy of the Subsidiarys clearing broker could result in a substantial loss of Fund assets. Under current Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ) regulations, a clearing broker maintains customers assets in a bulk segregated account. If a clearing broker fails to do so, or is unable to satisfy a substantial deficit in a customer account, its other customers may be subject to risk of loss of their funds in the event of that clearing brokers bankruptcy. In that event, in the case of futures and options on futures, the clearing brokers customers, such as the Subsidiary, are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a proportional share of all property available for distribution to all of that clearing brokers customers. In the case of cleared swaps, customers of a clearing broker in bankruptcy are entitled to recover assets specifically attributable to them pursuant to new CFTC regulations, but may nevertheless risk loss of some or all of their assets due to accounting or operational issues or due to legal risk in connection with the application of bankruptcy law to cleared swaps.
Commodity Risk Investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments have a high degree of price variability and are subject to rapid and substantial price changes. Because the Fund has a significant portion of its assets concentrated in commodity-linked derivative instruments, developments affecting commodities will have a disproportionate impact on the Fund. The Funds investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the instruments involve leverage. Although the Funds commodity exposure as a whole will not be leveraged (i.e., the Funds commodity investments will have an aggregate value substantially equal to its net assets), individual commodity-linked derivative instruments may employ leverage. Such leverage creates the possibility for losses greater than the amount invested and the likelihood of greater volatility of the Funds net asset value, and there can be no assurance that the Funds use of leverage will be successful.
Counterparty Risk Certain commodity-linked derivative instruments, repurchase agreements, swap agreements and other forms of financial instruments that involve counterparties subject the Fund to the risk that the counterparty could default on its obligations under the agreement, either through the counterpartys bankruptcy or failure to perform its obligations. In the event of default, the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of its assets or no recovery at all. The Funds investments in the futures markets also introduce the risk that its futures commission merchant ( FCM ) would default on an obligation set forth in an agreement between the Fund and the FCM, including the FCMs obligation to return margin posted in connection with the Funds futures contracts.
Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments.
12
Section 1 Fund Summaries
Credit Spread Risk Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Funds debt securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.
Currency Risk Even though the non-U.S. securities held by the Fund are traded in U.S. dollars, their prices are typically indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the Funds net asset value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains or losses realized on the sale of securities.
Cybersecurity Risk Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Derivatives Risk The use of derivatives involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivative instruments can be used to acquire or to transfer the risk and returns of a security or other asset without buying or selling the security or asset. These instruments may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. An over-the-counter derivative transaction between the Fund and a counterparty that is not cleared through a central counterparty also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. The payment obligation for a cleared derivative transaction is guaranteed by a central counterparty, which exposes the Fund to the creditworthiness of the central counterparty.
Frequent Trading Risk Gresham regularly purchases and subsequently sells, i.e. rolls, individual commodity futures contracts throughout the year so as to maintain a fully invested position. As the commodity contracts near their expiration dates, Gresham rolls them over into new contracts. This frequent trading of contracts may increase the amount of commissions or mark-ups to broker-dealers that the Subsidiary pays when it buys and sells contracts, which may detract from the Funds performance.
High Yield Securities Risk High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as junk bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.
Income Risk Income from the Funds debt securities could decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Funds fixed income investments will decline because of rising interest rates. The Funds fixed income investments may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.
Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.
Non-U.S. Investment Risk The Fund may invest in commodity futures contracts traded on non-U.S. exchanges or enter into over-the-counter derivative contracts with non-U.S. counterparties. Transactions on non-U.S. exchanges or with non-U.S. counterparties present risk because they may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S. counterparts. In addition, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers located in developed markets. Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments.
Regulatory Risk Greshams investment decisions may need to be modified, and commodity contract positions held by the Fund and/or the Subsidiary may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices, to avoid exceeding position limits established by the CFTC, potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. The regulation of commodity transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification
Section 1 Fund Summaries
13
by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Fund.
Short Sales Risk The Fund may sell futures contracts short. A short futures position allows the seller to profit from a decline in the price of the underlying commodity to the extent such decline exceeds the transaction costs of the short position. Conversely, if the price of the underlying futures contract rises because of an increase in the price of the underlying commodity, the Fund will realize a loss on the transaction. The Fund bears the risk of unlimited loss on contracts it sells short, as the price at which the Fund would need to cover a short position could theoretically increase without limit.
Subsidiary Risk By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiarys investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments. The commodity-linked derivative instruments held by the Subsidiary are the same as those permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and, unless otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to regulation thereunder. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and could adversely affect the Fund.
Tax Risk The Funds ability to make direct and indirect investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments is limited by the Funds intention to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Funds investment in its Subsidiary is intended to allow the Fund to obtain exposure to commodities while permitting it to satisfy the requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under current law. However, if the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, and were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the Fund would be subject to corporate-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders, and all distributions to shareholders from earnings and profits would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. Income and capital gains earned by the Subsidiary and distributed to the Fund and in turn its shareholders will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, even if such income and gains would otherwise have qualified for tax-advantaged capital gain treatment. Also, net losses generated by the Subsidiary may not be netted against income or gains earned within the Fund and may not be carried forward for use in future years to offset gains within the Fund or the Subsidiary, which may cause the Fund during a multi-year period to pay taxable distributions when it had experienced no total return or even negative total return over such period. Changes in tax laws could have a material adverse impact on the Fund or the Subsidiary.
Valuation Risk The debt securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Whipsaw Market Risk A whipsaw market is one in which significant price movements develop but then rapidly reverse. Because Greshams Long/Short Strategy seeks to capitalize on price momentum in the commodity markets, if that momentum suddenly and unexpectedly reverses, the Subsidiary (and therefore the Fund) could experience substantial losses. For example, price patterns in the commodity markets may indicate upward momentum, causing the Subsidiary to shift from short or flat positions to long positions. However, such patterns may reverse rapidly, leading to losses on the long positions and causing the Subsidiary to shift back to short or flat positions. An unexpected change in government economic policy, a significant political or economic event, a surprise change in monetary policy, or a sudden shift in supply or demand could cause a severe reversal in value of the Subsidiarys long or short positions, resulting in significant losses to the Fund.
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Funds past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
14
Section 1 Fund Summaries
The bar chart below shows the variability of the Funds performance from year to year for Class A shares. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Class A Annual Total Return*
* | The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. |
During the four-year period ended December 31, 2016, the Funds highest and lowest quarterly returns were 3.27% and -4.40%, respectively, for the quarters ended September 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
The table below shows the variability of the Funds average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of broad measures of market performance (the Bloomberg Commodity Index is the Funds primary benchmark) and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All 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. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers had not been in place, returns would have been reduced.
Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2016 |
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Inception
Date |
1 Year |
Since
Inception |
||||||||||
Class A (return before taxes) | 7/30/12 | (7.35 | )% | (3.45 | )% | |||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions) | (7.64 | )% | (4.02 | )% | ||||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | (4.16 | )% | (2.83 | )% | ||||||||
Class C (return before taxes) | 7/30/12 | (2.38 | )% | (2.89 | )% | |||||||
Class I (return before taxes) | 7/30/12 | (1.43 | )% | (1.91 | )% | |||||||
Bloomberg Commodity Index 1 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 11.77 | % | (10.77 | )% | ||||||||
Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index 2 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 1.28 | % | 0.84 | % | ||||||||
Lipper Commodities General Funds Category Average 3 (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads) | 11.93 | % | (9.94 | )% |
1 | A broadly diversified index composed of commodities traded on U.S. exchanges, with the exception of aluminum, nickel and zinc, which trade on the London Metal Exchange (LME). |
2 | An unmanaged index of investment grade, fixed income securities with maturities ranging from one to three years. |
3 | Represents the average annualized returns for all reporting funds in the Lipper Commodities General Funds Category. |
Section 1 Fund Summaries
15
Management
Investment Adviser
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Advisers
Gresham Investment Management LLC, through its Near Term Active division
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC
Portfolio Managers
Name |
Title |
Portfolio Manager of Fund Since |
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Gresham |
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Susan Wager | Managing Director | July 2012 | ||
Randy Migdal | Managing Director | July 2012 | ||
John Clarke | Vice President | March 2016 | ||
Nuveen Asset Management |
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Chris J. Neuharth | Managing Director | December 2015 | ||
Wan-Chong Kung, CFA | Senior Vice President | December 2015 | ||
Chad W. Kemper | Vice President | December 2015 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund either through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the Fund. Class C shares may not be purchased directly from the Fund. In addition, the availability of Class A and Class C shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary. The Funds initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although certain financial intermediaries may impose their own investment minimums and the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:
Class A and Class C | Class I | |||
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment |
$3,000 for all accounts except:
$2,500 for Traditional/Roth IRA accounts.
$2,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.
$250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs.
No minimum for retirement plans. |
Available only through fee-based programs and certain retirement plans, and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus.
$100,000 for all accounts except:
$250 for clients of financial intermediaries and family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level).
No minimum for eligible retirement plans and certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus. |
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Minimum Additional Investment | $100 | No minimum. |
Tax Information
The Funds distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan (in which case you may be taxed upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
16
Section 1 Fund Summaries
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
To help you better understand the Funds, this section includes a detailed discussion of the Funds investment and risk management strategies. For a more complete discussion of these matters, please see the statement of additional information, which is available by calling (800) 257-8787 or by visiting Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com.
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC ( Nuveen Fund Advisors ), the Funds investment adviser, offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ) as a commodity pool operator. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Funds, oversees the management of the Funds portfolios, manages the Funds business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments, Inc. ( Nuveen Investments ). Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management ( TGAM ), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America ( TIAA ). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities Fund. As of December 31, 2016, TGAM managed approximately $882 billion in assets, of which approximately $126 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Nuveen Fund Advisors has selected two firms to serve as sub-advisers to the Funds:
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Gresham Investment Management LLC ( Gresham LLC ), located at 257 Park Avenue South, 7 th Floor, New York, New York 10010, is registered with the CFTC as a commodity trading advisor and commodity pool operator, is a member of the National Futures Association, and is also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. Gresham LLCs actively managed commodity futures strategies were first offered to outside clients in September 2004. On December 31, 2011, Nuveen Investments completed its acquisition of a 60% stake in Gresham LLC. Gresham LLC manages the Funds commodity investments through its Near Term Active division (referred to herein as Gresham NTA or Gresham ). |
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Nuveen Asset Management, LLC ( Nuveen Asset Management ), located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. Nuveen Asset Management is a subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors. |
Gresham and Nuveen Asset Management manage the investment of the Funds assets on a discretionary basis, subject to the supervision of Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
17
Gresham is responsible for managing the Funds commodity investments and may also invest in U.S. Treasury securities for purposes of posting margin on such commodity investments. Susan Wager and Randy Migdal are the portfolio managers responsible for Greshams commodity investments and John Clarke is the portfolio manager responsible for Greshams investments in U.S. Treasury securities.
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Susan Wager has served as Managing Director of Gresham LLC and Senior Trader for Gresham NTA since March 2005. She is responsible for Greshams Long/Short Strategy as well as all option-related strategies, and she assists with implementation of Greshams long-only strategies, including TAP ® . From March 2004 to March 2005, Ms. Wager was a Risk Management and Business Analyst for Millennium Partners, a hedge fund, where her responsibilities included detailed work with risk management and trading and alert systems. From March 2002 to March 2004, she was an Equity Research Assistant with Citigroup Smith Barney/Bear Stearns, and was responsible for sales force, institutional client and company interaction and service. Ms. Wager was a Commodity Options Trader from December 1998 to January 2001 at Fimat USA, Inc., a futures commission merchant, and conceptualized, implemented and coordinated all trading strategies while functioning as a market maker in exchange-traded options. She also monitored and managed portfolio risks with regard to hedge, volatility and switch exposures. From November 1987 to November 1998, Ms. Wager held various positions at the Mocatta Corporation and The Falconwood Corporation, a family office affiliated with Gresham LLC, including Commodity Options Trader (conceptualized, implemented and coordinated all trading strategies while functioning as a market maker in exchange-traded options), Arbitrage and Product Trader (quoted and traded precious metal spot, forwards, futures, exchange-for-physical transactions, investor products and options), and Loan Financing Specialist (worked in precious metals loan financing program). |
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Randy Migdal has served as Managing Director of Gresham LLC and Head Trader for Gresham NTA since June 2006. He is responsible for Greshams Near Term Active Implementation strategies, including TAP ® , and he assists with the implementation of Greshams Long/Short Strategy. From January 2003 to June 2006, Mr. Migdal was seconded by Gresham LLC to the Lehman Brothers Investment Management Division, where his responsibilities included managing both the TAP ® portfolio and the Risk Dispersing Portfolio, a long-only futures asset allocation portfolio consisting of treasury bonds/notes, foreign stocks, domestic stocks, precious metals, tangible commodities and foreign currencies. He also coordinated focus groups to assess managed futures opportunities for Lehman Brothers clients and worked closely with senior management to create a commodity fund-of-funds product to deliver to the retail and institutional community. From July 1995 to January 2003, Mr. Migdal was the Supervisor of Proprietary Trading for The Falconwood Corporation, a family office affiliated with Gresham LLC, where his responsibilities included executing all trading activity for TAP ® as well as a dynamic hedging portfolio designed to counteract or enhance assigned asset allocation positions as necessitated by current market conditions. |
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John Clarke is a Vice President at Gresham LLC, supporting Randy Migdal in trading for the Gresham Near Term Active Implementation |
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
strategies; handling short-term cash management; and responsible for foreign currency hedging transactions of the Near Term Active Implementation strategies. Prior to joining Gresham LLC in January, 2011, Mr. Clarke worked in the Quantitative Strategies Group at Primus Asset Management, a structured credit asset manager, where he focused on portfolio optimization and model development. |
Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for managing the Funds fixed income investments (other than investments by Gresham in U.S. Treasury securities). Chris J. Neuharth, Wan-Chong Kung and Chad W. Kemper are the portfolio managers for the assets of the Funds managed by Nuveen Asset Management.
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Chris J. Neuharth entered the financial services industry in 1981 and became a portfolio manager in 1985. He rejoined FAF Advisors, Inc. ( FAF ) in 2000 and most recently served as Senior Fixed-Income Portfolio Manager at FAF until joining Nuveen Asset Management. He joined Nuveen Asset Management as Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Securitized Debt Sector Team on January 1, 2011 in connection with its acquisition of a portion of FAFs asset management business. In March 2016, he was named Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Investment Risk Management. |
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Wan-Chong Kung, CFA, entered the financial services industry in 1984 and joined FAF in 1993. She became a portfolio manager in 1993 and most recently served as Senior Fixed-Income Portfolio Manager at FAF until joining Nuveen Asset Management. She joined Nuveen Asset Management as Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Head of Interest Rates and Governments Sector Team on January 1, 2011 in connection with its acquisition of a portion of FAFs asset management business. |
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Chad W. Kemper entered the financial services industry in 1999 when he joined FAF. He became a portfolio manager in 2010 and prior to that was responsible for the management of government benchmarked accounts since September 2008. He most recently served as Senior Fixed-Income Trader at FAF until joining Nuveen Asset Management. He joined Nuveen Asset Management as Assistant Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager on January 1, 2011 in connection with its acquisition of a portion of FAFs asset management business. In March 2015, he was named Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager. |
Additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the Funds is provided in the statement of additional information.
Management Fees
The management fee schedule for each Fund consists of two components: a Fund-level fee, based only on the amount of assets within a Fund, and a complex-level fee, based on the aggregate amount of all eligible fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
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The annual Fund-level fee, payable monthly, is based upon the average daily net assets of each Fund as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets |
Nuveen Gresham
Strategy Fund |
Nuveen Gresham
Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
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For the first $125 million | 0.8000 | % | 1.0000 | % | ||||
For the next $125 million | 0.7875 | % | 0.9875 | % | ||||
For the next $250 million | 0.7750 | % | 0.9750 | % | ||||
For the next $500 million | 0.7625 | % | 0.9625 | % | ||||
For the next $1 billion | 0.7500 | % | 0.9500 | % | ||||
For net assets over $2 billion | 0.7250 | % | 0.9250 | % |
The complex-level fee is the same for each Fund. It begins at a maximum rate of 0.2000% of each Funds average daily net assets, based upon complex-level assets of $55 billion, with breakpoints for eligible assets above that level. Therefore, the maximum management fee rate for each Fund is the Fund-level fee plus 0.2000%. As of September 30, 2016, the effective complex-level fee for each Fund was 0.1607% of the Funds average daily net assets.
For the most recent fiscal year, each Fund paid Nuveen Fund Advisors the following management fees (net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements, where applicable) as a percentage of average daily net assets:
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | 0.70% | |
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | * |
* | For the most recent fiscal year, Nuveen Fund Advisors reimbursed expenses in excess of management fees. |
Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) for the Funds do not exceed the percentages of the average daily net assets listed below of any class of Fund shares.
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | 1.10% through January 31, 2018 | |
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | 1.50% through January 31, 2018 |
The expense limitations may be terminated or modified prior to their expiration only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Funds.
Information regarding the Board of Trustees approval of the investment management agreements is available in the Funds annual report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016.
Management of the Subsidiaries
Long-Only Commodity Fund Ltd. and Long-Short Commodity Fund Ltd. (each a Subsidiary and collectively the Subsidiaries ) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Funds. The Subsidiaries are organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands and overseen by their own boards of directors. Each Fund is the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary, and it is currently expected that shares of the Subsidiaries will not be sold or offered to other investors.
Nuveen Fund Advisors serves as the investment adviser of the Subsidiaries. Nuveen Fund Advisors has selected Gresham to serve as sub-adviser to the Subsidiaries. Gresham manages the investment of the Subsidiaries assets on a discretionary basis, subject to the supervision of Nuveen Fund Advisors.
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
The Subsidiaries do not pay Nuveen Fund Advisors or Gresham a management fee for their services. The Subsidiaries have also entered into separate contracts for the provision of custody and transfer agency services. Each Fund, as the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary, will bear the costs of these services, which will ultimately be borne by shareholders of the Funds.
The Funds investment objectives, which are described in the Fund Summaries section, may be changed without shareholder approval. If your Funds investment objective changes, you will be notified at least 60 days in advance.
The Funds investment policies may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted in this prospectus or the statement of additional information.
The Funds principal investment strategies are discussed in the Fund Summaries section. These are the strategies that the Funds investment adviser and sub-advisers believe are most likely to be important in trying to achieve the Funds investment objectives. This section provides more information about these strategies, as well as information about some additional strategies that the Funds sub-advisers use, or may use, to achieve the Funds objectives. The strategies described below are principal investment strategies unless otherwise noted. You should be aware that each Fund may also use strategies and invest in securities or other instruments that are not described in this prospectus, but that are described in the statement of additional information. For a copy of the statement of additional information, call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 or visit Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com.
Commodity Investments
Each Fund, through its investment in its Subsidiary, invests in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded commodity futures contracts. Other commodity-linked derivative instruments in which each Fund and its Subsidiary may invest include commodity forward contracts, commodity swaps, options on commodity futures contracts and commodity-linked structured notes. Commodity futures and forward contracts are financial instruments in which a buyer agrees to purchase and a seller agrees to sell a designated commodity for a fixed price at a specified future date. Commodity futures may be listed on U.S. or non-U.S exchanges and thus traded at market prices pursuant to terms common to all market participants, while commodity forwards are typically privately negotiated between the buyer and a counterparty. A commodity swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange cash flows or returns (or differences in returns) on a commodity, commodity basket or commodity index. An option on a futures contract gives the holder the right to enter into a specified futures contract; if the option is exercised, the initial holder of the option would enter into the long side of the contract and would buy the underlying asset at the futures price. A structured note is a debt instrument the return on which is tied to a reference asset or rate, such as a commodity, commodity basket or commodity index.
In the event a Fund is unable to fully implement its investment strategy due to changes in regulations, counterparty matters, or other circumstances, the Fund may seek to gain commodity exposure by investing, either directly or
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through the Subsidiary, in securities of certain investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in commodities or commodity-linked derivative instruments, and in exchange-traded notes linked to the value of commodities.
Each Funds commodity investments generally will not require significant outlays of principal. Each Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in the Subsidiary, which will serve as margin to secure its Subsidiarys futures contract positions. Gresham may invest all or some of such amounts in U.S. Treasury securities which it will post as margin in commodity futures accounts maintained by the Subsidiaries clearing broker. Any cash deposited as margin in such accounts is invested by the clearing broker in high-quality instruments permitted under CFTC regulations.
Debt Security Investments
Assets not invested by Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund in its Subsidiary or directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments are invested by Nuveen Asset Management in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality short-term debt securities with final terms not exceeding one year at the time of investment. The Funds fixed income investments consist primarily of direct and guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government and senior obligations of U.S. government agencies as well as money market securities. The Funds investments in cash equivalents and short-term debt securities (other than U.S. government securities) will be rated at all times at the applicable highest short-term or long-term debt or deposit rating or money market fund rating as determined by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality.
Assets not invested by Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund in its Subsidiary or directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments are invested by Nuveen Asset Management in debt securities including (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, or their political subdivisions or agencies or instrumentalities, (iii) U.S. and foreign corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations, (iv) asset-backed securities, and (v) residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities. Any foreign debt securities in which the Fund invests will be U.S. dollar-denominated securities of issuers located in developed markets.
High Yield Securities. Up to 10% of the debt securities in which Nuveen Asset Management invests for Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may be securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by Nuveen Asset Management (securities commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds). High yield securities are typically issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by issuers that have questionable credit strength. High yield and comparable unrated debt securities: (a) will likely have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of the rating agency evaluating the instrument, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions; and (b) are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation.
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For more information on each Funds eligible debt security investments, see the statement of additional information.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
For temporary defensive purposes and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Funds may depart from their principal investment strategies and invest up to 100% of their net assets in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality short-term debt securities. During such periods, the Funds may not be able to achieve their investment objectives. A Fund may adopt a defensive strategy when Nuveen Fund Advisors and Gresham believe the instruments in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors, in the event that unanticipated legal or regulatory developments interfere with implementation of the Funds principal investment strategies, and in other extraordinary circumstances.
Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
The Funds may invest in securities of other open-end or closed-end investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ), that invest primarily in securities and other instruments of the types in which the Funds may invest directly. In addition, the Funds may invest in pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies) that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Funds may invest directly.
An ETF is an investment company that holds a portfolio of securities generally designed to track the performance of a securities index, including industry, sector, country and region indexes. ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.
As a shareholder in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle, the Funds will bear their ratable share of that vehicles expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Funds advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Funds invest in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle. In addition, the Funds will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs. Securities of investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles may be leveraged, in which case the value and/or yield of such securities will tend to be more volatile than securities of unleveraged vehicles.
Generally, investments in other investment companies (including ETFs) are subject to statutory limitations prescribed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. These limitations include a prohibition on a Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Funds total assets in the securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets, in the aggregate, in investment company securities. Many ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETFs shares beyond these statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the ETFs and the investing Fund. The Funds may rely on these exemptive orders in order to invest in unaffiliated ETFs beyond the foregoing statutory limitations. Subject to certain conditions, a Fund also may invest in money market funds beyond the statutory limits described above.
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When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Transactions
Each Fund may buy or sell debt securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, paying for or taking delivery of the securities at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings is available in the Funds statement of additional information. A list of each Funds portfolio holdings is available on the Funds websitewww.nuveen.com/mfby navigating to your Fund using the Mutual Fund Finder and clicking on the Holdings & Detail tab. By following these links, you can obtain a list of your Funds top ten holdings as of the end of the most recent month. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Funds website ten business days after the end of the month. This information will remain available on the website until the Funds file with the Securities and Exchange Commission their annual, semi-annual or quarterly holdings report for the fiscal period that includes the date(s) as of which the website information is current.
Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in a mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing you should consider carefully the principal risks and certain other risks that you assume when you invest in the Funds. These risks are listed alphabetically below. Because of these risks, you should consider an investment in the Funds to be a long-term investment.
Principal Risks
Bond market liquidity risk: Primary dealer inventories of bonds appear to be low relative to the size of the fixed income market. These inventories are a core indication of dealers capacity to make a market in debt securities. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the debt securities markets in which Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds prices.
Call risk: Debt securities held by Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund are subject to call risk. Many bonds may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or called, before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its bonds if they can be refinanced by issuing new bonds which bear a lower interest rate. A Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer will call its high yielding bonds. A Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Funds income.
Clearing broker risk: The failure or bankruptcy of a Subsidiarys clearing broker could result in a substantial loss of Fund assets. Under current CFTC
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
regulations, a clearing broker maintains customers assets that secure commodity futures positions in a bulk segregated account. If a clearing broker fails to do so, or is unable to satisfy a substantial deficit in a customer account, its other customers may be subject to risk of loss of their funds in the event of that clearing brokers bankruptcy. In that event, in the case of futures and options on futures, the clearing brokers customers, such as a Subsidiary, are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a proportional share of all property available for distribution to all of that clearing brokers customers. In the case of cleared swaps, customers of a clearing broker in bankruptcy are entitled to recover assets specifically attributable to them pursuant to new CFTC regulations, but may nevertheless risk loss of some or all of their assets due to accounting or operational issues or due to legal risk in connection with the application of bankruptcy law to cleared swaps.
Commodity risk: Investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments have a high degree of price variability and are subject to rapid and substantial price changes. These price changes may be magnified by computer-driven algorithmic trading, which is becoming more prevalent in the commodities markets. Price movements are outside of the Funds control, are extremely difficult to predict and may not be anticipated by Gresham. Because the Funds have a significant portion of their assets concentrated in commodity-linked derivative instruments, developments affecting commodities will have a disproportionate impact on the Funds. Such development may include, among other things:
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governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; |
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weather and climate conditions; |
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changing supply and demand relationships; |
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changes in international balances of payments and trade; |
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U.S. and international rates of inflation; |
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currency devaluations and revaluations; |
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U.S. and international political and economic events; |
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changes in interest and foreign currency/exchange rates; |
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market liquidity; and |
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changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. |
The Funds investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Funds to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the instruments involve leverage. Although each Funds commodity exposure as a whole will not be leveraged (i.e., each Funds commodity investments will have an aggregate notional value substantially equal to its net assets), individual commodity-linked derivative instruments may employ leverage.
The commodity markets are subject to temporary distortions and other disruptions due to, among other factors, lack of liquidity, the participation of speculators, and government regulation and other actions. U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during any single trading day by regulations referred to as daily price fluctuation limits. The maximum or minimum price of a contract as a result of these limits is referred to as a limit price. If the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
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trades may be made beyond the limit price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices.
No active trading market may exist for certain commodity investments, which may impair the ability of the Funds to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodity investments.
Counterparty risk: Certain commodity-linked derivative instruments, repurchase agreements, swap agreements and other forms of financial instruments that involve counterparties subject the Funds to the risk that the counterparty could default on its obligations under the agreement, either through the counterpartys bankruptcy or failure to perform its obligations. In the event of default, the Funds could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of their assets or no recovery at all. A Funds investments in the futures markets also introduce the risk that its futures commission merchant ( FCM ) would default on an obligation set forth in an agreement between the Fund and the FCM, including the FCMs obligation to return margin posted in connection with the Funds futures contracts.
Credit risk: Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security held by a Fund may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments. Debt securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. The credit rating of a debt security may be lowered if the issuer suffers adverse changes in its financial condition, which can lead to greater volatility in the price of the security and in shares of a Fund, and can also affect the bonds liquidity and make it more difficult for a Fund to sell. When a Fund purchases unrated securities, it will depend on Nuveen Asset Managements analysis of credit risk without the assessment of an independent rating organization, such as Moodys or Standard & Poors.
Credit spread risk: Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of a Funds debt securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.
Currency risk: Even though the non-U.S. securities held by Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund are traded in U.S. dollars, their prices are typically indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of non-U.S. securities, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities, and gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and hence may affect the net asset value of the Fund.
Cybersecurity risk: Intentional cybersecurity breaches include: unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (such as through hacking activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition,
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unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws).
A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems (denial of services), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs. Such incidents could cause a Fund, a Funds adviser or sub-adviser(s), a financial intermediary, or other service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs or financial loss. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which a Fund invests, and thereby cause the Funds investments to lose value.
Derivatives risk: The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and there is the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by a Fund will not correlate with the asset, index or rate underlying the derivative contract.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the contract. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. These risks are heightened when the management team uses derivatives to enhance a funds return or as a substitute for a position or security, rather than solely to hedge (or offset) the risk of a position or security held by the fund.
In addition, when a Fund engages in certain derivative transactions, it is effectively leveraging its investments, which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of the Funds shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of a Funds derivatives strategies will depend on Greshams ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions.
A Fund may also enter into over-the-counter ( OTC ) transactions in derivatives. Transactions in the OTC markets generally are conducted on a principal-to-principal basis. The terms and conditions of these instruments generally are not standardized and tend to be more specialized or complex, and the instruments may be harder to value. In general, there is less governmental regulation and supervision of transactions in the OTC markets than of transactions entered into on organized exchanges. In addition, certain derivative instruments and markets may not be liquid, which means a Fund may not be able to close out a derivatives transaction in a cost-efficient manner.
Energy risk: Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund may at times have significant investments in energy commodities, which could result in the Fund performing poorly during a downturn in one or more of the industries that heavily impact the energy sector. General risks of the energy sector include volatile fluctuations in price and supply of energy fuels, international politics, terrorist attacks, reduced demand, the success of exploration projects, clean-up and litigation costs relating to oil spills and environmental damage, and tax and other regulatory policies of various
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governments. Natural disasters or extreme weather may also impact the energy industry. Additionally, changes in the regulatory environment for the energy sector may adversely impact their profitability. Oil production and refining companies are subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations regarding air emissions and the disposal of hazardous materials. In addition, oil prices are generally subject to extreme volatility.
Frequent trading risk: Gresham regularly purchases and subsequently sells, i.e. rolls, individual commodity futures and forward contracts throughout the year so as to maintain a fully invested position. As the commodity contracts near their expiration dates, Gresham rolls them over into new contracts. This frequent trading of contracts may increase the amount of commissions or mark-ups to broker-dealers that the Subsidiaries pay when they buy and sell contracts, which may detract from the Funds performance.
High yield securities risk: Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in securities that are rated below-investment grade, which are commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds. High yield securities usually offer higher yields than investment grade securities, but also involve more risk. High yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic conditions than investment grade securities, and they generally have more volatile prices and carry more risk to principal. In addition, high yield securities generally are less liquid than investment grade securities.
Income risk: Each Funds income from its debt securities could decline during periods of falling interest rates because a Fund generally may have to invest the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio debt securities, in lower-yielding securities. In addition, a Funds income could decline when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest rate risk: Debt securities held by a Fund will fluctuate in value with changes in interest rates. In general, debt securities will increase in value when interest rates fall and decrease in value when interest rates rise. A Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Longer-term debt securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. Rising interest rates also may lengthen the duration of debt securities with call features held by Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund, since exercise of the call becomes less likely as interest rates rise, which in turn will make the securities more sensitive to changes in interest rates and result in even steeper price declines in the event of further interest rate increases.
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities risk: Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The value of mortgage- and asset-backed securities can fall if the owners of the underlying mortgages or other obligations pay off their mortgages or other obligations sooner than expected, which could happen when interest rates fall or for other reasons.
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, which would, in effect, convert a short- or medium-duration
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mortgage- or asset-backed security into a longer-duration security, increasing its sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing its price to decline.
A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security and the structure of its issuer. For example, if a mortgage underlying a certain mortgage-backed security defaults, the value of that security may decrease.
Mortgage-backed securities issued by a private issuer, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, generally entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity.
Non-U.S. investment risk: The Funds may invest in commodity futures contracts traded on non-U.S. exchanges or enter into OTC derivative contracts with non-U.S. counterparties. Transactions on non-U.S. exchanges or with non-U.S. counterparties present risks because they may not subject to the same degree of regulation as their U.S. counterparts. In addition, Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers located in developed markets. Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments.
Regulatory risk: Greshams investment decisions may need to be modified, and commodity contract positions held by the Funds and/or the Subsidiaries may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices, to avoid exceeding position limits established by the CFTC, potentially subjecting the Funds to substantial losses. The CFTCs position limit regulations require that a trader aggregate all positions in accounts over which the trader controls trading. However, a trader is not required to aggregate positions in multiple accounts or commodity pools if such trader avails itself of the independent account controller exemption under applicable CFTC regulations. Gresham currently operates under the independent account controller exemption and is therefore not required to aggregate its positions with Gresham LLCs other division. If the CFTC were to terminate, suspend or revoke the independent account controller exemption, or if the exemption were otherwise unavailable, Gresham would be required to aggregate its positions with Gresham LLCs other division. In that case, it is possible that Greshams investment decisions would need to be modified and that positions held by the Funds and/or their Subsidiaries would have to be liquidated to avoid exceeding such position limits, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the Funds.
The regulation of commodity transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Funds is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Funds.
Short sales risk: Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may sell futures contracts short. In a short sale transaction, the Fund must deliver the underlying commodity at the contract price to a buyer of the contract who stands for delivery under the rules of the exchange that lists the contract or must offset the contract by entering into an opposite and offsetting
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
29
transaction in the market. The price at such time may be higher or lower than the price at which the futures contract was sold short. If the underlying price of the futures contract declines between the time that the Fund sells the contract short and offsets the contract, the Fund will realize a gain on the transaction. Conversely, if the price of the underlying short futures contract goes up during the period, the Fund will realize a loss on the transaction. A short sale creates the risk of an unlimited loss because the price of the underlying commodity in a futures contract could theoretically increase without limit, thus increasing the cost of covering the short positions. In circumstances where a market has reached its maximum price limits imposed by the exchange, the short seller may be unable to offset its short position until the next trading day, when prices could expand again in rapid trading.
Subsidiary risk: By investing in its Subsidiary, each Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiarys investments. The investments held by the Subsidiaries are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Funds and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Funds. The Subsidiaries are not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in this prospectus, are not subject to regulation thereunder. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Funds and/or the Subsidiaries to operate as described in this prospectus and could adversely affect the Funds and their shareholders. For example, Cayman Islands law does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiaries must pay Cayman Islands governmental authority taxes, the Funds shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.
Tax risk: Each Funds ability to make direct and indirect investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments is limited by the Funds intention to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. Each Funds investment in its Subsidiary is intended to allow the Fund to obtain exposure to commodities while permitting it to satisfy the requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. However, if a Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, and were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the Fund would be subject to corporate-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders, and all distributions to shareholders from earnings and profits would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. There have been and likely will continue to be proposals for various amendments to U.S. federal income tax laws that could, if enacted, have adverse effects on the Funds, their investments, or their shareholders. In addition, income and capital gains earned by the Subsidiaries and distributed to the Funds and their shareholders will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, even if such income and gains would otherwise have qualified for tax-advantaged treatment. Also, net losses generated by the Subsidiaries may not be netted against income or gains earned within the Funds and may not be carried forward for use in future years to offset gains within the Funds or the Subsidiaries, which may cause the Funds during a multi-year period to pay taxable distributions when they had experienced no total return or even negative total return over such period. See Dividends, Distributions and TaxesTaxes and Tax Reporting.
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
Valuation risk: The debt securities in which a Fund may invest typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that a Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if a Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Whipsaw market risk: Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may be subject to the risks of a whipsaw market. A whipsaw market is one in which significant price movements develop but then rapidly reverse. Because Greshams Long/Short Strategy seeks to capitalize on price momentum in the commodity markets, if that momentum suddenly and unexpectedly reverses, the Subsidiary (and therefore the Fund) could experience substantial losses. For example, price patterns in the commodity markets may indicate upward momentum, causing the Subsidiary to shift from short or flat positions to long positions. However, such patterns may reverse rapidly, leading to losses on the long positions and causing the Subsidiary to shift back to short or flat positions. An unexpected change in government economic policy, a significant political or economic event, a surprise change in monetary policy, or a sudden shift in supply or demand could cause a severe reversal in value of the Subsidiarys long or short positions, resulting in significant losses to the Fund.
Non-Principal Risks
Global economic risk: Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. An example is the June 2016 United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union ( EU ), which resulted in depreciation in the value of the British pound, short term declines in the stock markets and ongoing economic and political uncertainty. The United Kingdoms withdrawal from the EU may take an extended period, and there is considerable uncertainty about the potential trade, economic and market consequences of the exit. Other countries may also depart the EU, voluntarily or otherwise. The negative impact of the United Kingdoms departure from the EU, as well as any future departures by other countries, could be significant, not only to the United Kingdom and European economies, but also to the broader global economy. Such departures could potentially result in increased market volatility and illiquidity, and lower economic growth for companies that rely significantly on Europe for their business activities and revenues, which could negatively impact the value of a Funds investments. Similarly, major economic or political disruptions outside of Europe, particularly in large economies like Chinas, may have global negative economic and market repercussions.
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31
Large transactions risk: A Fund may experience adverse effects due to large purchases or redemptions of Fund shares. A large redemption by an individual shareholder, or an increase in redemptions generally by Fund shareholders, may cause a Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Funds net asset value and liquidity. If a Fund has difficulty selling portfolio securities in a timely manner to meet redemption requests, the Fund may have to borrow money to do so. In such an instance, a Funds remaining shareholders would bear the costs of such borrowings, and such costs could reduce the Funds returns. In addition, until a Fund is able to sell securities to meet redemption requests, the Funds market exposure may be greater than it ordinarily would be, which would magnify the impact of any market movements on the Funds performance. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect a Funds performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, reducing the Funds market exposure. Increased redemption activity may also result in unexpected taxable distributions to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains and thereby accelerated the realization of taxable income. In addition, large redemptions could result in a Funds current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Funds expense ratio.
Other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles risk: When a Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs and other pooled investment vehicles, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies. Furthermore, the Fund is exposed to the risks to which the other investment companies may be subject. For index-based ETFs, while such ETFs seek to achieve the same returns as a particular market index, the performance of an ETF may diverge from the performance of such index (commonly known as tracking error).
When-issued or delayed-delivery transactions risk: These transactions involve an element of risk because, although a Fund will not have made any cash outlay prior to the settlement date, the value of the security to be purchased may decline to a level below its purchase price before that settlement date.
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
The Funds offer multiple classes of shares, each with a different combination of sales charges, fees, eligibility requirements and other features. Your financial advisor can help you determine which class is best for you. For further details, please see the statement of additional information. Because the prospectus and the statement of additional information are available free of charge on Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com, we do not disclose the following share class information separately on the website.
The different share classes offered by the Funds are described below. You will pay up-front or contingent deferred sales charges on some of these share classes. In addition, some share classes are subject to annual distribution and/or service fees in the amounts described below, which are paid out of a Funds assets. These fees are paid to the Distributor and are used primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries in connection with the distribution of Fund shares and for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. The Funds have adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 that allows each Fund to pay these distribution and service fees. More information on this plan can be found under Distribution and Service PaymentsDistribution and Service Plan. Because fees paid under the plan are paid out of a 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.
Class A Shares
You can purchase Class A shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% of your Funds average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. Nuveen Securities, LLC (the Distributor ), a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments and the distributor of the Funds, retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class A sales charges for the Funds are as follows:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as
% of Public Offering Price |
Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount Invested |
Maximum
Commission as % of Public Offering Price |
|||||||||
Less than $50,000 | 5.75 | % | 6.10 | % | 5.00 | % | ||||||
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.50 | 4.71 | 4.00 | |||||||||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.75 | 3.90 | 3.25 | |||||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.75 | 2.83 | 2.50 | |||||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.00 | 2.04 | 1.75 | |||||||||
$1,000,000 and over* | | | 1.00 |
* | You can purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares at net asset value without an up-front sales charge. The Distributor pays financial intermediaries of record at a rate of 1.00% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.75% of the next $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of the amount over $5 million, which includes an advance of the first years service fee. Unless you are eligible for a |
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
33
waiver, you may be assessed a contingent deferred sales charge ( CDSC ) of 1.00% if you redeem any of your shares within 18 months of purchase. See Contingent Deferred Sales Charges below for information concerning the CDSC and How to Reduce Your Sales ChargeCDSC Waivers and Reductions below for information concerning CDSC waivers and reductions. |
Class A shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class A shares.
Class C Shares
You can purchase Class C shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 1.00% of your Funds average daily net assets. The annual 0.25% service fee compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The annual 0.75% distribution fee compensates the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission as well as an advance of the first years service and distribution fees. The Distributor retains the service and distribution fees on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. If you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase, you will normally pay a 1.00% CDSC, which is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds. You do not pay a CDSC on any Class C shares you purchase by reinvesting dividends. You may qualify for a reduced CDSC, or the CDSC may be waived, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge below.
Investors purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See How to Reduce Your Sales Charge below.
Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $1,000,000 will not be accepted. In addition, the Funds limit the cumulative amount of Class C shares that may be purchased by a single purchaser. Your financial intermediary may set lower maximum purchase limits for Class C shares. See the statement of additional information for more information.
Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class C shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class C shares.
Class I Shares
You can purchase Class I shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. As Class I shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees, they have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
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Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:
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Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. |
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Certain bank or broker-affiliated trust departments. |
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Advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates. |
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Current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information). |
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Officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members. |
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Full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members. |
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Certain financial intermediary personnel, and their immediate family members. |
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Certain other institutional investors described in the statement of additional information. |
Class T Shares
You can purchase Class T shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. Class T shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% of a Funds average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The Distributor retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class T sales charges for a Fund are as follows:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as
% of Public Offering Price |
Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount Invested |
Maximum
Financial Intermediary Commission as % of Public Offering Price |
|||||||||
Less than $250,000 | 2.50 | % | 2.56 | % | 2.50 | % | ||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.00 | % | 2.04 | % | 2.00 | % | ||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 1.50 | % | 1.52 | % | 1.50 | % | ||||||
$1,000,000 and over | 1.00 | % | 1.01 | % | 1.00 | % |
Class T shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund are not subject to a sales charge. In addition, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under certain other circumstances, as determined by the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. See the appendix to this Prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, for information on available Class T share sales charge waivers.
Investors may purchase Class T shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with a Fund.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
35
In addition, Class T shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class T shares.
Only Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund issues Class T shares.
Please refer to the statement of additional information for more information about Class A, Class C, Class I and Class T shares, including more detailed program descriptions and eligibility requirements. Additional information is also available from your financial advisor, who can also help you prepare any necessary application forms.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges
If you redeem Class A or Class C shares that are subject to a CDSC, you may be assessed a CDSC upon redemption. When you redeem Class A or Class C shares subject to a CDSC, your Fund will first redeem any shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then redeem the shares you have owned for the longest period of time, unless you ask the Fund to redeem your shares in a different order. No CDSC is imposed on shares you buy through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. The CDSC holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you redeem shares subject to a CDSC, the CDSC is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds, deducted from your redemption proceeds, and paid to the Distributor. The CDSC may be waived under certain special circumstances as described below under How You Can Buy and Sell SharesHow to Reduce Your Sales ChargeCDSC Waivers and Reductions, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and in the statement of additional information.
The Funds offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A shares. In addition, under certain circumstances, the Funds will waive or reduce the CDSC imposed on redemptions of Class C shares and certain Class A shares purchased at net asset value. The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Funds or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify your Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Funds or through another intermediary.
Class A Sales Charge Reductions
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Rights of Accumulation. In calculating the appropriate sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of a Fund, you may be able to add the amount of your purchase to the value, based on the current net asset |
36
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
value per share, of all of your prior purchases of any Nuveen Mutual Fund. |
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Letter of Intent. Subject to certain requirements, you may purchase Class A shares of a Fund at the sales charge rate applicable to the total amount of the purchases you intend to make over a 13-month period. |
For purposes of calculating the appropriate sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent above, you may include purchases by (i) you, (ii) your spouse or domestic partner and children under the age of 21 years, and (iii) a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that is 100% owned by any of the persons in (i) or (ii). In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).
Class A Sales Charge Waivers
Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge as follows:
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Purchases of $1,000,000 or more (although such purchases may be subject to a CDSC in certain circumstances, see What Share Classes We OfferContingent Deferred Sales Charges above). |
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Shares purchased through the reinvestment of Nuveen Mutual Fund dividends and capital gain distributions. |
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Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. Purchases by employer-sponsored retirement plans ( ESRPs ) as defined below, except that, in the case of ESRPs held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
For this purpose, ESRPs include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, health savings accounts, defined benefit plans, participant directed non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Roth 401(k) plans and Roth 403(b) plans, and do not include SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs (other than SIMPLE IRAs opened before January 1, 2011 where the Distributor is the broker of record), SIMPLE 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, KEOGH plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and single defined benefit plans.
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Employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates. Purchases by current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates and such employees immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information). |
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Current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds. |
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Financial intermediary personnel. Purchases by any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director, or employee of any financial intermediary or any such persons immediate family member. |
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Certain trust departments. Purchases by bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity. |
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
37
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Additional categories of investors. Purchases made (i) by investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; (ii) by clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; and (iii) through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
In order to obtain a sales charge reduction or waiver on Class A share purchases, it may be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform the Funds or your financial advisor of the existence of other accounts in which there are holdings eligible to be aggregated for such purposes. You may need to provide the Funds or your financial advisor information or records, such as account statements, in order to verify your eligibility for a sales charge reduction or waiver. This may include account statements of family members and information regarding Nuveen Mutual Fund shares held in accounts with other financial advisors. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor at the time of each purchase if you are eligible for any of these programs. The Funds may modify or discontinue these programs at any time.
CDSC Waivers and Reductions
The CDSC payable upon the redemption of Class C shares, and on Class A shares that were purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, may be waived or reduced under certain circumstances, including the following:
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In the event of total disability of the shareholder. |
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In the event of death of the shareholder. |
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For certain redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan. |
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For redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees. |
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For redemptions of accounts not meeting required minimum balances. |
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Upon an optional conversion by a Fund of Class C shares held in an account which no longer has a financial intermediary of record into Class A shares. |
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For redemptions of Class C shares where the Distributor did not advance the first years service and distribution fees to the intermediary. |
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For redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales charge to the intermediary when the shares were purchased. |
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For certain redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution plan. |
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For certain redemptions of shares held in an IRA account, including redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions from the account after age 70 1 / 2 . |
More information on these and other available CDSC waivers and reductions can be found in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and in the statement of additional information.
38
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
Fund shares may be purchased on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE ) is open for business. Generally, the NYSE is closed on weekends and national holidays. The share price you pay depends on when the Distributor receives your order and on the share class you are purchasing. Orders received before the close of trading on a business day (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) will receive that days closing share price; otherwise, you will receive the next business days price.
You may purchase Fund shares (1) through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or (2) directly from the Funds. Class C and Class T shares may not be purchased directly from the Funds. In addition, the availability of Class A, Class C and Class T shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary.
Through a Financial Advisor
You may buy shares through your financial advisor, who can handle all the details for you, including opening a new account. Financial advisors can also help you review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. In addition, financial advisors generally can help you develop a customized financial plan, select investments and monitor and review your portfolio on an ongoing basis to help assure your investments continue to meet your needs as circumstances change. Financial advisors (including brokers or agents) are paid for providing ongoing investment advice and services, either from Fund sales charges and fees or by charging you a separate fee in lieu of a sales charge.
Financial advisors or other dealer firms may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to customers by each individual dealer. Processing or service fees typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in this prospectus and the statement of additional information. Your dealer will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged. Shares you purchase through your financial advisor or other intermediary will normally be held with that firm. For more information, please contact your financial advisor.
Directly from the Funds
Eligible investors may purchase shares directly from the Funds.
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By wire. You can purchase shares by making a wire transfer from your bank. Before making an initial investment by wire, you must submit a new account form to a Fund. After receiving your form, a service representative will contact you with your account number and wiring instructions. Your order will be priced at the next closing share price based on the share class of your Fund, calculated after your Funds custodian receives your payment by wire. Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. New York time to be eligible for same day pricing. Neither your Fund nor the transfer agent is responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions. Before making any additional purchases by wire, you should call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. You cannot purchase shares by wire on days when federally chartered banks are closed. |
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
39
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By mail. You may open an account directly with the Funds and buy shares by completing an application and mailing it along with your check to: Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Applications may be obtained at www.nuveen.com or by calling (800) 257-8787. No third party checks will be accepted. |
Purchase orders and redemption requests are not processed until received in proper form by the transfer agent of a Fund.
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On-line. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may process certain account transactions on-line. You may purchase additional shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered direct accounts. You can also look up your account balance, history and dividend information, as well as order duplicate account statements and tax forms from the Funds website. To access your account, click the Individual Investors link on www.nuveen.com and then choose Account Access under the Resources tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. To purchase shares on-line, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See Special ServicesFund Direct below. |
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By telephone. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may also process account transactions via the Funds automated information line. Simply call (800) 257-8787, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. To purchase shares by telephone, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See Special ServicesFund Direct below. |
To help make your investing with us easy and efficient, we offer you the following services at no extra cost. Your financial advisor can help you complete the forms for these services, or you can call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for copies of the necessary forms.
Systematic Investing
Once you have opened an account satisfying the applicable investment minimum, systematic investing allows you to make regular additional investments through automatic deductions from your bank account, directly from your paycheck or from exchanging shares from another mutual fund account. The minimum automatic deduction is $100 per month. There is no charge to participate in your Funds systematic investment plan. You can stop the deductions at any time by notifying your Fund in writing.
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From your bank account. You can make systematic investments of $100 or more per month by authorizing your Fund to draw pre-authorized checks on your bank account. |
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From your paycheck. With your employers consent, you can make systematic investments each pay period (collectively meeting the monthly minimum of $100) by authorizing your employer to deduct monies from your paycheck. |
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Systematic exchanging. You can make systematic investments by authorizing the Distributor to exchange shares from one Nuveen Mutual Fund account into another identically registered Nuveen Mutual Fund account of the same share class. |
Your Fund may cancel your participation in its systematic investment plan if it is unable to deliver a current prospectus to you because of an incorrect or invalid mailing address.
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Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
Systematic Withdrawal
If the value of your Fund account is at least $10,000, you may request to have $50 or more withdrawn automatically from your account. You may elect to receive payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually, and may choose to receive a check, have the monies transferred directly into your bank account (see Fund Direct below), paid to a third party or sent payable to you at an address other than your address of record. You must complete the appropriate section of the account application or Account Update Form to participate in each Funds systematic withdrawal plan.
You should not establish systematic withdrawals if you intend to make concurrent purchases of Class A or Class C shares because you may unnecessarily pay a sales charge or CDSC on these purchases.
Exchanging Shares
You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state, except that there are no exchange privileges for Class T shares. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same fund, subject to the payment of any applicable CDSC. Please consult the statement of additional information for details.
Each Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. In the event that a Fund rejects an exchange request, neither the redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. If you would like the redemption request to be processed even if the purchase order is rejected, you may submit a separate redemption request (see How to Sell Shares below). Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.
Because an exchange between funds is treated for tax purposes as a purchase and sale, any gain may be subject to tax. An exchange between classes of shares of the same fund may not be considered a taxable event. You should consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of exchanging your shares.
Fund Direct SM
The Fund Direct Program allows you to link your Fund account to your bank account, transfer money electronically between these accounts and perform a variety of account transactions, including purchasing shares by telephone and investing through a systematic investment plan. You may also have dividends, distributions, redemption payments or systematic withdrawal plan payments sent directly to your bank account.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeem Fund shares, you may reinvest all or part of your redemption proceeds up to one year later without incurring any additional charges. You may only reinvest into the same share class you redeemed. If you paid a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. You may use this reinstatement privilege only once for any redemption.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
41
You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day, which is any day the NYSE is open for business. You will receive the share price next determined after your Fund has received your properly completed redemption request. Your redemption request must be received before the close of trading (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) for you to receive that days price. The Fund will normally mail your check the next business day after a redemption request is received, but in no event more than seven days after your request is received. If you are selling shares purchased recently with a check, your redemption proceeds will not be mailed until your check has cleared, which may take up to ten business days from your purchase date.
You may sell your shares (1) through a financial advisor or (2) directly to the Funds.
Through a Financial Advisor
You may sell your shares through your financial advisor, who can prepare the necessary documentation. Your financial advisor may charge for this service.
Directly to the Funds
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By mail. You can sell your shares at any time by sending a written request to the appropriate Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Your request must include the following information: |
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The Funds name; |
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Your name and account number; |
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The dollar or share amount you wish to redeem; |
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The signature of each owner exactly as it appears on the account; |
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The name of the person to whom you want your redemption proceeds paid (if other than to the shareholder of record); |
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The address where you want your redemption proceeds sent (if other than the address of record); |
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Any certificates you have for the shares; and |
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Any required signature guarantees. |
After you have established your account, signatures on a written request must be guaranteed if:
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You would like redemption proceeds payable or sent to any person, address or bank account other than that on record; |
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You have changed the address on your Funds records within the last 30 days; |
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Your redemption request is in excess of $50,000; or |
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You are requesting a change in ownership on your account. |
Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services such as changing bank information on an account, will require a signature guarantee or signature verification from a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program member or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source. In addition to the situations described above, the Funds reserve the right to require a signature guarantee, or another acceptable form of signature verification, in other instances based on the circumstances of a particular situation.
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Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
An Important Note About Telephone Transactions
Although Nuveen Investor Services has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers, it will not be liable for losses resulting from following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. Also, you should verify your trade confirmations immediately upon receipt.
A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects shareholders from unauthorized account transfers. Banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange may guarantee signatures. Call your financial intermediary to determine if it has this capability. A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor. Proceeds from a written redemption request will be sent to you by check unless another form of payment is requested.
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On-line. You may redeem shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered accounts on-line. To access your account, click the Individual Investors link on www.nuveen.com and then choose Account Access under the Resources tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. On-line redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. |
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By telephone. If your account is held with your Fund and not in your brokerage account, and you have authorized telephone redemption privileges, call (800) 257-8787 to redeem your shares, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. Telephone redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record, normally the next business day after the redemption request is received. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. In this case, the redemption proceeds will be transferred to your bank on the next business day after the redemption request is received. You should contact your bank for further information concerning the timing of the credit of the redemption proceeds in your bank account. |
Accounts with Low Balances
A Fund reserves the right to liquidate or assess a low balance fee on any account held directly with the Fund that has a balance that has fallen below the account balance minimum of $1,000 for any reason, including market fluctuations.
If a Fund elects to exercise the right to assess a low balance fee, then annually the Fund will assess a $15 low balance account fee on certain accounts with balances under the account balance minimum that are IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or accounts established pursuant to the UTMA or UGMA. At the same time, other accounts with balances under the account balance minimum will be liquidated, with proceeds being mailed to the address of record. Prior to the assessment of any low balance fee or liquidation of low balance accounts, affected shareholders will receive a communication notifying them of the pending action, thereby providing time for shareholders to bring their accounts up to the account balance minimum prior to any fee assessment or account liquidation. You will not be assessed a CDSC if your account is liquidated.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
43
To help you understand the tax implications of investing in the Funds, this section includes important details about how the Funds make distributions to shareholders. We discuss some other Fund policies as well. Please consult the statement of additional information and your tax advisor for more information about taxes.
The Funds intend to pay income dividends and any taxable gains annually.
Payment and Reinvestment Options
The Funds automatically reinvest your dividends in additional Fund shares unless you request otherwise. You may request to have your dividends paid to you by check, sent via electronic funds transfer through Automated Clearing House network or reinvested in shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund. For further information, contact your financial advisor or call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. If you request that your distributions be paid by check but those distributions cannot be delivered because of an incorrect mailing address, or if a distribution check remains uncashed for six months, the undelivered or uncashed distributions and all future distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares at the current net asset value.
Non-U.S. Income Tax Considerations
Investment income that the Funds receive from their non-U.S. investments may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes, which generally will reduce Fund distributions. However, the United States has entered into tax treaties with many non-U.S. countries that may entitle you to certain tax benefits.
Taxes and Tax Reporting
Each Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. A regulated investment company is generally not subject to tax at the corporate level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, each Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from qualifying income as provided in the Internal Revenue Code and meet other requirements with respect to asset diversification and distribution of income. If a Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, and were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the Fund would be subject to corporate-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders, and all distributions to shareholders from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would generally be taxable to shareholders as dividend income.
Taxable income and realized gains arising from the types of commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the Subsidiaries will invest would not constitute qualifying income were it earned directly by the Funds. Consequently, each Funds investment in its Subsidiary is intended to provide exposure to commodities while allowing the Fund to satisfy the requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under current
44
Section 4 General Information
law. The Internal Revenue Service has previously issued private letter rulings to mutual funds to the effect that income deemed to be received from their wholly-owned subsidiaries was qualifying income without regard to whether it is paid to the parent mutual fund in the form of a cash dividend. In 2016, the Internal Revenue Service released proposed Regulations that, if finalized in the form proposed, would limit the qualifying income from the Subsidiaries to the income distributed in the same year in which the income is required to be included in the income of a Fund under the controlled foreign corporation rules. Each Fund intends to distribute the income in the same year as the income is required to be included, but a failure to do so could cause the Fund to have non-qualifying income and potentially lose RIC status.
If a Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Funds taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred, which have a negative impact on Fund returns.
The Funds have not received a private letter ruling. In the absence of a private letter ruling or published guidance, the Funds will rely upon an opinion of counsel to the effect that, consistent with Section 851(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, income received from a controlled foreign corporation by the Funds will be considered qualifying income if it is distributed from the controlled foreign corporation in the year earned, and the Subsidiaries will be operated consistent with this statutory provision.
Because the Subsidiaries are controlled foreign corporations, it is anticipated that for federal income tax purposes, income and capital gain earned by the Subsidiaries and distributed to the Funds and their shareholders will be considered a distribution of net investment income generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Moreover, net losses earned by the Subsidiaries may not be netted with income or gain earned within the Funds and may not be carried forward for use in future years. This means that if a Fund or its Subsidiary generates gains in the current fiscal year after the Subsidiary generated losses in a previous year, the Fund would not be able to reduce the amount of gains passed through to shareholders by the amount of such losses. Among other things, this may cause the Funds to pay taxable distributions during a multi-year period when they had experienced no total return or even negative total return over such period.
The Funds will make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income (which may be taxable at different rates, depending on the sources of the distributions) or capital gains (which may be taxable at different rates, depending on the length of time a Fund holds its assets). Distributions from a Funds long-term capital gains are generally taxable as capital gains, while distributions from short-term capital gains and net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Certain ordinary income distributions received from a Fund that are determined to be qualified dividend income may be taxed at tax rates equal to those applicable to long-term capital gains. However, it is unlikely that dividends from the Funds will qualify to any significant extent for designation as qualified dividend income. The tax you pay on a given capital gains distribution depends generally on how long the Fund has held the portfolio securities it sold and not on how long you have
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45
owned your Fund shares. Distributions generally do not qualify for a dividends received deduction if you are a corporate shareholder.
Early in each year, you will receive a statement detailing the amount and nature of all distributions that you were paid during the prior year. If you hold your investment at the firm where you purchased your Fund shares, you will receive the statement from that firm. If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, the Distributor will send you the statement. The tax status of your distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or elect to receive them in cash. The sale of shares in your account may produce a gain or loss, and is a taxable event. For tax purposes, an exchange of shares between funds is generally the same as a sale.
Please note that if you do not furnish your Fund with your correct Social Security number or employer identification number, you fail to provide certain certifications to your Fund, you fail to certify whether you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien, or the Internal Revenue Service notifies the Fund to withhold, federal law requires your Fund to withhold federal income tax from your distributions and redemption proceeds at the applicable withholding rate.
Buying or Selling Shares Close to a Record Date
Buying Fund shares shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend or capital gain distribution is commonly known as buying the dividend. The entire distribution may be taxable to you even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of your purchase price.
Non-U.S. Tax Credits
A regulated investment company with more than 50% of the value of its assets in stock or other securities of non-U.S. corporations at the close of a taxable year may, for such taxable year, elect to pass the regulated investment companys non-U.S. tax credits through to its investors.
Cost Basis Method
For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, you may elect a cost basis method to apply to all existing and future accounts you may establish. The cost basis method you select will determine the order in which shares are redeemed and how your cost basis information is calculated and subsequently reported to you and to the Internal Revenue Service. Please consult your tax advisor to determine which cost basis method best suits your specific situation. If you hold your account directly with a Fund, please contact Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account with a financial intermediary, please contact that financial intermediary for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account directly with a Fund and do not elect a cost basis method, your account will default to the average cost basis method. The average cost basis method generally calculates cost basis by determining the average price paid for Fund shares that may have been purchased at different times for different prices. Financial intermediaries choose their own default cost basis method.
Distribution and Service Plan
The Distributor serves as the selling agent and distributor of the Funds shares. In this capacity, the Distributor manages the offering of the Funds shares and is responsible for all sales and promotional activities. In order to
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Section 4 General Information
reimburse the Distributor for its costs in connection with these activities, including compensation paid to financial intermediaries, each Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Plan ). See How You Can Buy and Sell SharesWhat Share Classes We Offer for a description of the distribution and service fees paid under the Plan.
Under the Plan, the Distributor receives a distribution fee for Class C shares primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, in connection with the distribution of shares. The Distributor receives a service fee for Class A, Class C and Class T shares to compensate financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders. Fees paid under the Plan also compensate the Distributor for other expenses, including printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other than shareholders, and preparing, printing, and distributing advertising materials, sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of shares. Because fees paid under the Plan are paid out of a 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. Long-term holders of Class C shares may pay more in distribution and service fees and CDSCs than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge permitted under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Conduct Rules.
Other Payments by the Funds
In addition to the distribution and service fees the Funds pay under the Plan and fees the Funds pay to their transfer agent, the Distributor or Nuveen Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Funds, may enter into non-Plan agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Funds will pay financial intermediaries for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency and shareholder services. These non-Plan payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by a financial intermediary. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial and may vary significantly among intermediaries.
Other Payments by the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors
In addition to the sales commissions and payments from distribution and service fees made to financial intermediaries as previously described, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors may from time to time make additional payments, out of their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries that sell shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds in order to promote the sales and retention of Fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by financial intermediary and, with respect to a given firm, are typically calculated by reference to the amount of the firms recent gross sales of Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and/or total assets of Nuveen Mutual Funds held by the firms customers. The level of payments that the Distributor and/or Nuveen Fund Advisors is willing to provide to a particular financial intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, the firms total assets held in and recent net investments into Nuveen Mutual Funds, the firms level of participation in Nuveen Mutual Fund sales and marketing programs, the firms compensation program for its registered representatives who sell Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and provide
Section 4 General Information
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services to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders, and the asset class of the Nuveen Mutual Funds for which these payments are provided. The statement of additional information contains additional information about these payments, including the names of the firms to which payments are made. The Distributor may also make payments to financial intermediaries in connection with sales meetings, due diligence meetings, prospecting seminars and other meetings at which the Distributor promotes its products and services.
In connection with the availability of Nuveen Mutual Funds within selected mutual fund no-transaction fee institutional platforms and fee-based wrap programs at certain financial intermediaries, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors also make payments out of their own assets to those firms as compensation for certain recordkeeping, shareholder communications and other account administration services provided to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders who own their Fund shares through these platforms or programs. These payments are in addition to the service fee and any applicable sub-transfer agency or similar fees paid to these firms with respect to these services by the Nuveen Mutual Funds out of Fund assets.
The amounts of payments to a financial intermediary could be significant, and may create an incentive for the intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Funds to you. The intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Funds within the intermediarys organization by, for example, placing the Funds on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor and/or its affiliates preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Funds in various ways within the intermediarys organization.
The price you pay for your shares or the amount you receive upon redemption of your shares is based on your Funds net asset value per share, which is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. Each Funds latest net asset value per share is available on the Funds website at www.nuveen.com. Net asset value is calculated for each class of each Fund by taking the value of the classs total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share.
In determining net asset value, portfolio instruments generally are valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or obtained from other sources, such as broker-dealer quotations. Exchange-traded instruments generally are valued at the last reported sales price or official closing price on an exchange, if available. Independent pricing services typically value non-exchange-traded instruments utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions. For example, when available, pricing services may utilize inputs such as benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, spreads, and transactions for comparable instruments. In pricing certain instruments, the pricing services may consider information about an instruments issuer or market activity provided by the Funds investment adviser or sub-advisers. Pricing service valuations of non-exchange-traded instruments represent the services good faith opinion as to what the holder of an instrument would receive in an orderly transaction for an institutional
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Section 4 General Information
round lot position under current market conditions. It is possible that these valuations could be materially different from the value that a Fund realizes upon the sale of an instrument. Non-U.S. securities and currency are valued in U.S. dollars based on non-U.S. currency exchange rate quotations supplied by an independent quotation service.
For non-U.S. traded securities whose principal local markets close before the close of the NYSE, a Fund may adjust the local closing price based upon such factors as developments in non-U.S. markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent non-U.S. securities. A Fund may rely on an independent fair valuation service in making any such fair value determinations. If a Fund holds portfolio instruments that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the value of such instruments may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Funds shares.
If a price cannot be obtained from a pricing service or other pre-approved source, or if, in the judgment of Nuveen Fund Advisors, a price is unreliable, a portfolio instrument will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its appointee. Nuveen Fund Advisors may determine that a price is unreliable in various circumstances. For example, a price may be deemed unreliable if it has not changed for an identified period of time, or has changed from the previous days price by more than a threshold amount, and recent transactions and/or broker dealer price quotations differ materially from the price in question.
The Board of Trustees has adopted valuation procedures for the Funds and has appointed the Nuveen Fund Advisors Valuation Committee with the day-to-day responsibility for fair value determinations. All fair value determinations made by the Valuation Committee are subject to review and ratification by the Board of Trustees. As a general principle, the fair value of a portfolio instrument is the amount that an owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the instruments current sale. A range of factors and analysis may be considered when determining fair value, including relevant market data, interest rates, credit considerations and/or issuer specific news. However, fair valuation involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.
The Funds are intended for long-term investment and should not be used for excessive trading. Excessive trading in the Funds shares can disrupt portfolio management, lead to higher operating costs, and cause other operating inefficiencies for the Funds. However, the Funds are also mindful that shareholders may have valid reasons for periodically purchasing and redeeming Fund shares.
Accordingly, the Funds have adopted a Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance the Funds need to prevent excessive trading in Fund shares while offering investors the flexibility in managing their financial affairs to make periodic purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
The Funds Frequent Trading Policy generally limits an investor to two round trip trades in a 60-day period. A round trip is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of
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a round trip may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.
The Funds primarily receive share purchase and redemption orders through third-party financial intermediaries, some of whom rely on the use of omnibus accounts. An omnibus account typically includes multiple investors and provides the Funds only with a net purchase or redemption amount on any given day where multiple purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares occur in the account. The identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated in omnibus accounts, and the size of their orders, will generally not be known by the Funds. Despite the Funds efforts to detect and prevent frequent trading, the Funds may be unable to identify frequent trading because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to identify frequent traders. The Distributor has entered into agreements with financial intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Funds transfer agent. Under the terms of these agreements, the financial intermediaries undertake to cooperate with the Distributor in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent frequent trading in the Funds through such accounts. Pursuant to these agreements, financial intermediaries may disclose to a Fund an investors taxpayer identification number and a record of the investors transactions at the request of the Fund. Technical limitations in operational systems at such intermediaries or at the Distributor may also limit the Funds ability to detect and prevent frequent trading. In addition, the Funds may permit certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealer and retirement plan administrators, among others, to enforce their own internal policies and procedures concerning frequent trading. Such policies may differ from the Funds Frequent Trading Policy and may be approved for use in instances where the Funds reasonably believe that the intermediarys policies and procedures effectively discourage inappropriate trading activity. Shareholders holding their accounts with such intermediaries may wish to contact the intermediary for information regarding its frequent trading policy. Although the Funds do not knowingly permit frequent trading, they cannot guarantee that they will be able to identify and restrict all frequent trading activity.
The Funds reserve the right in their sole discretion to waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if they determine that doing so would not harm the interests of Fund shareholders. In addition, certain categories of redemptions may be excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy, as described in more detail in the statement of additional information. These include, among others, redemptions pursuant to systematic withdrawal plans, redemptions in connection with the total disability or death of the investor, involuntary redemptions by operation of law, redemptions in payment of account or plan fees, and certain redemptions by retirement plans, including redemptions in connection with qualifying loans or hardship withdrawals, termination of plan participation, return of excess contributions, and required minimum distributions. The Funds may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.
The Funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if they determine, in their sole discretion, that a transaction or a series of transactions involves market timing or excessive trading that may be
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Section 4 General Information
detrimental to Fund shareholders. The Funds also reserve the right to reject any purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. For example, a Fund may refuse purchase orders if the Fund would be unable to invest the proceeds from the purchase order in accordance with the Funds investment policies and/or objective, or if the Fund would be adversely affected by the size of the transaction, the frequency of trading in the account or various other factors. For more information about the Funds Frequent Trading Policy and its enforcement, see Purchase and Redemption of Fund SharesFrequent Trading Policy in the statement of additional information.
The custodian of the assets of the Funds is State Street Bank and Trust Company ( State Street ), One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian also provides certain accounting services to the Funds. The Funds transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ( BFDS ), 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts 02169, performs bookkeeping, data processing and administrative services for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. State Street and BFDS maintain certain books and records of the Funds at their respective locations.
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The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand each Funds financial performance for the life of the Fund. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in a Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report for the most recent fiscal year, along with the Funds financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Class
(Commencement Date) |
Investment Operations | Less Distributions | Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended
September 30, |
Beginning
NAV |
Net
Investment Income (Loss)(a) |
Net
Realized/ Unrealized Gain (Loss) |
Total |
From Net
Investment Income |
From
Accumulated Net Realized Gains |
Total |
Ending
NAV |
Total
Return(b) |
Ending
Net Assets (000) |
Ratio of
Expenses to Average Net Assets(c) |
Ratio of Net
Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets(c) |
Portfolio
Turnover Rate(e) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A (7/12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | $ | 12.14 | $ | (.09 | ) | $ | (.57 | ) | $ | (.66 | ) | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | 11.48 | (5.44 | )% | $ | 9,252 | 1.31 | % | (.78 | )% | 0 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 16.75 | (.17 | ) | (4.44 | ) | (4.61 | ) | | | | 12.14 | (27.52 | ) | 672 | 1.31 | (1.20 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.91 | (.23 | ) | (.93 | ) | (1.16 | ) | | | | 16.75 | (6.48 | ) | 496 | 1.32 | (1.23 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 20.71 | (.22 | ) | (2.28 | ) | (2.50 | ) | (.30 | ) | | (.30 | ) | 17.91 | (12.16 | ) | 388 | 1.32 | (1.21 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012(d) | 20.00 | (.04 | ) | .75 | .71 | | | | 20.71 | 3.55 | 52 | 1.32 | * | (1.20 | )* | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C (7/12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 11.91 | (.18 | ) | (.55 | ) | (.73 | ) | | | | 11.18 | (6.13 | ) | 391 | 2.06 | (1.63 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 16.57 | (.28 | ) | (4.38 | ) | (4.66 | ) | | | | 11.91 | (28.12 | ) | 620 | 2.06 | (1.96 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.81 | (.35 | ) | (.89 | ) | (1.24 | ) | | | | 16.57 | (6.96 | ) | 952 | 2.07 | (1.98 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 20.68 | (.36 | ) | (2.27 | ) | (2.63 | ) | (.24 | ) | | (.24 | ) | 17.81 | (12.81 | ) | 74 | 2.07 | (1.96 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012(d) | 20.00 | (.07 | ) | .75 | .68 | | | | 20.68 | 3.40 | 52 | 2.07 | * | (1.95 | )* | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class I (7/12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 12.24 | (.08 | ) | (.55 | ) | (.63 | ) | | | | 11.61 | (5.15 | ) | 75,265 | 1.06 | (.70 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 16.86 | (.13 | ) | (4.49 | ) | (4.62 | ) | | | | 12.24 | (27.40 | ) | 231,199 | 1.06 | (.94 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.95 | (.18 | ) | (.91 | ) | (1.09 | ) | | | | 16.86 | (6.07 | ) | 58,234 | 1.07 | (.98 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 20.72 | (.18 | ) | (2.27 | ) | (2.45 | ) | (.32 | ) | | (.32 | ) | 17.95 | (11.91 | ) | 18,521 | 1.07 | (.96 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012(d) | 20.00 | (.03 | ) | .75 | .72 | | | | 20.72 | 3.60 | 7,147 | 1.07 | * | (.95 | )* | 0 |
(a) | Per share Net Investment Income (Loss) is calculated using the average daily shares method. |
(b) | Total Return is the combination of changes in NAV without any sales charge, reinvested dividend income at NAV and reinvested capital gains distributions at NAV, if any. Total Return is not annualized. |
(c) | After fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement from Nuveen Fund Advisors, where applicable. |
(d) | For the period July 30, 2012 (commencement of operations) through September 30, 2012. |
(e) | Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated based on the lesser of long-term purchases or sales divided by the average long-term market value during the period. The Fund did not invest in any long-term securities during the reporting period. |
* | Annualized. |
52
Section 5 Financial Highlights
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund
Class
(Commencement Date) |
Investment Operations | Less Distributions | Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended
September 30, |
Beginning
NAV |
Net
Investment Income (Loss)(a) |
Net
Realized/ Unrealized Gain (Loss) |
Total |
From Net
Investment Income |
From
Accumulated Net Realized Gains |
Return
of Capital |
Total |
Ending
NAV |
Total
Return(b) |
Ending
Net Assets (000) |
Ratio of
Expenses to Average Net Assets(c) |
Ratio of Net
Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets(c) |
Portfolio
Turnover Rate(e) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A (7/12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | $ | 17.03 | $ | (.09 | ) | $ | .38 | $ | .29 | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | 17.32 | 1.70 | % | $ | 206 | 1.71 | % | (.53 | )% | 28 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 19.28 | (.30 | ) | (1.03 | ) | (1.33 | ) | (.92 | ) | | | (.92 | ) | 17.03 | (7.08 | ) | 202 | 1.71 | (1.61 | ) | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 18.49 | (.30 | ) | 1.09 | .79 | | | | | 19.28 | 4.16 | 991 | 1.72 | (1.63 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 19.64 | (.30 | ) | (.77 | ) | (1.07 | ) | (.08 | ) | | | ** | (.08 | ) | 18.49 | (5.40 | ) | 1,100 | 1.72 | (1.61 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012(d) | 20.00 | (.06 | ) | (.30 | ) | (.36 | ) | | | | | 19.64 | (1.80 | ) | 49 | 1.72 | * | (1.63 | )* | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C (7/12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 16.80 | (.24 | ) | .40 | .16 | | | | | 16.96 | .95 | 52 | 2.46 | (1.37 | ) | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 19.02 | (.41 | ) | (1.04 | ) | (1.45 | ) | (.77 | ) | | | (.77 | ) | 16.80 | (7.84 | ) | 57 | 2.46 | (2.34 | ) | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 18.38 | (.44 | ) | 1.08 | .64 | | | | | 19.02 | 3.43 | 54 | 2.47 | (2.38 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 19.61 | (.44 | ) | (.77 | ) | (1.21 | ) | (.02 | ) | | | ** | (.02 | ) | 18.38 | (6.12 | ) | 52 | 2.47 | (2.35 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012(d) | 20.00 | (.08 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.39 | ) | | | | | 19.61 | (1.95 | ) | 49 | 2.47 | * | (2.38 | )* | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class I (7/12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 17.10 | (.06 | ) | .39 | .33 | | | | | 17.43 | 1.93 | 6,398 | 1.46 | (.36 | ) | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 19.35 | (.24 | ) | (1.04 | ) | (1.28 | ) | (.97 | ) | | | (.97 | ) | 17.10 | (6.85 | ) | 6,363 | 1.46 | (1.34 | ) | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 18.51 | (.26 | ) | 1.10 | .84 | | | | | 19.35 | 4.48 | 6,926 | 1.47 | (1.38 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 19.65 | (.25 | ) | (.79 | ) | (1.04 | ) | (.09 | ) | | (.01 | ) | (.10 | ) | 18.51 | (5.24 | ) | 6,576 | 1.47 | (1.35 | ) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012(d) | 20.00 | (.05 | ) | (.30 | ) | (.35 | ) | | | | | 19.65 | (1.75 | ) | 6,778 | 1.47 | * | (1.38 | )* | 0 |
(a) | Per share Net Investment Income (Loss) is calculated using the average daily shares method. |
(b) | Total Return is the combination of changes in NAV without any sales charge, reinvested dividend income at NAV and reinvested capital gains distributions at NAV, if any. Total Return is not annualized. |
(c) | After fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement from Nuveen Fund Advisors, where applicable. |
(d) | For the period July 30, 2012 (commencement of operations) through September 30, 2012. |
(e) | Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated based on the lesser of long-term purchases or sales divided by the average long-term market value during the period. The Fund did not invest in any long-term securities during the reporting period. |
* | Annualized. |
** | Rounds to less than $0.01 per share. |
Section 5 Financial Highlights
53
Nuveen Mutual Funds
Nuveen offers a variety of mutual funds designed to help you reach your financial goals. The funds below are grouped by category.
Municipal-National
All-American Municipal Bond
High Yield Municipal Bond
Inflation Protected Municipal Bond
Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond
Limited Term Municipal Bond
Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond
Short Term Municipal Bond
Strategic Municipal Opportunities
Municipal-State
Arizona Municipal Bond
California High Yield Municipal Bond
California Intermediate Municipal Bond
California Municipal Bond
Colorado Municipal Bond
Connecticut Municipal Bond
Georgia Municipal Bond
Kansas Municipal Bond
Kentucky Municipal Bond
Louisiana Municipal Bond
Maryland Municipal Bond
Massachusetts Municipal Bond
Michigan Municipal Bond
Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond
Minnesota Municipal Bond
Missouri Municipal Bond
Nebraska Municipal Bond
New Jersey Municipal Bond
New Mexico Municipal Bond
Municipal-State (continued)
New York Municipal Bond
North Carolina Municipal Bond
Ohio Municipal Bond
Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond
Pennsylvania Municipal Bond
Tennessee Municipal Bond
Virginia Municipal Bond
Wisconsin Municipal Bond
Taxable Fixed Income
Core Bond
Core Plus Bond
High Income Bond
Inflation Protected Securities
Intermediate Government Bond
NWQ Flexible Income
Preferred Securities
Short Term Bond
Strategic Income
Symphony Credit Opportunities
Symphony Floating Rate Income
Symphony High Yield Bond
Global/International
International Growth
NWQ Global All-Cap
NWQ Global Equity Income
NWQ International Value
NWQ Japan
Santa Barbara Global Dividend Growth
Global/International (continued)
Santa Barbara International Dividend Growth
Symphony International Equity
Tradewinds Global All-Cap
Value
Dividend Value
Large Cap Value
Mid Cap Value
NWQ Large-Cap Value
NWQ Multi-Cap Value
NWQ Small-Cap Value
NWQ Small/Mid-Cap Value
Small Cap Value
Tradewinds Value Opportunities
Growth
Growth
Large Cap Growth
Large Cap Growth Opportunities
Mid Cap Growth Opportunities
Small Cap Growth Opportunities
Symphony Large-Cap Growth
Winslow Large-Cap Growth
Core
Concentrated Core
Core Dividend
Large Cap Core
Core (continued)
Large Cap Core Plus
Large Cap Select
Santa Barbara Dividend Growth
Small Cap Select
Symphony Low Volatility Equity
Symphony Mid-Cap Core
Symphony Small Cap Core
Real Assets
Global Infrastructure
Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy
Real Asset Income
Real Estate Securities
Asset Allocation
Multi-Asset Income
Multi-Asset Income Tax-Aware
Strategy Aggressive Growth Allocation
Strategy Balanced Allocation
Strategy Conservative Allocation
Strategy Growth Allocation
Alternative Strategies
Equity Long/Short
Equity Market Neutral
Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy
Symphony Dynamic Equity
Several additional sources of information are available to you, including the codes of ethics adopted by the Funds, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management and Gresham. The appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, is a separate document that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and contains information on sales charge reductions and waivers available through certain financial intermediaries that differ from the sales charge reductions and waivers disclosed in this prospectus and the related statement of additional information. The statement of additional information, incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains detailed information on the policies and operation of the Funds included in this prospectus. Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Funds annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during their last fiscal year. The Funds most recent statement of additional information, annual and semi-annual reports and certain other information are available, free of charge, by calling Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787, on the Funds website at www.nuveen.com, or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll free number above with any inquiries.
You may also obtain this and other Fund information directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ). Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for room hours and operation. You may also request Fund information by sending an e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SEC may charge a copying fee for this information.
The Funds are series of Nuveen Investment Trust V, whose Investment Company Act file number is 811-21979.
Distributed by
Nuveen Securities, LLC
333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(800) 257-8787
www.nuveen.com
MPR-GRESH-0117P
January 31, 2017
Appendix to the Prospectus of
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund
VARIATIONS IN SALES CHARGE REDUCTIONS AND WAIVERS
AVAILABLE THROUGH CERTAIN INTERMEDIARIES
The information in this Appendix is a part of, and incorporated into, the Prospectus for your Fund, and must be delivered with the Prospectus.
A-1
The Fund offers a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A and Class T shares, which are set forth in the Prospectus. The Prospectus also sets forth certain circumstances under which the Fund will waive or reduce the contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) imposed on redemptions of Class C shares and certain Class A shares purchased at net asset value. The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed in the Prospectus will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Certain intermediaries have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales charge reductions or waivers, which are set forth below.
Class A and Class C Share Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Merrill Lynch
Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed in the Funds prospectus or SAI. Shareholders should contact Merrill Lynch to determine their eligibility for these waivers and discounts.
Front-End Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
|
Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan |
|
Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan |
|
Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program |
|
Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynchs platform |
|
Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform |
|
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
|
Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date |
|
Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members |
|
Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Funds investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in the Prospectus |
|
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement) |
CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
|
Death or disability of the shareholder |
|
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Prospectus |
|
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account |
|
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70 1 / 2 |
|
Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch |
|
Shares acquired through a Right of Reinstatement |
|
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
A-2
|
Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to a fee based account or platform |
Front-End Load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
|
Breakpoints as described in the Prospectus |
|
Rights of Accumulation ( ROA ) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchasers household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets |
|
Letters of Intent ( LOI ) which allow for breakpoint discounts using the same criteria as ROA above, but based on anticipated purchases within a fund family over a 13-month period of time |
Class A Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries
As described in the Prospectus, Class A shares may be purchased at net asset without a sales charge by employer-sponsored retirement plans as defined in the prospectus ( ESRPs ), except that, in the case of ESRPs held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases.
The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:
Baker & Co., Inc.
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
Cetera Advisors LLC
Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
Cetera Investment Services LLC
Country Club Financial Services, Inc.
Cutter & Co. Brokerage Inc.
Davenport & Co. LLC
Devenir Investment Advisors, LLC
Fintrust Brokerage Services
First Kentucky Securities Corp.
First Western Securities
Gold Coast Securities, Inc.
Hewitt Financial Services LLC
Hilltop Securities Inc.
Infinex Investments, Inc.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
KMS Financial Services, Inc.
Mid-Atlantic Capital Corp.
OFG Financial Services, Inc.
Principal Securities Inc.
Raymond James & Associates Inc.
RDM Investment Services, Inc.
Register Financial Associates, Inc.
Shareholders Service Group Inc.
Southeast Investments, NC, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
Waddell & Reed Inc.
As described in the Prospectus, Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers.
A-3
The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
Class T Share Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries
As set forth in the Prospectus, Class T shares are generally subject to an up-front sales charge, except for shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund. However, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under limited circumstances through certain financial intermediaries. Currently no intermediaries are offering such waivers.
A-4
|
||
Mutual Funds |
Prospectus
January 31, 2017 |
|
|
Class / Ticker Symbol | ||||||||||||||||
Fund Name | Class A | Class C | Class R6 | Class I | Class T | |||||||||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund |
NWQAX | NWQCX | NQWFX | NWQIX | NWQTX |
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Section 1 Fund Summary | ||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund | 2 | |||
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money | ||||
Who Manages the Fund | 8 | |||
More About Our Investment Strategies | 9 | |||
How We Select Investments | 15 | |||
What the Risks Are | 15 | |||
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares | ||||
What Share Classes We Offer | 24 | |||
How to Reduce Your Sales Charge | 28 | |||
How to Buy Shares | 30 | |||
Special Services | 32 | |||
How to Sell Shares | 33 | |||
Section 4 General Information | ||||
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes | 36 | |||
Distribution and Service Payments | 38 | |||
Net Asset Value | 39 | |||
Frequent Trading | 40 | |||
Fund Service Providers | 42 | |||
Section 5 Financial Highlights | 43 | |||
NOT FDIC OR GOVERNMENT INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in What Share Classes We Offer on page 24 of the Funds prospectus, How to Reduce Your Sales Charge on page 28 of the prospectus, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares on page S-63 of the Funds statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A | Class C | Class R6 | Class I | Class T | ||||||||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases
(as a percentage of offering price) |
4.75% | None | None | None | 2.50% | |||||||||||||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) 1 |
None | 1.00% | None | None | None | |||||||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None | None | None | None | |||||||||||||||
Exchange Fee | None | None | None | None | None | |||||||||||||||
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000) 2 | $15 | $15 | None | $15 | $15 | |||||||||||||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class C | Class R6 4 | Class I | Class T | ||||||||||||||||
Management Fees |
0.71% | 0.71% | 0.71% | 0.71% | 0.71% | |||||||||||||||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% | 1.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.25% | |||||||||||||||
Other Expenses |
0.23% | 0.22% | 0.15% | 0.23% | 0.23% | |||||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.19% | 1.93% | 0.86% | 0.94% | 1.19% | |||||||||||||||
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 3 | (0.23)% | (0.22)% | (0.23)% | (0.23)% | (0.23)% | |||||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements | 0.96% | 1.71% | 0.63% | 0.71% | 0.96% |
1 | The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase. |
2 | Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA). |
3 | The Funds investment adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses through January 31, 2018 so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 0.75% (1.25% after January 31, 2018) of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. However, because Class R6 shares are not subject to sub-transfer agent and similar fees, the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for the Class R6 shares will be less than the expense limitation. The expense limitation expiring January 31, 2018 may be terminated or modified prior to that date only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The expense limitation in effect thereafter may be terminated or modified only with the approval of shareholders of the Fund. |
4 | Class R6 shares were established on June 30, 2016. Accordingly, Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year. |
2
Section 1 Fund Summary
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses are at the lesser of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or the applicable expense limitation. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Redemption | No Redemption | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A | C | R6 | I | T | A | C | R6 | I | T | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Year | $ | 568 | $ | 174 | $ | 64 | $ | 73 | $ | 345 | $ | 568 | $ | 174 | $ | 64 | $ | 73 | $ | 345 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 Years | $ | 813 | $ | 585 | $ | 251 | $ | 277 | $ | 596 | $ | 813 | $ | 585 | $ | 251 | $ | 277 | $ | 596 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 Years | $ | 1,077 | $ | 1,022 | $ | 454 | $ | 498 | $ | 866 | $ | 1,077 | $ | 1,022 | $ | 454 | $ | 498 | $ | 866 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 Years | $ | 1,830 | $ | 2,236 | $ | 1,040 | $ | 1,134 | $ | 1,637 | $ | 1,830 | $ | 2,236 | $ | 1,040 | $ | 1,134 | $ | 1,637 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 37% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in income producing securities.
The Fund invests at least 65% of its net assets in preferred and debt securities. Debt securities in which the Fund invests include corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed securities, taxable municipal securities and U.S. government and agency debt securities. The Fund may invest in all types of preferred securities, including both traditional and non-traditional preferred securities, and may invest in securities with dividends or interest rates that are fixed or floating. Traditional preferred securities are generally equity securities of the issuer that have priority over the issuers common shares as to the payment of dividends and the payout of proceeds of a bankruptcy or other liquidation, but are subordinate to an issuers senior debt and junior debt. Non-traditional preferred securities include hybrid securities and other types of preferred securities that possess varying combinations of features of both debt and traditional preferred securities and they may constitute senior debt, junior debt or preferred shares in an issuers capital structure.
The Fund will invest at least 25% of its assets in securities of companies principally engaged in financial services. The Fund may invest without limit in below-investment-grade securities, commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds.
The Fund may invest up to 35% of its net assets in equity securities other than preferred securities, including common stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts and other types of securities with equity characteristics. The Fund may write covered call options on equity securities to generate additional income. In addition, to manage market risk and credit risk in its portfolio, the Fund may make short sales of equity securities and may enter into credit default swap agreements. The Funds short sales may equal up to 10% of the value of the Funds net assets. The Fund may use all or a portion of the proceeds of its short sales to purchase additional portfolio securities.
The Funds investments may include debt securities, preferred units and common units issued by master limited partnerships ( MLPs ), provided that the Fund may not invest more than 10% of its net assets in common units of MLPs.
The Fund may invest up to 50% of its net assets in dollar-denominated securities issued by non-U.S. companies.
The Funds sub-adviser employs a rigorous, bottom-up research-focused investment process that seeks to identify undervalued companies with positive risk/reward characteristics. The sub-advisers investment process focuses on the attractiveness of a particular security within a companys capital structure. The sub-adviser may choose to sell securities or reduce positions if it feels that a company no longer possesses favorable risk/reward characteristics, attractive valuations or catalysts, if it identifies better alternatives within a companys capital structure, or if a company suspends or is projected to suspend its dividend or interest payments.
Section 1 Fund Summary
3
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. 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. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:
Bond Market Liquidity Risk Dealer inventories of bonds, which provide an indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to make markets in those bonds, are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the fixed income markets in which the Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, recent federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of bonds, which may further decrease the Funds ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds prices.
Call Risk If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.
Convertible Security Risk The value of the Funds convertible securities may decline in response to such factors as rising interest rates and fluctuations in the market price of the common stock underlying the convertible securities.
Covered Call Risk Covered call risk is the risk that the Fund, as a writer of covered call options, will forgo during an options life the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option.
Credit Default Swap Risk If the Fund buys protection in a credit default contract and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date, and the investment performance of the Fund will be worse than if the Fund had not entered into the swap. Credit default swaps also involve the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the other party to the contract to make required payments.
Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments.
Credit Spread Risk Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Funds debt securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.
Currency Risk Even though the non-U.S. securities held by the Fund are traded in U.S. dollars, their prices are typically indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the Funds net asset value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains or losses realized on the sale of securities.
Cybersecurity Risk Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Equity Security Risk Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur because of declines in the equity market as a whole, or because of declines in only a particular country, company, industry, or sector of the market.
Financial Services Sector Risk The Funds policy to concentrate in financial services companies makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the financial services sector. Financial services companies are particularly sensitive to the adverse effects of economic recession; changes in government regulation; the availability of capital; volatile interest rates; and the health of the commercial and residential real estate markets.
High Yield Securities Risk High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as junk bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.
Income Risk The Funds income could decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Funds portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to
4
Section 1 Fund Summary
the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.
Master Limited Partnership Risk Investments in common units of MLPs involve risks that differ from investments in common stock, including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote. An investment in an MLP also exposes the Fund to the legal and tax risks associated with investing in partnerships. MLPs may have limited financial resources, their securities may be relatively illiquid, and they may be subject to more erratic price movements because of the underlying assets they hold.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.
Municipal Securities Risk The values of municipal securities held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers.
Non-U.S. Investment Risk Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments.
Preferred Security Risk Preferred securities generally are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a companys capital structure and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In addition, preferred securities are subject to other risks, such as having no or limited voting rights, being subject to special redemption rights, having distributions deferred or skipped, having floating interest rates or dividends, which may result in a decline in value in a falling interest rate environment, having limited liquidity, changing tax treatments and possibly being issued by companies in heavily regulated industries.
Short Sales Risk Short sales involve the sale of a security the Fund has borrowed, with the expectation that the security will underperform the market. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. Although the gain is limited by the price at which the security was sold short, the loss is potentially unlimited. To the extent the Fund invests the proceeds received from selling securities short in additional portfolio securities, the Fund is engaging in a form of leverage. The use of leverage may increase the Funds exposure to long positions and make any change in the Funds net asset value greater than it would be without the use of leverage. This could result in increased volatility of returns. The use of short sales may also cause the Fund to have higher expenses than other funds.
Valuation Risk The debt securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Funds past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Section 1 Fund Summary
5
The bar chart below shows the variability of the Funds performance from year to year for Class A shares. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Class A Annual Total Return*
* | The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. |
During the seven-year period ended December 31, 2016, the Funds highest and lowest quarterly returns were 8.39% and -3.72%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2010 and September 30, 2011.
The table below shows the variability of the Funds average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of broad measures of market performance (the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is the Funds primary benchmark). All 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. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers had not been in place, returns would have been reduced.
Performance is not shown for Class R6 or Class T shares, which have not been offered for a full calendar year.
Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2016 |
||||||||||||||||
Inception
Date |
1 Year | 5 Years |
Since
Inception |
|||||||||||||
Class A (return before taxes) | 12/09/09 | 4.77 | % | 5.99 | % | 7.85 | % | |||||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions) | 2.70 | % | 3.82 | % | 5.39 | % | ||||||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | 2.97 | % | 3.87 | % | 5.36 | % | ||||||||||
Class C (return before taxes) | 12/09/09 | 9.15 | % | 6.23 | % | 7.79 | % | |||||||||
Class I (return before taxes) | 12/09/09 | 10.21 | % | 7.31 | % | 8.88 | % | |||||||||
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index 1 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 2.65 | % | 2.23 | % | 3.43 | % | ||||||||||
BofA Merrill Lynch Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index 2 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 2.32 | % | 6.82 | % | 7.58 | % | ||||||||||
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. 50% Corporate & 50% High Yield Index 3 (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) | 11.64 | % | 5.83 | % | 6.81 | % |
1 | An unmanaged fixed income index covering the U.S. investment grade fixed-rate bond market. |
2 | An index that tracks the performance of fixed rate U.S. dollar denominated preferred securities issued in the U.S. domestic market. |
3 | An index that tracks the performance of U.S. dollar denominated investment grade and sub-investment grade corporate debt publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market. |
6
Section 1 Fund Summary
Management
Investment Adviser
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Adviser
NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC
Portfolio Managers
Name |
Title |
Portfolio Manager of Fund Since |
||
Thomas J. Ray, CFA | Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income and Portfolio Manager | January 2015 | ||
Susi Budiman, CFA | Managing Director and Portfolio Manager | January 2015 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund either through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the Fund. Class C and Class T shares may not be purchased directly from the Fund. In addition, the availability of Class A, Class C and Class T shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary. The Funds initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although certain financial intermediaries may impose their own investment minimums and the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:
Class A, Class C and
Class T |
Class R6 | Class I | ||||
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment |
$3,000 for all accounts except:
$2,500 for Traditional/Roth IRA accounts.
$2,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.
$250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs. (Class T shares are not available through fee-based programs.)
No minimum for retirement plans. |
Available only to certain qualified retirement plans and other investors as described in the prospectus.
$5 million for all accounts except:
No minimum for certain qualified retirement plans as described in the prospectus. |
Available only through fee-based programs and certain retirement plans, and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus.
$100,000 for all accounts except:
$250 for clients of financial intermediaries and family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level).
No minimum for eligible retirement plans and certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus. |
|||
Minimum Additional Investment | $100 | No minimum. | No minimum. |
Tax Information
The Funds distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan (in which case you may be taxed upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
Section 1 Fund Summary
7
To help you better understand the Fund, this section includes a detailed discussion of the Funds investment and risk management strategies. For a more complete discussion of these matters, please see the statement of additional information, which is available by calling (800) 257-8787 or by visiting Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com.
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (Nuveen Fund Advisors) , the Funds investment adviser, offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Funds portfolio, manages the Funds business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments, Inc. ( Nuveen Investments ). Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management ( TGAM ), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America ( TIAA ). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities Fund. As of December 31, 2016, TGAM managed approximately $882 billion in assets, of which approximately $126 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Nuveen Fund Advisors has selected its affiliate, NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC ( NWQ ), located at 2049 Century Park East, 16th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067, to serve as sub-adviser to the Fund. NWQ manages the investment of the Funds assets on a discretionary basis, subject to the supervision of Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Thomas J. Ray and Susi Budiman are the portfolio managers of the Fund.
|
Thomas J. Ray, CFA, is Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income and Portfolio Manager at NWQ. Prior to joining NWQ in 2015, he served as Chief Investment Officer, President and founding member of Inflective Asset Management ( Inflective ), a boutique investment firm specializing in convertible securities, from 2001 until 2011. From 2011 until joining NWQ in 2015, Mr. Ray was a private investor. Prior to founding Inflective, Mr. Ray also served as portfolio manager at Transamerica Investment Management. |
|
Susi Budiman, CFA, is Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at NWQ. Ms. Budiman was an assistant portfolio manager with NWQ from 2006 to 2009, and became a portfolio manager with NWQ in 2009. Ms. Budiman was a Vice President of NWQ from 2008 to 2012, became Senior Vice President in 2013 and Managing Director in 2014. Prior to joining NWQ in 2006, Ms. Budiman was Portfolio Manager for China Life Insurance Company, Ltd. in Taiwan, managing U.S. dollar and Euro denominated fixed income portfolios for insurance funds. Prior to that, she was a currency exchange associate at Fleet National Bank in Singapore covering Asian, Euro and other major currencies. |
8
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
Additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the Fund is provided in the statement of additional information.
Management Fees
The management fee schedule for the Fund consists of two components: a Fund-level fee, based only on the amount of assets within the Fund, and a complex-level fee, based on the aggregate amount of all eligible fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
The annual Fund-level fee, payable monthly, is based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets | Fund-Level Fee | |||
For the first $125 million | 0.5500 | % | ||
For the next $125 million | 0.5375 | % | ||
For the next $250 million | 0.5250 | % | ||
For the next $500 million | 0.5125 | % | ||
For the next $1 billion | 0.5000 | % | ||
For net assets over $2 billion | 0.4750 | % |
The complex-level fee begins at a maximum rate of 0.2000% of the Funds average daily net assets, based upon complex-level assets of $55 billion, with breakpoints for eligible assets above that level. Therefore, the maximum management fee rate for the Fund is the Fund-level fee plus 0.2000%. As of September 30, 2016, the effective complex-level fee was 0.1607% of the Funds average daily net assets.
For the most recent fiscal year, the Fund paid Nuveen Fund Advisors 0.48% of its average daily net assets in management fees (net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements).
Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 0.75% through January 31, 2018 and 1.25% thereafter, of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. However, because Class R6 shares are not subject to sub-transfer agent and similar fees, the total annual fund operating expenses for the Class R6 shares will be less than the expense limitation. The expense limitation expiring January 31, 2018 may be terminated or modified prior to that date only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The expense limitation in effect thereafter may be terminated or modified only with the approval of shareholders of the Fund.
Information regarding the Board of Trustees approval of the investment management agreements is available in the Funds annual report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016.
The Funds investment objective, which is described in the Fund Summary section, may not be changed without shareholder approval.
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
9
The Funds investment policies may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted in this prospectus or the statement of additional information.
The Funds principal investment strategies are discussed in the Fund Summary section. These are the strategies that the Funds investment adviser and sub-adviser believe are most likely to be important in trying to achieve the Funds investment objective. This section provides more information about these strategies, as well as information about some additional strategies that the Funds sub-adviser uses, or may use, to achieve the Funds objective. The strategies described below are principal investment strategies unless otherwise noted. You should be aware that the Fund may also use strategies and invest in securities that are not described in this prospectus, but that are described in the statement of additional information. For a copy of the statement of additional information, call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 or visit Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com.
Preferred Securities
The Fund may invest in all types of preferred securities, including both traditional preferred securities and non-traditional preferred securities. Traditional preferred securities are generally equity securities of the issuer that have priority over the issuers common shares as to the payment of dividends (i.e., the issuer cannot pay dividends on its common shares until the dividends on the preferred shares are current) and as to the payout of proceeds of a bankruptcy or other liquidation, but are subordinate to an issuers senior debt and junior debt as to both types of payments. Additionally, in a bankruptcy or other liquidation, traditional preferred securities are generally subordinate to an issuers trade creditors and other general obligations. Traditional preferred securities may be perpetual or have a term, and typically have a fixed liquidation (or par) value.
The term preferred securities also includes hybrid securities and other types of preferred securities that do not have the traditional features described above. Hybrid securities often behave similarly to investments in traditional preferred securities and are regarded by market investors as being part of the preferred securities market. Hybrid securities possess varying combinations of features of both debt and traditional preferred securities and as such they may constitute senior debt, junior debt or preferred shares in an issuers capital structure. As such, hybrid securities may not be subordinate to a companys debt securities (as are traditional preferred securities).
Hybrid securities include trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities are typically issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest-bearing notes with preferred securities characteristics, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation or other special purpose entity, generally in the form of beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities. The trust preferred securities market consists of both fixed and floating coupon rate securities that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates. Trust preferred securities may defer payment of income without triggering an event of default. These securities may have many characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuers capital structure.
Preferred securities may also include certain forms of debt that have many characteristics of preferred shares, and that are regarded by the investment marketplace to be part of the broader preferred securities market. Among
10
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
these preferred securities are certain exchange-listed debt issues that historically have several attributes, including trading and investment performance characteristics, in common with exchange-listed traditional preferred securities and hybrid securities. Generally, these types of preferred securities are senior debt or junior debt in the capital structure of an issuer.
As a general matter, dividend or interest payments on preferred securities may be cumulative or non-cumulative and may be deferred (in the case of cumulative payments) or skipped (in the case of non-cumulative payments) at the option of the issuer. Generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, except in some cases voting rights may arise if the issuer fails to pay the preferred share dividends or if a declaration of default occurs and is continuing.
Preferred securities may either trade over-the-counter ( OTC ) or trade on an exchange. Preferred securities can be structured differently for retail and institutional investors, and the Fund may invest in preferred securities of either structure. The retail segment is typified by $25 par value exchange-traded securities and the institutional segment is typified by $1,000 par value OTC securities. Both $25 and $1,000 par value securities are often callable at par value, typically at least five years after their original issuance date.
Debt Securities
Corporate Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in corporate debt securities issued by companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large- capitalizations. Corporate debt securities are usually issued by businesses to finance their operations. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. Corporate debt securities may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry fixed or floating rates of interest.
Mortgage-Backed Securities. A mortgage-backed security is a type of pass-through security backed by an ownership interest in a pool of mortgage loans. Mortgage-backed securities may be guaranteed by, or secured by collateral that is guaranteed by, the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations. Mortgage-backed securities may also be privately issued; these include commercial mortgage-backed securities.
Municipal Securities. The Fund may invest in taxable and tax-exempt municipal bonds. States, local governments and municipalities and other issuing authorities issue municipal bonds to raise money for various public purposes such as building public facilities, refinancing outstanding obligations and financing general operating expenses. These bonds include general obligation bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the issuer and may be repaid from any revenue source, and revenue bonds, which may be repaid only from the revenue of a specific facility or source. Municipal bonds issued to finance activities with a broad public purpose are generally exempt from federal income tax. Taxable municipal bonds, however, are issued to finance activities with less significant benefits to the public, such as the construction of sports facilities, and as such the interest paid to holders of such bonds is taxable as ordinary income. Many taxable municipal bonds offer yields comparable to those of other taxable bonds, such as corporate and agency bonds. Taxable municipal bonds may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and pay interest based on
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
11
fixed or floating rate coupons. Maturities may range from long-term to short-term.
U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities in which the Fund may invest include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
High Yield Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities rated below investment grade or unrated securities deemed by the Funds sub-adviser to be of comparable quality. Debt securities rated below investment grade are commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds. These types of bonds are typically issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by issuers that have questionable credit strength. High yield and comparable unrated debt securities: (a) will likely have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of the rating agency evaluating the instrument, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions; and (b) are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation.
Master Limited Partnerships
A master limited partnership (MLP) is an entity, most commonly a limited partnership, that is taxed as a partnership, publicly traded and listed on a national securities exchange. Holders of common units of MLPs typically have limited control and limited voting rights as compared to holders of a corporations common shares. Preferred units issued by MLPs are not typically listed or traded on an exchange. Holders of preferred units can be entitled to a wide range of voting and other rights. Debt securities of MLPs are similar to debt securities of other companies. Such securities may be rated or unrated, may be above or below investment-grade quality, and may carry fixed or floating interest rates. MLPs are limited by the Internal Revenue Code to only apply to enterprises that engage in certain businesses, mostly pertaining to the use of natural resources, such as petroleum and natural gas extraction and transportation. Some real estate enterprises may also qualify as MLPs.
Financial Services Company Securities
The Fund will invest at least 25% of its assets in securities of companies principally engaged in financial services. Financial services companies include, but are not limited to, companies involved in activities such as banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, and financial investment, and real estate, including but not limited to real estate investment trusts .
Convertible Securities
The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of bonds and common stocks. Convertible securities typically consist of debt securities or preferred securities that may be converted within a specified period of time (typically for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer at a predetermined price. They also include debt securities with warrants or common stock attached and
12
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
derivatives combining the features of debt securities and equity securities. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt securities, or dividends paid or accrued on preferred securities, until the securities mature or are redeemed, converted or exchanged.
Covered Calls
The Fund may sell covered call options in an attempt to generate increased total return from a security in which the Fund holds a long position. A call option enables the purchaser to elect to receive a security at a predetermined price and time. A call option written by the Fund on a security is covered if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration upon conversion or exchange of other securities held by the Fund. A call option is also covered if the Fund holds a call on the same security as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets.
Short Sales
The Fund may take short positions in equity securities, which are often referred to as short sales. A short sale is a sale of a security the Fund has borrowed, with the expectation that the security will underperform the market. To settle the short sale transaction, the Fund buys the same security at a later date and returns it to the lender of the security. The Fund makes money on a short position if the market price of the security goes down after the short sale or if the market price of the securities it buys with the proceeds of the short sale increases more than that of the security sold short. Conversely, if the price of the security sold short goes up after the short sale, the Fund loses money because it has to pay more to replace the borrowed security than it received when it sold the security short. The Fund may use all or a portion of the proceeds of its short sales to purchase additional portfolio securities. This practice is considered leverage and may involve substantial risk.
Non-U.S. Investments
The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities issued by non-U.S. companies. The Fund will classify an issuer of a security as being a U.S. or non-U.S. issuer based on the determination of an unaffiliated, recognized financial data provider. Such determinations are based on a number of criteria, such as the issuers country of domicile, the primary exchange on which the security trades, the location from which the majority of the issuers revenue comes, and the issuers reporting currency.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Fund may invest in cash and in U.S. dollar-denominated high-quality money market instruments and other short-term securities, including money market funds, in such proportions as warranted by prevailing market conditions and the Funds principal investment strategies. The Fund may temporarily invest without limit in such holdings for liquidity purposes, or in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. Being invested in these securities may keep the Fund from participating in a market upswing and prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
13
Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Fund may invest in securities of other open-end or closed-end investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ), that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. In addition, the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies) that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly.
An ETF is an investment company that holds a portfolio of securities generally designed to track the performance of a securities index, including industry, sector, country and region indexes. ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.
As a shareholder in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicles expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Funds advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs. Securities of investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles may be leveraged, in which case the value and/or yield of such securities will tend to be more volatile than securities of unleveraged vehicles.
Generally, investments in other investment companies (including ETFs) are subject to statutory limitations prescribed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. These limitations include a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Funds total assets in the securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets, in the aggregate, in investment company securities. Many ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETFs shares beyond these statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the ETFs and the investing Fund. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders in order to invest in unaffiliated ETFs beyond the foregoing statutory limitations. Subject to certain conditions, the Fund also may invest in money market funds beyond the statutory limits described above.
Common shares of an investment company that has a policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in either preferred securities or debt securities will count as preferred securities or debt securities, respectively, for purposes of the requirement that 65% of the Funds net assets be invested in preferred and debt securities.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings is available in the Funds statement of additional information. A list of the Funds portfolio holdings is available on the Funds websitewww.nuveen.com/mfby navigating to the Fund using the Mutual Fund Finder and clicking on the Holdings & Detail tab. By following these links, you can obtain a list of the Funds top ten holdings as of the end of the most recent month. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Funds
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
website ten business days after the end of the month. This information will remain available on the website until the Fund files with the Securities and Exchange Commission its annual, semi-annual or quarterly holdings report for the fiscal period that includes the date(s) as of which the website information is current.
NWQ seeks to identify undervalued companies with a catalyst to unlock value or improve profitability, such as new management, industry consolidation, corporate restructuring or a turn in company fundamentals. NWQs portfolio managers and analysts collaborate closely in a rigorous, bottom-up, research-focused investment process that focuses on financial statement and absolute valuation analysis to identify companies that offer favorable risk and reward opportunities and potential for downside protection. NWQ believes that the companies identified through this process are often underappreciated or misperceived by Wall Street. NWQ maintains a long-term investment view and a focus on securities it believes can appreciate over an extended time, regardless of interim fluctuations. NWQs flexible income team considers the relative attractiveness of a particular security within a companys capital structure and the sustainability of its income level. In addition to the research provided by NWQs equity team, the Fund will also benefit from NWQs fixed income team, which will analyze the income potential of a security by focusing on the integrity of the balance sheet and the sustainability of cash flows.
NWQ may sell a security or reduce its position if it feels that a company has achieved its target valuation or no longer possesses favorable risk/reward characteristics or catalysts.
Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in a mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing you should consider carefully the principal risks and certain other risks that you assume when you invest in the Fund. These risks are listed alphabetically below. Because of these risks, you should consider an investment in the Fund to be a long-term investment.
Principal Risks
Bond market liquidity risk: Primary dealer inventories of bonds appear to be low relative to the size of the fixed income market. These inventories are a core indication of dealers capacity to make a market in fixed income securities. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the fixed income markets in which the Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds prices.
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Call risk: Many bonds may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or called, before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its bonds if they can be refinanced by issuing new bonds which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer will call its high yielding bonds. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Funds income.
Convertible security risk: Convertible securities have characteristics of both equity and debt securities and, as a result, are exposed to certain additional risks that are typically associated with debt. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. However, a convertible securitys market value also tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company. Convertible securities are also exposed to the risk that an issuer is unable to meet its obligation to make dividend or interest and principal payments when due as a result of changing financial or market conditions.
Mandatory convertible securities are distinguished as a subset of convertible securities because the conversion is not optional and the conversion price at maturity is based solely upon the market price of the underlying common stock, which may be significantly less than par or the price (above or below par) paid. Mandatory convertible securities generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder.
Covered call risk: Covered call risk is the risk that the Fund will forgo, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. In addition, as the Fund writes covered calls over more of its portfolio, its ability to benefit from capital appreciation becomes more limited. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price.
Credit default swap risk: If the Fund buys protection in a credit default contract and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date, and the investment performance of the Fund will be worse than if the Fund had not entered into the swap. Credit default swaps also involve the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the other party to the contract to make required payments.
Credit risk: Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security held by the Fund may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and principal payments and the related risk that the value of a security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. The credit rating of a security may be lowered if the issuer suffers adverse changes in its financial condition, which can lead to greater volatility in the price of the security and in shares of the Fund, and can also affect the securitys liquidity and make it more difficult for the Fund to sell. When the Fund purchases unrated securities, it will depend on the sub-advisers analysis of credit risk without the assessment of an independent rating organization, such as Moodys or Standard & Poors.
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Credit spread risk: Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads ( i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Funds securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.
Currency risk: Even though the non-U.S. securities held by the Fund are traded in U.S. dollars, their prices are typically indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of non-U.S. securities, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities, and gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and hence may affect the net asset value of the Fund.
Cybersecurity risk: Intentional cybersecurity breaches include: unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (such as through hacking activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition, unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws).
A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems (denial of services), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs. Such incidents could cause the Fund, the Funds adviser or sub-adviser, a financial intermediary, or other service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs or financial loss. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which the Fund invests, and thereby cause the Funds investments to lose value.
Equity security risk: Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time. Price changes may occur in the market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry, or sector of the market. Conversely, the value of the Funds short positions, if any, may decline because of an increase in the equity market as a whole or because of increases in a particular country, company, industry, or sector of the market.
Financial services sector risk: The Fund will invest at least 25% of its assets in securities of companies principally engaged in financial services. This makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the financial services sector. Concentration of investments in the financial services sector poses risks, including the following:
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Financial services companies may suffer a setback if regulators change the rules under which they operate. |
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Unstable interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on the financial services sector. |
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The profitability of companies in the financial sector is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of capital which may fluctuate significantly in response to changes in interest rates and general economic developments. |
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Financial services companies whose securities the Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that sector. |
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Financial services companies have been affected by increased competition, which could adversely affect the profitability or viability of such companies. |
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Financial services companies have been significantly and negatively affected by the downturn in the subprime mortgage lending market and the resulting impact on the worlds economies. |
High yield securities risk: Securities that are rated below-investment grade are commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds. High yield securities usually offer higher yields than investment grade securities, but also involve more risk. High yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic conditions than investment grade securities, and they generally have more volatile prices and carry more risk to principal. In addition, high yield securities generally are less liquid than investment grade securities.
Income risk: The Funds income could decline during periods of falling interest rates because the Fund generally may have to invest the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities (or portfolio securities that have been called, see Call risk above, or prepaid, see Mortgage-backed securities risk below), in lower-yielding securities. In addition, the Funds income could decline when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest rate risk: Fixed-rate securities held by the Fund will fluctuate in value with changes in interest rates. In general, fixed-rate securities will increase in value when interest rates fall and decrease in value when interest rates rise. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Longer-term fixed-rate securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. Rising interest rates also may lengthen the duration of securities with call features, since exercise of the call becomes less likely as interest rates rise, which in turn will make the securities more sensitive to changes in interest rates and result in even steeper price declines in the event of further interest rate increases.
MLP risk: An investment in units of an MLP involves certain risks which differ from an investment in the securities of a corporation. Holders of MLP common units have the rights typically afforded to limited partners in limited partnerships. Accordingly, holders of common units will have limited control and limited voting rights on matters affecting the partnership. Holders of common units may also be subject to potential conflicts of interest with the MLPs general partner, including those arising from incentive distribution payments.
Investments held by MLPs may be relatively illiquid, limiting the MLPs ability to vary their portfolios promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions, and MLPs may have limited financial resources. Common units of MLPs may trade infrequently and in limited volume, and they may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than common shares of larger or more broadly-based companies. The Funds investment in MLPs also subjects it to the risks associated with the specific industry or industries in
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
which the MLPs invest. MLPs are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments, and during periods of interest rate volatility, may not provide attractive returns.
In addition, there are certain tax risks associated with investments in MLPs. The benefit derived from an investment in an MLP is largely dependent on the MLP being treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. A change to current tax law, or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. If an MLP were treated as a corporation, the MLP would be required to pay federal income tax on its taxable income. This would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP, which could result in a reduction of the value of the Funds investment in the MLP and lower income to the Fund. Additionally, since MLPs generally conduct business in multiple states, the Fund may be subject to income or franchise tax in each of the states in which the partnership does business. The additional cost of preparing and filing the tax returns and paying the related taxes may adversely impact the Funds return on its investment in MLPs.
Mortgage-backed securities risk: The value of mortgage-backed securities can fall if the owners of the underlying mortgages or other obligations pay off their mortgages or other obligations sooner than expected, which could happen when interest rates fall or for other reasons.
Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, which would, in effect, convert a short- or medium-duration mortgage-backed security into a longer-duration security, increasing its sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing its price to decline.
A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security and the structure of its issuer. For example, if a mortgage underlying a certain mortgage-backed security defaults, the value of that security may decrease.
Mortgage-backed securities issued by a private issuer, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, generally entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity.
Municipal securities risk: The values of municipal securities may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. Other factors that could affect municipal securities include a change in the local, state, or national economy, demographic factors, ecological or environmental concerns, statutory limitations on the issuers ability to increase taxes, and other developments generally affecting the revenue of issuers (for example, legislation or court decisions reducing state aid to local governments or mandating additional services). This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of the below-investment grade quality portion of its portfolio in the bonds of similar projects (such as those relating to the education, health care, housing, transportation, or utilities industries), in industrial development bonds, or in particular types of municipal securities (such as general obligation bonds, municipal lease obligations, private activity bonds or moral obligation bonds) that are particularly exposed to specific types of adverse economic, business or political events.
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Non-U.S. investment risk: Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to or different than those of issuers that are located in or principally operated in the United States due to political, social and economic developments abroad, different regulatory environments and laws, potential seizure by the government of company assets, higher taxation, withholding taxes on dividends and interest and limitations on the use or transfer of portfolio assets.
To the extent the Fund invests in depositary receipts, the Fund will be subject to many of the same risks as when investing directly in non-U.S. securities. The holder of an unsponsored depositary receipt may have limited voting rights and may not receive as much information about the issuer of the underlying securities as would the holder of a sponsored depositary receipt.
Other non-U.S. investment risks include the following:
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Enforcing legal rights may be difficult, costly and slow in non-U.S. countries, and there may be special problems enforcing claims against non-U.S. governments. |
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Non-U.S. companies may not be subject to accounting standards or governmental supervision comparable to U.S. companies, and there may be less public information about their operations. |
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Non-U.S. markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. markets. |
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The U.S. and non-U.S. markets often rise and fall at different times or by different amounts due to economic or other developments particular to a given country or region. This phenomenon would tend to lower the overall price volatility of a portfolio that included both U.S. and non-U.S. securities. Sometimes, however, global trends will cause the U.S. and non-U.S. markets to move in the same direction, reducing or eliminating the risk reduction benefit of international investing. |
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The Funds income from non-U.S. issuers may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In some countries, the Fund also may be subject to taxes on trading profits and, on certain securities transactions, transfer or stamp duties tax. To the extent non-U.S. income taxes are paid by the Fund, U.S. shareholders may be entitled to a credit or deduction for U.S. tax purposes. |
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Some countries restrict to varying degrees foreign investment in their securities markets. In some circumstances, these restrictions may limit or preclude investment in certain countries or may increase the cost of investing in securities of particular companies. |
Preferred security risk: There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities:
Limited voting rights. Generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuers board. Generally, once all the arrearages have been paid, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights.
In the case of certain preferred securities issued by trusts or special purpose entities, holders generally have no voting rights except if a declaration of default occurs and is continuing. In such an event, preferred security holders generally would have the right to appoint and authorize a trustee to enforce the trusts or special purpose entitys rights as a creditor under the agreement with its operating company.
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Special redemption rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to their stated maturity date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws or by regulatory or major corporate action. As with call provisions, a redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security held by the Fund.
Payment deferral. Generally, preferred securities may be subject to provisions that allow an issuer, under certain conditions, to skip (non-cumulative preferred securities) or defer (cumulative preferred securities) distributions without any adverse consequences to the issuer. Non-cumulative preferred securities can skip distributions indefinitely. Cumulative preferred securities typically contain provisions that allow an issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions payments for up to 10 years. If the Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distribution, the Fund may be required to report income for tax purposes although it has not yet received such income. In addition, recent changes in bank regulations may increase the likelihood of issuers deferring or skipping distributions.
Subordination. Preferred securities generally are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a companys capital structure and therefore are subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.
Floating Rate Payments. The dividend or interest rates on preferred securities may be floating, or convert from fixed to floating at a specified future time. The market value of floating rate securities may fall in a declining interest rate environment and may also fall in a rising interest rate environment if there is a lag between the rise in interest rates and the reset. This risk may also be present with respect to fixed rate securities that will convert to a floating rate at a future time. A secondary risk associated with declining interest rates is the risk that income earned by the Fund on floating rate securities may decline due to lower coupon payments on the floating-rate securities.
Liquidity. Preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as U.S. government securities or common stock. Less liquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the values at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.
Financial services industry. The preferred securities market is comprised predominately of securities issued by companies in the financial services industry. Therefore, preferred securities present substantially increased risks at times of financial turmoil, which could affect financial services companies more than companies in other sectors and industries.
Tax risk. The Fund may invest in preferred securities or other securities the federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the Internal Revenue Service. It could be more difficult for the Fund to comply with the tax requirements applicable to regulated investment companies if the tax characterization of the Funds investments or the tax treatment of the income from such investments were successfully challenged by the Internal Revenue Service.
Regulatory risk. Issuers of preferred securities may be in industries that are heavily regulated and that may receive government funding. The value of preferred securities issued by these companies may be affected
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by changes in government policy, such as increased regulation, ownership restrictions, deregulation or reduced government funding.
Short sales risk: Short sales involve the sale of a security the Fund has borrowed, with the expectation that the security will underperform the market. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. For instance, the lender of the borrowed security may recall the security, in which case the Fund would have to either borrow the security from another lender or buy the security and deliver it to the lender. The Fund may not always be able to locate another lender, and thus the Fund may be required to cover the short position at a disadvantageous price. Although the gain is limited by the price at which the security was sold short, the potential loss on a short sale is theoretically unlimited because there is no upper limit on the price a borrowed security can attain. In a rising stock market, the Funds short positions may significantly impact the Funds overall performance and cause the Fund to underperform traditional long-only funds or to sustain losses, particularly in a sharply rising market. Short positions are more volatile than long positions due to risks inherent to short selling, including incorrect determinations of equity security valuations and/or the directional movement of stock market averages. The Fund may also pay transaction costs and borrowing fees in connection with short sales and, until the borrowed security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends paid during the period of the loan. In addition, short positions typically involve increased liquidity risk and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms. To the extent the Fund invests the proceeds received from selling securities short in additional long positions, the Fund is engaging in a form of leverage that may magnify gains or losses for the Fund.
In the past, in response to market events, regulatory authorities in various countries, including the United States, enacted temporary rules prohibiting the short-selling of certain stocks. If regulatory authorities were to reinstitute such rules or otherwise restrict short-selling, the Fund might not be able to fully implement its short-selling strategy.
Valuation risk: The debt securities in which the Fund may invest typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Non-Principal Risks
Global economic risk: Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country
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Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
or region. An example is the June 2016 United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union ( EU ), which resulted in depreciation in the value of the British pound, short term declines in the stock markets and ongoing economic and political uncertainty. The United Kingdoms withdrawal from the EU may take an extended period, and there is considerable uncertainty about the potential trade, economic and market consequences of the exit. Other countries may also depart the EU, voluntarily or otherwise. The negative impact of the United Kingdoms departure from the EU, as well as any future departures by other countries, could be significant, not only to the United Kingdom and European economies, but also to the broader global economy. Such departures could potentially result in increased market volatility and illiquidity, and lower economic growth for companies that rely significantly on Europe for their business activities and revenues, which could negatively impact the value of the Funds investments. Similarly, major economic or political disruptions outside of Europe, particularly in large economies like Chinas, may have global negative economic and market repercussions.
Large transactions risk: The Fund may experience adverse effects due to large purchases or redemptions of Fund shares. A large redemption by an individual shareholder, or an increase in redemptions generally by Fund shareholders, may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Funds net asset value and liquidity. If the Fund has difficulty selling portfolio securities in a timely manner to meet redemption requests, the Fund may have to borrow money to do so. In such an instance, the Funds remaining shareholders would bear the costs of such borrowings, and such costs could reduce the Funds returns. In addition, until the Fund is able to sell securities to meet redemption requests, the Funds market exposure may be greater than it ordinarily would be, which would magnify the impact of any market movements on the Funds performance. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Funds performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, reducing the Funds market exposure. Increased redemption activity may also result in unexpected taxable distributions to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains and thereby accelerated the realization of taxable income. In addition, large redemptions could result in the Funds current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Funds expense ratio.
Other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles risk: When the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, and other pooled investment vehicles, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of Fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Furthermore, the Fund is exposed to the risks to which the other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles may be subject. For index-based ETFs, while such ETFs seek to achieve the same returns as a particular market index, the performance of an ETF may diverge from the performance of such index (commonly known as tracking error).
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The Fund offers multiple classes of shares, each with a different combination of sales charges, fees, eligibility requirements and other features. Your financial advisor can help you determine which class is best for you. For further details, please see the statement of additional information. Because the prospectus and the statement of additional information are available free of charge on Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com, we do not disclose the following share class information separately on the website.
The different share classes offered by the Fund are described below. You will pay up-front or contingent deferred sales charges on some of these share classes. In addition, some share classes are subject to annual distribution and/or service fees in the amounts described below, which are paid out of the Funds assets. These fees are paid to the Distributor and are used primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries in connection with the distribution of Fund shares and for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 that allows the Fund to pay these distribution and service fees. More information on this plan can be found under Distribution and Service PaymentsDistribution and Service Plan. Because fees paid under the plan 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.
Class A Shares
You can purchase Class A shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. Nuveen Securities, LLC (the Distributor ), a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments and the distributor of the Fund, retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class A sales charges for the Fund are as follows:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as
% of Public Offering Price |
Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount Invested |
Maximum
Financial Intermediary Commission as % of Public Offering Price |
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Less than $50,000 | 4.75 | % | 4.99 | % | 4.25 | % | ||||||
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.50 | 4.71 | 4.00 | |||||||||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.50 | 3.63 | 3.00 | |||||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.25 | |||||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.00 | 2.04 | 1.75 | |||||||||
$1,000,000 and over* | | | 1.00 |
* | You can purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares at net asset value without an up-front sales charge. The Distributor pays financial intermediaries of record at a rate of 1.00% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.75% of the next $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of the amount over $5 million, which includes an advance of the first years service fee. Unless you are eligible for a waiver, you may be assessed a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 1.00% if you redeem any of your shares within 18 months of purchase. See Contingent Deferred Sales Charges below for information concerning the CDSC and How to Reduce Your Sales ChargeCDSC Waivers and Reductions below for information concerning CDSC waivers and reductions. |
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Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
Class A shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class A shares.
Class C Shares
You can purchase Class C shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 1.00% of the Funds average daily net assets. The annual 0.25% service fee compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The annual 0.75% distribution fee compensates the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission as well as an advance of the first years service and distribution fees. The Distributor retains the service and distribution fees on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. If you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase, you will normally pay a 1.00% CDSC, which is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds. You do not pay a CDSC on any Class C shares you purchase by reinvesting dividends. You may qualify for a reduced CDSC, or the CDSC may be waived, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge below.
Investors purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See How to Reduce Your Sales Charge below.
Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $1,000,000 will not be accepted. In addition, the Fund limits the cumulative amount of Class C shares that may be purchased by a single purchaser. Your financial intermediary may set lower maximum purchase limits for Class C shares. See the statement of additional information for more information.
Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class C shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class C shares.
Class R6 Shares
Eligible investors can purchase Class R6 shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. As Class R6 shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees, they have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes.
Class R6 shares are available to certain qualified retirement plans and other investors. There is no minimum initial investment for qualified retirement plans; however, the shares must be held through plan-level or omnibus accounts held on the books of the Fund. All other eligible investors must meet a minimum initial investment of at least $5 million in the Fund. Such minimum investment requirement may be applied collectively to affiliated accounts, in the discretion of the Distributor. Class R6 shares are only available through financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares are only available in cases where neither the investor nor the intermediary will receive any commission payments, account servicing fees, record keeping fees, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, so called finders fees,
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
25
administration fees or similar fees with respect to Class R6 shares. Provided they meet the minimum investment and other eligibility requirements, eligible investors include:
|
Qualified retirement plans; |
|
Foundations and endowment funds; |
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Any state, county, or city, or its instrumentality, department, authority or agency; |
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457 plans, including 457(b) governmental entity plans and tax exempt plans; |
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Omnibus or other pooled accounts registered to insurance companies, trust companies, bank trust departments, registered investment advisor firms and family offices; |
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Investment companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with Nuveen Fund Advisors; |
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Corporations, including corporate non-qualified deferred compensation plans of such corporations; |
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Collective investment trusts; |
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Discretionary accounts managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors or its affiliates; and |
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529 savings plans held in plan-level omnibus accounts. |
Class R6 shares are not available directly to traditional or Roth IRAs, Coverdell Savings Accounts, Keoghs, SEPs, SARSEPs, or SIMPLE IRAs. Class R6 shares also are not available through retail, advisory fee-based wrap platforms.
Class I Shares
You can purchase Class I shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. As Class I shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees, they have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:
|
Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. |
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Certain bank or broker-affiliated trust departments. |
26
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
|
Advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates. |
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Current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information). |
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Officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members. |
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Full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members. |
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Certain financial intermediary personnel, and their immediate family members. |
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Certain other institutional investors described in the statement of additional information. |
Class T Shares
You can purchase Class T shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. Class T shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The Distributor retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class T sales charges for the Fund are as follows:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as
% of Public Offering Price |
Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount Invested |
Maximum
Financial Intermediary Commission as % of Public Offering Price |
|||||||||
Less than $250,000 | 2.50 | % | 2.56 | % | 2.50 | % | ||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.00 | 2.04 | 2.00 | |||||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 1.50 | 1.52 | 1.50 | |||||||||
$1,000,000 and over | 1.00 | 1.01 | 1.00 |
Class T shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund are not subject to a sales charge. In addition, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under certain other circumstances, as determined by the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. See the appendix to this Prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, for information on available Class T share sales charge waivers.
Investors may purchase Class T shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class T shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class T shares.
Please refer to the statement of additional information for more information about Class A, Class C, Class R6, Class I and Class T shares, including more detailed program descriptions and eligibility requirements. Additional information is also available from your financial advisor, who can also help you prepare any necessary application forms.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges
If you redeem Class A or Class C shares that are subject to a CDSC, you may be assessed a CDSC upon redemption. When you redeem Class A or Class C shares subject to a CDSC, the Fund will first redeem any shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then redeem the shares you have owned for the longest period of time, unless you ask the Fund to redeem your shares in a different order. No CDSC is imposed on shares you buy through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. The CDSC holding period is
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
27
calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you redeem shares subject to a CDSC, the CDSC is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds, deducted from your redemption proceeds, and paid to the Distributor. The CDSC may be waived under certain special circumstances as described below under How You Can Buy and Sell SharesHow to Reduce Your Sales ChargeCDSC Waivers and Reductions, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and in the statement of additional information.
The Fund offers a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A shares. In addition, under certain circumstances, the Fund will waive or reduce the CDSC imposed on redemptions of Class C shares and certain Class A shares purchased at net asset value. The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary.
Class A Sales Charge Reductions
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Rights of Accumulation. In calculating the appropriate sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund, you may be able to add the amount of your purchase to the value, based on the current net asset value per share, of all of your prior purchases of any Nuveen Mutual Fund. |
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Letter of Intent. Subject to certain requirements, you may purchase Class A shares of the Fund at the sales charge rate applicable to the total amount of the purchases you intend to make over a 13-month period. |
For purposes of calculating the appropriate sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent above, you may include purchases by (i) you, (ii) your spouse or domestic partner and children under the age of 21 years, and (iii) a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that is 100% owned by any of the persons in (i) or (ii). In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).
Class A Sales Charge Waivers
Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge as follows:
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Purchases of $1,000,000 or more (although such purchases may be subject to a CDSC in certain circumstances, see What Share Classes We OfferContingent Deferred Sales Charges above). |
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Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
|
Shares purchased through the reinvestment of Nuveen Mutual Fund dividends and capital gain distributions. |
|
Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. Purchases by employer-sponsored retirement plans ( ESRPs ) as defined below, except that, in the case of ESRPs held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
For this purpose, ESRPs include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, health savings accounts, defined benefit plans, participant directed non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Roth 401(k) plans and Roth 403(b) plans, and do not include SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs (other than SIMPLE IRAs opened before January 1, 2011 where the Distributor is the broker of record), SIMPLE 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, KEOGH plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and single defined benefit plans.
|
Employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates. Purchases by current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates and such employees immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information). |
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Current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds. |
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Financial intermediary personnel. Purchases by any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director, or employee of any financial intermediary or any such persons immediate family member. |
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Certain trust departments. Purchases by bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity. |
|
Additional categories of investors. Purchases made (i) by investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; (ii) by clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; and (iii) through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
In order to obtain a sales charge reduction or waiver on Class A share purchases, it may be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform the Fund or your financial advisor of the existence of other accounts in which there are holdings eligible to be aggregated for such purposes. You may need to provide the Fund or your financial advisor information or records, such as account statements, in order to verify your eligibility for a sales charge reduction or waiver. This may include account statements of family members and information regarding Nuveen Mutual Fund shares held in
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
29
accounts with other financial advisors. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor at the time of each purchase if you are eligible for any of these programs. The Fund may modify or discontinue these programs at any time.
CDSC Waivers and Reductions
The CDSC payable upon the redemption of Class C shares, and on Class A shares that were purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, may be waived or reduced under certain circumstances, including the following:
|
In the event of total disability of the shareholder. |
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In the event of death of the shareholder. |
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For certain redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan. |
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For redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees. |
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For redemptions of accounts not meeting required minimum balances. |
|
Upon an optional conversion by the Fund of Class C shares held in an account which no longer has a financial intermediary of record into Class A shares. |
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For redemptions of Class C shares where the Distributor did not advance the first years service and distribution fees to the intermediary. |
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For redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales charge to the intermediary when the shares were purchased. |
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For certain redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution plan. |
|
For certain redemptions of shares held in an IRA account, including redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions from the account after age 70 1 / 2 . |
More information on these and other available CDSC waivers and reductions can be found in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and in the statement of additional information.
Fund shares may be purchased on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE ) is open for business. Generally, the NYSE is closed on weekends and national holidays. The share price you pay depends on when the Distributor receives your order and on the share class you are purchasing. Orders received before the close of trading on a business day (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) will receive that days closing share price; otherwise, you will receive the next business days price.
You may purchase Fund shares (1) through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or (2) directly from the Fund. Class C and Class T shares may not be purchased directly from the Fund. In addition, the availability of Class A, Class C and Class T shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary.
Through a Financial Advisor
You may buy shares through your financial advisor, who can handle all the details for you, including opening a new account. Financial advisors can also help you review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment
30
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
goals and objectives. In addition, financial advisors generally can help you develop a customized financial plan, select investments and monitor and review your portfolio on an ongoing basis to help assure your investments continue to meet your needs as circumstances change. Financial advisors (including brokers or agents) are paid for providing ongoing investment advice and services, either from Fund sales charges and fees or by charging you a separate fee in lieu of a sales charge.
Financial advisors or other dealer firms may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to customers by each individual dealer. Processing or service fees typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in this prospectus and the statement of additional information. Your dealer will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged. Shares you purchase through your financial advisor or other intermediary will normally be held with that firm. For more information, please contact your financial advisor.
Directly from the Fund
Eligible investors may purchase shares directly from the Fund.
|
By wire. You can purchase shares by making a wire transfer from your bank. Before making an initial investment by wire, you must submit a new account form to the Fund. After receiving your form, a service representative will contact you with your account number and wiring instructions. Your order will be priced at the next closing share price based on the share class of the Fund, calculated after the Funds custodian receives your payment by wire. Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. New York time to be eligible for same day pricing. Neither the Fund nor the transfer agent is responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions. Before making any additional purchases by wire, you should call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. You cannot purchase shares by wire on days when federally chartered banks are closed. |
|
By mail. You may open an account directly with the Fund and buy shares by completing an application and mailing it along with your check to: Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Applications may be obtained at www.nuveen.com or by calling (800) 257-8787. No third party checks will be accepted. |
Purchase orders and redemption requests are not processed until received in proper form by the transfer agent of the Fund.
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On-line. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may process certain account transactions on-line. You may purchase additional shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered direct accounts. You can also look up your account balance, history and dividend information, as well as order duplicate account statements and tax forms from the Funds website. To access your account, click the Individual Investors link on www.nuveen.com and then choose Account Access under the Resources tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. To purchase shares on-line, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See Special ServicesFund Direct below. |
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
31
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By telephone. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may also process account transactions via the Funds automated information line. Simply call (800) 257-8787, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. To purchase shares by telephone, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See Special ServicesFund Direct below. |
To help make your investing with us easy and efficient, we offer you the following services at no extra cost. Your financial advisor can help you complete the forms for these services, or you can call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for copies of the necessary forms.
Systematic Investing
Once you have opened an account satisfying the applicable investment minimum, systematic investing allows you to make regular additional investments through automatic deductions from your bank account, directly from your paycheck or from exchanging shares from another mutual fund account. The minimum automatic deduction is $100 per month. There is no charge to participate in the Funds systematic investment plan. You can stop the deductions at any time by notifying the Fund in writing.
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From your bank account. You can make systematic investments of $100 or more per month by authorizing the Fund to draw pre-authorized checks on your bank account. |
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From your paycheck. With your employers consent, you can make systematic investments each pay period (collectively meeting the monthly minimum of $100) by authorizing your employer to deduct monies from your paycheck. |
|
Systematic exchanging. You can make systematic investments by authorizing the Distributor to exchange shares from one Nuveen Mutual Fund account into another identically registered Nuveen Mutual Fund account of the same share class. |
The Fund may cancel your participation in its systematic investment plan if it is unable to deliver a current prospectus to you because of an incorrect or invalid mailing address.
Systematic Withdrawal
If the value of your Fund account is at least $10,000, you may request to have $50 or more withdrawn automatically from your account. You may elect to receive payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually, and may choose to receive a check, have the monies transferred directly into your bank account (see Fund Direct below), paid to a third party or sent payable to you at an address other than your address of record. You must complete the appropriate section of the account application or Account Update Form to participate in the Funds systematic withdrawal plan.
You should not establish systematic withdrawals if you intend to make concurrent purchases of Class A or Class C shares because you may unnecessarily pay a sales charge or CDSC on these purchases.
Exchanging Shares
You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state, except
that there are no exchange privileges for Class T shares. Your exchange must
32
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same fund, subject to the payment of any applicable CDSC. Please consult the statement of additional information for details.
The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. In the event that the Fund rejects an exchange request, neither the redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. If you would like the redemption request to be processed even if the purchase order is rejected, you may submit a separate redemption request (see How to Sell Shares below). Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.
Because an exchange between funds is treated for tax purposes as a purchase and sale, any gain may be subject to tax. An exchange between classes of shares of the same fund may not be considered a taxable event. You should consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of exchanging your shares.
Fund Direct SM
The Fund Direct Program allows you to link your Fund account to your bank account, transfer money electronically between these accounts and perform a variety of account transactions, including purchasing shares by telephone and investing through a systematic investment plan. You may also have dividends, distributions, redemption payments or systematic withdrawal plan payments sent directly to your bank account.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeem Fund shares, you may reinvest all or part of your redemption proceeds up to one year later without incurring any additional charges. You may only reinvest into the same share class you redeemed. If you paid a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. You may use this reinstatement privilege only once for any redemption.
You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day, which is any day the NYSE is open for business. You will receive the share price next determined after the Fund has received your properly completed redemption request. Your redemption request must be received before the close of trading (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) for you to receive that days price. The Fund will normally mail your check the next business day after a redemption request is received, but in no event more than seven days after your request is received. If you are selling shares purchased recently with a check, your redemption proceeds will not be mailed until your check has cleared, which may take up to ten business days from your purchase date.
You may sell your shares (1) through a financial advisor or (2) directly to the Fund.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
33
Through a Financial Advisor
You may sell your shares through your financial advisor, who can prepare the necessary documentation. Your financial advisor may charge for this service.
Directly to the Fund
|
By mail. You can sell your shares at any time by sending a written request to the Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Your request must include the following information: |
|
The Funds name; |
|
Your name and account number; |
|
The dollar or share amount you wish to redeem; |
|
The signature of each owner exactly as it appears on the account; |
|
The name of the person to whom you want your redemption proceeds paid (if other than to the shareholder of record); |
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The address where you want your redemption proceeds sent (if other than the address of record); |
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Any certificates you have for the shares; and |
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Any required signature guarantees. |
After you have established your account, signatures on a written request must be guaranteed if:
|
You would like redemption proceeds payable or sent to any person, address or bank account other than that on record; |
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You have changed the address on the Funds records within the last 30 days; |
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Your redemption request is in excess of $50,000; or |
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You are requesting a change in ownership on your account. |
Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services such as changing bank information on an account, will require a signature guarantee or signature verification from a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program member or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund reserves the right to require a signature guarantee, or another acceptable form of signature verification, in other instances based on the circumstances of a particular situation.
A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects shareholders from unauthorized account transfers. Banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange may guarantee signatures. Call your financial intermediary to determine if it has this capability. A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor. Proceeds from a written redemption request will be sent to you by check unless another form of payment is requested.
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On-line. You may redeem shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered accounts on-line. To access your account, click the Individual Investors link on www.nuveen.com and then choose Account Access under the Resources tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. On-line redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where |
34
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
An Important Note About Telephone Transactions
Although Nuveen Investor Services has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers, it will not be liable for losses resulting from following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. Also, you should verify your trade confirmations immediately upon receipt.
the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. |
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By telephone. If your account is held with the Fund and not in your brokerage account, and you have authorized telephone redemption privileges, call (800) 257-8787 to redeem your shares, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. Telephone redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record, normally the next business day after the redemption request is received. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. In this case, the redemption proceeds will be transferred to your bank on the next business day after the redemption request is received. You should contact your bank for further information concerning the timing of the credit of the redemption proceeds in your bank account. |
Accounts with Low Balances
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate or assess a low balance fee on any account (other than accounts holding Class R6 shares) held directly with the Fund that has a balance that has fallen below the account balance minimum of $1,000 for any reason, including market fluctuations.
If the Fund elects to exercise the right to assess a low balance fee, then annually the Fund will assess a $15 low balance account fee on certain accounts with balances under the account balance minimum that are IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or accounts established pursuant to the UTMA or UGMA. At the same time, other accounts with balances under the account balance minimum will be liquidated, with proceeds being mailed to the address of record. Prior to the assessment of any low balance fee or liquidation of low balance accounts, affected shareholders will receive a communication notifying them of the pending action, thereby providing time for shareholders to bring their accounts up to the account balance minimum prior to any fee assessment or account liquidation. You will not be assessed a CDSC if your account is liquidated.
Redemptions In-Kind
The Fund generally pays redemption proceeds in cash. However, if the Fund determines that it would be detrimental to its remaining shareholders to make payment of a redemption order wholly in cash, the Fund may pay a portion of your redemption proceeds in securities or other Fund assets. Although it is unlikely that your shares would be redeemed in-kind, you would probably have to pay brokerage costs to sell the securities or other assets distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital gains from that sale. Until they are sold, any securities or other assets distributed to you as part of a redemption in-kind may be subject to market risk.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
35
To help you understand the tax implications of investing in the Fund, this section includes important details about how the Fund makes distributions to shareholders. We discuss some other Fund policies as well. Please consult the statement of additional information and your tax advisor for more information about taxes.
The Fund declares dividends daily and pays such dividends monthly. Your account will begin to accrue dividends on the business day after the day when the monies used to purchase your shares are collected by the transfer agent. The Fund seeks to pay monthly dividends at a level rate that reflects the past and projected net income of the Fund. To help maintain more stable monthly distributions, the distribution paid by the Fund for any particular monthly period may be more or less than the amount of net income actually earned by the Fund during such period, and any such under-(or over-) distribution of income is reflected in the Funds net asset value. This policy is designed to result in the distribution of substantially all of the Funds net income over time. The Fund declares and pays any taxable capital gains once a year at year end.
Payment and Reinvestment Options
The Fund automatically reinvests your dividends in additional Fund shares unless you request otherwise. You may request to have your dividends paid to you by check, sent via electronic funds transfer through Automated Clearing House network or reinvested in shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund. For further information, contact your financial advisor or call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. If you request that your distributions be paid by check but those distributions cannot be delivered because of an incorrect mailing address, or if a distribution check remains uncashed for six months, the undelivered or uncashed distributions and all future distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares at the current net asset value.
Non-U.S. Income Tax Considerations
Investment income that the Fund receives from its non-U.S. investments may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes, which generally will reduce Fund distributions. However, the United States has entered into tax treaties with many non-U.S. countries that may entitle you to certain tax benefits.
Taxes and Tax Reporting
The Fund will make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income (which may be taxable at different rates, depending on the sources of the distributions) or capital gains (which may be taxable at different rates, depending on the length of time the Fund holds its assets). Distributions from the Funds long-term capital gains are generally taxable as capital gains, while distributions from short-term capital gains and net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. However, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund that are determined to be qualified dividend income may be taxed at tax rates equal to those applicable to long-term capital gains. The tax you pay on a given capital gains distribution depends generally on how long the Fund has held the
36
Section 4 General Information
portfolio securities it sold and not on how long you have owned your Fund shares. Distributions generally do not qualify for a dividends received deduction if you are a corporate shareholder.
Early in each year, you will receive a statement detailing the amount and nature of all distributions that you were paid during the prior year. If you hold your investment at the firm where you purchased your Fund shares, you will receive the statement from that firm. If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, the Distributor will send you the statement. The tax status of your distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or elect to receive them in cash. The sale of shares in your account may produce a gain or loss, and is a taxable event. For tax purposes, an exchange of shares between funds is generally the same as a sale.
Please note that if you do not furnish the Fund with your correct Social Security number or employer identification number, you fail to provide certain certifications to the Fund, you fail to certify whether you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien, or the Internal Revenue Service notifies the Fund to withhold, federal law requires the Fund to withhold federal income tax from your distributions and redemption proceeds at the applicable withholding rate.
Buying or Selling Shares Close to a Record Date
Buying Fund shares shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend or capital gain distribution is commonly known as buying the dividend. The entire distribution may be taxable to you even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of your purchase price.
Non-U.S. Tax Credits
A regulated investment company with more than 50% of the value of its assets in stock or other securities of non-U.S. corporations at the close of a taxable year may, for such taxable year, elect to pass the regulated investment companys non-U.S. tax credits through to its investors.
Cost Basis Method
For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, you may elect a cost basis method to apply to all existing and future accounts you may establish. The cost basis method you select will determine the order in which shares are redeemed and how your cost basis information is calculated and subsequently reported to you and to the Internal Revenue Service. Please consult your tax advisor to determine which cost basis method best suits your specific situation. If you hold your account directly with the Fund, please contact Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account with a financial intermediary, please contact that financial intermediary for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account directly with the Fund and do not elect a cost basis method, your account will default to the average cost basis method. The average cost basis method generally calculates cost basis by determining the average price paid for Fund shares that may have been purchased at different times for different prices. Financial intermediaries choose their own default cost basis method.
Section 4 General Information
37
Distribution and Service Plan
The Distributor serves as the selling agent and distributor of the Funds shares. In this capacity, the Distributor manages the offering of the Funds shares and is responsible for all sales and promotional activities. In order to reimburse the Distributor for its costs in connection with these activities, including compensation paid to financial intermediaries, the Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Plan ). See How You Can Buy and Sell SharesWhat Share Classes We Offer for a description of the distribution and service fees paid under the Plan.
Under the Plan, the Distributor receives a distribution fee for Class C shares primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, in connection with the distribution of shares. The Distributor receives a service fee for Class A, Class C and Class T shares to compensate financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders. Fees paid under the Plan also compensate the Distributor for other expenses, including printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other than shareholders, and preparing, printing, and distributing advertising materials, sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of shares. Because fees paid under the Plan 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. Long-term holders of Class C shares may pay more in distribution and service fees and CDSCs than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge permitted under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Conduct Rules.
Other Payments by the Fund
In addition to the distribution and service fees the Fund pays under the Plan and fees the Fund pays to its transfer agent, the Distributor or Nuveen Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Fund, may enter into non-Plan agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund will pay financial intermediaries for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency and shareholder services. These non-Plan payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by a financial intermediary. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial and may vary significantly among intermediaries.
Other Payments by the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors
In addition to the sales commissions and payments from distribution and service fees made to financial intermediaries as previously described, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors may from time to time make additional payments, out of their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries that sell shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds in order to promote the sales and retention of Fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by financial intermediary and, with respect to a given firm, are typically calculated by reference to the amount of the firms recent gross sales of Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and/or total
38
Section 4 General Information
assets of Nuveen Mutual Funds held by the firms customers. The level of payments that the Distributor and/or Nuveen Fund Advisors is willing to provide to a particular financial intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, the firms total assets held in and recent net investments into Nuveen Mutual Funds, the firms level of participation in Nuveen Mutual Fund sales and marketing programs, the firms compensation program for its registered representatives who sell Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and provide services to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders, and the asset class of the Nuveen Mutual Funds for which these payments are provided. The statement of additional information contains additional information about these payments, including the names of the firms to which payments are made. The Distributor may also make payments to financial intermediaries in connection with sales meetings, due diligence meetings, prospecting seminars and other meetings at which the Distributor promotes its products and services.
In connection with the availability of Nuveen Mutual Funds within selected mutual fund no-transaction fee institutional platforms and fee-based wrap programs at certain financial intermediaries, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors also make payments out of their own assets to those firms as compensation for certain recordkeeping, shareholder communications and other account administration services provided to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders who own their Fund shares through these platforms or programs. These payments are in addition to the service fee and any applicable sub-transfer agency or similar fees paid to these firms with respect to these services by the Nuveen Mutual Funds out of Fund assets.
The amounts of payments to a financial intermediary could be significant, and may create an incentive for the intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Fund to you. The intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund within the intermediarys organization by, for example, placing the Fund on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor and/or its affiliates preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Fund in various ways within the intermediarys organization.
The price you pay for your shares or the amount you receive upon redemption of your shares is based on the Funds net asset value per share, which is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. The Funds latest net asset value per share is available on the Funds website at www.nuveen.com. Net asset value is calculated for each class of the Fund by taking the value of the classs total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share.
In determining net asset value, portfolio instruments generally are valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or obtained from other sources, such as broker-dealer quotations. Exchange-traded instruments generally are valued at the last reported sales price or official closing price on an exchange, if available. Independent pricing services typically value non-exchange-traded instruments utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions. For example, when available, pricing services
Section 4 General Information
39
may utilize inputs such as benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, spreads, and transactions for comparable instruments. In pricing certain instruments, the pricing services may consider information about an instruments issuer or market activity provided by the Funds investment adviser or sub-adviser. Pricing service valuations of non-exchange-traded instruments represent the services good faith opinion as to what the holder of an instrument would receive in an orderly transaction for an institutional round lot position under current market conditions. It is possible that these valuations could be materially different from the value that the Fund realizes upon the sale of an instrument. Non-U.S. securities and currency are valued in U.S. dollars based on non-U.S. currency exchange rate quotations supplied by an independent quotation service.
For non-U.S. traded securities whose principal local markets close before the close of the NYSE, the Fund may adjust the local closing price based upon such factors as developments in non-U.S. markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent non-U.S. securities. The Fund may rely on an independent fair valuation service in making any such fair value determinations. If the Fund holds portfolio instruments that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the value of such instruments may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Funds shares.
If a price cannot be obtained from a pricing service or other pre-approved source, or if, in the judgment of Nuveen Fund Advisors, a price is unreliable, a portfolio instrument will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its appointee. Nuveen Fund Advisors may determine that a price is unreliable in various circumstances. For example, a price may be deemed unreliable if it has not changed for an identified period of time, or has changed from the previous days price by more than a threshold amount, and recent transactions and/or broker dealer price quotations differ materially from the price in question.
The Board of Trustees has adopted valuation procedures for the Fund and has appointed the Nuveen Fund Advisors Valuation Committee with the day-to-day responsibility for fair value determinations. All fair value determinations made by the Valuation Committee are subject to review and ratification by the Board of Trustees. As a general principle, the fair value of a portfolio instrument is the amount that an owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the instruments current sale. A range of factors and analysis may be considered when determining fair value, including relevant market data, interest rates, credit considerations and/or issuer specific news. However, fair valuation involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.
The Fund is intended for long-term investment and should not be used for excessive trading. Excessive trading in the Funds shares can disrupt portfolio management, lead to higher operating costs, and cause other operating inefficiencies for the Fund. However, the Fund is also mindful that shareholders may have valid reasons for periodically purchasing and redeeming Fund shares.
40
Section 4 General Information
Accordingly, the Fund has adopted a Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance the Funds need to prevent excessive trading in Fund shares while offering investors the flexibility in managing their financial affairs to make periodic purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
The Funds Frequent Trading Policy generally limits an investor to two round trip trades in a 60-day period. A round trip is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a round trip may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.
The Fund primarily receives share purchase and redemption orders through third-party financial intermediaries, some of whom rely on the use of omnibus accounts. An omnibus account typically includes multiple investors and provides the Fund only with a net purchase or redemption amount on any given day where multiple purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares occur in the account. The identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated in omnibus accounts, and the size of their orders, will generally not be known by the Fund. Despite the Funds efforts to detect and prevent frequent trading, the Fund may be unable to identify frequent trading because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to identify frequent traders. The Distributor has entered into agreements with financial intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Funds transfer agent. Under the terms of these agreements, the financial intermediaries undertake to cooperate with the Distributor in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent frequent trading in the Fund through such accounts. Pursuant to these agreements, financial intermediaries may disclose to the Fund an investors taxpayer identification number and a record of the investors transactions at the request of the Fund. Technical limitations in operational systems at such intermediaries or at the Distributor may also limit the Funds ability to detect and prevent frequent trading. In addition, the Fund may permit certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealer and retirement plan administrators, among others, to enforce their own internal policies and procedures concerning frequent trading. Such policies may differ from the Funds Frequent Trading Policy and may be approved for use in instances where the Fund reasonably believes that the intermediarys policies and procedures effectively discourage inappropriate trading activity. Shareholders holding their accounts with such intermediaries may wish to contact the intermediary for information regarding its frequent trading policy. Although the Fund does not knowingly permit frequent trading, it cannot guarantee that it will be able to identify and restrict all frequent trading activity.
The Fund reserves the right in its sole discretion to waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if it determines that doing so would not harm the interests of Fund shareholders. In addition, certain categories of redemptions may be excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy, as described in more detail in the statement of additional information. These include, among others, redemptions pursuant to systematic withdrawal plans, redemptions in connection with the total disability or death of the investor, involuntary redemptions by operation of law, redemptions in payment of account or plan fees, and certain redemptions by retirement plans, including redemptions in connection with qualifying loans or hardship withdrawals, termination of plan participation, return of excess contributions, and required minimum
Section 4 General Information
41
distributions. The Fund may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.
The Fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if it determines, in its sole discretion, that a transaction or a series of transactions involves market timing or excessive trading that may be detrimental to Fund shareholders. The Fund also reserves the right to reject any purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. For example, the Fund may refuse purchase orders if the Fund would be unable to invest the proceeds from the purchase order in accordance with the Funds investment policies and/or objective, or if the Fund would be adversely affected by the size of the transaction, the frequency of trading in the account or various other factors. For more information about the Funds Frequent Trading Policy and its enforcement, see Purchase and Redemption of Fund SharesFrequent Trading Policy in the statement of additional information.
The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian also provides certain accounting services to the Fund. The Funds transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, performs bookkeeping, data processing and administrative services for the maintenance of shareholder accounts.
42
Section 4 General Information
Section 5 Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the past five fiscal years, or life of a share class if shorter. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014 and later has been audited by KPMG LLP, whose report for the most recent fiscal year, along with the Funds financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request. The financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2013 and prior were audited by other independent auditors.
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund
Class
(Commencement Date) |
Investment Operations | Less Distributions | Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended
September 30, |
Beginning
NAV |
Net
Investment Income (Loss)(a) |
Net
Realized/ Unrealized Gain (Loss) |
Total |
From Net
Investment Income |
From
Accumulated Net Realized Gains |
Total |
Ending
NAV |
Total
Return(b) |
Ending
Net Assets (000) |
Ratios of
Expenses to Average Net Assets(c) |
Ratios of Net
Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets(c) |
Portfolio
Turnover Rate(d) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A (12/09) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | $ | 20.47 | $ | 1.10 | $ | 1.36 | $ | 2.46 | $ | (1.12 | ) | $ | | $ | (1.12 | ) | $ | 21.81 | 12.44 | % | $ | 97,079 | .96 | % | 5.28 | % | 37 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 21.97 | 1.10 | (1.50 | ) | (.40 | ) | (1.10 | ) | | $ | (1.10 | ) | 20.47 | (1.94 | ) | 55,180 | .96 | 5.10 | 125 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 20.70 | 1.23 | 1.13 | 2.36 | (1.09 | ) | | (1.09 | ) | 21.97 | 11.64 | 78,394 | .97 | 5.69 | 80 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 22.41 | 1.14 | (.85 | ) | .29 | (1.18 | ) | (.82 | ) | (2.00 | ) | 20.70 | 1.21 | 17,635 | .97 | 5.42 | 47 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 21.22 | 1.21 | 2.56 | 3.77 | (1.21 | ) | (1.37 | ) | (2.58 | ) | 22.41 | 19.24 | 560 | .97 | 5.62 | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C (12/09) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 20.43 | .94 | 1.37 | 2.31 | (.97 | ) | | (.97 | ) | 21.77 | 11.58 | 65,833 | 1.71 | 4.51 | 37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 21.93 | .93 | (1.49 | ) | (.56 | ) | (.94 | ) | | (.94 | ) | 20.43 | (2.70 | ) | 17,704 | 1.71 | 4.35 | 125 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 20.66 | 1.05 | 1.15 | 2.20 | (.93 | ) | | (.93 | ) | 21.93 | 10.82 | 6,732 | 1.72 | 4.87 | 80 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 22.37 | .98 | (.86 | ) | .12 | (1.01 | ) | (.82 | ) | (1.83 | ) | 20.66 | .45 | 4,555 | 1.72 | 4.63 | 47 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 21.19 | 1.05 | 2.55 | 3.60 | (1.05 | ) | (1.37 | ) | (2.42 | ) | 22.37 | 18.32 | 559 | 1.72 | 4.87 | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R6 (6/16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016(e) | 21.12 | .34 | .68 | 1.02 | (.26 | ) | | (.26 | ) | 21.88 | 4.83 | 326 | .63 | * | 7.74 | * | 37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class I (12/09) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 20.49 | 1.15 | 1.38 | 2.53 | (1.18 | ) | | (1.18 | ) | 21.84 | 12.77 | 145,450 | .71 | 5.52 | 37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 22.00 | 1.19 | (1.54 | ) | (.35 | ) | (1.16 | ) | | (1.16 | ) | 20.49 | (1.74 | ) | 77,332 | .71 | 5.51 | 125 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 20.72 | 1.26 | 1.17 | 2.43 | (1.15 | ) | | (1.15 | ) | 22.00 | 11.95 | 20,578 | .72 | 5.84 | 80 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 22.42 | 1.24 | (.88 | ) | .36 | (1.24 | ) | (.82 | ) | (2.06 | ) | 20.72 | 1.53 | 17,254 | .72 | 5.92 | 47 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 21.23 | 1.28 | 2.55 | 3.83 | (1.27 | ) | (1.37 | ) | (2.64 | ) | 22.42 | 19.53 | 1,130 | .72 | 5.94 | 85 |
(a) | Per share Net Investment Income (Loss) is calculated using the average daily shares method. |
(b) | Total Return is the combination of changes in NAV without any sales charge, reinvested dividend income at NAV and reinvested capital gains distributions at NAV, if any. Total Return is not annualized. |
(c) | After fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement from Nuveen Fund Advisors, where applicable. |
(d) | Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated based on the lesser of long-term purchases or sales (as disclosed in Note 5Investment Transactions, in the most recent shareholder report) divided by the average long-term market value during the period. |
(e) | For the period June 30, 2016 (commencement of operations) through September 30, 2016. |
* | Annualized. |
Section 5 Financial Highlights
43
Nuveen Mutual Funds
Nuveen offers a variety of mutual funds designed to help you reach your financial goals. The funds below are grouped by category.
Municipal-National
All-American Municipal Bond
High Yield Municipal Bond
Inflation Protected Municipal Bond
Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond
Limited Term Municipal Bond
Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond
Short Term Municipal Bond
Strategic Municipal Opportunities
Municipal-State
Arizona Municipal Bond
California High Yield Municipal Bond
California Intermediate Municipal Bond
California Municipal Bond
Colorado Municipal Bond
Connecticut Municipal Bond
Georgia Municipal Bond
Kansas Municipal Bond
Kentucky Municipal Bond
Louisiana Municipal Bond
Maryland Municipal Bond
Massachusetts Municipal Bond
Michigan Municipal Bond
Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond
Minnesota Municipal Bond
Missouri Municipal Bond
Nebraska Municipal Bond
New Jersey Municipal Bond
Municipal-State (continued)
New Mexico Municipal Bond
New York Municipal Bond
North Carolina Municipal Bond
Ohio Municipal Bond
Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond
Pennsylvania Municipal Bond
Tennessee Municipal Bond
Virginia Municipal Bond
Wisconsin Municipal Bond
Taxable Fixed Income
Core Bond
Core Plus Bond
High Income Bond
Inflation Protected Securities
Intermediate Government Bond
NWQ Flexible Income
Preferred Securities
Short Term Bond
Strategic Income
Symphony Credit Opportunities
Symphony Floating Rate Income
Symphony High Yield Bond
Global/International
International Growth
NWQ Global All-Cap
NWQ Global Equity Income
NWQ International Value
NWQ Japan
Global/International (continued)
Santa Barbara Global Dividend Growth
Santa Barbara International Dividend Growth
Symphony International Equity
Tradewinds Global All-Cap
Value
Dividend Value
Large Cap Value
Mid Cap Value
NWQ Large-Cap Value
NWQ Multi-Cap Value
NWQ Small-Cap Value
NWQ Small/Mid-Cap Value
Small Cap Value
Tradewinds Value Opportunities
Growth
Growth
Large Cap Growth
Large Cap Growth Opportunities
Mid Cap Growth Opportunities
Small Cap Growth Opportunities
Symphony Large-Cap Growth
Winslow Large-Cap Growth
Core
Concentrated Core
Core Dividend
Core (continued)
Large Cap Core
Large Cap Core Plus
Large Cap Select
Santa Barbara Dividend Growth
Small Cap Select
Symphony Low Volatility Equity
Symphony Mid-Cap Core
Symphony Small Cap Core
Real Assets
Global Infrastructure
Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy
Real Asset Income
Real Estate Securities
Asset Allocation
Multi-Asset Income
Multi-Asset Income Tax-Aware
Strategy Aggressive Growth Allocation
Strategy Balanced Allocation
Strategy Conservative Allocation
Strategy Growth Allocation
Alternative Strategies
Equity Long/Short
Equity Market Neutral
Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy
Symphony Dynamic Equity
Several additional sources of information are available to you, including the codes of ethics adopted by the Fund, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors and NWQ. The appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, is a separate document that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and contains information on sales charge reductions and waivers available through certain financial intermediaries that differ from the sales charge reductions and waivers disclosed in this prospectus and the related statement of additional information. The statement of additional information, incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains detailed information on the policies and operation of the Fund included in this prospectus. Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Funds annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year. The Funds most recent statement of additional information, annual and semi-annual reports and certain other information are available, free of charge, by calling Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787, on the Funds website at www.nuveen.com, or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll free number above with any inquiries.
You may also obtain this and other Fund information directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ). Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for room hours and operation. You may also request Fund information by sending an e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SEC may charge a copying fee for this information.
The Fund is a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V, whose Investment Company Act file number is 811-21979.
Distributed by
Nuveen Securities, LLC
333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(800) 257-8787
www.nuveen.com
MPR-NFI-0117P
January 31, 2017
Appendix to the Prospectus of
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund
VARIATIONS IN SALES CHARGE REDUCTIONS AND WAIVERS
AVAILABLE THROUGH CERTAIN INTERMEDIARIES
The information in this Appendix is a part of, and incorporated into, the Prospectus for the Fund, and must be delivered with the Prospectus.
A-1
The Fund offers a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A and Class T shares, which are set forth in the Prospectus. The Prospectus also sets forth certain circumstances under which the Fund will waive or reduce the contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) imposed on redemptions of Class C shares and certain Class A shares purchased at net asset value. The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed in the Prospectus will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Certain intermediaries have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales charge reductions or waivers, which are set forth below.
Class A and Class C Share Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Merrill Lynch
Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed in the Funds prospectus or SAI. Shareholders should contact Merrill Lynch to determine their eligibility for these waivers and discounts.
Front-End Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
|
Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan |
|
Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan |
|
Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program |
|
Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynchs platform |
|
Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform |
|
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
|
Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date |
|
Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members |
|
Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Funds investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in the Prospectus |
|
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement) |
CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
|
Death or disability of the shareholder |
|
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Prospectus |
|
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account |
|
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70 1 / 2 |
|
Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch |
|
Shares acquired through a Right of Reinstatement |
|
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
A-2
|
Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to a fee based account or platform |
Front-End Load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
|
Breakpoints as described in the Prospectus |
|
Rights of Accumulation ( ROA ) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchasers household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets |
|
Letters of Intent ( LOI ) which allow for breakpoint discounts using the same criteria as ROA above, but based on anticipated purchases within a fund family over a 13-month period of time |
Class A Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries
As described in the Prospectus, Class A shares may be purchased at net asset without a sales charge by employer-sponsored retirement plans as defined in the prospectus ( ESRPs ), except that, in the case of ESRPs held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases.
The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:
Baker & Co., Inc.
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
Cetera Advisors LLC
Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
Cetera Investment Services LLC
Country Club Financial Services, Inc.
Cutter & Co. Brokerage Inc.
Davenport & Co. LLC
Devenir Investment Advisors, LLC
Fintrust Brokerage Services
First Kentucky Securities Corp.
First Western Securities
Gold Coast Securities, Inc.
Hewitt Financial Services LLC
Hilltop Securities Inc.
Infinex Investments, Inc.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
KMS Financial Services, Inc.
Mid-Atlantic Capital Corp.
OFG Financial Services, Inc.
Principal Securities Inc.
Raymond James & Associates Inc.
RDM Investment Services, Inc.
Register Financial Associates, Inc.
Shareholders Service Group Inc.
Southeast Investments, NC, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
Waddell & Reed Inc.
As described in the Prospectus, Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers.
A-3
The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
Class T Share Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries
As set forth in the Prospectus, Class T shares are generally subject to an up-front sales charge, except for shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund. However, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under limited circumstances through certain financial intermediaries. Currently no intermediaries are offering such waivers.
A-4
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Mutual Funds |
Prospectus
January 31, 2017 |
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Class / Ticker Symbol | ||||||||||||||||||
Fund Name | Class A | Class C | Class R3 | Class R6 | Class I | Class T | ||||||||||||
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Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund |
NPSAX | NPSCX | NPSTX | NPSFX | NPSRX | NTPSX |
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Section 1 Fund Summary | ||||
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund | 2 | |||
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money | ||||
Who Manages the Fund | 8 | |||
More About Our Investment Strategies | 10 | |||
How We Select Investments | 14 | |||
What the Risks Are | 14 | |||
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares | ||||
What Share Classes We Offer | 22 | |||
How to Reduce Your Sales Charge | 27 | |||
How to Buy Shares | 29 | |||
Special Services | 30 | |||
How to Sell Shares | 32 | |||
Section 4 General Information | ||||
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes | 35 | |||
Distribution and Service Payments | 37 | |||
Net Asset Value | 38 | |||
Frequent Trading | 39 | |||
Fund Service Providers | 41 | |||
Section 5 Financial Highlights | 42 | |||
NOT FDIC OR GOVERNMENT INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income and total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in What Share Classes We Offer on page 22 of the Funds prospectus, How to Reduce Your Sales Charge on page 27 of the prospectus, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares on page S-61 of the Funds statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A | Class C | Class R3 | Class R6 | Class I | Class T | |||||||||||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases
(as a percentage of offering price) |
4.75% | None | None | None | None | 2.50% | ||||||||||||||||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) 1 |
None | 1.00% | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends | None | None | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||||||||
Exchange Fee | None | None | None | None | None | None | ||||||||||||||||||
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000) 2 | $ | 15 | $ | 15 | None | None | $15 | $15 | ||||||||||||||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
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Class A | Class C | Class R3 | Class R6 3 | Class I | Class T | |||||||||||||||||||
Management Fees | 0.67% | 0.67% | 0.67% | 0.67% | 0.67% | 0.67% | ||||||||||||||||||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 0.50% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.25% | ||||||||||||||||||
Other Expenses | 0.15% | 0.15% | 0.15% | 0.08% | 0.15% | 0.15% | ||||||||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.07% | 1.82% | 1.32% | 0.75% | 0.82% | 1.07% |
1 | The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase. |
2 | Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA). |
3 | Class R6 shares were established on June 30, 2016. Accordingly, Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year. |
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Redemption | No Redemption | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A | C | R3 | R6 | I | T | A | C | R3 | R6 | I | T | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Year | $ | 579 | $ | 185 | $ | 134 | $ | 77 | $ | 84 | $ | 356 | $ | 579 | $ | 185 | $ | 134 | $ | 77 | $ | 84 | $ | 356 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 Years | $ | 799 | $ | 573 | $ | 418 | $ | 240 | $ | 262 | $ | 582 | $ | 799 | $ | 573 | $ | 418 | $ | 240 | $ | 262 | $ | 582 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 Years | $ | 1,037 | $ | 985 | $ | 723 | $ | 417 | $ | 455 | $ | 825 | $ | 1,037 | $ | 985 | $ | 723 | $ | 417 | $ | 455 | $ | 825 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 Years | $ | 1,719 | $ | 2,137 | $ | 1,590 | $ | 930 | $ | 1,014 | $ | 1,523 | $ | 1,719 | $ | 2,137 | $ | 1,590 | $ | 930 | $ | 1,014 | $ | 1,523 |
2
Section 1 Fund Summary
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in preferred securities. The Fund may invest in all types of preferred securities, including both traditional preferred securities and non-traditional preferred securities, and may invest in securities with dividends or interest rates that are fixed or floating. The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its assets in the preferred securities of companies principally engaged in financial services.
Traditional preferred securities are generally equity securities of the issuer that have priority over the issuers common shares as to the payment of dividends (i.e., the issuer cannot pay dividends on its common shares until the dividends on the preferred shares are current) and as to the payout of proceeds of a bankruptcy or other liquidation, but are subordinate to an issuers senior debt and junior debt as to both types of payments.
Non-traditional preferred securities include hybrid securities, contingent capital securities and other types of preferred securities that do not have the traditional features described above. Hybrid securities possess varying combinations of features of both debt and traditional preferred securities and as such they may constitute senior debt, junior debt or preferred shares in an issuers capital structure. Contingent capital securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos ) are preferred securities, issued primarily by non-U.S. financial institutions, that have loss absorption mechanisms benefitting the issuer built into their terms. These loss absorption mechanisms may include automatic conversion into the issuers common stock or an automatic write down of the securitys principal amount upon the occurrence of specific triggers. Preferred securities may also include certain forms of debt that have many characteristics of preferred shares, and that are regarded by the investment marketplace to be part of the broader preferred securities market.
The Fund normally invests at least 50% of its net assets in securities rated investment grade (BBB/Baa or higher) at the time of purchase by at least one independent rating agency and unrated securities judged to be of comparable quality by the Funds portfolio managers. The Fund may invest up to 50% of its net assets in securities rated below investment grade (BB/Ba or lower) at the time of purchase, which are commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds. The Fund may also invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities issued by non-U.S. companies.
The Fund seeks to meet its investment objective by investing primarily in preferred securities, but it may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in other types of securities, including corporate debt securities, U.S. government and agency debt and taxable municipal securities.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. 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. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:
Bond Market Liquidity Risk Dealer inventories of bonds, which provide an indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to make markets in those bonds, are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the fixed income markets in which the Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, recent federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of bonds, which may further decrease the Funds ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds prices.
Call Risk If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.
Contingent Capital Security Risk CoCos have loss absorption mechanisms benefitting the issuer built into their terms. Upon the occurrence of specific triggers, CoCos may be subject to automatic conversion into the issuers common stock, which likely will have declined in value and which will be subordinate to the issuers other classes of
Section 1 Fund Summary
3
securities, or to an automatic write-down of the principal amount of the securities, potentially to zero, which could result in the Fund losing a portion or all of its investment in such securities. CoCos are often rated below investment grade and are subject to the risks of high yield securities.
Convertible Preferred Security Risk The Funds investments in preferred securities may include preferred securities convertible into common stock. The value of the Funds convertible securities may decline in response to such factors as rising interest rates and fluctuations in the market price of the common stock underlying the convertible securities.
Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments.
Credit Spread Risk Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Funds debt securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.
Currency Risk Even though the non-U.S. securities held by the Fund are traded in U.S. dollars, their prices are typically indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the Funds net asset value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains or losses realized on the sale of securities.
Cybersecurity Risk Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Financial Services Sector Risk The Funds policy to concentrate in financial services companies makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the financial services sector. Financial services companies are particularly sensitive to the adverse effects of economic recession; changes in government regulation; the availability of capital; volatile interest rates; and the health of the commercial and residential real estate markets.
High Yield Securities Risk High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as junk bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.
Income Risk The Funds income could decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Funds portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.
Municipal Securities Risk The values of municipal securities held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers.
Non-U.S. Investment Risk Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments.
Preferred Security Risk Preferred securities generally are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a companys capital structure and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In addition, preferred securities are subject to other risks, such as having no or limited voting rights, being subject to special redemption rights, having distributions deferred or skipped, having floating interest rates or dividends, which may result in a decline in value in a falling interest rate environment, having limited liquidity, changing tax treatments and possibly being issued by companies in heavily regulated industries.
Valuation Risk The debt securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result
4
Section 1 Fund Summary
in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Funds past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
The bar chart below shows the variability of the Funds performance from year to year for Class A shares. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Class A Annual Total Return*
* | The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. |
During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2016, the Funds highest and lowest quarterly returns were 49.63% and -22.84%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and March 31, 2009.
The table below shows the variability of the Funds average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of broad measures of market performance (the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. All Capital Securities Index is the Funds primary benchmark) and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All 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. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers had not been in place, returns would have been reduced.
Section 1 Fund Summary
5
Performance is not shown for Class R6 or Class T shares, which have not been offered for a full calendar year.
Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2016 |
||||||||||||||||||||
Inception
Date |
1 Year | 5 Years |
10 Years |
Since
Inception
|
||||||||||||||||
Class A (return before taxes) | 12/19/06 | 0.04 | % | 8.18 | % | 5.41 | % | N/A | ||||||||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions) | (1.64 | )% | 6.15 | % | 3.25 | % | N/A | |||||||||||||
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | 0.69 | % | 5.90 | % | 3.55 | % | N/A | |||||||||||||
Class C (return before taxes) | 12/19/06 | 4.29 | % | 8.43 | % | 5.15 | % | N/A | ||||||||||||
Class R3 (return before taxes) | 9/29/09 | 4.75 | % | 8.97 | % | N/A | 9.27 | % | ||||||||||||
Class I (return before taxes) | 12/19/06 | 5.33 | % | 9.51 | % | 6.20 | % | N/A | ||||||||||||
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. All Capital Securities Index 1 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 3.81 | % | 8.17 | % | 3.39 | % | 8.60 | % | ||||||||||||
Custom Benchmark Index 2 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 5.44 | % | 6.95 | % | 4.10 | % | 7.54 | % | ||||||||||||
Lipper Flexible Income Funds Category Average 3 (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads) | 5.20 | % | 6.23 | % | 5.17 | % | 7.29 | % |
1 | BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. All Capital Securities Index is a subset of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate Index including all fixed-to-floating rate, perpetual callable and capital securities. Benchmark performance is linked. Performance prior to 3/31/12 reflects the BofA Merrill Lynch Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index. |
2 | An index that is comprised of a 60% weighting in the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. All Capital Securities Index and a 40% weighting in the BofA Merrill Lynch Contingent Capital USD Hedged Index. Benchmark performance is linked. Performance prior to 12/31/13 reflects the Custom Benchmark Indexs previous composition, a 65% weighting in the BofA Merrill Lynch Fixed Rate Preferred Index and a 35% weighting in the Bloomberg Barclays USD Capital Securities Index. |
3 | Represents the average annualized returns for all reporting funds in the Lipper Flexible Income Funds Category. |
Management
Investment Adviser
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC
Sub-Adviser
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC
Portfolio Managers
Name |
Title |
Portfolio Manager of Fund Since |
||
Douglas M. Baker, CFA | Senior Vice President | December 2006 | ||
Brenda A. Langenfeld, CFA | Vice President | January 2012 |
6
Section 1 Fund Summary
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund either through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the Fund. Class C and Class T shares may not be purchased directly from the Fund. In addition, the availability of Class A, Class C and Class T shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary. The Funds initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although certain financial intermediaries may impose their own investment minimums and the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:
Class A, Class C and
Class T |
Class R3 | Class R6 | Class I | |||||
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment |
$3,000 for all accounts except:
$2,500 for Traditional/Roth IRA accounts.
$2,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.
$250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs. (Class T shares are not available through fee- based programs.)
No minimum for retirement plans. |
Available only
No minimum. |
Available only to certain qualified retirement plans and other investors as described in the prospectus.
$5 million for all accounts except:
No minimum for certain qualified retirement plans as described in the prospectus. |
Available only through fee-based programs and certain retirement plans, and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus.
$100,000 for all accounts except:
$250 for clients of financial intermediaries and family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level).
No minimum for eligible retirement plans and certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus. |
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Minimum Additional Investment | $100 | No minimum. | No minimum. | No minimum. |
Tax Information
The Funds distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan (in which case you may be taxed upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
Section 1 Fund Summary
7
To help you better understand the Fund, this section includes a detailed discussion of the Funds investment and risk management strategies. For a more complete discussion of these matters, please see the statement of additional information, which is available by calling (800) 257-8787 or by visiting Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com.
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC ( Nuveen Fund Advisors ), the Funds investment adviser, offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Funds portfolio, manages the Funds business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments, Inc. ( Nuveen Investments ). Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management ( TGAM ), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America ( TIAA ). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities Fund. As of December 31, 2016, TGAM managed approximately $882 billion in assets, of which approximately $126 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Nuveen Fund Advisors has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC ( Nuveen Asset Management ), located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, to serve as sub-adviser to the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management manages the investment of the Funds assets on a discretionary basis, subject to the supervision of Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Douglas M. Baker and Brenda A. Langenfeld are the portfolio managers of the Fund.
|
Douglas M. Baker, CFA, is the head of the Preferred Securities Sector Team and a member of the Fixed Income Strategy Committee, which establishes investment policy for all taxable fixed-income products. He joined Nuveen Asset Management in 2006 as a Vice President and Derivatives Analyst, and later that year his responsibilities expanded to include portfolio management duties. Mr. Baker also manages Nuveen Asset Managements derivative overlay group, where he is responsible for implementing derivatives-based hedging strategies across the Nuveen Asset Management municipal strategies complex. Prior to joining Nuveen, Mr. Baker spent three years at Lehman Brothers in institutional fixed income and derivatives sales, and prior to that he spent five years at Bank of America in corporate and commercial banking. He manages investments for six Nuveen-sponsored investment companies, with a total of approximately $6.1 billion under management. |
|
Brenda A. Langenfeld, CFA, is a Vice President at Nuveen Asset Management and a portfolio manager for the Fund and related preferred security strategies. She is also a co-manager for funds and |
8
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
accounts using the Real Asset Income Strategy, which invests in income-generating debt and equity securities from the real estate and infrastructure segments. She started working in the financial services industry with FAF Advisors, Inc. in 2004. Previously, Ms. Langenfeld was a member of the High Grade Credit Sector Team, responsible for trading corporate bonds, and prior to that, she was a member of the Securitized Debt Sector Team, trading mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities. She manages investments for six Nuveen-sponsored investment companies, with a total of approximately $6.8 billion under management. |
Additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the Fund is provided in the statement of additional information.
Management Fees
The management fee schedule for the Fund consists of two components: a Fund-level fee, based only on the amount of assets within the Fund, and a complex-level fee, based on the aggregate amount of all eligible fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
The annual Fund-level fee, payable monthly, is based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets | Fund-Level Fee | |||
For the first $125 million | 0.5500 | % | ||
For the next $125 million | 0.5375 | % | ||
For the next $250 million | 0.5250 | % | ||
For the next $500 million | 0.5125 | % | ||
For the next $1 billion | 0.5000 | % | ||
For net assets over $2 billion | 0.4750 | % |
The complex-level fee begins at a maximum rate of 0.2000% of the Funds average daily net assets, based upon complex-level assets of $55 billion, with breakpoints for eligible assets above that level. Therefore, the maximum management fee rate for the Fund is the Fund-level fee plus 0.2000%. As of September 30, 2016, the effective complex-level fee was 0.1607% of the Funds average daily net assets.
For the most recent fiscal year, the Fund paid Nuveen Fund Advisors 0.67% of its average daily net assets in management fees.
Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) for the Fund do not exceed 1.25% of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. However, because Class R6 shares are not subject to sub-transfer agent and similar fees, the total annual fund operating expenses for the Class R6 shares will be less than the expense limitation. This expense limitation may be terminated or modified only with the approval of shareholders of the Fund.
Information regarding the Board of Trustees approval of the investment management agreements is available in the Funds annual report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016.
Section 2 How We Manage Your Money
9
The Funds investment objective, which is described in the Fund Summary section, may not be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy (the Name Policy ) whereby the Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in preferred securities. The Fund may consider both direct investments and indirect investments (e.g., investments in other investment companies, derivatives and synthetic instruments with economic characteristics similar to the direct investments that meet the Name Policy) when determining compliance with the Name Policy. For purposes of the Name Policy, the Fund will value eligible derivatives at fair value or market value instead of notional value. As a result of having the Name Policy, the Fund must provide shareholders with a notice at least 60 days prior to any change of its Name Policy.
The Funds investment policies may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted in this prospectus or the statement of additional information.
The Funds principal investment strategies are discussed in the Fund Summary section. These are the strategies that the Funds investment adviser and sub-adviser believe are most likely to be important in trying to achieve the Funds investment objective. This section provides more information about these strategies, as well as information about some additional strategies that the Funds sub-adviser uses, or may use, to achieve the Funds objective. The strategies described below are principal investment strategies unless otherwise noted. You should be aware that the Fund may also use strategies and invest in securities that are not described in this prospectus, but that are described in the statement of additional information. For a copy of the statement of additional information, call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 or visit Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com.
Preferred Securities
The Fund may invest in all types of preferred securities, including both traditional preferred securities and non-traditional preferred securities. Traditional preferred securities are generally equity securities of the issuer that have priority over the issuers common shares as to the payment of dividends (i.e., the issuer cannot pay dividends on its common shares until the dividends on the preferred shares are current) and as to the payout of proceeds of a bankruptcy or other liquidation, but are subordinate to an issuers senior debt and junior debt as to both types of payments. Additionally, in a bankruptcy or other liquidation, traditional preferred securities are generally subordinate to an issuers trade creditors and other general obligations. Traditional preferred securities may be perpetual or have a term, and typically have a fixed liquidation (or par) value.
The term preferred securities also includes hybrid securities, contingent capital securities, and other types of preferred securities that do not have the traditional features described above. Hybrid securities often behave similarly to investments in traditional preferred securities and are regarded by market investors as being part of the preferred securities market. Hybrid securities possess varying combinations of features of both debt and traditional preferred securities and as such they may constitute senior debt, junior debt
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or preferred shares in an issuers capital structure. As such, hybrid securities may not be subordinate to a companys debt securities (as are traditional preferred securities).
Hybrid securities include trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities are typically issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest-bearing notes with preferred securities characteristics, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation or other special purpose entity, generally in the form of beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities. The trust preferred securities market consists of both fixed and floating coupon rate securities that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates. Trust preferred securities may defer payment of income without triggering an event of default. These securities may have many characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuers capital structure.
Contingent capital securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos ) are preferred securities, issued primarily by non-U.S. financial institutions, which have loss absorption mechanisms benefitting the issuer built into their terms. CoCos generally provide for mandatory conversion into the common stock of the issuer or a write-down of the principal amount or value of the CoCos upon the occurrence of certain triggers. These triggers are generally linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institutions continued viability as a going-concern. Equity conversion or principal write-down features are tailored to the issuer and its regulatory requirements and, unlike traditional convertible securities, conversions are not voluntary.
Preferred securities may also include certain forms of debt that have many characteristics of preferred shares, and that are regarded by the investment marketplace to be part of the broader preferred securities market. Among these preferred securities are certain exchange-listed debt issues that historically have several attributes, including trading and investment performance characteristics, in common with exchange-listed traditional preferred securities and hybrid securities. Generally, these types of preferred securities are senior debt or junior debt in the capital structure of an issuer.
As a general matter, dividend or interest payments on preferred securities may be cumulative or non-cumulative and may be deferred (in the case of cumulative payments) or skipped (in the case of non-cumulative payments) at the option of the issuer. Generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, except in some cases voting rights may arise if the issuer fails to pay the preferred share dividends or if a declaration of default occurs and is continuing.
Preferred securities may either trade over-the-counter ( OTC ) or trade on an exchange. Preferred securities can be structured differently for retail and institutional investors, and the Fund may invest in preferred securities of either structure. The retail segment is typified by $25 par value exchange-traded securities and the institutional segment is typified by $1,000 par value OTC securities. Both $25 and $1,000 par value securities are often callable at par value, typically at least five years after their original issuance date.
Financial Services Company Securities
The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its assets in preferred securities of companies principally engaged in financial services. Financial services companies include, but are not limited to, companies involved in activities such as banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance,
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investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, and financial investment, and real estate, including but not limited to real estate investment trusts .
Debt Securities
Taxable Municipal Bonds. The Fund may invest in taxable municipal bonds. States, local governments and municipalities and other issuing authorities issue municipal bonds to raise money for various public purposes. Municipal bonds issued to finance activities with a broad public purpose are generally exempt from federal income tax. Taxable municipal bonds, however, are issued to finance activities with less significant benefits to the public, such as the construction of sports facilities, and as such the interest paid to holders of such bonds is taxable as ordinary income. Many taxable municipal bonds offer yields comparable to those of other taxable bonds, such as corporate and agency bonds. Taxable municipal bonds may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and pay interest based on fixed or floating rate coupons. Maturities may range from long-term to short-term.
Corporate Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in corporate debt securities issued by companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt securities are usually issued by businesses to finance their operations. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. Corporate debt securities may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry fixed or floating rates of interest.
U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities in which the Fund may invest include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Convertible Preferred Securities
The Funds investments in preferred securities may include convertible preferred securities, which are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of bonds and common stocks. Convertible preferred securities typically consist of preferred securities that may be converted within a specified period of time (typically for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer. Convertible preferred securities entitle the holder to receive interest or dividends paid or accrued on preferred securities until the securities mature or are redeemed, converted or exchanged.
Non-U.S. Investments
The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers traded over the counter or listed on an exchange. The Fund will classify an issuer of a security as being a U.S. or non-U.S. issuer based on the determination of an unaffiliated, recognized financial data provider. Such determinations are based on a number of criteria, such as the issuers country of domicile, the primary exchange on which the security trades, the location from which the majority of the issuers revenue comes, and the issuers reporting currency.
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Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Fund may invest in cash and in U.S. dollar-denominated high-quality money market instruments and other short-term securities, including money market funds, in such proportions as warranted by prevailing market conditions and the Funds principal investment strategies. The Fund may temporarily invest without limit in such holdings for liquidity purposes, or in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. Being invested in these securities may keep the Fund from participating in a market upswing and prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
As a non-principal investment strategy, the Fund may invest in securities of other open-end or closed-end investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ), that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. In addition, the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies) that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly.
An ETF is an investment company that holds a portfolio of securities generally designed to track the performance of a securities index, including industry, sector, country and region indexes. ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.
As a shareholder in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicles expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Funds advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs. Securities of investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles may be leveraged, in which case the value and/or yield of such securities will tend to be more volatile than securities of unleveraged vehicles.
Generally, investments in other investment companies (including ETFs) are subject to statutory limitations prescribed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. These limitations include a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Funds total assets in the securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets, in the aggregate, in investment company securities. Many ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETFs shares beyond these statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the ETFs and the investing Fund. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders in order to invest in unaffiliated ETFs beyond the foregoing statutory limitations. Subject to certain conditions, the Fund also may invest in money market funds beyond the statutory limits described above.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings is available in the Funds statement of additional information. A list of the Funds portfolio holdings is
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available on the Funds websitewww.nuveen.com/mfby navigating to the Fund using the Mutual Fund Finder and clicking on the Holdings & Detail tab. By following these links, you can obtain a list of the Funds top ten holdings as of the end of the most recent month. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Funds website ten business days after the end of the month. This information will remain available on the website until the Fund files with the Securities and Exchange Commission its annual, semi-annual or quarterly holdings report for the fiscal period that includes the date(s) as of which the website information is current.
Nuveen Asset Managements portfolio construction process considers several factors in constructing a portfolio of preferred securities, including credit risk, diversification, preferred sub-market analysis, call protection and yield curve analysis. From this analysis, the firm builds a portfolio of securities that offers the most attractive mix of value relative to securities with similar credit ratings, current income and call protection. Nuveen Asset Management is supported by its team of specialized research analysts who review fixed-income securities available for purchase, monitor the continued creditworthiness of the Funds investments, and analyze economic, political and demographic trends affecting the fixed-income markets. These resources help to identify securities with favorable characteristics which Nuveen Asset Management believes are not yet recognized by the market.
Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in a mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing you should consider carefully the principal risks and certain other risks that you assume when you invest in the Fund. These risks are listed alphabetically below. Because of these risks, you should consider an investment in the Fund to be a long-term investment.
Principal Risks
Bond market liquidity risk: Primary dealer inventories of bonds appear to be low relative to the size of the fixed income market. These inventories are a core indication of dealers capacity to make a market in fixed income securities. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the fixed income markets in which the Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds prices.
Call risk: Many bonds may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or called, before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its bonds if they can be refinanced by issuing new bonds which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of
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falling interest rates, a bond issuer will call its high yielding bonds. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Funds income.
Contingent capital securities r isk: A loss absorption mechanism trigger event for CoCos would likely be the result of, or related to, the deterioration of the issuers financial condition (e.g., a decrease in the issuers capital ratio) and status as a going concern. In such a case, with respect to CoCos that provide for conversion into common stock upon the occurrence of the trigger event, the market price of the issuers common stock received by the Fund will have likely declined, perhaps substantially, and may continue to decline, which may adversely affect the Funds net asset value. Further, the issuers common stock would be subordinate to the issuers other classes of securities and therefore would worsen the Funds standing in a bankruptcy proceeding. In addition, because the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero. In view of the foregoing, CoCos are often rated below investment grade and are subject to the risks of high yield securities.
CoCos may be subject to an automatic write-down (i.e., the automatic write-down of the principal amount or value of the securities, potentially to zero, and the cancellation of the securities) under certain circumstances, which could result in the Fund losing a portion or all of its investment in such securities. In addition, the Fund may not have any rights with respect to repayment of the principal amount of the securities that has not become due or the payment of interest or dividends on such securities for any period from (and including) the interest or dividend payment date falling immediately prior to the occurrence of such automatic write-down. An automatic write-down could also result in a reduced income rate if the dividend or interest payment is based on the securitys par value. Coupon payments on CoCos may be discretionary and may be cancelled by the issuer for any reason or may be subject to approval by the issuers regulator and may be suspended in the event there are insufficient distributable reserves.
In certain scenarios, investors in CoCos may suffer a loss of capital ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not. There is no guarantee that the Fund will receive a return of principal on CoCos. Any indication that an automatic write-down or conversion event may occur can be expected to have a material adverse effect on the market price of CoCos.
The prices of CoCos may be volatile. Additionally, the trading behavior of a given issuers CoCo may be strongly impacted by the trading behavior of other issuers CoCos, such that negative information from an unrelated CoCo may cause a decline in value of one or more CoCos held by the Fund. Accordingly, the trading behavior of CoCos may not follow the trading behavior of other types of preferred securities.
Convertible preferred security risk: Convertible securities have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and, as a result, are exposed to certain additional risks. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. However, a convertible securitys market value also tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company. Convertible securities are also exposed to the risk that an issuer is unable to meet its obligation to make dividend or interest and principal payments when due as a result of changing financial or market conditions.
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Mandatory convertible securities are distinguished as a subset of convertible securities because the conversion is not optional and the conversion price at maturity is based solely upon the market price of the underlying common stock, which may be significantly less than par or the price (above or below par) paid. Mandatory convertible securities generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder.
Credit risk: Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security held by the Fund may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and principal payments and the related risk that the value of a security may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability or willingness to make such payments. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. The credit rating of a security may be lowered if the issuer suffers adverse changes in its financial condition, which can lead to greater volatility in the price of the security and in shares of the Fund, and can also affect the securitys liquidity and make it more difficult for the Fund to sell. When the Fund purchases unrated securities, it will depend on the sub-advisers analysis of credit risk without the assessment of an independent rating organization, such as Moodys or Standard & Poors.
Credit spread risk: Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Funds securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.
Currency risk: Even though the non-U.S. securities held by the Fund are traded in U.S. dollars, their prices are typically indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of non-U.S. securities, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities, and gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and hence may affect the net asset value of the Fund.
Cybersecurity risk: Intentional cybersecurity breaches include: unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (such as through hacking activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition, unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws).
A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems (denial of services), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs. Such incidents could cause the Fund, the Funds adviser or sub-adviser, a financial intermediary, or other service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs or financial loss. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which the Fund invests, and thereby cause the Funds investments to lose value.
Financial services sector risk: The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its assets in the preferred securities of companies principally engaged in financial services. This makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse
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economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the financial services sector. Concentration of investments in the financial services sector poses risks, including the following:
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Financial services companies may suffer a setback if regulators change the rules under which they operate. |
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Unstable interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on the financial services sector. |
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The profitability of companies in the financial sector is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of capital which may fluctuate significantly in response to changes in interest rates and general economic developments. |
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Financial services companies whose securities the Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that sector. |
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Financial services companies have been affected by increased competition, which could adversely affect the profitability or viability of such companies. |
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Financial services companies have been significantly and negatively affected by the downturn in the subprime mortgage lending market and the resulting impact on the worlds economies. |
High yield securities risk: Securities that are rated below-investment grade are commonly referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds. High yield securities usually offer higher yields than investment grade securities, but also involve more risk. High yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic conditions than investment grade securities, and they generally have more volatile prices and carry more risk to principal. In addition, high yield securities generally are less liquid than investment grade securities.
Income risk : The Funds income could decline during periods of falling interest rates because the Fund generally may have to invest the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities (or portfolio securities that have been called, see Call risk above), in lower-yielding securities. In addition, the Funds income could decline when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.
Interest rate risk: Fixed-rate securities held by the Fund will fluctuate in value with changes in interest rates. In general, fixed-rate securities will increase in value when interest rates fall and decrease in value when interest rates rise. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Longer-term fixed-rate securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. Rising interest rates also may lengthen the duration of securities with call features, since exercise of the call becomes less likely as interest rates rise, which in turn will make the securities more sensitive to changes in interest rates and result in even steeper price declines in the event of further interest rate increases.
Municipal securities risk: The values of municipal securities may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers.
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Other factors that could affect municipal securities include a change in the local, state, or national economy, demographic factors, ecological or environmental concerns, statutory limitations on the issuers ability to increase taxes, and other developments generally affecting the revenue of issuers (for example, legislation or court decisions reducing state aid to local governments or mandating additional services). This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of the below-investment grade quality portion of its portfolio in the bonds of similar projects (such as those relating to the education, health care, housing, transportation, or utilities industries), in industrial development bonds, or in particular types of municipal securities (such as general obligation bonds, municipal lease obligations, private activity bonds or moral obligation bonds) that are particularly exposed to specific types of adverse economic, business or political events.
Non-U.S. investment risk: Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to or different than those of issuers that are located in or principally operated in the United States due to political, social and economic developments abroad, different regulatory environments and laws, potential seizure by the government of company assets, higher taxation, withholding taxes on dividends and interest and limitations on the use or transfer of portfolio assets.
To the extent the Fund invests in depositary receipts, the Fund will be subject to many of the same risks as when investing directly in non-U.S. securities. The holder of an unsponsored depositary receipt may have limited voting rights and may not receive as much information about the issuer of the underlying securities as would the holder of a sponsored depositary receipt.
Other non-U.S. investment risks include the following:
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Enforcing legal rights may be difficult, costly and slow in non-U.S. countries, and there may be special problems enforcing claims against non-U.S. governments. |
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Non-U.S. companies may not be subject to accounting standards or governmental supervision comparable to U.S. companies, and there may be less public information about their operations. |
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Non-U.S. markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. markets. |
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The U.S. and non-U.S. markets often rise and fall at different times or by different amounts due to economic or other developments particular to a given country or region. This phenomenon would tend to lower the overall price volatility of a portfolio that included both U.S. and non-U.S. securities. Sometimes, however, global trends will cause the U.S. and non-U.S. markets to move in the same direction, reducing or eliminating the risk reduction benefit of international investing. |
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The Funds income from non-U.S. issuers may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In some countries, the Fund also may be subject to taxes on trading profits and, on certain securities transactions, transfer or stamp duties tax. To the extent non-U.S. income taxes are paid by the Fund, U.S. shareholders may be entitled to a credit or deduction for U.S. tax purposes. |
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Some countries restrict to varying degrees foreign investment in their securities markets. In some circumstances, these restrictions may limit or preclude investment in certain countries or may increase the cost of investing in securities of particular companies. |
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Preferred security risk: There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities:
Limited voting rights. Generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuers board. Generally, once all the arrearages have been paid, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights.
In the case of certain preferred securities issued by trusts or special purpose entities, holders generally have no voting rights except if a declaration of default occurs and is continuing. In such an event, preferred security holders generally would have the right to appoint and authorize a trustee to enforce the trusts or special purpose entitys rights as a creditor under the agreement with its operating company.
Special redemption rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to their stated maturity date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws or by regulatory or major corporate action. As with call provisions, a redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security held by the Fund.
Payment deferral. Generally, preferred securities may be subject to provisions that allow an issuer, under certain conditions, to skip (non-cumulative preferred securities) or defer (cumulative preferred securities) distributions without any adverse consequences to the issuer. Non-cumulative preferred securities can skip distributions indefinitely. Cumulative preferred securities typically contain provisions that allow an issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions payments for up to 10 years. If the Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distribution, the Fund may be required to report income for tax purposes although it has not yet received such income. In addition, recent changes in bank regulations may increase the likelihood of issuers deferring or skipping distributions.
Subordination. Preferred securities generally are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a companys capital structure and therefore are subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.
Floating Rate Payments. The dividend or interest rates on preferred securities may be floating, or convert from fixed to floating at a specified future time. The market value of floating rate securities may fall in a declining interest rate environment and may also fall in a rising interest rate environment if there is a lag between the rise in interest rates and the reset. This risk may also be present with respect to fixed rate securities that will convert to a floating rate at a future time. A secondary risk associated with declining interest rates is the risk that income earned by the Fund on floating rate securities may decline due to lower coupon payments on the floating-rate securities.
Liquidity. Preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as U.S. government securities or common stock. Less liquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the values at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.
Financial services industry. The preferred securities market is comprised predominately of securities issued by companies in the financial services
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industry. Therefore, preferred securities present substantially increased risks at times of financial turmoil, which could affect financial services companies more than companies in other sectors and industries.
Tax risk. The Fund may invest in preferred securities or other securities the federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the Internal Revenue Service. It could be more difficult for the Fund to comply with the tax requirements applicable to regulated investment companies if the tax characterization of the Funds investments or the tax treatment of the income from such investments were successfully challenged by the Internal Revenue Service.
Regulatory risk. Issuers of preferred securities may be in industries that are heavily regulated and that may receive government funding. The value of preferred securities issued by these companies may be affected by changes in government policy, such as increased regulation, ownership restrictions, deregulation or reduced government funding.
Contingent capital securities, which are preferred securities, involve additional risks as set forth above under Contingent capital securities risk.
Valuation risk: The debt securities in which the Fund may invest typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but some trades may occur in smaller, odd lot sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Funds pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Funds net asset value.
Non-Principal Risks
Global economic risk: Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. An example is the June 2016 United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union ( EU ), which resulted in depreciation in the value of the British pound, short term declines in the stock markets and ongoing economic and political uncertainty. The United Kingdoms withdrawal from the EU may take an extended period, and there is considerable uncertainty about the potential trade, economic and market consequences of the exit. Other countries may also depart the EU, voluntarily or otherwise. The negative impact of the United Kingdoms departure from the EU, as well as any future departures by other countries, could be significant, not only to the United Kingdom and European economies, but also to the broader global economy. Such departures could potentially result in increased market volatility and illiquidity, and lower economic growth for companies that rely significantly on Europe for their business activities and revenues, which could
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negatively impact the value of the Funds investments. Similarly, major economic or political disruptions outside of Europe, particularly in large economies like Chinas, may have global negative economic and market repercussions.
Large transactions risk: The Fund may experience adverse effects due to large purchases or redemptions of Fund shares. A large redemption by an individual shareholder, or an increase in redemptions generally by Fund shareholders, may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Funds net asset value and liquidity. If the Fund has difficulty selling portfolio securities in a timely manner to meet redemption requests, the Fund may have to borrow money to do so. In such an instance, the Funds remaining shareholders would bear the costs of such borrowings, and such costs could reduce the Funds returns. In addition, until the Fund is able to sell securities to meet redemption requests, the Funds market exposure may be greater than it ordinarily would be, which would magnify the impact of any market movements on the Funds performance. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Funds performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, reducing the Funds market exposure. Increased redemption activity may also result in unexpected taxable distributions to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains and thereby accelerated the realization of taxable income. In addition, large redemptions could result in the Funds current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Funds expense ratio.
Other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles risk: When the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, and other pooled investment vehicles, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of Fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Furthermore, the Fund is exposed to the risks to which the other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles may be subject. For index-based ETFs, while such ETFs seek to achieve the same returns as a particular market index, the performance of an ETF may diverge from the performance of such index (commonly known as tracking error).
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The Fund offers multiple classes of shares, each with a different combination of sales charges, fees, eligibility requirements and other features. Your financial advisor can help you determine which class is best for you. For further details, please see the statement of additional information. Because the prospectus and the statement of additional information are available free of charge on Nuveens website at www.nuveen.com, we do not disclose the following share class information separately on the website.
The different share classes offered by the Fund are described below. You will pay up-front or contingent deferred sales charges on some of these share classes. In addition, some share classes are subject to annual distribution and/or service fees in the amounts described below, which are paid out of the Funds assets. These fees are paid to the Distributor and are used primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries in connection with the distribution of Fund shares and for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 that allows the Fund to pay these distribution and service fees. More information on this plan can be found under Distribution and Service Payments Distribution and Service Plan. Because fees paid under the plan 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.
Class A Shares
You can purchase Class A shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. Nuveen Securities, LLC (the Distributor ), a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments and the distributor of the Fund, retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class A sales charges for the Fund are as follows:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as
% of Public Offering Price |
Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount Invested |
Maximum
Financial Intermediary Commission as % of Public Offering Price |
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Less than $50,000 | 4.75 | % | 4.99 | % | 4.25 | % | ||||||
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.50 | 4.71 | 4.00 | |||||||||
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.50 | 3.63 | 3.00 | |||||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.25 | |||||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.00 | 2.04 | 1.75 | |||||||||
$1,000,000 and over* | | | 1.00 |
* | You can purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares at net asset value without an up-front sales charge. The Distributor pays financial intermediaries of record at a rate of 1.00% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.75% of the next $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of the amount over $5 million, which includes an advance of the first years service fee. Unless you are eligible for a |
22
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
waiver, you may be assessed a contingent deferred sales charge ( CDSC ) of 1.00% if you redeem any of your shares within 18 months of purchase. See Contingent Deferred Sales Charges below for information concerning the CDSC and How to Reduce Your Sales ChargeCDSC Waivers and Reductions below for information concerning CDSC waivers and reductions. |
Class A shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class A shares.
Class C Shares
You can purchase Class C shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 1.00% of the Funds average daily net assets. The annual 0.25% service fee compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The annual 0.75% distribution fee compensates the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission as well as an advance of the first years service and distribution fees. The Distributor retains the service and distribution fees on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. If you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase, you will normally pay a 1.00% CDSC, which is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds. You do not pay a CDSC on any Class C shares you purchase by reinvesting dividends. You may qualify for a reduced CDSC, or the CDSC may be waived, as described in How to Reduce Your Sales Charge below.
Investors purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See How to Reduce Your Sales Charge below.
Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $1,000,000 will not be accepted. In addition, the Fund limits the cumulative amount of Class C shares that may be purchased by a single purchaser. Your financial intermediary may set lower maximum purchase limits for Class C shares. See the statement of additional information for more information.
Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class C shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class C shares.
Class R3 Shares
You can purchase Class R3 shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class R3 shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 0.50% of the Funds average daily net assets.
Investors may purchase Class R3 shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund.
Class R3 shares are only available for purchase by eligible retirement plans. Class R3 shares are not available to traditional and Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs or individual 403(b) plans. See the statement of additional information for more information.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
23
Class R6 Shares
Eligible investors can purchase Class R6 shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. As Class R6 shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees, they have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes.
Class R6 shares are available to certain qualified retirement plans and other investors. There is no minimum initial investment for qualified retirement plans; however, the shares must be held through plan-level or omnibus accounts held on the books of the Fund. All other eligible investors must meet a minimum initial investment of at least $5 million in the Fund. Such minimum investment requirement may be applied collectively to affiliated accounts, in the discretion of the Distributor. Class R6 shares are only available through financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares are only available in cases where neither the investor nor the intermediary will receive any commission payments, account servicing fees, record keeping fees, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, so called finders fees, administration fees or similar fees with respect to Class R6 shares. Provided they meet the minimum investment and other eligibility requirements, eligible investors include:
|
Qualified retirement plans; |
|
Foundations and endowment funds; |
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Any state, county, or city, or its instrumentality, department, authority or agency; |
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457 plans, including 457(b) governmental entity plans and tax exempt plans; |
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Omnibus or other pooled accounts registered to insurance companies, trust companies, bank trust departments, registered investment advisor firms and family offices; |
|
Investment companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with Nuveen Fund Advisors; |
|
Corporations, including corporate non-qualified deferred compensation plans of such corporations; |
|
Collective investment trusts; |
|
Discretionary accounts managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors or its affiliates; and |
|
529 savings plans held in plan-level omnibus accounts. |
Class R6 shares are not available directly to traditional or Roth IRAs, Coverdell Savings Accounts, Keoghs, SEPs, SARSEPs, or SIMPLE IRAs. Class R6 shares also are not available through retail, advisory fee-based wrap platforms.
Class I Shares
You can purchase Class I shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. As Class I shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees, they have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such
24
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:
|
Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. |
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Certain bank or broker-affiliated trust departments. |
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Advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates. |
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Current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information). |
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Officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members. |
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Full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members. |
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Certain financial intermediary personnel, and their immediate family members. |
|
Certain other institutional investors described in the statement of additional information. |
Class T Shares
You can purchase Class T shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. Class T shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The Distributor retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class T sales charges for the Fund are as follows:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge as
% of Public Offering Price |
Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount Invested |
Maximum
Financial Intermediary Commission as % of Public Offering Price |
|||||||||
Less than $250,000 | 2.50 | % | 2.56 | % | 2.50 | % | ||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.00 | % | 2.04 | % | 2.00 | % | ||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 1.50 | % | 1.52 | % | 1.50 | % | ||||||
$1,000,000 and over | 1.00 | % | 1.01 | % | 1.00 | % |
Class T shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund are not subject to a sales charge. In addition, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under certain other circumstances, as determined by the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. See the appendix to this
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
25
Prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, for information on available Class T share sales charge waivers.
Investors may purchase Class T shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class T shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class T shares.
Please refer to the statement of additional information for more information about Class A, Class C, Class R3, Class R6, Class I and Class T shares, including more detailed program descriptions and eligibility requirements. Additional information is also available from your financial advisor, who can also help you prepare any necessary application forms.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges
If you redeem Class A or Class C shares that are subject to a CDSC, you may be assessed a CDSC upon redemption. When you redeem Class A or Class C shares subject to a CDSC, the Fund will first redeem any shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then redeem the shares you have owned for the longest period of time, unless you ask the Fund to redeem your shares in a different order. No CDSC is imposed on shares you buy through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. The CDSC holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you redeem shares subject to a CDSC, the CDSC is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds, deducted from your redemption proceeds, and paid to the Distributor. The CDSC may be waived under certain special circumstances as described below under How You Can Buy and Sell SharesHow to Reduce Your Sales ChargeCDSC Waivers and Reductions, in the appendix to this prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and in the statement of additional information.
26
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund offers a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A shares. In addition, under certain circumstances, the Fund will waive or reduce the CDSC imposed on redemptions of Class C shares and certain Class A shares purchased at net asset value. The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary.
Class A Sales Charge Reductions
|
Rights of Accumulation. In calculating the appropriate sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund, you may be able to add the amount of your purchase to the value, based on the current net asset value per share, of all of your prior purchases of any Nuveen Mutual Fund. |
|
Letter of Intent. Subject to certain requirements, you may purchase Class A shares of the Fund at the sales charge rate applicable to the total amount of the purchases you intend to make over a 13-month period. |
For purposes of calculating the appropriate sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent above, you may include purchases by (i) you, (ii) your spouse or domestic partner and children under the age of 21 years, and (iii) a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that is 100% owned by any of the persons in (i) or (ii). In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).
Class A Sales Charge Waivers
Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge as follows:
|
Purchases of $1,000,000 or more (although such purchases may be subject to a CDSC in certain circumstances, see What Share Classes We OfferContingent Deferred Sales Charges above). |
|
Shares purchased through the reinvestment of Nuveen Mutual Fund dividends and capital gain distributions . |
|
Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. Purchases by employer-sponsored retirement plans ( ESRPs ) as defined below, except that, in the case of ESRPs held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
27
For this purpose, ESRPs include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, health savings accounts, defined benefit plans, participant directed non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Roth 401(k) plans and Roth 403(b) plans, and do not include SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs (other than SIMPLE IRAs opened before January 1, 2011 where the Distributor is the broker of record), SIMPLE 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, KEOGH plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and single defined benefit plans.
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Employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates. Purchases by current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates and such employees immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information). |
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Current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds. |
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Financial intermediary personnel. Purchases by any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director, or employee of any financial intermediary or any such persons immediate family member. |
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Certain trust departments. Purchases by bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity. |
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Additional categories of investors. Purchases made (i) by investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; (ii) by clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; and (iii) through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
In order to obtain a sales charge reduction or waiver on Class A share purchases, it may be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform the Fund or your financial advisor of the existence of other accounts in which there are holdings eligible to be aggregated for such purposes. You may need to provide the Fund or your financial advisor information or records, such as account statements, in order to verify your eligibility for a sales charge reduction or waiver. This may include account statements of family members and information regarding Nuveen Mutual Fund shares held in accounts with other financial advisors. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor at the time of each purchase if you are eligible for any of these programs. The Fund may modify or discontinue these programs at any time.
CDSC Waivers and Reductions
The CDSC payable upon the redemption of Class C shares, and on Class A shares that were purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, may be waived or reduced under certain circumstances, including the following:
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In the event of total disability of the shareholder. |
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In the event of death of the shareholder. |
28
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
|
For certain redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan. |
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For redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees. |
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For redemptions of accounts not meeting required minimum balances. |
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Upon an optional conversion by the Fund of Class C shares held in an account which no longer has a financial intermediary of record into Class A shares. |
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For redemptions of Class C shares where the Distributor did not advance the first years service and distribution fees to the intermediary. |
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For redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales charge to the intermediary when the shares were purchased. |
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For certain redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution plan. |
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For certain redemptions of shares held in an IRA account, including redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions from the account after age 70 1 / 2 . |
More information on these and other available CDSC waivers and reductions can be found in the appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, and in the statement of additional information.
Fund shares may be purchased on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE ) is open for business. Generally, the NYSE is closed on weekends and national holidays. The share price you pay depends on when the Distributor receives your order and on the share class you are purchasing. Orders received before the close of trading on a business day (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) will receive that days closing share price; otherwise, you will receive the next business days price.
You may purchase Fund shares (1) through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or (2) directly from the Fund. Class C and Class T shares may not be purchased directly from the Fund. In addition, the availability of Class A, Class C and Class T shares through a financial intermediary will depend on the policies of the intermediary.
Through a Financial Advisor
You may buy shares through your financial advisor, who can handle all the details for you, including opening a new account. Financial advisors can also help you review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. In addition, financial advisors generally can help you develop a customized financial plan, select investments and monitor and review your portfolio on an ongoing basis to help assure your investments continue to meet your needs as circumstances change. Financial advisors (including brokers or agents) are paid for providing ongoing investment advice and services, either from Fund sales charges and fees or by charging you a separate fee in lieu of a sales charge.
Financial advisors or other dealer firms may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to customers by each individual dealer. Processing or service fees typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
29
other charges described in this prospectus and the statement of additional information. Your dealer will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged. Shares you purchase through your financial advisor or other intermediary will normally be held with that firm. For more information, please contact your financial advisor.
Directly from the Fund
Eligible investors may purchase shares directly from the Fund.
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By wire. You can purchase shares by making a wire transfer from your bank. Before making an initial investment by wire, you must submit a new account form to the Fund. After receiving your form, a service representative will contact you with your account number and wiring instructions. Your order will be priced at the next closing share price based on the share class of the Fund, calculated after the Funds custodian receives your payment by wire. Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. New York time to be eligible for same day pricing. Neither the Fund nor the transfer agent is responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions. Before making any additional purchases by wire, you should call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. You cannot purchase shares by wire on days when federally chartered banks are closed. |
|
By mail. You may open an account directly with the Fund and buy shares by completing an application and mailing it along with your check to: Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Applications may be obtained at www.nuveen.com or by calling (800) 257-8787. No third party checks will be accepted. |
Purchase orders and redemption requests are not processed until received in proper form by the transfer agent of the Fund.
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On-line. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may process certain account transactions on-line. You may purchase additional shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered direct accounts. You can also look up your account balance, history and dividend information, as well as order duplicate account statements and tax forms from the Funds website. To access your account, click the Individual Investors link on www.nuveen.com and then choose Account Access under the Resources tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. To purchase shares on-line, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See Special ServicesFund Direct below. |
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By telephone. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may also process account transactions via the Funds automated information line. Simply call (800) 257-8787, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. To purchase shares by telephone, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See Special ServicesFund Direct below. |
To help make your investing with us easy and efficient, we offer you the following services at no extra cost. Your financial advisor can help you complete the forms for these services, or you can call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for copies of the necessary forms.
30
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
Systematic Investing
Once you have opened an account satisfying the applicable investment minimum, systematic investing allows you to make regular additional investments through automatic deductions from your bank account, directly from your paycheck or from exchanging shares from another mutual fund account. The minimum automatic deduction is $100 per month. There is no charge to participate in the Funds systematic investment plan. You can stop the deductions at any time by notifying the Fund in writing.
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From your bank account. You can make systematic investments of $100 or more per month by authorizing the Fund to draw pre-authorized checks on your bank account. |
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From your paycheck. With your employers consent, you can make systematic investments each pay period (collectively meeting the monthly minimum of $100) by authorizing your employer to deduct monies from your paycheck. |
|
Systematic exchanging. You can make systematic investments by authorizing the Distributor to exchange shares from one Nuveen Mutual Fund account into another identically registered Nuveen Mutual Fund account of the same share class. |
The Fund may cancel your participation in its systematic investment plan if it is unable to deliver a current prospectus to you because of an incorrect or invalid mailing address.
Systematic Withdrawal
If the value of your Fund account is at least $10,000, you may request to have $50 or more withdrawn automatically from your account. You may elect to receive payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually, and may choose to receive a check, have the monies transferred directly into your bank account (see Fund Direct below), paid to a third party or sent payable to you at an address other than your address of record. You must complete the appropriate section of the account application or Account Update Form to participate in the Funds systematic withdrawal plan.
You should not establish systematic withdrawals if you intend to make concurrent purchases of Class A or Class C shares because you may unnecessarily pay a sales charge or CDSC on these purchases.
Exchanging Shares
You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state, except that there are no exchange privileges for Class T shares. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same fund, subject to the payment of any applicable CDSC. Please consult the statement of additional information for details.
The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. In the event that the Fund rejects an exchange request, neither the redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. If you would like the redemption request to be processed even if the purchase order is rejected, you may submit a separate redemption request (see How to Sell Shares below). Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
31
Because an exchange between funds is treated for tax purposes as a purchase and sale, any gain may be subject to tax. An exchange between classes of shares of the same fund may not be considered a taxable event. You should consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of exchanging your shares.
Fund Direct SM
The Fund Direct Program allows you to link your Fund account to your bank account, transfer money electronically between these accounts and perform a variety of account transactions, including purchasing shares by telephone and investing through a systematic investment plan. You may also have dividends, distributions, redemption payments or systematic withdrawal plan payments sent directly to your bank account.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeem Fund shares, you may reinvest all or part of your redemption proceeds up to one year later without incurring any additional charges. You may only reinvest into the same share class you redeemed. If you paid a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. You may use this reinstatement privilege only once for any redemption.
You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day, which is any day the NYSE is open for business. You will receive the share price next determined after the Fund has received your properly completed redemption request. Your redemption request must be received before the close of trading (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) for you to receive that days price. The Fund will normally mail your check the next business day after a redemption request is received, but in no event more than seven days after your request is received. If you are selling shares purchased recently with a check, your redemption proceeds will not be mailed until your check has cleared, which may take up to ten business days from your purchase date.
You may sell your shares (1) through a financial advisor or (2) directly to the Fund.
Through a Financial Advisor
You may sell your shares through your financial advisor, who can prepare the necessary documentation. Your financial advisor may charge for this service.
Directly to the Fund
|
By mail. You can sell your shares at any time by sending a written request to the Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Your request must include the following information: |
|
The Funds name; |
|
Your name and account number; |
|
The dollar or share amount you wish to redeem; |
|
The signature of each owner exactly as it appears on the account; |
|
The name of the person to whom you want your redemption proceeds paid (if other than to the shareholder of record); |
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The address where you want your redemption proceeds sent (if other than the address of record); |
32
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
An Important Note About Telephone Transactions
Although Nuveen Investor Services has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers, it will not be liable for losses resulting from following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. Also, you should verify your trade confirmations immediately upon receipt.
|
Any certificates you have for the shares; and |
|
Any required signature guarantees. |
After you have established your account, signatures on a written request must be guaranteed if:
|
You would like redemption proceeds payable or sent to any person, address or bank account other than that on record; |
|
You have changed the address on the Funds records within the last 30 days; |
|
Your redemption request is in excess of $50,000; or |
|
You are requesting a change in ownership on your account. |
Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services such as changing bank information on an account, will require a signature guarantee or signature verification from a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program member or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund reserves the right to require a signature guarantee, or another acceptable form of signature verification, in other instances based on the circumstances of a particular situation.
A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects shareholders from unauthorized account transfers. Banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange may guarantee signatures. Call your financial intermediary to determine if it has this capability. A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor. Proceeds from a written redemption request will be sent to you by check unless another form of payment is requested.
|
On-line. You may redeem shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered accounts on-line. To access your account, click the Individual Investors link on www.nuveen.com and then choose Account Access under the Resources tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. On-line redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. |
|
By telephone. If your account is held with the Fund and not in your brokerage account, and you have authorized telephone redemption privileges, call (800) 257-8787 to redeem your shares, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. Telephone redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record, normally the next business day after the redemption request is received. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. In this case, the redemption proceeds will be transferred to your bank on the next business day after the redemption request is received. You should contact your bank for further information concerning the timing of the credit of the redemption proceeds in your bank account. |
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
33
Accounts with Low Balances
The Fund reserves the right to liquidate or assess a low balance fee on any account (other than accounts holding Class R3 or Class R6 shares) held directly with the Fund that has a balance that has fallen below the account balance minimum of $1,000 for any reason, including market fluctuations.
If the Fund elects to exercise the right to assess a low balance fee, then annually the Fund will assess a $15 low balance account fee on certain accounts with balances under the account balance minimum that are IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or accounts established pursuant to the UTMA or UGMA. At the same time, other accounts with balances under the account balance minimum will be liquidated, with proceeds being mailed to the address of record. Prior to the assessment of any low balance fee or liquidation of low balance accounts, affected shareholders will receive a communication notifying them of the pending action, thereby providing time for shareholders to bring their accounts up to the account balance minimum prior to any fee assessment or account liquidation. You will not be assessed a CDSC if your account is liquidated.
Redemptions In-Kind
The Fund generally pays redemption proceeds in cash. However, if the Fund determines that it would be detrimental to its remaining shareholders to make payment of a redemption order wholly in cash, the Fund may pay a portion of your redemption proceeds in securities or other Fund assets. Although it is unlikely that your shares would be redeemed in-kind, you would probably have to pay brokerage costs to sell the securities or other assets distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital gains from that sale. Until they are sold, any securities or other assets distributed to you as part of a redemption in-kind may be subject to market risk.
34
Section 3 How You Can Buy and Sell Shares
To help you understand the tax implications of investing in the Fund, this section includes important details about how the Fund makes distributions to shareholders. We discuss some other Fund policies as well. Please consult the statement of additional information and your tax advisor for more information about taxes.
The Fund declares dividends daily and pays such dividends monthly. Your account will begin to accrue dividends on the business day after the day when the monies used to purchase your shares are collected by the transfer agent. The Fund seeks to pay monthly dividends at a level rate that reflects the past and projected net income of the Fund. To help maintain more stable monthly distributions, the distribution paid by the Fund for any particular monthly period may be more or less than the amount of net income actually earned by the Fund during such period, and any such under-(or over-) distribution of income is reflected in the Funds net asset value. This policy is designed to result in the distribution of substantially all of the Funds net income over time. The Fund declares and pays any taxable capital gains once a year at year end.
Payment and Reinvestment Options
The Fund automatically reinvests your dividends in additional Fund shares unless you request otherwise. You may request to have your dividends paid to you by check, sent via electronic funds transfer through Automated Clearing House network or reinvested in shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund. For further information, contact your financial advisor or call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. If you request that your distributions be paid by check but those distributions cannot be delivered because of an incorrect mailing address, or if a distribution check remains uncashed for six months, the undelivered or uncashed distributions and all future distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares at the current net asset value.
Non-U.S. Income Tax Considerations
Investment income that the Fund receives from its non-U.S. investments may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes, which generally will reduce Fund distributions. However, the United States has entered into tax treaties with many non-U.S. countries that may entitle you to certain tax benefits.
Taxes and Tax Reporting
The Fund will make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income (which may be taxable at different rates, depending on the sources of the distributions) or capital gains (which may be taxable at different rates, depending on the length of time the Fund holds its assets). Distributions from the Funds long-term capital gains are generally taxable as capital gains, while distributions from short-term capital gains and net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. However, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund that are determined to be qualified dividend income may be taxed at tax rates equal to those applicable to long-term capital gains. The tax you pay on a given capital gains distribution depends generally on how long the Fund has held the
Section 4 General Information
35
portfolio securities it sold and not on how long you have owned your Fund shares. Distributions generally do not qualify for a dividends received deduction if you are a corporate shareholder.
Early in each year, you will receive a statement detailing the amount and nature of all distributions that you were paid during the prior year. If you hold your investment at the firm where you purchased your Fund shares, you will receive the statement from that firm. If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, the Distributor will send you the statement. The tax status of your distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or elect to receive them in cash. The sale of shares in your account may produce a gain or loss, and is a taxable event. For tax purposes, an exchange of shares between funds is generally the same as a sale.
Please note that if you do not furnish the Fund with your correct Social Security number or employer identification number, you fail to provide certain certifications to the Fund, you fail to certify whether you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien, or the Internal Revenue Service notifies the Fund to withhold, federal law requires the Fund to withhold federal income tax from your distributions and redemption proceeds at the applicable withholding rate.
Buying or Selling Shares Close to a Record Date
Buying Fund shares shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend or capital gain distribution is commonly known as buying the dividend. The entire distribution may be taxable to you even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of your purchase price.
Non-U.S. Tax Credits
A regulated investment company with more than 50% of the value of its assets in stock or other securities of non-U.S. corporations at the close of a taxable year may, for such taxable year, elect to pass the regulated investment companys non-U.S. tax credits through to its investors.
Cost Basis Method
For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, you may elect a cost basis method to apply to all existing and future accounts you may establish. The cost basis method you select will determine the order in which shares are redeemed and how your cost basis information is calculated and subsequently reported to you and to the Internal Revenue Service. Please consult your tax advisor to determine which cost basis method best suits your specific situation. If you hold your account directly with the Fund, please contact Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account with a financial intermediary, please contact that financial intermediary for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account directly with the Fund and do not elect a cost basis method, your account will default to the average cost basis method. The average cost basis method generally calculates cost basis by determining the average price paid for Fund shares that may have been purchased at different times for different prices. Financial intermediaries choose their own default cost basis method.
36
Section 4 General Information
Distribution and Service Plan
The Distributor serves as the selling agent and distributor of the Funds shares. In this capacity, the Distributor manages the offering of the Funds shares and is responsible for all sales and promotional activities. In order to reimburse the Distributor for its costs in connection with these activities, including compensation paid to financial intermediaries, the Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Plan ). See How You Can Buy and Sell SharesWhat Share Classes We Offer for a description of the distribution and service fees paid under the Plan.
Under the Plan, the Distributor receives a distribution fee for Class C and Class R3 shares primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, in connection with the distribution of shares. The Distributor receives a service fee for Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class T shares to compensate financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders. Fees paid under the Plan also compensate the Distributor for other expenses, including printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other than shareholders, and preparing, printing, and distributing advertising materials, sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of shares. Because fees paid under the Plan 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. Long-term holders of Class C and Class R3 shares may pay more in distribution and service fees and CDSCs (Class C shares only) than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge permitted under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Conduct Rules.
Other Payments by the Fund
In addition to the distribution and service fees the Fund pays under the Plan and fees the Fund pays to its transfer agent, the Distributor or Nuveen Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Fund, may enter into non-Plan agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund will pay financial intermediaries for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency and shareholder services. These non-Plan payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by a financial intermediary. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial and may vary significantly among intermediaries.
Other Payments by the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors
In addition to the sales commissions and payments from distribution and service fees made to financial intermediaries as previously described, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors may from time to time make additional payments, out of their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries that sell shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds in order to promote the sales and retention of Fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by financial intermediary and, with respect to a given firm, are typically calculated by reference to the amount of
Section 4 General Information
37
the firms recent gross sales of Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and/or total assets of Nuveen Mutual Funds held by the firms customers. The level of payments that the Distributor and/or Nuveen Fund Advisors is willing to provide to a particular financial intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, the firms total assets held in and recent net investments into Nuveen Mutual Funds, the firms level of participation in Nuveen Mutual Fund sales and marketing programs, the firms compensation program for its registered representatives who sell Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and provide services to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders, and the asset class of the Nuveen Mutual Funds for which these payments are provided. The statement of additional information contains additional information about these payments, including the names of the firms to which payments are made. The Distributor may also make payments to financial intermediaries in connection with sales meetings, due diligence meetings, prospecting seminars and other meetings at which the Distributor promotes its products and services.
In connection with the availability of Nuveen Mutual Funds within selected mutual fund no-transaction fee institutional platforms and fee-based wrap programs at certain financial intermediaries, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors also make payments out of their own assets to those firms as compensation for certain recordkeeping, shareholder communications and other account administration services provided to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders who own their Fund shares through these platforms or programs. These payments are in addition to the service fee and any applicable sub-transfer agency or similar fees paid to these firms with respect to these services by the Nuveen Mutual Funds out of Fund assets.
The amounts of payments to a financial intermediary could be significant, and may create an incentive for the intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Fund to you. The intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund within the intermediarys organization by, for example, placing the Fund on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor and/or its affiliates preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Fund in various ways within the intermediarys organization.
The price you pay for your shares or the amount you receive upon redemption of your shares is based on the Funds net asset value per share, which is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. The Funds latest net asset value per share is available on the Funds website at www.nuveen.com. Net asset value is calculated for each class of the Fund by taking the value of the classs total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share.
In determining net asset value, portfolio instruments generally are valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or obtained from other sources, such as broker-dealer quotations. Exchange-traded instruments generally are valued at the last reported sales price or official closing price on an exchange, if available. Independent pricing services typically value non-exchange-traded instruments utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions. For example, when available, pricing services
38
Section 4 General Information
may utilize inputs such as benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, spreads, and transactions for comparable instruments. In pricing certain instruments, the pricing services may consider information about an instruments issuer or market activity provided by the Funds investment adviser or sub-adviser. Pricing service valuations of non-exchange-traded instruments represent the services good faith opinion as to what the holder of an instrument would receive in an orderly transaction for an institutional round lot position under current market conditions. It is possible that these valuations could be materially different from the value that the Fund realizes upon the sale of an instrument. Non-U.S. securities and currency are valued in U.S. dollars based on non-U.S. currency exchange rate quotations supplied by an independent quotation service.
For non-U.S. traded securities whose principal local markets close before the close of the NYSE, the Fund may adjust the local closing price based upon such factors as developments in non-U.S. markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent non-U.S. securities. The Fund may rely on an independent fair valuation service in making any such fair value determinations. If the Fund holds portfolio instruments that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the value of such instruments may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Funds shares.
If a price cannot be obtained from a pricing service or other pre-approved source, or if, in the judgment of Nuveen Fund Advisors, a price is unreliable, a portfolio instrument will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its appointee. Nuveen Fund Advisors may determine that a price is unreliable in various circumstances. For example, a price may be deemed unreliable if it has not changed for an identified period of time, or has changed from the previous days price by more than a threshold amount, and recent transactions and/or broker dealer price quotations differ materially from the price in question.
The Board of Trustees has adopted valuation procedures for the Fund and has appointed the Nuveen Fund Advisors Valuation Committee with the day-to-day responsibility for fair value determinations. All fair value determinations made by the Valuation Committee are subject to review and ratification by the Board of Trustees. As a general principle, the fair value of a portfolio instrument is the amount that an owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the instruments current sale. A range of factors and analysis may be considered when determining fair value, including relevant market data, interest rates, credit considerations and/or issuer specific news. However, fair valuation involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.
The Fund is intended for long-term investment and should not be used for excessive trading. Excessive trading in the Funds shares can disrupt portfolio management, lead to higher operating costs, and cause other operating inefficiencies for the Fund. However, the Fund is also mindful that shareholders may have valid reasons for periodically purchasing and redeeming Fund shares.
Section 4 General Information
39
Accordingly, the Fund has adopted a Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance the Funds need to prevent excessive trading in Fund shares while offering investors the flexibility in managing their financial affairs to make periodic purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
The Funds Frequent Trading Policy generally limits an investor to two round trip trades in a 60-day period. A round trip is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a round trip may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.
The Fund primarily receives share purchase and redemption orders through third-party financial intermediaries, some of whom rely on the use of omnibus accounts. An omnibus account typically includes multiple investors and provides the Fund only with a net purchase or redemption amount on any given day where multiple purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares occur in the account. The identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated in omnibus accounts, and the size of their orders, will generally not be known by the Fund. Despite the Funds efforts to detect and prevent frequent trading, the Fund may be unable to identify frequent trading because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to identify frequent traders. The Distributor has entered into agreements with financial intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Funds transfer agent. Under the terms of these agreements, the financial intermediaries undertake to cooperate with the Distributor in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent frequent trading in the Fund through such accounts. Pursuant to these agreements, financial intermediaries may disclose to the Fund an investors taxpayer identification number and a record of the investors transactions at the request of the Fund. Technical limitations in operational systems at such intermediaries or at the Distributor may also limit the Funds ability to detect and prevent frequent trading. In addition, the Fund may permit certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealer and retirement plan administrators, among others, to enforce their own internal policies and procedures concerning frequent trading. Such policies may differ from the Funds Frequent Trading Policy and may be approved for use in instances where the Fund reasonably believes that the intermediarys policies and procedures effectively discourage inappropriate trading activity. Shareholders holding their accounts with such intermediaries may wish to contact the intermediary for information regarding its frequent trading policy. Although the Fund does not knowingly permit frequent trading, it cannot guarantee that it will be able to identify and restrict all frequent trading activity.
The Fund reserves the right in its sole discretion to waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if it determines that doing so would not harm the interests of Fund shareholders. In addition, certain categories of redemptions may be excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy, as described in more detail in the statement of additional information. These include, among others, redemptions pursuant to systematic withdrawal plans, redemptions in connection with the total disability or death of the investor, involuntary redemptions by operation of law, redemptions in payment of account or plan fees, and certain redemptions by retirement plans, including redemptions in connection with qualifying loans or hardship withdrawals, termination of plan participation, return of excess contributions, and required minimum
40
Section 4 General Information
distributions. The Fund may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.
The Fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if it determines, in its sole discretion, that a transaction or a series of transactions involves market timing or excessive trading that may be detrimental to Fund shareholders. The Fund also reserves the right to reject any purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. For example, the Fund may refuse purchase orders if the Fund would be unable to invest the proceeds from the purchase order in accordance with the Funds investment policies and/or objective, or if the Fund would be adversely affected by the size of the transaction, the frequency of trading in the account or various other factors. For more information about the Funds Frequent Trading Policy and its enforcement, see Purchase and Redemption of Fund SharesFrequent Trading Policy in the statement of additional information.
The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian also provides certain accounting services to the Fund. The Funds transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, performs bookkeeping, data processing and administrative services for the maintenance of shareholder accounts.
Section 4 General Information
41
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the past five fiscal years, or life of a share class if shorter. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014 and later has been audited by KPMG LLP, whose report for the most recent fiscal year, along with the Funds financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request. The financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2013 and prior were audited by other independent auditors.
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
Class
(Commencement Date) |
Investment Operations | Less Distributions | Ratios/Supplemental Data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended
September 30 |
Beginning
NAV |
Net
Investment Income (Loss)(a) |
Net
Realized/ Unrealized Gain (Loss) |
Total |
From Net
Investment Income |
From
Accumulated Net Realized Gains |
Total |
Ending
NAV |
Total
Return(b) |
Ending
Net Assets (000) |
Ratios of
Expenses to Average Net Assets(c) |
Ratios of
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets(c) |
Portfolio
Turnover Rate(d) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A (12/06) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | $ | 16.85 | $ | .92 | $ | .38 | $ | 1.30 | $ | (.94 | ) | $ | (.07 | ) | $ | (1.01 | ) | $ | 17.14 | 7.96 | % | $ | 492,911 | 1.07 | % | 5.46 | % | 15 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 17.34 | .95 | (.41 | ) | .54 | (.94 | ) | (.09 | ) | (1.03 | ) | 16.85 | 3.16 | 408,922 | 1.06 | 5.54 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.05 | .99 | .64 | 1.63 | (1.00 | ) | (.34 | ) | (1.34 | ) | 17.34 | 9.92 | 376,049 | 1.07 | 5.73 | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 17.15 | 1.01 | .09 | 1.10 | (1.04 | ) | (.16 | ) | (1.20 | ) | 17.05 | 6.51 | 287,287 | 1.07 | 5.73 | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 15.30 | 1.03 | 2.29 | 3.32 | (1.04 | ) | (.43 | ) | (1.47 | ) | 17.15 | 23.16 | 267,619 | 1.08 | 6.44 | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C (12/06) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 16.87 | .79 | .37 | 1.16 | (.81 | ) | (.07 | ) | (.88 | ) | 17.15 | 7.08 | 262,685 | 1.82 | 4.72 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 17.35 | .82 | (.40 | ) | .42 | (.81 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.90 | ) | 16.87 | 2.44 | 208,404 | 1.81 | 4.79 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.06 | .86 | .64 | 1.50 | (.87 | ) | (.34 | ) | (1.21 | ) | 17.35 | 9.08 | 190,011 | 1.82 | 5.00 | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 17.16 | .88 | .09 | .97 | (.91 | ) | (.16 | ) | (1.07 | ) | 17.06 | 5.73 | 170,808 | 1.82 | 5.03 | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 15.31 | .91 | 2.30 | 3.21 | (.93 | ) | (.43 | ) | (1.36 | ) | 17.16 | 22.24 | 152,411 | 1.83 | 5.68 | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R3 (9/09) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 16.97 | .88 | .38 | 1.26 | (.90 | ) | (.07 | ) | (.97 | ) | 17.26 | 7.67 | 2,048 | 1.32 | 5.18 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 17.46 | .92 | (.41 | ) | .51 | (.91 | ) | (.09 | ) | (1.00 | ) | 16.97 | 2.93 | 2,680 | 1.31 | 5.28 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.17 | .96 | .63 | 1.59 | (.96 | ) | (.34 | ) | (1.30 | ) | 17.46 | 9.62 | 2,827 | 1.32 | 5.52 | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 17.27 | .96 | .11 | 1.07 | (1.01 | ) | (.16 | ) | (1.17 | ) | 17.17 | 6.25 | 3,209 | 1.32 | 5.48 | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 15.40 | .96 | 2.35 | 3.31 | (1.01 | ) | (.43 | ) | (1.44 | ) | 17.27 | 22.82 | 552 | 1.33 | 5.91 | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R6 (6/16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016(e) | 16.80 | .23 | .36 | .59 | (.24 | ) | | (.24 | ) | 17.15 | 3.54 | 6,498 | .75 | * | 5.25 | * | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class I (12/06) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 16.86 | .96 | .37 | 1.33 | (.98 | ) | (.07 | ) | (1.05 | ) | 17.14 | 8.16 | 1,783,432 | .82 | 5.72 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 17.34 | 1.00 | (.41 | ) | .59 | (.98 | ) | (.09 | ) | (1.07 | ) | 16.86 | 3.47 | 1,038,316 | .81 | 5.79 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 17.06 | 1.03 | .63 | 1.66 | (1.04 | ) | (.34 | ) | (1.38 | ) | 17.34 | 10.12 | 827,438 | .82 | 5.98 | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 17.15 | 1.05 | .11 | 1.16 | (1.09 | ) | (.16 | ) | (1.25 | ) | 17.06 | 6.83 | 630,546 | .82 | 6.01 | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 15.30 | 1.07 | 2.30 | 3.37 | (1.09 | ) | (.43 | ) | (1.52 | ) | 17.15 | 23.40 | 517,379 | .83 | 6.68 | 53 |
(a) | Per share Net Investment Income (Loss) is calculated using the average daily shares method. |
(b) | Total Return is the combination of changes in NAV without any sales charge, reinvested dividend income at NAV and reinvested capital gains distributions at NAV, if any. Total Return is not annualized. |
(c) | The Fund has a contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement agreement with the Nuveen Fund Advisors, but did not receive a fee waiver/expense reimbursement during the periods presented herein. |
(d) | Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated based on the lesser of long-term purchases or sales (as disclosed in Note 5 Investment Transactions, in the most recent shareholder report) divided by the average long-term market value during the period. |
(e) | For the periood June 30, 2016 (commencement of operations) through September 30, 2016. |
* | Annualized. |
42
Section 5 Financial Highlights
Nuveen Mutual Funds
Nuveen offers a variety of mutual funds designed to help you reach your financial goals. The funds below are grouped by category.
Municipal-National
All-American Municipal Bond
High Yield Municipal Bond
Inflation Protected Municipal Bond
Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond
Limited Term Municipal Bond
Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond
Short Term Municipal Bond
Strategic Municipal Opportunities
Municipal-State
Arizona Municipal Bond
California High Yield Municipal Bond
California Intermediate Municipal Bond
California Municipal Bond
Colorado Municipal Bond
Connecticut Municipal Bond
Georgia Municipal Bond
Kansas Municipal Bond
Kentucky Municipal Bond
Louisiana Municipal Bond
Maryland Municipal Bond
Massachusetts Municipal Bond
Michigan Municipal Bond
Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond
Minnesota Municipal Bond
Missouri Municipal Bond
Nebraska Municipal Bond
New Jersey Municipal Bond
New Mexico Municipal Bond
Municipal-State (continued)
New York Municipal Bond
North Carolina Municipal Bond
Ohio Municipal Bond
Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond
Pennsylvania Municipal Bond
Tennessee Municipal Bond
Virginia Municipal Bond
Wisconsin Municipal Bond
Taxable Fixed Income
Core Bond
Core Plus Bond
High Income Bond
Inflation Protected Securities
Intermediate Government Bond
NWQ Flexible Income
Preferred Securities
Short Term Bond
Strategic Income
Symphony Credit Opportunities
Symphony Floating Rate Income
Symphony High Yield Bond
Global/International
International Growth
NWQ Global All-Cap
NWQ Global Equity Income
NWQ International Value
NWQ Japan
Santa Barbara Global Dividend Growth
Global/International (continued)
Santa Barbara International Dividend Growth
Symphony International Equity
Tradewinds Global All-Cap
Value
Dividend Value
Large Cap Value
Mid Cap Value
NWQ Large-Cap Value
NWQ Multi-Cap Value
NWQ Small-Cap Value
NWQ Small/Mid-Cap Value
Small Cap Value
Tradewinds Value Opportunities
Growth
Growth
Large Cap Growth
Large Cap Growth Opportunities
Mid Cap Growth Opportunities
Small Cap Growth Opportunities
Symphony Large-Cap Growth
Winslow Large-Cap Growth
Core
Concentrated Core
Core Dividend
Large Cap Core
Core (continued)
Large Cap Core Plus
Large Cap Select
Santa Barbara Dividend Growth
Small Cap Select
Symphony Low Volatility Equity
Symphony Mid-Cap Core
Symphony Small Cap Core
Real Assets
Global Infrastructure
Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy
Real Asset Income
Real Estate Securities
Asset Allocation
Multi-Asset Income
Multi-Asset Income Tax-Aware
Strategy Aggressive Growth Allocation
Strategy Balanced Allocation
Strategy Conservative Allocation
Strategy Growth Allocation
Alternative Strategies
Equity Long/Short
Equity Market Neutral
Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy
Symphony Dynamic Equity
Several additional sources of information are available to you, including the codes of ethics adopted by the Fund, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management. The appendix to this prospectus, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, is a separate document that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and contains information on sales charge reductions and waivers available through certain financial intermediaries that differ from the sales charge reductions and waivers disclosed in this prospectus and the related statement of additional information. The statement of additional information, incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains detailed information on the policies and operation of the Fund included in this prospectus. Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Funds annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year. The Funds most recent statement of additional information, annual and semi-annual reports and certain other information are available, free of charge, by calling Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787, on the Funds website at www.nuveen.com, or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll free number above with any inquiries.
You may also obtain this and other Fund information directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ). Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for room hours and operation. You may also request Fund information by sending an e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SEC may charge a copying fee for this information.
The Fund is a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V, whose Investment Company Act file number is 811-21979.
Distributed by
Nuveen Securities, LLC
333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(800) 257-8787
www.nuveen.com
MPR-INV5-0117P
January 31, 2017
Appendix to the Prospectus of
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
VARIATIONS IN SALES CHARGE REDUCTIONS AND WAIVERS
AVAILABLE THROUGH CERTAIN INTERMEDIARIES
The information in this Appendix is a part of, and incorporated into, the Prospectus for the Fund, and must be delivered with the Prospectus.
A-1
The Fund offers a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A and Class T shares, which are set forth in the Prospectus. The Prospectus also sets forth certain circumstances under which the Fund will waive or reduce the contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) imposed on redemptions of Class C shares and certain Class A shares purchased at net asset value. The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed in the Prospectus will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Certain intermediaries have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales charge reductions or waivers, which are set forth below.
Class A and Class C Share Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Merrill Lynch
Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed in the Funds prospectus or SAI. Shareholders should contact Merrill Lynch to determine their eligibility for these waivers and discounts.
Front-End Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
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Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan |
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Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan |
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Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program |
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Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynchs platform |
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Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform |
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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
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Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date |
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Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members |
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Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Funds investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in the Prospectus |
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Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement) |
CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
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Death or disability of the shareholder |
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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Prospectus |
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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account |
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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70 1 / 2 |
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Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch |
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Shares acquired through a Right of Reinstatement |
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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
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Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to a fee based account or platform |
Front-End Load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
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Breakpoints as described in the Prospectus |
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Rights of Accumulation ( ROA ) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchasers household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets |
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Letters of Intent ( LOI ) which allow for breakpoint discounts using the same criteria as ROA above, but based on anticipated purchases within a fund family over a 13-month period of time |
Class A Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries
As described in the Prospectus, Class A shares may be purchased at net asset without a sales charge by employer-sponsored retirement plans as defined in the prospectus ( ESRPs ), except that, in the case of ESRPs held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases.
The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:
Baker & Co., Inc.
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
Cetera Advisors LLC
Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
Cetera Investment Services LLC
Country Club Financial Services, Inc.
Cutter & Co. Brokerage Inc.
Davenport & Co. LLC
Devenir Investment Advisors, LLC
Fintrust Brokerage Services
First Kentucky Securities Corp.
First Western Securities
Gold Coast Securities, Inc.
Hewitt Financial Services LLC
Hilltop Securities Inc.
Infinex Investments, Inc.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
KMS Financial Services, Inc.
Mid-Atlantic Capital Corp.
OFG Financial Services, Inc.
Principal Securities Inc.
Raymond James & Associates Inc.
RDM Investment Services, Inc.
Register Financial Associates, Inc.
Shareholders Service Group Inc.
Southeast Investments, NC, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
Waddell & Reed Inc.
As described in the Prospectus, Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers.
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The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
Class T Share Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries
As set forth in the Prospectus, Class T shares are generally subject to an up-front sales charge, except for shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund. However, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under limited circumstances through certain financial intermediaries. Currently no intermediaries are offering such waivers.
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January 31, 2017
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Ticker Symbols: Class ANGVAX, Class CNGVCX, Class INGVIX, Class TNTGVX
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund
Ticker Symbols: Class ANGSAX, Class CNGSCX, Class INGSIX
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This Statement of Additional Information ( SAI ) is not a prospectus. This SAI relates to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus dated January 31, 2017 for Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund and Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund (each, a Fund , and collectively, the Funds ), each a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V. A Prospectus may be obtained without charge from certain securities representatives, banks and other financial institutions that have entered into sales agreements with Nuveen Securities, LLC (the Distributor ), or from a Fund, by written request to the applicable Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, or by calling (800) 257-8787.
The audited financial statements for each Funds most recent fiscal year appear in the Funds Annual Report dated September 30, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference and is available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||
General Information | S-3 | |
Investment Restrictions | S-3 | |
Investment Policies and Techniques | S-5 | |
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S-6 | ||
S-6 | ||
S-14 | ||
S-23 | ||
S-23 | ||
S-24 | ||
Other Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
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S-25 | ||
S-25 | ||
Management | S-26 | |
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S-40 | ||
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S-45 | ||
S-46 | ||
Service Providers | S-46 | |
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S-48 | ||
S-48 | ||
S-51 | ||
S-51 | ||
S-51 | ||
S-52 | ||
Codes of Ethics | S-52 |
Page | ||
Proxy Voting Policies | S-52 | |
Portfolio Transactions | S-53 | |
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings | S-55 | |
Net Asset Value | S-56 | |
Shares of Beneficial Interest | S-57 | |
Tax Matters | S-59 | |
S-59 | ||
S-59 | ||
S-59 | ||
S-60 | ||
S-60 | ||
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S-60 | ||
S-61 | ||
S-61 | ||
S-61 | ||
S-61 | ||
S-61 | ||
S-62 | ||
S-62 | ||
Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares | S-62 | |
S-63 | ||
Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares |
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S-65 | ||
Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge |
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S-67 | ||
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S-68 | ||
S-68 | ||
S-69 | ||
S-71 | ||
S-72 | ||
S-73 | ||
Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments |
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S-76 | ||
Financial Statements | S-77 | |
Appendix ARatings of Investments | A-1 | |
Appendix BISS United States Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines | B-1 |
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The Funds are diversified series of Nuveen Investment Trust V (the Trust ), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 27, 2006. Each series of the Trust represents shares of beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objective and policies. Currently, six series of the Trust are authorized and outstanding. The Funds investment adviser is Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC ( Nuveen Fund Advisors or the Adviser ). The Funds sub-advisers are Gresham Investment Management LLC ( Gresham LLC ), acting through its Near Term Active division ( Gresham NTA or Gresham ), and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC ( Nuveen Asset Management ) (each, a Sub-Adviser and collectively, the Sub-Advisers ).
Certain matters under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act ), which must be submitted to a vote of the holders of the outstanding voting securities of a series, shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of each series affected by such matter.
The investment objective and certain investment policies of each Fund are described in the Prospectus for the Funds. Each Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares:
(1) Borrow money except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted thereunder.
(2) Issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act, except as permitted by the 1940 Act.
(3) Underwrite any issue of securities, except to the extent that the purchase or sale of securities in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations may be deemed to be an underwriting.
(4) Purchase or sell real estate, but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or foreclosing upon and selling such security.
(5) Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; but this restriction shall not prohibit a Fund from investing in options on commodity indices, commodity futures contracts and options thereon, commodity-related swap agreements, other commodity-related derivative instruments, and investment companies that provide exposure to commodities.
(6) Make loans except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted thereunder.
(7) Invest more than 25% of its net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry; provided, however, that such limitation shall not be applicable to securities issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments, obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, securities of other investment companies and tax-exempt securities or such other securities as may be excluded for this purpose by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted thereunder.
Except with respect to the limitation set forth in number (1) above, the foregoing restrictions and limitations will apply only at the time of purchase of securities, and the percentage limitations will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities, unless otherwise indicated.
For purposes of applying the limitations set forth in numbers (1) and (2) above, under the 1940 Act as currently in effect, a Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities, except that a Fund may borrow from any bank if immediately after such borrowing the value of the Funds total assets is at least 300% of the principal amount of all of the Funds borrowings (i.e., the principal amount of the
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borrowings may not exceed 33 1 / 3 % of the Funds total assets). In the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three calendar days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (1).
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (6) above, there are no limitations with respect to unsecured loans made by a Fund to an unaffiliated party. However, if a Fund loans its portfolio securities, the obligation on the part of the Fund to return collateral upon termination of the loan could be deemed to involve the issuance of a senior security within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act. In order to avoid violation of Section 18(f), the Fund may not make a loan of portfolio securities if, as a result, more than one-third of its total asset value (at market value computed at the time of making a loan) would be on loan. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (6).
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (7) above, issuers of the following securities will not be considered to be members of any industry: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; except as set forth in the following sentence, tax-exempt securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; securities of foreign governments; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. To the extent that the income from a municipal bond is derived from a specific project, the securities will be deemed to be from the industry of that project. Notwithstanding the reference to securities of other investment companies in limitation number (7) above, to the extent a Fund invests in other investment companies, it will consider, to the extent practicable, the industry concentration of the underlying investment companies when determining compliance with the limitation set forth in number (7) above. This limitation also does not place a limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country.
Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank.
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (7) above, each Fund classifies asset-backed securities in its portfolio in separate industries based upon a combination of the industry of the issuer or sponsor and the type of collateral. The industry of the issuer or sponsor and the type of collateral will be determined by the Adviser. For example, an asset-backed security known as Money Store 94-D A2 would be classified as follows: the issuer or sponsor of the security is The Money Store, a personal finance company, and the collateral underlying the security is automobile receivables. Therefore, the industry classification would be Personal Finance CompaniesAutomobile. Similarly, an asset-backed security known as Midlantic Automobile Grantor Trust 1992-1 B would be classified as follows: the issuer or sponsor of the security is Midlantic National Bank, a banking organization, and the collateral underlying the security is automobile receivables. Therefore, the industry classification would be BanksAutomobile. Thus, an issuer or sponsor may be included in more than one industry classification, as may a particular type of collateral.
The foregoing fundamental investment policies cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares. As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of a Funds shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Funds shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of a Funds shares, whichever is less.
In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, each Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees. A Fund may not:
(1) Invest more than 15% of its net assets in all forms of illiquid investments.
(2) Acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on subparagraph (F) or subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.
For purposes of number (1) above, each Fund will monitor portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis and, in the event more than 15% of a Funds net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund
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will reduce its holdings of illiquid investments in an orderly fashion in order to maintain adequate liquidity. The term illiquid investments will have the same meaning as given in guidance provided by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ).
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES
The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds investment objectives, principal investment strategies, policies and techniques that appears in the Prospectus for the Funds. Additional information concerning principal investment strategies of the Funds, and other investment strategies that may be used by the Funds, is set forth below in alphabetical order. Additional information concerning the Funds investment restrictions is set forth above under Investment Restrictions.
If a percentage limitation on investments by a Fund stated in this SAI or its Prospectus is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in asset value will not be deemed to violate the limitation except in the case of the limitations on borrowing. To the extent a Fund is limited to investing in securities with specified ratings or of a certain credit quality, the Fund is not required to sell a security if its rating is reduced or its credit quality declines after purchase, but may consider doing so. Descriptions of the rating categories of Standard & Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ( Standard & Poors ), Fitch, Inc. ( Fitch ) and Moodys Investors Service, Inc. ( Moodys ) are contained in Appendix A.
References in this section to the Adviser also apply, to the extent applicable, to the Sub-Advisers of the Funds.
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund and Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest up to 25% of their net assets in, respectively, Long-Only Commodity Fund Ltd. and Long-Short Commodity Fund Ltd., their wholly-owned subsidiaries organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (each a Subsidiary and collectively the Subsidiaries ). The Subsidiaries may invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments, as described under Commodity Investments below. Because each Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in its Subsidiary, which may hold certain of the investments described in the Prospectus and this SAI, each Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in those investments through its Subsidiary. Therefore, except as otherwise noted, for purposes of this disclosure, references to the Funds investments may also be deemed to include the Funds indirect investments through its Subsidiary.
The Subsidiaries are not registered under the 1940 Act and are not subject to regulation thereunder, except as noted in the Prospectus or this SAI. However, each Subsidiary is wholly-owned and controlled by a Fund and is advised by Nuveen Fund Advisors and sub-advised by Gresham. Therefore, each Funds ownership and control of its Subsidiary make it unlikely that the Subsidiary would take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. The Funds Board of Trustees has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Funds, including their expected investment in the Subsidiaries, and each Funds role as the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary. Also, in managing each Subsidiarys portfolio, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Gresham are subject to the same investment policies and restrictions that apply to the management of the Funds, and, in particular, to the requirements relating to leverage, liquidity, brokerage, and the timing and method of valuation with respect to each Subsidiarys portfolio investments and shares of each Subsidiary. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Gresham receive no additional compensation for managing the assets of the Subsidiaries. The Subsidiaries will also enter into separate contracts for the provision of custody and transfer agency services with the same or with affiliates of the same service providers that provide those services to the Funds.
Changes in the laws of the United States (where the Funds are organized) and/or the Cayman Islands (where the Subsidiaries are incorporated) could prevent the Funds and/or the Subsidiaries from operating as described in the Prospectus and this SAI and could negatively affect the Funds and
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their shareholders. For example, the Cayman Islands currently does not impose certain taxes on the Subsidiaries, including income and capital gains tax, among others. If Cayman Islands laws were changed to require the Subsidiaries to pay Cayman Islands taxes, the investment returns of the Funds would likely decrease.
The financial statements of each Subsidiary will be consolidated with its respective parent Funds financial statements in the Funds Annual and Semi-Annual Reports.
Each Fund gains exposure to commodities, either directly or through its Subsidiary, in commodity-linked derivative instruments such as commodity futures and forward contracts, commodity swaps, options on commodity futures contracts and commodity-linked structured notes. Additional information on the Subsidiaries is set forth under Cayman Subsidiaries above. Additional information regarding specific commodity-linked derivatives is set forth under Derivative Instruments below. The Fund, either directly or through the Subsidiary, may also gain exposure to commodities through investment in certain investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ), other pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in commodities or commodity-related instruments, and in exchange-traded notes ( ETNs ) linked to the value of commodities.
Each Funds commodity investments generally will not require significant outlays of principal. Each Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in its Subsidiary, which will be committed as initial and variation margin to secure its Subsidiarys positions in derivative instruments. These assets are placed in accounts maintained by each Subsidiary at the Subsidiaries clearing broker, and are invested by the clearing broker in high-quality instruments permitted under regulations promulgated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC ).
The prices of commodity-linked derivatives may move in different directions than investments in traditional equity and debt securities. For example, during periods of rising inflation, historically debt securities have tended to decline in value due to the general increase in prevailing interest rates. Conversely, during those same periods of rising inflation, historically the prices of certain commodities, such as oil and metals, have tended to increase. Of course, there cannot be any guarantee that these investments will perform in that manner in the future, and at certain times the price movements of commodity-linked investments have been parallel to debt and equity securities.
Historically, the correlation between the quarterly investment returns of commodities and the quarterly investment returns of traditional financial assets such as stocks and bonds generally was negative. This inverse relationship occurred generally because commodities have historically tended to increase and decrease in value during different parts of the business cycle than financial assets. Nevertheless, at various times, commodities prices may move in tandem with the prices of financial assets and thus may not provide overall portfolio diversification benefits. The reverse may be true during bull markets, when investments in traditional securities such as stocks and bonds may outperform the Funds commodity-related investments. However, over the long term, the returns on the Funds commodity-related investments are expected to exhibit low or negative correlation with stocks and bonds.
Assets not invested by the Funds in the Subsidiaries or directly in commodity-linked derivative instruments are invested by Nuveen Asset Management in debt securities.
Debt securities held by Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund consist of cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality short-term debt securities with final terms not exceeding one year at the time of investment. These investments (excluding U.S. government securities) will be rated at all times at the applicable highest short-term or long-term debt or deposit rating or money market fund rating as determined by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality.
Debt securities held by Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund include (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities,
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(ii) securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, or their political subdivisions or agencies or instrumentalities, (iii) U.S. and foreign corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations, (iv) asset-backed securities and (v) residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities.
The types of debt securities each Fund may hold are described below.
U.S. Government Securities
Each Fund may invest in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the United States Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some of the U.S. government agencies that issue or guarantee securities include the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration and The Tennessee Valley Authority. An instrumentality of the U.S. government is a government agency organized under Federal charter with government supervision. Instrumentalities issuing or guaranteeing securities include, among others, Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Banks, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and FNMA. In the case of those U.S. government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.
Certificates of Deposit
Each Fund may invest in certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. If such certificates of deposit are non-negotiable, they will be considered illiquid securities and be subject to the Funds 15% restriction on investments in illiquid securities. Pursuant to the certificate of deposit, the issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by a Fund may not be fully insured. A Fund may only invest in certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks with at least $1 billion in assets.
Bankers Acceptances
Each Fund may invest in bankers acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then accepted by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity.
Repurchase Agreements
Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreements which involve purchases of debt securities. In such an action, at the time a Fund purchases the security, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver the security to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the security at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for a Fund during its holding period since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for a Fund to invest temporarily available cash. A Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers acceptances in which the Fund may invest.
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Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to a Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the affected Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, however, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The portfolio managers monitor the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The portfolio managers do so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to a Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of a Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws.
Bank Time Deposits
Each Fund may invest in bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced.
Commercial Paper
Each Fund may invest in commercial paper, which are short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between a Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for the notes. However, they are redeemable by a Fund at any time. The portfolio managers will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will continuously monitor the corporations ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because a Funds liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. The Funds may invest in commercial paper only if it has received the highest rating from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality.
Money Market Funds
Each Fund may invest in shares of money market funds. Shares of money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses of those funds. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause the Funds to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds operations. At the same time, each Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of other investment companies. Although money market funds that operate in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act seek to preserve a $1.00 share price, it is possible for the Funds to lose money by investing in money market funds.
Non-U.S. Debt Obligations
Each Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of non-U.S. countries. A sovereign debtors willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtors policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which it may be subject.
Corporate Debt Securities
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities are usually issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds,
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debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. Rates on corporate debt securities are set according to prevailing interest rates at the time of the issue, the credit rating of the issuer, the length of the maturity and other terms of the security. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small non-U.S. corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization ( NRSRO ) may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when its due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuers debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while making payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.
Asset-Backed Securities
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities are securities that are secured or backed by pools of various types of assets on which cash payments are due at fixed intervals over set periods of time. Asset-backed securities are created in a process called securitization. In a securitization transaction, an originator of loans or an owner of accounts receivables of a certain type of asset class sells such underlying assets in a true sale to a special purpose entity, so that there is no recourse to such originator or owner. Payments of principal and interest on asset-backed securities typically are tied to payments made on the pool of underlying assets in the related securitization. Such payments on the underlying assets are effectively passed through to the asset-backed security holders on a monthly or other regular, periodic basis. The level of seniority of a particular asset-backed security will determine the priority in which the holder of such asset-backed security is paid, relative to other security holders and parties in such securitization. Examples of underlying assets include consumer loans or receivables, home equity loans, automobile loans or leases, and time shares, though other types of receivables or assets also may be used.
While asset-backed securities typically have a fixed, stated maturity date, low prevailing interest rates may lead to an increase in the prepayments made on the underlying assets. This may cause the outstanding balances due on the underlying assets to be paid down more rapidly. As a result, a decrease in the originally anticipated interest from such underlying securities may occur, causing the asset-backed securities to pay-down in whole or in part prior to their original stated maturity date. Prepayment proceeds would then have to be reinvested at the lower prevailing interest rates. Conversely, prepayments on the underlying assets may be less than anticipated, causing an extension in the duration of the asset-backed securities.
Delinquencies or losses that exceed the anticipated amounts for a given securitization could adversely impact the payments made on the related asset-backed securities. This is a reason why, as part of a securitization, asset-backed securities are often accompanied by some form of credit enhancement, such as a guaranty, insurance policy, or subordination. Credit protection in the form of
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derivative contracts may also be purchased. In certain securitization transactions, insurance, credit protection, or both may be purchased with respect to only the most senior classes of asset-backed securities, on the underlying collateral pool, or both. The extent and type of credit enhancement varies across securitization transactions.
The ratings and creditworthiness of asset-backed securities typically depend on the legal insulation of the issuer and transaction from the consequences of a sponsoring entitys bankruptcy, as well as on the credit quality of the underlying receivables and the amount and credit quality of any third-party credit enhancement supporting the underlying receivables or the asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities and their underlying receivables generally are not issued or guaranteed by any governmental entity.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities. These investments include agency pass-through certificates, private mortgage pass-through securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, commercial mortgage-backed securities, stripped mortgage-backed securities and adjustable rate mortgage securities, as defined and described below.
A mortgage-backed security is a type of pass-through security, which is a security representing pooled debt obligations repackaged as interests that pass income through an intermediary to investors. In the case of mortgage-backed securities, the ownership interest is in a pool of mortgage loans. Residential mortgage-backed securities ( RMBS ) are backed by a pool of mortgages on residential property while commercial mortgage-backed securities ( CMBS ) are backed by a pool of mortgages on commercial property.
Mortgage-backed securities are most commonly issued or guaranteed by Government National Mortgage Association ( GNMA ), Federal National Mortgage Association ( FNMA ) or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ( FHLMC ), but may also be issued or guaranteed by other private issuers.
Agency Pass-Through Certificates. Agency Pass-Through Certificates are mortgage pass-through certificates representing undivided interests in pools of residential mortgage loans. Distribution of principal and interest on the mortgage loans underlying an Agency Pass-Through Certificate is an obligation of or guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC. GNMA is a wholly owned corporate instrumentality of the United States within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The guarantee of GNMA with respect to GNMA certificates is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and GNMA is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury in an amount which is at any time sufficient to enable GNMA, with no limitation as to amount, to perform its guarantee.
FNMA is a federally chartered and privately owned corporation organized and existing under federal law. Although the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States has discretionary authority to lend funds to FNMA, neither the United States nor any agency thereof is obligated to finance FNMAs operations or to assist FNMA in any other manner.
FHLMC is a federally chartered corporation organized and existing under federal law, the common stock of which is owned by the Federal Home Loan Banks. Neither the United States nor any agency thereof is obligated to finance FHLMCs operations or to assist FHLMC in any other manner.
On September 6, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency ( FHFA ) placed FNMA and FHLMC into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of FNMA and FHLMC and of any stockholder, officer or director of FNMA and FHLMC with respect to FNMA and FHLMC and the assets of FNMA and FHLMC. FHFA selected a new chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for each of FNMA and FHLMC. In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department agreed to provide FNMA and FHLMC with up to $100 billion of capital each to ensure that they are able to continue to provide ongoing liquidity to the U.S. home mortgage market. FNMA and FHLMC are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities.
The mortgage loans underlying GNMA certificates are partially or fully guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration or the Veterans Administration, while the mortgage loans underlying FNMA
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certificates and FHLMC certificates are conventional mortgage loans which are, in some cases, insured by private mortgage insurance companies. Agency Pass-Through Certificates may be issued in a single class with respect to a given pool of mortgage loans or in multiple classes.
The residential mortgage loans evidenced by Agency Pass-Through Certificates generally are secured by first mortgages on one- to four-family residential dwellings. Such mortgage loans generally have final maturities ranging from 15 to 40 years and generally provide for monthly payments in amounts sufficient to amortize their original principal amounts by the maturity dates. Each monthly payment on such mortgage loans generally includes both an interest component and a principal component, so that the holder of the mortgage loans receives both interest and a partial return of principal in each monthly payment. In general, such mortgage loans can be prepaid by the borrowers at any time without any prepayment penalty. In addition, many such mortgage loans contain a due-on-sale clause requiring the loans to be repaid in full upon the sale of the property securing the loans. Because residential mortgage loans generally provide for monthly amortization and may be prepaid in full at any time, the weighted average maturity of a pool of residential mortgage loans is likely to be substantially shorter than its stated final maturity date. The rate at which a pool of residential mortgage loans is prepaid may be influenced by many factors and is not predictable with precision.
Privately Issued Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers, whether or not such obligations are subject to guarantees by the private issuer, may entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government. Any investments the Fund makes in mortgage-related securities that are issued by private issuers have some exposure to subprime loans as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. Private issuers include commercial banks, savings associations, mortgage companies, investment banking firms, finance companies and special purpose finance entities (called special purpose vehicles or structured investment vehicles) and other entities that acquire and package mortgage loans for resale as mortgage-related securities. Unlike mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its sponsored entities, mortgage-related securities issued by private issuers do not have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee, but may have credit enhancement provided by external entities such as banks or financial institutions or achieved through the structuring of the transaction itself. Examples of such credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include: (1) the issuance of senior and subordinated securities (e.g., the issuance of securities by a special purpose vehicle in multiple classes or tranches, with one or more classes being senior to other subordinated classes as to the payment of principal and interest, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgage loans are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class); (2) the creation of reserve funds (in which case cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, are held in reserve against future losses); and (3) overcollateralization (in which case the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying mortgage loans exceeds that required to make payment of the securities and pay any servicing or other fees). However, there can be no guarantee that credit enhancements, if any, will be sufficient to prevent losses in the event of defaults on the underlying mortgage loans.
In addition, mortgage-related securities that are issued by private issuers are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. As a result, the mortgage loans underlying private mortgage-related securities may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other underwriting characteristics than government or government-sponsored mortgage-related securities and have wider variances in a number of terms including interest rate, term, size, purpose and borrower characteristics. Privately issued pools more frequently include second mortgages, high loan-to-value mortgages and manufactured housing loans. The coupon rates and maturities of the underlying mortgage loans in a private-label mortgage-related securities pool may vary to a greater extent than those included in a government guaranteed pool, and the pool may include subprime mortgage loans. Subprime loans refer to loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments on their loans. For these reasons, the loans underlying these securities have had in many cases higher default rates than those loans that meet government underwriting requirements.
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The risk of non-payment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by mortgage pools that contain subprime loans, but a level of risk exists for all loans. Market factors adversely affecting mortgage loan repayments may include a general economic turndown, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, a drop in the market prices of real estate, or an increase in interest rates resulting in higher mortgage payments by holders of adjustable rate mortgages.
Privately issued mortgage-related securities are generally less liquid than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, mortgage-related securities held in the Funds portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.
The average life of a mortgage-backed security is likely to be substantially less than the original maturity of the mortgage pools underlying the securities. Prepayments of principal by mortgagors and mortgage foreclosures will usually result in the return of the greater part of principal invested far in advance of the maturity of the mortgages in the pool or can result in credit losses.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. Collateralized mortgage obligations ( CMOs ) are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities (collateral collectively referred to hereinafter as Mortgage Assets). Multi-class pass-through securities are interests in a trust composed of Mortgage Assets. All references in this section to CMOs include multi-class pass-through securities. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Assets may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. The principal and interest payments on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgages are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities ( SMBS ) are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage assets. The Fund will only invest in SMBS whose mortgage assets are U.S. government obligations. A common type of SMBS will be structured so that one class receives some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class receives most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities. The market value of any class which consists primarily or entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities. The Funds may invest in Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities ( ARMS ). ARMS are pass-through mortgage securities collateralized by mortgages with interest rates that are adjusted from time to time. ARMS also include adjustable rate tranches of CMOs. The adjustments usually are determined in accordance with a predetermined interest rate index and may be subject to certain limits. While the values of ARMS, like other debt securities, generally vary inversely with changes in market interest rates (increasing in value during periods of declining interest rates and decreasing in value during periods of increasing interest rates), the values of ARMS should generally be more resistant to price swings than other debt securities because the interest rates of ARMS move with market interest rates. The adjustable rate feature of ARMS will not, however, eliminate fluctuations in the prices of ARMS, particularly during periods of extreme fluctuations in interest rates. Moreover, rising interest rates may lead to borrowers on mortgages underlying ARMS not being able to afford the corresponding higher payments, which could negatively impact the credit and prices of non-agency ARMS.
ARMS typically have caps which limit the maximum amount by which the interest rate may be increased or decreased at periodic intervals or over the life of the loan. To the extent interest rates increase in excess of the caps, ARMS can be expected to behave more like traditional debt securities
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and to decline in value to a greater extent than would be the case in the absence of such caps. Also, since many adjustable rate mortgages only reset on an annual basis, it can be expected that the prices of ARMS will fluctuate to the extent changes in prevailing interest rates are not immediately reflected in the interest rates payable on the underlying adjustable rate mortgages. The extent to which the prices of ARMS fluctuate with changes in interest rates will also be affected by the indices underlying the ARMS.
Risks of Investing in Mortgage-Backed Securities. Investment in mortgage-backed securities poses several risks, including, among others, prepayment, market and credit risk. Prepayment risk reflects the risk that borrowers may prepay their mortgages faster than expected, thereby affecting the investments average life and perhaps its yield. Whether or not a mortgage loan is prepaid is almost entirely controlled by the borrower. Borrowers are most likely to exercise prepayment options at the time when it is least advantageous to investors, generally prepaying mortgages as interest rates fall, and slowing payments as interest rates rise. Besides the effect of prevailing interest rates, the rate of prepayment and refinancing of mortgages may also be affected by home value appreciation, ease of the refinancing process and local economic conditions. Market risk reflects the risk that the price of a security may fluctuate over time. The price of mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to prevailing interest rates, the length of time the security is expected to be outstanding and the liquidity of the issue. In a period of unstable interest rates, there may be decreased demand for certain types of mortgage-backed securities, and the Fund invested in such securities wishing to sell them may find it difficult to find a buyer, which may in turn decrease the price at which they may be sold. Credit risk reflects the risk that the Fund may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its obligations. Obligations issued by U.S. government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The performance of private label mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of those institutions.
The risks to which CMBS are subject differ somewhat from the risks to which RMBS are subject. CMBS are typically backed by a much smaller number of mortgages than RMBS are, so problems with one or a small number of mortgages backing a CMBS can have a large impact on its value. As CMBS have a less diversified pool of loans backing them, they are much more susceptible to property-specific risk. The values of CMBS are also more sensitive to macroeconomic trends. For example, when the economy slows rents generally decrease and vacancies generally increase for commercial real estate. Similarly, as many CMBS have a large exposure to retail properties, events that negatively impact the retail industry can also negatively impact the value of CMBS.
High Yield Debt Securities
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in high yield securities. High yield and comparable unrated debt securities (also known as junk bonds) are typically issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by companies that have questionable credit strength. These securities: (a) will likely have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of the NRSRO, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions; and (b) are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation.
The yields on high yield and comparable unrated debt securities generally are higher than the yields available on investment-grade debt securities. However, investments in these securities generally involve greater volatility of price and risk of loss of income and principal, including the possibility of default by or insolvency of the issuers of such securities. Since the risk of default is higher for high yield and comparable unrated debt securities, the Fund will try to minimize the risks inherent in investing in these securities by engaging in credit analysis, diversification, and attention to current developments and trends affecting interest rates and economic conditions. The Fund will attempt to identify those issuers of high yield and comparable unrated debt securities with a financial condition that is adequate to meet future obligations, has improved, or is expected to improve in the future. Accordingly, with respect to these types of securities, the Fund may be more dependent on credit analysis than is the case for higher quality bonds.
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The market values of certain high yield and comparable unrated debt securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-rated securities. In addition, issuers of these securities often are highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired.
The risk of loss due to default by such issuers is significantly greater because high yield and comparable unrated debt securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to senior indebtedness. The Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on such securities. The existence of limited markets for these securities may diminish the Funds ability to: (a) obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing such securities and calculating its net asset value; and (b) sell the securities at fair value either to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the economy or in financial markets.
An economic recession could severely disrupt the market for such securities and adversely affect the value of such securities. Any such economic downturn also could severely and adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon.
Because certain high yield and comparable unrated debt securities may be issued by non-U.S. companies, there are certain additional risks associated with such investments. See Non-U.S. Investments.
Each Fund may use derivative instruments as described below to attempt to seek to enhance return, to hedge some of the risks of its investments in securities, as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset, to reduce transaction costs, to maintain full market exposure (which means to adjust the characteristics of its investments to more closely approximate those of the markets in which it invests), to manage cash flows, or to preserve capital.
Derivative hedges are generally used to hedge against price movements in one or more particular investments that a Fund owns or intends to acquire. Such instruments may also be used to lock-in realized but unrecognized gains in the value of portfolio investments. Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce the risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. A Fund may also use derivative instruments to manage the risks of its assets. The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several options and futures exchanges upon which they are traded, the CFTC and various state regulatory authorities. In addition, a Funds ability to use hedging instruments will be limited by tax considerations.
Regulation of the Fund as a Commodity Pool
Each Fund and its respective Subsidiary are subject to regulation as commodity pools under the Commodity Exchange Act ( CEA ), and the Adviser has registered with the CFTC and the National Futures Association ( NFA ) as a commodity pool operator.
Greshams investment decisions may need to be modified, and commodity contract positions held by the Funds and/or the Subsidiaries may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices, to avoid exceeding position limits established by the CFTC, potentially subjecting the Funds to substantial losses.
The regulation of commodity transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Funds is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to the Funds.
Asset Coverage for Futures and Options Positions
Each Fund will comply with the regulatory requirements of the SEC and the CFTC with respect to coverage of options and futures positions by registered investment companies and, if the guidelines
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so require, will set aside or earmark cash, U.S. government securities, high grade liquid debt securities and/or other liquid assets permitted by the SEC and CFTC in the amount prescribed. Securities set aside or earmarked cannot be sold while the futures or options position is outstanding, unless replaced with other permissible assets, and will be marked-to-market daily. A Fund and/or its Subsidiary may not enter into futures or options positions if such positions will require the Fund to set aside or earmark more than 100% of its net assets.
Federal Income Tax Treatment of Futures Contracts and Options
Each Funds transactions in futures contracts and options will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code ), that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to a Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and (b) may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a regulated investment company and the distribution requirement for avoiding excise taxes.
Futures Contracts
Each Fund, either directly or through its Subsidiary, may purchase and sell futures contracts (hereinafter referred to as Futures Contracts ), including commodity futures contracts and index futures, and options on such contracts. A Fund may use Futures Contracts and related options for hedging and non-hedging purposes. A Fund will not enter into Futures Contracts which are prohibited under the CEA and will, to the extent required by regulatory authorities, enter only into Futures Contracts that are traded on national futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument. Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the CEA by the CFTC.
Each Fund may invest in commodity Futures Contracts. Commodity Futures Contracts are generally based upon commodities within the six principal commodity groups: energy, industrial metals, agriculture, precious metals, foods and fibers, and livestock. The price of a commodity Futures Contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity. These storage costs include the time value of money invested in the physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the commodity less any benefits from ownership of the physical commodity that are not obtained by the holder of a Futures Contract (this is sometimes referred to as the convenience yield). To the extent that these storage costs change for an underlying commodity while a Fund is invested in Futures Contracts on that commodity, the value of the Futures Contract may change proportionately.
Commodity Futures Contracts are traded on futures exchanges. These futures exchanges offer a central marketplace in which to transact Futures Contracts, a clearing corporation to process trades, a standardization of expiration dates and contract sizes, and the availability of a secondary market. Futures markets also specify the terms and conditions of delivery as well as the maximum permissible price movement during a trading session. Additionally, the commodity futures exchanges may have position limit rules that limit the amount of Futures Contracts that any one party may hold in a particular commodity at any point in time. These position limit rules are designed to prevent any one participant from controlling a significant portion of the market. In the commodity futures markets, the exchange clearing corporation takes the other side in all transactions, either buying or selling directly to the market participants. The clearinghouse acts as the counterparty to all exchange-traded Futures Contracts, that is, a Funds obligation is to the clearinghouse, and the Fund will look to the clearinghouse to satisfy the Funds rights under a commodity Futures Contract.
The commodities which underlie commodity Futures Contracts are subject to economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including Futures Contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of
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supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks which subject a Funds investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
An index Futures Contract is an agreement pursuant to which the parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index Futures Contract was originally written.
Transaction costs are incurred when a Futures Contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. A Futures Contract may be satisfied by delivery or purchase, as the case may be, of the instrument or by payment of the change in the cash value of the index. More commonly, Futures Contracts are closed out prior to delivery by entering into an offsetting transaction in a matching Futures Contract. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, no physical delivery of those securities is made. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, a gain will be realized; if it is more, a loss will be realized. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, a gain will be realized; if it is less, a loss will be realized. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that a Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular Futures Contract at a particular time. If a Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the Futures Contract.
Margin is the amount of funds that must be deposited by a Fund with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the futures commission merchant in order to initiate futures trading and to maintain the Funds open positions in Futures Contracts. A margin deposit is intended to ensure a Funds performance of the Futures Contract. The margin required for a particular Futures Contract is set by the exchange on which the Futures Contract is traded and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the Futures Contract. Futures Contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margins that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the Futures Contract being traded.
If the price of an open Futures Contract changes (by increase in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so that the loss on the Futures Contract reaches a point at which the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin. However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the Futures Contract so that the margin deposit exceeds the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund. In computing daily net asset value, a Fund will mark to market the current value of its open Futures Contracts. The Funds expect to earn interest income on their margin deposits.
Because of the low margin deposits required, futures trading involves an extremely high degree of leverage. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a Futures Contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, as well as gain, to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the Futures Contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the Futures Contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit, if the Futures Contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a Futures Contract may result in losses in excess of the amount initially invested in the Futures Contract. However, a Fund would presumably have sustained comparable losses if, instead of the Futures Contract, it had invested in the underlying financial instrument and sold it after the decline.
Most U.S. futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in Futures Contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a Futures Contract may vary either up or down from the previous days settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of Futures Contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the
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limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures Contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of Futures positions and subjecting some Futures traders to substantial losses. Despite the daily price limits on various futures exchanges, the price volatility of commodity Futures Contracts has been historically greater than that for traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. To the extent that a Fund invests in commodity Futures Contracts, the assets of the Fund, and therefore the prices of Fund shares, may be subject to greater volatility.
There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when a Fund seeks to close out a Futures Contract. The Fund would continue to be required to meet margin requirements until the position is closed, possibly resulting in a decline in the Funds net asset value. In addition, many of the contracts discussed above are relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active secondary market will develop or continue to exist.
Options on Futures
Each Fund may also purchase or write put and call options on Futures Contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position. A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a Futures Contract at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the Futures Contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. Prior to exercise or expiration, a futures option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of a futures option of the same series.
Each Fund may use options on Futures Contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes (i.e., in an effort to enhance returns). Generally, these strategies would be applied under the same market and market sector conditions in which a Fund uses put and call options on securities or indexes. The purchase of put options on Futures Contracts is analogous to the purchase of puts on securities or indexes so as to hedge a Funds securities holdings against the risk of declining market prices. The writing of a call option or the purchasing of a put option on a Futures Contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the Futures Contract. If the futures price at expiration of a written call option is below the exercise price, a Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Funds holdings of securities. If the futures price when the option is exercised is above the exercise price, however, a Fund will incur a loss, which may be offset, in whole or in part, by the increase in the value of the securities held by the Fund that were being hedged. Writing a put option or purchasing a call option on a Futures Contract serves as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of the securities a Fund intends to acquire.
As with investments in Futures Contracts, a Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on Futures Contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying Futures Contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option, and other futures positions held by the Fund. A Fund will set aside in a segregated account at the Funds custodian liquid assets, such as cash, U.S. government securities or other high grade liquid debt obligations equal in value to the amount due on the underlying obligation. Such segregated assets will be marked-to-market daily, and additional assets will be placed in the segregated account whenever the total value of the segregated account falls below the amount due on the underlying obligation.
The risks associated with the use of options on Futures Contracts include the risk that a Fund may close out its position as a writer of an option only if a liquid secondary market exists for such options, which cannot be assured. A Funds successful use of options on Futures Contracts depends on the portfolio managers ability to correctly predict the movement in prices of Futures Contracts and the underlying instruments, which may prove to be incorrect. In addition, there may be imperfect correlation between the instruments being hedged and the Futures Contract subject to the option.
The writing and purchasing of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Options transactions may result in significantly higher transaction costs for a Fund.
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For additional information, see Futures Contracts. Certain characteristics of the futures market might increase the risk that movements in the prices of Futures Contracts or options on Futures Contracts might not correlate perfectly with movements in the prices of the investments being hedged. For example, all participants in the futures and options on Futures Contracts markets are subject to daily variation margin calls and might be compelled to liquidate futures or options on Futures Contracts positions whose prices are moving unfavorably to avoid being subject to further calls. These liquidations could increase the price volatility of the instruments and distort the normal price relationship between the futures or options and the investments being hedged. Also, because of initial margin deposit requirements in futures markets, there might be increased participation by speculators in the futures markets. This participation also might cause temporary price distortions. In addition, activities of large traders in both the futures and securities markets involving arbitrage, program trading and other investment strategies might result in temporary price distortions.
Options Transactions
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may purchase put and call options on specific securities (including groups or baskets of specific securities), interest rates, and/or bond indices.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right (but not the obligation) to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at a stated price (the exercise price) at any time before the option expires. A call option on a security gives the purchaser the right (but not the obligation) to buy, and the writer the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time before the option expires. The purchase price for a put or call option is the premium paid by the purchaser for the right to sell or buy.
The Fund may purchase put options to hedge against a decline in the value of its portfolio. By using put options in this way, the Fund would reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized in the underlying security by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. In similar fashion, the Fund may purchase call options to protect against an increase in the price of securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing in the future, a practice sometimes referred to as anticipatory hedging. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security rises sufficiently, the option may expire unexercised.
Options on Interest Rates and Indices. The Fund may purchase put and call options on interest rates and on bond indices. An option on interest rates or on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing value of the underlying interest rate or index is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the exercise-settlement value of the interest rate option or the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple (the multiplier). The writer of the option is obligated, for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Settlements for interest rate and index options are always in cash.
Expiration or Exercise of Options. If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, underlying security or index, exercise price, and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires.
The Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option which is sold. Prior to exercise or expiration, an option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series. The Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less
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than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, the Fund will realize a capital loss. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market price of the underlying security or index in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying security or index, and the time remaining until the expiration date.
Swap Agreements
A swap is a derivative instrument that typically involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties on specified dates (settlement dates), where the cash flows are based on agreed-upon prices, rates, indices, etc. The nominal amount on which the cash flows are calculated is called the notional amount. Swaps are individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors, such as interest rates, non-U.S. currency rates, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, security prices, indexes or inflation rates.
Swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the investments of a Fund and its share price. The performance of swap agreements may be affected by a change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterpartys creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would be likely to decline, potentially resulting in losses.
Generally, swap agreements have a fixed maturity date that will be agreed upon by the parties. The agreement can be terminated before the maturity date only under limited circumstances, such as default by one of the parties or insolvency, among others, and can be transferred by a party only with the prior written consent of the other party. A Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or by other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. If the counterparty is unable to meet its obligations under the contract, declares bankruptcy, defaults or becomes insolvent, a Fund may not be able to recover the money it expected to receive under the contract.
A swap agreement can be a form of leverage, which can magnify a Funds gains or losses. In order to reduce the risk associated with leveraging, a Fund may cover its current obligations under swap agreements according to guidelines established by the SEC. If a Fund enters into a swap agreement on a net basis, it will segregate assets with a daily value at least equal to the excess, if any, of a Funds accrued obligations under the swap agreement over the accrued amount the Fund is entitled to receive under the agreement. If a Fund enters into a swap agreement on other than a net basis, it will segregate assets with a value equal to the full amount of a Funds accrued obligations under the agreement.
Commodity-Based Swaps. Each Fund may enter into commodity-based swaps. In a typical commodity-based swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a commodity, commodity index or basket of commodities in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into a commodity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to commodities making up the index without actually purchasing those commodities. Commodity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the commodities represented in the index, but also the risk that the return on such commodities will not exceed the return on the interest rate that a Fund will be committed to pay.
Interest Rate Swaps. Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may enter into interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are fixed-for-floating rate swaps, termed basis swaps and index amortizing swaps. Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are
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typically fixed-for-floating swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely.
Total Return Swaps. Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may enter into total return swaps. In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other the total return of a defined underlying asset during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. A total return swap may be applied to any underlying asset but is most commonly used with equity indices, single stocks, bonds and defined baskets of loans and mortgages. The Fund might enter into a total return swap involving an underlying index or basket of securities to create exposure to a potentially widely-diversified range of securities in a single trade. An index total return swap can be used by the portfolio managers to assume risk, without the complications of buying the component securities from what may not always be the most liquid of markets.
Credit Default Swaps. Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may enter into credit default swaps. A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements either as a buyer or a seller. The Fund may buy protection to attempt to mitigate the risk of default or credit quality deterioration in one or more of its individual holdings or in a segment of the fixed income securities market to which it has exposure, or to take a short position in individual bonds or market segments which it does not own. The Fund may sell protection in an attempt to gain exposure to the credit quality characteristics of particular bonds or market segments without investing directly in those bonds or market segments.
As the buyer of protection in a credit default swap, the Fund will pay a premium (by means of an upfront payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement) in return for the right to deliver a referenced bond or group of bonds to the protection seller and receive the full notional or par value (or other agreed upon value) upon a default (or similar event) by the issuer(s) of the underlying referenced obligation(s). If no default occurs, the protection seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligation to the Fund. Thus, the cost to the Fund would be the premium paid with respect to the agreement. If a credit event occurs, however, the Fund may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. The Fund bears the risk that the protection seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations.
If the Fund is a seller of protection in a credit default swap and no credit event occurs, the Fund would generally receive an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap. If a credit event occurs, however, generally the Fund would have to pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As the protection seller, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Thus, the Fund bears the same risk as it would by buying the reference obligations directly, plus the additional risks related to obtaining investment exposure through a derivative instrument discussed below under Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.
Swap Options. Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may use swap options. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel, or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms. A cash-settled option on a swap gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap as of the exercise date. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swap options. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund generally will incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swap option than when it purchases a swap option. When the Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swap option, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.
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Risks Associated with Swap Transactions. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If a Sub-Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors the investment performance of a Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. As the protection seller in a credit default swap, a Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. A Fund may only close out a swap or other two-party contract with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. In addition, the price at which a Fund may close out such a two party contract may not correlate with the price change in the underlying reference asset. If the counterparty defaults, a Fund will have contractual remedies, but there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that the Fund will succeed in enforcing its rights. It also is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect a Funds ability to terminate existing swap or other agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
Interest Rate Caps, Collars and Floors
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund may enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar involves selling a cap and purchasing a floor or vice versa to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
Structured Notes
Each Fund may purchase structured notes. Structured notes are privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to the performance of a benchmark asset, market or interest rate (an embedded index), such as selected securities or commodities, an index of securities or commodities or specified interest rates, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. When a Fund purchases a structured note, it will make a payment of principal to the counterparty. Some structured notes have a guaranteed repayment of principal while others place a portion (or all) of the principal at risk. The possibility of default by the counterparty or its credit provider may be greater for structured notes than for other types of instruments. The terms of such structured instruments normally provide that their principal and/or interest payments are to be adjusted upwards or downwards (but not ordinarily below zero) to reflect changes in the embedded index while the structured instruments are outstanding. As a result, the interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured product may vary widely, depending upon a variety of factors, including the volatility of the embedded index and the effect of changes in the embedded index on principal and/or interest payments. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of the referenced index or indexes or other assets. Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss. Structured notes may not have an active trading market.
Commodity Forward Contracts
Each Fund may purchase commodity forward contracts. A commodity forward contract, which may be standardized and exchange-traded or customized and privately negotiated, is an agreement for one party to buy, and the other party to sell, a specific quantity of an underlying commodity or other tangible asset for an agreed-upon price at a future date. A forward contract generally is settled by physical delivery of the commodity or other tangible asset underlying the forward contract to an agreed upon location at a future date (rather than settled by cash) or will be rolled forward into a new
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forward contract. Non-deliverable forwards ( NDFs ) specify a cash payment upon maturity. NDFs are normally used when the market for physical settlement of the commodity is underdeveloped, heavily regulated or highly taxed.
Risks and Special Considerations Concerning Derivatives
The use of derivative instruments involves certain general risks and considerations as described below.
(1) Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Fund to losses. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the portfolio managers ability to predict movements in the relevant markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed.
(2) Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for over-the-counter ( OTC ) derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For many OTC instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee and there is less regulation or supervision of transactions. In all transactions, a Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to the Fund. A Fund will enter into derivatives transactions only with counterparties that its respective portfolio managers reasonably believe are capable of performing under the contract.
(3) Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. A Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as cover, maintain segregated accounts, and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If a Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. These requirements might impair a Funds ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. A Funds ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. There is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to a Fund.
(4) Systemic or Interconnection Risk. Systemic or interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.
(5) Regulatory Risk. The Dodd-Frank Act Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act ) has initiated a dramatic revision of the U.S. financial regulatory framework and covers a broad range of topics, including (among many others) a reorganization of federal financial regulators; a process intended to improve financial systemic stability and the resolution of potentially insolvent financial firms; and new rules for derivatives trading. Instruments in which the Funds may invest, or the issuers of such instruments, may be affected by the new legislation
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and regulation in ways that are unforeseeable. Many of the implementing regulations have not yet been finalized. Accordingly, the ultimate impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, including on the derivative instruments in which the Funds may invest, is not yet certain.
The Funds may invest in exchange-traded noted ( ETNs ) linked to the value of commodities. ETNs are generally notes representing debt of the issuer, usually a financial institution. ETNs combine both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETNs returns are based on the performance of one or more underlying assets, reference rates or indexes, minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETNs maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the specific asset, index or rate to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments, and principal is not protected.
The value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuers credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the reference instrument. An ETN that is tied to a reference instrument may not replicate the performance of the reference instrument. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable reference instrument. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Levered ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. While leverage allows for greater potential return, the potential for loss is also greater. Finally, additional losses may be incurred if the investment loses value because, in addition to the money lost on the investment, the loan still needs to be repaid.
Because the return on the ETN is dependent on the issuers ability or willingness to meet its obligations, the value of the ETN may change due to a change in the issuers credit rating, despite no change in the underlying reference instrument. The market value of ETN shares may differ from the value of the reference instrument. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the assets underlying the reference instrument that the ETN seeks to track.
There may be restrictions on a Funds right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which are generally meant to be held until maturity. A Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. An investor in an ETN could lose some or all of the amount invested.
Each Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws) and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, a Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Funds net assets. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Adviser the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any portfolio security, although it has retained oversight over and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. The Adviser works with and to a large extent relies on the expertise and advice of the Sub-Advisers in making these liquidity determinations. Although no definitive liquidity criteria are used, the Board of Trustees has directed the Adviser to look to such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; and the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other permissible relevant facts.
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Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Where registration is required, a Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, a Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate.
Each Fund may invest in foreign (non-U.S.) investments as described in its prospectus. Investing in securities issued by foreign companies involves considerations and possible risks not typically associated with investing in securities issued by domestic corporations. The values of foreign investments are affected by changes in currency rates or exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws, including withholding taxes, changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in the United States or abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. Costs are incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. In addition, foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than in the United States, and foreign securities markets may be less liquid, more volatile and less subject to governmental supervision than in the United States. Investments in foreign countries could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations which could extend settlement periods. Dividend income a Fund receives from foreign securities may not be eligible for the special tax treatment reserved for qualified dividend income. See Taxation.
Investments in foreign securities will expose the Fund to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social or economic changes in the countries that issue the securities or in which the issuers are located. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest have historically experienced, and may continue to experience, high rates of inflation, high interest rates, exchange rate fluctuations, large amounts of external debt, balance of payments and trade difficulties, and extreme poverty and unemployment. Many of these countries are also characterized by political uncertainty and instability. The cost of servicing external debt will generally be adversely affected by rising international interest rates because many external debt obligations bear interest at rates that are adjusted based upon international interest rates. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is a risk of: the possibility of expropriation of assets; confiscatory taxation; difficulty in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment; economic, political or social instability; and diplomatic developments that could affect investments in those countries.
Other Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
The Funds may invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies, including registered investment companies that are ETFs that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments. ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their NAV. Most ETFs hold a portfolio of common stocks or bonds designed to track the performance of a securities index, including industry, sector, country and region indexes, but an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF.
The Funds may also invest a portion of their assets in pooled investment vehicles other than registered investment companies. A Fund will only invest in other pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments. For example, some vehicles which are commonly referred to as exchange traded funds may not be registered investment companies because of the nature of their underlying investments. As a stockholder in an investment company or other pooled vehicle, a Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment companys or vehicles expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the funds or vehicles advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent a Fund invests in other investment companies or vehicles. In addition, the securities of other investment companies or pooled vehicles may be leveraged and will therefore be subject to leverage
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risks (in addition to other risks of the investment companys or pooled vehicles strategy). The Funds will also incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs and other pooled vehicles.
An investment in the shares of another fund is subject to the risks associated with that funds portfolio securities. To the extent a Fund invests in shares of another fund, Fund shareholders would indirectly pay a portion of that funds expenses, including advisory fees, brokerage and other distribution expenses. These fees and expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the Funds own operations.
Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an instrument under which an investor, such as a Fund, purchases a U.S. government security from a vendor, with an agreement by the vendor to repurchase the security at the same price, plus interest at a specified rate. In such a case, the security is held by that Fund, in effect, as collateral for the repurchase obligation. Repurchase agreements may be entered into with member banks of the Federal Reserve System or primary dealers (as designated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) in U.S. government securities. Repurchase agreements usually have a short duration, often less than one week. In entering into the repurchase agreement for a Fund, the Nuveen Asset Management will evaluate and monitor the creditworthiness of the vendor. In the event that a vendor should default on its repurchase obligation, a Fund might suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from the sale of the collateral were less than the repurchase price. If the vendor becomes bankrupt, a Fund might be delayed, or may incur costs or possible losses of principal and income, in selling the collateral.
When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Transactions
Each Fund may from time to time purchase debt securities on a when-issued or other delayed-delivery basis. The price of debt securities purchased on a when-issued basis is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date. Normally, the settlement date occurs within 45 days of the purchase. During the period between the purchase and settlement, no payment is made by a Fund to the issuer and no interest is accrued on debt securities. Forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date. This risk is in addition to the risk of decline in value of a Funds other assets. Although when-issued securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Funds intend to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them. At the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase a debt security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The Funds do not believe that net asset value will be adversely affected by purchases of debt securities on a when-issued basis.
Each Fund will designate on its books or maintain in a segregated account cash and liquid securities equal in value to commitments for when-issued securities. When the time comes to pay for when-issued securities, each Fund will meet its obligations from then-available cash flow, sale of the segregated securities, sale of other securities or, although it would not normally expect to do so, from the sale of the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Funds payment obligation).
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The management of the Trust, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Funds by the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The number of trustees of the Trust is twelve, two of whom are interested persons (as the term interested person is defined in the 1940 Act) and ten of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as independent trustees ). None of the independent trustees has ever been a trustee, director or employee of, or consultant to, the Adviser or its affiliates. The names, business addresses and years of birth of the trustees and officers of the Funds, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. The trustees of the Trust are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 182 Nuveen-sponsored registered investment companies (the Nuveen Funds ), which include 101 open-end mutual funds (the Nuveen Mutual Funds ), 74 closed-end funds and seven exchange-traded funds.
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Independent Trustees: |
||||||||||
Jack B. Evans 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1948 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Director, The Gazette Company; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm; formerly, Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. | 182 | Director and Chairman, United Fire Group, a publicly held company; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy. |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
William C. Hunter 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1948 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2006 |
Dean Emeritus, formerly, Dean (2006-2012), Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa; Director (since 2005) and past President (2010-2014), Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society; Director of Wellmark, Inc. (since 2009); formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003). | 182 | Director (since 2004) of Xerox Corporation. | |||||
David J. Kundert 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1942 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
Formerly, Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013); retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; Regent Emeritus, Member of Investment Committee, Luther College; Member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; Member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible; Member of the Board of Trustees, Milwaukee Repertory Theater. | 182 | None |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Albin F. Moschner 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1952 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm (since 2012); previously, held positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., including Consultant (2011-2012), Chief Operating Officer (2008-2011) and Chief Marketing Officer (2004-2008); formerly, President, Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. (2000-2003); formerly, President, One Point Services at One Point Communications (1999-2000); formerly, Vice Chairman of the Board, Diba, Incorporated (1996-1997); formerly, various executive positions with Zenith Electronics Corporation (1991-1996). | 182 | Director, USA Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions and services to facilitate electronic payment transactions (since 2012); formerly, Director, Wintrust Financial Corporation (1996-2016). |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
John K. Nelson 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1962 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2013 |
Member of Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing and communications strategies for clients; Director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (since 2009) and The Presidents Council, Fordham University (since 2010); formerly, senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014); former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Marian University (2010-2014 as trustee, 2011-2014 as Chairman); formerly, Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division (2007-2008); prior senior positions held at ABN AMRO include Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Global Marketsthe Americas (2006-2007), CEO of Wholesale BankingNorth America and Global Head of Foreign Exchange and Futures Markets (2001-2006), and Regional Commercial Treasurer and Senior Vice President TradingNorth America (1996-2001); formerly, Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. | 182 | None |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
William J. Schneider 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1944 |
Chairman of the Board and Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service Since 2006 |
Chairman of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company; Board Member of Med-America Health System and of WDPR Public Radio station; formerly, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Group; formerly, Director, Dayton Development Coalition; formerly, Board Member, Business Advisory Council, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank and University of Dayton Business School Advisory Council. | 182 | None | |||||
Judith M. Stockdale 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1947 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
Board Member of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since 2013); Board Member of the Land Trust Alliance (since 2013); formerly, Executive Director (1994-2012), Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (1990-1994). | 182 | None | |||||
Carole E. Stone 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1947 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
Director, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (since 2006); Director, C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (since 2009); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010). | 182 | Director, CBOE Holdings, Inc. (since 2010). |
S-30
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Terence J. Toth 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1959 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2008 |
Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008); Director, Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010) and Quality Control Corporation (since 2012); formerly, Director, LogicMark LLC (2012-2016); formerly, Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (2008-2013); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); Member, Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and Chair of its investment committee; formerly, Member, Chicago Fellowship Board (2005-2016), Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004). | 182 | None |
S-31
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Margaret L. Wolff 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1955 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service Since 2016 |
Formerly, of Counsel (2005-2014), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Mergers & Acquisitions Group); Member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (since 2005); Member (since 2004) and Chair (since 2015) of the Board of Trustees of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults); formerly, Member (2005-2015) and Vice Chair (2011-2015) of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Holyoke College. | 182 | Member of the Board of Directors (since 2013) of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each, a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). |
S-32
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other
|
|||||
Interested Trustees: |
||||||||||
William Adams IV** 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1955 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2014 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products (2010-2016) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2011); President (since 2011), formerly, Managing Director (2010-2011), of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Board Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gildas Club Chicago. | 182 | None | |||||
Margo L. Cook** 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1964 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016), formerly, Executive Vice President (2011-2015) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015), formerly, Executive Vice President (2013-2015), of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Managing DirectorInvestment Services of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (2011-2016); Chartered Financial Analyst. | 182 | None |
* | Each trustee serves an indefinite term until his or her successor is elected. |
** | Mr. Adams and Ms.Cook are interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their positions with Nuveen Investments, Inc. (Nuveen Investments) and certain of its subsidiaries. |
S-33
Name, Business
Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Officers of the Trust: |
||||||||
Greg A. Bottjer 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1971 |
Chief
|
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service
|
Managing Director (since 2011), formerly, Senior Vice President (2007-2010) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Managing Director (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 101 | ||||
Lorna C. Ferguson* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1945 |
Vice President |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 |
Managing Director of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Stephen D. Foy* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1954 |
Vice President and Controller |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 | Managing Director (since 2014), formerly, Senior Vice President (2013-2014) and Vice President (2005-2013) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chief Financial Officer (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Managing Director (since 2016) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Certified Public Accountant. | 183 | ||||
Nathaniel T. Jones*
333 West Wacker
Drive
|
Vice President and Treasurer |
TermUntil
August 2017 Length of Service Since 2016 |
Senior Vice President (since 2016), formerly, Vice President (2011-2016) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 | ||||
Walter M. Kelly* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1970 |
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service Since 2006 | Senior Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Tina M. Lazar* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1961 |
Vice President |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service Since 2006 | Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. and Nuveen Securities, LLC. | 183 |
S-34
Name, Business
Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Kevin J. McCarthy* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1966 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service Since 2007 |
Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary (2007-2016) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director, Assistant Secretary (2011-2016) and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC; Vice President (since 2007) and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Assistant Secretary, of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President (since 2010) and Secretary (since March 2016) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. |
183 | ||||
Kathleen L. Prudhomme*
901 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55402 1953 |
Vice President and Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service Since 2011 | Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. | 183 |
S-35
Name, Business
Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Christopher M. Rohrbacher*
333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1971 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service Since 2008 |
Senior Vice President (since 2011), formerly, Vice President (2008-2011) and Assistant General Counsel (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Joel T. Slager*
333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1978 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2013 | Fund Tax Director for Nuveen Funds (since 2013); previously, Vice President of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., Assistant Treasurer of the Morgan Stanley Funds (2010-2013). | 183 | ||||
Gifford R. Zimmerman* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1956 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 |
Managing Director (since 2002) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary (since 1997) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Symphony Asset Management LLC (since 2003); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006) and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2013), formerly, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (2006-2013) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 |
* | Each officer also serves as an officer of the Diversified Real Asset Income Fund, a closed-end management investment company advised by the Adviser but not overseen by the Board. |
S-36
Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees (as the case may be, each is referred to hereafter as the Board or Board of Trustees and the directors or trustees of the Nuveen Funds, as applicable, are each referred to herein as trustees ) oversees the operations and management of the Nuveen Funds, including the duties performed for the Nuveen Funds by the Adviser. The Board has adopted a unitary board structure. A unitary board consists of one group of directors who serve on the board of every fund in the Nuveen Fund complex. In adopting a unitary board structure, the trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board, the overall composition of which will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, independence and experience to oversee the Nuveen Funds business. With this overall framework in mind, when the Board, through its Nominating and Governance Committee discussed below, seeks nominees for the Board, the trustees consider, not only the candidates particular background, skills and experience, among other things, but also whether such background, skills and experience enhance the Boards diversity and at the same time complement the Board given its current composition and the mix of skills and experiences of the incumbent trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the Board generally benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy on diversity or any particular definition of diversity.
The Board believes the unitary board structure enhances good and effective governance, particularly given the nature of the structure of the investment company complex. Funds in the same complex generally are served by the same service providers and personnel and are governed by the same regulatory scheme which raises common issues that must be addressed by the directors across the fund complex (such as compliance, valuation, liquidity, brokerage, trade allocation or risk management). The Board believes it is more efficient to have a single board review and oversee common policies and procedures which increases the Boards knowledge and expertise with respect to the many aspects of fund operations that are complex-wide in nature. The unitary structure also enhances the Boards influence and oversight over the investment adviser and other service providers.
In an effort to enhance the independence of the Board, the Board also has a Chairman that is an independent trustee. The Board recognizes that a chairman can perform an important role in setting the agenda for the Board, establishing the boardroom culture, establishing a point person on behalf of the Board for fund management, and reinforcing the Boards focus on the long-term interests of shareholders. The Board recognizes that a chairman may be able to better perform these functions without any conflicts of interests arising from a position with fund management. Accordingly, the trustees have elected William J. Schneider to serve as the independent Chairman of the Board. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include: (i) presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the shareholders; (ii) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the trustees are carried into effect; and (iii) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the trustees and the shareholders.
Although the Board has direct responsibility over various matters (such as advisory contracts, underwriting contracts and fund performance), the Board also exercises certain of its oversight responsibilities through several committees that it has established and which report back to the full Board. The Board believes that a committee structure is an effective means to permit trustees to focus on particular operations or issues affecting the Nuveen Funds, including risk oversight. More specifically, with respect to risk oversight, the Board has delegated matters relating to valuation and compliance to certain committees (as summarized below) as well as certain aspects of investment risk. In addition, the Board believes that the periodic rotation of trustees among the different committees allows the trustees to gain additional and different perspectives of a Nuveen Funds operations. The Board has established six standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee. The Board may also from time to time create ad hoc committees to focus on particular issues as the need arises. The membership and functions of the standing committees are summarized below.
The Executive Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board, is authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board. The members of the Executive Committee are
S-37
William Adams IV, William J. Schneider, Chair, and Terence J. Toth. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Executive Committee did not meet.
The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the accounting and reporting policies, processes and practices of the Nuveen Funds, and the audits of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the quality and integrity of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the Nuveen Funds compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Nuveen Funds financial statements; the independent auditors qualifications, performance and independence; and the pricing procedures of the Nuveen Funds and the Advisers internal valuation group. It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to select, evaluate and replace any independent auditors (subject only to Board and, if applicable, shareholder ratification) and to determine their compensation. The Audit Committee is also responsible for, among other things, overseeing the valuation of securities comprising the Nuveen Funds portfolios. Subject to the Boards general supervision of such actions, the Audit Committee addresses any valuation issues, oversees the Nuveen Funds pricing procedures and actions taken by the Advisers internal valuation group which provides regular reports to the committee, reviews any issues relating to the valuation of the Nuveen Funds securities brought to its attention and considers the risks to the Nuveen Funds in assessing the possible resolutions to these matters. The Audit Committee may also consider any financial risk exposures for the Nuveen Funds in conjunction with performing its functions.
To fulfill its oversight duties, the Audit Committee receives annual and semi-annual reports and has regular meetings with the external auditors for the Nuveen Funds and the Advisers internal audit group. The Audit Committee also may review in a general manner the processes the Board or other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management as well as compliance with legal and regulatory matters relating to the Nuveen Funds financial statements. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. Members of the Audit Committee shall be independent (as set forth in the charter) and free of any relationship that, in the opinion of the trustees, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as an Audit Committee member. The members of the Audit Committee are Jack B. Evans, Chair, David J. Kundert, John K. Nelson, Carole E. Stone and Terence J. Toth, each of whom is an independent trustee of the Nuveen Funds. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Audit Committee met four times.
The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking, identifying and recommending to the Board qualified candidates for election or appointment to the Board. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee oversees matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of Board performance and processes, the assignment and rotation of committee members, and the establishment of corporate governance guidelines and procedures, to the extent necessary or desirable, and matters related thereto. Although the unitary and committee structure has been developed over the years and the Nominating and Governance Committee believes the structure has provided efficient and effective governance, the committee recognizes that as demands on the Board evolve over time (such as through an increase in the number of funds overseen or an increase in the complexity of the issues raised), the committee must continue to evaluate the Board and committee structures and their processes and modify the foregoing as may be necessary or appropriate to continue to provide effective governance. Accordingly, the Nominating and Governance Committee has a separate meeting each year to, among other things, review the Board and committee structures, their performance and functions, and recommend any modifications thereto or alternative structures or processes that would enhance the Boards governance of the Nuveen Funds.
In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee, among other things, makes recommendations concerning the continuing education of trustees; monitors performance of legal counsel and other service providers; establishes and monitors a process by which security holders are able to communicate in writing with members of the Board; and periodically reviews and makes recommendations about any appropriate changes to trustee compensation. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee receives suggestions from various sources, including shareholders, as to suitable candidates. Suggestions should be sent in writing to Lorna Ferguson, Manager of Fund Board Relations, Nuveen Investments, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. The Nominating and Governance Committee sets appropriate standards and requirements
S-38
for nominations for new trustees and reserves the right to interview any and all candidates and to make the final selection of any new trustees. In considering a candidates qualifications, each candidate must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability (including the time requirements for due diligence site visits to sub-advisers and service providers) and, if qualifying as an independent trustee candidate, independence from the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, the Distributor and other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. These skill and experience requirements may vary depending on the current composition of the Board, since the goal is to ensure an appropriate range of skills, diversity and experience, in the aggregate. Accordingly, the particular factors considered and weight given to these factors will depend on the composition of the Board and the skills and backgrounds of the incumbent trustees at the time of consideration of the nominees. All candidates, however, must meet high expectations of personal integrity, independence, governance experience and professional competence. All candidates must be willing to be critical within the Board and with management and yet maintain a collegial and collaborative manner toward other Board members. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. This committee is composed of the independent trustees of the Nuveen Funds. Accordingly, the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, William J. Schneider, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Nominating and Governance Committee met six times.
The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare distributions on the Nuveen Funds shares, including, but not limited to, regular and special dividends, capital gains and ordinary income distributions. The members of the Dividend Committee are William C. Hunter, Chair, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Dividend Committee met four times.
The Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee (the Compliance Committee ) is responsible for the oversight of compliance issues, risk management and other regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds that are not otherwise the jurisdiction of the other committees. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Nuveen Funds compliance and risk matters. As part of its duties, the Compliance Committee reviews the policies and procedures relating to compliance matters and recommends modifications thereto as necessary or appropriate to the full Board; develops new policies and procedures as new regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds arise from time to time; evaluates or considers any comments or reports from examinations from regulatory authorities and responses thereto; and performs any special reviews, investigations or other oversight responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or regulatory matters as requested by the Board.
In addition, the Compliance Committee is responsible for risk oversight, including, but not limited to, the oversight of risks related to investments and operations. Such risks include, among other things, exposures to particular issuers, market sectors, or types of securities; risks related to product structure elements, such as leverage; and techniques that may be used to address those risks, such as hedging and swaps. In assessing issues brought to the committees attention or in reviewing a particular policy, procedure, investment technique or strategy, the Compliance Committee evaluates the risks to the Nuveen Funds in adopting a particular approach compared to the anticipated benefits to the Nuveen Funds and their shareholders. In fulfilling its obligations, the Compliance Committee meets on a quarterly basis, and at least once a year in person. The Compliance Committee receives written and oral reports from the Nuveen Funds Chief Compliance Officer ( CCO ) and meets privately with the CCO at each of its quarterly meetings. The CCO also provides an annual report to the full Board regarding the operations of the Nuveen Funds and other service providers compliance programs as well as any recommendations for modifications thereto. The Compliance Committee also receives reports from the Advisers investment services group regarding various investment risks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board also participates in discussions with management regarding certain matters relating to investment risk, such as the use of leverage and hedging. The investment services group therefore also reports to the full Board at its quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. Accordingly, the Board directly and/or in conjunction with the Compliance Committee oversees matters relating to
S-39
investment risks. Matters not addressed at the committee level are addressed directly by the full Board. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Compliance Committee are William C. Hunter, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Compliance Committee met five times.
The Open-End Funds Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the Nuveen Funds that are registered as open-end management investment companies ( Open-End Funds ). The committee may review and evaluate matters related to the formation and the initial presentation to the Board of any new Open-End Fund and may review and evaluate any matters relating to any existing Open-End Fund. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Open-End Funds Committee are Margo L. Cook, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, William J. Schneider, Judith M. Stockdale, Chair, and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Open-End Funds Committee met four times.
Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications
In determining that a particular trustee was qualified to serve on the Board, the Board has considered each trustees background, skills, experience and other attributes in light of the composition of the Board with no particular factor controlling. The Board believes that trustees need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and the Board believes each trustee satisfies this standard. An effective trustee may achieve this ability through his or her educational background; business, professional training or practice; public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member or executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. Accordingly, set forth below is a summary of the experiences, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this document, that each trustee should continue to serve in that capacity. References to the experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills of trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any trustee as having any special expertise or experience and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
William Adams IV
Mr. Adams has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which he had been Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products of Nuveen Investments since November 2010. Mr. Adams is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TIAA Global Asset Management ( TGAM ), as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investments Management and Operating Committees. Mr. Adams has also served as Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC since January 2011. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, U.S. Structured Products from December 1999 until November 2010 and served as Managing Director of Structured Investments from September 1997 to December 1999 and Vice President and Manager, Corporate Marketing from August 1994 to September 1997. He is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Mr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and his Masters of Business Administration ( MBA ) from the University of Chicagos Graduate School of Business. He is an Associate Fellow of Yales Timothy Dwight College and is currently on the Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gildas Club Chicago.
Margo L. Cook
Ms. Cook has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which she had been Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments since July 2015. Ms. Cook is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TGAM, as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investments Management and Operating Committees. She is Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015) of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Since joining in 2008, she has held
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various leadership roles at Nuveen Investments, including as Head of Investment Services, responsible for investment-related efforts across the firm. Ms. Cook also serves on the Board of Nuveen Global Fund Investors. Before joining Nuveen Investments, she was the Global Head of Bear Stearns Asset Managements institutional business. Prior to that, she spent over 20 years within BNY Mellons asset management business; including as Chief Investment Officer for Institutional Asset Management and Head of Institutional Fixed Income. Ms. Cook earned her bachelors degree in finance from the University of Rhode Island, her Executive MBA from Columbia University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She serves as Vice Chair of The University of Rhode Island Foundation Board of Trustees and Chair of the All Stars Project of Chicago Board.
Jack B. Evans
President of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation, since 1996, Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of the SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Formerly, he was a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a Director of Alliant Energy and Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. Mr. Evans is Chairman of the Board of United Fire Group, sits on the Board of The Gazette Company and is a Life Trustee of Coe College. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coe College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.
William C. Hunter
Mr. Hunter became Dean Emeritus of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on June 30, 2012. He was appointed Dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on July 1, 2006. He had been Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of Connecticut School of Business since June 2003. From 1995 to 2003, he was the Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. While there he served as the Banks Chief Economist and was an Associate Economist on the Federal Reserve Systems Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). In addition to serving as a Vice President in charge of financial markets and basic research at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, he held faculty positions at Emory University, Atlanta University, the University of Georgia and Northwestern University. A past Director of the Credit Research Center at Georgetown University, SS&C Technologies, Inc. (2005) and past President of the Financial Management Association International, he has consulted with numerous foreign central banks and official agencies in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America and South America. From 1990 to 1995, he was a U.S. Treasury Advisor to Central and Eastern Europe. He has been a Director of the Xerox Corporation since 2004 and Wellmark, Inc. since 2009. He currently is a Director and past President of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society.
David J. Kundert
Mr. Kundert retired in 2004 as Chairman of JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, and as President and CEO of Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and as President of One Group Mutual Funds. Prior to the merger between Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase and Co., he was Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and, since 1995, the Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group. From 1988 to 1992, he was President and CEO of Bank One Wisconsin Trust Company. Mr. Kundert recently retired as a Director of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013). He started his career as an attorney for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Kundert has served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and he is currently a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. He is on the Board of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and chairs its Investment Committee. He is a Regent Emeritus and a Member of the Investment Committee of Luther College. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible and on the Board of Trustees of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater (since 2016). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College, and his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University.
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Albin F. Moschner
Mr. Moschner is a consultant in the wireless industry and, in July 2012, founded Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm that provides operational, management and governance solutions. Prior to founding Northcroft Partners, LLC, Mr. Moschner held various positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., a provider of wireless services, where he was a consultant from February 2011 to July 2012, Chief Operating Officer from July 2008 to February 2011, and Chief Marketing Officer from August 2004 to June 2008. Before he joined Leap Wireless International, Inc., Mr. Moschner was President of the Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. from 2000 to 2003, and President of One Point Services at One Point Communications from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Moschner also served at Zenith Electronics Corporation as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 1996, and as Director, President and Chief Operating Officer from 1994 to 1995. Since 2012, Mr. Moschner has been a member of the Board of Directors of USA Technologies, Inc. and, from 1996 until 2016, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation. In addition, he currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Kellogg School of Management (since 1995) and the Archdiocese of Chicago Financial Council (since May 2012). Mr. Moschner received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York in 1974 and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University in 1979.
John K. Nelson
Mr. Nelson is on the Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing, and communications strategies for clients. Mr. Nelson formerly was a senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014). He has served in several senior executive positions with ABN AMRO Holdings N.V. and its affiliated entities and predecessors, including LaSalle Bank Corporation from 1996 to 2008. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Nelson was Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division. He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, and during his tenure with ABN AMRO, served as the banks representative on various committees of the Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, and the Bank of England. At Fordham University, he currently serves as a director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies, and The Presidents Council. He is also a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and was formerly a member of The Hyde Park Angels and a Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. He formerly served as the Chairman of The Board of Trustees of Marian University (2011-2014). Mr. Nelson graduated and received his MBA from Fordham University.
William J. Schneider
Mr. Schneider, the Nuveen Funds Independent Chairman, is currently Chairman, formerly Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company. He is an owner in several other Miller-Valentine Group entities. He is currently a member of the boards of WDPR Public radio station and of Med-America Health System. He was formerly a Director and Past Chair of the Dayton Development Coalition. He was formerly a member of the Community Advisory Board of the National City Bank in Dayton as well as a former member of the Business Advisory Council of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Schneider was also a member of the Business Advisory Council for the University of Dayton College of Business. He also served as Chair of the Miami Valley Hospital and as Chair of the Finance Committee of its parent holding company. Mr. Schneider was an independent Trustee of the Flagship Funds, a group of municipal open-end funds. Mr. Schneider has a Bachelor of Science in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
Judith M. Stockdale
Ms. Stockdale retired in 2012 as Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a private foundation working in land conservation and artistic vitality in the Chicago region and the Low country of South Carolina. She is currently a board member of the Land Trust Alliance (since June 2013) and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since November 2013). Her previous positions include Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Executive Director of
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Openlands, and Senior Staff Associate at the Chicago Community Trust. She has served on the Advisory Council of the National Zoological Park, the Governors Science Advisory Council (Illinois) and the Nancy Ryerson Ranney Leadership Grants Program. She has served on the Boards of Brushwood Center and the Donors Forum. Ms. Stockdale, a native of the United Kingdom, has a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Durham (UK) and a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University.
Carole E. Stone
Ms. Stone is currently on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Holdings, Inc. and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated. Ms. Stone retired from the New York State Division of the Budget in 2004, having served as its Director for nearly five years and as Deputy Director from 1995 through 1999. She has also served as the Chair of the New York Racing Association Oversight Board, as a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. Ms. Stone has a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College in Business Administration.
Terence J. Toth
Mr. Toth is a Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008). From 2008 to 2013, he was a Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. From 2004 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of Northern Trust Global Investments, and Executive Vice President of Quantitative Management & Securities Lending from 2000 to 2004. He also formerly served on the Board of the Northern Trust Mutual Funds. He joined Northern Trust in 1994 after serving as Managing Director and Head of Global Securities Lending at Bankers Trust (1986 to 1994) and Head of Government Trading and Cash Collateral Investment at Northern Trust from 1982 to 1986. He currently serves on the Boards of Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010), Quality Control Corporation (since 2012) and Catalyst Schools of Chicago (since 2008). He is on the Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and is Chair of its investment committee and previously served as a Director of LogicMark LLC (2012-2016). Mr. Toth graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, and received his MBA from New York University. In 2005, he graduated from the CEO Perspectives Program at Northwestern University.
Margaret L. Wolff
Ms. Wolff retired from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2014 after more than 30 years of providing client service in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. During her legal career, Ms. Wolff devoted significant time to advising boards and senior management on U.S. and international corporate, securities, regulatory and strategic matters, including governance, shareholder, fiduciary, operational and management issues. Since 2013, she has been a Board member of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each of which is a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). Ms. Wolff has been a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2005 and, since 2004, she has served as a trustee of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults) where she currently is the Chair. From 2005 to 2015, she was a trustee of Mt. Holyoke College and served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011 to 2015. Ms. Wolff received her Bachelor of Arts from Mt. Holyoke College and her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
The following table shows, for each independent trustee, (1) the aggregate compensation (including deferred amounts) paid by the Funds for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, (2) the amount of total compensation paid by the Funds that has been deferred, and (3) the total compensation (including deferred amounts) paid to each trustee by the Nuveen Funds during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. Pursuant to the Boards deferred compensation plan, a portion
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of the independent trustees compensation may be deferred and treated as though an equivalent dollar amount has been invested in shares of one or more eligible Nuveen Funds. The amount of total compensation that has been deferred provided below represents the total deferred fees (including the return from the assumed investment in the eligible Nuveen Funds) payable from the Funds.
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation From Funds |
Amount of Total
Compensation that Has Been Deferred |
Total Compensation
From Nuveen Funds Paid to Trustee |
|||||||||
Jack B. Evans | $ | 467 | $ | 47 | $ | 341,589 | ||||||
William C. Hunter | 440 | | 327,750 | |||||||||
David J. Kundert | 464 | 446 | 330,085 | |||||||||
Albin F. Moschner 1 | 49 | | 70,000 | |||||||||
John K. Nelson | 463 | | 329,500 | |||||||||
William J. Schneider | 535 | 514 | 385,439 | |||||||||
Judith M. Stockdale | 426 | 88 | 320,130 | |||||||||
Carole E. Stone | 469 | 231 | 331,786 | |||||||||
Terence J. Toth | 476 | 139 | 340,230 | |||||||||
Margaret L. Wolff 2 | 98 | 32 | 119,449 |
1 |
Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
2 |
Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016. |
Prior to January 1, 2016, independent trustees received a $160,000 annual retainer plus (a) a fee of $5,250 per day for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acted as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board received $75,000, the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee received $12,500 each and the chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee received $5,000 as additional retainers. Independent trustees also received a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provided services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting was held. When ad hoc committees were organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee at the time of formation determined compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees were $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses were allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management might have, in its discretion, established a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.
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Effective January 1, 2016, independent trustees receive a $170,000 annual retainer, which is increased to $177,500 as of January 1, 2017, plus they receive (a) a fee of $5,500 per day, which is increased to $5,750 per day as of January 1, 2017, for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acts as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board receives $80,000, and the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee receive $12,500 each as additional retainers. Independent trustees also receive a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provide services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting is held. When ad hoc committees are organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee will at the time of formation determine compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees will be $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management may, in its discretion, establish a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.
The Trust does not have a retirement or pension plan. The Trust has a deferred compensation plan (the Deferred Compensation Plan ) that permits any independent trustee to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her compensation as an independent trustee. The deferred compensation of a participating trustee is credited to a book reserve account of the Trust when the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the trustee. The value of the trustees deferral account at any time is equal to the value that the account would have had if contributions to the account had been invested and reinvested in shares of one or more of the eligible Nuveen Funds. At the time for commencing distributions from a trustees deferral account, the independent trustee may elect to receive distributions in a lump sum or over a period of five years. The Trust will not be liable for any other funds obligations to make distributions under the Deferred Compensation Plan.
The Funds have no employees. The officers of the Trust and the trustees of the Trust who are not independent trustees serve without any compensation from the Funds.
The information in the table below discloses the dollar ranges of (i) each trustees beneficial ownership in each Fund, and (ii) each trustees aggregate beneficial ownership in all funds within the
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Nuveen Funds complex, including in each case the value of fund shares elected by the trustee in the trustees deferred compensation plan, based on the value of fund shares as of December 31, 2016:
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies |
|||||
Name of Trustee |
Nuveen Gresham
Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
Nuveen Gresham
Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
||||
William Adams IV |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
Margo L. Cook 1 |
$1-$10,000 | $10,001-$50,000 | Over $100,000 | |||
Jack B. Evans |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
William C. Hunter |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
David J. Kundert |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
Albin F. Moschner 2 |
$0 | $0 | $0 | |||
John K. Nelson |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
William J. Schneider |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
Judith M. Stockdale |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
Carole E. Stone |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
Terence J. Toth |
$0 | $0 | Over $100,000 | |||
Margaret L. Wolff 3 |
$0 | $0 | $50,001-$100,000 |
1 |
Ms. Cook was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
2 |
Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
3 |
Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016. |
As of January 3, 2017, the officers and trustees of the Trust, in the aggregate, owned less than 1% of the shares of each of the Funds.
As of January 3, 2017, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned, beneficially, or of record, any securities in (i) an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Funds or (ii) a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Funds.
Trustees of the Trust and certain other Fund affiliates may purchase the Funds Class I shares. See the Funds Prospectus for details.
Nuveen Fund Advisors, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the investment adviser of each Fund, with responsibility for the overall management of each Fund. The Adviser is also responsible for managing the Funds business affairs and providing day-to-day administrative services to the Funds. The Adviser has selected its affiliates, Gresham, located at 257 Park Avenue South, 7 th Floor, New York, New York 10010, and Nuveen Asset Management, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, to serve as sub-advisers to manage the investment portfolios of the Funds. For additional information regarding the management services performed by the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers, see Who Manages the Funds in the Prospectus.
The Adviser is an affiliate of the Distributor, which is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Distributor is the principal underwriter for the Nuveen Mutual Funds, and has served as co-managing underwriter for the shares of the Nuveen Closed-End Funds. The Adviser and the Distributor are subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments.
Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management, the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America ( TIAA ).
For the management services and facilities furnished by the Adviser, each of the Funds has agreed to pay an annual management fee at a rate set forth in the Prospectus under Who Manages the Funds.
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Each Funds management fee is divided into two componentsa complex-level fee based on the aggregate amount of all eligible Nuveen Fund assets and a specific fund-level fee based only on the amount of assets within such Fund. This pricing structure enables Fund shareholders to benefit from growth in the assets within the respective Fund as well as from growth in the amount of complex-wide assets managed by the Adviser. Under no circumstances will this pricing structure result in a Fund paying management fees at a rate higher than would otherwise have been applicable had the complex-wide management fee structure not been implemented.
Each Fund has agreed to pay an annual fund-level management fee, payable monthly, based upon the average daily net assets of such Fund as set forth in the Prospectus.
The annual complex-level management fee for each Fund, payable monthly, which is additive to the fund-level fee, is based on the aggregate amount of total eligible assets managed for all Nuveen Funds as stated in the table below:
Complex-Level Asset
|
Effective Rate at
Breakpoint Level |
|||
$55 billion |
0.2000 | % | ||
$56 billion |
0.1996 | % | ||
$57 billion |
0.1989 | % | ||
$60 billion |
0.1961 | % | ||
$63 billion |
0.1931 | % | ||
$66 billion |
0.1900 | % | ||
$71 billion |
0.1851 | % | ||
$76 billion |
0.1806 | % | ||
$80 billion |
0.1773 | % | ||
$91 billion |
0.1691 | % | ||
$125 billion |
0.1599 | % | ||
$200 billion |
0.1505 | % | ||
$250 billion |
0.1469 | % | ||
$300 billion |
0.1445 | % |
* | The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily eligible assets of all Nuveen Funds. Except as described below, eligible assets include the net assets of all Nuveen-branded closed-end and open-end registered investment companies organized in the United States. Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen Funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen Fund complex in connection with Nuveen Fund Advisors assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011. Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by the Adviser that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the closed-end funds use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trusts issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by the Adviser as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. As of September 30, 2016, the complex-level fee rate was 0.1607%. |
The following table sets forth the management fees (net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements) paid by the Funds and the fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser for the specified periods.
Amount of Management Fees
(Net of Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements by the Adviser) |
Amount of Fees Waived and
Expenses Reimbursed by the Adviser |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
10/1/13-
9/30/14 |
10/1/14-
9/30/15 |
10/1/15-
9/30/16 |
10/1/13-
9/30/14 |
10/1/14-
9/30/15 |
10/1/15-
9/30/16 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
$ | 67,665 | $ | 1,217,723 | $ | 922,047 | $ | 251,175 | $ | 315,416 | $ | 349,393 | ||||||||||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
| * | | * | | * | 181,015 | 156,712 | 184,617 |
* | Nuveen Fund Advisors reimbursed expenses in excess of management fees. |
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In addition to the Advisers management fee, each Fund also pays a portion of the Trusts general administrative expenses allocated in proportion to the net assets of each Fund. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.
The Adviser has selected its affiliate, Gresham, to serve as sub-adviser with respect to the Funds commodity-linked investments. The Adviser pays Gresham a portfolio management fee out of the advisory fee paid to the Adviser for its services to the Funds.
The Adviser has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, to serve as sub-adviser with respect to the Funds fixed income investments (other than investments by Gresham in U.S. Treasury securities). The Adviser pays Nuveen Asset Management a portfolio management fee out of the advisory fee paid to the Adviser for its services to the Funds.
The following individuals have primary responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the investment strategies of the Funds:
Gresham |
Nuveen Asset Management |
|
Susan Wager | Chris J. Neuharth | |
Randy Migdal | Wan-Chong Kung, CFA | |
John Clarke | Chad W. Kemper |
Compensation
Gresham. As compensation for their responsibilities at Gresham, including responsibilities in connection with their roles as portfolio managers of the Funds, the portfolio managers each receive a base salary and an annual discretionary bonus. The amount of each portfolio managers bonus is determined based on numerous quantitative and qualitative factors, including but not limited to: (i) the amount of Greshams total assets under management; (ii) the performance of Greshams proprietary Tangible Asset Program ® relative to the performance of the Bloomberg Commodity Index; (iii) the portfolio managers individual contribution to Greshams investment activities, as well as to Greshams business development and marketing efforts; and (iv) the overall profitability of Gresham and its affiliates. The portfolio managers also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to all employees of Gresham.
Nuveen Asset Management. Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of base pay, an annual cash bonus and long-term incentive payments.
Base pay . Base pay is determined based upon an analysis of the portfolio managers general performance, experience, and market levels of base pay for such position.
Annual cash bonus . The portfolio managers are eligible for an annual cash bonus based on investment performance, qualitative evaluation and financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management.
A portion of each portfolio managers annual cash bonus is based on a Funds pre-tax investment performance, generally measured over the past one- and three- or five-year periods unless the portfolio managers tenure is shorter. Investment performance for a Fund generally is determined by evaluating the Funds performance relative to its benchmark(s) and/or Lipper industry peer group.
A portion of the cash bonus is based on a qualitative evaluation made by each portfolio managers supervisor taking into consideration a number of factors, including the portfolio managers team collaboration, expense management, support of personnel responsible for asset growth, and his or her compliance with Nuveen Asset Managements policies and procedures.
The final factor influencing a portfolio managers cash bonus is the financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management based on its operating earnings.
Long-term incentive compensation . Certain key employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, including certain portfolio managers, participate in a Long-Term Performance Plan designed
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to provide compensation opportunities that links a portion of each participants compensation to Nuveen Investments financial and operational performance. In addition, certain key employees of Nuveen Asset Management, including certain portfolio managers, have received profits interests in Nuveen Asset Management which entitle their holders to participate in the firms growth over time.
There are generally no differences between the methods used to determine compensation with respect to the Funds and the Other Accounts shown in the table below.
Other Accounts Managed
In addition to the Funds, as of September 30, 2016, the portfolio managers were also primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the following accounts:
Portfolio Manager |
Type of Account Managed |
Number of
Accounts |
Assets |
Number of
Accounts with Performance- Based Fees |
Assets of
Accounts with Performance- Based Fees |
|||||||||||||
Susan Wager |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 | $ | 47.6 million | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 3 | 409.4 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 1 | 22.7 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Randy Migdal |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 | 5.0 million | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | 1.9 billion | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 10 | 2.0 billion | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
John Clarke |
Registered Investment Companies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Chris J. Neuharth |
Registered Investment Companies | 8 | 3.3 billion | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 22 | 1.6 billion | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Wan-Chong Kung |
Registered Investment Companies | 4 | 1.3 billion | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 8 | 362.7 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Chad W. Kemper |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 | 597.3 million | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 28 | 359.6 million | 0 | 0 |
Conflicts of Interest
Gresham. Gresham LLC manages both pooled investment vehicles and separate client accounts consisting of long-only investments in futures, forward and other derivative contracts through two independent divisions. Accounts and funds that Gresham LLC manages through its Near Term Active division, which seeks to generate additional returns through rolling futures contracts, pay only a management fee based on a percentage of net asset value. Accounts and funds that Gresham LLC manages through its Term Structure Monetization division, which employs more active, opportunistic trading to take advantage of perceived anomalies along the term structure curve, pay both a management fee and a performance-based fee calculated on the outperformance of the relevant investment strategy versus an associated benchmark. There may be a conflict of interest because of the incentive to favor those accounts and funds on which Gresham LLC earns performance-based fees over those on which it does not. The conflict is largely mitigated by the fact that the divisions responsible for the day-to-day trading decisions related to accounts and funds that pay management fees only and those that also pay performance-based fees operate independently of each other. As each division is evaluated on the basis of the quality of its management of the accounts and funds for which it is responsible, it is in each divisions interest to ensure fair treatment of its portfolios, irrespective of fee arrangements.
The transactions for client accounts managed pursuant to a particular strategy may be the same as, different than, or opposite to, trades for other strategies. Accordingly, the performance in some clients accounts may be materially different than the performance in other clients accounts that employ different strategies. Moreover, Gresham LLC, its divisions, its affiliates, or principals may express views and/or effect transactions that are inconsistent with, or contrary to, the trading strategies that it undertakes on behalf of one or more clients.
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Dr. Henry Jarecki, Chairman of Gresham LLC, frequently engages in the trading, on his own behalf and on behalf of entities he controls, of commodity futures contracts and other commodity interests. Dr. Jareckis commodity trading activities include the following: investing in and trading alongside other participants in each of the Gresham LLCs strategies; seeding new Gresham LLC strategies; engaging in asset allocation trades subject to timing restrictions; and engaging in algorithmic or automated program trades. Gresham LLCs internal policies and procedures, which generally prohibit employees from engaging in personal commodities transactions other than through Gresham LLC-managed portfolios, provide certain exceptions that permit Dr. Jarecki to engage in such personal trading. While Dr. Jareckis trading activities are subject to controls designed to mitigate possible conflicts of interest (including post trade reviews of a sample of trades by Gresham LLCs Compliance Department of Dr. Jareckis trades when a conflict of interest may exist, and a periodic review by an independent auditor), his trading activities could involve potential conflicts of interest in that Dr. Jareckis trades may be different from, or opposite to, those of the Funds.
Nuveen Asset Management . Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented a number of potential conflicts, including, among others, those discussed below.
The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most accounts managed by a portfolio manager in a particular investment strategy are managed using the same investment models.
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, Nuveen Asset Management has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts.
With respect to many of its clients accounts, Nuveen Asset Management determines which broker to use to execute transaction orders, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, Nuveen Asset Management may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, Nuveen Asset Management may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for a Fund and other accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other accounts.
Some clients are subject to different regulations. As a consequence of this difference in regulatory requirements, some clients may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions or to engage in these transactions to the same extent as the other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where Nuveen Asset Management has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.
Nuveen Asset Management has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
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Beneficial Ownership of Securities
The following table indicates as of September 30, 2016 the value, within the indicated range, of shares beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Funds. For purposes of this table, the following letters indicate the range listed next to each letter:
A | - | $0 | ||
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 | - | More than $1 million |
Portfolio Manager |
Fund |
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities Beneficially Owned in Fund Managed |
||||
Susan Wager |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | A | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | A | |||||
Randy Migdal |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | A | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | A | |||||
John Clarke |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | A | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | A | |||||
Chris J. Neuharth |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | A | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | A | |||||
Wan-Chong Kung |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | A | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | A | |||||
Chad W. Kemper |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund | A | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund | A |
The Funds transfer, shareholder services, and dividend paying agent is Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ( BFDS ), 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA 02169.
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, acts as the custodian for the Funds (the Custodian ). The Custodian takes no part in determining the investment policies of the Funds or in deciding which securities are purchased or sold by the Funds. All of the instruments representing the investments of the Funds and all cash are held by the Custodian. The Custodian delivers securities against payment upon sale and pays for securities against delivery upon purchase. The Custodian also remits Fund assets in payment of Fund expenses, pursuant to instructions of the Trusts officers or resolutions of the Board of Trustees.
As compensation for its services as custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company is paid reasonable compensation as agreed upon from time to time. Sub-custodian fees with respect to a Fund are paid by State Street Bank and Trust Company out of its fees from the Fund. In addition, the Custodian is reimbursed for its out-of-pocket expenses incurred while providing services to the Funds. The Custodian continues to serve so long as its appointment is approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees including a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.
Nuveen Securities, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the distributor for the Funds shares pursuant to a best efforts arrangement as provided by a Distribution Agreement dated December 15, 2006 (the Distribution Agreement ). Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Funds appointed the Distributor to be their agent for the distribution of the Funds shares on a continuous offering basis.
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ( PwC ), One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, independent registered public accounting firm, has been selected as auditors for the Funds. In addition to audit services, PwC provides assistance on accounting, tax and related matters.
The Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and with respect to the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers, Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Acts of 1940, as amended, addressing personal securities transactions and other conduct by investment personnel and access persons who may have access to information about the Funds securities transactions. The codes are intended to address potential conflicts of interest that can arise in connection with personal trading activities of such persons. Persons subject to the codes are generally permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including investing in securities eligible for investment by the Funds, subject to certain prohibitions, which may include prohibitions on investing in certain types of securities, pre-clearance requirements, blackout periods, annual and quarterly reporting of personal securities holdings and limitations on personal trading of initial public offerings. Violations of the codes are subject to review by the Board of Trustees and could result in severe penalties.
Each Fund has delegated authority to the Adviser to vote proxies for securities held by the Fund, and the Adviser has in turn delegated that responsibility to Nuveen Asset Management. The Advisers proxy voting policy establishes minimum standards for the exercise of proxy voting authority by Nuveen Asset Management.
A member of each Funds management team is responsible for oversight of the Funds proxy voting process. With regard to equity securities, Nuveen Asset Management has engaged the services of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ( ISS ) to make recommendations on the voting of proxies relating to securities held by the Funds and managed by Nuveen Asset Management. ISS provides voting recommendations based upon established guidelines and practices. Nuveen Asset Management reviews and frequently follows ISS recommendations. However, on selected issues, Nuveen Asset Management may not vote in accordance with the ISS recommendations when it believes that specific ISS recommendations are not in the best economic interest of the applicable Fund. If Nuveen Asset Management manages the assets of a company or its pension plan and any of Nuveen Asset Managements clients hold any securities of that company, Nuveen Asset Management will vote proxies relating to such companys securities in accordance with the ISS recommendations to avoid any conflict of interest. Where a material conflict of interest has been identified by Nuveen Asset Management and ISS does not offer a recommendation on the matter, Nuveen Asset Management shall disclose the conflict and Nuveen Asset Managements Proxy Voting Committee shall determine the manner in which to vote and notify the applicable Funds Board of Trustees or its designated committee.
Although Nuveen Asset Management has affiliates that provide investment advisory, broker-dealer, insurance or other financial services, Nuveen Asset Management does not receive non-public information about the business arrangements of such affiliates (except with regard to major distribution partners of its investment products) or the directors, officers and employees of such affiliates. Therefore, Nuveen Asset Management is unable to consider such information when determining whether there are material conflicts of interests.
Nuveen Asset Management has adopted the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines. While these guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, they do provide guidance on the Sub-Advisers general voting policies. Please see Appendix B for the ISS United States Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines.
Although Gresham has discretion over client accounts, as of the date of this SAI, it does not exercise voting authority with respect to client securities. Accordingly, Gresham does not maintain proxy voting policies and procedures.
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Voted Proxies . Information regarding how each Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge by accessing Nuveens website at http://www.nuveen.com or the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
Gresham. Gresham executes all trades on behalf of its clients through a Futures Commission Merchant ( FCM ). An FCM clears all futures trades and holds all client funds deposited as margin in a segregated account. In the case of commingled investment vehicles managed by Gresham, including the Funds, Gresham selects the FCM. Gresham bases selection of an FCM on the following criteria:
|
Size (the FCM must rank among the top 10 firms in segregated funds held); |
|
Competitiveness of commissions charged; and |
|
Efficiency of operations. |
Gresham reserves the right to direct all trades to any FCM or floor broker it chooses or to an electronic trading platform for execution with instructions to give up the transactions to the clients clearing broker. The clearing broker will then pay floor brokerage and additional administrative or give up fees to the executing FCM, floor broker or electronic trading platform from the clients account. Greshams choice of executing FCMs, floor brokers and electronic trading platforms is based on its assessments as to the quality and cost of executions.
Gresham has no formal or informal arrangements or commitments to utilize research, research-related products or any other services obtained from FCMs, executing floor brokers, foreign exchange counterparties, or third parties, on a soft dollar commission basis. Gresham typically aggregates trades for clients pursuing a common implementation strategy whenever possible, consistent with our duty to seek best execution. In such cases, participating clients will receive an average trade price, and a pro-rata allocation of the contracts bought or sold as well as the associated transaction costs. In the event of a partial fill of a batched order, we will allocate the traded contracts pro-rata, at the average price.
Nuveen Asset Management. Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities in the Funds collateral accounts, the negotiation of the prices to be paid or received for principal trades, and the allocation of its transactions among various dealer firms. Portfolio securities will normally be purchased directly from an underwriter in a new issue offering or in the over-the-counter secondary market from the principal dealers in such securities, unless it appears that a better price or execution may be obtained elsewhere. On behalf of a Fund, Nuveen Asset Management may seek to buy from or sell securities to another fund or account advised by Nuveen Asset Management or an affiliate. Nuveen Asset Management may effect purchases and sales between its clients or clients of its affiliates, including the Funds (referred to herein as cross trades ), if it believes that such transactions are appropriate based on each partys investment objectives and guidelines, subject to applicable law and regulation. Cross trades may give rise to potential conflicts of interest for Nuveen Asset Management. On any occasion when a Fund participates in a cross trade, the Fund will comply with procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and applicable SEC guidance.
The Funds expect that substantially all portfolio transactions will be effected on a principal (as opposed to an agency) basis and, accordingly, do not expect to pay significant amounts of brokerage commissions. Brokerage will not be allocated based on the sale of a Funds shares. Purchases from underwriters will include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include the spread between the bid and asked price. It is the policy of Nuveen Asset Management to seek the best execution under the circumstances of each trade. Nuveen Asset Management evaluates price as the primary consideration, with the financial condition, reputation and responsiveness of the dealer considered secondarily in determining best execution. Given the best execution obtainable, it may be Nuveen Asset Managements practice to select dealers that, in addition, furnish research information (primarily credit analyses of issuers and general economic reports) and statistical and other services to Nuveen Asset Management. It is not possible to place a dollar value on information and statistical and other services received from dealers. Since it
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is only supplementary to Nuveen Asset Managements own research efforts, the receipt of research information is not expected to reduce significantly Nuveen Asset Managements expenses. For certain secondary market transactions where the execution capability of two brokers is judged to be of substantially similar quality, Nuveen Asset Management may randomly select one of them. While Nuveen Asset Management will be primarily responsible for the placement of the portfolio transactions of the Funds, the policies and practices of Nuveen Asset Management in this regard must be consistent with the foregoing and will, at all times, be subject to review by the Board of Trustees.
Nuveen Asset Management may manage other investment companies and investment accounts for other clients that have investment objectives similar to the Funds. Subject to applicable laws and regulations, Nuveen Asset Management seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by a Fund and another advisory account. In making such allocations the main factors to be considered will be the respective investment objectives, the relative size of the portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment or need to raise cash, and the size of investment commitments generally held. While this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities (or, in the case of dispositions, the demand for securities) available to the Funds from time to time, it is the opinion of the Board of Trustees that the benefits available from the Nuveen Asset Management organization will outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
The following table sets forth the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the specified periods:
Aggregate Amount of
Brokerage Commissions |
||||||||||||
10/1/13-
9/30/14 |
10/1/14-
9/30/15 |
10/1/15-
9/30/16 |
||||||||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
$ | 17,003 | $ | 118,511 | $ | 105,753 | ||||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
22,013 | 18,422 | 12,471 |
Brokerage commissions paid by the Funds may vary substantially from year to year. The aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund increased substantially during the most recent fiscal year compared with the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 primarily due to varying market conditions, differences in shareholder purchase and redemption activity, portfolio turnover rates and other factors.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Funds did not pay commissions to brokers in return for research services.
The Funds have acquired during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 the securities of their regular brokers or dealers as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act or of the parents of the brokers or dealers. The following table sets forth those brokers or dealers and states the value of each Funds aggregate holdings of the securities of each issuer as of close of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016:
Fund |
Broker/Dealer |
Issuer |
Aggregate Fund
Holdings of Broker/Dealer or Parent (as of September 30, 2016) |
|||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
State Street Bank & Trust Co. |
State Street Bank, Repurchase Agreement |
$ | 8,661,951 |
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Fund |
Broker/Dealer |
Issuer |
Aggregate Fund
Holdings of Broker/Dealer or Parent (as of September 30, 2016) |
|||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
State Street Bank & Trust Co. |
State Street Bank, Repurchase Agreement |
$ | 566,150 |
Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may not purchase portfolio securities from any underwriting syndicate of which the Distributor is a member except under certain limited conditions set forth in Rule 10f-3. The Rule sets forth requirements relating to, among other things, the terms of a security purchased by a Fund, the amount of securities that may be purchased in any one issue and the assets of a Fund that may be invested in a particular issue. In addition, purchases of securities made pursuant to the terms of the Rule must be approved at least quarterly by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the independent trustees.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted a portfolio holdings disclosure policy which governs the dissemination of the Funds portfolio holdings. In accordance with this policy, the Funds may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties no earlier than the time a report is filed with the SEC that is required to contain such information or one day after the information is posted on the Funds publicly accessible website, www.nuveen.com. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Funds website ten business days after the end of the month. Additionally, the Funds publish on the website a list of their top ten holdings as of the end of each month, approximately two to five business days after the end of the month for which the information is current. This information will remain available on the website at least until the Funds file with the SEC their Forms N-CSR or Forms N-Q for the period that includes the date as of which the website information is current.
Additionally, the Funds may disclose portfolio holdings information that has not been included in a filing with the SEC or posted on the Funds website (i.e., non-public portfolio holdings information) only if there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so and if the recipient is required, either by explicit agreement or by virtue of the recipients duties to the Funds as an agent or service provider, to maintain the confidentiality of the information and to not use the information in an improper manner (e.g., personal trading). In this connection, the Funds may disclose on an ongoing basis non-public portfolio holdings information in the normal course of their investment and administrative operations to various service providers, including the Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers, independent registered public accounting firm, custodian, financial printer, proxy voting service(s), and to the legal counsel for the Funds independent trustees. Also, the Adviser may transmit to service providers non-public portfolio holdings information to enable the Adviser to perform portfolio attribution analysis using third-party systems and software programs. The Adviser and/or Sub-Advisers may also provide certain portfolio holdings information to broker-dealers from time to time in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities. In providing this information, reasonable precautions are taken in an effort to avoid potential misuse of the disclosed information, including limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, when appropriate. The Funds, the Adviser, and the Sub-Advisers do not receive compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of portfolio holdings.
Non-public portfolio holdings information may be provided to other persons if approved by the Funds Chief Administrative Officer or Secretary upon a determination that there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so, the disclosure is consistent with the interests of the Funds, and the recipient is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information and not misuse it, which includes a prohibition on trading on such non-public information.
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Compliance officers of the Funds and the Adviser and Sub-Advisers periodically monitor overall compliance with the policy to ascertain whether portfolio holdings information is disclosed in a manner that is consistent with the Funds policy. Reports are made to the Funds Board of Trustees on an annual basis.
There is no assurance that the Funds policies on portfolio holdings information will protect the Funds from the potential misuse of portfolio holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of such information.
The following parties currently receive non-public portfolio holdings information regarding one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds on an ongoing basis pursuant to the various arrangements described above:
ADP Investor Communications Services
Advent
Barclays Capital, Inc.
Barra
Bloomberg
Broadridge Systems
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
Chapman and Cutler LLP
Eagle Investment Systems, LLC
Electra Information Systems
FactSet Research Systems
Financial Graphic Services
Glass, Lewis & Co.
ISS
Interactive Data Pricing and Reference
Investortools
KPMG LLP
Lipper Inc.
Markit
Moodys
Morningstar, Inc.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricingDirect Inc.
R.R. Donnelley
Rimes Technologies Corporation
SS&C
Standard & Poors
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
Strategic Insight
ThomsonReuters LLC
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
U.S. Bank N.A.
Wolters Kluwer
Each Funds net asset value is determined as set forth in its Prospectus under General InformationNet Asset Value.
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The Board of Trustees of the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series, which may be divided into classes of shares. Currently, there are six series authorized and outstanding, each of which may be generally divided into different classes of shares designated as Class A shares, Class C shares, Class R3 shares, Class R6 shares, Class I shares and Class T shares. Each class of shares represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments of a Fund. Each class of shares has equal rights as to voting, redemption, dividends and liquidation, except that each bears different class expenses, including different distribution and service fees, and each has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. The Board of Trustees of the Trust has the right to establish additional series and classes of shares in the future, to change those series or classes and to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof.
The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 10% of the outstanding shares of a Fund have the right to call a special meeting to remove trustees or for any other purpose.
Under Massachusetts law applicable to Massachusetts business trusts, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations. However, the Declaration of Trust of the Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Trusts Declaration of Trust further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or a Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust believes the likelihood of the occurrence of these circumstances is remote.
The following table sets forth the percentage ownership of each person, who, as of January 3, 2017, owned of record, or is known by the Trust to have owned beneficially, 5% or more of any class of a Funds shares. As of January 3, 2017, Nuveen Investments owned a substantial portion of Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund and, accordingly, controlled the Fund. A party that controls a Fund may be able to significantly influence the outcome of any item presented to shareholders for approval.
Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund Class A Shares |
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
|
87.26% |
|
||
Pershing LLC 1 Pershing Plz Jersey City NJ 07399-0001 |
6.77% | |||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund Class C Shares |
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
|
93.66% |
|
||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund Class I Shares |
Charles Schwab & Co Inc Special Custody Account For Benefit of Customers Attn Mutual Funds 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
|
35.57% |
|
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
21.21% | |||||
MLPF&S for the Benefit of its Customers Attn Fund Admin / 4800 Deer Lake Dr E Fl 3 Jacksonville FL 32246-6484 |
14.26% | |||||
Capinco C/O US Bank PO Box 1787 Milwaukee WI 53201-1787 |
6.48% | |||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund Class A Shares |
Nuveen Investments Inc Attn Darlene Cramer 333 W Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
|
29.79% |
|
||
Pershing LLC 1 Pershing Plz Jersey City NJ 07399-0001 |
24.77% | |||||
American Enterprise Investment Serv 707 2 nd Ave S Minneapolis MN 55402-2405 |
15.63% | |||||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Mutual Fund Trading 4707 Executive Dr San Diego CA 92121-3091 |
8.10% | |||||
Edward D Jones & Co For the Benefit of Customers 12555 Manchester Rd Saint Louis MO 63131-3729 |
6.08% | |||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund Class C Shares |
Nuveen Investments Inc Attn Darlene Cramer 333 W Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
|
80.88% |
|
||
Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc Sam Q Ritchie II IRA R/O 501 N Broadway Fl 8 Saint Louis MO 63102-2188 |
19.12% | |||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund Class I Shares |
Nuveen Investments Inc Attn Darlene Cramer 333 W Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
|
55.92% |
|
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
George H McLaughlin Ttee The Gimi & Jef 2012 Family Trust 257 Park Ave S Rm 700 New York NY 10010-7304 |
40.87% |
This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of a Fund. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and this summary does not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, this summary generally does not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer or other investor with special circumstances, or if you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Funds. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, Funds counsel was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be deposited in the Funds. Consequently, this summary may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law. As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax professional.
Each Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company ( RIC ) under the federal tax laws. If a Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes. If a Fund fails for any taxable year to qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes, the Fund itself will generally be subject to federal income taxation (which will reduce the amount of Fund income available for distribution) and your tax consequences will be different from those described in this section (for example, all distributions to you will generally be taxed as ordinary income, even if those distributions are derived from capital gains realized by a Fund).
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
As a RIC, a Fund generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain ( i.e. , the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for the year (the Distribution Requirement ) and satisfies certain other requirements of the Code that are generally described below. Each Fund also intends to make such distributions as are necessary to avoid the otherwise applicable 4% non-deductible excise tax on certain undistributed earnings.
In addition to satisfying the Distribution Requirement, each Fund must, among other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or disposition of stock, securities or non-U.S. currencies and 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, and (2) net income derived from an interest in qualified publicly traded partnerships (as such term is defined in the Code). Each Fund must also satisfy an asset diversification test in order to qualify as a RIC. Under this test, at the close of each quarter of a Funds taxable year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Funds assets must be represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), United States government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater
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than 5% of the value of the Funds assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds assets may be invested in securities of (a) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs), or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (b) in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (as such term is defined in the Code). There are certain exceptions for failure to qualify if the failure is for reasonable cause or is de minimis and certain corrective action is taken and certain tax payments are made by a Fund.
Fund distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates your Funds distributions into three categories, ordinary income distributions, capital gain dividends and returns of capital. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, a Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be immediately taxable to you unless the distribution exceeds your basis in your shares. The tax status of your distributions from your Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The income from your Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year. Income from the Funds may also be subject to a 3.8 percent Medicare tax. This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.
A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to dividends received from the Funds, because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, certain ordinary income dividends on shares that are attributable to qualifying dividends received by a Fund from certain corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the dividends received deduction.
If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares.
Taxation of Capital Gains and Losses
If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gains is generally 20% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket, 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% tax brackets and 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. Some capital gain dividends from your Fund may be subject to a higher marginal stated federal tax rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.
Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from your Fund and sell your share at a loss after holding it for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received.
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The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.
If you exchange shares of a Fund for shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund, the exchange would generally be considered a sale for federal income tax purposes.
Investment in the Subsidiaries
Each Funds ability to make direct and indirect investments in commodities and certain related investments is limited by the Funds intention to qualify as a RIC under the Code. If a Fund does not appropriately limit such investments or if such investments are recharacterized for U.S. tax purposes, the Funds status as a RIC may be jeopardized. Each Funds investment in its Subsidiary is intended to provide additional exposure to commodities while allowing the Fund to satisfy the requirements applicable to RICs. In the past, the IRS had issued private letter rulings to RICs to the effect that income deemed to be received from their wholly-owned subsidiaries meets the requirements of RIC qualification without regard to whether it is currently paid to the parent mutual fund in the form of a cash dividend (repatriated). In 2016, the IRS released proposed Regulations that, if finalized in the form proposed, would limit the qualifying income from the Subsidiaries to the income distributed in the same year in which the income is required to be included in the income of a Fund under the controlled foreign corporation rules. Each Fund intends to distribute the income in the same year as the income is required to be included, but a failure to do so could cause the Fund to have non-qualifying income and potentially lose RIC status. The Funds have not received a private letter ruling. In the absence of a private letter ruling or guidance to the same or similar effect, the Funds will rely upon an opinion of counsel to the effect that, consistent with Section 851(b) of the Code, income received from a controlled foreign corporation ( CFC ) by a RIC will be considered qualifying income if it is distributed from the CFC in the year earned, and the Subsidiaries will be operated consistent with this statutory provision. However, if a Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC in any taxable year, and were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, 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 long-term capital gains, would generally be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. If the Subsidiaries do not make the distributions, or do not make the distributions in the year earned, the Funds may still be required to recognize the Subsidiaries commodities income for the purposes of calculating the Funds own taxable income. It is anticipated that for federal income tax purposes, income and capital gain earned by the Subsidiaries and distributed to the Funds and their shareholders will be considered a distribution of net investment income generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Net losses earned by the Subsidiaries may not be netted with income or gain earned within the Funds and may not be carried forward for use in future years.
Deductibility of Fund Expenses
Expenses incurred and deducted by your Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of these Fund expenses as income. In these cases you may be able to take a deduction for these expenses. However, certain miscellaneous itemized deductions, such as investment expenses, may be deducted by individuals only to the extent that all of these deductions exceed 2% of the individuals adjusted gross income. Some individuals may also be subject to further limitations on the amount of their itemized deductions, depending on their income.
If your Fund invests in any non-U.S. securities, the tax statement that you receive may include an item showing non-U.S. taxes your Fund paid to other countries. In this case, dividends taxed to you will include your share of the taxes your Fund paid to other countries. You may be able to deduct or receive a tax credit for your share of these taxes.
Investments in Certain Non-U.S. Corporations
If your Fund holds an equity interest in any passive foreign investment companies ( PFICs ), which are generally certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income
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from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, your Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. Your Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. Your Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, your Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, your Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax. Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.
If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from a Fund will be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which a Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and will be subject to U.S. income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from a Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met.
Distributions from a Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain foreign investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. In addition, distributions in respect of shares may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% in the case of distributions to (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entitys U.S. owners. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2018.
When a Fund has a capital loss carry-forward, it does not make capital gain distributions until the loss has been offset or expired. As of September 30, 2016, the Funds did not have any capital loss carry-forwards available for federal income tax purposes.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES
As described in the Prospectus, the Funds provide you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs and preferences.
Each class of shares of a Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments. Each class of shares is identical in all respects except that each class bears its own class expenses, including distribution and administration expenses, and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. As a result of the differences in the expenses borne by each class of shares, net income per share, dividends per share and net asset value per share will vary among a Funds classes of shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights.
Shareholders of each class will share expenses proportionately for services that are received equally by all shareholders. A particular class of shares will bear only those expenses that are directly attributable to that class, where the type or amount of services received by a class varies from one class to another. For example, class-specific expenses generally will include distribution and service fees for those classes that pay such fees.
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The expenses to be borne by specific classes of shares may include (i) transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class of shares, (ii) printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, prospectuses and proxy statements to current shareholders of a specific class of shares, (iii) SEC and state securities registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, (iv) the expense of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class of shares, (v) litigation or other legal expenses relating to a specific class of shares, (vi) trustees fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares, (vii) accounting expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (viii) any additional incremental expenses subsequently identified and determined to be properly allocated to one or more classes of shares.
Class A shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. Shareholders may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan. Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class A shares of a Fund. The example assumes a purchase on September 30, 2016 of Class A shares of Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class A shares.
Net asset value per share |
$ | 11.48 | ||
Per share sales charge5.75% of public offering price (6.10% of net asset value per share) |
0.70 | |||
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Per share offering price to the public |
$ | 12.18 | ||
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Each Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class A shares that are sold. The Distributor retains the full applicable sales charge from which it pays the uniform reallowances shown in the Prospectus to financial intermediaries.
Class A shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class A shares.
Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares
The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Funds or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify your Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Funds or through another intermediary.
Rights of Accumulation . You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of a Fund if the amount of your purchase, when added to the value that day of all of your shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, falls within the amounts stated in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in How You Can Buy and Sell Shares in the Prospectus. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent of any cumulative discount whenever you plan to purchase Class A shares of a Fund that you wish to qualify for a reduced sales charge.
Letter of Intent . You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of a Fund if you plan to purchase Class A shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds over the next 13 months and the total amount of your purchases would, if purchased at one time, qualify you for one of the reduced sales charges shown in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in How You Can Buy and Sell Shares in the Prospectus. In order to take advantage of this option, you must complete the
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applicable section of the Application Form or sign and deliver to your financial advisor or other financial intermediary or to the Funds transfer agent a written Letter of Intent in a form acceptable to the Distributor. A Letter of Intent states that you intend, but are not obligated, to purchase over the next 13 months a stated total amount of Class A shares that would qualify you for a reduced sales charge shown above. You may count shares of all Nuveen Mutual Funds that you already own and any Class C and Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund that you purchase over the next 13 months towards completion of your investment program, but you will receive a reduced sales charge only on new Class A shares you purchase with a sales charge over the 13 months. You cannot count towards completion of your investment program Class A shares that you purchase without a sales charge through investment of distributions from a Nuveen Mutual Fund or a Nuveen Defined Portfolio, or otherwise.
By establishing a Letter of Intent, you agree that your first purchase of Class A shares of a Fund following execution of the Letter of Intent will be at least 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases. You further agree that shares representing 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases will be held in escrow pending completion of these purchases. All dividends and capital gain distributions on Class A shares held in escrow will be credited to your account. If total purchases, less redemptions, prior to the expiration of the 13 month period equal or exceed the amount specified in your Letter of Intent, the Class A shares held in escrow will be transferred to your account. If the total purchases, less redemptions, are less than the amount specified, you must pay the Distributor an amount equal to the difference between the amounts paid for these purchases and the amounts which would have been paid if the higher sales charge had been applied. If you do not pay the additional amount within 20 days after written request by the Distributor or your financial advisor, the Distributor will redeem an appropriate number of your escrowed Class A shares to meet the required payment. By establishing a Letter of Intent, you irrevocably appoint the Distributor as attorney to give instructions to redeem any or all of your escrowed shares, with full power of substitution in the premises.
You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Fund shares that you wish to be covered under the Letter of Intent option.
For purposes of determining whether you qualify for a reduced sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent , you may include together with your own purchases those made by your spouse or domestic partner and your children under the age of 21 years, whether these purchases are made through a taxable or non-taxable account. You may also include purchases made by a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship which is 100% owned, either alone or in combination, by any of the foregoing. In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).
Elimination of Sales Charge on Class A Shares. Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge by the following categories of investors:
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investors purchasing $1,000,000 or more; |
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investors purchasing shares through the reinvestment of Nuveen Mutual Fund dividends and capital gain distributions; |
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current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds; |
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current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates or their immediate family members (immediate family members are defined as their spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a siblings spouse and a spouses siblings); |
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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, or their immediate family members; |
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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; |
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investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; |
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clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; |
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employer-sponsored retirement plans as defined below, except that, in the case of employer-sponsored retirement plans held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. For this purpose, employer-sponsored retirement plans include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, health savings accounts, defined benefit plans, participant directed non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Roth 401(k) plans and Roth 403(b) plans, and do not include SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs (except as described below), SIMPLE 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, KEOGH plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and single defined benefit plans; |
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SIMPLE IRAs opened before January 1, 2011 where Nuveen Securities, LLC is the broker of record; and |
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investors purchasing through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or your Funds transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Class A shares of any Fund that you wish to be covered under these special sales charge waivers.
Class A shares of any Fund may be issued at net asset value without a sales charge in connection with the acquisition by a Fund of another investment company. All purchases under the special sales charge waivers will be subject to minimum purchase requirements as established by the Funds.
The reduced sales charge programs may be modified or discontinued by the Funds at any time. For more information about the purchase of Class A shares or the reduced sales charge program, or to obtain the required application forms, call Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787.
You may purchase Class C shares at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee of 0.75% to compensate the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission. Class C shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing financial advice and other account services. The Distributor compensates financial intermediaries for sales of Class C shares at the time of the sale at a rate of 1.00% of the amount of Class C shares purchased, which represents an advance of the first years distribution fee of 0.75% plus an advance on the first years annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan.
Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $1,000,000 will not be accepted. In addition, Class C share purchase orders for a single purchaser that, when added to the value that day of all of such purchasers shares of any class of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, cause the purchasers cumulative total of shares in Nuveen Mutual Funds to equal or exceed $1,000,000 will not be accepted. Your financial intermediary may set a lower maximum for Class C shares. Shareholders purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares above.
Redemption of Class C shares within 12 months of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ( CDSC ) of 1.00% of the lower of the purchase price or redemption proceeds.
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Because Class C shares do not convert to Class A shares and continue to pay an annual distribution fee indefinitely, Class C shares should normally not be purchased by an investor who expects to hold shares for significantly longer than eight years.
Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class C shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class C shares.
Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Funds or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify your Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Funds or through another intermediary.
Class A shares are normally redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC. However, in the case of Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, a CDSC is imposed on any redemption within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC, except that a CDSC of 1.00% is imposed upon any redemption within 12 months of purchase (except in cases where a shareholder is eligible for a waiver).
In determining whether a CDSC is payable, each Fund will first redeem shares not subject to any charge and then will redeem shares held for the longest period, unless the shareholder specifies another order. No CDSC is charged on shares purchased as a result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or capital gains paid. In addition, no CDSC will be charged on exchanges of shares into another Nuveen Mutual Fund. The holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lower of the then current market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed. Accordingly, no sales charge is imposed on increases of net asset value above the initial purchase price. The Distributor receives the amount of any CDSC shareholders pay.
The CDSC may be waived or reduced under the following circumstances: (i) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (ii) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (iii) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an accounts net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (iv) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (v) redemptions in connection with the exercise of a Funds right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance; (vi) upon an optional conversion by a Fund of Class C shares held in an account which no longer has a financial intermediary of record into Class A shares; (vii) redemptions of Class C shares in cases where the Distributor did not advance the first years service and distribution fees when such shares were purchased; and (viii) redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales commission when such shares were purchased. If a Fund waives or reduces the CDSC, such waiver or reduction would be uniformly applied to all Fund shares in the particular category. In waiving or reducing a CDSC, the Funds will comply with the requirements of Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act.
In addition, the CDSC will be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a
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retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1 / 2 , (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination or transfer to another employers plan or IRA; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. The CDSC will also be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account: (i) for redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholders life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1 / 2 ; and (ii) for redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1 / 2 from an IRA account (with the maximum amount subject to this waiver being based only upon the shareholders Nuveen IRA accounts).
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares also are available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:
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employer-sponsored retirement plans, except SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs and KEOGH plans; |
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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; |
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advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates, including other Nuveen Mutual Funds whose investment policies permit investments in other investment companies; |
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any registered investment company that is not affiliated with the Nuveen Funds and which invests in securities of other investment companies; |
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any plan organized under section 529 under the Code (i.e., a 529 plan); |
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participants in the TIAA-CREF Investment Solutions IRA; |
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current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members ( immediate family members are defined as spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a siblings spouse and a spouses siblings); |
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officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members; |
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full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members, including any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other business organization that is wholly owned by one or more of such persons; and |
|
any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, and their immediate family members. |
Holders of Class I shares may purchase additional Class I shares using dividends and capital gain distributions on their shares.
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If you are eligible to purchase either Class I shares or Class A shares without a sales charge at net asset value, you should be aware of the differences between these two classes of shares. Class A shares are subject to an annual service fee to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing account services. Class I shares are not subject to a distribution or service fee and, consequently, holders of Class I shares may not receive the same types or levels of services from financial intermediaries. In choosing between Class A shares and Class I shares, you should weigh the benefits of the services to be provided by financial intermediaries against the annual service fee imposed upon the Class A shares.
Class T shares of Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. The sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class T shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan. Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class T shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase based on the initial net asset value for Class T shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class T shares.
Net asset value per share* |
$ | 11.48 | ||
Per share sales charge2.50% of public offering price (2.53% of net asset value per share) |
0.29 | |||
|
|
|||
Per share offering price to the public |
$ | 11.77 | ||
|
|
* | Based upon the net asset value for Class A shares. |
The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class T shares that are sold. The full applicable sales charge shown in the Prospectus is paid to financial intermediaries.
Investors may purchase Class T shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class T shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class T shares.
Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class T Shares
Class T shares of Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund are not subject to a sales charge. In addition, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under certain other circumstances, as determined by the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. See the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, for information on available Class T share sales charge waivers.
Exchange Privilege
You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state, except that there are no exchange privileges for Class T shares. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same Fund. An exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund may not be considered a taxable event; please consult your own tax advisor for further information.
If you hold your shares directly with a Fund, you may exchange your shares by either sending a written request to the applicable Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530 or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll free at (800) 257-8787.
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If you exchange shares between different Nuveen Mutual Funds and your shares are subject to a CDSC, no CDSC will be charged at the time of the exchange. However, if you subsequently redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the redemption may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you purchased your original shares and the CDSC schedule of the fund from which you exchanged your shares. If you exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund and your original shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will be assessed at the time of the exchange.
For federal income tax purposes, an exchange between different Nuveen Mutual Funds constitutes a sale and purchase of shares and may result in capital gain or loss. Before making any exchange, you should obtain the Prospectus for the Nuveen Mutual Fund you are purchasing and read it carefully. If the registration of the account for the Fund you are purchasing is not exactly the same as that of the fund account from which the exchange is made, written instructions from all holders of the account from which the exchange is being made must be received, with signatures guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion Signature Guarantee Program or in such other manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. You may also exchange shares by telephone if you authorize telephone exchanges by checking the applicable box on the Application Form or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787 to obtain an authorization form. Each Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.
The exchange privilege is not intended to permit a Fund to be used as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, raise expenses and otherwise have an adverse effect on all shareholders. In order to limit excessive exchange activity and in other circumstances where Fund management believes doing so would be in the best interest of the Fund, each Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, or limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. Shareholders would be notified of any such action to the extent required by law. See Frequent Trading Policy below.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeemed Class A, Class C or Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund, you have up to one year to reinvest all or part of the full amount of the redemption in the same class of shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund at net asset value. This reinstatement privilege can be exercised only once for any redemption, and reinvestment will be made at the net asset value next calculated after reinstatement of the appropriate class of Fund shares. If you reinstate shares that were subject to a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. The federal income tax consequences of any capital gain realized on a redemption will not be affected by reinstatement, but a capital loss may be disallowed in whole or in part depending on the timing, the amount of the reinvestment and the fund from which the redemption occurred.
Suspension of Right of Redemption
Each Fund may suspend the right of redemption of Fund shares or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE ) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund normally utilizes is restricted or an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that trading of the Funds investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for any other periods that the SEC by order may permit for protection of Fund shareholders.
The Funds Frequent Trading Policy is as follows:
Nuveen Mutual Funds are intended as long-term investments and not as short-term trading vehicles. At the same time, the Funds recognize the need of investors to periodically make purchases and redemptions of Fund shares when rebalancing their portfolios and as their financial needs or circumstances change. Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted the following Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance these needs against the potential for higher operating costs, portfolio management disruption and other inefficiencies that can be caused by excessive trading of Fund shares.
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1. Definition of Round Trip
A Round Trip trade is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a Round Trip trade may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.
2. Round Trip Trade Limitations
Nuveen Mutual Funds limit the frequency of Round Trip trades that may be placed in a Fund. Subject to certain exceptions noted below, the Funds limit an investor to two Round Trips per trailing 60-day period.
3. Enforcement
Trades placed in violation of the foregoing policies are subject to rejection or cancellation by Nuveen Mutual Funds. Nuveen Mutual Funds may also bar an investor (and/or the investors financial advisor) who has violated these policies from opening new accounts with the Funds and may restrict the investors existing account(s) to redemptions only. Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to (a) interpret the terms and application of these policies, (b) waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if Nuveen Mutual Funds determine that doing so does not harm the interests of Fund shareholders, and (c) exclude certain classes of redemptions from the application of the trading restrictions set forth above.
Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if they determine, in their sole discretion, that a proposed transaction or series of transactions involve market timing or excessive trading that is likely to be detrimental to the Funds. The Funds may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.
The ability of Nuveen Mutual Funds to implement the Frequent Trading Policy for omnibus accounts at certain financial intermediaries may be dependent on receiving from those intermediaries sufficient shareholder information to permit monitoring of trade activity and enforcement of the Funds Frequent Trading Policy. In addition, the Funds may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if the Funds believe that the policy is reasonably designed to prevent market timing that is detrimental to the Funds. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds Policy. The Funds cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the Funds policy or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Exclusions from the Frequent Trading Policy
As stated above, certain redemptions are eligible for exclusion from the Frequent Trading Policy, including: (i) redemptions or exchanges by shareholders investing through the fee-based platforms of certain financial intermediaries (where the intermediary charges an asset-based or comprehensive wrap fee for its services) that are effected by the financial intermediaries in connection with systematic portfolio rebalancing; (ii) when there is a verified trade error correction, which occurs when a dealer firm sends a trade to correct an earlier trade made in error and then the firm sends an explanation to the Nuveen Mutual Funds confirming that the trade is actually an error correction; (iii) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (iv) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (v) redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an accounts net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (vi) redemptions of shares that were purchased through a systematic investment program; (vii) involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law; (viii) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (ix) redemptions or exchanges by any fund of funds advised by the Adviser; and (x) redemptions in connection with the exercise of a Funds right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the board has determined may have material adverse consequences to the shareholders of a Fund.
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In addition, the following redemptions of shares by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan are excluded from the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1 / 2 ; (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments; or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination, transfer to another employers plan or IRA or changes in a plans recordkeeper; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. Also, the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account are excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholders life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1 / 2 ; and (ii) redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1 / 2 from an IRA account.
The Funds have adopted a plan (the Plan ) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12b-1 provides in substance that a mutual fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares, except pursuant to a plan adopted under the Rule. The Plan authorizes a Fund to pay the Distributor distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees on a Funds Class A, Class C and Class T shares as described below. The distribution fees under the Plan are used for the primary purpose of compensating participating intermediaries for their sales of a Fund. The shareholder servicing fees are used primarily for the purpose of providing compensation for the ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of shareholder accounts. Pursuant to the Plan, Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee and Class A, Class C and Class T shares are subject to the annual service fees (distribution and service fees collectively referred to herein as 12b-1 fees ). The 12b-1 fees are based on the average daily net assets of the class of shares of a Fund and are as follows:
Annual Distribution Fee | Annual Service Fee | Total 12b-1 Fee | ||||||||||
Class A | | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % | |||||||
Class C | 0.75 | % | 0.25 | % | 1.00 | % | ||||||
Class T | | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % |
Class I shares are not subject to either distribution or service fees.
The distribution fee applicable to Class C shares under each Funds Plan compensates the Distributor for expenses incurred in connection with the distribution of Class C shares. These expenses include payments to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, who are brokers of record with respect to the Class C shares, as well as, without limitation, expenses of printing and distributing Prospectuses to persons other than shareholders of each Fund, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing advertising and sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of Class C shares, certain other expenses associated with the distribution of Class C shares, and any other distribution-related expenses that may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Trustees.
The service fee applicable to Class A, Class C and Class T shares under each Funds Plan is used to compensate financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Funds incurred 12b-1 fees pursuant to their respective Plan in the amounts set forth in the table below. 12b-1 fees are calculated and accrued daily and paid quarterly or at such other intervals as the Board of Trustees may determine. As noted above, no 12b-1 fees are paid with respect to Class I shares. For this period, substantially all of the 12b-1 service fees on Class A shares were paid out as compensation to financial intermediaries for providing services to shareholders relating to their investments. To compensate for commissions advanced to financial intermediaries, all 12b-1 fees on Class C shares during the first year following a purchase are retained by the Distributor. After the first year following a purchase, 12b-1 fees on Class C shares are paid to financial intermediaries.
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12b-1 Fees Incurred
by Each Fund for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2016 |
||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund: |
||||
Class A |
$ | 12,238 | ||
Class C |
5,956 | |||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund: |
||||
Class A |
787 | |||
Class C |
527 |
The Plan is a compensation-type plan under which the Distributor is entitled to receive the distribution and shareholder servicing fees regardless of whether its actual distribution and shareholder servicing expenses are more or less than the amount of the fees. It is therefore possible that the Distributor may realize a profit in a particular year as a result of these payments. The Plan recognizes that the Distributor and the Adviser, in their discretion, may from time to time use their own assets to pay for certain additional costs of distributing Class A, Class C and Class T shares. Any such arrangements to pay such additional costs may be commenced or discontinued by the Distributor or the Adviser at any time.
Under each Funds Plan, the Fund will report quarterly to the Board of Trustees for its review of all amounts expended per class of shares under the Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to any class of shares, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class. The Plan may be renewed from year to year if approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees and a vote of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan may be continued only if the trustees who vote to approve such continuance conclude, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under applicable law, that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the cost which a class of shares may bear under the Plan without the approval of the shareholders of the affected class, and any other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the independent trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. During the continuance of the Plan, the selection and nomination of the independent trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the independent trustees then in office. With the exception of the Distributor and its affiliates, no interested person of the Funds, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and no trustee of the Funds has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any related agreement.
If a Fund closes to new investors, it may continue to make payments under the Plan. Such payments would be made for the various services provided to existing shareholders by the participating intermediaries receiving such payments.
The Funds have authorized one or more brokers to accept on their behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other 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 brokers authorized designee accepts the order. Customer orders received by such broker (or their designee) will be priced at the applicable Funds net asset value next computed after they are accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee). Orders accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee) before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will receive that days share price; orders accepted after the close of trading will receive the next business days share price.
If you choose to invest in a Fund, an account will be opened and maintained for you by BFDS, the Funds shareholder services agent. Shares will be registered in the name of the investor or the investors financial advisor. A change in registration or transfer of shares held in the name of a financial advisor may only be made by an order in good standing form from the financial advisor acting on the
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investors behalf. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to waive or increase minimum investment requirements.
The Funds do not issue share certificates.
The Distributor sells shares to or through brokers, dealers, banks or other qualified financial intermediaries (collectively referred to as Dealers ), or others, in a manner consistent with the then effective registration statement of the Trust. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, at its own expense, finances certain activities incident to the sale and distribution of the Funds shares, including printing and distributing of prospectuses and statements of additional information to other than existing shareholders, the printing and distributing of sales literature, advertising and payment of compensation and giving of concessions to Dealers.
The Distributor receives for its services the excess, if any, of the sales price of a Funds shares less the net asset value of those shares, and reallows a majority or all of such amounts to the Dealers who sold the shares. The Distributor also receives distribution fees pursuant to a distribution plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 and described herein under Distribution and Service Plan. The Distributor also receives any CDSCs imposed on redemptions of shares. The Distributor may also act as a Dealer.
The following table sets forth the aggregate amounts of underwriting commissions with respect to the sale of Fund shares, the amount thereof retained by the Distributor and the compensation on redemptions and repurchases received by the Distributor for each of the Funds for the specified periods. All figures are expressed in thousands and are to the nearest thousand.
Amount of Underwriting
Commissions |
Amount Retained by
the Distributor |
Amount of Compensation
on Redemptions and Repurchases |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10/1/13-
9/30/14 |
10/1/14-
9/30/15 |
10/1/15-
9/30/16 |
10/1/13-
9/30/14 |
10/1/14-
9/30/15 |
10/1/15-
9/30/16 |
10/1/13-
9/30/14 |
10/1/14-
9/30/15 |
10/1/15-
9/30/16 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
$ | 3 | $ | 1 | $ | 17 | $ | | $ | | $ | 2 | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||||||||||||||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
| | 12 | | | 1 | | | |
To help financial advisors and investors better understand and more efficiently use the Funds to reach their investment goals, the Distributor may advertise and create specific investment programs and systems. For example, this may include information on how to use the Funds to accumulate assets for future education needs or periodic payments such as insurance premiums. The Distributor may produce software, electronic information sites or additional sales literature to promote the advantages of using the Funds to meet these and other specific investor needs. In addition, wholesale representatives of the Distributor may visit financial advisors on a regular basis to educate them about the Funds and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law. Nuveen wholesalers may receive additional compensation if they meet certain targets for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments
As described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this SAI, intermediaries that sell shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or provide services to their shareholders, such as brokers, dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, retirement plan administrators and other intermediaries (individually, an Intermediary , and collectively, Intermediaries ), may receive sales charge payments and, out of Fund assets, may be paid Rule 12b-1 distribution and service payments and sub-transfer agency payments. The Distributor and the Adviser may make additional payments out of their own assets to selected Intermediaries. These payments are made for the purposes of promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder processing services.
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The amounts of these payments could be significant and may create an incentive for an Intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds to its customers. The Intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Funds within the Intermediarys organization by, for example, placing the Funds on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Funds in various ways within the Intermediarys organization.
These payments are made pursuant to negotiated agreements with Intermediaries. The payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount a Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales. Furthermore, these payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Funds Prospectus and described above because they are not paid by the Funds.
The categories of payments described below are not mutually exclusive, and a single Intermediary may receive payments under all categories.
Distribution-Related Payments
The Distributor or the Adviser may from time to time make payments (sometimes referred to as revenue sharing payments) to selected Intermediaries as compensation for services such as providing the Funds with shelf space or a higher profile for the Intermediarys personnel or their customers, placing the Funds on the Intermediarys preferred or recommended fund list, granting access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the Intermediary, providing assistance in training and educating the Intermediarys personnel on the Funds, and furnishing marketing support and other services.
The Adviser and/or the Distributor compensate Intermediaries differently depending upon, among other factors, the number or value of Nuveen Mutual Funds shares that the Intermediary sells or may sell, the value of the assets invested in the Nuveen Mutual Funds by the Intermediarys customers, redemption rates, ability to attract and retain assets, reputation in the industry and the level and/or type of marketing assistance and educational activities provided by the Intermediary. Such payments are generally asset-based but also may include the payment of a lump sum.
Servicing Payments
The Adviser and/or the Distributor may make payments to selected Intermediaries that are registered as holders or dealers of record for accounts invested in one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or that make Nuveen Mutual Fund shares available through employee benefit plans or fee-based advisory programs to compensate them for the variety of services they provide.
Services for which an Intermediary receives servicing payments typically include recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, but may also include services rendered in connection with fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services. An Intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform such services.
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC ( TIAA - CREF IIS ), an affiliate of the Adviser, is one intermediary that receives servicing payments. The shareholder services agreement between TIAA-CREF IIS and the Distributor provides that in exchange for such services, TIAA-CREF IIS will receive payments of 0.25% of the average net assets of Fund shares on the TIAA-CREF IIS retirement platform on an annual basis. The Distributor has agreed to pay the portion of the fee that represents 0.05% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to TIAA-CREF IIS and the Funds will pay the remainder.
Servicing payments typically apply to employee benefit plans, such as retirement plans, or fee-based advisory programs but may apply to retail sales and assets in certain situations. The payments are based on such factors as the type and nature of services or support furnished by the Intermediary and are generally asset-based.
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Distribution-Related and Servicing Payment Guidelines
In the case of any one Intermediary, distribution-related and servicing payments made by the Adviser and/or the Distributor are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed, in the aggregate, 0.35% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to that Intermediary on an annual basis. In connection with the sale of a business by U.S. Bank N.A. to Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company ( Great-West ), the Adviser and/or the Distributor has a services agreement with GWFS Equities, Inc., an affiliate of Great-West, which provides for payments of up to 0.60% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to GWFS Equities, Inc. on an annual basis (which amount also includes payments by the Funds for sub-transfer agency services).
Other Payments
From time to time, the Adviser and/or the Distributor, at their expense, may provide other compensation to Intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Funds, which may be in addition to distribution-related and servicing payments described above. For example, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may: (i) compensate Intermediaries for National Securities Clearing Corporation networking system services (e.g., shareholder communication, account statements, trade confirmations, and tax reporting) on an asset-based or per account basis; (ii) compensate Intermediaries for providing Fund shareholder trading information; (iii) make one-time or periodic payments to reimburse selected Intermediaries for items such as ticket charges (i.e., fees that an Intermediary charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) of up to $25 per purchase or exchange order, operational charges (e.g., fees that an Intermediary charges for establishing a Fund on its trading system), and literature printing and/or distribution costs; (iv) at the direction of a retirement plans sponsor, reimburse or pay direct expenses of an employee benefit plan that would otherwise be payable by the plan; and (v) provide payments to broker-dealers to help defray their technology or infrastructure costs.
When not provided for in a distribution-related or servicing payment agreement, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may pay Intermediaries for enabling the Adviser and/or the Distributor to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other Intermediary employees, client and investor events and other Intermediary-sponsored events, and for travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, asset retention and due diligence trips. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. The Adviser and/or the Distributor make payments for such events as it deems appropriate, subject to its internal guidelines and applicable law.
The Adviser and/or the Distributor occasionally sponsor due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which the registered representatives receive updates on various Nuveen Mutual Funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Although invitations to these meetings are not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares, those who have shown an interest in Nuveen Mutual Funds are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firms policies and procedures, all or a portion of registered representatives expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by the Adviser and/or the Distributor.
Representatives of the Distributor or its affiliates may receive additional compensation from the Adviser and/or the Distributor if certain targets are met for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds. Such compensation may vary by Fund and by affiliate.
Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Investors can ask their Intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Adviser and/or the Distributor and the services it provides for those payments.
Investors may wish to take Intermediary payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares.
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Intermediaries Receiving Additional Payments
The following is a list of Intermediaries eligible to receive one or more of the types of payments discussed above as of January 20, 2017:
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
AXA Advisors, LLC
American United Life Insurance Company
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Ascensus (formerly BISYS Retirement Services, Inc.)
BB&T
BMO Harris Bank N.A.
Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc.
Benefit Trust Company
Cetera
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Chase Investment Services
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Commonwealth Equity Services, LLP, DBA Commonwealth Financial Network
Davenport & Co., LLC
Digital Retirement Solutions, Inc.
Dyatech, LLC
Edward Jones
ExpertPlan, Inc.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC/National Financial Services LLC
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. (FIIOC)/Fidelity Advisors Retirement
Financial Data Services, Inc.
First Clearing
Genesis Employee Benefits, Inc. DBA Americas VEBA Solution
Goldman Sachs
Great West Life and Annuity Insurance Co.
GWFS Equities, Inc.
Hartford Life Insurance Company
Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc.
Hewitt Associates LLC
ICMA Retirement Corporation
ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company/ING Institutional Plan Services LLC/ING Financial Advisors, LLC (formerly CitiStreet LLC/CitiStreet Advisors LLC)
J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.
J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
John Hancock Trust Company
LPL Financial Services
Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC/AMG Service Corp.
Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.
Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company, N.A.
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Mercer HR Outsourcing LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation
Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
MSCS Financial Services Division of Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC
NFP Advisor Services, LLC
National Financial Services, LLC
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Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.
Newport Retirement Services, Inc.
Northwestern Mutual
NYLife Distributors LLC
Oppenheimer & Co.
Pershing LLC
Principal Life Insurance Company
Prudential Insurance Company of America (The)
Prudential Investment Management Services, LLC/Prudential Investments LLC
Raymond James & Associates/Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Reliance Trust Company
Retirement Plan Company, LLC (The)
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
SI Financial Advisors
Southwest Securities, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc./T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade Trust Company (formerly Fiserv Trust Company/International Clearing Trust Company)
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
U.S. Bank N.A.
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Unified Trust Company, N.A.
VALIC Retirement Services Company (formerly AIG Retirement Services Company)
Vanguard Group, Inc.
Wedbush Morgan Securities
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust
Wilmington Trust Company
Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company (formerly AST Capital Trust Company)
Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of Intermediaries identified above that have occurred since January 20, 2017 are not reflected in the list.
The audited financial statements for each Funds most recent fiscal year appear in each Funds Annual Report dated September 30, 2016. Each Funds Annual Report is incorporated by reference into this SAI and is available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.
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RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS
S&P Global Ratings A brief description of the applicable S&P Global Ratings ( S&P ) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:
Issue Credit Ratings
A S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about 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 opinion reflects S&Ps view of the obligors capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
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 daysincluding 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.
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&Ps analysis of the following considerations:
1. Likelihood of paymentthe capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on a financial obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise S&P imputes;
3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors rights.
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA | An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. | |
AA | An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligors 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 obligors 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. |
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Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be 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 obligors 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 obligors 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. The CC rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty regardless of the anticipated time to default. | |
C | An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher. | |
D | An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
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.
NR | This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy. |
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1 | A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligors 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 obligors 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 obligors 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. |
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B | A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. | |
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 default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. A brief description of the applicable Moodys Investors Service, Inc. ( Moodys ) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moodys) follows:
Ratings assigned on Moodys global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
Long-Term Obligation Ratings
Aaa | Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk. | |
Aa | Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. | |
A | Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. | |
Baa | Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. | |
Ba | Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. | |
B | Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. | |
Caa | Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. | |
Ca | Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. | |
C | Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. |
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
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Short-Term Obligation Ratings
P-1 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. | |
P-2 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. | |
P-3 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. | |
NP | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. |
Medium-Term Note Program Ratings
Moodys assigns provisional ratings to medium-term note (MTN) programs and definitive ratings to the individual debt securities issued from them (referred to as drawdowns or notes).
MTN program ratings are intended to reflect the ratings likely to be assigned to drawdowns issued from the program with the specified priority of claim (e.g., senior or subordinated). To capture the contingent nature of a program rating, Moodys assigns provisional ratings to MTN programs. A provisional rating is denoted by a (P) in front of the rating.
The rating assigned to a drawdown from a rated MTN or bank/deposit note program is definitive in nature, and may differ from the program rating if the drawdown is exposed to additional credit risks besides the issuers default, such as links to the defaults of other issuers, or has other structural features that warrant a different rating. In some circumstances, no rating may be assigned to a drawdown.
Moodys encourages market participants to contact Moodys Ratings Desks or visit www.moodys.com directly if they have questions regarding ratings for specific notes issued under a medium-term note program. Unrated notes issued under an MTN program may be assigned an NR (not rated) symbol.
U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. | |
MIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. | |
MIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. | |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. |
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon
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demand ( demand feature ). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale.
VMIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
VMIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
VMIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
Fitch Ratings A brief description of the applicable Fitch Ratings ( Fitch ) ratings symbols and meanings (as published by Fitch) follows:
Fitchs 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 the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. The agencys 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 terms investment grade and speculative grade have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories AAA to BBB (investment grade) and BB to D (speculative grade). The terms investment grade and speculative grade are market conventions, and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
A designation of Not Rated or NR is used to denote securities not rated by Fitch where Fitch has rated some, but not all, securities comprising an issuance capital structure.
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.
Fitchs credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay upon a commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds).
In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instruments documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligations documentation). In such cases, the agency will make clear the assumptions underlying the agencys opinion in the accompanying rating commentary.
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International Long-Term Ratings
Issuer Credit Rating Scales
AAA | Highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases 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 default 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 default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. | |||
BBB | Good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. | |||
BB | Speculative. BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. | |||
B | Highly speculative. B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. | |||
CCC | Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility. | |||
CC | Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable. | |||
C |
Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a C category rating for an issuer include:
the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
Fitch otherwise believes a condition of RD or D to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange. |
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RD |
Restricted default. RD ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:
the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; |
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the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or
execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
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D |
Default. D ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
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Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.
Imminent default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agencys opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuers financial obligations or local commercial practice. |
International Short-Term Ratings
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1 | Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. | |
F2 | Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. | |
F3 | Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate. | |
B | Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. | |
C | High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility. | |
RD | Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only. | |
D | Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation. |
Notes to 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, or to categories below B.
WD indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and the issue or issuer is no longer rated by Fitch.
Rating Watch: Rating Watches indicate that there is a heightened probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such a change. These are designated as Positive, indicating a potential upgrade, Negative, for a potential downgrade, or Evolving, if ratings may be raised, lowered or affirmed. However, ratings that are not on Rating Watch can be raised or lowered without being placed on Rating Watch first, if circumstances warrant such an action. A Rating Watch is typically event-driven and, as such, it is generally resolved over a relatively short period.
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United States
Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines
2016 Benchmark Policy Recommendations
Effective for Meetings on or after February 1, 2016
Published January 22, 2016
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2016 U.S. Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines |
The policies contained herein are a sampling of selected key U.S. proxy voting guidelines and are
not intended to be exhaustive. A full summary of ISS 2016 proxy voting guidelines can be found
at: http://www.issgovernance.com/policy-gateway/2016-policy-information/
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for director nominees, except under the following circumstances: |
1. | Accountability |
Vote against 1 or withhold from the entire board of directors (except new nominees 2 , who should be considered case-by-case) for the following:
Problematic Takeover Defenses
Classified Board Structure:
1.1. | The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote recommendation is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable. |
Director Performance Evaluation:
1.2. | The board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one- and three-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a companys four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the companys five-year total shareholder return and operational metrics. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to: |
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A classified board structure; |
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A supermajority vote requirement; |
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Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections or a majority vote standard with no plurality carve-out for contested elections; |
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The inability of shareholders to call special meetings; |
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The inability of shareholders to act by written consent; |
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A dual-class capital structure; and/or |
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A nonshareholder-approved poison pill. |
1 In general, companies with a plurality vote standard use Withhold as the contrary vote option in director elections; companies with a majority vote standard use Against. However, it will vary by company and the proxy must be checked to determine the valid contrary vote option for the particular company.
2 A new nominee is any current nominee who has not already been elected by shareholders and who joined the board after the problematic action in question transpired. If ISS cannot determine whether the nominee joined the board before or after the problematic action transpired, the nominee will be considered a new nominee if he or she joined the board within the 12 months prior to the upcoming shareholder meeting.
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Poison Pills:
1.3. | The companys poison pill has a dead-hand or modified dead-hand feature. Vote against or withhold from nominees every year until this feature is removed; |
1.4. | The board adopts a poison pill with a term of more than 12 months (long-term pill), or renews any existing pill, including any short-term pill (12 months or less), without shareholder approval. A commitment or policy that puts a newly adopted pill to a binding shareholder vote may potentially offset an adverse vote recommendation. Review such companies with classified boards every year, and such companies with annually elected boards at least once every three years, and vote against or withhold votes from all nominees if the company still maintains a non-shareholder-approved poison pill; or |
1.5. | The board makes a material adverse change to an existing poison pill without shareholder approval. |
Vote case-by-case on all nominees if:
1.6. | The board adopts a poison pill with a term of 12 months or less (short-term pill) without shareholder approval, taking into account the following factors: |
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The date of the pills adoption relative to the date of the next meeting of shareholdersi.e. whether the company had time to put the pill on the ballot for shareholder ratification given the circumstances; |
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The issuers rationale; |
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The issuers governance structure and practices; and |
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The issuers track record of accountability to shareholders. |
Problematic Audit-Related Practices
Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the Audit Committee if:
1.7. | The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (see discussion under Auditor Ratification ); |
1.8. | The company receives an adverse opinion on the companys financial statements from its auditor; or |
1.9. | There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm. |
Vote case-by-case on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if:
1.10. | Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the companys efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether withhold/against votes are warranted. |
Problematic Compensation Practices/Pay for Performance Misalignment
In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ballot item or in egregious situations, vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
1.11. | There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance ( pay for performance ); |
1.12. | The company maintains significant problematic pay practices ; |
1.13. | The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders; |
1.14. | The company fails to submit one-time transfers of stock options to a shareholder vote; or |
1.15. | The company fails to fulfill the terms of a burn rate commitment made to shareholders. |
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Vote case-by-case on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Management Say-on-Pay proposal if:
1.16. | The companys previous say-on-pay received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
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The companys response, including: |
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Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
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Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
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The companys ownership structure; and |
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Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments
1.17. | Generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if the board amends the companys bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders rights or that could adversely impact shareholders, considering the following factors: |
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The boards rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification; |
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Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment; |
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The level of impairment of shareholders rights caused by the boards unilateral amendment to the bylaws/charter; |
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The boards track record with regard to unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions; |
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The companys ownership structure; |
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The companys existing governance provisions; |
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The timing of the boards amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development; and, |
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Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders. |
Unless the adverse amendment is reversed or submitted to a binding shareholder vote, in subsequent years vote case-by-case on director nominees. Generally vote against (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if the directors:
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Classified the board; |
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Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter; or |
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Eliminated shareholders ability to amend bylaws. |
1.18. | For newly public companies, generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if, prior to or in connection with the companys public offering, the company or its board adopted bylaw or charter provisions materially adverse to shareholder rights, considering the following factors: |
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The level of impairment of shareholders rights caused by the provision; |
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The disclosed rationale for adopting the provision; |
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The ability to change the governance structure in the future (e.g., limitations on shareholders right to amend the bylaws or charter, or supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter); |
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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The ability of shareholders to hold directors accountable through annual director elections, or whether the company has a classified board structure; and, |
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A public commitment to put the provision to a shareholder vote within three years of the date of the initial public offering. |
Unless the adverse provision is reversed or submitted to a vote of public shareholders, vote case-by-case on director nominees in subsequent years.
Governance Failures
Under extraordinary circumstances, vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to:
1.19. |
Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight 3 , or fiduciary responsibilities at the company; |
1.20. | Failure to replace management as appropriate; or |
1.21. | Egregious actions related to a directors service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company. |
2. Responsiveness
Vote case-by-case on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:
2.1. | The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors that will be considered are: |
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Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote; |
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Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation; |
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The subject matter of the proposal; |
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The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings; |
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Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders; |
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The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and |
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Other factors as appropriate. |
2.2. | The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered; |
2.3. | At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote; |
2.4. | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the majority of votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency; or |
2.5. | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received a plurality, but not a majority, of the votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency, taking into account: |
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The boards rationale for selecting a frequency that is different from the frequency that received a plurality; |
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The companys ownership structure and vote results; |
3 Examples of failure of risk oversight include, but are not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; significant adverse legal judgments or settlements; hedging of company stock; or significant pledging of company stock.
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ISS analysis of whether there are compensation concerns or a history of problematic compensation practices; and |
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The previous years support level on the companys say-on-pay proposal. |
3. Composition
Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings:
3.1. |
Generally vote against or withhold from directors (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case 4 ) who attend less than 75 percent of the aggregate of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following: |
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Medical issues/illness; |
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Family emergencies; and |
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Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer). |
3.2. | If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote against or withhold from the director(s) in question. |
Overboarded Directors:
Vote against or withhold from individual directors who:
3.3. |
Sit on more than six public company boards; with respect to annual meetings on or after Feb. 1, 2017 5 , sit on more than five public company boards; or |
3.4. |
Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own withhold only at their outside boards 6 . |
4. Independence
Vote against or withhold from Inside Directors and Affiliated Outside Directors (per the Categorization of Directors ) when:
4.1. | The inside or affiliated outside director serves on any of the three key committees: audit, compensation, or nominating; |
4.2. | The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; |
4.3. | The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee; or |
4.4. | Independent directors make up less than a majority of the directors. |
4 For new nominees only, schedule conflicts due to commitments made prior to their appointment to the board are considered if disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing.
5 This policy change includes a 1-year transition period to allow time for affected directors to address necessary changes if they wish.
6 Although all of a CEOs subsidiary boards will be counted as separate boards, ISS will not recommend a withhold vote from the CEO of a parent company board or any of the controlled (>50 percent ownership) subsidiaries of that parent, but may do so at subsidiaries that are less than 50 percent controlled and boards outside the parent/subsidiary relationships.
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Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO)
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requiring that the chairmans position be filled by an independent director, taking into consideration the following: |
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The scope of the proposal; |
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The companys current board leadership structure; |
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The companys governance structure and practices; |
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Company performance; and |
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Any other relevant factors that may be applicable. |
Regarding the scope of the proposal, consider whether the proposal is precatory or binding and whether the proposal is seeking an immediate change in the chairman role or the policy can be implemented at the next CEO transition.
Under the review of the companys board leadership structure, ISS may support the proposal under the following scenarios absent a compelling rationale: the presence of an executive or non-independent chair in addition to the CEO; a recent recombination of the role of CEO and chair; and/or departure from a structure with an independent chair. ISS will also consider any recent transitions in board leadership and the effect such transitions may have on independent board leadership as well as the designation of a lead director role.
When considering the governance structure, ISS will consider the overall independence of the board, the independence of key committees, the establishment of governance guidelines, board tenure and its relationship to CEO tenure, and any other factors that may be relevant. Any concerns about a companys governance structure will weigh in favor of support for the proposal.
The review of the companys governance practices may include, but is not limited to poor compensation practices, material failures of governance and risk oversight, related-party transactions or other issues putting director independence at risk, corporate or management scandals, and actions by management or the board with potential or realized negative impact on shareholders. Any such practices may suggest a need for more independent oversight at the company thus warranting support of the proposal.
ISS performance assessment will generally consider one-, three, and five-year TSR compared to the companys peers and the market as a whole. While poor performance will weigh in favor of the adoption of an independent chair policy, strong performance over the long-term will be considered a mitigating factor when determining whether the proposed leadership change warrants support.
Proxy Access
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals for proxy access with the following provisions: |
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Ownership threshold: maximum requirement not more than three percent (3%) of the voting power; |
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Ownership duration: maximum requirement not longer than three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group; |
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Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of shareholders permitted to form a nominating group; |
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Cap: cap on nominees of generally twenty-five percent (25%) of the board. |
Review for reasonableness any other restrictions on the right of proxy access.
Generally vote against proposals that are more restrictive than these guidelines.
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Proxy Contests/Proxy Access Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors: |
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Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry; |
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Managements track record; |
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Background to the contested election; |
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Nominee qualifications and any compensatory arrangements; |
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Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of the critique against management; |
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Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and |
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Stock ownership positions. |
In the case of candidates nominated pursuant to proxy access, vote case-by-case considering any applicable factors listed above or additional factors which may be relevant, including those that are specific to the company, to the nominee(s) and/or to the nature of the election (such as whether or not there are more candidates than board seats).
CAPITAL/RESTRUCTURING
Common Stock Authorization
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General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support. |
Vote against proposals at companies with more than one class of common stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights.
Vote against proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares if a vote for a reverse stock split on the same ballot is warranted despite the fact that the authorized shares would not be reduced proportionally.
Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following:
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Past Board Performance: |
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The companys use of authorized shares during the last three years |
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The Current Request: |
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Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes of the proposed increase; |
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Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request; and |
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The dilutive impact of the request as determined relative to an allowable increase calculated by ISS (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares) that reflects the companys need for shares and total shareholder returns. |
ISS will apply the relevant allowable increase below to requests to increase common stock that are for general corporate purposes (or to the general corporate purposes portion of a request that also includes a specific need):
A. Most companies: 100 percent of existing authorized shares.
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B. | Companies with less than 50 percent of existing authorized shares either outstanding or reserved for issuance: 50 percent of existing authorized shares. |
C. | Companies with one- and three-year total shareholder returns (TSRs) in the bottom 10 percent of the U.S. market as of the end of the calendar quarter that is closest to their most recent fiscal year end: 50 percent of existing authorized shares. |
D. | Companies at which both conditions (B and C) above are both present: 25 percent of existing authorized shares. |
If there is an acquisition, private placement, or similar transaction on the ballot (not including equity incentive plans) that ISS is recommending FOR, the allowable increase will be the greater of (i) twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and (ii) the allowable increase as calculated above.
Mergers and Acquisitions
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including: |
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Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction and strategic rationale. |
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Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal. |
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Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions. |
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Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arms-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation wins can also signify the deal makers competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process ( e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value. |
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Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the ISS Transaction Summary section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists. |
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Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance. |
COMPENSATION
Executive Pay Evaluation
Underlying all evaluations are five global principles that most investors expect corporations to adhere to in designing and administering executive and director compensation programs:
1. | Maintain appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, with emphasis on long-term shareholder value: This principle encompasses overall executive pay practices, which must be designed to attract, retain, and appropriately motivate the key employees who drive shareholder value creation over the long term. It will take into consideration, among other factors, the link between pay and performance; the mix between fixed and variable pay; performance goals; and equity-based plan costs; |
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2. | Avoid arrangements that risk pay for failure: This principle addresses the appropriateness of long or indefinite contracts, excessive severance packages, and guaranteed compensation; |
3. | Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee: This principle promotes oversight of executive pay programs by directors with appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and a sound process for compensation decision-making ( e.g., including access to independent expertise and advice when needed); |
4. | Provide shareholders with clear, comprehensive compensation disclosures: This principle underscores the importance of informative and timely disclosures that enable shareholders to evaluate executive pay practices fully and fairly; |
5. | Avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors: This principle recognizes the interests of shareholders in ensuring that compensation to outside directors does not compromise their independence and ability to make appropriate judgments in overseeing managers pay and performance. At the market level, it may incorporate a variety of generally accepted best practices. |
Advisory Votes on Executive CompensationManagement Proposals (Management Say-on-Pay)
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation. |
Vote against Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Management Say-on-PayMSOP) if:
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There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance ( pay for performance ); |
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The company maintains significant problematic pay practices ; |
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The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders. |
Vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
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There is no MSOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an MSOP is warranted due to pay for performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof; |
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The board fails to respond adequately to a previous MSOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast; |
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The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, including option repricing or option backdating; or |
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The situation is egregious. |
Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay
Pay-for-Performance Evaluation
ISS annually conducts a pay-for-performance analysis to identify strong or satisfactory alignment between pay and performance over a sustained period. With respect to companies in the Russell 3000 or Russell 3000E Indices 7 , this analysis considers the following:
1. |
Peer Group 8 Alignment: |
7 The Russell 3000E Index includes approximately 4,000 of the largest U.S. equity securities.
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The degree of alignment between the companys annualized TSR rank and the CEOs annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period. |
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The multiple of the CEOs total pay relative to the peer group median. |
2. |
Absolute Alignment 9 the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period. |
If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of companies outside the Russell indices, misaligned pay and performance are otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, as relevant to evaluating how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests:
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The ratio of performance- to time-based equity awards; |
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The overall ratio of performance-based compensation; |
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The completeness of disclosure and rigor of performance goals; |
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The companys peer group benchmarking practices; |
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Actual results of financial/operational metrics, such as growth in revenue, profit, cash flow, etc., both absolute and relative to peers; |
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Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards); |
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Realizable pay 10 compared to grant pay; and |
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Any other factors deemed relevant. |
Problematic Pay Practices
The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including:
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Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements; |
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Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking; and |
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Options Backdating. |
Problematic Pay Practices related to Non-Performance-Based Compensation Elements
Pay elements that are not directly based on performance are generally evaluated case-by-case considering the context of a companys overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. Please refer to ISS Compensation FAQ document for detail on specific pay practices that have been identified as potentially problematic and may lead to negative recommendations if they are deemed to be inappropriate or unjustified relative to executive pay best practices. The list below highlights the problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in adverse vote recommendations:
8 The revised peer group is generally comprised of 14-24 companies that are selected using market cap, revenue (or assets for certain financial firms), GICS industry group, and companys selected peers GICS industry group, with size constraints, via a process designed to select peers that are comparable to the subject company in terms of revenue/assets and industry, and also within a market cap bucket that is reflective of the companys. For Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels companies, market cap is the only size determinant.
9 Only Russell 3000 Index companies are subject to the Absolute Alignment analysis.
10 ISS research reports include realizable pay for S&P1500 companies.
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Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARS without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options); |
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Excessive perquisites or tax gross-ups, including any gross-up related to a secular trust or restricted stock vesting; |
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New or extended agreements that provide for: |
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CIC payments exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus; |
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CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties (single or modified single triggers); |
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CIC payments with excise tax gross-ups (including modified gross-ups); |
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Insufficient executive compensation disclosure by externally- managed issuers (EMIs) such that a reasonable assessment of pay programs and practices applicable to the EMIs executives is not possible. |
Incentives that may Motivate Excessive Risk-Taking
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Multi-year guaranteed bonuses; |
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A single or common performance metric used for short- and long-term plans; |
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Lucrative severance packages; |
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High pay opportunities relative to industry peers; |
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Disproportionate supplemental pensions; or |
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Mega annual equity grants that provide unlimited upside with no downside risk. |
Factors that potentially mitigate the impact of risky incentives include rigorous claw-back provisions and robust stock ownership/holding guidelines.
Options Backdating
The following factors should be examined case-by-case to allow for distinctions to be made between sloppy plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud:
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Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes; |
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Duration of options backdating; |
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Size of restatement due to options backdating; |
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Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and |
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Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating, and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future. |
Compensation Committee Communications and Responsiveness
Consider the following factors case-by-case when evaluating ballot items related to executive pay on the boards responsiveness to investor input and engagement on compensation issues:
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Failure to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics; or |
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Failure to adequately respond to the companys previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
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The companys response, including: |
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Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
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Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
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The companys ownership structure; and |
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Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on certain equity-based compensation plans 11 depending on a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an equity plan scorecard (EPSC) approach with three pillars: |
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Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the companys equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the companys estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both: |
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SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and |
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SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants. |
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Plan Features: |
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Automatic single-triggered award vesting upon a change in control (CIC); |
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Discretionary vesting authority; |
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Liberal share recycling on various award types; |
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Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan. |
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Grant Practices: |
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The companys three year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers; |
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Vesting requirements in most recent CEO equity grants (3-year look-back); |
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The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years); |
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The proportion of the CEOs most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions; |
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Whether the company maintains a claw-back policy; |
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Whether the company has established post exercise/vesting share-holding requirements. |
Generally vote against the plan proposal if the combination of above factors indicates that the plan is not, overall, in shareholders interests, or if any of the following egregious factors apply:
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Awards may vest in connection with a liberal change-of-control definition; |
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The plan would permit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval (either by expressly permitting it for NYSE and Nasdaq listed companies or by not prohibiting it when the company has a history of repricing for non-listed companies); |
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The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances; or |
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Any other plan features are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests. |
11 Proposals evaluated under the EPSC policy generally include those to approve or amend (1) stock option plans for employees and/or employees and directors, (2) restricted stock plans for employees and/or employees and directors, and (3) omnibus stock incentive plans for employees and/or employees and directors.
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SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS)
Global Approach
Issues covered under the policy include a wide range of topics, including consumer and product safety, environment and energy, labor standards and human rights, workplace and board diversity, and corporate political issues. While a variety of factors goes into each analysis, the overall principle guiding all vote recommendations focuses on how the proposal may enhance or protect shareholder value in either the short or long term.
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General Recommendation: Generally vote case-by-case, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value, and in addition the following will also be considered: |
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If the issues presented in the proposal are more appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation; |
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If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal; |
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Whether the proposals request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive; |
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The companys approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal; |
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If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and |
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If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage. |
Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for resolutions requesting that a company disclose information on the risks related to climate change on its operations and investments, such as financial, physical, or regulatory risks, considering: |
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Whether the company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impact that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
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The companys level of disclosure is at least comparable to that of industry peers; and |
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There are no significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the companys environmental performance. |
Generally vote for proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations and/or products and operations, unless:
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The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
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The companys level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; and |
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There are no significant, controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the companys GHG emissions. |
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Vote case-by-case on proposals that call for the adoption of GHG reduction goals from products and operations, taking into account:
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Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data; |
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Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers; |
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The companys actual GHG emissions performance; |
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The companys current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and |
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Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to GHG emissions. |
Board Diversity
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for requests for reports on a companys efforts to diversify the board, unless: |
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The gender and racial minority representation of the companys board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and |
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The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board and within the company. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals asking a company to increase the gender and racial minority representation on its board, taking into account:
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The degree of existing gender and racial minority diversity on the companys board and among its executive officers; |
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The level of gender and racial minority representation that exists at the companys industry peers; |
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The companys established process for addressing gender and racial minority board representation; |
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Whether the proposal includes an overly prescriptive request to amend nominating committee charter language; |
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The independence of the companys nominating committee; |
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Whether the company uses an outside search firm to identify potential director nominees; and |
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Whether the company has had recent controversies, fines, or litigation regarding equal employment practices. |
Sustainability Reporting
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability, unless: |
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The company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies such as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) report; a comprehensive code of corporate conduct; and/or a diversity report; or |
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The company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines or a similar standard within a specified time frame. |
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Compensation-Related Proposals
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to link, or report on linking, executive compensation to sustainability (environmental and social) criteria, considering: |
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Whether the company has significant and/or persistent controversies or regulatory violations regarding social and/or environmental issues; |
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Whether the company has management systems and oversight mechanisms in place regarding its social and environmental performance; |
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The degree to which industry peers have incorporated similar non-financial performance criteria in their executive compensation practices; and |
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The companys current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance. |
This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, and charts (collectively, the Information) is the property of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), its subsidiaries, or, in some cases third party suppliers.
The Information has not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), or a promotion or recommendation of, any security, financial product or other investment vehicle or any trading strategy, and ISS does not endorse, approve, or otherwise express any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial products or instruments or trading strategies.
The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of the Information.
ISS MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS for A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION.
Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall ISS have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits), or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall not exclude or limit any liability that may not by applicable law be excluded or limited.
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MAI-GRESH-0117D
January 31, 2017
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund
Ticker Symbols: Class ANWQAX, Class CNWQCX, Class R6NQWFX, Class INWQIX, Class TNWQTX
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This Statement of Additional Information ( SAI ) is not a prospectus. This SAI relates to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus dated January 31, 2017 for Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund (the Fund ), a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V. A Prospectus may be obtained without charge from certain securities representatives, banks and other financial institutions that have entered into sales agreements with Nuveen Securities, LLC (the Distributor ), or from the Fund, by written request to Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, or by calling (800) 257-8787.
The audited financial statements for the Funds most recent fiscal year appear in the Funds Annual Report dated September 30, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference and is available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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General Information | S-3 | |
Investment Restrictions | S-3 | |
Investment Policies and Techniques | S-5 | |
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Management | S-29 | |
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Service Providers | S-48 | |
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Codes of Ethics | S-51 | |||
Proxy Voting Policies | S-52 | |||
Portfolio Transactions | S-52 | |||
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Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings | S-54 | |||
Net Asset Value | S-56 | |||
Shares of Beneficial Interest | S-56 | |||
Tax Matters | S-59 | |||
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Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares | S-63 | |||
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Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares |
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Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge |
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Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments |
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Financial Statements | S-78 | |||
Appendix ARatings of Investments | A-1 | |||
Appendix BISS United States Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines | B-1 |
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The Fund is a diversified series of Nuveen Investment Trust V (the Trust ), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 27, 2006. Each series of the Trust represents shares of beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objective and policies. Currently, six series of the Trust are authorized and outstanding. The Fund was formerly named Nuveen NWQ Preferred Securities Fund. The Funds investment adviser is Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC ( Nuveen Fund Advisors or the Adviser ). The Funds sub-adviser is NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC ( NWQ or the Sub-Adviser ).
Certain matters under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act ), which must be submitted to a vote of the holders of the outstanding voting securities of a series, shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of each series affected by such matter.
The investment objective and certain investment policies of the Fund are described in the Prospectus for the Fund. The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares:
(1) With respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (except securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the Funds total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer at the time of purchase, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
(2) Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act.
(3) Act as an underwriter of another issuers securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.
(4) Make loans except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act.
(5) Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; but this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from investing in options on commodity indices, commodity futures contracts and options thereon, commodity-related swap agreements, other commodity-related derivative instruments, and investment companies that provide exposure to commodities.
(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).
(7) Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.
(8) Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, 25% or more of the Funds total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the same industry; except that this restriction shall not be applicable to securities issued by financial services companies or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any agency or instrumentality thereof.
Except with respect to the limitation set forth in number (2) above, the foregoing restrictions and limitations will apply only at the time of purchase of securities, and the percentage limitations will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities, unless otherwise indicated.
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For purposes of applying the limitations set forth in numbers (2) and (7) above, under the 1940 Act as currently in effect, the Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from any bank if immediately after such borrowing the value of the Funds total assets is at least 300% of the principal amount of all of the Funds borrowings (i.e., the principal amount of the borrowings may not exceed 33 1 / 3 % of the Funds total assets). In the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three calendar days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (2).
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (4) above, there are no limitations with respect to unsecured loans made by the Fund to an unaffiliated party. However, if the Fund loans its portfolio securities, the obligation on the part of the Fund to return collateral upon termination of the loan could be deemed to involve the issuance of a senior security within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act. In order to avoid violation of Section 18(f), the Fund may not make a loan of portfolio securities if, as a result, more than one-third of its total asset value (at market value computed at the time of making a loan) would be on loan. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (4).
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (8) above, issuers of the following securities will not be considered to be members of any industry: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; except as set forth in the following sentence, tax-exempt securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; securities of foreign governments; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. To the extent that the income from a municipal bond is derived from a specific project, the securities will be deemed to be from the industry of that project. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, it will consider, to the extent practicable, the industry concentration of the underlying investment companies when determining compliance with the limitation set forth in number (8) above. This limitation also does not place a limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country.
Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank.
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (8) above, the Fund classifies asset-backed securities in its portfolio in separate industries based upon a combination of the industry of the issuer or sponsor and the type of collateral. The industry of the issuer or sponsor and the type of collateral will be determined by the Adviser. For example, an asset-backed security known as Money Store 94-D A2 would be classified as follows: the issuer or sponsor of the security is The Money Store, a personal finance company, and the collateral underlying the security is automobile receivables. Therefore, the industry classification would be Personal Finance CompaniesAutomobile. Similarly, an asset-backed security known as Midlantic Automobile Grantor Trust 1992-1 B would be classified as follows: the issuer or sponsor of the security is Midlantic National Bank, a banking organization, and the collateral underlying the security is automobile receivables. Therefore, the industry classification would be BanksAutomobile. Thus, an issuer or sponsor may be included in more than one industry classification, as may a particular type of collateral.
The foregoing fundamental investment policies, together with the investment objective of the Fund, cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares. As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Funds shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Funds shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Funds shares, whichever is less.
In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees. The Fund may not:
(1) Invest more than 15% of its net assets in all forms of illiquid investments.
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(2) Acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on subparagraph (F) or subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.
(3) Invest directly in futures, options on futures and swaps to the extent that the Adviser would be required to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ) as a commodity pool operator. See Investment Policies and TechniquesDerivativesLimitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps.
For purposes of number (1) above, the Fund will monitor portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis and, in the event more than 15% of the Funds net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund will reduce its holdings of illiquid investments in an orderly fashion in order to maintain adequate liquidity. The term illiquid investments will have the same meaning as given in guidance provided by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ).
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES
The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds investment objective, principal investment strategies, policies and techniques that appears in the Prospectus for the Fund. Additional information concerning principal investment strategies of the Fund, and other investment strategies that may be used by the Fund, is set forth below in alphabetical order. Additional information concerning the Funds investment restrictions is set forth above under Investment Restrictions.
If a percentage limitation on investments by the Fund stated in this SAI or its Prospectus is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in asset value will not be deemed to violate the limitation except in the case of the limitations on borrowing.
References in this section to the Adviser also apply, to the extent applicable, to the Sub-Adviser of the Fund.
To the extent required by SEC guidelines, the Fund will only engage in transactions that expose it to an obligation to another party if it owns either (a) an offsetting position for the same type of financial asset or (b) cash or liquid securities, designated on the Funds books or held in a segregated account, with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered as provided in (a). Examples of transactions governed by these asset coverage requirements include, for example, short sales, options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, swaps and when-issued and delayed delivery transactions. Assets used as offsetting positions, designated on the Funds books, or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the positions requiring cover are open unless replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of assets to be used as offsetting positions or to be designated or segregated in such a manner could impede portfolio management or the ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
In the case of futures contracts that are not contractually required to cash settle and to the extent the Fund writes a credit default swap, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to such contracts full notional value (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying a futures contract or credit default swap at the time of valuation) while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to cash settle, however, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Funds daily mark-to-market net obligation (i.e., the Funds daily net liability) under the contracts, if any, rather than such contracts full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled futures contracts, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts.
The Fund, along with certain other funds managed by the Adviser ( Participating Funds ), is a party to a 364-day, approximately $2.5 billion credit agreement with a group of lenders (the Credit Agreement ),
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which expires in July 2017, unless extended or renewed. The Fund may borrow under the Credit Agreement to meet shareholder redemptions and for other lawful purposes. Borrowing results in interest expense and being a Participating Fund results in other fees and expenses, which may increase the Funds net expenses and reduce the Funds return. In addition, borrowing by the Fund may create leverage by increasing the Funds investment exposure. This will result in any changes in the Funds net asset value, either positive or negative, being greater than they would have been if the Fund had not borrowed. Participating Funds have been allocated different portions of the committed amount of the Credit Facility based primarily on the expected likelihood and extent of the need to borrow under the Credit Agreement. Commitment and undrawn fees under the Credit Agreement are allocated among Participating Funds based upon portions of the aggregate commitment available to them and other factors deemed relevant by the Adviser and the Board of each Participating Fund, while fees on any amounts drawn by a Participating Fund under the Credit Agreement are borne by that Participating Fund.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
The Fund may hold assets in cash or cash equivalents, money market funds and short-term taxable fixed income securities in such proportions as warranted by prevailing market conditions and the Funds principal investment strategies. For temporary defensive purposes or during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in such holdings. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may only invest in short-term taxable fixed income securities with a maturity of one year or less and whose issuers have a long-term rating of at least A- or higher by Standard & Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ( Standard & Poors ), A3 or higher by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. ( Moodys ) or A- or higher by Fitch, Inc. ( Fitch ). Short-term taxable fixed income securities are defined to include, without limitation, the following:
(1) U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government agency securities include securities issued by (a) the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, and the Government National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; (b) the Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (c) the Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and (d) the Student Loan Marketing Association, whose securities are supported only by its credit. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it always will do so since it is not so obligated by law. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. In addition, the Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of non-U.S. countries. A sovereign debtors willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtors policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which it may be subject.
(2) Certificates of Deposit . The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. If such certificates of deposit are non-negotiable, they will be considered illiquid securities and be subject to the Funds 15% restriction on investments in illiquid securities. Pursuant to the certificate of deposit, the issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured. The Fund may only invest in certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks with at least $1 billion in assets.
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(3) Bankers Acceptances . The Fund may invest in bankers acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then accepted by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity.
(4) Repurchase Agreements . The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements which involve purchases of debt securities. In such an action, at the time the Fund purchases the security, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver the security to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the security at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, however, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The portfolio managers monitor the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The portfolio managers do so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws.
(5) Bank Time Deposits . The Fund may invest in bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced.
(6) Commercial Paper . The Fund may invest in commercial paper, which are short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for the notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. The portfolio managers will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will continuously monitor the corporations ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Funds liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. The Fund may only invest in commercial paper rated A-2 or higher by Standard & Poors, Prime-2 or higher by Moodys or F2 or higher by Fitch, or unrated commercial paper which is, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest in common stocks. Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred securities, dividends on common stocks are not prescribed in advance but are declared at the discretion of a companys board.
While investing in stocks allows shareholders to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such shareholders must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a companys earnings and cash flow, common stockholders are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a companys stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.
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Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a companys stock may fall because of:
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Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the companys products or services; |
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Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and |
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Changes in financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates. |
An investment in common stocks of issuers with small or medium market capitalizations generally involves greater risk and price volatility than an investment in common stocks of larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of small and medium capitalization companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market, and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of small and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies.
Convertible securities are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of bonds and common stocks. Convertible securities typically consist of debt securities or preferred securities that may be converted within a specified period of time (typically for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer at a predetermined price. They also include debt securities with warrants or common stock attached and derivatives combining the features of debt securities and equity securities. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt, or dividends paid or accrued on preferred securities, until the security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.
The market value of a convertible security generally is a function of its investment value and its conversion value. A securitys investment value represents the value of the security without its conversion feature ( i.e. , a comparable non-convertible fixed-income security). The investment value is determined by, among other things, reference to its credit quality and the current value of its yield to maturity or probable call date. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar non-convertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuers capital structure. A securitys conversion value is determined by multiplying the number of shares the holder is entitled to receive upon conversion or exchange by the current price of the underlying security. If the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly below its investment value, the convertible security will trade like non-convertible debt or a preferred security in the sense that its market value will not be influenced greatly by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security into which it can be converted. Instead, the convertible securitys price will tend to move in the opposite direction from interest rates. Conversely, if the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly above its investment value, the market value of the convertible security will be more heavily influenced by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying stock. In that case, the convertible securitys price may be as volatile as that of the common stock. Because both interest rate and market movements can influence its value, a convertible security is not generally as sensitive to interest rates as a similar fixed-income security, nor is it generally as sensitive to changes in share price as its underlying stock.
The Funds investments in convertible securities, particularly securities that are convertible into securities of an issuer other than the issuer of the convertible security, may be illiquid. The Funds investments in convertible securities may at times include securities that have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities (of the same or a different issuer) at a specified date and a specified conversion ratio, or that are convertible at the option of the issuer. For issues where the conversion of the security 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 or other equity security has declined substantially.
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In addition, some convertible securities are often rated below investment-grade or are not rated, and therefore may be considered speculative investments. The credit rating of a companys convertible securities is generally lower than that of its conventional debt securities. Convertible securities are normally considered junior securitiesthat is, the company usually must pay interest on its conventional corporate debt before it can make payments on its convertible securities. Some convertible securities are particularly sensitive to interest rate changes when their predetermined conversion price is much higher than the issuing companys common stock.
The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities are usually issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. Rates on corporate debt securities are set according to prevailing interest rates at the time of the issue, the credit rating of the issuer, the length of the maturity and other terms of the security. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small non-U.S. corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization ( NRSRO ) may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when its due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuers debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while making payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms. Additionally, corporate debt securities may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.
In addition, corporate restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers or similar corporate transactions are often financed by an increase in a corporate issuers debt securities. As a result of the added debt burden, the credit quality and market value of an issuers existing debt securities may decline significantly.
Subject to the limitations set forth below under Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps, the Fund may use derivative instruments as described below. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. Derivatives generally take the form of contracts under which the parties agree to payments between them based upon the performance of a wide variety of underlying references, such as stocks, bonds, loans, commodities, interest rates, currency exchange rates, and various domestic and foreign indices.
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The Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including as a substitute for investing directly in securities, as part of a hedging strategy (that is, for the purpose of reducing risk to the Fund), or for other purposes related to the management of the Fund. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a large impact on the Funds performance.
While transactions in some derivatives may be effected on established exchanges, many other derivatives are privately negotiated and entered into in the over-the-counter ( OTC ) market with a single counterparty. When exchange-traded derivatives are purchased and sold, a clearing agency associated with the exchange stands between each buyer and seller and effectively guarantees performance of each contract, either on a limited basis through a guaranty fund or to the full extent of the clearing agencys balance sheet. Transactions in OTC derivatives not subject to a clearing requirement have no such protection. Each party to an uncleared OTC derivative bears the risk that its direct counterparty will default. In addition, OTC derivatives are generally less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives because they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction.
The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the CFTC, various state regulatory authorities and, with respect to exchange-traded derivatives, the several exchanges upon which they are traded. As discussed above under Asset Coverage Requirements, in order to engage in certain transactions in derivatives, the Fund may be required to hold offsetting positions or to hold cash or liquid securities in a segregated account or designated on the Funds books. In addition, the Funds ability to use derivative instruments may be limited by tax considerations.
The particular derivative instruments the Fund can use are described below. The Funds portfolio managers may decide not to employ some or all of these instruments, and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed. The Fund may employ new derivative instruments and strategies when they are developed, if those investment methods are consistent with the Funds investment objective and are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.
Options Transactions
The Fund may purchase put and call options on specific securities (including groups or baskets of specific securities), interest rates, stock indices and/or bond indices. In addition, the Fund may write put and call options on such financial instruments.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right (but not the obligation) to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at a stated price (the exercise price) at any time before the option expires. A call option on a security gives the purchaser the right (but not the obligation) to buy, and the writer the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time before the option expires. The purchase price for a put or call option is the premium paid by the purchaser for the right to sell or buy.
The Fund may purchase put options to hedge against a decline in the value of its portfolio. By using put options in this way, the Fund would reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized in the underlying security by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. In similar fashion, the Fund may purchase call options to protect against an increase in the price of securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing in the future, a practice sometimes referred to as anticipatory hedging. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security rises sufficiently, the option may expire unexercised.
Options on Interest Rates and Indices. The Fund may purchase put and call options on interest rates and on stock and bond indices. An option on interest rates or on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing value of the underlying interest rate or index is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the
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exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the exercise-settlement value of the interest rate option or the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple (the multiplier ). The writer of the option is obligated, for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Settlements for interest rate and index options are always in cash.
Writing Options. The Fund may write (sell) put and call options. These transactions would be undertaken principally to produce additional income. The Fund receives a premium from writing options which it retains whether or not the option is exercised. The Fund may write straddles consisting of a combination of a call and a put written on the same underlying instrument.
The Fund will write a call option on a security only if (a) the Fund owns the security underlying the call, (b) the Fund has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other liquid assets in such amount are segregated), or (c) the Fund holds a call on the same security where the exercise price of the call is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
The Fund will write a call option on a basket of securities or an index only if (a) the Fund segregates liquid assets in an amount equal to the contract value of the index or basket, or (b) the Fund holds a call on the same index or basket as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
The Fund will write a put option on a security, basket of securities or index only if (a) the Fund segregates liquid assets equal to the exercise price or (b) the Fund holds a put on the same security, basket of securities or index as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
When the Fund writes a straddle, sufficient assets will be segregated to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The Fund may segregate the same liquid assets for both the call and put options in a straddle where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is in the money.
Expiration or Exercise of Options. If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, underlying security or index, exercise price, and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires.
The Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option which is sold. Prior to exercise or expiration, an option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series. The Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, the Fund will realize a capital loss. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market price of the underlying security or index in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying security or index, and the time remaining until the expiration date.
Futures
The Fund may engage in futures transactions. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts that relate to (1) interest rates, (2) debt securities, (3) bond indices, (4) stock indices and (5) individual
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stocks. The Fund may only enter into futures contracts which are standardized and traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange, board of trade or similar entity, or quoted on an automated quotation system.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security, index or interest rate (each a financial instrument ) for a set price on a future date. Certain futures contracts, such as futures contracts relating to individual securities, call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument. However, these contracts generally are closed out before delivery by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale of a matching futures contract. Other futures contracts, such as futures contracts on interest rates and indices, do not call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument, but rather are agreements pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the financial instrument at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the contract was originally written. These contracts also may be settled by entering into an offsetting futures contract.
Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with its futures broker (also known as a futures commission merchant ( FCM )) an amount of cash or securities equal to a specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, FCMs may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held as margin is generally invested by the FCM in high-quality instruments permitted under CFTC regulations, with returns retained by the FCM and interest paid to the Fund on the cash at an agreed-upon rate. The Fund will also receive any interest paid from coupon-bearing securities, such as Treasury securities, held in margin accounts. Subsequent payments to and from the FCM, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying financial instrument fluctuates, making the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a gain or loss. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCMs other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund. Futures transactions also involve brokerage costs.
Most U.S. futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous days settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of futures contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.
Options on Futures
The Fund may also purchase or write put and call options on futures contracts. A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. Prior to exercise or expiration, a futures option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of a futures option of the same series.
The Fund may use options on futures contracts in connection with hedging strategies. The writing of a call option or the purchasing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If
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the futures price at expiration of a written call option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Funds holdings of securities. If the futures price when the option is exercised is above the exercise price, however, the Fund will incur a loss, which may be offset, in whole or in part, by the increase in the value of the securities held by the Fund that were being hedged. Writing a put option or purchasing a call option on a futures contract serves as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of the securities the Fund intends to acquire.
When writing a call option, the Fund must either segregate liquid assets with a value equal to the fluctuating market value of the optioned futures contract, or the Fund must own an option to purchase the same futures contract having an exercise price that is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
When writing a put option, the Fund must segregate liquid assets in an amount not less than the exercise price, or own a put option on the same futures contract where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
As with investments in futures contracts, the Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it.
Swap Transactions
The Fund may enter into equity, interest rate, currency and credit default swap agreements.
The Fund may enter into swap transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objectives and strategies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, to reduce risk arising from the ownership of a particular instrument, or to gain exposure to certain securities, reference rates, sectors or markets.
Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for a specified period of time. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined asset, reference rate or index. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a notional amount, e.g., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a basket of securities representing a particular index. The notional amount of the swap agreement generally is only used as a basis upon which to calculate the obligations that the parties to the swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Funds current obligations under a net swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and the Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid by the Sub-Adviser for any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty. See Asset Coverage Requirements above.
Equity Swaps. In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index or basket of stocks in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the return on the interest rate that the Fund will be committed to pay.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are fixed-for-floating rate swaps, termed basis swaps and index amortizing swaps. Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are
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typically fixed-for-floating swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely.
Currency Swaps. A currency swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make interest rate payments in one currency and the other promises to make interest rate payments in another currency. The Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has one currency and desires a different currency. Typically the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. Changes in non-U.S. exchange rates and changes in interest rates may negatively affect currency swaps.
Credit Default Swaps . A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements either as a buyer or a seller. The Fund may buy protection to attempt to mitigate the risk of default or credit quality deterioration in one or more of its individual holdings or in a segment of the fixed income securities market to which it has exposure, or to take a short position in individual bonds or market segments which it does not own. The Fund may sell protection in an attempt to gain exposure to the credit quality characteristics of particular bonds or market segments without investing directly in those bonds or market segments.
As the buyer of protection in a credit default swap, the Fund will pay a premium (by means of an upfront payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement) in return for the right to deliver a referenced bond or group of bonds to the protection seller and receive the full notional or par value (or other agreed upon value) upon a default (or similar event) by the issuer(s) of the underlying referenced obligation(s). If no default occurs, the protection seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligation to the Fund. Thus, the cost to the Fund would be the premium paid with respect to the agreement. If a credit event occurs, however, the Fund may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. The Fund bears the risk that the protection seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations.
If the Fund is a seller of protection in a credit default swap and no credit event occurs, the Fund would generally receive an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap. If a credit event occurs, however, generally the Fund would have to pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As the protection seller, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Thus, the Fund bears the same risk as it would by buying the reference obligations directly, plus the additional risks related to obtaining investment exposure through a derivative instrument discussed below under Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.
Risks Associated with Swap Transactions. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Sub-Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. As the protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The Fund may only close out a swap or other two-party contract with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. In addition, the price at which the Fund may close out such a two party contract may not correlate with the price change in the underlying reference asset. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that the Fund will succeed in enforcing its rights. It also is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap or other agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
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Interest Rate Caps, Collars and Floors
The Fund may enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar involves selling a cap and purchasing a floor or vice versa to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps
The Fund will limit its direct investments in CFTC-regulated futures, options on futures and swaps ( CFTC Derivatives ) to the extent necessary for the Adviser to claim the exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund under CFTC Rule 4.5, as such rule may be amended from time to time. Under Rule 4.5 as currently in effect, the Fund will limit its trading activity in CFTC Derivatives (excluding activity for bona fide hedging purposes, as defined by the CFTC) such that it meets one of the following tests:
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Aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish its positions in CFTC Derivatives do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Funds portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions; or |
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Aggregate net notional value of its positions in CFTC Derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Funds portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions. |
With respect to the Fund, the Adviser has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act and therefore is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator thereunder.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may also limit the extent to which the Fund may invest in CFTC Derivatives. See Tax MattersQualification as a Regulated Investment Company.
Federal Income Tax Treatment of Futures Contracts and Options
The Funds transactions in futures contracts and options will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code ), that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a regulated investment company and the distribution requirement for avoiding excise taxes.
Risks and Special Considerations Concerning Derivatives
The use of derivative instruments involves certain general risks and considerations as described below.
(1) Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Fund to losses. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the portfolio managers ability to predict movements in the relevant markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed.
(2) Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty
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risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for OTC derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For many OTC instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee and there is less regulation or supervision of transactions. In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to the Fund. The Fund will enter into derivatives transactions only with counterparties that its portfolio managers reasonably believe are capable of performing under the contract.
(3) Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and the price movements in the investments being hedged.
(4) Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. The Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as cover, maintain segregated accounts, and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If the Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. These requirements might impair the Funds ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Funds ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. There is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.
(5) Legal Risk. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a partys obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products.
(6) Systemic or Interconnection Risk. Systemic or interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.
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(7) Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is the risk that the Fund may be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged due to leverages tendency to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements.
(8) Regulatory Risk. The Dodd-Frank Act Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act ) has initiated a dramatic revision of the U.S. financial regulatory framework and covers a broad range of topics, including (among many others) a reorganization of federal financial regulators; a process intended to improve financial systemic stability and the resolution of potentially insolvent financial firms; and new rules for derivatives trading. Instruments in which the Fund may invest, or the issuers of such instruments, may be affected by the new legislation and regulation in ways that are unforeseeable. Many of the implementing regulations have not yet been finalized. Accordingly, the ultimate impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, including on the derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest, is not yet certain.
Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, and exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) registered under the 1940 Act (1940 Act ETFs) that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments. Under the 1940 Act, the Funds investment in such securities is generally limited to 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company; 5% of the Funds total assets with respect to any one investment company; and 10% of the Funds total assets in the aggregate. Many 1940 Act ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in their shares beyond these statutory limits, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to contractual arrangements between the ETFs and the investing funds. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders in investing in 1940 Act ETFs. The Funds investments in other investment companies may include money market mutual funds. Investments in money market funds are not subject to the percentage limitations set forth above.
ETFs in which the Fund may invest are a type of index fund bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF trades like common stock and represents a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. ETFs can give exposure to all or a portion of the U.S. market, a foreign market, a region, a commodity, a currency, or to any other index that an ETF tracks. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs. An ETF may fail to accurately track the returns of the market segment or index that it is designed to track, and the price of an ETFs shares may fluctuate. In addition, because they, unlike traditional mutual funds, are traded on an exchange, ETFs are subject to the following risks: (i) the performance of the ETF may not replicate the performance of the underlying index that it is designed to track; (ii) the market price of the ETFs shares may trade at a premium or discount to the ETFs net asset value; (iii) an active trading market for an ETF may not develop or be maintained; and (iv) there is no assurance that the requirements of the exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the ETF will continue to be met or remain unchanged. Trading in an ETF may be halted if the trading in one or more of the ETFs underlying securities is halted, which could result in the ETF being more volatile. In the event substantial market or other disruptions affecting ETFs should occur in the future, the liquidity and value of the Funds shares could also be substantially and adversely affected.
The Fund may also invest in pooled investment vehicles other than registered investment companies. The Fund will only invest in other pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments.
If the Fund invests in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles, Fund shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the Funds expenses, but also, indirectly, the similar expenses of the underlying investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Shareholders would also be exposed to the risks associated not only with the Fund, but also with the portfolio investments of the underlying investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Shares of certain closed-end funds may at times be acquired at market prices representing premiums to their
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net asset values. Shares acquired at a premium to their net asset value may be more likely to subsequently decline in price, resulting in a loss to the Fund and its shareholders.
A master limited partnership ( MLP ) is an entity, most commonly a limited partnership, that is taxed as a partnership, publicly traded and listed on a national securities exchange. Holders of common units of MLPs typically have limited control and limited voting rights as compared to holders of a corporations common shares. Preferred units issued by MLPs are not typically listed or traded on an exchange. Holders of preferred units can be entitled to a wide range of voting and other rights. Debt securities of MLPs are similar to debt securities of other companies. Such securities may be rated or unrated, may be above or below investment-grade quality, and may carry fixed or floating interest rates. MLPs are limited by the Code to only apply to enterprises that engage in certain businesses, mostly pertaining to the use of natural resources, such as petroleum and natural gas extraction and transportation, although some other enterprises may also qualify as MLPs.
A mortgage-backed security is a type of pass-through security, which is a security representing pooled debt obligations repackaged as interests that pass income through an intermediary to investors. In the case of mortgage-backed securities, the ownership interest is in a pool of mortgage loans. Residential mortgage-backed securities ( RMBS ) are backed by a pool of mortgages on residential property while commercial mortgage-backed securities ( CMBS ) are backed by a pool of mortgages on commercial property.
Mortgage-backed securities are most commonly issued or guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association ( Ginnie Mae or GNMA ), Federal National Mortgage Association ( Fannie Mae or FNMA ) or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ( Freddie Mac or FHLMC ), but may also be issued or guaranteed by other private issuers. GNMA is a government-owned corporation that is an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It guarantees, with the full faith and credit of the United States, full and timely payment of all monthly principal and interest on its mortgage-backed securities. FNMA is a private, shareholder-owned company that purchases both government-backed and conventional mortgages from lenders and securitizes them. Its objective is to increase the affordability of home mortgage funds for low- and middle-income home buyers. FNMA is a congressionally chartered company, although neither its stock nor the securities it issues are insured or guaranteed by the federal government. For example, the pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest only by FNMA. FHLMC is a publicly chartered agency that buys qualifying residential mortgages from lenders, re-packages them and provides certain guarantees. The corporations stock is owned by savings institutions across the United States and is held in trust by the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Pass-through securities issued by the FHLMC are guaranteed as to timely payment of interest and ultimately collection of principal only by the FHLMC.
Privately Issued Mortgaged-Back Securities. Mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers, whether or not such obligations are subject to guarantees by the private issuer, may entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government. Any investments the Fund makes in mortgage-related securities that are issued by private issuers have some exposure to subprime loans as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. Private issuers include commercial banks, savings associations, mortgage companies, investment banking firms, finance companies and special purpose finance entities (called special purpose vehicles or structured investment vehicles) and other entities that acquire and package mortgage loans for resale as mortgage-related securities. Unlike mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its sponsored entities, mortgage-related securities issued by private issuers do not have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee, but may have credit enhancement provided by external entities such as banks or financial institutions or achieved through the structuring of the transaction itself. Examples of such credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include: (1) the issuance of senior and subordinated securities (e.g., the issuance of securities by a special purpose vehicle in multiple classes or tranches, with one or more classes being senior to other subordinated classes as to the payment of principal and interest, with the result
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that defaults on the underlying mortgage loans are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class); (2) the creation of reserve funds (in which case cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, are held in reserve against future losses); and (3) overcollateralization (in which case the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying mortgage loans exceeds that required to make payment of the securities and pay any servicing or other fees). However, there can be no guarantee that credit enhancements, if any, will be sufficient to prevent losses in the event of defaults on the underlying mortgage loans.
In addition, mortgage-related securities that are issued by private issuers are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. As a result, the mortgage loans underlying private mortgage-related securities may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other underwriting characteristics than government or government-sponsored mortgage-related securities and have wider variances in a number of terms including interest rate, term, size, purpose and borrower characteristics. Privately issued pools more frequently include second mortgages, high loan-to-value mortgages and manufactured housing loans. The coupon rates and maturities of the underlying mortgage loans in a private-label mortgage-related securities pool may vary to a greater extent than those included in a government guaranteed pool, and the pool may include subprime mortgage loans. Subprime loans refer to loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments on their loans. For these reasons, the loans underlying these securities have had in many cases higher default rates than those loans that meet government underwriting requirements.
The risk of non-payment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by mortgage pools that contain subprime loans, but a level of risk exists for all loans. Market factors adversely affecting mortgage loan repayments may include a general economic turndown, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, a drop in the market prices of real estate, or an increase in interest rates resulting in higher mortgage payments by holders of adjustable rate mortgages.
Privately issued mortgage-related securities are generally less liquid than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, mortgage-related securities held in the Funds portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.
The average life of a mortgage-backed security is likely to be substantially less than the original maturity of the mortgage pools underlying the securities. Prepayments of principal by mortgagors and mortgage foreclosures will usually result in the return of the greater part of principal invested far in advance of the maturity of the mortgages in the pool or can result in credit losses.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. Collateralized mortgage obligations ( CMOs ) are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities (collateral collectively referred to hereinafter as Mortgage Assets ). Multi-class pass-through securities are interests in a trust composed of Mortgage Assets. All references in this section to CMOs include multi-class pass-through securities. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Assets may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. The principal and interest payments on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgages are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities ( SMBS ) are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage assets. The Fund will only invest in SMBS whose mortgage assets are U.S. government obligations. A common type of SMBS will be structured so that one class receives some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class receives most of the interest and the
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remainder of the principal. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities. The market value of any class which consists primarily or entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates.
Risks of Investing in Mortgage-Backed Securities. Investment in mortgage-backed securities poses several risks, including, among others, prepayment, market and credit risk. Prepayment risk reflects the risk that borrowers may prepay their mortgages faster than expected, thereby affecting the investments average life and perhaps its yield. Whether or not a mortgage loan is prepaid is almost entirely controlled by the borrower. Borrowers are most likely to exercise prepayment options at the time when it is least advantageous to investors, generally prepaying mortgages as interest rates fall, and slowing payments as interest rates rise. Besides the effect of prevailing interest rates, the rate of prepayment and refinancing of mortgages may also be affected by home value appreciation, ease of the refinancing process and local economic conditions. Market risk reflects the risk that the price of a security may fluctuate over time. The price of mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to prevailing interest rates, the length of time the security is expected to be outstanding and the liquidity of the issue. In a period of unstable interest rates, there may be decreased demand for certain types of mortgage-backed securities, and the Fund invested in such securities wishing to sell them may find it difficult to find a buyer, which may in turn decrease the price at which they may be sold. Credit risk reflects the risk that the Fund may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its obligations. Obligations issued by U.S. government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The performance of private label mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of those institutions. With respect to GNMA certificates, although GNMA guarantees timely payment even if homeowners delay or default, tracking the pass-through payments may, at times, be difficult.
The risks to which CMBS are subject differ somewhat from the risks to which RMBS are subject. CMBS are typically backed by a much smaller number of mortgages than RMBS are, so problems with one or a small number of mortgages backing a CMBS can have a large impact on its value. As CMBS have a less diversified pool of loans backing them, they are much more susceptible to property-specific risk. The values of CMBS are also more sensitive to macroeconomic trends. For example, when the economy slows rents generally decrease and vacancies generally increase for commercial real estate. Similarly, as many CMBS have a large exposure to retail properties, events that negatively impact the retail industry can also negatively impact the value of CMBS.
Municipal Bonds and Other Municipal Obligations
The Fund may invest in municipal bonds and other municipal obligations. These bonds and other obligations are issued by the states and by their local and special-purpose political subdivisions. The term municipal bond includes short-term municipal notes issued by the states and their political subdivisions, including, but not limited to, tax anticipation notes ( TANs ), bond anticipation notes ( BANs ), revenue anticipation notes ( RANs ), construction loan notes, tax free commercial paper, and tax free participation certificates. In general, municipal obligations include debt obligations issued by states, cities and local authorities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Industrial development bonds and pollution control bonds that are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately-rated facilities are included within the term municipal obligations if the interest paid thereon is exempt from federal income tax.
Obligations of issuers of municipal obligations are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. In addition, the obligations of such issuers may become subject to the laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures or referenda extending the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon municipalities to levy taxes. There is also the possibility that, as a result of legislation or other conditions, the power or ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its municipal obligations may be materially affected.
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Municipal Bonds
The two general classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation bonds and revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the governmental issuers pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest upon a default by the issuer of its principal and interest payment obligations. They are usually paid from general revenues of the issuing governmental entity. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are usually payable only out of a specific revenue source rather than from general revenues. Revenue bonds ordinarily are not backed by the faith, credit or general taxing power of the issuing governmental entity. The principal and interest on revenue bonds for private facilities are typically paid out of rents or other specified payments made to the issuing governmental entity by a private company which uses or operates the facilities. Examples of these types of obligations are industrial revenue bond and pollution control revenue bonds. Industrial revenue bonds are issued by governmental entities to provide financing aid to community facilities such as hospitals, hotels, business or residential complexes, convention halls and sport complexes. Pollution control revenue bonds are issued to finance air, water and solids pollution control systems for privately operated industrial or commercial facilities.
Revenue bonds for private facilities usually do not represent a pledge of the credit, general revenues or taxing powers of issuing governmental entity. Instead, the private company operating the facility is the sole source of payment of the obligation. Sometimes, the funds for payment of revenue bonds come solely from revenue generated by operation of the facility. Federal income tax laws place substantial limitations on industrial revenue bonds, and particularly certain specified private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986. In the future, legislation could be introduced in Congress which could further restrict or eliminate the income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations in which the Fund may invest.
Refunded Bonds
The Fund may invest in refunded bonds. Refunded bonds may have originally been issued as general obligation or revenue bonds, but become refunded when they are secured by an escrow fund, usually consisting entirely of direct U.S. government obligations and/or U.S. government agency obligations sufficient for paying the bondholders. There are two types of refunded bonds: pre-refunded bonds and escrowed-to-maturity ( ETM ) bonds. The escrow fund for a pre-refunded municipal bond may be structured so that the refunded bonds are to be called at the first possible date or a subsequent call date established in the original bond debenture. The call price usually includes a premium from 1% to 3% above par. This type of structure usually is used for those refundings that either reduce the issuers interest payment expenses or change the debt maturity schedule. In escrow funds for ETM refunded municipal bonds, the maturity schedules of the securities in the escrow funds match the regular debt-service requirements on the bonds as originally stated in the bond indentures.
Municipal Leases and Certificates of Participation
The Fund also may purchase municipal lease obligations, primarily through certificates of participation. Certificates of participation in municipal leases are undivided interests in a lease, installment purchase contract or conditional sale contract entered into by a state or local governmental unit to acquire equipment or facilities. Municipal leases frequently have special risks which generally are not associated with general obligation bonds or revenue bonds.
Municipal leases and installment purchase or conditional sales contracts (which usually provide for title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer upon payment of all amounts due under the contract) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of municipal debt. The debt issuance limitations are deemed to be inapplicable because of the inclusion in many leases and contracts of non-appropriation clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for this purpose by the appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. Although these kinds of obligations are secured by the leased equipment or facilities, the disposition of the pledged property in the event of non-appropriation or foreclosure might, in some cases, prove difficult and time-consuming. In addition, disposition upon non-appropriation or foreclosure might not result in recovery by the Fund of the full principal amount represented by an obligation.
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In light of these concerns, the Fund has adopted and follows procedures for determining whether any municipal lease obligations purchased by the Fund are liquid and for monitoring the liquidity of municipal lease securities held in the Funds portfolio. These procedures require that a number of factors be used in evaluating the liquidity of a municipal lease security, including the frequency of trades and quotes for the security, the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers, the willingness of dealers to undertake to make a market in security, the nature of the marketplace in which the security trades, and other factors which the Adviser may deem relevant. As set forth in Investment Restrictions above, the Fund is subject to limitations on the percentage of illiquid securities it can hold.
Derivative Municipal Securities
The Fund may also acquire derivative municipal securities, which are custodial receipts of certificates underwritten by securities dealers or banks that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain municipal securities. The underwriter of these certificates or receipts typically purchases municipal securities and deposits them in an irrevocable trust or custodial account with a custodian bank, which then issues receipts or certificates that evidence ownership of the periodic unmatured coupon payments and the final principal payment on the obligation.
The principal and interest payments on the municipal securities underlying custodial receipts may be allocated in a number of ways. For example, payments may be allocated such that certain custodial receipts may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped securities which pay only the principal or interest due on the underlying municipal securities.
Variable Rate Demand Notes (VRDNs)
VRDNs are long-term municipal obligations that have variable or floating interest rates and provide the Fund with the right to tender the security for repurchase at its stated principal amount plus accrued interest. Such securities typically bear interest at a rate that is intended to cause the securities to trade at par. The interest rate may float or be adjusted at regular intervals (ranging from daily to annually), and is normally based on an applicable interest index or another published interest rate or interest rate index. Most VRDNs allow the Fund to demand the repurchase of the security on not more than seven days prior notice. Other notes only permit the Fund to tender the security at the time of each interest rate adjustment or at other fixed intervals. Variable interest rates generally reduce changes in the market value of municipal obligations from their original purchase prices. Accordingly, as interest rates decrease, the potential for capital appreciation is less for variable rate municipal obligations than for fixed income obligations.
Inverse Floating Rate Municipal Securities
The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate municipal securities or inverse floaters, whose rates vary inversely to interest rates on a specified short-term municipal bond index or on another instrument. Such securities involve special risks as compared to conventional fixed-rate bonds. Should short-term interest rates rise, the Funds investment in inverse floaters likely would adversely affect the Funds earnings and distributions to shareholders. Also, because changes in the interest rate on the other index or other instrument inversely affect the rate of interest received on an inverse floater, and because inverse floaters essentially represent a leveraged investment in a long-term bond, the value of an inverse floater is generally more volatile than that of a conventional fixed-rate bond having similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturity. Although volatile in value, inverse floaters typically offer the potential for yields substantially exceeding the yields available on conventional fixed-rate bonds with comparable credit quality, coupon, call provisions and maturity. The markets for inverse floating rate securities may be less developed and have less liquidity than the markets for conventional securities. The Fund will only invest in inverse floating rate securities whose underlying bonds are rated A or higher.
The Fund may invest in securities issued by non-U.S. companies. Investments in securities of non-U.S. companies involve risks in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments,
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including currency risk. The value of a non-U.S. security in U.S. dollars tends to decrease when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the non-U.S. currency in which the security is denominated and tends to increase when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against such currency.
Non-U.S. securities are affected by the fact that in many countries there is less publicly available information about issuers than is available in the reports and ratings published about companies in the United States and such issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. Other risks inherent in non-U.S. investments include expropriation; confiscatory taxation; withholding taxes on dividends and interest; less extensive regulation of non-U.S. brokers, securities markets and issuers; diplomatic developments; and political or social instability. Non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in various respects, and many non-U.S. securities are less liquid and their prices tend to be more volatile than comparable U.S. securities. From time to time, non-U.S. securities may be difficult to liquidate rapidly without adverse price effects.
The Fund may invest directly in dollar-denominated securities issued by non-U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest in non-U.S. securities by purchasing depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts ( ADRs ), European Depositary Receipts ( EDRs ), Global Depositary Receipts ( GDRs ) or other securities representing indirect ownership interests in the securities of non-U.S. companies, including New York Shares. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designated for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs and GDRs are typically in bearer form and may be denominated in non-U.S. currencies and are designed for use in European and other markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying non-U.S. security. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent, except that ADRs, EDRs and GDRs shall be treated as indirect non-U.S. investments. Thus, an ADR, EDR or GDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of non-U.S. companies, such as changes in non-U.S. currency exchange rates. However, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in non-U.S. companies stock, the Fund avoids currency risks during the settlement period.
Other types of depositary receipts include American Depositary Shares ( ADSs ), Global Depositary Certificates ( GDCs ) and International Depositary Receipts ( IDRs ). ADSs are shares issued under a deposit agreement representing the underlying ordinary shares that trade in the issuers home market. An ADR, described above, is a certificate that represents a number of ADSs. GDCs and IDRs are typically issued by a non-U.S. bank or trust company, although they may sometimes also be issued by a U.S. bank or trust company. GDCs and IDRs are depositary receipts that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a non-U.S. or a U.S. corporation.
Depositary receipts may be available through sponsored or unsponsored facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by a depositary and the issuer of the security underlying the receipt. An unsponsored facility may be established by a depositary without participation by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt. There are greater risks associated with holding unsponsored depositary receipts. For example, if the Fund holds an unsponsored depositary receipt, it will generally bear all of the costs of establishing the unsponsored facility. In addition, the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security. Whether a sponsored or unsponsored facility, there is no assurance that either would pass through to the holders of the receipts voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
In considering whether to invest in the securities of a non-U.S. company, the portfolio managers consider such factors as the characteristics of the particular company, differences between economic trends, and the performance of securities markets in the United States and other countries. The portfolio managers also consider factors relating to the general economic, governmental and social conditions of the country or countries where the company is located.
Securities transactions conducted outside the United States may not be regulated as rigorously as in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, non-U.S. securities, currencies
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and other instruments. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by (i) other complex non-U.S. political, legal and economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in the Funds ability to act upon economic events occurring in non-U.S. markets during non-business hours in the United States, (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and the margin requirements than in the United States, (v) currency exchange rate changes, and (vi) lower trading volume and liquidity.
Emerging Markets Risk
The Fund may invest in securities issued by companies located in emerging markets. Emerging market countries are generally in the initial stages of their industrialization cycles with low per capita income. The markets of emerging markets countries are generally more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature economies. They generally do not have the level of market efficiency and strict standards in accounting and securities regulation to be on par with advanced economies, but emerging markets will typically have a physical financial infrastructure, including banks, a stock exchange and a unified currency. Investments in emerging markets come with much greater risk due to political instability, domestic infrastructure problems, currency volatility and limited investment opportunities (many large companies may still be state-run or private). Also, local securities exchanges may not offer liquid markets for outside investors. All of the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities described above are heightened by investing in emerging markets countries.
A pass-through security is a share or certificate of interest in a pool of debt obligations that have been repackaged by an intermediary, such as a bank or broker-dealer. The purchaser of a pass-through security receives an undivided interest in the underlying pool of securities. The issuers of the underlying securities make interest and principal payments to the intermediary which are passed through to purchasers, such as the Fund. The most common type of pass-through securities are mortgage-backed securities. GNMA Certificates are mortgage-backed securities that evidence an undivided interest in a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA Certificates differ from bonds in that principal is paid back monthly by the borrowers over the term of the loan rather than returned in a lump sum at maturity. The Fund may purchase modified pass-through GNMA Certificates, which entitle the holder to receive a share of all interest and principal payments paid and owned on the mortgage pool, net of fees paid to the issuer and GNMA, regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment. GNMA Certificates are backed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
FHLMC issues two types of mortgage pass-through securities: mortgage participation certificates and guaranteed mortgage certificates. Participation certificates resemble GNMA Certificates in that the participation certificates represent a pro rata share of all interest and principal payments made and owed on the underlying pool. FHLMC guarantees timely payments of interest on the participation certificates and the full return of principal. Guaranteed mortgage certificates also represent a pro rata interest in a pool of mortgages. However, these instruments pay interest semi-annually and return principal once a year in guaranteed minimum payments. This type of security is guaranteed by FHLMC as to timely payment of principal and interest but is not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
FNMA issues guaranteed mortgage pass-through certificates. FNMA Certificates resemble GNMA Certificates in that each FNMA Certificate represents a pro rata share of all interest and principal payments made and owned on the underlying pool. This type of security is guaranteed by the FNMA as to timely payment of principal and interest but is not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
There are also private entities that issue mortgage-backed securities that resemble those issued by GNMA, FHLMC and FNMA. Such private entities generally issue certificates that represent a pro rata interest in a pool of mortgages. Such certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. However, they typically maintain credit enhancement through the structure of the offering or from third party insurers.
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Except for guaranteed mortgage certificates, each of the mortgage-backed securities described above is characterized by monthly payments to the holder, reflecting the monthly payments made by the borrowers who received the underlying mortgage loans. The payments to the securities holders, such as the Fund, like the payments on the underlying loans, represent both principal and interest. Although the underlying mortgage loans are for specified periods of time, such as 20 or 30 years, the borrowers can, and typically do, pay them off sooner. Thus, the security holders frequently receive prepayments of principal in addition to the principal that is part of the regular monthly payments. Estimated prepayment rates will be a factor considered in calculating the average weighted maturity of the Fund which owns these securities. A borrower is more likely to prepay a mortgage that bears a relatively high rate of interest. This means that in times of declining interest rates, higher yielding mortgage-backed securities held by the Fund might be converted to cash and the Fund will be forced to accept lower interest rates when that cash is used to purchase additional securities in the mortgage-backed securities sector or in other investment sectors. Additionally, prepayments during such periods will limit the Funds ability to participate in as large a market gain as may be experienced with a comparable security not subject to prepayment.
The Fund may invest in preferred securities with different distribution structures. The various coupon structures may be broadly characterized as follows:
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Fixed Rate Preferred Securities are preferred securities that pay a fixed rate of interest throughout the life of the security and tend to exhibit more price volatility during times of rising or falling interest rates than securities with variable or floating rates of interest. The value of fixed-rate securities tends to fall when interest rates rise (and vice versa). |
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Fixed-to-Fixed Preferred Securities are preferred securities that have a distribution rate of payment that is fixed for a certain period (typically five or ten years when first issued) and such period is usually aligned with the first call date. After the defined period expires, the fixed distribution rate then resets to another fixed distribution rate, according to a specified formula, and typically resets with the same longer-term frequency for the remaining life of the security (typically five or ten years). |
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Fixed-to-Floating Preferred Securities are preferred securities that have a distribution rate of payment that is fixed for a certain period (typically five or ten years when first issued) and such period is usually aligned with the first call date. After this period, distribution rates vary for the remaining life of the security, periodically adjusting according to a specified formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. The value of fixed-to-floating preferred securities may fluctuate less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of preferred securities with a fixed interest rate, because the interest rate paid by fixed-to floating preferred securities is variable. |
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Floating-Rate Preferred Securities are preferred securities that offer a distribution rate of payment that resets periodically (commonly every 90 days) to an increment over some predetermined interest rate index or benchmark rate. Some commonly used indices include the 3-month U.S. Treasury bill rate, the 180-day U.S. Treasury bill, or the one-month or three-month LIBOR. The value of floating-rate preferred securities may fluctuate less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of preferred securities with a fixed interest rate. |
As a general matter, dividend or interest payments on preferred securities may be cumulative or non-cumulative. Although issuers of cumulative preferred securities generally can defer distributions for a specified period of time, no redemption can typically take place unless all cumulative payment obligations have been met. Issuers may, however, be able to engage in open-market repurchases without regard to any cumulative dividends payable. For non-cumulative preferred securities, the issuer does not have any obligation with respect to skipped payments.
Preferred securities may be issued with either a final maturity date, or as a perpetual structure. In certain instances, a final maturity date may be extended and/or the final payment of principal may be deferred at the issuers option for a specified time without any adverse consequence to the issuer.
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Contingent Capital Securities. Contingent capital securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos ) are preferred securities, issued primarily by non-U.S. financial institutions, which have loss absorption mechanisms benefitting the issuer built into their terms. CoCos generally provide for mandatory conversion into the common stock of the issuer or a write-down of the principal amount or value of the CoCos upon the occurrence of certain triggers. These triggers are generally linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institutions continued viability as a going-concern. Equity conversion or principal write-down features are tailored to the issuer and its regulatory requirements and, unlike traditional convertible securities, conversions are not voluntary.
A trigger event for CoCos would likely be the result of, or related to, the deterioration of the issuers financial condition (e.g., a decrease in the issuers capital ratio) and status as a going concern. In such a case, with respect to CoCos that provide for conversion into common stock upon the occurrence of the trigger event, the market price of the issuers common stock received by the Fund will have likely declined, perhaps substantially, and may continue to decline, which may adversely affect the Funds net asset value. Further, the issuers common stock would be subordinate to the issuers other classes of securities and therefore would worsen the Funds standing in a bankruptcy proceeding. In addition, because the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero. In view of the foregoing, CoCos are often rated below investment grade and are subject to the risks of high yield securities.
CoCos may be subject to an automatic write-down (i.e., the automatic write-down of the principal amount or value of the securities, potentially to zero, and the cancellation of the securities) under certain circumstances, which could result in the Fund losing a portion or all of its investment in such securities. In addition, the Fund may not have any rights with respect to repayment of the principal amount of the securities that has not become due or the payment of interest or dividends on such securities for any period from (and including) the interest or dividend payment date falling immediately prior to the occurrence of such automatic write-down. An automatic write-down could also result in a reduced income rate if the dividend or interest payment is based on the securitys par value. Coupon payments on CoCos may be discretionary and may be cancelled by the issuer for any reason or may be subject to approval by the issuers regulator and may be suspended in the event there are insufficient distributable reserves.
In certain scenarios, investors in CoCos may suffer a loss of capital ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not. The prices of CoCos may be volatile. There is no guarantee that the Fund will receive a return of principal on CoCos. Any indication that an automatic write-down or conversion event may occur can be expected to have a material adverse effect on the market price of CoCos.
The prices of CoCos may be volatile. Additionally, the trading behavior of a given issuers CoCo may be strongly impacted by the trading behavior of other issuers CoCos, such that negative information from an unrelated CoCo may cause a decline in value of one or more CoCos held by the Fund. Accordingly, the trading behavior of CoCos may not follow the trading behavior of other types of preferred securities.
The Fund may invest in structured notes the performance of which is determined by reference to an underlying stock, basket of stocks or stock index (the reference asset). Such structured notes will generally have a fixed interest payment and a principal amount that will be adjusted upward (but often not beyond a cap) or downward (but not below zero) based on changes in the value of the reference asset while the notes are outstanding. Structured notes are privately negotiated debt instruments that represent the unsecured obligation of the issuer; they do not represent any ownership of the underlying reference asset. Investments in structured notes involve certain risks, including the credit risk of the issuer and the normal risk that the price of a debt security will decline in response to an increase in interest rates. Further, such investments are subject to the risks of an investment in the reference asset, since a decline in the value of the reference asset will reduce the principal amount of the structured note. Finally, these securities may be less liquid than other types of securities, and may be more volatile than the underlying reference asset.
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The Fund may invest in warrants if, after giving effect thereto, not more than 5% of its net assets will be invested in warrants other than warrants acquired in units or attached to other securities. Investing in warrants is purely speculative in that they have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. Warrants are issued by the issuer of a security and provide their holder the option to purchase that security upon the warrants exercise at a specific price for a specific period of time. They do not represent ownership of the securities but only the right to buy them. The prices of warrants do not necessarily parallel the prices of the underlying securities.
Other Investment Policies and Techniques
When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Transactions
The Fund may from time to time purchase securities on a when-issued or other delayed-delivery basis. The price of securities purchased on a when-issued basis is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date. Normally, the settlement date occurs within 45 days of the purchase. During the period between the purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest is accrued on debt securities and no dividend income is earned on equity securities. Forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date. This risk is in addition to the risk of decline in value of the Funds other assets. Although when-issued securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The Fund does not believe that net asset value will be adversely affected by purchases of securities on a when-issued basis.
The Fund will designate on its books or maintain in a segregated account cash and liquid securities equal in value to commitments for when-issued securities. When the time comes to pay for when-issued securities, the Fund will meet its obligations from then-available cash flow, sale of the segregated securities, sale of other securities or, although it would not normally expect to do so, from the sale of the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Funds payment obligation).
Illiquid Securities
The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws) and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Funds net assets. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Adviser the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any portfolio security, although it has retained oversight over and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. The Adviser works with and to a large extent relies on the expertise and advice of the Sub-Adviser in making these liquidity determinations. Although no definitive liquidity criteria are used, the Board of Trustees has directed the Adviser to look to such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; and the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other permissible relevant facts.
Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the
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registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate.
Initial Public Offerings (IPO)
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities of companies offering shares in IPOs. IPOs may have a magnified performance impact on the Fund with a small asset base. The impact of IPOs on the Funds performance likely will decrease as the Funds asset size increases, which could reduce the Funds total returns. IPOs may not be consistently available to the Fund for investing, particularly as the Funds asset base grows. Because IPO shares frequently are volatile in price, the Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling shares, the Fund may realize taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Holders of IPO shares (including the Fund) can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.
The Funds investment in IPO shares may include the securities of unseasoned companies (companies with less than three years of continuous operations), which present risks considerably greater than common stocks of more established companies. These companies may have limited operating histories and their prospects for profitability may be uncertain. These companies may be involved in new and evolving businesses and may be vulnerable to competition and changes in technology, markets and economic conditions. These companies may also be more dependent on key managers and third parties and may have limited product lines.
Short Sales Against the Box
When the Funds portfolio managers believe that the price of a particular security held by the Fund may decline, it may make short sales against the box to hedge the unrealized gain on such security. Selling short against the box involves selling a security which the Fund owns for delivery at a specified date in the future. The Fund will limit its transactions in short sales against the box to 5% of its net assets. If, for example, the Fund bought 100 shares of ABC at $40 per share in January and the price appreciates to $50 in March, the Fund might sell short the 100 shares at $50 for delivery the following July. Thereafter, if the price of the stock declines to $45, it will realize the full $1,000 gain rather than the $500 gain it would have received had it sold the stock in the market. On the other hand, if the price appreciates to $55 per share, the Fund would be required to sell at $50 and thus receive a $1,000 gain rather than the $1,500 gain it would have received had it sold the stock in the market. The Fund may also be required to pay a premium for short sales which would partially offset any gain.
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The management of the Trust, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund by the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The number of trustees of the Trust is twelve, two of whom are interested persons (as the term interested person is defined in the 1940 Act) and ten of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as independent trustees ). None of the independent trustees has ever been a trustee, director or employee of, or consultant to, the Adviser or its affiliates. The names, business addresses and years of birth of the trustees and officers of the Fund, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. The trustees of the Trust are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 182 Nuveen-sponsored registered investment companies (the Nuveen Funds ), which include 101 open-end mutual funds (the Nuveen Mutual Funds ), 74 closed-end funds and seven exchange-traded funds.
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
Independent Trustees: |
||||||||||
Jack B. Evans 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1948 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2006 |
President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Director, The Gazette Company; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm; formerly, Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. | 182 | Director and Chairman, United Fire Group, a publicly held company; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy. |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
William C. Hunter 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1948 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2006 |
Dean Emeritus, formerly, Dean (2006-2012), Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa; Director (since 2005) and past President (2010-2014), Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society; Director of Wellmark, Inc. (since 2009); formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003). | 182 | Director (since 2004) of Xerox Corporation. | |||||
David J. Kundert 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1942 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2006 |
Formerly, Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013); retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; Regent Emeritus, Member of Investment Committee, Luther College; Member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; Member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible; Member of the Board of Trustees, Milwaukee Repertory Theater. | 182 | None |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
Albin F. Moschner 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1952 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service Since 2016 |
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm (since 2012); previously, held positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., including Consultant (2011-2012), Chief Operating Officer (2008-2011) and Chief Marketing Officer (2004-2008); formerly, President, Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. (2000-2003); formerly, President, One Point Services at One Point Communications (1999-2000); formerly, Vice Chairman of the Board, Diba, Incorporated (1996-1997); formerly, various executive positions with Zenith Electronics Corporation (1991-1996). | 182 | Director, USA Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions and services to facilitate electronic payment transactions (since 2012); formerly, Director, Wintrust Financial Corporation (1996-2016). |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
John K. Nelson 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1962 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service Since 2013 |
Member of Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing and communications strategies for clients; Director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (since 2009) and The Presidents Council, Fordham University (since 2010); formerly, senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014); former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Marian University (2010-2014 as trustee, 2011-2014 as Chairman); formerly, Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division (2007-2008); prior senior positions held at ABN AMRO include Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Global Marketsthe Americas (2006-2007), CEO of Wholesale BankingNorth America and Global Head of Foreign Exchange and Futures Markets (2001-2006), and Regional Commercial Treasurer and Senior Vice President TradingNorth America (1996-2001); formerly, Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. | 182 | None |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
Terence J. Toth 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1959 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service Since 2008 |
Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008); Director, Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010) and Quality Control Corporation (since 2012); formerly, Director, LogicMark LLC (2012-2016); formerly, Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (2008-2013); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); Member, Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and Chair of its investment committee; formerly, Member, Chicago Fellowship Board (2005-2016), Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004). | 182 | None | |||||
Margaret L. Wolff 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1955 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
|
Formerly, of Counsel (2005-2014), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Mergers & Acquisitions Group); Member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (since 2005); Member (since 2004) and Chair (since 2015) of the Board of Trustees of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults); formerly, Member (2005-2015) and Vice Chair (2011-2015) of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Holyoke College. | 182 | Member of the Board of Directors (since 2013) of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each, a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
Interested Trustees: |
||||||||||
William Adams IV** 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1955 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service Since 2014 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products (2010-2016) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2011); President (since 2011), formerly, Managing Director (2010-2011), of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Board Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gildas Club Chicago. | 182 | None | |||||
Margo L. Cook** 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1964 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of Service
|
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016), formerly, Executive Vice President (2011-2015) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015), formerly, Executive Vice President (2013-2015), of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Managing DirectorInvestment Services of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (2011-2016); Chartered Financial Analyst. | 182 | None |
* | Each trustee serves an indefinite term until his or her successor is elected. |
** | Mr. Adams and Ms. Cook are interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their positions with Nuveen Investments, Inc. (Nuveen Investments) and certain of its subsidiaries. |
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Name, Business
Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Officers of the Trust: |
||||||||
Greg A. Bottjer 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1971 |
Chief Administrative Officer |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince October 2016 |
Managing Director (since 2011), formerly, Senior Vice President (2007-2010) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Managing Director (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 101 | ||||
Lorna C. Ferguson* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1945 |
Vice President |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 | Managing Director of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Stephen D. Foy* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1954 |
Vice President and Controller |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 | Managing Director (since 2014), formerly, Senior Vice President (2013-2014) and Vice President (2005-2013) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chief Financial Officer (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Managing Director (since 2016) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Certified Public Accountant. | 183 | ||||
Nathaniel T. Jones*
333 West Wacker
Drive
|
Vice President and Treasurer |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2016 |
Senior Vice President (since 2016), formerly, Vice President (2011-2016) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 | ||||
Walter M. Kelly* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1970 |
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 | Senior Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Tina M. Lazar* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1961 |
Vice President |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 | Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. and Nuveen Securities, LLC. | 183 |
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Name, Business
Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Kevin J. McCarthy* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1966 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2007 | Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary (2007-2016) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director, Assistant Secretary (2011-2016) and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC; Vice President (since 2007) and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Assistant Secretary, of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President (since 2010) and Secretary (since March 2016) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Kathleen L. Prudhomme* 901 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55402 1953 |
Vice President and Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service Since 2011 | Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Christopher M. Rohrbacher*
333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1971 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service Since 2008 |
Senior Vice President (since 2011), formerly, Vice President (2008-2011) and Assistant General Counsel (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Joel T. Slager*
Chicago, IL 60606
1978 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2013 | Fund Tax Director for Nuveen Funds (since 2013); previously, Vice President of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., Assistant Treasurer of the Morgan Stanley Funds (2010-2013). | 183 |
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Name, Business
Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Gifford R. Zimmerman* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1956 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 |
Managing Director (since 2002) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary (since 1997) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Symphony Asset Management LLC (since 2003); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006) and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2013), formerly, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (2006-2013) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 |
* | Each officer also serves as an officer of the Diversified Real Asset Income Fund, a closed-end management investment company advised by the Adviser but not overseen by the Board. |
Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees (as the case may be, each is referred to hereafter as the Board or Board of Trustees and the directors or trustees of the Nuveen Funds, as applicable, are each referred to herein as trustees ) oversees the operations and management of the Nuveen Funds, including the duties performed for the Nuveen Funds by the Adviser. The Board has adopted a unitary board structure. A unitary board consists of one group of directors who serve on the board of every fund in the Nuveen Fund complex. In adopting a unitary board structure, the trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board, the overall composition of which will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, independence and experience to oversee the Nuveen Funds business. With this overall framework in mind, when the Board, through its Nominating and Governance Committee discussed below, seeks nominees for the Board, the trustees consider, not only the candidates particular background, skills and experience, among other things, but also whether such background, skills and experience enhance the Boards diversity and at the same time complement the Board given its current composition and the mix of skills and experiences of the incumbent trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the Board generally benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy on diversity or any particular definition of diversity.
The Board believes the unitary board structure enhances good and effective governance, particularly given the nature of the structure of the investment company complex. Funds in the same complex generally are served by the same service providers and personnel and are governed by the same regulatory scheme which raises common issues that must be addressed by the directors across
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the fund complex (such as compliance, valuation, liquidity, brokerage, trade allocation or risk management). The Board believes it is more efficient to have a single board review and oversee common policies and procedures which increases the Boards knowledge and expertise with respect to the many aspects of fund operations that are complex-wide in nature. The unitary structure also enhances the Boards influence and oversight over the investment adviser and other service providers.
In an effort to enhance the independence of the Board, the Board also has a Chairman that is an independent trustee. The Board recognizes that a chairman can perform an important role in setting the agenda for the Board, establishing the boardroom culture, establishing a point person on behalf of the Board for fund management, and reinforcing the Boards focus on the long-term interests of shareholders. The Board recognizes that a chairman may be able to better perform these functions without any conflicts of interests arising from a position with fund management. Accordingly, the trustees have elected William J. Schneider to serve as the independent Chairman of the Board. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include: (i) presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the shareholders; (ii) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the trustees are carried into effect; and (iii) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the trustees and the shareholders.
Although the Board has direct responsibility over various matters (such as advisory contracts, underwriting contracts and fund performance), the Board also exercises certain of its oversight responsibilities through several committees that it has established and which report back to the full Board. The Board believes that a committee structure is an effective means to permit trustees to focus on particular operations or issues affecting the Nuveen Funds, including risk oversight. More specifically, with respect to risk oversight, the Board has delegated matters relating to valuation and compliance to certain committees (as summarized below) as well as certain aspects of investment risk. In addition, the Board believes that the periodic rotation of trustees among the different committees allows the trustees to gain additional and different perspectives of a Nuveen Funds operations. The Board has established six standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee. The Board may also from time to time create ad hoc committees to focus on particular issues as the need arises. The membership and functions of the standing committees are summarized below.
The Executive Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board, is authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board. The members of the Executive Committee are William Adams IV, William J. Schneider, Chair, and Terence J. Toth. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Executive Committee did not meet.
The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the accounting and reporting policies, processes and practices of the Nuveen Funds, and the audits of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the quality and integrity of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the Nuveen Funds compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Nuveen Funds financial statements; the independent auditors qualifications, performance and independence; and the pricing procedures of the Nuveen Funds and the Advisers internal valuation group. It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to select, evaluate and replace any independent auditors (subject only to Board and, if applicable, shareholder ratification) and to determine their compensation. The Audit Committee is also responsible for, among other things, overseeing the valuation of securities comprising the Nuveen Funds portfolios. Subject to the Boards general supervision of such actions, the Audit Committee addresses any valuation issues, oversees the Nuveen Funds pricing procedures and actions taken by the Advisers internal valuation group which provides regular reports to the committee, reviews any issues relating to the valuation of the Nuveen Funds securities brought to its attention and considers the risks to the Nuveen Funds in assessing the possible resolutions to these matters. The Audit Committee may also consider any financial risk exposures for the Nuveen Funds in conjunction with performing its functions.
To fulfill its oversight duties, the Audit Committee receives annual and semi-annual reports and has regular meetings with the external auditors for the Nuveen Funds and the Advisers internal audit group. The Audit Committee also may review in a general manner the processes the Board or other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management as well as compliance
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with legal and regulatory matters relating to the Nuveen Funds financial statements. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. Members of the Audit Committee shall be independent (as set forth in the charter) and free of any relationship that, in the opinion of the trustees, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as an Audit Committee member. The members of the Audit Committee are Jack B. Evans, Chair, David J. Kundert, John K. Nelson, Carole E. Stone and Terence J. Toth, each of whom is an independent trustee of the Nuveen Funds. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Audit Committee met four times.
The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking, identifying and recommending to the Board qualified candidates for election or appointment to the Board. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee oversees matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of Board performance and processes, the assignment and rotation of committee members, and the establishment of corporate governance guidelines and procedures, to the extent necessary or desirable, and matters related thereto. Although the unitary and committee structure has been developed over the years and the Nominating and Governance Committee believes the structure has provided efficient and effective governance, the committee recognizes that as demands on the Board evolve over time (such as through an increase in the number of funds overseen or an increase in the complexity of the issues raised), the committee must continue to evaluate the Board and committee structures and their processes and modify the foregoing as may be necessary or appropriate to continue to provide effective governance. Accordingly, the Nominating and Governance Committee has a separate meeting each year to, among other things, review the Board and committee structures, their performance and functions, and recommend any modifications thereto or alternative structures or processes that would enhance the Boards governance of the Nuveen Funds.
In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee, among other things, makes recommendations concerning the continuing education of trustees; monitors performance of legal counsel and other service providers; establishes and monitors a process by which security holders are able to communicate in writing with members of the Board; and periodically reviews and makes recommendations about any appropriate changes to trustee compensation. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee receives suggestions from various sources, including shareholders, as to suitable candidates. Suggestions should be sent in writing to Lorna Ferguson, Manager of Fund Board Relations, Nuveen Investments, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. The Nominating and Governance Committee sets appropriate standards and requirements for nominations for new trustees and reserves the right to interview any and all candidates and to make the final selection of any new trustees. In considering a candidates qualifications, each candidate must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability (including the time requirements for due diligence site visits to sub-advisers and service providers) and, if qualifying as an independent trustee candidate, independence from the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. These skill and experience requirements may vary depending on the current composition of the Board, since the goal is to ensure an appropriate range of skills, diversity and experience, in the aggregate. Accordingly, the particular factors considered and weight given to these factors will depend on the composition of the Board and the skills and backgrounds of the incumbent trustees at the time of consideration of the nominees. All candidates, however, must meet high expectations of personal integrity, independence, governance experience and professional competence. All candidates must be willing to be critical within the Board and with management and yet maintain a collegial and collaborative manner toward other Board members. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. This committee is composed of the independent trustees of the Nuveen Funds. Accordingly, the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, William J. Schneider, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Nominating and Governance Committee met six times.
The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare distributions on the Nuveen Funds shares, including, but not limited to, regular and special dividends, capital gains and ordinary income distributions. The members of the Dividend Committee are William C. Hunter, Chair, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Dividend Committee met four times.
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The Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee (the Compliance Committee ) is responsible for the oversight of compliance issues, risk management and other regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds that are not otherwise the jurisdiction of the other committees. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Nuveen Funds compliance and risk matters. As part of its duties, the Compliance Committee reviews the policies and procedures relating to compliance matters and recommends modifications thereto as necessary or appropriate to the full Board; develops new policies and procedures as new regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds arise from time to time; evaluates or considers any comments or reports from examinations from regulatory authorities and responses thereto; and performs any special reviews, investigations or other oversight responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or regulatory matters as requested by the Board.
In addition, the Compliance Committee is responsible for risk oversight, including, but not limited to, the oversight of risks related to investments and operations. Such risks include, among other things, exposures to particular issuers, market sectors, or types of securities; risks related to product structure elements, such as leverage; and techniques that may be used to address those risks, such as hedging and swaps. In assessing issues brought to the committees attention or in reviewing a particular policy, procedure, investment technique or strategy, the Compliance Committee evaluates the risks to the Nuveen Funds in adopting a particular approach compared to the anticipated benefits to the Nuveen Funds and their shareholders. In fulfilling its obligations, the Compliance Committee meets on a quarterly basis, and at least once a year in person. The Compliance Committee receives written and oral reports from the Nuveen Funds Chief Compliance Officer ( CCO ) and meets privately with the CCO at each of its quarterly meetings. The CCO also provides an annual report to the full Board regarding the operations of the Nuveen Funds and other service providers compliance programs as well as any recommendations for modifications thereto. The Compliance Committee also receives reports from the Advisers investment services group regarding various investment risks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board also participates in discussions with management regarding certain matters relating to investment risk, such as the use of leverage and hedging. The investment services group therefore also reports to the full Board at its quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. Accordingly, the Board directly and/or in conjunction with the Compliance Committee oversees matters relating to investment risks. Matters not addressed at the committee level are addressed directly by the full Board. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Compliance Committee are William C. Hunter, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Compliance Committee met five times.
The Open-End Funds Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the Nuveen Funds that are registered as open-end management investment companies ( Open-End Funds ). The committee may review and evaluate matters related to the formation and the initial presentation to the Board of any new Open-End Fund and may review and evaluate any matters relating to any existing Open-End Fund. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Open-End Funds Committee are Margo L. Cook, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, William J. Schneider, Judith M. Stockdale, Chair, and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Open-End Funds Committee met four times.
Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications
In determining that a particular trustee was qualified to serve on the Board, the Board has considered each trustees background, skills, experience and other attributes in light of the composition of the Board with no particular factor controlling. The Board believes that trustees need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and the Board believes each trustee satisfies this standard. An effective trustee may achieve this ability through his or her educational background; business, professional training or practice; public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member or executive of investment funds, public companies or
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significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. Accordingly, set forth below is a summary of the experiences, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this document, that each trustee should continue to serve in that capacity. References to the experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills of trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any trustee as having any special expertise or experience and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
William Adams IV
Mr. Adams has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which he had been Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products of Nuveen Investments since November 2010. Mr. Adams is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TIAA Global Asset Management ( TGAM ), as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investments Management and Operating Committees. Mr. Adams has also served as Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC since January 2011. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, U.S. Structured Products from December 1999 until November 2010 and served as Managing Director of Structured Investments from September 1997 to December 1999 and Vice President and Manager, Corporate Marketing from August 1994 to September 1997. He is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Mr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and his Masters of Business Administration ( MBA ) from the University of Chicagos Graduate School of Business. He is an Associate Fellow of Yales Timothy Dwight College and is currently on the Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gildas Club Chicago.
Margo L. Cook
Ms. Cook has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which she had been Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments since July 2015. Ms. Cook is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TGAM , as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investments Management and Operating Committees. She is Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015) of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Since joining in 2008, she has held various leadership roles at Nuveen Investments, including as Head of Investment Services, responsible for investment-related efforts across the firm. Ms. Cook also serves on the Board of Nuveen Global Fund Investors. Before joining Nuveen Investments, she was the Global Head of Bear Stearns Asset Managements institutional business. Prior to that, she spent over 20 years within BNY Mellons asset management business; including as Chief Investment Officer for Institutional Asset Management and Head of Institutional Fixed Income. Ms. Cook earned her bachelors degree in finance from the University of Rhode Island, her Executive MBA from Columbia University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She serves as Vice Chair of The University of Rhode Island Foundation Board of Trustees and Chair of the All Stars Project of Chicago Board.
Jack B. Evans
President of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation, since 1996, Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of the SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Formerly, he was a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a Director of Alliant Energy and Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. Mr. Evans is Chairman of the Board of United Fire Group, sits on the Board of The Gazette Company and is a Life Trustee of Coe College. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coe College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.
William C. Hunter
Mr. Hunter became Dean Emeritus of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on June 30, 2012. He was appointed Dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on July 1, 2006. He had been Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of Connecticut School of Business since June 2003. From 1995 to 2003, he was the Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. While there he
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served as the Banks Chief Economist and was an Associate Economist on the Federal Reserve Systems Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). In addition to serving as a Vice President in charge of financial markets and basic research at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, he held faculty positions at Emory University, Atlanta University, the University of Georgia and Northwestern University. A past Director of the Credit Research Center at Georgetown University, SS&C Technologies, Inc. (2005) and past President of the Financial Management Association International, he has consulted with numerous foreign central banks and official agencies in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America and South America. From 1990 to 1995, he was a U.S. Treasury Advisor to Central and Eastern Europe. He has been a Director of the Xerox Corporation since 2004 and Wellmark, Inc. since 2009. He currently is a Director and past President of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society.
David J. Kundert
Mr. Kundert retired in 2004 as Chairman of JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, and as President and CEO of Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and as President of One Group Mutual Funds. Prior to the merger between Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase and Co., he was Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and, since 1995, the Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group. From 1988 to 1992, he was President and CEO of Bank One Wisconsin Trust Company. Mr. Kundert recently retired as a Director of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013). He started his career as an attorney for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Kundert has served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and he is currently a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. He is on the Board of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and chairs its Investment Committee. He is a Regent Emeritus and a Member of the Investment Committee of Luther College. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible and on the Board of Trustees of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater (since 2016). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College, and his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University.
Albin F. Moschner
Mr. Moschner is a consultant in the wireless industry and, in July 2012, founded Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm that provides operational, management and governance solutions. Prior to founding Northcroft Partners, LLC, Mr. Moschner held various positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., a provider of wireless services, where he was a consultant from February 2011 to July 2012, Chief Operating Officer from July 2008 to February 2011, and Chief Marketing Officer from August 2004 to June 2008. Before he joined Leap Wireless International, Inc., Mr. Moschner was President of the Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. from 2000 to 2003, and President of One Point Services at One Point Communications from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Moschner also served at Zenith Electronics Corporation as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 1996, and as Director, President and Chief Operating Officer from 1994 to 1995. Since 2012, Mr. Moschner has been a member of the Board of Directors of USA Technologies, Inc. and, from 1996 until 2016, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation. In addition, he currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Kellogg School of Management (since 1995) and the Archdiocese of Chicago Financial Council (since May 2012). Mr. Moschner received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York in 1974 and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University in 1979.
John K. Nelson
Mr. Nelson is on the Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing, and communications strategies for clients. Mr. Nelson formerly was a senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014). He has served in several senior executive positions with ABN AMRO Holdings N.V. and its affiliated entities and predecessors, including LaSalle Bank Corporation from 1996 to 2008. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Nelson was Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division. He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, and during his tenure with ABN AMRO, served as the banks
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representative on various committees of the Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, and the Bank of England. At Fordham University, he currently serves as a director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies, and The Presidents Council. He is also a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and was formerly a member of The Hyde Park Angels and a Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. He formerly served as the Chairman of The Board of Trustees of Marian University (2011-2014). Mr. Nelson graduated and received his MBA from Fordham University.
William J. Schneider
Mr. Schneider, the Nuveen Funds Independent Chairman, is currently Chairman, formerly Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company. He is an owner in several other Miller-Valentine Group entities. He is currently a member of the boards of WDPR Public radio station and of Med-America Health System. He was formerly a Director and Past Chair of the Dayton Development Coalition. He was formerly a member of the Community Advisory Board of the National City Bank in Dayton as well as a former member of the Business Advisory Council of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Schneider was also a member of the Business Advisory Council for the University of Dayton College of Business. He also served as Chair of the Miami Valley Hospital and as Chair of the Finance Committee of its parent holding company. Mr. Schneider was an independent Trustee of the Flagship Funds, a group of municipal open-end funds. Mr. Schneider has a Bachelor of Science in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
Judith M. Stockdale
Ms. Stockdale retired in 2012 as Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a private foundation working in land conservation and artistic vitality in the Chicago region and the Low country of South Carolina. She is currently a board member of the Land Trust Alliance (since June 2013) and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since November 2013). Her previous positions include Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Executive Director of Openlands, and Senior Staff Associate at the Chicago Community Trust. She has served on the Advisory Council of the National Zoological Park, the Governors Science Advisory Council (Illinois) and the Nancy Ryerson Ranney Leadership Grants Program. She has served on the Boards of Brushwood Center and the Donors Forum. Ms. Stockdale, a native of the United Kingdom, has a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Durham (UK) and a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University.
Carole E. Stone
Ms. Stone is currently on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Holdings, Inc. and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated. Ms. Stone retired from the New York State Division of the Budget in 2004, having served as its Director for nearly five years and as Deputy Director from 1995 through 1999. She has also served as the Chair of the New York Racing Association Oversight Board, as a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. Ms. Stone has a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College in Business Administration.
Terence J. Toth
Mr. Toth is a Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008). From 2008 to 2013, he was a Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. From 2004 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of Northern Trust Global Investments, and Executive Vice President of Quantitative Management & Securities Lending from 2000 to 2004. He also formerly served on the Board of the Northern Trust Mutual Funds. He joined Northern Trust in 1994 after serving as Managing Director and Head of Global Securities Lending at Bankers Trust (1986 to 1994) and Head of Government Trading and Cash Collateral Investment at Northern Trust from 1982 to 1986. He currently serves on the Boards of Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010), Quality Control Corporation (since 2012) and Catalyst Schools of Chicago (since 2008). He is on the Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and is Chair of its investment committee and previously served as a Director of LogicMark LLC (2012-2016). Mr. Toth graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, and received his MBA from New York University. In 2005, he graduated from the CEO Perspectives Program at Northwestern University.
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Margaret L. Wolff
Ms. Wolff retired from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2014 after more than 30 years of providing client service in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. During her legal career, Ms. Wolff devoted significant time to advising boards and senior management on U.S. and international corporate, securities, regulatory and strategic matters, including governance, shareholder, fiduciary, operational and management issues. Since 2013, she has been a Board member of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each of which is a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). Ms. Wolff has been a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2005 and, since 2004, she has served as a trustee of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults) where she currently is the Chair. From 2005 to 2015, she was a trustee of Mt. Holyoke College and served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011 to 2015. Ms. Wolff received her Bachelor of Arts from Mt. Holyoke College and her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
The following table shows, for each independent trustee, (1) the aggregate compensation (including deferred amounts) paid by the Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, (2) the amount of total compensation paid by the Fund that has been deferred, and (3) the total compensation (including deferred amounts) paid to each trustee by the Nuveen Funds during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. Pursuant to the Boards deferred compensation plan, a portion of the independent trustees compensation may be deferred and treated as though an equivalent dollar amount has been invested in shares of one or more eligible Nuveen Funds. The amount of total compensation that has been deferred provided below represents the total deferred fees (including the return from the assumed investment in the eligible Nuveen Funds) payable from the Fund.
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation From Fund |
Amount of Total
Compensation that Has Been Deferred |
Total Compensation
From Nuveen Funds Paid to Trustee |
|||||||||
Jack B. Evans | $ | 486 | $ | | $ | 341,589 | ||||||
William C. Hunter | 470 | | 327,750 | |||||||||
David J. Kundert | 460 | | 330,085 | |||||||||
Albin F. Moschner 1 | 141 | | 70,000 | |||||||||
John K. Nelson | 492 | | 329,500 | |||||||||
William J. Schneider | 555 | | 385,439 | |||||||||
Judith M. Stockdale | 454 | | 320,130 | |||||||||
Carole E. Stone | 477 | | 331,786 | |||||||||
Terence J. Toth | 492 | | 340,230 | |||||||||
Margaret L. Wolff 2 | 194 | | 119,449 |
1 |
Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
2 |
Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016. |
Prior to January 1, 2016, independent trustees received a $160,000 annual retainer plus (a) a fee of $5,250 per day for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by
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telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acted as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board received $75,000, the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee received $12,500 each and the chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee received $5,000 as additional retainers. Independent trustees also received a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provided services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting was held. When ad hoc committees were organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee at the time of formation determined compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees were $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses were allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management might have, in its discretion, established a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.
Effective January 1, 2016, independent trustees receive a $170,000 annual retainer, which is increased to $177,500 as of January 1, 2017, plus they receive (a) a fee of $5,500 per day, which is increased to $5,750 per day as of January 1, 2017, for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acts as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board receives $80,000, and the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee receive $12,500 each as additional retainers. Independent trustees also receive a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provide services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting is held. When ad hoc committees are organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee will at the time of formation determine compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees will be
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$1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management may, in its discretion, establish a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.
The Trust does not have a retirement or pension plan. The Trust has a deferred compensation plan (the Deferred Compensation Plan ) that permits any independent trustee to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her compensation as an independent trustee. The deferred compensation of a participating trustee is credited to a book reserve account of the Trust when the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the trustee. The value of the trustees deferral account at any time is equal to the value that the account would have had if contributions to the account had been invested and reinvested in shares of one or more of the eligible Nuveen Funds. At the time for commencing distributions from a trustees deferral account, the independent trustee may elect to receive distributions in a lump sum or over a period of five years. The Trust will not be liable for any other funds obligations to make distributions under the Deferred Compensation Plan.
The Fund has no employees. The officers of the Trust and the trustees of the Trust who are not independent trustees serve without any compensation from the Fund.
The information in the table below discloses the dollar ranges of (i) each trustees beneficial ownership in the Fund, and (ii) each trustees aggregate beneficial ownership in all funds within the Nuveen Funds complex, including in each case the value of fund shares elected by the trustee in the trustees deferred compensation plan, based on the value of fund shares as of December 31, 2016:
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies |
||
William Adams IV | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Margo L. Cook 1 | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Jack B. Evans | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
William C. Hunter | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
David J. Kundert | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Albin F. Moschner 2 | $0 | $0 | ||
John K. Nelson | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
William J. Schneider | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Judith M. Stockdale | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Carole E. Stone | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Terence J. Toth | $10,001-$50,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
Margaret L. Wolff 3 | $0 | $50,001-$100,000 |
1 |
Ms. Cook was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
2 |
Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
3 |
Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016. |
As of January 3, 2017, the officers and trustees of the Trust, in the aggregate, owned less than 1% of the shares of the Fund.
As of January 3, 2017, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned, beneficially, or of record, any securities in (i) an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or (ii) a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund.
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Trustees of the Trust and certain other Fund affiliates may purchase the Funds Class I shares. See the Funds Prospectus for details.
Nuveen Fund Advisors, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the investment adviser of the Fund, with responsibility for the overall management of the Fund. The Adviser is also responsible for managing the Funds business affairs and providing day-to-day administrative services to the Fund. The Adviser has selected its affiliate, NWQ, located at 2049 Century Park East, 16th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067, to serve as sub-adviser to manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. For additional information regarding the management services performed by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, see Who Manages the Fund in the Prospectus.
The Adviser is an affiliate of the Distributor, which is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Distributor is the principal underwriter for the Nuveen Mutual Funds, and has served as co-managing underwriter for the shares of the Nuveen Closed-End Funds. The Adviser and the Distributor are subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments.
Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management, the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America ( TIAA ).
For the management services and facilities furnished by the Adviser, the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee at a rate set forth in the Prospectus under Who Manages the Fund.
The Funds management fee is divided into two componentsa complex-level fee based on the aggregate amount of all eligible Nuveen Fund assets and a specific fund-level fee based only on the amount of assets within the Fund. This pricing structure enables Fund shareholders to benefit from growth in the assets within the Fund as well as from growth in the amount of complex-wide assets managed by the Adviser. Under no circumstances will this pricing structure result in the Fund paying management fees at a rate higher than would otherwise have been applicable had the complex-wide management fee structure not been implemented.
The Fund has agreed to pay an annual fund-level management fee, payable monthly, based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund as set forth in the Prospectus.
The annual complex-level management fee for the Fund, payable monthly, which is additive to the fund-level fee, is based on the aggregate amount of total eligible assets managed for all Nuveen Funds as stated in the table below:
Complex-Level
Asset
|
Effective Rate at
Breakpoint Level |
|||
$55 billion |
0.2000 | % | ||
$56 billion |
0.1996 | % | ||
$57 billion |
0.1989 | % | ||
$60 billion |
0.1961 | % | ||
$63 billion |
0.1931 | % | ||
$66 billion |
0.1900 | % | ||
$71 billion |
0.1851 | % | ||
$76 billion |
0.1806 | % | ||
$80 billion |
0.1773 | % | ||
$91 billion |
0.1691 | % | ||
$125 billion |
0.1599 | % | ||
$200 billion |
0.1505 | % | ||
$250 billion |
0.1469 | % | ||
$300 billion |
0.1445 | % |
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* | The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily eligible assets of all Nuveen Funds. Except as described below, eligible assets include the net assets of all Nuveen-branded closed-end and open-end registered investment companies organized in the United States. Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen Funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen Fund complex in connection with Nuveen Fund Advisors assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011. Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by the Adviser that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the closed-end funds use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trusts issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by the Adviser as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. As of September 30, 2016, the complex-level fee rate was 0.1607%. |
The following tables set forth the management fees (net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements) paid by the Fund and the fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser for the specified periods.
Amount of Management Fees (Net
of Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements by the Adviser) |
Amount of Fees Waived and
Expenses Reimbursed by the Adviser |
|||||||||||||||||||||
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
|||||||||||||||||
$128,772 | $ | 454,390 | $ | 1,003,681 | $ | 278,169 | $ | 413,711 | $ | 475,184 |
In addition to the Advisers management fee, the Fund also pays a portion of the Trusts general administrative expenses allocated in proportion to the net assets of the Fund. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.
The Adviser has selected its affiliate, NWQ, to serve as sub-adviser to manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. The Adviser pays NWQ a portfolio management fee out of the advisory fee paid to the Adviser for its services to the Fund.
Thomas J. Ray, CFA, and Susi Budiman, CFA, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the investment strategies of the Fund.
Compensation
NWQ offers a highly competitive compensation structure with the purpose of attracting and retaining the most talented investment professionals. These professionals are rewarded through a combination of cash and long-term incentive compensation as determined by the firms executive committee. Total cash compensation ( TCC ) consists of both a base salary and an annual bonus that can be a multiple of the base salary.
NWQ annually benchmarks TCC to prevailing industry norms with the objective of achieving competitive levels for all contributing professionals.
Available bonus pool compensation is primarily a function of the firms overall annual profitability, and in the interest of employee and client interest alliance, NWQs bonus pool will be augmented based on investment performance exceeding applicable benchmarks. Individual bonuses are based primarily on the following:
|
Overall performance of client portfolios |
|
Objective review of stock recommendations and the quality of primary research |
|
Subjective review of the professionals contributions to portfolio strategy, teamwork, collaboration, and work ethic |
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To further strengthen its incentive compensation package and to create an even stronger alignment with the long-term success of the firm, NWQ provides a number of other incentive opportunities through long-term employment contracts with certain senior executives, retention agreements, and an equity incentive plan with non-solicitation and non-compete provisions for participating employees. The equity incentive plan provides meaningful equity to participating employees that is similar to restricted stock and options, and vests over the next several years. As mentioned above, the equity ownership is large in scale, broadly distributed, and has a robust governance structure to ensure that NWQs professionals have a strong alignment of interests with the firms clients over the long term. Equity incentive plans allowing key employees of NWQ to participate in the firms growth over time have been in place since Nuveens acquisition of NWQ.
Other Accounts Managed
In addition to the Fund, as of September 30, 2016, the portfolio managers were also primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the following accounts:
Portfolio Manager |
Type of Account Managed |
Number of
Accounts |
Assets |
Number of
Accounts with Performance- Based Fees |
Assets of
Accounts with Performance- Based Fees |
|||||||||||||
Thomas J. Ray |
Registered Investment Companies | 9 | $ | 1.4 billion | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 | 130.9 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts* | 3,735 | 1.0 billion | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Susi Budiman |
Registered Investment Companies | 4 | 883.2 million | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 | 130.9 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts* | 3,731 | 973.2 million | 0 | 0 |
* | Includes approximately $3.4 million in model-based assets. |
Conflicts of Interest
Actual or perceived conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented with the following potential conflicts, which are not intended to be an exhaustive list:
|
The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. NWQ seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of the portfolio manager by utilizing investment models for the management of most investment strategies. |
|
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, NWQ has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts. |
|
With respect to many of its clients accounts, NWQ determines which broker to utilize when placing orders for execution, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, NWQ may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, NWQ may place separate transactions for certain accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of other accounts. NWQ seeks to minimize market impact by using its discretion in releasing orders in a manner which seeks to cause the least possible impact while keeping within the approximate price range of the discretionary block trade. |
|
Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where NWQ has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. NWQ periodically performs a comparative analysis of the performance between accounts with performance fees and those without performance fees. |
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NWQ has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
Beneficial Ownership of Securities
The following table indicates as of September 30, 2016 the value, within the indicated range, of shares beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Fund. For purposes of this table, the following letters indicate the range listed next to each letter:
A | - | $0 | ||
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 | - | More than $1 million |
Portfolio Manager |
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities Beneficially Owned in Fund Managed |
|||||
Thomas J. Ray |
G | |||||
Susi Budiman |
D |
The Funds transfer, shareholder services, and dividend paying agent is Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ( BFDS ), P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530.
The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services.
Nuveen Securities, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the distributor for the Funds shares pursuant to a best efforts arrangement as provided by a Distribution Agreement dated December 15, 2006 (the Distribution Agreement ). Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Fund appointed the Distributor to be its agent for the distribution of the Funds shares on a continuous offering basis.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
KPMG LLP, 200 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601, independent registered public accounting firm, has been selected as auditors for the Fund.
The Fund, the Adviser, NWQ and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and with respect to the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Acts of 1940, as amended, addressing personal securities transactions and other conduct by investment personnel and access persons who may have access to information about the Funds securities transactions. The codes are intended to address potential conflicts of interest that can arise in connection with personal trading activities of such persons. Persons subject to the codes are generally permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including investing in securities eligible for investment by the Fund, subject to certain prohibitions, which may include prohibitions on investing in certain types of securities, pre-clearance requirements, blackout periods, annual and quarterly reporting of personal securities holdings and limitations on personal trading of initial public offerings. Violations of the codes are subject to review by the Board of Trustees and could result in severe penalties.
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The Fund has delegated authority to the Adviser to vote proxies for securities held by the Fund, and the Adviser has in turn delegated that responsibility to the Sub-Adviser. The Advisers proxy voting policy establishes minimum standards for the exercise of proxy voting authority by the Sub-Adviser.
A member of the Funds management team is responsible for oversight of the Funds proxy voting process. With regard to equity securities, NWQ has engaged the services of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ( ISS ) to make recommendations on the voting of proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and managed by NWQ. ISS provides voting recommendations based upon established guidelines and practices. NWQ reviews and frequently follows ISS recommendations. However, on selected issues, NWQ may not vote in accordance with the ISS recommendations when it believes that specific ISS recommendations are not in the best economic interest of the Fund. If NWQ manages the assets of a company or its pension plan and any of NWQs clients hold any securities of that company, NWQ will vote proxies relating to such companys securities in accordance with the ISS recommendations to avoid any conflict of interest. Where a material conflict of interest has been identified by NWQ and ISS does not offer a recommendation on the matter, NWQ shall disclose the conflict and NWQs Proxy Voting Committee shall determine the manner in which to vote and notify the Funds Board of Trustees or its designated committee.
Although NWQ has affiliates that provide investment advisory, broker-dealer, insurance or other financial services, NWQ does not receive non-public information about the business arrangements of such affiliates (except with regard to major distribution partners of its investment products) or the directors, officers and employees of such affiliates. Therefore, NWQ is unable to consider such information when determining whether there are material conflicts of interests.
NWQ has adopted the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines. While these guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, they do provide guidance on the Sub-Advisers general voting policies. Please see Appendix B for the ISS United States Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines.
Voted Proxies. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge by accessing Nuveens website at http://www.nuveen.com or the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
NWQ is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund and for the placement of the Funds securities business, the negotiation of the commissions to be paid on brokered transactions, the prices for principal trades in securities, and the allocation of portfolio brokerage and principal business. It is the policy of NWQ to seek the best execution at the best security price available with respect to each transaction, and with respect to brokered transactions, in light of the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided to the adviser and its advisees. The best price to the Fund means the best net price without regard to the mix between purchase or sale price and commission, if any. Purchases may be made from underwriters, dealers, and, on occasion, the issuers. Commissions will be paid on the Funds futures and options transactions, if any. The purchase price of portfolio securities purchased from an underwriter or dealer may include underwriting commissions and dealer spreads. The Fund may pay mark-ups on principal transactions. In selecting broker-dealers and in negotiating commissions, the portfolio managers consider, among other things, the firms reliability, the quality of its execution services on a continuing basis and its financial condition. Brokerage will not be allocated based on the sale of the Funds shares.
On behalf of the Fund, NWQ may seek to buy from or sell securities to another fund or account advised by NWQ or an affiliate. NWQ may effect purchases and sales between its clients or clients of its affiliates, including the Fund (referred to herein as cross trades ), if it believes that such transactions are appropriate based on each partys investment objectives and guidelines, subject to applicable law and regulation. Cross trades may give rise to potential conflicts of interest for NWQ. On any occasion when the Fund participates in a cross trade, the Fund will comply with procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and applicable SEC guidance.
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Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 permits an investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer who supplies brokerage and research services a commission for effecting the transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction. Brokerage and research services include, but are not limited to, (a) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (b) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (c) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody).
In light of the above, in selecting brokers, the portfolio managers consider investment and market information and other research, such as economic, securities and performance measurement research, provided by such brokers, and the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, performance and financial responsibility. Accordingly, the commissions charged by any such broker may be greater than the amount another firm might charge if the portfolio managers determine in good faith that the amount of such commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the research information and brokerage services provided by such broker to NWQ or the Fund. NWQ believes that the research information received in this manner provides the Fund with benefits by supplementing the research otherwise available to the Fund. The Investment Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement provide that such higher commissions will not be paid by the Fund unless NWQ determines in good faith that the amount is reasonable in relation to the services provided. The investment advisory fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement and the sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser to NWQ under the Sub-Advisory Agreement are not reduced as a result of receipt by either the Adviser or NWQ of research services.
NWQ places portfolio transactions for other advisory accounts managed by it. Research services furnished by firms through which the Fund effects its securities transactions may be used by NWQ in servicing all of its accounts; not all of such services may be used by NWQ in connection with the Fund. NWQ believes it is not possible to measure separately the benefits from research services to each of the accounts (including the Fund) managed by it. Because the volume and nature of the trading activities of the accounts are not uniform, the amount of commissions in excess of those charged by another broker paid by each account for brokerage and research services will vary. However, NWQ believes such costs to the Fund will not be disproportionate to the benefits received by the Fund on a continuing basis. NWQ seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by the Fund and another advisory account. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or the amount of securities available to the Fund. In making such allocations between the Fund and other advisory accounts, the main factors considered by NWQ are the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment and the size of investment commitments generally held.
The following table sets forth the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund for the specified periods:
Aggregate Amount of
Brokerage Commissions |
||||||||||
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
||||||||
$120,332 | $ | 175,729 | $ | 97,026 |
Brokerage commissions paid by the Fund may vary significantly from year to year. The aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund decreased substantially during the most recent fiscal year compared with the two prior fiscal years primarily due to varying market conditions, differences in shareholder purchase and redemption activity, portfolio turnover rates and other factors.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund paid $90,023 to brokers as commissions in return for research services and the aggregate amount of those transactions on which such commissions were paid was $233,465,604.
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The Fund has acquired during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 the securities of its regular brokers or dealers as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act or of the parents of the brokers or dealers. The following table sets forth those brokers or dealers and states the value of the Funds aggregate holdings of the securities of each issuer as of close of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016:
Broker/Dealer |
Issuer |
Aggregate Fund
Holdings of Broker/Dealer or Parent (as of September 30, 2016) |
||||
HSBC Securities, Inc. |
HSBC Holdings PLC, 8.000% |
1,003,930 | ||||
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc. |
Merrill Lynch International Company CV |
3,524,865 | ||||
Citigroup Global Markets |
Citigroup Inc., 6.875% | 373,522 | ||||
Citigroup Inc., 5.800% | 930,781 | |||||
Citigroup Inc., 5.950% | 2,269,723 | |||||
Citigroup Inc., 6.250% | 2,240,549 | |||||
Goldman Sachs & Co. |
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., 5.300% | 1,435,000 | ||||
JP Morgan Securities Inc. |
JPMorgan Chase & Company, 6.750% | 1,811,875 | ||||
Morgan Stanley & Co. |
Morgan Stanley, 7.125% | 2,408,960 | ||||
State Street Bank & Trust Co. |
Fixed Income Clearing Corporation Repurchase Agreement | 7,488,332 | ||||
Wells Fargo Securities LLC. |
Wells Fargo & Company, 5.875% | 1,003,625 | ||||
Wells Fargo & Company, 7.500% | 4,455,784 |
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not purchase portfolio securities from any underwriting syndicate of which the Distributor is a member except under certain limited conditions set forth in Rule 10f-3. The Rule sets forth requirements relating to, among other things, the terms of a security purchased by the Fund, the amount of securities that may be purchased in any one issue and the assets of the Fund that may be invested in a particular issue. In addition, purchases of securities made pursuant to the terms of the Rule must be approved at least quarterly by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the independent trustees.
Portfolio Trading and Turnover
The Fund will make changes in its investment portfolio from time to time in order to seek to take advantage of opportunities in the market and to limit exposure to market risk. The Fund may also engage to a limited extent in short-term trading consistent with its investment objective. Changes in the Funds investments are known as portfolio turnover.
The substantial decrease in portfolio turnover over the past fiscal period for the Fund was the result of changes in market conditions and investment opportunities.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted a portfolio holdings disclosure policy which governs the dissemination of the Funds portfolio holdings. In accordance with this policy, the Fund may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties no earlier than the time a report is filed with the SEC that is required to contain such information or one day after the information is posted on the Funds publicly accessible website, www.nuveen.com. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Funds website ten business days after the end of the month. Additionally, the Fund publishes on the website a list of its top ten holdings as of the end of each month, approximately two to five business days after the end of the month for which the information is current. This information will remain available on the website at least until the Fund files with the SEC its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q for the period that includes the date as of which the website information is current.
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Additionally, the Fund may disclose portfolio holdings information that has not been included in a filing with the SEC or posted on the Funds website (i.e., non-public portfolio holdings information) only if there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so and if the recipient is required, either by explicit agreement or by virtue of the recipients duties to the Fund as an agent or service provider, to maintain the confidentiality of the information and to not use the information in an improper manner (e.g., personal trading). In this connection, the Fund may disclose on an ongoing basis non-public portfolio holdings information in the normal course of its investment and administrative operations to various service providers, including the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, independent registered public accounting firm, custodian, financial printer, proxy voting service(s), and to the legal counsel for the Funds independent trustees. Also, the Adviser may transmit to service providers non-public portfolio holdings information to enable the Adviser to perform portfolio attribution analysis using third-party systems and software programs. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may also provide certain portfolio holdings information to broker-dealers from time to time in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities. In providing this information, reasonable precautions are taken in an effort to avoid potential misuse of the disclosed information, including limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, when appropriate. The Fund, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser do not receive compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of portfolio holdings.
Non-public portfolio holdings information may be provided to other persons if approved by the Funds Chief Administrative Officer or Secretary upon a determination that there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so, the disclosure is consistent with the interests of the Fund, and the recipient is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information and not misuse it, which includes a prohibition on trading on such non-public information.
Compliance officers of the Fund and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically monitor overall compliance with the policy to ascertain whether portfolio holdings information is disclosed in a manner that is consistent with the Funds policy. Reports are made to the Funds Board of Trustees on an annual basis.
There is no assurance that the Funds policies on portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of portfolio holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of such information.
The following parties currently receive non-public portfolio holdings information regarding one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds on an ongoing basis pursuant to the various arrangements described above:
ADP Investor Communications Services
Advent
Barclays Capital, Inc.
Barra
Bloomberg
Broadridge Systems
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
Chapman and Cutler LLP
Eagle Investment Systems, LLC
Electra Information Systems
FactSet Research Systems
Financial Graphic Services
Glass, Lewis & Co.
ISS
Interactive Data Pricing and Reference
Investortools
KPMG LLP
Lipper Inc.
Markit
Moodys
Morningstar, Inc.
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PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricingDirect Inc.
R.R. Donnelley
Rimes Technologies Corporation
SS&C
Standard & Poors
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
Strategic Insight
ThomsonReuters LLC
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
U.S. Bank N.A.
Wolters Kluwer
The Funds net asset value is determined as set forth in the Prospectus under General InformationNet Asset Value.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series, which may be divided into classes of shares. Currently, there are six series authorized and outstanding, each of which may be generally divided into different classes of shares designated as Class A shares, Class C shares, Class R3 shares, Class R6 shares, Class I shares and Class T Shares. Each class of shares represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments of the Fund. Each class of shares has equal rights as to voting, redemption, dividends and liquidation, except that each bears different class expenses, including different distribution and service fees, and each has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. The Board of Trustees of the Trust has the right to establish additional series and classes of shares in the future, to change those series or classes and to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof.
The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Fund have the right to call a special meeting to remove trustees or for any other purpose.
Under Massachusetts law applicable to Massachusetts business trusts, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations. However, the Declaration of Trust of the Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Trusts Declaration of Trust further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or the Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust believes the likelihood of the occurrence of these circumstances is remote.
The following table sets forth the percentage ownership of each person, who, as of January 3, 2017, owned of record, or is known by the Trust to have owned beneficially, 5% or more of any class of the Funds shares.
Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund Class A Shares |
American Enterprise Investment Serv 707 2 nd Ave S Minneapolis MN 55402-2405 |
|
36.78% |
|
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
National Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers Attn Mutual Fund Dept 4 th Floor 499 Washington Blvd Jersey City NJ 07310-2010 |
11.21% | |||||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Mutual Fund Trading 4707 Executive Dr San Diego CA 92121-3091 |
9.67% | |||||
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City NJ 07399-0002 |
8.84% | |||||
Charles Schwab & Co Inc Special Custody Acct FBO Customers Attn Mutual Funds 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
7.97% | |||||
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
5.14% | |||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund Class C Shares |
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
|
24.48% |
|
||
Charles Schwab & Co Inc Special Custody Acct FBO Customers Attn Mutual Funds 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
13.72% | |||||
American Enterprise Investment Serv 707 2 nd Ave S Minneapolis MN 55402-2405 |
13.21% | |||||
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City NJ 07399-0002 |
12.18% | |||||
Raymond James Omnibus for Mutual Funds House Acct Attn: Courtney Waller 880 Carillon Parkway St Petersburg FL 33716-1102 |
10.06% | |||||
UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI 1000 Harbor Blvd Weehawken NJ 07086-6761 |
9.24% |
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
National Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers Attn Mutual Fund Dept 4 th Floor 499 Washington Blvd Jersey City NJ 07310-2010 |
6.90% | |||||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Mutual Fund Trading 4707 Executive Dr San Diego CA 92121-3091 |
5.88% | |||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund Class R6 Shares |
Nuveen Multi-Asset Income Fund 333 W Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
|
92.06% |
|
||
Nuveen Investments Inc Attn Darlene Cramer 333 W Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
7.94% | |||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund Class I Shares |
National Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers Attn Mutual Fund Dept 4 th Floor 499 Washington Blvd Jersey City NJ 07310-2010 |
|
25.83% |
|
||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Mutual Fund Trading 4707 Executive Dr San Diego CA 92121-3091 |
13.15% | |||||
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
9.19% | |||||
Charles Schwab & Co Inc Special Custody Acct FBO Customers Attn Mutual Funds 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
9.18% | |||||
Mitra & Co FBO C/O BMO Harris Bank NA Attn MF 480 Pilgrim Way, Suite 1000 Green Bay WI 54304-5280 |
8.71% | |||||
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City NJ 07399-0002 |
6.56% | |||||
UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI 1000 Harbor Blvd Weehawken NJ 07086-6761 |
6.42% |
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Raymond James Omnibus for Mutual Funds House Acct Attn: Courtney Waller 880 Carillon Parkway St Petersburg FL 33716-1102 |
6.37% |
This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and this summary does not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, this summary generally does not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer or other investor with special circumstances, or if you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, Funds counsel was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be deposited in the Fund. Consequently, this summary may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law. As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax professional.
The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes. An adverse federal income tax audit of a partnership that the Fund invests in could result in the Fund being required to pay federal income tax or pay a deficiency dividend (without having received additional cash). If the Fund fails for any taxable year to qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes, the Fund itself will generally be subject to federal income taxation (which will reduce the amount of Fund income available for distribution) and your tax consequences will be different from those described in this section (for example, all distributions to you will generally be taxed as ordinary income, even if those distributions are derived from capital gains realized by the Fund).
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain ( i.e. , the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for the year (the Distribution Requirement ) and satisfies certain other requirements of the Code that are generally described below. The Fund also intends to make such distributions as are necessary to avoid the otherwise applicable 4% non-deductible excise tax on certain undistributed earnings.
In addition to satisfying the Distribution Requirement, the Fund must, among other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or disposition of stock, securities or non-U.S. currencies and 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, and (2) net income derived from an interest in qualified publicly traded partnerships (as such term is defined in the Code). The Fund must also satisfy an asset diversification test in order to qualify as a regulated investment company. Under this test, at the close of each quarter of the Funds taxable
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year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Funds assets must be represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), United States government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Funds assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds assets may be invested in securities of (a) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (b) in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (as such term is defined in the Code). There are certain exceptions for failure to qualify if the failure is for reasonable cause or is de minimis and certain corrective action is taken and certain tax payments are made by the Fund.
Fund distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the Funds distributions into three categories, ordinary income distributions, capital gain dividends and returns of capital. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate, however, as further discussed below, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be immediately taxable to you unless the distribution exceeds your basis in your shares. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year. Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8 percent Medicare tax. This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.
A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction ( DRD ) with respect to dividends received from the Fund, because the DRD is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, the Fund may invest in preferred securities that are eligible for the DRD. Pursuant to the DRD, corporations may generally deduct 70% of the dividend income they receive. Corporate shareholders of a regulated investment company like the Fund generally are permitted to claim a deduction with respect to that portion of their distributions designated by the Fund and attributable to amounts received by the regulated investment company that qualify for the DRD and that are properly reported by the regulated investment company as being eligible for the DRD. However, not all preferred securities pay dividends that are eligible for the DRD, and the Fund may invest in DRD-eligible and DRD-ineligible preferred securities. Accordingly, any corporate shareholder of the Fund which otherwise would qualify for the DRD should understand that only a portion (or perhaps none) of the distributions it receives from the Fund may qualify for the DRD.
If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares.
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Taxation of Capital Gains and Losses
If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gains is generally 20% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket, 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% tax brackets and 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. Some portion of your capital gain dividends might be attributable to the Funds interest in a master limited partnership which may be subject to a maximum marginal stated federal income tax rate of 28%, rather than the rates set forth above. In addition, capital gains received from assets held for more than one year that are considered unrecaptured section 1250 gain (which may be the case, for example, with some capital gains attributable to equity interests in real estate investment trusts that constitute interests in entities treated as real estate investment trusts for federal income tax purposes) are taxed at a maximum stated tax rate of 25%. In the case of capital gain dividends, the determination of which portion of the capital gain dividends, if any, is subject to the 28% tax rate or the 25% tax rate, will be made based on the rules prescribed by the United States Treasury. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.
Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your share at a loss after holding it for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.
Taxation of Certain Ordinary Income Dividends
Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates.
Under certain circumstances, as described in the Prospectus, you may receive an in-kind distribution of Fund securities when you redeem shares or when the Fund terminates. This distribution will be treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes and you will generally recognize gain or loss, generally based on the value at that time of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service could, however, assert that a loss may not be currently deducted.
If you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund, the exchange would generally be considered a sale for federal income tax purposes.
Deductibility of Fund Expenses
Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of the Fund expenses as income. In these cases you may be able to take a deduction for these expenses. However, certain miscellaneous itemized deductions, such as investment expenses, may be deducted by individuals only to the extent that all of these deductions exceed 2% of the individuals adjusted gross income. Some individuals may also be subject to further limitations on the amount of their itemized deductions, depending on their income.
If the Fund invests in any non-U.S. securities, the tax statement that you receive may include an item showing non-U.S. taxes the Fund paid to other countries. In this case, dividends taxed to you will include your share of the taxes the Fund paid to other countries. You may be able to deduct or receive a tax credit for your share of these taxes.
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Investments in Certain Non-U.S. Corporations
If the Fund holds an equity interest in any passive foreign investment companies ( PFICs ), which are generally certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax. Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.
Investments in Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)
The MLPs in which the Fund intends to invest are often treated as partnerships for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. As a partner in the MLPs, the Fund will recognize a pass through for federal income tax purposes of its allocable share of the MLPs income and deductions. In some cases, the amount of taxable income that the Fund will recognize from an MLP may exceed the amount of cash the Fund receives from the MLP. In that case, the Fund may be required to take actions, including selling Fund assets, necessary to obtain the cash necessary to meet the distribution requirements for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes.
If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and will be subject to U.S. income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met.
Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain foreign investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. In addition, distributions in respect of shares may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% in the case of distributions to (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entitys U.S. owners. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2018.
When the Fund has a capital loss carry-forward, it does not make capital gain distributions until the loss has been offset or expired. As of September 30, 2016, the Fund had capital loss carry-forwards available for federal income tax purposes, expiring in the year indicated.
Expiration Year |
Capital Loss
|
|
* | $7,786,113 |
* | Not subject to expiration. |
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PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES
As described in the Prospectus, the Fund provides you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs and preferences.
Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments. Each class of shares is identical in all respects except that each class bears its own class expenses, including distribution and administration expenses, and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. As a result of the differences in the expenses borne by each class of shares, net income per share, dividends per share and net asset value per share will vary among the Funds classes of shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights.
Shareholders of each class will share expenses proportionately for services that are received equally by all shareholders. A particular class of shares will bear only those expenses that are directly attributable to that class, where the type or amount of services received by a class varies from one class to another. For example, class-specific expenses generally will include distribution and service fees for those classes that pay such fees.
The expenses to be borne by specific classes of shares may include (i) transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class of shares, (ii) printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, prospectuses and proxy statements to current shareholders of a specific class of shares, (iii) SEC and state securities registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, (iv) the expense of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class of shares, (v) litigation or other legal expenses relating to a specific class of shares, (vi) trustees fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares, (vii) accounting expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (viii) any additional incremental expenses subsequently identified and determined to be properly allocated to one or more classes of shares.
Class A shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. Shareholders may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan. Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class A shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase on September 30, 2016 of Class A shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class A shares.
Net asset value per share |
$ | 21.81 | ||
Per share sales charge4.75% of public offering price (5.00% of net asset value per share) |
1.09 | |||
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Per share offering price to the public |
$ | 22.90 | ||
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The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class A shares that are sold. The Distributor retains the full applicable sales charge from which it pays the uniform reallowances shown in the Prospectus to financial intermediaries.
Class A shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class A shares.
Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares
The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge
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Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary.
Rights of Accumulation. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund if the amount of your purchase, when added to the value that day of all of your shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, falls within the amounts stated in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in How You Can Buy and Sell Shares in the Prospectus. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent of any cumulative discount whenever you plan to purchase Class A shares of the Fund that you wish to qualify for a reduced sales charge.
Letter of Intent. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund if you plan to purchase Class A shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds over the next 13 months and the total amount of your purchases would, if purchased at one time, qualify you for one of the reduced sales charges shown in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in How You Can Buy and Sell Shares in the Prospectus. In order to take advantage of this option, you must complete the applicable section of the Application Form or sign and deliver to your financial advisor or other financial intermediary or to the Funds transfer agent a written Letter of Intent in a form acceptable to the Distributor. A Letter of Intent states that you intend, but are not obligated, to purchase over the next 13 months a stated total amount of Class A shares that would qualify you for a reduced sales charge shown above. You may count shares of all Nuveen Mutual Funds that you already own and any Class C and Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund that you purchase over the next 13 months towards completion of your investment program, but you will receive a reduced sales charge only on new Class A shares you purchase with a sales charge over the 13 months. You cannot count towards completion of your investment program Class A shares that you purchase without a sales charge through investment of distributions from a Nuveen Mutual Fund or a Nuveen Defined Portfolio, or otherwise.
By establishing a Letter of Intent, you agree that your first purchase of Class A shares of the Fund following execution of the Letter of Intent will be at least 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases. You further agree that shares representing 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases will be held in escrow pending completion of these purchases. All dividends and capital gain distributions on Class A shares held in escrow will be credited to your account. If total purchases, less redemptions, prior to the expiration of the 13 month period equal or exceed the amount specified in your Letter of Intent, the Class A shares held in escrow will be transferred to your account. If the total purchases, less redemptions, are less than the amount specified, you must pay the Distributor an amount equal to the difference between the amounts paid for these purchases and the amounts which would have been paid if the higher sales charge had been applied. If you do not pay the additional amount within 20 days after written request by the Distributor or your financial advisor, the Distributor will redeem an appropriate number of your escrowed Class A shares to meet the required payment. By establishing a Letter of Intent, you irrevocably appoint the Distributor as attorney to give instructions to redeem any or all of your escrowed shares, with full power of substitution in the premises.
You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Fund shares that you wish to be covered under the Letter of Intent option.
For purposes of determining whether you qualify for a reduced sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent , you may include together with your own purchases those made by your spouse or domestic partner and your children under the age of 21 years, whether these purchases are made through a taxable or non-taxable account. You may also include purchases made by a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship which is 100% owned, either alone or in combination, by any of the foregoing. In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).
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Elimination of Sales Charge on Class A Shares. Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge by the following categories of investors:
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investors purchasing $1,000,000 or more; |
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investors purchasing shares through the reinvestment of Nuveen Mutual Fund dividends and capital gain distributions; |
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current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds; |
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current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates or their immediate family members (immediate family members are defined as their spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a siblings spouse and a spouses siblings); |
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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, or their immediate family members; |
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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; |
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investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; |
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clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; |
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employer-sponsored retirement plans as defined below, except that, in the case of employer-sponsored retirement plans held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. For this purpose, employer-sponsored retirement plans include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, health savings accounts, defined benefit plans, participant directed non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Roth 401(k) plans and Roth 403(b) plans, and do not include SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs (except as described below), SIMPLE 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, KEOGH plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and single defined benefit plans; |
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SIMPLE IRAs opened before January 1, 2011 where Nuveen Securities, LLC is the broker of record; and |
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investors purchasing through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund that you wish to be covered under these special sales charge waivers.
Class A shares of the Fund may be issued at net asset value without a sales charge in connection with the acquisition by the Fund of another investment company. All purchases under the special sales charge waivers will be subject to minimum purchase requirements as established by the Fund.
The reduced sales charge programs may be modified or discontinued by the Fund at any time. For more information about the purchase of Class A shares or the reduced sales charge program, or to obtain the required application forms, call Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787.
You may purchase Class C shares at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee of
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0.75% to compensate the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission. Class C shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing financial advice and other account services. The Distributor compensates financial intermediaries for sales of Class C shares at the time of the sale at a rate of 1.00% of the amount of Class C shares purchased, which represents an advance of the first years distribution fee of 0.75% plus an advance on the first years annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan.
Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $1,000,000 will not be accepted. In addition, Class C share purchase orders for a single purchaser that, when added to the value that day of all of such purchasers shares of any class of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, cause the purchasers cumulative total of shares in Nuveen Mutual Funds to equal or exceed $1,000,000 will not be accepted. Your financial intermediary may set a lower maximum for Class C shares. Shareholders purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares above.
Redemption of Class C shares within 12 months of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ( CDSC ) of 1.00% of the lower of the purchase price or redemption proceeds. Because Class C shares do not convert to Class A shares and continue to pay an annual distribution fee indefinitely, Class C shares should normally not be purchased by an investor who expects to hold shares for significantly longer than eight years.
Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class C shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class C shares.
Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary.
Class A shares are normally redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC. However, in the case of Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, a CDSC is imposed on any redemption within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC, except that a CDSC of 1.00% is imposed upon any redemption within 12 months of purchase (except in cases where a shareholder is eligible for a waiver).
In determining whether a CDSC is payable, the Fund will first redeem shares not subject to any charge and then will redeem shares held for the longest period, unless the shareholder specifies another order. No CDSC is charged on shares purchased as a result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or capital gains paid. In addition, no CDSC will be charged on exchanges of shares into another Nuveen Mutual Fund. The holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lower of the then current market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed. Accordingly, no sales charge is imposed on increases of net asset value above the initial purchase price. The Distributor receives the amount of any CDSC shareholders pay.
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The CDSC may be waived or reduced under the following circumstances: (i) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (ii) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (iii) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an accounts net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (iv) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (v) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Funds right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance; (vi) upon an optional conversion by a Fund of Class C shares held in an account which no longer has a financial intermediary of record into Class A shares; (vii) redemptions of Class C shares in cases where the Distributor did not advance the first years service and distribution fees when such shares were purchased; and (viii) redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales commission when such shares were purchased. If the Fund waives or reduces the CDSC, such waiver or reduction would be uniformly applied to all Fund shares in the particular category. In waiving or reducing a CDSC, the Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act.
In addition, the CDSC will be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1 / 2 , (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination or transfer to another employers plan or IRA; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. The CDSC will also be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account: (i) for redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholders life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1 / 2 ; and (ii) for redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1 / 2 from an IRA account (with the maximum amount subject to this waiver being based only upon the shareholders Nuveen IRA accounts).
Class R6 shares are available to the following classes of investors, provided they meet the minimum investment and other eligibility requirements set forth below:
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Qualified retirement plans, including: 401(k) plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing pension plans, money purchase pension plans, target benefit plans, defined benefit pension plans and Taft Hartley multi-employer pension plans (collectively, Qualified Plans ); |
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Foundations and endowment funds; |
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Any state, county, or city, or its instrumentality, department, authority or agency; |
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457 plans, including 457(b) governmental entity plans and tax exempt plans; |
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Omnibus or other pooled accounts registered to insurance companies, trust companies, bank trust departments, registered investment advisor firms and family offices; |
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Investment companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with the Adviser; |
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Corporations, including corporate non-qualified deferred compensation plans of such corporations; |
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Collective investment trusts; |
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Discretionary accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates; and |
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529 savings plans held in plan-level omnibus accounts. |
There is no minimum initial investment for qualified retirement plans; however, the shares must be held through plan-level or omnibus accounts held on the books of the Fund. All other eligible investors must meet a minimum initial investment of at least $5 million in the Fund. Such minimum investment requirement may be applied collectively to affiliated accounts, in the discretion of the
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Distributor. Class R6 shares are only available through financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares are only available in cases where neither the investor nor the intermediary will receive any commission payments, account servicing fees, record keeping fees, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, so called finders fees, administration fees or similar fees with respect to Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares are not available directly to traditional or Roth IRAs, Coverdell Savings Accounts, Keoghs, SEPs, SARSEPs, or SIMPLE IRAs. Class R6 shares also are not available through retail, advisory fee-based wrap platforms.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares also are available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:
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employer-sponsored retirement plans, except SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs and KEOGH plans; |
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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; |
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advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates, including other Nuveen Mutual Funds whose investment policies permit investments in other investment companies; |
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any registered investment company that is not affiliated with the Nuveen Funds and which invests in securities of other investment companies; |
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any plan organized under section 529 under the Code (i.e., a 529 plan); |
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participants in the TIAA-CREF Investment Solutions IRA; |
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current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members ( immediate family members are defined as spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a siblings spouse and a spouses siblings); |
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officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members; |
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full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members, including any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other business organization that is wholly owned by one or more of such persons; and |
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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, and their immediate family members. |
Holders of Class I shares may purchase additional Class I shares using dividends and capital gain distributions on their shares.
If you are eligible to purchase either Class I shares or Class A shares without a sales charge at net asset value, you should be aware of the differences between these two classes of shares. Class A shares are subject to an annual service fee to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing account services. Class I shares are not subject to a distribution or service fee and,
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consequently, holders of Class I shares may not receive the same types or levels of services from financial intermediaries. In choosing between Class A shares and Class I shares, you should weigh the benefits of the services to be provided by financial intermediaries against the annual service fee imposed upon the Class A shares.
Class T shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. The sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class T shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan. Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class T shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase based on the initial net asset value for Class T shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class T shares.
Net asset value per share* |
$ | 21.81 | ||
Per share sales charge2.50% of public offering price (2.57% of net asset value per share) |
0.56 | |||
|
|
|||
Per share offering price to the public |
$ | 22.37 | ||
|
|
* | Based upon the net asset value for Class A shares. |
The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class T shares that are sold. The full applicable sales charge shown in the Prospectus is paid to financial intermediaries.
Investors may purchase Class T shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class T shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class T shares.
Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class T Shares
Class T shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund are not subject to a sales charge. In addition, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under certain other circumstances, as determined by the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. See the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, for information on available Class T share sales charge waivers.
Exchange Privilege
You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state, except that there are no exchange privileges for Class T shares. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same Fund. An exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund may not be considered a taxable event; please consult your own tax advisor for further information.
If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, you may exchange your shares by either sending a written request to the Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530 or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll free at (800) 257-8787.
If you exchange shares between different Nuveen Mutual Funds and your shares are subject to a CDSC, no CDSC will be charged at the time of the exchange. However, if you subsequently redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the redemption may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you purchased your original shares and the CDSC schedule of the fund from which you exchanged your shares. If you exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund and your original shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will be assessed at the time of the exchange.
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For federal income tax purposes, an exchange between different Nuveen Mutual Funds constitutes a sale and purchase of shares and may result in capital gain or loss. Before making any exchange, you should obtain the Prospectus for the Nuveen Mutual Fund you are purchasing and read it carefully. If the registration of the account for the Fund you are purchasing is not exactly the same as that of the fund account from which the exchange is made, written instructions from all holders of the account from which the exchange is being made must be received, with signatures guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion Signature Guarantee Program or in such other manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. You may also exchange shares by telephone if you authorize telephone exchanges by checking the applicable box on the Application Form or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787 to obtain an authorization form. The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.
The exchange privilege is not intended to permit the Fund to be used as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, raise expenses and otherwise have an adverse effect on all shareholders. In order to limit excessive exchange activity and in other circumstances where Fund management believes doing so would be in the best interest of the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, or limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. Shareholders would be notified of any such action to the extent required by law. See Frequent Trading Policy below.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeemed Class A, Class C or Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund, you have up to one year to reinvest all or part of the full amount of the redemption in the same class of shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund at net asset value. This reinstatement privilege can be exercised only once for any redemption, and reinvestment will be made at the net asset value next calculated after reinstatement of the appropriate class of Fund shares. If you reinstate shares that were subject to a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. The federal income tax consequences of any capital gain realized on a redemption will not be affected by reinstatement, but a capital loss may be disallowed in whole or in part depending on the timing, the amount of the reinvestment and the fund from which the redemption occurred.
Suspension of Right of Redemption
The Fund may suspend the right of redemption of Fund shares or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund normally utilizes is restricted or an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that trading of the Funds investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for any other periods that the SEC by order may permit for protection of Fund shareholders.
Redemption In-Kind
The Fund has reserved the right to redeem in-kind (that is, to pay redemption requests in cash and portfolio securities, or wholly in portfolio securities). Pursuant to a notice of election under Rule 18f-1, the Fund voluntarily has committed to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder, limited as to each shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of the 90-day period.
The Funds Frequent Trading Policy is as follows:
Nuveen Mutual Funds are intended as long-term investments and not as short-term trading vehicles. At the same time, the Fund recognizes the need of investors to periodically make purchases and redemptions of Fund shares when rebalancing their portfolios and as their financial needs or circumstances change. Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted the following Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance these needs against the potential for higher operating costs, portfolio management disruption and other inefficiencies that can be caused by excessive trading of Fund shares.
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1. Definition of Round Trip
A Round Trip trade is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a Round Trip trade may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.
2. Round Trip Trade Limitations
Nuveen Mutual Funds limit the frequency of Round Trip trades that may be placed in the Fund. Subject to certain exceptions noted below, the Fund limits an investor to two Round Trips per trailing 60-day period.
3. Enforcement
Trades placed in violation of the foregoing policies are subject to rejection or cancellation by Nuveen Mutual Funds. Nuveen Mutual Funds may also bar an investor (and/or the investors financial advisor) who has violated these policies from opening new accounts with the Fund and may restrict the investors existing account(s) to redemptions only. Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to (a) interpret the terms and application of these policies, (b) waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if Nuveen Mutual Funds determine that doing so does not harm the interests of Fund shareholders, and (c) exclude certain classes of redemptions from the application of the trading restrictions set forth above.
Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if they determine, in their sole discretion, that a proposed transaction or series of transactions involve market timing or excessive trading that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.
The ability of Nuveen Mutual Funds to implement the Frequent Trading Policy for omnibus accounts at certain financial intermediaries may be dependent on receiving from those intermediaries sufficient shareholder information to permit monitoring of trade activity and enforcement of the Funds Frequent Trading Policy. In addition, the Fund may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if the Fund believes that the policy is reasonably designed to prevent market timing that is detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds Policy. The Fund cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the Funds policy or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Exclusions from the Frequent Trading Policy
As stated above, certain redemptions are eligible for exclusion from the Frequent Trading Policy, including: (i) redemptions or exchanges by shareholders investing through the fee-based platforms of certain financial intermediaries (where the intermediary charges an asset-based or comprehensive wrap fee for its services) that are effected by the financial intermediaries in connection with systematic portfolio rebalancing; (ii) when there is a verified trade error correction, which occurs when a dealer firm sends a trade to correct an earlier trade made in error and then the firm sends an explanation to the Nuveen Mutual Funds confirming that the trade is actually an error correction; (iii) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (iv) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (v) redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an accounts net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (vi) redemptions of shares that were purchased through a systematic investment program; (vii) involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law; (viii) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (ix) redemptions or exchanges by any fund of funds advised by the Adviser; and (x) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Funds right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the board has determined may have material adverse consequences to the shareholders of the Fund.
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In addition, the following redemptions of shares by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan are excluded from the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1 / 2 ; (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments; or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination, transfer to another employers plan or IRA or changes in a plans recordkeeper; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. Also, the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account are excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholders life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1 / 2 ; and (ii) redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1 / 2 from an IRA account.
The Fund has adopted a plan (the Plan ) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12b-1 provides in substance that a mutual fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares, except pursuant to a plan adopted under the Rule. The Plan authorizes the Fund to pay the Distributor distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees on the Funds Class A, Class C and Class T shares as described below. The distribution fees under the Plan are used for the primary purpose of compensating participating intermediaries for their sales of the Fund. The shareholder servicing fees are used primarily for the purpose of providing compensation for the ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of shareholder accounts. Pursuant to the Plan, Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee and Class A, Class C and Class T shares are subject to the annual service fees (distribution and service fees collectively referred to herein as 12b-1 fees ). The 12b-1 fees are based on the average daily net assets of the class of shares of the Fund and are as follows:
Annual Distribution Fee | Annual Service Fee | Total 12b-1 Fee | ||||||||||
Class A | | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % | |||||||
Class C | 0.75 | % | 0.25 | % | 1.00 | % | ||||||
Class T | | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % |
Class R6 and Class I shares are not subject to either distribution or service fees.
The distribution fee applicable to Class C shares under the Funds Plan compensates the Distributor for expenses incurred in connection with the distribution of Class C shares. These expenses include payments to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, who are brokers of record with respect to the Class C shares, as well as, without limitation, expenses of printing and distributing Prospectuses to persons other than shareholders of the Fund, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing advertising and sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of Class C shares, certain other expenses associated with the distribution of Class C shares, and any other distribution-related expenses that may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Trustees.
The service fee applicable to Class A, Class C and Class T shares under the Funds Plan is used to compensate financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund incurred 12b-1 fees pursuant to its Plan in the amounts set forth in the table below. 12b-1 fees are calculated and accrued daily and paid quarterly or at such other intervals as the Board of Trustees may determine. As noted above, no 12b-1 fees are paid with respect to Class R6 or Class I shares. For this period, substantially all of the 12b-1 service fees on Class A shares were paid out as compensation to financial intermediaries for providing services to shareholders relating to their investments. To compensate for commissions advanced to financial intermediaries, all 12b-1 fees on Class C shares during the first year following a purchase are retained by the Distributor. After the first year following a purchase, 12b-1 fees on Class C shares are paid to financial intermediaries.
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12b-1
Fees Incurred
by the Fund for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2016 |
||||
Class A |
$ | 168,145 | ||
Class C |
375,176 |
The Plan is a compensation-type plan under which the Distributor is entitled to receive the distribution and shareholder servicing fees regardless of whether its actual distribution and shareholder servicing expenses are more or less than the amount of the fees. It is therefore possible that the Distributor may realize a profit in a particular year as a result of these payments. The Plan recognizes that the Distributor and the Adviser, in their discretion, may from time to time use their own assets to pay for certain additional costs of distributing Class A, Class C and Class T shares. Any such arrangements to pay such additional costs may be commenced or discontinued by the Distributor or the Adviser at any time.
Under the Funds Plan, the Fund will report quarterly to the Board of Trustees for its review of all amounts expended per class of shares under the Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to any class of shares, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class. The Plan may be renewed from year to year if approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees and a vote of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan may be continued only if the trustees who vote to approve such continuance conclude, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under applicable law, that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the cost which a class of shares may bear under the Plan without the approval of the shareholders of the affected class, and any other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the independent trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. During the continuance of the Plan, the selection and nomination of the independent trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the independent trustees then in office. With the exception of the Distributor and its affiliates, no interested person of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and no trustee of the Fund has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any related agreement.
If the Fund closes to new investors, it may continue to make payments under the Plan. Such payments would be made for the various services provided to existing shareholders by the participating intermediaries receiving such payments.
The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Funds behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a brokers authorized designee accepts the order. Customer orders received by such broker (or their designee) will be priced at the Funds net asset value next computed after they are accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee). Orders accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee) before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will receive that days share price; orders accepted after the close of trading will receive the next business days share price.
If you choose to invest in the Fund, an account will be opened and maintained for you by BFDS, the Funds shareholder services agent. Shares will be registered in the name of the investor or the investors financial advisor. A change in registration or transfer of shares held in the name of a financial advisor may only be made by an order in good standing form from the financial advisor acting on the investors behalf. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to waive or increase minimum investment requirements.
The Fund does not issue share certificates.
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The Distributor sells shares to or through brokers, dealers, banks or other qualified financial intermediaries (collectively referred to as Dealers ), or others, in a manner consistent with the then effective registration statement of the Trust. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, at its own expense, finances certain activities incident to the sale and distribution of the Funds shares, including printing and distributing of prospectuses and statements of additional information to other than existing shareholders, the printing and distributing of sales literature, advertising and payment of compensation and giving of concessions to Dealers.
The Distributor receives for its services the excess, if any, of the sales price of the Funds shares less the net asset value of those shares, and reallows a majority or all of such amounts to the Dealers who sold the shares. The Distributor also receives distribution fees pursuant to a distribution plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 and described herein under Distribution and Service Plan. The Distributor also receives any CDSCs imposed on redemptions of shares. The Distributor may also act as a Dealer.
The following tables set forth the aggregate amounts of underwriting commissions with respect to the sale of Fund shares, the amount thereof retained by the Distributor and the compensation on redemptions and repurchases received by the Distributor for the Fund for the specified periods. All figures are expressed in thousands and are to the nearest thousand.
Amount of Underwriting
Commissions |
Amount Retained by
the Distributor |
Amount of Compensation on
Redemptions and Repurchases |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | 134 | $ | 259 | $ | 774 | $ | 14 | $ | 29 | $ | 82 | $ | 2 | $ | 3 | $ | 17 |
To help financial advisors and investors better understand and more efficiently use the Fund to reach their investment goals, the Distributor may advertise and create specific investment programs and systems. For example, this may include information on how to use the Fund to accumulate assets for future education needs or periodic payments such as insurance premiums. The Distributor may produce software, electronic information sites or additional sales literature to promote the advantages of using the Fund to meet these and other specific investor needs. In addition, wholesale representatives of the Distributor may visit financial advisors on a regular basis to educate them about the Fund and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law. Nuveen wholesalers may receive additional compensation if they meet certain targets for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments
As described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this SAI, intermediaries that sell shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or provide services to their shareholders, such as brokers, dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, retirement plan administrators and other intermediaries (individually, an Intermediary , and collectively, Intermediaries ), may receive sales charge payments and, out of Fund assets, may be paid Rule 12b-1 distribution and service payments and sub-transfer agency payments. The Distributor and the Adviser may make additional payments out of their own assets to selected Intermediaries. These payments are made for the purposes of promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder processing services.
The amounts of these payments could be significant and may create an incentive for an Intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds to its customers. The Intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund within the Intermediarys organization by, for example, placing the Fund on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Fund in various ways within the Intermediarys organization.
These payments are made pursuant to negotiated agreements with Intermediaries. The payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount the Fund will
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receive as proceeds from such sales. Furthermore, these payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Funds Prospectus and described above because they are not paid by the Fund.
The categories of payments described below are not mutually exclusive, and a single Intermediary may receive payments under all categories.
Distribution-Related Payments
The Distributor or the Adviser may from time to time make payments (sometimes referred to as revenue sharing payments) to selected Intermediaries as compensation for services such as providing the Fund with shelf space or a higher profile for the Intermediarys personnel or their customers, placing the Fund on the Intermediarys preferred or recommended fund list, granting access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the Intermediary, providing assistance in training and educating the Intermediarys personnel on the Fund, and furnishing marketing support and other services.
The Adviser and/or the Distributor compensate Intermediaries differently depending upon, among other factors, the number or value of Nuveen Mutual Funds shares that the Intermediary sells or may sell, the value of the assets invested in the Nuveen Mutual Funds by the Intermediarys customers, redemption rates, ability to attract and retain assets, reputation in the industry and the level and/or type of marketing assistance and educational activities provided by the Intermediary. Such payments are generally asset-based but also may include the payment of a lump sum.
Servicing Payments
The Adviser and/or the Distributor may make payments to selected Intermediaries that are registered as holders or dealers of record for accounts invested in one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or that make Nuveen Mutual Fund shares available through employee benefit plans or fee-based advisory programs to compensate them for the variety of services they provide.
Services for which an Intermediary receives servicing payments typically include recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, but may also include services rendered in connection with fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services. An Intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform such services.
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC ( TIAA - CREF IIS ), an affiliate of the Adviser, is one intermediary that receives servicing payments. The shareholder services agreement between TIAA-CREF IIS and the Distributor provides that in exchange for such services, TIAA-CREF IIS will receive payments of 0.25% of the average net assets of Fund shares on the TIAA-CREF IIS retirement platform on an annual basis. The Distributor has agreed to pay the portion of the fee that represents 0.05% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to TIAA-CREF IIS and the Fund will pay the remainder.
Servicing payments typically apply to employee benefit plans, such as retirement plans, or fee-based advisory programs but may apply to retail sales and assets in certain situations. The payments are based on such factors as the type and nature of services or support furnished by the Intermediary and are generally asset-based.
Distribution-Related and Servicing Payment Guidelines
In the case of any one Intermediary, distribution-related and servicing payments made by the Adviser and/or the Distributor are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed, in the aggregate, 0.35% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to that Intermediary on an annual basis. In connection with the sale of a business by U.S. Bank N.A. to Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company ( Great-West ), the Adviser and/or the Distributor has a services agreement with GWFS Equities, Inc., an affiliate of Great-West, which provides for payments of up to 0.60% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to GWFS Equities, Inc. on an annual basis (which amount also includes payments by the Fund for sub-transfer agency services).
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Other Payments
From time to time, the Adviser and/or the Distributor, at their expense, may provide other compensation to Intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Fund, which may be in addition to distribution-related and servicing payments described above. For example, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may: (i) compensate Intermediaries for National Securities Clearing Corporation networking system services (e.g., shareholder communication, account statements, trade confirmations, and tax reporting) on an asset-based or per account basis; (ii) compensate Intermediaries for providing Fund shareholder trading information; (iii) make one-time or periodic payments to reimburse selected Intermediaries for items such as ticket charges (i.e., fees that an Intermediary charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) of up to $25 per purchase or exchange order, operational charges (e.g., fees that an Intermediary charges for establishing the Fund on its trading system), and literature printing and/or distribution costs; (iv) at the direction of a retirement plans sponsor, reimburse or pay direct expenses of an employee benefit plan that would otherwise be payable by the plan; and (v) provide payments to broker-dealers to help defray their technology or infrastructure costs.
When not provided for in a distribution-related or servicing payment agreement, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may pay Intermediaries for enabling the Adviser and/or the Distributor to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other Intermediary employees, client and investor events and other Intermediary-sponsored events, and for travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, asset retention and due diligence trips. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. The Adviser and/or the Distributor make payments for such events as it deems appropriate, subject to its internal guidelines and applicable law.
The Adviser and/or the Distributor occasionally sponsor due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which the registered representatives receive updates on various Nuveen Mutual Funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Although invitations to these meetings are not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares, those who have shown an interest in Nuveen Mutual Funds are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firms policies and procedures, all or a portion of registered representatives expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by the Adviser and/or the Distributor.
Representatives of the Distributor or its affiliates may receive additional compensation from the Adviser and/or the Distributor if certain targets are met for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds. Such compensation may vary by Fund and by affiliate.
Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Investors can ask their Intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Adviser and/or the Distributor and the services it provides for those payments.
Investors may wish to take Intermediary payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares.
Intermediaries Receiving Additional Payments
The following is a list of Intermediaries eligible to receive one or more of the types of payments discussed above as of January 20, 2017:
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
AXA Advisors, LLC
American United Life Insurance Company
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Ascensus (formerly BISYS Retirement Services, Inc.)
BB&T
BMO Harris Bank N.A.
Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc.
Benefit Trust Company
Cetera
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Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Chase Investment Services
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Commonwealth Equity Services, LLP, DBA Commonwealth Financial Network
Davenport & Co., LLC
Digital Retirement Solutions, Inc.
Dyatech, LLC
Edward Jones
ExpertPlan, Inc.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC/National Financial Services LLC
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. (FIIOC)/Fidelity Advisors Retirement
Financial Data Services, Inc.
First Clearing
Genesis Employee Benefits, Inc. DBA Americas VEBA Solution
Goldman Sachs
Great West Life and Annuity Insurance Co.
GWFS Equities, Inc.
Hartford Life Insurance Company
Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc.
Hewitt Associates LLC
ICMA Retirement Corporation
ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company/ING Institutional Plan Services LLC/ING Financial Advisors, LLC (formerly CitiStreet LLC/CitiStreet Advisors LLC)
J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.
J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
John Hancock Trust Company
LPL Financial Services
Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC/AMG Service Corp.
Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.
Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company, N.A.
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Mercer HR Outsourcing LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation
Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
MSCS Financial Services Division of Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC
NFP Advisor Services, LLC
National Financial Services, LLC
Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.
Newport Retirement Services, Inc.
Northwestern Mutual
NYLife Distributors LLC
Oppenheimer & Co.
Pershing LLC
Principal Life Insurance Company
Prudential Insurance Company of America (The)
Prudential Investment Management Services, LLC/Prudential Investments LLC
Raymond James & Associates/Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Reliance Trust Company
Retirement Plan Company, LLC (The)
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
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SI Financial Advisors
Southwest Securities, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc./T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade Trust Company (formerly Fiserv Trust Company/International Clearing Trust Company)
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
U.S. Bank N.A.
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Unified Trust Company, N.A.
VALIC Retirement Services Company (formerly AIG Retirement Services Company)
Vanguard Group, Inc.
Wedbush Morgan Securities
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust
Wilmington Trust Company
Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company (formerly AST Capital Trust Company)
Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of Intermediaries identified above that have occurred since January 20, 2017 are not reflected in the list.
The audited financial statements for the Funds most recent fiscal year appear in the Funds Annual Report dated September 30, 2016. The Funds Annual Report is incorporated by reference into this SAI and is available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.
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RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS
S&P Global Ratings A brief description of the applicable S&P Global Ratings ( S&P ) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:
Issue Credit Ratings
A S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about 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 opinion reflects S&Ps view of the obligors capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
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 daysincluding 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.
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&Ps analysis of the following considerations:
1. Likelihood of paymentthe capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on a financial obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise S&P imputes;
3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors rights.
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA | An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. | |
AA | An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligors 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 obligors 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. |
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such
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obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be 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 obligors 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 obligors 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. The CC rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty regardless of the anticipated time to default. | |
C | An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher. | |
D | An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
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.
NR | This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy. |
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1 | A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligors 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 obligors 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 obligors 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 vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. |
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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 default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. A brief description of the applicable Moodys Investors Service, Inc. ( Moodys ) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moodys) follows.
Ratings assigned on Moodys global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
Long-Term Obligation Ratings
Aaa | Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk. | |
Aa | Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. | |
A | Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. | |
Baa | Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. | |
Ba | Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. | |
B | Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. | |
Caa | Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. | |
Ca | Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. | |
C | Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. |
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
P-1 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. | |
P-2 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
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P-3 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. | |
NP | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. |
Medium-Term Note Program Ratings
Moodys assigns provisional ratings to medium-term note (MTN) programs and definitive ratings to the individual debt securities issued from them (referred to as drawdowns or notes).
MTN program ratings are intended to reflect the ratings likely to be assigned to drawdowns issued from the program with the specified priority of claim (e.g. senior or subordinated). To capture the contingent nature of a program rating, Moodys assigns provisional ratings to MTN programs. A provisional rating is denoted by a (P) in front of the rating.
The rating assigned to a drawdown from a rated MTN or bank/deposit note program is definitive in nature, and may differ from the program rating if the drawdown is exposed to additional credit risks besides the issuers default, such as links to the defaults of other issuers, or has other structural features that warrant a different rating. In some circumstances, no rating may be assigned to a drawdown.
Moodys encourages market participants to contact Moodys Ratings Desks or visit www.moodys.com directly if they have questions regarding ratings for specific notes issued under a medium-term note program. Unrated notes issued under an MTN program may be assigned an NR (not rated) symbol.
U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. | |
MIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. | |
MIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. | |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. |
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand ( demand feature ). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale.
VMIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
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VMIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
VMIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
Fitch Ratings A brief description of the applicable Fitch Ratings ( Fitch ) ratings symbols and meanings (as published by Fitch) follows:
Fitchs 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 the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. The agencys 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 terms investment grade and speculative grade have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories AAA to BBB (investment grade) and BB to D (speculative grade). The terms investment grade and speculative grade are market conventions, and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
A designation of Not Rated or NR is used to denote securities not rated by Fitch where Fitch has rated some, but not all, securities comprising an issuance capital structure.
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.
Fitchs credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay upon a commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds).
In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instruments documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligations documentation). In such cases, the agency will make clear the assumptions underlying the agencys opinion in the accompanying rating commentary.
International Long-Term Ratings
Issuer Credit Rating Scales
AAA | Highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. |
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AA | Very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. | |
A | High credit quality. A ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. | |
BBB | Good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. | |
BB | Speculative. BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. | |
B | Highly speculative. B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. | |
CCC | Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility. | |
CC | Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable. | |
C | Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a C category rating for an issuer include: | |
the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; |
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the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or |
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Fitch otherwise believes a condition of RD or D to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange. |
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RD | Restricted default. RD ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include: | |
the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; |
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the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; |
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the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or |
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execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
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D | Default. D ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business. | |
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange. | ||
Imminent default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future. | ||
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agencys opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuers financial obligations or local commercial practice. |
International Short-Term Ratings
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1 | Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. | |
F2 | Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. | |
F3 | Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate. | |
B | Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. | |
C | High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility. | |
RD | Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only. | |
D | Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation. |
Notes to 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, or to categories below B.
WD indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and the issue or issuer is no longer rated by Fitch.
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Rating Watch: Rating Watches indicate that there is a heightened probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such a change. These are designated as Positive, indicating a potential upgrade, Negative, for a potential downgrade, or Evolving, if ratings may be raised, lowered or affirmed. However, ratings that are not on Rating Watch can be raised or lowered without being placed on Rating Watch first, if circumstances warrant such an action. A Rating Watch is typically event-driven and, as such, it is generally resolved over a relatively short period.
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United States
Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines
2016 Benchmark Policy Recommendations
Effective for Meetings on or after February 1, 2016
Published January 22, 2016
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2016 U.S. Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines |
The policies contained herein are a sampling of selected key U.S. proxy voting guidelines and are
not intended to be exhaustive. A full summary of ISS 2016 proxy voting guidelines can be found
at: http://www.issgovernance.com/policy-gateway/2016-policy-information/
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for director nominees, except under the following circumstances: |
1. | Accountability |
Vote against 1 or withhold from the entire board of directors (except new nominees 2 , who should be considered case-by-case) for the following:
Problematic Takeover Defenses
Classified Board Structure:
1.1. | The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote recommendation is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable. |
Director Performance Evaluation:
1.2. | The board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one- and three-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a companys four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the companys five-year total shareholder return and operational metrics. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to: |
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A classified board structure; |
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A supermajority vote requirement; |
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Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections or a majority vote standard with no plurality carve-out for contested elections; |
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The inability of shareholders to call special meetings; |
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The inability of shareholders to act by written consent; |
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A dual-class capital structure; and/or |
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A nonshareholder-approved poison pill. |
1 In general, companies with a plurality vote standard use Withhold as the contrary vote option in director elections; companies with a majority vote standard use Against. However, it will vary by company and the proxy must be checked to determine the valid contrary vote option for the particular company.
2 A new nominee is any current nominee who has not already been elected by shareholders and who joined the board after the problematic action in question transpired. If ISS cannot determine whether the nominee joined the board before or after the problematic action transpired, the nominee will be considered a new nominee if he or she joined the board within the 12 months prior to the upcoming shareholder meeting.
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Poison Pills:
1.3. | The companys poison pill has a dead-hand or modified dead-hand feature. Vote against or withhold from nominees every year until this feature is removed; |
1.4. | The board adopts a poison pill with a term of more than 12 months (long-term pill), or renews any existing pill, including any short-term pill (12 months or less), without shareholder approval. A commitment or policy that puts a newly adopted pill to a binding shareholder vote may potentially offset an adverse vote recommendation. Review such companies with classified boards every year, and such companies with annually elected boards at least once every three years, and vote against or withhold votes from all nominees if the company still maintains a non-shareholder-approved poison pill; or |
1.5. | The board makes a material adverse change to an existing poison pill without shareholder approval. |
Vote case-by-case on all nominees if:
1.6. | The board adopts a poison pill with a term of 12 months or less (short-term pill) without shareholder approval, taking into account the following factors: |
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The date of the pills adoption relative to the date of the next meeting of shareholdersi.e. whether the company had time to put the pill on the ballot for shareholder ratification given the circumstances; |
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The issuers rationale; |
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The issuers governance structure and practices; and |
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The issuers track record of accountability to shareholders. |
Problematic Audit-Related Practices
Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the Audit Committee if:
1.7. | The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (see discussion under Auditor Ratification ); |
1.8. | The company receives an adverse opinion on the companys financial statements from its auditor; or |
1.9. | There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm. |
Vote case-by-case on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if:
1.10. | Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the companys efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether withhold/against votes are warranted. |
Problematic Compensation Practices/Pay for Performance Misalignment
In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ballot item or in egregious situations, vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
1.11. | There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance ( pay for performance ); |
1.12. | The company maintains significant problematic pay practices ; |
1.13. | The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders; |
1.14. | The company fails to submit one-time transfers of stock options to a shareholder vote; or |
1.15. | The company fails to fulfill the terms of a burn rate commitment made to shareholders. |
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Vote case-by-case on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Management Say-on-Pay proposal if:
1.16. | The companys previous say-on-pay received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
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The companys response, including: |
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Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
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Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
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The companys ownership structure; and |
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Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments
1.17. | Generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if the board amends the companys bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders rights or that could adversely impact shareholders, considering the following factors: |
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The boards rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification; |
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Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment; |
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The level of impairment of shareholders rights caused by the boards unilateral amendment to the bylaws/charter; |
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The boards track record with regard to unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions; |
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The companys ownership structure; |
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The companys existing governance provisions; |
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The timing of the boards amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development; and, |
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Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders. |
Unless the adverse amendment is reversed or submitted to a binding shareholder vote, in subsequent years vote case-by-case on director nominees. Generally vote against (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if the directors:
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Classified the board; |
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Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter; or |
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Eliminated shareholders ability to amend bylaws. |
1.18. | For newly public companies, generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if, prior to or in connection with the companys public offering, the company or its board adopted bylaw or charter provisions materially adverse to shareholder rights, considering the following factors: |
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The level of impairment of shareholders rights caused by the provision; |
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The disclosed rationale for adopting the provision; |
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The ability to change the governance structure in the future (e.g., limitations on shareholders right to amend the bylaws or charter, or supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter); |
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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The ability of shareholders to hold directors accountable through annual director elections, or whether the company has a classified board structure; and, |
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A public commitment to put the provision to a shareholder vote within three years of the date of the initial public offering. |
Unless the adverse provision is reversed or submitted to a vote of public shareholders, vote case-by-case on director nominees in subsequent years.
Governance Failures
Under extraordinary circumstances, vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to:
1.19. |
Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight 3 , or fiduciary responsibilities at the company; |
1.20. | Failure to replace management as appropriate; or |
1.21. | Egregious actions related to a directors service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company. |
2. Responsiveness
Vote case-by-case on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:
2.1. | The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors that will be considered are: |
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Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote; |
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Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation; |
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The subject matter of the proposal; |
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The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings; |
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Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders; |
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The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and |
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Other factors as appropriate. |
2.2. | The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered; |
2.3. | At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote; |
2.4. | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the majority of votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency; or |
2.5. | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received a plurality, but not a majority, of the votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency, taking into account: |
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The boards rationale for selecting a frequency that is different from the frequency that received a plurality; |
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The companys ownership structure and vote results; |
3 Examples of failure of risk oversight include, but are not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; significant adverse legal judgments or settlements; hedging of company stock; or significant pledging of company stock.
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ISS analysis of whether there are compensation concerns or a history of problematic compensation practices; and |
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The previous years support level on the companys say-on-pay proposal. |
3. Composition
Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings:
3.1. |
Generally vote against or withhold from directors (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case 4 ) who attend less than 75 percent of the aggregate of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following: |
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Medical issues/illness; |
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Family emergencies; and |
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Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer). |
3.2. | If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote against or withhold from the director(s) in question. |
Overboarded Directors:
Vote against or withhold from individual directors who:
3.3. |
Sit on more than six public company boards; with respect to annual meetings on or after Feb. 1, 2017 5 , sit on more than five public company boards; or |
3.4. |
Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own withhold only at their outside boards 6 . |
4. Independence
Vote against or withhold from Inside Directors and Affiliated Outside Directors (per the Categorization of Directors ) when:
4.1. | The inside or affiliated outside director serves on any of the three key committees: audit, compensation, or nominating; |
4.2. | The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; |
4.3. | The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee; or |
4.4. | Independent directors make up less than a majority of the directors. |
4 For new nominees only, schedule conflicts due to commitments made prior to their appointment to the board are considered if disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing.
5 This policy change includes a 1-year transition period to allow time for affected directors to address necessary changes if they wish.
6 Although all of a CEOs subsidiary boards will be counted as separate boards, ISS will not recommend a withhold vote from the CEO of a parent company board or any of the controlled (>50 percent ownership) subsidiaries of that parent, but may do so at subsidiaries that are less than 50 percent controlled and boards outside the parent/subsidiary relationships.
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Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO)
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requiring that the chairmans position be filled by an independent director, taking into consideration the following: |
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The scope of the proposal; |
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The companys current board leadership structure; |
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The companys governance structure and practices; |
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Company performance; and |
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Any other relevant factors that may be applicable. |
Regarding the scope of the proposal, consider whether the proposal is precatory or binding and whether the proposal is seeking an immediate change in the chairman role or the policy can be implemented at the next CEO transition.
Under the review of the companys board leadership structure, ISS may support the proposal under the following scenarios absent a compelling rationale: the presence of an executive or non-independent chair in addition to the CEO; a recent recombination of the role of CEO and chair; and/or departure from a structure with an independent chair. ISS will also consider any recent transitions in board leadership and the effect such transitions may have on independent board leadership as well as the designation of a lead director role.
When considering the governance structure, ISS will consider the overall independence of the board, the independence of key committees, the establishment of governance guidelines, board tenure and its relationship to CEO tenure, and any other factors that may be relevant. Any concerns about a companys governance structure will weigh in favor of support for the proposal.
The review of the companys governance practices may include, but is not limited to poor compensation practices, material failures of governance and risk oversight, related-party transactions or other issues putting director independence at risk, corporate or management scandals, and actions by management or the board with potential or realized negative impact on shareholders. Any such practices may suggest a need for more independent oversight at the company thus warranting support of the proposal.
ISS performance assessment will generally consider one-, three, and five-year TSR compared to the companys peers and the market as a whole. While poor performance will weigh in favor of the adoption of an independent chair policy, strong performance over the long-term will be considered a mitigating factor when determining whether the proposed leadership change warrants support.
Proxy Access
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals for proxy access with the following provisions: |
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Ownership threshold: maximum requirement not more than three percent (3%) of the voting power; |
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Ownership duration: maximum requirement not longer than three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group; |
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Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of shareholders permitted to form a nominating group; |
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Cap: cap on nominees of generally twenty-five percent (25%) of the board. |
Review for reasonableness any other restrictions on the right of proxy access.
Generally vote against proposals that are more restrictive than these guidelines.
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Proxy Contests/Proxy Access Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors: |
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Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry; |
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Managements track record; |
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Background to the contested election; |
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Nominee qualifications and any compensatory arrangements; |
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Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of the critique against management; |
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Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and |
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Stock ownership positions. |
In the case of candidates nominated pursuant to proxy access, vote case-by-case considering any applicable factors listed above or additional factors which may be relevant, including those that are specific to the company, to the nominee(s) and/or to the nature of the election (such as whether or not there are more candidates than board seats).
CAPITAL/RESTRUCTURING
Common Stock Authorization
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General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support. |
Vote against proposals at companies with more than one class of common stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights.
Vote against proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares if a vote for a reverse stock split on the same ballot is warranted despite the fact that the authorized shares would not be reduced proportionally.
Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following:
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Past Board Performance: |
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The companys use of authorized shares during the last three years |
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The Current Request: |
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Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes of the proposed increase; |
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Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request; and |
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The dilutive impact of the request as determined relative to an allowable increase calculated by ISS (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares) that reflects the companys need for shares and total shareholder returns. |
ISS will apply the relevant allowable increase below to requests to increase common stock that are for general corporate purposes (or to the general corporate purposes portion of a request that also includes a specific need):
A. Most companies: 100 percent of existing authorized shares.
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B. | Companies with less than 50 percent of existing authorized shares either outstanding or reserved for issuance: 50 percent of existing authorized shares. |
C. | Companies with one- and three-year total shareholder returns (TSRs) in the bottom 10 percent of the U.S. market as of the end of the calendar quarter that is closest to their most recent fiscal year end: 50 percent of existing authorized shares. |
D. | Companies at which both conditions (B and C) above are both present: 25 percent of existing authorized shares. |
If there is an acquisition, private placement, or similar transaction on the ballot (not including equity incentive plans) that ISS is recommending FOR, the allowable increase will be the greater of (i) twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and (ii) the allowable increase as calculated above.
Mergers and Acquisitions
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including: |
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Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction and strategic rationale. |
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Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal. |
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Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions. |
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Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arms-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation wins can also signify the deal makers competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process ( e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value. |
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Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the ISS Transaction Summary section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists. |
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Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance. |
COMPENSATION
Executive Pay Evaluation
Underlying all evaluations are five global principles that most investors expect corporations to adhere to in designing and administering executive and director compensation programs:
1. | Maintain appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, with emphasis on long-term shareholder value: This principle encompasses overall executive pay practices, which must be designed to attract, retain, and appropriately motivate the key employees who drive shareholder value creation over the long term. It will take into consideration, among other factors, the link between pay and performance; the mix between fixed and variable pay; performance goals; and equity-based plan costs; |
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2. | Avoid arrangements that risk pay for failure: This principle addresses the appropriateness of long or indefinite contracts, excessive severance packages, and guaranteed compensation; |
3. | Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee: This principle promotes oversight of executive pay programs by directors with appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and a sound process for compensation decision-making ( e.g., including access to independent expertise and advice when needed); |
4. | Provide shareholders with clear, comprehensive compensation disclosures: This principle underscores the importance of informative and timely disclosures that enable shareholders to evaluate executive pay practices fully and fairly; |
5. | Avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors: This principle recognizes the interests of shareholders in ensuring that compensation to outside directors does not compromise their independence and ability to make appropriate judgments in overseeing managers pay and performance. At the market level, it may incorporate a variety of generally accepted best practices. |
Advisory Votes on Executive CompensationManagement Proposals (Management Say-on-Pay)
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation. |
Vote against Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Management Say-on-PayMSOP) if:
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There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance ( pay for performance ); |
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The company maintains significant problematic pay practices ; |
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The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders. |
Vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
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There is no MSOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an MSOP is warranted due to pay for performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof; |
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The board fails to respond adequately to a previous MSOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast; |
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The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, including option repricing or option backdating; or |
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The situation is egregious. |
Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay
Pay-for-Performance Evaluation
ISS annually conducts a pay-for-performance analysis to identify strong or satisfactory alignment between pay and performance over a sustained period. With respect to companies in the Russell 3000 or Russell 3000E Indices 7 , this analysis considers the following:
1. |
Peer Group 8 Alignment: |
7 The Russell 3000E Index includes approximately 4,000 of the largest U.S. equity securities.
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The degree of alignment between the companys annualized TSR rank and the CEOs annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period. |
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The multiple of the CEOs total pay relative to the peer group median. |
2. |
Absolute Alignment 9 the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period. |
If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of companies outside the Russell indices, misaligned pay and performance are otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, as relevant to evaluating how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests:
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The ratio of performance- to time-based equity awards; |
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The overall ratio of performance-based compensation; |
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The completeness of disclosure and rigor of performance goals; |
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The companys peer group benchmarking practices; |
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Actual results of financial/operational metrics, such as growth in revenue, profit, cash flow, etc., both absolute and relative to peers; |
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Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards); |
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Realizable pay 10 compared to grant pay; and |
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Any other factors deemed relevant. |
Problematic Pay Practices
The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including:
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Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements; |
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Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking; and |
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Options Backdating. |
Problematic Pay Practices related to Non-Performance-Based Compensation Elements
Pay elements that are not directly based on performance are generally evaluated case-by-case considering the context of a companys overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. Please refer to ISS Compensation FAQ document for detail on specific pay practices that have been identified as potentially problematic and may lead to negative recommendations if they are deemed to be inappropriate or unjustified relative to executive pay best practices. The list below highlights the problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in adverse vote recommendations:
8 The revised peer group is generally comprised of 14-24 companies that are selected using market cap, revenue (or assets for certain financial firms), GICS industry group, and companys selected peers GICS industry group, with size constraints, via a process designed to select peers that are comparable to the subject company in terms of revenue/assets and industry, and also within a market cap bucket that is reflective of the companys. For Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels companies, market cap is the only size determinant.
9 Only Russell 3000 Index companies are subject to the Absolute Alignment analysis.
10 ISS research reports include realizable pay for S&P1500 companies.
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Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARS without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options); |
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Excessive perquisites or tax gross-ups, including any gross-up related to a secular trust or restricted stock vesting; |
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New or extended agreements that provide for: |
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CIC payments exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus; |
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CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties (single or modified single triggers); |
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CIC payments with excise tax gross-ups (including modified gross-ups); |
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Insufficient executive compensation disclosure by externally- managed issuers (EMIs) such that a reasonable assessment of pay programs and practices applicable to the EMIs executives is not possible. |
Incentives that may Motivate Excessive Risk-Taking
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Multi-year guaranteed bonuses; |
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A single or common performance metric used for short- and long-term plans; |
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Lucrative severance packages; |
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High pay opportunities relative to industry peers; |
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Disproportionate supplemental pensions; or |
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Mega annual equity grants that provide unlimited upside with no downside risk. |
Factors that potentially mitigate the impact of risky incentives include rigorous claw-back provisions and robust stock ownership/holding guidelines.
Options Backdating
The following factors should be examined case-by-case to allow for distinctions to be made between sloppy plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud:
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Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes; |
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Duration of options backdating; |
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Size of restatement due to options backdating; |
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Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and |
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Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating, and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future. |
Compensation Committee Communications and Responsiveness
Consider the following factors case-by-case when evaluating ballot items related to executive pay on the boards responsiveness to investor input and engagement on compensation issues:
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Failure to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics; or |
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Failure to adequately respond to the companys previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
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The companys response, including: |
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Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
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Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
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The companys ownership structure; and |
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Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on certain equity-based compensation plans 11 depending on a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an equity plan scorecard (EPSC) approach with three pillars: |
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Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the companys equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the companys estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both: |
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SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and |
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SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants. |
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Plan Features: |
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Automatic single-triggered award vesting upon a change in control (CIC); |
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Discretionary vesting authority; |
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Liberal share recycling on various award types; |
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Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan. |
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Grant Practices: |
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The companys three year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers; |
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Vesting requirements in most recent CEO equity grants (3-year look-back); |
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The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years); |
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The proportion of the CEOs most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions; |
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Whether the company maintains a claw-back policy; |
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Whether the company has established post exercise/vesting share-holding requirements. |
Generally vote against the plan proposal if the combination of above factors indicates that the plan is not, overall, in shareholders interests, or if any of the following egregious factors apply:
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Awards may vest in connection with a liberal change-of-control definition; |
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The plan would permit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval (either by expressly permitting it for NYSE and Nasdaq listed companies or by not prohibiting it when the company has a history of repricing for non-listed companies); |
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The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances; or |
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Any other plan features are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests. |
11 Proposals evaluated under the EPSC policy generally include those to approve or amend (1) stock option plans for employees and/or employees and directors, (2) restricted stock plans for employees and/or employees and directors, and (3) omnibus stock incentive plans for employees and/or employees and directors.
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SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS)
Global Approach
Issues covered under the policy include a wide range of topics, including consumer and product safety, environment and energy, labor standards and human rights, workplace and board diversity, and corporate political issues. While a variety of factors goes into each analysis, the overall principle guiding all vote recommendations focuses on how the proposal may enhance or protect shareholder value in either the short or long term.
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General Recommendation: Generally vote case-by-case, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value, and in addition the following will also be considered: |
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If the issues presented in the proposal are more appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation; |
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If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal; |
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Whether the proposals request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive; |
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The companys approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal; |
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If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and |
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If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage. |
Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for resolutions requesting that a company disclose information on the risks related to climate change on its operations and investments, such as financial, physical, or regulatory risks, considering: |
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Whether the company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impact that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
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The companys level of disclosure is at least comparable to that of industry peers; and |
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There are no significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the companys environmental performance. |
Generally vote for proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations and/or products and operations, unless:
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The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
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The companys level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; and |
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There are no significant, controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the companys GHG emissions. |
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Vote case-by-case on proposals that call for the adoption of GHG reduction goals from products and operations, taking into account:
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Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data; |
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Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers; |
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The companys actual GHG emissions performance; |
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The companys current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and |
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Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to GHG emissions. |
Board Diversity
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for requests for reports on a companys efforts to diversify the board, unless: |
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The gender and racial minority representation of the companys board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and |
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The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board and within the company. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals asking a company to increase the gender and racial minority representation on its board, taking into account:
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The degree of existing gender and racial minority diversity on the companys board and among its executive officers; |
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The level of gender and racial minority representation that exists at the companys industry peers; |
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The companys established process for addressing gender and racial minority board representation; |
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Whether the proposal includes an overly prescriptive request to amend nominating committee charter language; |
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The independence of the companys nominating committee; |
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Whether the company uses an outside search firm to identify potential director nominees; and |
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Whether the company has had recent controversies, fines, or litigation regarding equal employment practices. |
Sustainability Reporting
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability, unless: |
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The company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies such as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) report; a comprehensive code of corporate conduct; and/or a diversity report; or |
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The company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines or a similar standard within a specified time frame. |
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Compensation-Related Proposals
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to link, or report on linking, executive compensation to sustainability (environmental and social) criteria, considering: |
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Whether the company has significant and/or persistent controversies or regulatory violations regarding social and/or environmental issues; |
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Whether the company has management systems and oversight mechanisms in place regarding its social and environmental performance; |
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The degree to which industry peers have incorporated similar non-financial performance criteria in their executive compensation practices; and |
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The companys current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance. |
This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, and charts (collectively, the Information) is the property of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), its subsidiaries, or, in some cases third party suppliers.
The Information has not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), or a promotion or recommendation of, any security, financial product or other investment vehicle or any trading strategy, and ISS does not endorse, approve, or otherwise express any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial products or instruments or trading strategies.
The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of the Information.
ISS MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS for A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION.
Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall ISS have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits), or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall not exclude or limit any liability that may not by applicable law be excluded or limited.
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MAI-NFI-0117D
January 31, 2017
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
Ticker Symbols: Class ANPSAX, Class CNPSCX, Class R3NPSTX, Class R6NPSFX, Class INPSRX, Class TNTPSX
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This Statement of Additional Information ( SAI ) is not a prospectus. This SAI relates to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus dated January 31, 2017 for Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund (the Fund ), a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V. A Prospectus may be obtained without charge from certain securities representatives, banks and other financial institutions that have entered into sales agreements with Nuveen Securities, LLC (the Distributor ), or from the Fund, by written request to Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, or by calling (800) 257-8787.
The audited financial statements for the Funds most recent fiscal year appear in the Funds Annual Report dated September 30, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference and is available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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General Information | S-3 | |
Investment Restrictions | S-3 | |
Investment Policies and Techniques | S-5 | |
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Management | S-26 | |
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Service Providers | S-45 | |
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Codes of Ethics | S-49 |
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Proxy Voting Policies | S-50 | |
Portfolio Transactions | S-50 | |
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings | S-52 | |
Net Asset Value | S-54 | |
Shares of Beneficial Interest | S-54 | |
Tax Matters | S-57 | |
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Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares | S-61 | |
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Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares |
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Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge |
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Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments |
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Financial Statements | S-77 | |
Appendix ARatings of Investments | A-1 | |
Appendix BISS United States Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines | B-1 |
The Fund is a diversified series of Nuveen Investment Trust V (the Trust ), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 27, 2006. Each series of the Trust represents shares of beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objective and policies. Currently, six series of the Trust are authorized and outstanding. The Funds investment adviser is Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC ( Nuveen Fund Advisors or the Adviser ). The Funds sub-adviser is Nuveen Asset Management, LLC ( Nuveen Asset Management or the Sub-Adviser ).
Certain matters under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act ), which must be submitted to a vote of the holders of the outstanding voting securities of a series, shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of each series affected by such matter.
The investment objective and certain investment policies of the Fund are described in the Prospectus for the Fund. The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares:
(1) Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act.
(2) Act as an underwriter of another issuers securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.
(3) Make loans except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act.
(4) Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; but this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from investing in options on commodity indices, commodity futures contracts and options thereon, commodity-related swap agreements, other commodity-related derivative instruments, and investment companies that provide exposure to commodities.
(5) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).
(6) Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.
(7) Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, 25% or more of the Funds total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the same industry; except that this restriction shall not be applicable to securities issued by financial services companies or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any agency or instrumentality thereof.
(8) Make any investment inconsistent with the Funds classification as a diversified company under the 1940 Act.
Except with respect to the limitation set forth in number (1) above, the foregoing restrictions and limitations will apply only at the time of purchase of securities, and the percentage limitations will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities, unless otherwise indicated.
For purposes of applying the limitations set forth in numbers (1) and (6) above, under the 1940 Act as currently in effect, the Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from any bank if immediately after such borrowing the value of the Funds total assets is at least 300% of the principal amount of all of the Funds borrowings (i.e., the principal amount of the borrowings may not exceed 33 1 / 3 % of the Funds total assets). In the event that such asset coverage
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shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three calendar days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (1).
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (3) above, there are no limitations with respect to unsecured loans made by the Fund to an unaffiliated party. However, if the Fund loans its portfolio securities, the obligation on the part of the Fund to return collateral upon termination of the loan could be deemed to involve the issuance of a senior security within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act. In order to avoid violation of Section 18(f), the Fund may not make a loan of portfolio securities if, as a result, more than one-third of its total asset value (at market value computed at the time of making a loan) would be on loan. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (3).
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (7) above, issuers of the following securities will not be considered to be members of any industry: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; except as set forth in the following sentence, tax-exempt securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; securities of foreign governments; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. To the extent that the income from a municipal bond is derived from a specific project, the securities will be deemed to be from the industry of that project. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, it will consider, to the extent practicable, the industry concentration of the underlying investment companies when determining compliance with the limitation set forth in number (7) above. This limitation also does not place a limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country.
Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank.
With respect to the limitation in number (8) above, the Fund is currently classified as a diversified fund under the 1940 Act. This means that the Fund may not purchase securities of an issuer (other than (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. government securities, or (iii) securities issued by other investment companies) if, with respect to 75% of its total assets, (i) more than 5% of the Funds total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of total assets, the Fund can invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer.
The foregoing fundamental investment policies, together with the investment objective of the Fund, cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares. As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Funds shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Funds shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Funds shares, whichever is less.
In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees. The Fund may not:
(1) Invest more than 15% of its net assets in all forms of illiquid investments.
(2) Acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on subparagraph (F) or subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.
(3) Invest directly in futures, options on futures and swaps to the extent that the Adviser would be required to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ) as a commodity pool operator. See Investment Policies and TechniquesDerivativesLimitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps.
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For purposes of number (1) above, the Fund will monitor portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis and, in the event more than 15% of the Funds net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund will reduce its holdings of illiquid investments in an orderly fashion in order to maintain adequate liquidity. The term illiquid investments will have the same meaning as given in guidance provided by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ).
The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy pursuant to Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act (the Name Policy ) whereby the Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in preferred securities. As a result, the Fund must provide shareholders with a notice meeting the requirements of Rule 35d-1(c) at least 60 days prior to any change of its Name Policy. The Fund may consider both direct investments and indirect investments (e.g., investments in other investment companies, derivatives and synthetic instruments with economic characteristics similar to the direct investments that meet the Name Policy) when determining compliance with the Name Policy. For purposes of the Name Policy, the Fund will value eligible derivatives at fair value or market value instead of notional value.
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES
The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds investment objective, principal investment strategies, policies and techniques that appears in the Prospectus for the Fund. Additional information concerning principal investment strategies of the Fund, and other investment strategies that may be used by the Fund, is set forth below in alphabetical order. Additional information concerning the Funds investment restrictions is set forth above under Investment Restrictions.
If a percentage limitation on investments by the Fund stated in this SAI or its Prospectus is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in asset value will not be deemed to violate the limitation except in the case of the limitations on borrowing. The Fund, which is limited to investing in securities with specified ratings or of a certain credit quality, is not required to sell a security if its rating is reduced or its credit quality declines after purchase, but may consider doing so. Descriptions of the rating categories of Standard & Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ( Standard & Poors ), Fitch, Inc. ( Fitch ) and Moodys Investors Service, Inc. ( Moodys ) are contained in Appendix A. The descriptions in Appendix A are provided for illustrative purposes only. The Fund may consider ratings given by independent rating agencies other than Standard & Poors, Fitch and Moodys when determining whether it is in compliance with the ratings and credit quality limitations on investments by the Fund stated in this SAI or the Prospectus.
References in this section to the Adviser also apply, to the extent applicable, to the Sub-Adviser of the Fund.
To the extent required by SEC guidelines, the Fund will only engage in transactions that expose it to an obligation to another party if it owns either (a) an offsetting position for the same type of financial asset or (b) cash or liquid securities, designated on the Funds books or held in a segregated account, with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered as provided in (a). Examples of transactions governed by these asset coverage requirements include, for example, short sales, options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, swaps and when-issued and delayed delivery transactions. Assets used as offsetting positions, designated on the Funds books, or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the positions requiring cover are open unless replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of assets to be used as offsetting positions or to be designated or segregated in such a manner could impede portfolio management or the ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
In the case of futures contracts that are not contractually required to cash settle and to the extent the Fund writes a credit default swap, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to such contracts full notional value (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying a futures contract or
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credit default swap at the time of valuation) while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to cash settle, however, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Funds daily mark-to-market net obligation (i.e., the Funds daily net liability) under the contracts, if any, rather than such contracts full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled futures contracts, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts.
The Fund, along with certain other funds managed by the Adviser ( Participating Funds ), is a party to a 364-day, approximately $2.5 billion credit agreement with a group of lenders (the Credit Agreement ), which expires in July 2017, unless extended or renewed. The Fund may borrow under the Credit Agreement to meet shareholder redemptions and for other lawful purposes. Borrowing results in interest expense and being a Participating Fund results in other fees and expenses, which may increase the Funds net expenses and reduce the Funds return. In addition, borrowing by the Fund may create leverage by increasing the Funds investment exposure. This will result in any changes in the Funds net asset value, either positive or negative, being greater than they would have been if the Fund had not borrowed. Participating Funds have been allocated different portions of the committed amount of the Credit Facility based primarily on the expected likelihood and extent of the need to borrow under the Credit Agreement. Commitment and undrawn fees under the Credit Agreement are allocated among Participating Funds based upon portions of the aggregate commitment available to them and other factors deemed relevant by the Adviser and the Board of each Participating Fund, while fees on any amounts drawn by a Participating Fund under the Credit Agreement are borne by that Participating Fund.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
The Fund may hold assets in cash or cash equivalents, money market funds and short-term taxable fixed income securities in such proportions as warranted by prevailing market conditions and the Funds principal investment strategies. For temporary defensive purposes or during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in such holdings. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may only invest in short-term taxable fixed income securities with a maturity of one year or less and whose issuers have a long-term rating of at least A- or higher by Standard & Poors, A3 or higher by Moodys or A- or higher by Fitch. Short-term taxable fixed income securities are defined to include, without limitation, the following:
(1) U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government agency securities include securities issued by (a) the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, and the Government National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; (b) the Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (c) the Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and (d) the Student Loan Marketing Association, whose securities are supported only by its credit. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it always will do so since it is not so obligated by law. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. In addition, the Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of non-U.S. countries. A sovereign debtors willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtors policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which it may be subject.
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(2) Certificates of Deposit. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. If such certificates of deposit are non-negotiable, they will be considered illiquid securities and be subject to the Funds 15% restriction on investments in illiquid securities. Pursuant to the certificate of deposit, the issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured. The Fund may only invest in certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks with at least $1 billion in assets.
(3) Bankers Acceptances. The Fund may invest in bankers acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then accepted by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity.
(4) Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements which involve purchases of debt securities. In such an action, at the time the Fund purchases the security, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver the security to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the security at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, however, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The portfolio managers monitor the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The portfolio managers do so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws.
(5) Bank Time Deposits. The Fund may invest in bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced.
(6) Commercial Paper. The Fund may invest in commercial paper, which are short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for the notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. The portfolio managers will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will continuously monitor the corporations ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Funds liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. The Fund may only invest in commercial paper rated A-2 or higher by Standard & Poors, Prime-2 or higher by Moodys or F2 or higher by Fitch, or unrated commercial paper which is, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, of comparable quality.
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Convertible securities are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of bonds and common stocks. Convertible securities typically consist of debt securities or preferred securities that may be converted within a specified period of time (typically for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer at a predetermined price. They also include debt securities with warrants or common stock attached and derivatives combining the features of debt securities and equity securities. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt, or dividends paid or accrued on preferred securities, until the security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.
The market value of a convertible security generally is a function of its investment value and its conversion value. A securitys investment value represents the value of the security without its conversion feature ( i.e. , a comparable non-convertible fixed-income security). The investment value is determined by, among other things, reference to its credit quality and the current value of its yield to maturity or probable call date. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar non-convertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuers capital structure. A securitys conversion value is determined by multiplying the number of shares the holder is entitled to receive upon conversion or exchange by the current price of the underlying security. If the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly below its investment value, the convertible security will trade like non-convertible debt or a preferred security in the sense that its market value will not be influenced greatly by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security into which it can be converted. Instead, the convertible securitys price will tend to move in the opposite direction from interest rates. Conversely, if the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly above its investment value, the market value of the convertible security will be more heavily influenced by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying stock. In that case, the convertible securitys price may be as volatile as that of the common stock. Because both interest rate and market movements can influence its value, a convertible security is not generally as sensitive to interest rates as a similar fixed-income security, nor is it generally as sensitive to changes in share price as its underlying stock.
The Funds investments in convertible securities, particularly securities that are convertible into securities of an issuer other than the issuer of the convertible security, may be illiquid. The Funds investments in convertible securities may at times include securities that have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities (of the same or a different issuer) at a specified date and a specified conversion ratio, or that are convertible at the option of the issuer. For issues where the conversion of the security 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 or other equity security has declined substantially.
In addition, some convertible securities are often rated below investment-grade or are not rated, and therefore may be considered speculative investments. The credit rating of a companys convertible securities is generally lower than that of its conventional debt securities. Convertible securities are normally considered junior securitiesthat is, the company usually must pay interest on its conventional corporate debt before it can make payments on its convertible securities. Some convertible securities are particularly sensitive to interest rate changes when their predetermined conversion price is much higher than the issuing companys common stock.
The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities are usually issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
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Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. Rates on corporate debt securities are set according to prevailing interest rates at the time of the issue, the credit rating of the issuer, the length of the maturity and other terms of the security. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small non-U.S. corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization ( NRSRO ) may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when its due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuers debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while making payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms. Additionally, corporate debt securities may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.
In addition, corporate restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers or similar corporate transactions are often financed by an increase in a corporate issuers debt securities. As a result of the added debt burden, the credit quality and market value of an issuers existing debt securities may decline significantly.
Subject to the limitations set forth below under Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps, the Fund may use derivative instruments as described below. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. Derivatives generally take the form of contracts under which the parties agree to payments between them based upon the performance of a wide variety of underlying references, such as stocks, bonds, loans, commodities, interest rates, currency exchange rates, and various domestic and foreign indices.
The Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including as a substitute for investing directly in securities, as part of a hedging strategy (that is, for the purpose of reducing risk to the Fund), or for other purposes related to the management of the Fund. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a large impact on the Funds performance.
While transactions in some derivatives may be effected on established exchanges, many other derivatives are privately negotiated and entered into in the over-the-counter ( OTC ) market with a single counterparty. When exchange-traded derivatives are purchased and sold, a clearing agency associated with the exchange stands between each buyer and seller and effectively guarantees performance of each contract, either on a limited basis through a guaranty fund or to the full extent of the clearing agencys balance sheet. Transactions in OTC derivatives not subject to a clearing requirement have no such protection. Each party to an uncleared OTC derivative bears the risk that its direct counterparty will default. In addition, OTC derivatives are generally less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives because they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction.
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The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the CFTC, various state regulatory authorities and, with respect to exchange-traded derivatives, the several exchanges upon which they are traded. As discussed above under Asset Coverage Requirements, in order to engage in certain transactions in derivatives, the Fund may be required to hold offsetting positions or to hold cash or liquid securities in a segregated account or designated on the Funds books. In addition, the Funds ability to use derivative instruments may be limited by tax considerations.
The particular derivative instruments the Fund can use are described below. The Funds portfolio managers may decide not to employ some or all of these instruments, and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed. The Fund may employ new derivative instruments and strategies when they are developed, if those investment methods are consistent with the Funds investment objective and are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.
Options Transactions
The Fund may purchase put and call options on specific securities (including groups or baskets of specific securities), interest rates, stock indices and/or bond indices. In addition, the Fund may write put and call options on such financial instruments.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right (but not the obligation) to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at a stated price (the exercise price) at any time before the option expires. A call option on a security gives the purchaser the right (but not the obligation) to buy, and the writer the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time before the option expires. The purchase price for a put or call option is the premium paid by the purchaser for the right to sell or buy.
The Fund may purchase put options to hedge against a decline in the value of its portfolio. By using put options in this way, the Fund would reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized in the underlying security by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. In similar fashion, the Fund may purchase call options to protect against an increase in the price of securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing in the future, a practice sometimes referred to as anticipatory hedging. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security rises sufficiently, the option may expire unexercised.
Options on Interest Rates and Indices. The Fund may purchase put and call options on interest rates and on stock and bond indices. An option on interest rates or on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing value of the underlying interest rate or index is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the exercise-settlement value of the interest rate option or the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple (the multiplier ). The writer of the option is obligated, for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Settlements for interest rate and index options are always in cash.
Writing Options. The Fund may write (sell) put and call options. These transactions would be undertaken principally to produce additional income. The Fund receives a premium from writing options which it retains whether or not the option is exercised. The Fund may write straddles consisting of a combination of a call and a put written on the same underlying instrument.
The Fund will write a call option on a security only if (a) the Fund owns the security underlying the call, (b) the Fund has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other liquid assets in such amount are segregated), or (c) the Fund holds a call on the same security where the exercise price of the call is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
The Fund will write a call option on a basket of securities or an index only if (a) the Fund segregates liquid assets in an amount equal to the contract value of the index or basket, or (b) the
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Fund holds a call on the same index or basket as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
The Fund will write a put option on a security, basket of securities or index only if (a) the Fund segregates liquid assets equal to the exercise price or (b) the Fund holds a put on the same security, basket of securities or index as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
When the Fund writes a straddle, sufficient assets will be segregated to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The Fund may segregate the same liquid assets for both the call and put options in a straddle where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is in the money.
Expiration or Exercise of Options. If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, underlying security or index, exercise price, and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires.
The Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option which is sold. Prior to exercise or expiration, an option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series. The Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, the Fund will realize a capital loss. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market price of the underlying security or index in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying security or index, and the time remaining until the expiration date.
Futures
The Fund may engage in futures transactions. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts that relate to (1) interest rates, (2) debt securities, (3) bond indices, (4) stock indices and (5) individual stocks. The Fund may only enter into futures contracts which are standardized and traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange, board of trade or similar entity, or quoted on an automated quotation system.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security, index or interest rate (each a financial instrument ) for a set price on a future date. Certain futures contracts, such as futures contracts relating to individual securities, call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument. However, these contracts generally are closed out before delivery by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale of a matching futures contract. Other futures contracts, such as futures contracts on interest rates and indices, do not call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument, but rather are agreements pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the financial instrument at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the contract was originally written. These contracts also may be settled by entering into an offsetting futures contract.
Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with its futures broker (also known as a futures commission merchant ( FCM )) an amount of cash or securities equal to a specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract. Minimum initial margin requirements are
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established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, FCMs may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held as margin is generally invested by the FCM in high-quality instruments permitted under CFTC regulations, with returns retained by the FCM and interest paid to the Fund on the cash at an agreed-upon rate. The Fund will also receive any interest paid from coupon-bearing securities, such as Treasury securities, held in margin accounts. Subsequent payments to and from the FCM, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying financial instrument fluctuates, making the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a gain or loss. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCMs other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund. Futures transactions also involve brokerage costs.
Most U.S. futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous days settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of futures contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.
Options on Futures
The Fund may also purchase or write put and call options on futures contracts. A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. Prior to exercise or expiration, a futures option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of a futures option of the same series.
The Fund may use options on futures contracts in connection with hedging strategies. The writing of a call option or the purchasing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of a written call option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Funds holdings of securities. If the futures price when the option is exercised is above the exercise price, however, the Fund will incur a loss, which may be offset, in whole or in part, by the increase in the value of the securities held by the Fund that were being hedged. Writing a put option or purchasing a call option on a futures contract serves as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of the securities the Fund intends to acquire.
When writing a call option, the Fund must either segregate liquid assets with a value equal to the fluctuating market value of the optioned futures contract, or the Fund must own an option to purchase the same futures contract having an exercise price that is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
When writing a put option, the Fund must segregate liquid assets in an amount not less than the exercise price, or own a put option on the same futures contract where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.
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As with investments in futures contracts, the Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it.
Swap Transactions
The Fund may enter into equity, interest rate, currency and credit default swap agreements.
The Fund may enter into swap transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objectives and strategies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, to reduce risk arising from the ownership of a particular instrument, or to gain exposure to certain securities, reference rates, sectors or markets.
Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for a specified period of time. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined asset, reference rate or index. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a notional amount, e.g., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a basket of securities representing a particular index. The notional amount of the swap agreement generally is only used as a basis upon which to calculate the obligations that the parties to the swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Funds current obligations under a net swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and the Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid by the Sub-Adviser for any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty. See Asset Coverage Requirements above.
Equity Swaps. In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index or basket of stocks in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the return on the interest rate that the Fund will be committed to pay.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are fixed-for-floating rate swaps, termed basis swaps and index amortizing swaps. Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for-floating swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely.
Currency Swaps. A currency swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make interest rate payments in one currency and the other promises to make interest rate payments in another currency. The Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has one currency and desires a different currency. Typically the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. Changes in non-U.S. exchange rates and changes in interest rates may negatively affect currency swaps.
Credit Default Swaps. A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements either as a buyer or a seller. The Fund may buy protection to attempt to mitigate the risk of default or credit quality deterioration in one or more of its individual holdings or in a segment of the fixed income securities market to which it has exposure, or to take a short position in individual
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bonds or market segments which it does not own. The Fund may sell protection in an attempt to gain exposure to the credit quality characteristics of particular bonds or market segments without investing directly in those bonds or market segments.
As the buyer of protection in a credit default swap, the Fund will pay a premium (by means of an upfront payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement) in return for the right to deliver a referenced bond or group of bonds to the protection seller and receive the full notional or par value (or other agreed upon value) upon a default (or similar event) by the issuer(s) of the underlying referenced obligation(s). If no default occurs, the protection seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligation to the Fund. Thus, the cost to the Fund would be the premium paid with respect to the agreement. If a credit event occurs, however, the Fund may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. The Fund bears the risk that the protection seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations.
If the Fund is a seller of protection in a credit default swap and no credit event occurs, the Fund would generally receive an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap. If a credit event occurs, however, generally the Fund would have to pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As the protection seller, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Thus, the Fund bears the same risk as it would by buying the reference obligations directly, plus the additional risks related to obtaining investment exposure through a derivative instrument discussed below under Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.
Risks Associated with Swap Transactions. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Sub-Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. As the protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The Fund may only close out a swap or other two-party contract with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. In addition, the price at which the Fund may close out such a two party contract may not correlate with the price change in the underlying reference asset. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that the Fund will succeed in enforcing its rights. It also is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap or other agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
Interest Rate Caps, Collars and Floors
The Fund may enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar involves selling a cap and purchasing a floor or vice versa to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps
The Fund will limit its direct investments in CFTC-regulated futures, options on futures and swaps (CFTC Derivatives) to the extent necessary for the Adviser to claim the exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund under CFTC Rule 4.5, as such rule may be
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amended from time to time. Under Rule 4.5 as currently in effect, the Fund will limit its trading activity in CFTC Derivatives (excluding activity for bona fide hedging purposes, as defined by the CFTC) such that it meets one of the following tests:
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Aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish its positions in CFTC Derivatives do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Funds portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions; or |
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Aggregate net notional value of its positions in CFTC Derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Funds portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions. |
With respect to the Fund, the Adviser has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act and therefore is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator thereunder.
The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may also limit the extent to which the Fund may invest in CFTC Derivatives. See Tax MattersQualification as a Regulated Investment Company.
Federal Income Tax Treatment of Futures Contracts and Options
The Funds transactions in futures contracts and options will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code ), that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a regulated investment company and the distribution requirement for avoiding excise taxes.
Risks and Special Considerations Concerning Derivatives
The use of derivative instruments involves certain general risks and considerations as described below.
(1) Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Fund to losses. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the portfolio managers ability to predict movements in the relevant markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed.
(2) Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for OTC derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For many OTC instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee and there is less regulation or supervision of transactions. In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to the Fund. The Fund will enter into derivatives transactions only with counterparties that its portfolio managers reasonably believe are capable of performing under the contract.
(3) Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged
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with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and the price movements in the investments being hedged.
(4) Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. The Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as cover, maintain segregated accounts, and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If the Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. These requirements might impair the Funds ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Funds ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. There is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.
(5) Legal Risk. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a partys obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products.
(6) Systemic or Interconnection Risk. Systemic or interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.
(7) Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is the risk that the Fund may be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged due to leverages tendency to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements.
(8) Regulatory Risk. The Dodd-Frank Act Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act ) has initiated a dramatic revision of the U.S. financial regulatory framework and covers a broad range of topics, including (among many others) a reorganization of federal financial regulators; a process intended to improve financial systemic stability and the resolution of potentially insolvent financial firms; and new rules for derivatives trading. Instruments in which the Fund may invest, or the issuers of such instruments, may be affected by the new legislation and regulation in ways that are unforeseeable. Many of the implementing regulations have not yet been finalized. Accordingly, the ultimate impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, including on the derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest, is not yet certain.
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Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, and exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) registered under the 1940 Act (1940 Act ETFs) that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments. Under the 1940 Act, the Funds investment in such securities is generally limited to 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company; 5% of the Funds total assets with respect to any one investment company; and 10% of the Funds total assets in the aggregate. Many 1940 Act ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in their shares beyond these statutory limits, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to contractual arrangements between the ETFs and the investing funds. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders in investing in 1940 Act ETFs. The Funds investments in other investment companies may include money market mutual funds. Investments in money market funds are not subject to the percentage limitations set forth above.
ETFs in which the Fund may invest are a type of index fund bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF trades like common stock and represents a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. ETFs can give exposure to all or a portion of the U.S. market, a foreign market, a region, a commodity, a currency, or to any other index that an ETF tracks. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs. An ETF may fail to accurately track the returns of the market segment or index that it is designed to track, and the price of an ETFs shares may fluctuate. In addition, because they, unlike traditional mutual funds, are traded on an exchange, ETFs are subject to the following risks: (i) the performance of the ETF may not replicate the performance of the underlying index that it is designed to track; (ii) the market price of the ETFs shares may trade at a premium or discount to the ETFs net asset value; (iii) an active trading market for an ETF may not develop or be maintained; and (iv) there is no assurance that the requirements of the exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the ETF will continue to be met or remain unchanged. Trading in an ETF may be halted if the trading in one or more of the ETFs underlying securities is halted, which could result in the ETF being more volatile. In the event substantial market or other disruptions affecting ETFs should occur in the future, the liquidity and value of the Funds shares could also be substantially and adversely affected.
The Fund may also invest in pooled investment vehicles other than registered investment companies. The Fund will only invest in other pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments.
If the Fund invests in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles, Fund shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the Funds expenses, but also, indirectly, the similar expenses of the underlying investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Shareholders would also be exposed to the risks associated not only with the Fund, but also with the portfolio investments of the underlying investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Shares of certain closed-end funds may at times be acquired at market prices representing premiums to their net asset values. Shares acquired at a premium to their net asset value may be more likely to subsequently decline in price, resulting in a loss to the Fund and its shareholders.
Municipal Bonds and Other Municipal Obligations
The Fund may invest in municipal bonds and other municipal obligations. These bonds and other obligations are issued by the states and by their local and special-purpose political subdivisions. The term municipal bond includes short-term municipal notes issued by the states and their political subdivisions, including, but not limited to, tax anticipation notes ( TANs ), bond anticipation notes ( BANs ), revenue anticipation notes ( RANs ), construction loan notes, tax free commercial paper, and tax free participation certificates. In general, municipal obligations include debt obligations issued by states, cities and local authorities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Industrial development bonds and pollution control bonds that are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately-rated facilities are included within the term municipal obligations if the interest paid thereon is exempt from federal income tax.
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Obligations of issuers of municipal obligations are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. In addition, the obligations of such issuers may become subject to the laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures or referenda extending the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon municipalities to levy taxes. There is also the possibility that, as a result of legislation or other conditions, the power or ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its municipal obligations may be materially affected.
Municipal Bonds
The two general classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation bonds and revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the governmental issuers pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest upon a default by the issuer of its principal and interest payment obligations. They are usually paid from general revenues of the issuing governmental entity. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are usually payable only out of a specific revenue source rather than from general revenues. Revenue bonds ordinarily are not backed by the faith, credit or general taxing power of the issuing governmental entity. The principal and interest on revenue bonds for private facilities are typically paid out of rents or other specified payments made to the issuing governmental entity by a private company which uses or operates the facilities. Examples of these types of obligations are industrial revenue bond and pollution control revenue bonds. Industrial revenue bonds are issued by governmental entities to provide financing aid to community facilities such as hospitals, hotels, business or residential complexes, convention halls and sport complexes. Pollution control revenue bonds are issued to finance air, water and solids pollution control systems for privately operated industrial or commercial facilities.
Revenue bonds for private facilities usually do not represent a pledge of the credit, general revenues or taxing powers of issuing governmental entity. Instead, the private company operating the facility is the sole source of payment of the obligation. Sometimes, the funds for payment of revenue bonds come solely from revenue generated by operation of the facility. Federal income tax laws place substantial limitations on industrial revenue bonds, and particularly certain specified private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986. In the future, legislation could be introduced in Congress which could further restrict or eliminate the income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations in which the Fund may invest.
Refunded Bonds
The Fund may invest in refunded bonds. Refunded bonds may have originally been issued as general obligation or revenue bonds, but become refunded when they are secured by an escrow fund, usually consisting entirely of direct U.S. government obligations and/or U.S. government agency obligations sufficient for paying the bondholders. There are two types of refunded bonds: pre-refunded bonds and escrowed-to-maturity ( ETM ) bonds. The escrow fund for a pre-refunded municipal bond may be structured so that the refunded bonds are to be called at the first possible date or a subsequent call date established in the original bond debenture. The call price usually includes a premium from 1% to 3% above par. This type of structure usually is used for those refundings that either reduce the issuers interest payment expenses or change the debt maturity schedule. In escrow funds for ETM refunded municipal bonds, the maturity schedules of the securities in the escrow funds match the regular debt-service requirements on the bonds as originally stated in the bond indentures.
Municipal Leases and Certificates of Participation
The Fund also may purchase municipal lease obligations, primarily through certificates of participation. Certificates of participation in municipal leases are undivided interests in a lease, installment purchase contract or conditional sale contract entered into by a state or local governmental unit to acquire equipment or facilities. Municipal leases frequently have special risks which generally are not associated with general obligation bonds or revenue bonds.
Municipal leases and installment purchase or conditional sales contracts (which usually provide for title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer upon payment of all amounts due under the contract) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment
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without meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of municipal debt. The debt issuance limitations are deemed to be inapplicable because of the inclusion in many leases and contracts of non-appropriation clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for this purpose by the appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. Although these kinds of obligations are secured by the leased equipment or facilities, the disposition of the pledged property in the event of non-appropriation or foreclosure might, in some cases, prove difficult and time-consuming. In addition, disposition upon non-appropriation or foreclosure might not result in recovery by the Fund of the full principal amount represented by an obligation.
In light of these concerns, the Fund has adopted and follows procedures for determining whether any municipal lease obligations purchased by the Fund are liquid and for monitoring the liquidity of municipal lease securities held in the Funds portfolio. These procedures require that a number of factors be used in evaluating the liquidity of a municipal lease security, including the frequency of trades and quotes for the security, the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers, the willingness of dealers to undertake to make a market in security, the nature of the marketplace in which the security trades, and other factors which the Adviser may deem relevant. As set forth in Investment Restrictions above, the Fund is subject to limitations on the percentage of illiquid securities it can hold.
Derivative Municipal Securities
The Fund may also acquire derivative municipal securities, which are custodial receipts of certificates underwritten by securities dealers or banks that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain municipal securities. The underwriter of these certificates or receipts typically purchases municipal securities and deposits them in an irrevocable trust or custodial account with a custodian bank, which then issues receipts or certificates that evidence ownership of the periodic unmatured coupon payments and the final principal payment on the obligation.
The principal and interest payments on the municipal securities underlying custodial receipts may be allocated in a number of ways. For example, payments may be allocated such that certain custodial receipts may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped securities which pay only the principal or interest due on the underlying municipal securities.
Variable Rate Demand Notes (VRDNs)
VRDNs are long-term municipal obligations that have variable or floating interest rates and provide the Fund with the right to tender the security for repurchase at its stated principal amount plus accrued interest. Such securities typically bear interest at a rate that is intended to cause the securities to trade at par. The interest rate may float or be adjusted at regular intervals (ranging from daily to annually), and is normally based on an applicable interest index or another published interest rate or interest rate index. Most VRDNs allow the Fund to demand the repurchase of the security on not more than seven days prior notice. Other notes only permit the Fund to tender the security at the time of each interest rate adjustment or at other fixed intervals. Variable interest rates generally reduce changes in the market value of municipal obligations from their original purchase prices. Accordingly, as interest rates decrease, the potential for capital appreciation is less for variable rate municipal obligations than for fixed income obligations.
Inverse Floating Rate Municipal Securities
The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate municipal securities or inverse floaters, whose rates vary inversely to interest rates on a specified short-term municipal bond index or on another instrument. Such securities involve special risks as compared to conventional fixed-rate bonds. Should short-term interest rates rise, the Funds investment in inverse floaters likely would adversely affect the Funds earnings and distributions to shareholders. Also, because changes in the interest rate on the other index or other instrument inversely affect the rate of interest received on an inverse floater, and because inverse floaters essentially represent a leveraged investment in a long-term bond, the value of an inverse floater is generally more volatile than that of a conventional fixed-rate bond having similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturity. Although volatile in value, inverse floaters
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typically offer the potential for yields substantially exceeding the yields available on conventional fixed-rate bonds with comparable credit quality, coupon, call provisions and maturity. The markets for inverse floating rate securities may be less developed and have less liquidity than the markets for conventional securities. The Fund will only invest in inverse floating rate securities whose underlying bonds are rated A or higher.
Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities (Junk Bonds)
The Fund may invest in non-investment grade debt securities. Non-investment grade debt securities are medium- to low-quality debt obligations. Debt obligations rated below investment grade (BB/Ba or lower) are commonly known as high yield, high risk or junk bonds. Junk bonds, while generally offering higher yields than investment grade securities with similar maturities, involve greater risks, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy. They are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The special risk considerations in connection with investments in these securities are discussed below. Refer to Appendix A of this Statement of Additional Information for a discussion of securities ratings.
(1) Effect of Interest Rates and Economic Changes. All interest-bearing securities typically experience appreciation when interest rates decline and depreciation when interest rates rise. In addition, the market values of junk bond securities tend to reflect individual issuer developments to a greater extent than do the market values of higher rated securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Junk bond securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher rated securities. As a result, they generally involve more credit risk than securities in the higher rated categories. During an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of junk bond securities may experience financial stress and may not have sufficient revenues to meet their payment obligations. The risk of loss due to default by an issuer of these securities is significantly greater than by an issuer of higher rated securities because such securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other creditors. Further, if the issuer of a junk bond security defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Periods of economic uncertainty and changes would also generally result in increased volatility in the market prices of these and thus in the Funds net asset value.
The value of a junk bond security will generally decrease in a rising interest rate market and, accordingly, so will the Funds net asset value. If the Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions in such a market, it may be forced to liquidate a portion of its portfolio securities without regard to their investment merits. Due to the limited liquidity of certain junk bond securities, the Fund may be forced to liquidate these securities at a substantial discount. Any such liquidation would reduce the Funds asset base over which expenses could be allocated and could result in a reduced rate of return for the Fund.
(2) Payment Expectations. Junk bond securities typically contain redemption, call, or prepayment provisions that permit the issuer of securities containing such provisions to redeem the securities at its discretion. During periods of falling interest rates, issuers of these securities are likely to redeem or prepay the securities and refinance them with debt securities with a lower interest rate. To the extent an issuer is able to refinance the securities, or otherwise redeem them, the Fund may have to replace the securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return for the Fund.
(3) Credit Ratings. Credit ratings are issued by credit rating agencies and are indicative of the rated securities safety of principal and interest payments. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of junk bond securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of such an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the condition of the issuer that affect the value of the security. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. Investments in junk bonds will depend more upon credit analysis by the Sub-Adviser than investments in investment grade debt securities. The Sub-Adviser employs its own credit research and analysis, which includes a study of the issuers existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debts and pay dividends, sensitivity to economic conditions, operating history, and
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current earnings trend. The Sub-Adviser continually monitors the Funds investments and carefully evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain junk bond securities whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed.
(4) Liquidity and Valuation. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain junk bond securities because there may be a thin trading market for such securities. Not all dealers maintain markets in all junk bond securities. As a result, there is no established retail secondary market for many of these securities. To the extent a secondary trading market does exist, it is generally not as liquid as the secondary market for higher rated securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the market price of the security. The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing its securities. Market quotations are generally available on many junk bond issues only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices for actual sales. During periods of thin trading, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and liquidity of junk bond securities, especially in a thinly traded market.
The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities issued by non-U.S. companies. Investments in securities of non-U.S. companies involve risks in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments, including currency risk. The value of a non-U.S. security in U.S. dollars tends to decrease when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the non-U.S. currency in which the security is denominated and tends to increase when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against such currency.
Non-U.S. securities are affected by the fact that in many countries there is less publicly available information about issuers than is available in the reports and ratings published about companies in the United States and such issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. Other risks inherent in non-U.S. investments include expropriation; confiscatory taxation; withholding taxes on dividends and interest; less extensive regulation of non-U.S. brokers, securities markets and issuers; diplomatic developments; and political or social instability. Non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in various respects, and many non-U.S. securities are less liquid and their prices tend to be more volatile than comparable U.S. securities. From time to time, non-U.S. securities may be difficult to liquidate rapidly without adverse price effects.
The Fund may invest directly in dollar-denominated securities issued by non-U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest in non-U.S. securities by purchasing depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts ( ADRs ), European Depositary Receipts ( EDRs ), Global Depositary Receipts ( GDRs ) or other securities representing indirect ownership interests in the securities of non-U.S. companies, including New York Shares. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designated for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs and GDRs are typically in bearer form and may be denominated in non-U.S. currencies and are designed for use in European and other markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying non-U.S. security. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent, except that ADRs, EDRs and GDRs shall be treated as indirect non-U.S. investments. Thus, an ADR, EDR or GDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of non-U.S. companies, such as changes in non-U.S. currency exchange rates. However, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in non-U.S. companies stock, the Fund avoids currency risks during the settlement period.
Other types of depositary receipts include American Depositary Shares ( ADSs ), Global Depositary Certificates ( GDCs ) and International Depositary Receipts ( IDRs ). ADSs are shares issued under a deposit agreement representing the underlying ordinary shares that trade in the issuers home market. An ADR, described above, is a certificate that represents a number of ADSs. GDCs and IDRs are typically issued by a non-U.S. bank or trust company, although they may sometimes also be issued by a U.S. bank or trust company. GDCs and IDRs are depositary receipts that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a non-U.S. or a U.S. corporation.
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Depositary receipts may be available through sponsored or unsponsored facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by a depositary and the issuer of the security underlying the receipt. An unsponsored facility may be established by a depositary without participation by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt. There are greater risks associated with holding unsponsored depositary receipts. For example, if the Fund holds an unsponsored depositary receipt, it will generally bear all of the costs of establishing the unsponsored facility. In addition, the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security. Whether a sponsored or unsponsored facility, there is no assurance that either would pass through to the holders of the receipts voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
In considering whether to invest in the securities of a non-U.S. company, the portfolio managers consider such factors as the characteristics of the particular company, differences between economic trends, and the performance of securities markets in the United States and other countries. The portfolio managers also consider factors relating to the general economic, governmental and social conditions of the country or countries where the company is located.
Securities transactions conducted outside the United States may not be regulated as rigorously as in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, non-U.S. securities, currencies and other instruments. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by (i) other complex non-U.S. political, legal and economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in the Funds ability to act upon economic events occurring in non-U.S. markets during non-business hours in the United States, (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and the margin requirements than in the United States, (v) currency exchange rate changes, and (vi) lower trading volume and liquidity.
Emerging Markets Risk
The Fund may invest in securities issued by companies located in emerging markets. Emerging market countries are generally in the initial stages of their industrialization cycles with low per capita income. The markets of emerging markets countries are generally more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature economies. They generally do not have the level of market efficiency and strict standards in accounting and securities regulation to be on par with advanced economies, but emerging markets will typically have a physical financial infrastructure, including banks, a stock exchange and a unified currency. Investments in emerging markets come with much greater risk due to political instability, domestic infrastructure problems, currency volatility and limited investment opportunities (many large companies may still be state-run or private). Also, local securities exchanges may not offer liquid markets for outside investors. All of the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities described above are heightened by investing in emerging markets countries.
The Fund may invest in preferred securities with different distribution structures. The various coupon structures may be broadly characterized as follows:
|
Fixed Rate Preferred Securities are preferred securities that pay a fixed rate of interest throughout the life of the security and tend to exhibit more price volatility during times of rising or falling interest rates than securities with variable or floating rates of interest. The value of fixed-rate securities tends to fall when interest rates rise (and vice versa). |
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Fixed-to-Fixed Preferred Securities are preferred securities that have a distribution rate of payment that is fixed for a certain period (typically five or ten years when first issued) and such period is usually aligned with the first call date. After the defined period expires, the fixed distribution rate then resets to another fixed distribution rate, according to a specified formula, and typically resets with the same longer-term frequency for the remaining life of the security (typically five or ten years). |
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Fixed-to-Floating Preferred Securities are preferred securities that have a distribution rate of payment that is fixed for a certain period (typically five or ten years when first issued) and such |
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period is usually aligned with the first call date. After this period, distribution rates vary for the remaining life of the security, periodically adjusting according to a specified formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. The value of fixed-to-floating preferred securities may fluctuate less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of preferred securities with a fixed interest rate, because the interest rate paid by fixed-to floating preferred securities is variable. |
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Floating-Rate Preferred Securities are preferred securities that offer a distribution rate of payment that resets periodically (commonly every 90 days) to an increment over some predetermined interest rate index or benchmark rate. Some commonly used indices include the 3-month U.S. Treasury bill rate, the 180-day U.S. Treasury bill, or the one-month or three-month LIBOR. The value of floating-rate preferred securities may fluctuate less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of preferred securities with a fixed interest rate. |
As a general matter, dividend or interest payments on preferred securities may be cumulative or non-cumulative. Although issuers of cumulative preferred securities generally can defer distributions for a specified period of time, no redemption can typically take place unless all cumulative payment obligations have been met. Issuers may, however, be able to engage in open-market repurchases without regard to any cumulative dividends payable. For non-cumulative preferred securities, the issuer does not have any obligation with respect to skipped payments.
Preferred securities may be issued with either a final maturity date, or as a perpetual structure. In certain instances, a final maturity date may be extended and/or the final payment of principal may be deferred at the issuers option for a specified time without any adverse consequence to the issuer.
Contingent Capital Securities. Contingent capital securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos ) are preferred securities, issued primarily by non-U.S. financial institutions, which have loss absorption mechanisms benefitting the issuer built into their terms. CoCos generally provide for mandatory conversion into the common stock of the issuer or a write-down of the principal amount or value of the CoCos upon the occurrence of certain triggers. These triggers are generally linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institutions continued viability as a going-concern. Equity conversion or principal write-down features are tailored to the issuer and its regulatory requirements and, unlike traditional convertible securities, conversions are not voluntary.
A trigger event for CoCos would likely be the result of, or related to, the deterioration of the issuers financial condition (e.g., a decrease in the issuers capital ratio) and status as a going concern. In such a case, with respect to CoCos that provide for conversion into common stock upon the occurrence of the trigger event, the market price of the issuers common stock received by the Fund will have likely declined, perhaps substantially, and may continue to decline, which may adversely affect the Funds net asset value. Further, the issuers common stock would be subordinate to the issuers other classes of securities and therefore would worsen the Funds standing in a bankruptcy proceeding. In addition, because the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero. In view of the foregoing, CoCos are often rated below investment grade and are subject to the risks of high yield securities.
CoCos may be subject to an automatic write-down (i.e., the automatic write-down of the principal amount or value of the securities, potentially to zero, and the cancellation of the securities) under certain circumstances, which could result in the Fund losing a portion or all of its investment in such securities. In addition, the Fund may not have any rights with respect to repayment of the principal amount of the securities that has not become due or the payment of interest or dividends on such securities for any period from (and including) the interest or dividend payment date falling immediately prior to the occurrence of such automatic write-down. An automatic write-down could also result in a reduced income rate if the dividend or interest payment is based on the securitys par value. Coupon payments on CoCos may be discretionary and may be cancelled by the issuer for any reason or may be subject to approval by the issuers regulator and may be suspended in the event there are insufficient distributable reserves.
In certain scenarios, investors in CoCos may suffer a loss of capital ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not. The prices of CoCos may be volatile. There is no guarantee that the Fund
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will receive a return of principal on CoCos. Any indication that an automatic write-down or conversion event may occur can be expected to have a material adverse effect on the market price of CoCos.
Other Investment Policies and Techniques
When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Transactions
The Fund may from time to time purchase securities on a when-issued or other delayed-delivery basis. The price of securities purchased on a when-issued basis is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date. Normally, the settlement date occurs within 45 days of the purchase. During the period between the purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest is accrued on debt securities and no dividend income is earned on equity securities. Forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date. This risk is in addition to the risk of decline in value of the Funds other assets. Although when-issued securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The Fund does not believe that net asset value will be adversely affected by purchases of securities on a when-issued basis.
The Fund will designate on its books or maintain in a segregated account cash and liquid securities equal in value to commitments for when-issued securities. When the time comes to pay for when-issued securities, the Fund will meet its obligations from then-available cash flow, sale of the segregated securities, sale of other securities or, although it would not normally expect to do so, from the sale of the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Funds payment obligation).
Illiquid Securities
The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws) and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Funds net assets. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Adviser the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any portfolio security, although it has retained oversight over and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. The Adviser works with and to a large extent relies on the expertise and advice of the Sub-Adviser in making these liquidity determinations. Although no definitive liquidity criteria are used, the Board of Trustees has directed the Adviser to look to such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; and the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other permissible relevant facts.
Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate.
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Short Sales Against the Box
When the Funds portfolio managers believe that the price of a particular security held by the Fund may decline, it may make short sales against the box to hedge the unrealized gain on such security. Selling short against the box involves selling a security which the Fund owns for delivery at a specified date in the future. The Fund will limit its transactions in short sales against the box to 5% of its net assets. If, for example, the Fund bought 100 shares of ABC at $40 per share in January and the price appreciates to $50 in March, the Fund might sell short the 100 shares at $50 for delivery the following July. Thereafter, if the price of the stock declines to $45, it will realize the full $1,000 gain rather than the $500 gain it would have received had it sold the stock in the market. On the other hand, if the price appreciates to $55 per share, the Fund would be required to sell at $50 and thus receive a $1,000 gain rather than the $1,500 gain it would have received had it sold the stock in the market. The Fund may also be required to pay a premium for short sales which would partially offset any gain.
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The management of the Trust, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund by the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The number of trustees of the Trust is twelve, two of whom are interested persons (as the term interested person is defined in the 1940 Act) and ten of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as independent trustees ). None of the independent trustees has ever been a trustee, director or employee of, or consultant to, the Adviser or its affiliates. The names, business addresses and years of birth of the trustees and officers of the Fund, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. The trustees of the Trust are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 182 Nuveen-sponsored registered investment companies (the Nuveen Funds ), which include 101 open-end mutual funds (the Nuveen Mutual Funds ), 74 closed-end funds and seven exchange-traded funds.
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
Independent Trustees: |
||||||||||
Jack B. Evans 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1948 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2006 |
President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Director, The Gazette Company; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm; formerly, Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. | 182 | Director and Chairman, United Fire Group, a publicly held company; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy. |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
William C. Hunter
333 West Wacker
Drive
1948 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2006 |
Dean Emeritus, formerly, Dean (2006-2012), Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa; Director (since 2005) and past President (2010-2014), Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society; Director of Wellmark, Inc. (since 2009); formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003). | 182 | Director (since 2004) of Xerox Corporation. | |||||
David J. Kundert 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1942 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2006 |
Formerly, Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013); retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; Regent Emeritus, Member of Investment Committee, Luther College; Member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; Member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible; Member of the Board of Trustees, Milwaukee Repertory Theater. | 182 | None |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number
of
|
Other
|
|||||
Albin F. Moschner 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1952 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service Since 2016 |
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm (since 2012); previously, held positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., including Consultant (2011-2012), Chief Operating Officer (2008-2011) and Chief Marketing Officer (2004-2008); formerly, President, Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. (2000-2003); formerly, President, One Point Services at One Point Communications (1999-2000); formerly, Vice Chairman of the Board, Diba, Incorporated (1996-1997); formerly, various executive positions with Zenith Electronics Corporation (1991-1996). | 182 | Director, USA Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions and services to facilitate electronic payment transactions (since 2012); formerly, Director, Wintrust Financial Corporation (1996-2016). |
S-28
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
|
Other
|
|||||
John K. Nelson 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1962 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2013 |
Member of Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing and communications strategies for clients; Director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (since 2009) and The Presidents Council, Fordham University (since 2010); formerly, senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014); former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Marian University (2010-2014 as trustee, 2011-2014 as Chairman); formerly, Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division (2007-2008); prior senior positions held at ABN AMRO include Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Global Marketsthe Americas (2006-2007), CEO of Wholesale BankingNorth America and Global Head of Foreign Exchange and Futures Markets (2001-2006), and Regional Commercial Treasurer and Senior Vice President TradingNorth America (1996-2001); formerly, Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. | 182 | None |
S-29
Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
|
Other
|
|||||
William J. Schneider 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1944 |
Chairman of the Board and Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2006 |
Chairman of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company; Board Member of Med-America Health System and of WDPR Public Radio station; formerly, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Group; formerly, Director, Dayton Development Coalition; formerly, Board Member, Business Advisory Council, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank and University of Dayton Business School Advisory Council. | 182 | None | |||||
Judith M. Stockdale 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1947 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2006 |
Board Member of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since 2013); Board Member of the Land Trust Alliance (since 2013); formerly, Executive Director (1994-2012), Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (1990-1994). | 182 | None | |||||
Carole E. Stone 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1947 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2007 |
Director, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (since 2006); Director, C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (since 2009); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010). | 182 | Director, CBOE Holdings, Inc. (since 2010). |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
|
Other
|
|||||
Terence J. Toth 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1959 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of
Service Since 2008 |
Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008); Director, Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010) and Quality Control Corporation (since 2012); formerly, Director, LogicMark LLC (2012-2016); formerly, Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (2008-2013); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); Member, Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and Chair of its investment committee; formerly, Member, Chicago Fellowship Board (2005-2016), Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004). | 182 | None | |||||
Margaret L. Wolff 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1955 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
|
Formerly, of Counsel (2005-2014), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Mergers & Acquisitions Group); Member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (since 2005); Member (since 2004) and Chair (since 2015) of the Board of Trustees of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults); formerly, Member (2005-2015) and Vice Chair (2011-2015) of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Holyoke College. | 182 | Member of the Board of Directors (since 2013) of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each, a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
|
Other
|
|||||
Interested Trustees: |
||||||||||
William Adams IV** 333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
|
Trustee |
TermIndefinite* Length of Service
Since 2014 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products (2010-2016) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2011); President (since 2011), formerly, Managing Director (2010-2011), of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Board Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gildas Club Chicago. | 182 | None | |||||
Margo L. Cook** 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1964 |
Trustee |
TermIndefinite*
Length of
Service
|
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016), formerly, Executive Vice President (2011-2015) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015), formerly, Executive Vice President (2013-2015), of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Managing DirectorInvestment Services of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (2011-2016); Chartered Financial Analyst. | 182 | None |
* | Each trustee serves an indefinite term until his or her successor is elected. |
** | Mr. Adams and Ms. Cook are interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their positions with Nuveen Investments, Inc. (Nuveen Investments) and certain of its subsidiaries. |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Officers of the Trust: |
||||||||
Greg A. Bottjer 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1971 |
Chief Administrative Officer |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince October 2016 |
Managing Director (since 2011), formerly, Senior Vice President (2007-2010) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Managing Director (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 101 | ||||
Lorna C. Ferguson* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1945 |
Vice President |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service Since 2006 |
Managing Director of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Stephen D. Foy* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1954 |
Vice President and Controller |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service Since 2006 |
Managing Director (since 2014), formerly, Senior Vice President (2013-2014) and Vice President (2005-2013) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chief Financial Officer (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Managing Director (since 2016) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Certified Public Accountant. | 183 | ||||
Nathaniel T. Jones*
333 West Wacker
Drive
|
Vice President and Treasurer |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of
Service
|
Senior Vice President (since 2016), formerly, Vice President (2011-2016) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 | ||||
Walter M. Kelly* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1970 |
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of ServiceSince 2006 |
Senior Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | 183 | ||||
Tina M. Lazar* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1961 |
Vice President |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service Since 2006 |
Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. and Nuveen Securities, LLC. | 183 |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Kevin J. McCarthy* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1966 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service
Since 2007 |
Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary (2007-2016) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director, Assistant Secretary (2011-2016) and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC; Vice President (since 2007) and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Assistant Secretary, of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President (since 2010) and Secretary (since March 2016) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Kathleen L. Prudhomme* 901 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55402 1953 |
Vice President and Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service
Since 2011 |
Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. | 183 |
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Name, Business Address
|
Position(s) Held
|
Term of Office
|
Principal Occupation(s)
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Officer |
||||
Christopher M. Rohrbacher*
333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1971 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017
Length of Service Since 2008 |
Senior Vice President (since 2011), formerly, Vice President (2008-2011) and Assistant General Counsel (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC. | 183 | ||||
Joel T. Slager* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1978 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of Service
Since 2013 |
Fund Tax Director for Nuveen Funds (since 2013); previously, Vice President of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., Assistant Treasurer of the Morgan Stanley Funds (2010-2013). | 183 | ||||
Gifford R. Zimmerman* 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 1956 |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
TermUntil August 2017 Length of ServiceSince 2006 |
Managing Director (since 2002) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary (since 1997) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Symphony Asset Management LLC (since 2003); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006) and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2013), formerly, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (2006-2013) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst. | 183 |
* | Each officer also serves as an officer of the Diversified Real Asset Income Fund, a closed-end management investment company advised by the Adviser but not overseen by the Board. |
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Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees (as the case may be, each is referred to hereafter as the Board or Board of Trustees and the directors or trustees of the Nuveen Funds, as applicable, are each referred to herein as trustees ) oversees the operations and management of the Nuveen Funds, including the duties performed for the Nuveen Funds by the Adviser. The Board has adopted a unitary board structure. A unitary board consists of one group of directors who serve on the board of every fund in the Nuveen Fund complex. In adopting a unitary board structure, the trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board, the overall composition of which will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, independence and experience to oversee the Nuveen Funds business. With this overall framework in mind, when the Board, through its Nominating and Governance Committee discussed below, seeks nominees for the Board, the trustees consider, not only the candidates particular background, skills and experience, among other things, but also whether such background, skills and experience enhance the Boards diversity and at the same time complement the Board given its current composition and the mix of skills and experiences of the incumbent trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the Board generally benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy on diversity or any particular definition of diversity.
The Board believes the unitary board structure enhances good and effective governance, particularly given the nature of the structure of the investment company complex. Funds in the same complex generally are served by the same service providers and personnel and are governed by the same regulatory scheme which raises common issues that must be addressed by the directors across the fund complex (such as compliance, valuation, liquidity, brokerage, trade allocation or risk management). The Board believes it is more efficient to have a single board review and oversee common policies and procedures which increases the Boards knowledge and expertise with respect to the many aspects of fund operations that are complex-wide in nature. The unitary structure also enhances the Boards influence and oversight over the investment adviser and other service providers.
In an effort to enhance the independence of the Board, the Board also has a Chairman that is an independent trustee. The Board recognizes that a chairman can perform an important role in setting the agenda for the Board, establishing the boardroom culture, establishing a point person on behalf of the Board for fund management, and reinforcing the Boards focus on the long-term interests of shareholders. The Board recognizes that a chairman may be able to better perform these functions without any conflicts of interests arising from a position with fund management. Accordingly, the trustees have elected William J. Schneider to serve as the independent Chairman of the Board. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include: (i) presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the shareholders; (ii) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the trustees are carried into effect; and (iii) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the trustees and the shareholders.
Although the Board has direct responsibility over various matters (such as advisory contracts, underwriting contracts and fund performance), the Board also exercises certain of its oversight responsibilities through several committees that it has established and which report back to the full Board. The Board believes that a committee structure is an effective means to permit trustees to focus on particular operations or issues affecting the Nuveen Funds, including risk oversight. More specifically, with respect to risk oversight, the Board has delegated matters relating to valuation and compliance to certain committees (as summarized below) as well as certain aspects of investment risk. In addition, the Board believes that the periodic rotation of trustees among the different committees allows the trustees to gain additional and different perspectives of a Nuveen Funds operations. The Board has established six standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee. The Board may also from time to time create ad hoc committees to focus on particular issues as the need arises. The membership and functions of the standing committees are summarized below.
The Executive Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board, is authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board. The members of the Executive Committee are William
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Adams IV, William J. Schneider, Chair, and Terence J. Toth. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Executive Committee did not meet.
The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the accounting and reporting policies, processes and practices of the Nuveen Funds, and the audits of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the quality and integrity of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the Nuveen Funds compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Nuveen Funds financial statements; the independent auditors qualifications, performance and independence; and the pricing procedures of the Nuveen Funds and the Advisers internal valuation group. It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to select, evaluate and replace any independent auditors (subject only to Board and, if applicable, shareholder ratification) and to determine their compensation. The Audit Committee is also responsible for, among other things, overseeing the valuation of securities comprising the Nuveen Funds portfolios. Subject to the Boards general supervision of such actions, the Audit Committee addresses any valuation issues, oversees the Nuveen Funds pricing procedures and actions taken by the Advisers internal valuation group which provides regular reports to the committee, reviews any issues relating to the valuation of the Nuveen Funds securities brought to its attention and considers the risks to the Nuveen Funds in assessing the possible resolutions to these matters. The Audit Committee may also consider any financial risk exposures for the Nuveen Funds in conjunction with performing its functions.
To fulfill its oversight duties, the Audit Committee receives annual and semi-annual reports and has regular meetings with the external auditors for the Nuveen Funds and the Advisers internal audit group. The Audit Committee also may review in a general manner the processes the Board or other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management as well as compliance with legal and regulatory matters relating to the Nuveen Funds financial statements. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. Members of the Audit Committee shall be independent (as set forth in the charter) and free of any relationship that, in the opinion of the trustees, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as an Audit Committee member. The members of the Audit Committee are Jack B. Evans, Chair, David J. Kundert, John K. Nelson, Carole E. Stone and Terence J. Toth, each of whom is an independent trustee of the Nuveen Funds. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Audit Committee met four times.
The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking, identifying and recommending to the Board qualified candidates for election or appointment to the Board. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee oversees matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of Board performance and processes, the assignment and rotation of committee members, and the establishment of corporate governance guidelines and procedures, to the extent necessary or desirable, and matters related thereto. Although the unitary and committee structure has been developed over the years and the Nominating and Governance Committee believes the structure has provided efficient and effective governance, the committee recognizes that as demands on the Board evolve over time (such as through an increase in the number of funds overseen or an increase in the complexity of the issues raised), the committee must continue to evaluate the Board and committee structures and their processes and modify the foregoing as may be necessary or appropriate to continue to provide effective governance. Accordingly, the Nominating and Governance Committee has a separate meeting each year to, among other things, review the Board and committee structures, their performance and functions, and recommend any modifications thereto or alternative structures or processes that would enhance the Boards governance of the Nuveen Funds.
In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee, among other things, makes recommendations concerning the continuing education of trustees; monitors performance of legal counsel and other service providers; establishes and monitors a process by which security holders are able to communicate in writing with members of the Board; and periodically reviews and makes recommendations about any appropriate changes to trustee compensation. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee receives suggestions from various sources, including shareholders, as to suitable candidates. Suggestions should be sent in writing to Lorna Ferguson, Manager of Fund Board Relations, Nuveen Investments, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL
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60606. The Nominating and Governance Committee sets appropriate standards and requirements for nominations for new trustees and reserves the right to interview any and all candidates and to make the final selection of any new trustees. In considering a candidates qualifications, each candidate must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability (including the time requirements for due diligence site visits to sub-advisers and service providers) and, if qualifying as an independent trustee candidate, independence from the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. These skill and experience requirements may vary depending on the current composition of the Board, since the goal is to ensure an appropriate range of skills, diversity and experience, in the aggregate. Accordingly, the particular factors considered and weight given to these factors will depend on the composition of the Board and the skills and backgrounds of the incumbent trustees at the time of consideration of the nominees. All candidates, however, must meet high expectations of personal integrity, independence, governance experience and professional competence. All candidates must be willing to be critical within the Board and with management and yet maintain a collegial and collaborative manner toward other Board members. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. This committee is composed of the independent trustees of the Nuveen Funds. Accordingly, the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, William J. Schneider, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Nominating and Governance Committee met six times.
The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare distributions on the Nuveen Funds shares, including, but not limited to, regular and special dividends, capital gains and ordinary income distributions. The members of the Dividend Committee are William C. Hunter, Chair, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Dividend Committee met four times.
The Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee (the Compliance Committee ) is responsible for the oversight of compliance issues, risk management and other regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds that are not otherwise the jurisdiction of the other committees. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Nuveen Funds compliance and risk matters. As part of its duties, the Compliance Committee reviews the policies and procedures relating to compliance matters and recommends modifications thereto as necessary or appropriate to the full Board; develops new policies and procedures as new regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds arise from time to time; evaluates or considers any comments or reports from examinations from regulatory authorities and responses thereto; and performs any special reviews, investigations or other oversight responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or regulatory matters as requested by the Board.
In addition, the Compliance Committee is responsible for risk oversight, including, but not limited to, the oversight of risks related to investments and operations. Such risks include, among other things, exposures to particular issuers, market sectors, or types of securities; risks related to product structure elements, such as leverage; and techniques that may be used to address those risks, such as hedging and swaps. In assessing issues brought to the committees attention or in reviewing a particular policy, procedure, investment technique or strategy, the Compliance Committee evaluates the risks to the Nuveen Funds in adopting a particular approach compared to the anticipated benefits to the Nuveen Funds and their shareholders. In fulfilling its obligations, the Compliance Committee meets on a quarterly basis, and at least once a year in person. The Compliance Committee receives written and oral reports from the Nuveen Funds Chief Compliance Officer ( CCO ) and meets privately with the CCO at each of its quarterly meetings. The CCO also provides an annual report to the full Board regarding the operations of the Nuveen Funds and other service providers compliance programs as well as any recommendations for modifications thereto. The Compliance Committee also receives reports from the Advisers investment services group regarding various investment risks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board also participates in discussions with management regarding certain matters relating to investment risk, such as the use of leverage and hedging. The investment services group therefore also reports to the full Board at its quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. Accordingly, the Board directly and/or in conjunction with the Compliance Committee oversees matters relating to
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investment risks. Matters not addressed at the committee level are addressed directly by the full Board. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Compliance Committee are William C. Hunter, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Compliance Committee met five times.
The Open-End Funds Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the Nuveen Funds that are registered as open-end management investment companies ( Open-End Funds ). The committee may review and evaluate matters related to the formation and the initial presentation to the Board of any new Open-End Fund and may review and evaluate any matters relating to any existing Open-End Fund. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Open-End Funds Committee are Margo L. Cook, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, William J. Schneider, Judith M. Stockdale, Chair, and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Open-End Funds Committee met four times.
Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications
In determining that a particular trustee was qualified to serve on the Board, the Board has considered each trustees background, skills, experience and other attributes in light of the composition of the Board with no particular factor controlling. The Board believes that trustees need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and the Board believes each trustee satisfies this standard. An effective trustee may achieve this ability through his or her educational background; business, professional training or practice; public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member or executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. Accordingly, set forth below is a summary of the experiences, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this document, that each trustee should continue to serve in that capacity. References to the experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills of trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any trustee as having any special expertise or experience and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
William Adams IV
Mr. Adams has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which he had been Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products of Nuveen Investments since November 2010. Mr. Adams is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TIAA Global Asset Management ( TGAM ), as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investments Management and Operating Committees. Mr. Adams has also served as Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC since January 2011. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, U.S. Structured Products from December 1999 until November 2010 and served as Managing Director of Structured Investments from September 1997 to December 1999 and Vice President and Manager, Corporate Marketing from August 1994 to September 1997. He is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Mr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and his Masters of Business Administration ( MBA ) from the University of Chicagos Graduate School of Business. He is an Associate Fellow of Yales Timothy Dwight College and is currently on the Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gildas Club Chicago.
Margo L. Cook
Ms. Cook has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which she had been Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments since July 2015. Ms. Cook is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TGAM , as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investments Management and Operating Committees. She is Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015) of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Since joining in 2008, she has held various leadership roles at Nuveen Investments, including as Head of Investment Services, responsible
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for investment-related efforts across the firm. Ms. Cook also serves on the Board of Nuveen Global Fund Investors. Before joining Nuveen Investments, she was the Global Head of Bear Stearns Asset Managements institutional business. Prior to that, she spent over 20 years within BNY Mellons asset management business; including as Chief Investment Officer for Institutional Asset Management and Head of Institutional Fixed Income. Ms. Cook earned her bachelors degree in finance from the University of Rhode Island, her Executive MBA from Columbia University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She serves as Vice Chair of The University of Rhode Island Foundation Board of Trustees and Chair of the All Stars Project of Chicago Board.
Jack B. Evans
President of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation, since 1996, Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of the SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Formerly, he was a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a Director of Alliant Energy and Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. Mr. Evans is Chairman of the Board of United Fire Group, sits on the Board of The Gazette Company and is a Life Trustee of Coe College. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coe College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.
William C. Hunter
Mr. Hunter became Dean Emeritus of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on June 30, 2012. He was appointed Dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on July 1, 2006. He had been Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of Connecticut School of Business since June 2003. From 1995 to 2003, he was the Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. While there he served as the Banks Chief Economist and was an Associate Economist on the Federal Reserve Systems Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). In addition to serving as a Vice President in charge of financial markets and basic research at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, he held faculty positions at Emory University, Atlanta University, the University of Georgia and Northwestern University. A past Director of the Credit Research Center at Georgetown University, SS&C Technologies, Inc. (2005) and past President of the Financial Management Association International, he has consulted with numerous foreign central banks and official agencies in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America and South America. From 1990 to 1995, he was a U.S. Treasury Advisor to Central and Eastern Europe. He has been a Director of the Xerox Corporation since 2004 and Wellmark, Inc. since 2009. He currently is a Director and past President of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society.
David J. Kundert
Mr. Kundert retired in 2004 as Chairman of JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, and as President and CEO of Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and as President of One Group Mutual Funds. Prior to the merger between Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase and Co., he was Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and, since 1995, the Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group. From 1988 to 1992, he was President and CEO of Bank One Wisconsin Trust Company. Mr. Kundert recently retired as a Director of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013). He started his career as an attorney for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Kundert has served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and he is currently a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. He is on the Board of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and chairs its Investment Committee. He is a Regent Emeritus and a Member of the Investment Committee of Luther College. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible and on the Board of Trustees of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater (since 2016). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College, and his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University.
Albin F. Moschner
Mr. Moschner is a consultant in the wireless industry and, in July 2012, founded Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm that provides operational, management and governance
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solutions. Prior to founding Northcroft Partners, LLC, Mr. Moschner held various positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., a provider of wireless services, where he was a consultant from February 2011 to July 2012, Chief Operating Officer from July 2008 to February 2011, and Chief Marketing Officer from August 2004 to June 2008. Before he joined Leap Wireless International, Inc., Mr. Moschner was President of the Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. from 2000 to 2003, and President of One Point Services at One Point Communications from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Moschner also served at Zenith Electronics Corporation as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 1996, and as Director, President and Chief Operating Officer from 1994 to 1995. Since 2012, Mr. Moschner has been a member of the Board of Directors of USA Technologies, Inc. and, from 1996 until 2016, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation. In addition, he currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Kellogg School of Management (since 1995) and the Archdiocese of Chicago Financial Council (since May 2012). Mr. Moschner received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York in 1974 and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University in 1979.
John K. Nelson
Mr. Nelson is on the Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing, and communications strategies for clients. Mr. Nelson formerly was a senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014). He has served in several senior executive positions with ABN AMRO Holdings N.V. and its affiliated entities and predecessors, including LaSalle Bank Corporation from 1996 to 2008. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Nelson was Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division. He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, and during his tenure with ABN AMRO, served as the banks representative on various committees of the Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, and the Bank of England. At Fordham University, he currently serves as a director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies, and The Presidents Council. He is also a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and was formerly a member of The Hyde Park Angels and a Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. He formerly served as the Chairman of The Board of Trustees of Marian University (2011-2014). Mr. Nelson graduated and received his MBA from Fordham University.
William J. Schneider
Mr. Schneider, the Nuveen Funds Independent Chairman, is currently Chairman, formerly Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company. He is an owner in several other Miller-Valentine Group entities. He is currently a member of the boards of WDPR Public radio station and of Med-America Health System. He was formerly a Director and Past Chair of the Dayton Development Coalition. He was formerly a member of the Community Advisory Board of the National City Bank in Dayton as well as a former member of the Business Advisory Council of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Schneider was also a member of the Business Advisory Council for the University of Dayton College of Business. He also served as Chair of the Miami Valley Hospital and as Chair of the Finance Committee of its parent holding company. Mr. Schneider was an independent Trustee of the Flagship Funds, a group of municipal open-end funds. Mr. Schneider has a Bachelor of Science in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
Judith M. Stockdale
Ms. Stockdale retired in 2012 as Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a private foundation working in land conservation and artistic vitality in the Chicago region and the Low country of South Carolina. She is currently a board member of the Land Trust Alliance (since June 2013) and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since November 2013). Her previous positions include Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Executive Director of Openlands, and Senior Staff Associate at the Chicago Community Trust. She has served on the Advisory Council of the National Zoological Park, the Governors Science Advisory Council (Illinois) and the Nancy Ryerson Ranney Leadership Grants Program. She has served on the
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Boards of Brushwood Center and the Donors Forum. Ms. Stockdale, a native of the United Kingdom, has a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Durham (UK) and a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University.
Carole E. Stone
Ms. Stone is currently on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Holdings, Inc. and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated. Ms. Stone retired from the New York State Division of the Budget in 2004, having served as its Director for nearly five years and as Deputy Director from 1995 through 1999. She has also served as the Chair of the New York Racing Association Oversight Board, as a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. Ms. Stone has a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College in Business Administration.
Terence J. Toth
Mr. Toth is a Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008). From 2008 to 2013, he was a Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. From 2004 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of Northern Trust Global Investments, and Executive Vice President of Quantitative Management & Securities Lending from 2000 to 2004. He also formerly served on the Board of the Northern Trust Mutual Funds. He joined Northern Trust in 1994 after serving as Managing Director and Head of Global Securities Lending at Bankers Trust (1986 to 1994) and Head of Government Trading and Cash Collateral Investment at Northern Trust from 1982 to 1986. He currently serves on the Boards of Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010), Quality Control Corporation (since 2012) and Catalyst Schools of Chicago (since 2008). He is on the Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and is Chair of its investment committee and previously served as a Director of LogicMark LLC (2012-2016). Mr. Toth graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, and received his MBA from New York University. In 2005, he graduated from the CEO Perspectives Program at Northwestern University.
Margaret L. Wolff
Ms. Wolff retired from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2014 after more than 30 years of providing client service in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. During her legal career, Ms. Wolff devoted significant time to advising boards and senior management on U.S. and international corporate, securities, regulatory and strategic matters, including governance, shareholder, fiduciary, operational and management issues. Since 2013, she has been a Board member of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each of which is a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). Ms. Wolff has been a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2005 and, since 2004, she has served as a trustee of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults) where she currently is the Chair. From 2005 to 2015, she was a trustee of Mt. Holyoke College and served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011 to 2015. Ms. Wolff received her Bachelor of Arts from Mt. Holyoke College and her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
The following table shows, for each independent trustee, (1) the aggregate compensation (including deferred amounts) paid by the Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, (2) the amount of total compensation paid by the Fund that has been deferred, and (3) the total compensation (including deferred amounts) paid to each trustee by the Nuveen Funds during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. Pursuant to the Boards deferred compensation plan, a portion of the independent trustees compensation may be deferred and treated as though an equivalent dollar amount has been invested in shares of one or more eligible Nuveen Funds. The amount of total compensation that has been deferred provided below represents the total deferred fees (including the return from the assumed investment in the eligible Nuveen Funds) payable from the Fund.
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation From Fund |
Amount of Total
Compensation that Has Been Deferred |
Total Compensation
From Nuveen Funds Paid to Trustee |
|||||||||
Jack B. Evans | $ | 5,928 | $ | 622 | $ | 341,589 | ||||||
William C. Hunter | 5,718 | | 327,750 |
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Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation From Fund |
Amount of Total
Compensation that Has Been Deferred |
Total Compensation
From Nuveen Funds Paid to Trustee |
|||||||||
David J. Kundert | $ | 5,831 | $ | 5,831 | $ | 330,085 | ||||||
Albin F. Moschner 1 | 1,377 | | 70,000 | |||||||||
John K. Nelson | 5,979 | | 329,500 | |||||||||
William J. Schneider | 6,888 | 6,888 | 385,439 | |||||||||
Judith M. Stockdale | 5,596 | 936 | 320,130 | |||||||||
Carole E. Stone | 5,938 | 3,037 | 331,786 | |||||||||
Terence J. Toth | 6,040 | 1,075 | 340,230 | |||||||||
Margaret L. Wolff 2 | 2,684 | 933 | 119,449 |
1 |
Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
2 |
Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016. |
Prior to January 1, 2016, independent trustees received a $160,000 annual retainer plus (a) a fee of $5,250 per day for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acted as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board received $75,000, the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee received $12,500 each and the chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee received $5,000 as additional retainers. Independent trustees also received a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provided services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting was held. When ad hoc committees were organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee at the time of formation determined compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees were $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses were allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management might have, in its discretion, established a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.
Effective January 1, 2016, independent trustees receive a $170,000 annual retainer, which is increased to $177,500 as of January 1, 2017, plus they receive (a) a fee of $5,500 per day, which is increased to $5,750 per day as of January 1, 2017, for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly
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scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acts as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board receives $80,000, and the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee receive $12,500 each as additional retainers. Independent trustees also receive a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provide services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting is held. When ad hoc committees are organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee will at the time of formation determine compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees will be $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management may, in its discretion, establish a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.
The Trust does not have a retirement or pension plan. The Trust has a deferred compensation plan (the Deferred Compensation Plan ) that permits any independent trustee to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her compensation as an independent trustee. The deferred compensation of a participating trustee is credited to a book reserve account of the Trust when the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the trustee. The value of the trustees deferral account at any time is equal to the value that the account would have had if contributions to the account had been invested and reinvested in shares of one or more of the eligible Nuveen Funds. At the time for commencing distributions from a trustees deferral account, the independent trustee may elect to receive distributions in a lump sum or over a period of five years. The Trust will not be liable for any other funds obligations to make distributions under the Deferred Compensation Plan.
The Fund has no employees. The officers of the Trust and the trustees of the Trust who are not independent trustees serve without any compensation from the Fund.
The information in the table below discloses the dollar ranges of (i) each trustees beneficial ownership in the Fund, and (ii) each trustees aggregate beneficial ownership in all funds within the
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Nuveen Funds complex, including in each case the value of fund shares elected by the trustee in the trustees deferred compensation plan, based on the value of fund shares as of December 31, 2016:
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies |
||
William Adams IV | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Margo L. Cook 1 | $10,001-$50,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
Jack B. Evans | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
William C. Hunter | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
David J. Kundert | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Albin F. Moschner 2 | $0 | $0 | ||
John K. Nelson | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
William J. Schneider | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
Judith M. Stockdale | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Carole E. Stone | $0 | Over $100,000 | ||
Terence J. Toth | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
Margaret L. Wolff 3 | $0 | $50,001-$100,000 |
1 |
Ms. Cook was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
2 |
Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016. |
3 |
Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016. |
As of January 3, 2017, the officers and trustees of the Trust, in the aggregate, owned less than 1% of the shares of the Fund.
As of January 3, 2017, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned, beneficially, or of record, any securities in (i) an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or (ii) a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund.
Trustees of the Trust and certain other Fund affiliates may purchase the Funds Class I shares. See the Funds Prospectus for details.
Nuveen Fund Advisors, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the investment adviser of the Fund, with responsibility for the overall management of the Fund. The Adviser is also responsible for managing the Funds business affairs and providing day-to-day administrative services to the Fund. The Adviser has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, to serve as sub-adviser to manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. For additional information regarding the management services performed by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, see Who Manages the Fund in the Prospectus.
The Adviser is an affiliate of the Distributor, which is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Distributor is the principal underwriter for the Nuveen Mutual Funds, and has served as co-managing underwriter for the shares of the Nuveen Closed-End Funds. The Adviser and the Distributor are subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments.
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Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management, the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America ( TIAA ).
For the management services and facilities furnished by the Adviser, the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee at a rate set forth in the Prospectus under Who Manages the Fund.
The Funds management fee is divided into two componentsa complex-level fee based on the aggregate amount of all eligible Nuveen Fund assets and a specific fund-level fee based only on the amount of assets within the Fund. This pricing structure enables Fund shareholders to benefit from growth in the assets within the Fund as well as from growth in the amount of complex-wide assets managed by the Adviser. Under no circumstances will this pricing structure result in the Fund paying management fees at a rate higher than would otherwise have been applicable had the complex-wide management fee structure not been implemented.
The Fund has agreed to pay an annual fund-level management fee, payable monthly, based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund as set forth in the Prospectus.
The annual complex-level management fee for the Fund, payable monthly, which is additive to the fund-level fee, is based on the aggregate amount of total eligible assets managed for all Nuveen Funds as stated in the table below:
Complex-Level
Asset
|
Effective Rate at
Breakpoint Level |
|||
$55 billion |
0.2000 | % | ||
$56 billion |
0.1996 | % | ||
$57 billion |
0.1989 | % | ||
$60 billion |
0.1961 | % | ||
$63 billion |
0.1931 | % | ||
$66 billion |
0.1900 | % | ||
$71 billion |
0.1851 | % | ||
$76 billion |
0.1806 | % | ||
$80 billion |
0.1773 | % | ||
$91 billion |
0.1691 | % | ||
$125 billion |
0.1599 | % | ||
$200 billion |
0.1505 | % | ||
$250 billion |
0.1469 | % | ||
$300 billion |
0.1445 | % |
* | The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily eligible assets of all Nuveen Funds. Except as described below, eligible assets include the net assets of all Nuveen-branded closed-end and open-end registered investment companies organized in the United States. Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen Funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen Fund complex in connection with Nuveen Fund Advisors assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011. Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by the Adviser that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the closed-end funds use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trusts issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by the Adviser as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. As of September 30, 2016, the complex-level fee rate was 0.1607%. |
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The following tables set forth the management fees (net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements) paid by the Fund and the fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser for the specified periods.
In addition to the Advisers management fee, the Fund also pays a portion of the Trusts general administrative expenses allocated in proportion to the net assets of the Fund. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.
The Adviser has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, to serve as sub-adviser to manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. The Adviser pays Nuveen Asset Management a portfolio management fee out of the advisory fee paid to the Adviser for its services to the Fund.
Douglas M. Baker, CFA, and Brenda A. Langenfeld, CFA, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the investment strategies of the Fund.
Compensation
Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of base pay, an annual cash bonus and long-term incentive payments.
Base pay. Base pay is determined based upon an analysis of the portfolio managers general performance, experience, and market levels of base pay for such position.
Annual cash bonus . The Funds portfolio managers are eligible for an annual cash bonus based on investment performance, qualitative evaluation and financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management.
A portion of each portfolio managers annual cash bonus is based on the Funds pre-tax investment performance, generally measured over the past one- and three- or five-year periods unless the portfolio managers tenure is shorter. Investment performance for the Fund generally is determined by evaluating the Funds performance relative to its benchmark(s) and/or Lipper industry peer group.
A portion of the cash bonus is based on a qualitative evaluation made by each portfolio managers supervisor taking into consideration a number of factors, including the portfolio managers team collaboration, expense management, support of personnel responsible for asset growth, and his or her compliance with Nuveen Asset Managements policies and procedures.
The final factor influencing a portfolio managers cash bonus is the financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management based on its operating earnings.
Long-term incentive compensation . Certain key employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, including certain portfolio managers, participate in a Long-Term Performance Plan designed to provide compensation opportunities that links a portion of each participants compensation to Nuveen Investments financial and operational performance. In addition, certain key employees of Nuveen Asset Management, including certain portfolio managers, have received profits interests in Nuveen Asset Management which entitle their holders to participate in the firms growth over time.
There are generally no differences between the methods used to determine compensation with respect to the Fund and the Other Accounts shown in the table below.
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Other Accounts Managed
In addition to the Fund, as of September 30, 2016, the portfolio managers were also primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the following accounts:
Portfolio Manager |
Type of Account Managed |
Number
of Accounts |
Assets |
Number of
Accounts with Performance- Based Fees |
Assets of
Accounts with Performance- Based Fees |
|||||||||||||
Douglas M. Baker |
Registered Investment Companies | 6 | $ | 3.9 billion | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | 435.2 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 496 | 581.2 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Brenda A. Langenfeld |
Registered Investment Companies | 5 | 4.2 billion | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | 187.2 million | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Other Accounts | 386 | 558.1 million | 0 | 0 |
Conflicts of Interest
Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented a number of potential conflicts, including, among others, those discussed below.
The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most accounts managed by a portfolio manager in a particular investment strategy are managed using the same investment models.
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, Nuveen Asset Management has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts.
With respect to many of its clients accounts, Nuveen Asset Management determines which broker to use to execute transaction orders, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, Nuveen Asset Management may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, Nuveen Asset Management may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for the Fund and other accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other accounts.
Some clients are subject to different regulations. As a consequence of this difference in regulatory requirements, some clients may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions or to engage in these transactions to the same extent as the other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where Nuveen Asset Management has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.
Nuveen Asset Management has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
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Beneficial Ownership of Securities
The following table indicates as of September 30, 2016 the value, within the indicated range, of shares beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Fund. For purposes of this table, the following letters indicate the range listed next to each letter:
A |
- | $0 | ||||
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 |
- | More than $1 million |
Portfolio Manager |
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities Beneficially Owned in Fund Managed |
|||
Douglas M. Baker | C | |||
Brenda A. Langenfeld | C |
The Funds transfer, shareholder services, and dividend paying agent is Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. ( BFDS ), P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530.
The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services.
Nuveen Securities, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the distributor for the Funds shares pursuant to a best efforts arrangement as provided by a Distribution Agreement dated December 15, 2006 (the Distribution Agreement ). Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Fund appointed the Distributor to be its agent for the distribution of the Funds shares on a continuous offering basis.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
KPMG LLP, 200 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601, independent registered public accounting firm, has been selected as auditors for the Fund.
The Fund, the Adviser, Nuveen Asset Management and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and with respect to the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Acts of 1940, as amended, addressing personal securities transactions and other conduct by investment personnel and access persons who may have access to information about the Funds securities transactions. The codes are intended to address potential conflicts of interest that can arise in connection with personal trading activities of such persons. Persons subject to the codes are generally permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including investing in securities eligible for investment by the Fund, subject to certain prohibitions, which may include prohibitions on investing in certain types of securities, pre-clearance requirements, blackout periods, annual and quarterly reporting of personal securities holdings and limitations on personal trading of initial public offerings. Violations of the codes are subject to review by the Board of Trustees and could result in severe penalties.
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The Fund has delegated authority to the Adviser to vote proxies for securities held by the Fund, and the Adviser has in turn delegated that responsibility to the Sub-Adviser. The Advisers proxy voting policy establishes minimum standards for the exercise of proxy voting authority by the Sub-Adviser.
A member of the Funds management team is responsible for oversight of the Funds proxy voting process. With regard to equity securities, Nuveen Asset Management has engaged the services of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ( ISS ) to make recommendations on the voting of proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and managed by Nuveen Asset Management. ISS provides voting recommendations based upon established guidelines and practices. Nuveen Asset Management reviews and frequently follows ISS recommendations. However, on selected issues, Nuveen Asset Management may not vote in accordance with the ISS recommendations when it believes that specific ISS recommendations are not in the best economic interest of the Fund. If Nuveen Asset Management manages the assets of a company or its pension plan and any of Nuveen Asset Managements clients hold any securities of that company, Nuveen Asset Management will vote proxies relating to such companys securities in accordance with the ISS recommendations to avoid any conflict of interest. Where a material conflict of interest has been identified by Nuveen Asset Management and ISS does not offer a recommendation on the matter, Nuveen Asset Management shall disclose the conflict and Nuveen Asset Managements Proxy Voting Committee shall determine the manner in which to vote and notify the Funds Board of Trustees or its designated committee.
Although Nuveen Asset Management has affiliates that provide investment advisory, broker-dealer, insurance or other financial services, Nuveen Asset Management does not receive non-public information about the business arrangements of such affiliates (except with regard to major distribution partners of its investment products) or the directors, officers and employees of such affiliates. Therefore, Nuveen Asset Management is unable to consider such information when determining whether there are material conflicts of interests.
Nuveen Asset Management has adopted the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines. While these guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, they do provide guidance on the Sub-Advisers general voting policies. Please see Appendix B for the ISS United States Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines.
Voted Proxies. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge by accessing Nuveens website at http://www.nuveen.com or the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund and for the placement of the Funds securities business, the negotiation of the commissions to be paid on brokered transactions, the prices for principal trades in securities, and the allocation of portfolio brokerage and principal business. It is the policy of Nuveen Asset Management to seek the best execution at the best security price available with respect to each transaction, and with respect to brokered transactions, in light of the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided to the adviser and its advisees. The best price to the Fund means the best net price without regard to the mix between purchase or sale price and commission, if any. Purchases may be made from underwriters, dealers, and, on occasion, the issuers. Commissions will be paid on the Funds futures and options transactions, if any. The purchase price of portfolio securities purchased from an underwriter or dealer may include underwriting commissions and dealer spreads. The Fund may pay mark-ups on principal transactions. In selecting broker-dealers and in negotiating commissions, the portfolio managers consider, among other things, the firms reliability, the quality of its execution services on a continuing basis and its financial condition. Brokerage will not be allocated based on the sale of the Funds shares.
On behalf of the Fund, Nuveen Asset Management may seek to buy from or sell securities to another fund or account advised by Nuveen Asset Management or an affiliate. Nuveen Asset
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Management may effect purchases and sales between its clients or clients of its affiliates, including the Fund (referred to herein as cross trades ), if it believes that such transactions are appropriate based on each partys investment objectives and guidelines, subject to applicable law and regulation. Cross trades may give rise to potential conflicts of interest for Nuveen Asset Management. On any occasion when the Fund participates in a cross trade, the Fund will comply with procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and applicable SEC guidance.
Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 permits an investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer who supplies brokerage and research services a commission for effecting the transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction. Brokerage and research services include, but are not limited to, (a) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (b) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (c) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody).
In light of the above, in selecting brokers, the portfolio managers consider investment and market information and other research, such as economic, securities and performance measurement research, provided by such brokers, and the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, performance and financial responsibility. Accordingly, the commissions charged by any such broker may be greater than the amount another firm might charge if the portfolio managers determine in good faith that the amount of such commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the research information and brokerage services provided by such broker to Nuveen Asset Management or the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management believes that the research information received in this manner provides the Fund with benefits by supplementing the research otherwise available to the Fund. The Investment Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement provide that such higher commissions will not be paid by the Fund unless Nuveen Asset Management determines in good faith that the amount is reasonable in relation to the services provided. The investment advisory fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement and the sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser to Nuveen Asset Management under the Sub-Advisory Agreement are not reduced as a result of receipt by either the Adviser or Nuveen Asset Management of research services.
Nuveen Asset Management places portfolio transactions for other advisory accounts managed by it. Research services furnished by firms through which the Fund effects its securities transactions may be used by Nuveen Asset Management in servicing all of its accounts; not all of such services may be used by Nuveen Asset Management in connection with the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management believes it is not possible to measure separately the benefits from research services to each of the accounts (including the Fund) managed by it. Because the volume and nature of the trading activities of the accounts are not uniform, the amount of commissions in excess of those charged by another broker paid by each account for brokerage and research services will vary. However, Nuveen Asset Management believes such costs to the Fund will not be disproportionate to the benefits received by the Fund on a continuing basis. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by the Fund and another advisory account. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or the amount of securities available to the Fund. In making such allocations between the Fund and other advisory accounts, the main factors considered by Nuveen Asset Management are the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment and the size of investment commitments generally held.
The following table sets forth the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund for the specified periods:
Aggregate Amount of
Brokerage Commissions |
||||||||||
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
9/30/15 |
10/01/15-
9/30/16 |
||||||||
$ | 10,803 | $ | 17,541 | $ | 14,768 |
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During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund did not pay commissions to brokers in return for research services.
The Fund has acquired during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 the securities of its regular brokers or dealers as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act or of the parents of the brokers or dealers. The following table sets forth those brokers or dealers and states the value of the Funds aggregate holdings of the securities of each issuer as of close of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016:
Broker/Dealer |
Issuer |
Aggregate Fund
Holdings of Broker/Dealer or Parent (as of September 30, 2016) |
||||
Barclays Bank PLC | Barclays Bank PLC, 10.180%, 6/12/21 | $ | 7,858,877 | |||
Barclays PLC, 8.250% | 59,550,468 | |||||
Barclays Bank PLC, Interest Rate Swap | (5,222,202 | )* | ||||
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | Citigroup Inc., 8.125% | 4,199,140 | ||||
Citigroup Inc., 7.125% | 17,819,580 | |||||
Citigroup Capital III, 7.625% | 5,029,704 | |||||
Citigroup Inc., 6.250% | 10,987,307 | |||||
Citigroup Inc., 6.125% | 28,022,800 | |||||
Citigroup Inc., 5.875% | 22,310,900 | |||||
Wells Fargo Securities LLC | Wells Fargo & Company, 7.980% | 29,500,038 | ||||
Wells Fargo & Company, 5.875% | 43,736,350 | |||||
Wells Fargo REIT | 5,475,932 | |||||
JP Morgan Securities, Inc. | JPMorgan Chase & Company, 6.750% | 37,419,400 | ||||
JPMorgan Chase & Company, 5.300% | 37,062,700 | |||||
Morgan Stanley & Co. International | Morgan Stanley, 7.125% | 38,803,083 | ||||
Morgan Stanley, 6.875% | 16,291,859 | |||||
Morgan Stanley, 5.550% | 16,329,788 | |||||
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | | ||||
Credit Suisse Securities LLC | Credit Suisse Group AG, 7.500% | 34,817,416 | ||||
State Street Bank and Trust Co. | State Street Corporation | 4,362,613 | ||||
State Street Corporation, 5.350% | 4,557,459 | |||||
Fixed Income Clearing Corporation Repurchase Agreement | 28,097,691 |
* | Amounts represent unrealized appreciation/depreciation as of September 30, 2016. |
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not purchase portfolio securities from any underwriting syndicate of which the Distributor is a member except under certain limited conditions set forth in Rule 10f-3. The Rule sets forth requirements relating to, among other things, the terms of a security purchased by the Fund, the amount of securities that may be purchased in any one issue and the assets of the Fund that may be invested in a particular issue. In addition, purchases of securities made pursuant to the terms of the Rule must be approved at least quarterly by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the independent trustees.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted a portfolio holdings disclosure policy which governs the dissemination of the Funds portfolio holdings. In accordance with this policy, the Fund may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties no earlier than the time a report is filed with the SEC that is required to contain such information or one day after the information is posted on the Funds publicly accessible website, www.nuveen.com. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Funds website ten business days after the end of the month. Additionally, the Fund publishes on the website a list of its top ten holdings as of the end of each
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month, approximately two to five business days after the end of the month for which the information is current. This information will remain available on the website at least until the Fund files with the SEC its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q for the period that includes the date as of which the website information is current.
Additionally, the Fund may disclose portfolio holdings information that has not been included in a filing with the SEC or posted on the Funds website (i.e., non-public portfolio holdings information) only if there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so and if the recipient is required, either by explicit agreement or by virtue of the recipients duties to the Fund as an agent or service provider, to maintain the confidentiality of the information and to not use the information in an improper manner (e.g., personal trading). In this connection, the Fund may disclose on an ongoing basis non-public portfolio holdings information in the normal course of its investment and administrative operations to various service providers, including the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, independent registered public accounting firm, custodian, financial printer, proxy voting service(s), and to the legal counsel for the Funds independent trustees. Also, the Adviser may transmit to service providers non-public portfolio holdings information to enable the Adviser to perform portfolio attribution analysis using third-party systems and software programs. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may also provide certain portfolio holdings information to broker-dealers from time to time in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities. In providing this information, reasonable precautions are taken in an effort to avoid potential misuse of the disclosed information, including limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, when appropriate. The Fund, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser do not receive compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of portfolio holdings.
Non-public portfolio holdings information may be provided to other persons if approved by the Funds Chief Administrative Officer or Secretary upon a determination that there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so, the disclosure is consistent with the interests of the Fund, and the recipient is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information and not misuse it, which includes a prohibition on trading on such non-public information.
Compliance officers of the Fund and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically monitor overall compliance with the policy to ascertain whether portfolio holdings information is disclosed in a manner that is consistent with the Funds policy. Reports are made to the Funds Board of Trustees on an annual basis.
There is no assurance that the Funds policies on portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of portfolio holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of such information.
The following parties currently receive non-public portfolio holdings information regarding one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds on an ongoing basis pursuant to the various arrangements described above:
ADP Investor Communications Services
Advent
Barclays Capital, Inc.
Barra
Bloomberg
Broadridge Systems
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
Chapman and Cutler LLP
Eagle Investment Systems, LLC
Electra Information Systems
FactSet Research Systems
Financial Graphic Services
Glass, Lewis & Co.
ISS
Interactive Data Pricing and Reference
Investortools
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KPMG LLP
Lipper Inc.
Markit
Moodys
Morningstar, Inc.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricingDirect Inc.
R.R. Donnelley
Rimes Technologies Corporation
SS&C
Standard & Poors
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
Strategic Insight
ThomsonReuters LLC
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
U.S. Bank N.A.
Wolters Kluwer
The Funds net asset value is determined as set forth in the Prospectus under General InformationNet Asset Value.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series, which may be divided into classes of shares. Currently, there are six series authorized and outstanding, each of which may be generally divided into different classes of shares designated as Class A shares, Class C shares, Class R3 shares, Class R6 shares, Class I shares and Class T shares. Each class of shares represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments of the Fund. Each class of shares has equal rights as to voting, redemption, dividends and liquidation, except that each bears different class expenses, including different distribution and service fees, and each has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. The Board of Trustees of the Trust has the right to establish additional series and classes of shares in the future, to change those series or classes and to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof.
The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Fund have the right to call a special meeting to remove trustees or for any other purpose.
Under Massachusetts law applicable to Massachusetts business trusts, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations. However, the Declaration of Trust of the Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Trusts Declaration of Trust further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or the Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust believes the likelihood of the occurrence of these circumstances is remote.
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The following table sets forth the percentage ownership of each person, who, as of January 3, 2017, owned of record, or is known by the Trust to have owned beneficially, 5% or more of any class of the Funds shares.
Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
|
American Enterprise Investment Serv 707 2 nd Ave S Minneapolis MN 55402-2405 |
|
21.54% |
|
||
National Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers Attn Mutual Fund Dept 4 th Floor 499 Washington Blvd Jersey City NJ 07310-2010 |
17.93% | |||||
Charles Schwab & Co Inc For the Benefit of their Customers 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
12.32% | |||||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Mutual Fund Trading 4707 Executive Dr San Diego CA 92121-3091 |
6.67% | |||||
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive Benefit of Customer 2801 Market Street St Louis MO 63103-2523 |
6.52% | |||||
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City NJ 07399-0002 |
6.42% | |||||
MLPF&S for the Benefit of its Customers Attn Fund Admin / 4800 Deer Lake Dr E Fl 3 Jacksonville FL 32246-6484 |
5.91% | |||||
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive Benefit of Customer 2801 Market Street St Louis MO 63103-2523 |
|
19.52% |
|
||
MLPF&S for the Benefit of its Customers Attn Fund Admin / 4800 Deer Lake Dr E Fl 3 Jacksonville FL 32246-6484 |
15.47% | |||||
American Enterprise Investment Serv 707 2 nd Ave S Minneapolis MN 55402-2405 |
10.22% |
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Charles Schwab & Co Inc Special Custody Acct FBO Customers Attn Mutual Funds 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
9.34% | |||||
UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI 1000 Harbor Blvd Weehawken NJ 07086-6761 |
7.89% | |||||
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harborside Financial Center Plaza 2 3 rd Floor Jersey City NJ 07311 |
7.89% | |||||
Raymond James Omnibus for Mutual Funds House Acct Attn: Courtney Waller 880 Carillon Parkway St Petersburg FL 33716-1102 |
7.36% | |||||
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City NJ 07399-0002 |
7.13% | |||||
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
|
MLPF&S for the Benefit of its Customers Attn Fund Admin / 4800 Deer Lake Dr E Fl 3 Jacksonville FL 32246-6484 |
|
75.09% |
|
||
National Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers Attn Mutual Fund Dept 4 th Floor 499 Washington Blvd Jersey City NJ 07310-2010 |
20.49% | |||||
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
|
Nuveen Strategy Balanced Allocation Fund 333 West Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
|
33.44% |
|
||
Nuveen Strategy Growth Allocation Fund 333 West Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
28.28% | |||||
Nuveen Multi-Asset Income Fund 333 W Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
8.93% |
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Name of Fund and Class |
Name and Address of Owner |
Percentage of
Ownership |
||||
Ascensus Trust Company FBO CCBSA & MSJ 401(K) Plan P.O. Box 10758 Fargo ND 58106-0758 |
7.53% | |||||
Nuveen Strategy Conservative Allocation Fund 333 West Wacker Dr Chicago IL 60606-1220 |
5.69% | |||||
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
|
National Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers Attn Mutual Fund Dept 4 th Floor 499 Washington Blvd Jersey City NJ 07310-2010 |
|
28.37% |
|
||
Charles Schwab & Co Inc Attn Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn Mutual Funds 211 Main St San Francisco CA 94105-1905 |
14.68% | |||||
MLPF&S for the Benefit of its Customers Attn Fund Admn/ 4800 Deer Lake Dr E Fl 3 Jacksonville FL 32246-6484 |
7.21% | |||||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Mutual Fund Trading 4707 Executive Dr San Diego CA 92121-3091 |
5.35% | |||||
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive Benefit of Customer 2801 Market Street St Louis MO 63103-2523 |
5.35% |
This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and this summary does not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, this summary generally does not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer or other investor with special circumstances, or if you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, Funds counsel was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be deposited in the Fund. Consequently, this summary may not be sufficient for you to use for
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the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law. As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax professional.
The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes. If the Fund fails for any taxable year to qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes, the Fund itself will generally be subject to federal income taxation (which will reduce the amount of Fund income available for distribution) and your tax consequences will be different from those described in this section (for example, all distributions to you will generally be taxed as ordinary income, even if those distributions are derived from capital gains realized by the Fund).
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain ( i.e. , the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for the year (the Distribution Requirement ) and satisfies certain other requirements of the Code that are generally described below. The Fund also intends to make such distributions as are necessary to avoid the otherwise applicable 4% non-deductible excise tax on certain undistributed earnings.
In addition to satisfying the Distribution Requirement, the Fund must, among other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or disposition of stock, securities or non-U.S. currencies and 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, and (2) net income derived from an interest in qualified publicly traded partnerships (as such term is defined in the Code). The Fund must also satisfy an asset diversification test in order to qualify as a regulated investment company. Under this test, at the close of each quarter of the Funds taxable year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Funds assets must be represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), United States government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Funds assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds assets may be invested in securities of (a) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (b) in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (as such term is defined in the Code). There are certain exceptions for failure to qualify if the failure is for reasonable cause or is de minimis and certain corrective action is taken and certain tax payments are made by the Fund.
Fund distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the Funds distributions into three categories, ordinary income distributions, capital gain dividends and returns of capital. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate, however, as further discussed below, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be immediately taxable to you unless the distribution exceeds your basis in your shares. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund
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that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year. Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8 percent Medicare tax. This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.
A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction ( DRD ) with respect to dividends received from the Fund, because the DRD is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, the Fund may invest in preferred securities that are eligible for the DRD. Pursuant to the DRD, corporations may generally deduct 70% of the dividend income they receive. Corporate shareholders of a regulated investment company like the Fund generally are permitted to claim a deduction with respect to that portion of their distributions designated by the Fund and attributable to amounts received by the regulated investment company that qualify for the DRD and that are properly reported by the regulated investment company as being eligible for the DRD. However, not all preferred securities pay dividends that are eligible for the DRD, and the Fund may invest in DRD-eligible and DRD-ineligible preferred securities. Accordingly, any corporate shareholder of the Fund which otherwise would qualify for the DRD should understand that only a portion (or perhaps none) of the distributions it receives from the Fund may qualify for the DRD.
If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares.
Taxation of Capital Gains and Losses
If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gains is generally 20% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket, 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% tax brackets and 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. Some capital gain dividends from the Fund may be subject to a higher marginal stated federal tax rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.
Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your share at a loss after holding it for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.
Taxation of Certain Ordinary Income Dividends
Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates.
Under certain circumstances, as described in the Prospectus, you may receive an in-kind distribution of Fund securities when you redeem shares or when the Fund terminates. This distribution will be treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes and you will generally recognize gain or loss,
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generally based on the value at that time of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service could, however, assert that a loss may not be currently deducted.
If you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund, the exchange would generally be considered a sale for federal income tax purposes.
Deductibility of Fund Expenses
Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of the Fund expenses as income. In these cases you may be able to take a deduction for these expenses. However, certain miscellaneous itemized deductions, such as investment expenses, may be deducted by individuals only to the extent that all of these deductions exceed 2% of the individuals adjusted gross income. Some individuals may also be subject to further limitations on the amount of their itemized deductions, depending on their income.
If the Fund invests in any non-U.S. securities, the tax statement that you receive may include an item showing non-U.S. taxes the Fund paid to other countries. In this case, dividends taxed to you will include your share of the taxes the Fund paid to other countries. You may be able to deduct or receive a tax credit for your share of these taxes.
Investments in Certain Non-U.S. Corporations
If the Fund holds an equity interest in any passive foreign investment companies ( PFICs ), which are generally certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax. Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.
If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and will be subject to U.S. income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met.
Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain foreign investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. In addition, distributions in respect of shares may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% in the case of distributions to (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that
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has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entitys U.S. owners. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2018.
When the Fund has a capital loss carry-forward, it does not make capital gain distributions until the loss has been offset or expired. As of September 30, 2016, the Fund had capital loss carry-forwards available for federal income tax purposes, expiring in the year indicated.
Expiration Year |
Capital Loss
|
|
* | $543,841 |
* | Not subject to expiration. |
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES
As described in the Prospectus, the Fund provides you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs and preferences.
Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments. Each class of shares is identical in all respects except that each class bears its own class expenses, including distribution and administration expenses, and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. As a result of the differences in the expenses borne by each class of shares, net income per share, dividends per share and net asset value per share will vary among the Funds classes of shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights.
Shareholders of each class will share expenses proportionately for services that are received equally by all shareholders. A particular class of shares will bear only those expenses that are directly attributable to that class, where the type or amount of services received by a class varies from one class to another. For example, class-specific expenses generally will include distribution and service fees for those classes that pay such fees.
The expenses to be borne by specific classes of shares may include (i) transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class of shares, (ii) printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, prospectuses and proxy statements to current shareholders of a specific class of shares, (iii) SEC and state securities registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, (iv) the expense of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class of shares, (v) litigation or other legal expenses relating to a specific class of shares, (vi) trustees fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares, (vii) accounting expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (viii) any additional incremental expenses subsequently identified and determined to be properly allocated to one or more classes of shares.
Class A shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. Shareholders may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan. Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class A shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase on September 30, 2016 of Class A shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class A shares.
Net asset value per share |
$ | 17.14 | ||
Per share sales charge4.75% of public offering price (4.96% of net asset value per share) |
0.85 | |||
|
|
|||
Per share offering price to the public |
$ | 17.99 | ||
|
|
The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class A shares that are sold. The Distributor retains the full applicable sales charge from which it pays the uniform reallowances shown in the Prospectus to financial intermediaries.
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Class A shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class A shares.
Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares
The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary.
Rights of Accumulation. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund if the amount of your purchase, when added to the value that day of all of your shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, falls within the amounts stated in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in How You Can Buy and Sell Shares in the Prospectus. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent of any cumulative discount whenever you plan to purchase Class A shares of the Fund that you wish to qualify for a reduced sales charge.
Letter of Intent. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund if you plan to purchase Class A shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds over the next 13 months and the total amount of your purchases would, if purchased at one time, qualify you for one of the reduced sales charges shown in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in How You Can Buy and Sell Shares in the Prospectus. In order to take advantage of this option, you must complete the applicable section of the Application Form or sign and deliver to your financial advisor or other financial intermediary or to the Funds transfer agent a written Letter of Intent in a form acceptable to the Distributor. A Letter of Intent states that you intend, but are not obligated, to purchase over the next 13 months a stated total amount of Class A shares that would qualify you for a reduced sales charge shown above. You may count shares of all Nuveen Mutual Funds that you already own and any Class C and Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund that you purchase over the next 13 months towards completion of your investment program, but you will receive a reduced sales charge only on new Class A shares you purchase with a sales charge over the 13 months. You cannot count towards completion of your investment program Class A shares that you purchase without a sales charge through investment of distributions from a Nuveen Mutual Fund or a Nuveen Defined Portfolio, or otherwise.
By establishing a Letter of Intent, you agree that your first purchase of Class A shares of the Fund following execution of the Letter of Intent will be at least 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases. You further agree that shares representing 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases will be held in escrow pending completion of these purchases. All dividends and capital gain distributions on Class A shares held in escrow will be credited to your account. If total purchases, less redemptions, prior to the expiration of the 13 month period equal or exceed the amount specified in your Letter of Intent, the Class A shares held in escrow will be transferred to your account. If the total purchases, less redemptions, are less than the amount specified, you must pay the Distributor an amount equal to the difference between the amounts paid for these purchases and the amounts which would have been paid if the higher sales charge had been applied. If you do not pay the additional amount within 20 days after written request by the Distributor or your financial advisor, the Distributor will redeem an appropriate number of your escrowed Class A shares to meet the required payment. By establishing a Letter of Intent, you irrevocably appoint the Distributor as attorney to give instructions to redeem any or all of your escrowed shares, with full power of substitution in the premises.
You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Fund shares that you wish to be covered under the Letter of Intent option.
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For purposes of determining whether you qualify for a reduced sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent , you may include together with your own purchases those made by your spouse or domestic partner and your children under the age of 21 years, whether these purchases are made through a taxable or non-taxable account. You may also include purchases made by a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship which is 100% owned, either alone or in combination, by any of the foregoing. In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).
Elimination of Sales Charge on Class A Shares. Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge by the following categories of investors:
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investors purchasing $1,000,000 or more; |
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investors purchasing shares through the reinvestment of Nuveen Mutual Fund dividends and capital gain distributions; |
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current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds; |
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current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates or their immediate family members (immediate family members are defined as their spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a siblings spouse and a spouses siblings); |
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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, or their immediate family members; |
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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; |
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investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; |
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clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; |
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employer-sponsored retirement plans as defined below, except that, in the case of employer-sponsored retirement plans held through a brokerage account, Class A shares will be available at net asset value without a sales charge only if the broker-dealer has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for such purchases. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. For this purpose, employer-sponsored retirement plans include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, health savings accounts, defined benefit plans, participant directed non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Roth 401(k) plans and Roth 403(b) plans, and do not include SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs (except as described below), SIMPLE 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, KEOGH plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and single defined benefit plans; |
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SIMPLE IRAs opened before January 1, 2011 where Nuveen Securities, LLC is the broker of record; and |
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investors purchasing through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Funds shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. Intermediaries that have entered into such an agreement are listed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. |
You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Funds transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund that you wish to be covered under these special sales charge waivers.
Class A shares of the Fund may be issued at net asset value without a sales charge in connection with the acquisition by the Fund of another investment company. All purchases under the special sales charge waivers will be subject to minimum purchase requirements as established by the Fund.
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The reduced sales charge programs may be modified or discontinued by the Fund at any time. For more information about the purchase of Class A shares or the reduced sales charge program, or to obtain the required application forms, call Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787.
You may purchase Class C shares at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee of 0.75% to compensate the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission. Class C shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing financial advice and other account services. The Distributor compensates financial intermediaries for sales of Class C shares at the time of the sale at a rate of 1.00% of the amount of Class C shares purchased, which represents an advance of the first years distribution fee of 0.75% plus an advance on the first years annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan.
Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $1,000,000 will not be accepted. In addition, Class C share purchase orders for a single purchaser that, when added to the value that day of all of such purchasers shares of any class of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, cause the purchasers cumulative total of shares in Nuveen Mutual Funds to equal or exceed $1,000,000 will not be accepted. Your financial intermediary may set a lower maximum for Class C shares. Shareholders purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares above.
Redemption of Class C shares within 12 months of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ( CDSC ) of 1.00% of the lower of the purchase price or redemption proceeds. Because Class C shares do not convert to Class A shares and continue to pay an annual distribution fee indefinitely, Class C shares should normally not be purchased by an investor who expects to hold shares for significantly longer than eight years.
Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class C shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class C shares.
Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
The availability of the sales charge reductions and waivers discussed below will depend upon whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of these reductions or waivers. Information on intermediaries variations from the reductions and waivers discussed below are disclosed in the appendix to the Prospectus titled Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts. In order to obtain waivers and discounts that are not available through your intermediary, you will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary.
Class A shares are normally redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC. However, in the case of Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, a CDSC is imposed on any redemption within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC, except that a CDSC of 1.00% is imposed upon any redemption within 12 months of purchase (except in cases where a shareholder is eligible for a waiver).
In determining whether a CDSC is payable, the Fund will first redeem shares not subject to any charge and then will redeem shares held for the longest period, unless the shareholder specifies another order. No CDSC is charged on shares purchased as a result of automatic reinvestment of
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dividends or capital gains paid. In addition, no CDSC will be charged on exchanges of shares into another Nuveen Mutual Fund. The holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lower of the then current market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed. Accordingly, no sales charge is imposed on increases of net asset value above the initial purchase price. The Distributor receives the amount of any CDSC shareholders pay.
The CDSC may be waived or reduced under the following circumstances: (i) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (ii) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (iii) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an accounts net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (iv) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (v) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Funds right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance; (vi) upon an optional conversion by a Fund of Class C shares held in an account which no longer has a financial intermediary of record into Class A shares; (vii) redemptions of Class C shares in cases where the Distributor did not advance the first years service and distribution fees when such shares were purchased; and (viii) redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales commission when such shares were purchased. If the Fund waives or reduces the CDSC, such waiver or reduction would be uniformly applied to all Fund shares in the particular category. In waiving or reducing a CDSC, the Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act.
In addition, the CDSC will be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1 / 2 , (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination or transfer to another employers plan or IRA; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. The CDSC will also be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account: (i) for redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholders life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1 / 2 ; and (ii) for redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1 / 2 from an IRA account (with the maximum amount subject to this waiver being based only upon the shareholders Nuveen IRA accounts).
Class R3 shares are available for purchase at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class R3 shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 0.50% of the Funds average daily net assets. The annual 0.25% service fee compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The annual 0.25% distribution fee compensates the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission.
Investors may purchase Class R3 shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund.
Class R3 shares are only available for purchase by eligible retirement plans. Eligible retirement plans include, but are not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and health care benefit funding plans. In addition, Class R3 shares are available only to retirement plans where Class R3 shares are held on the books of the Fund through omnibus accounts (either at the retirement plan level or at the level of the retirement plans financial intermediary). Class R3 shares are not available to traditional and Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs or individual 403(b) plans.
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The administrator of a retirement plan or employee benefits office can provide plan participants with detailed information on how to participate in the retirement plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option. Retirement plan participants may be permitted to elect different investment options, alter the amounts contributed to the retirement plan, or change how contributions are allocated among investment options in accordance with the retirement plans specific provisions. The retirement plan administrator or employee benefits office should be consulted for details. For questions about their accounts, participants should contact their employee benefits office, the retirement plan administrator, or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for the retirement plan.
Eligible retirement plans may open an account and purchase Class R3 shares by contacting any financial intermediary authorized to sell Class R3 shares of the Fund. Financial intermediaries may provide or arrange for the provision of some or all of the shareholder servicing and account maintenance services required by retirement plan accounts and their retirement plan participants, including, without limitation, transfers of registration and dividend payee changes. Financial intermediaries may also perform other functions, including generating confirmation statements, and may arrange with retirement plan administrators for other investment or administrative services.
Financial intermediaries may independently establish and charge retirement plans and retirement plan participants transaction fees and/or other additional amounts for such services, which may change over time. Similarly, retirement plans may charge retirement plan participants for certain expenses. These fees and additional amounts could reduce investment returns in Class R3 shares of the Fund.
Financial intermediaries and retirement plans may have omnibus accounts and similar arrangements with the Fund and may be paid for providing shareholder servicing and other services. A financial intermediary or retirement plan may be paid for its services directly or indirectly by the Fund or the Distributor. The Distributor may pay a financial intermediary an additional amount for sub-transfer agency or other administrative services. Such sub-transfer agency or other administrative services may include, but are not limited to, the following: processing and mailing trade confirmations, monthly statements, prospectuses, annual reports, semiannual reports and shareholder notices and other required communications; capturing and processing tax data; issuing and mailing dividend checks to shareholders who have selected cash distributions; preparing record date shareholder lists for proxy solicitations; collecting and posting distributions to shareholder accounts; and establishing and maintaining systematic withdrawals, automated investment plans and shareholder account registrations. Your retirement plan may establish various minimum investment requirements for Class R3 shares of the Fund and may also establish certain privileges with respect to purchases, redemptions and exchanges of Class R3 shares or the reinvestment of dividends. Retirement plan participants should contact their retirement plan administrator with respect to these issues. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the retirement plans and/or the financial intermediarys materials regarding their fees and services.
Class R6 shares are available to the following classes of investors, provided they meet the minimum investment and other eligibility requirements set forth below:
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Qualified retirement plans, including: 401(k) plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing pension plans, money purchase pension plans, target benefit plans, defined benefit pension plans and Taft Hartley multi-employer pension plans (collectively, Qualified Plans ); |
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Foundations and endowment funds; |
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Any state, county, or city, or its instrumentality, department, authority or agency; |
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457 plans, including 457(b) governmental entity plans and tax exempt plans; |
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Omnibus or other pooled accounts registered to insurance companies, trust companies, bank trust departments, registered investment advisor firms and family offices; |
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Investment companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with the Adviser; |
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Corporations, including corporate non-qualified deferred compensation plans of such corporations; |
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Collective investment trusts; |
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Discretionary accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates; and |
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529 savings plans held in plan-level omnibus accounts. |
There is no minimum initial investment for qualified retirement plans; however, the shares must be held through plan-level or omnibus accounts held on the books of the Fund. All other eligible investors must meet a minimum initial investment of at least $5 million in the Fund. Such minimum investment requirement may be applied collectively to affiliated accounts, in the discretion of the Distributor. Class R6 shares are only available through financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares are only available in cases where neither the investor nor the intermediary will receive any commission payments, account servicing fees, record keeping fees, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, so called finders fees, administration fees or similar fees with respect to Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares are not available directly to traditional or Roth IRAs, Coverdell Savings Accounts, Keoghs, SEPs, SARSEPs, or SIMPLE IRAs. Class R6 shares also are not available through retail, advisory fee-based wrap platforms.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.
Class I shares also are available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:
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employer-sponsored retirement plans, except SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs and KEOGH plans; |
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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; |
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advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates, including other Nuveen Mutual Funds whose investment policies permit investments in other investment companies; |
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any registered investment company that is not affiliated with the Nuveen Funds and which invests in securities of other investment companies; |
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any plan organized under section 529 under the Code (i.e., a 529 plan); |
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participants in the TIAA-CREF Investment Solutions IRA; |
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current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members ( immediate family members are defined as spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a siblings spouse and a spouses siblings); |
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officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members; |
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full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members, including any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other business organization that is wholly owned by one or more of such persons; and |
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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, and their immediate family members. |
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Holders of Class I shares may purchase additional Class I shares using dividends and capital gain distributions on their shares.
If you are eligible to purchase either Class I shares or Class A shares without a sales charge at net asset value, you should be aware of the differences between these two classes of shares. Class A shares are subject to an annual service fee to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing account services. Class I shares are not subject to a distribution or service fee and, consequently, holders of Class I shares may not receive the same types or levels of services from financial intermediaries. In choosing between Class A shares and Class I shares, you should weigh the benefits of the services to be provided by financial intermediaries against the annual service fee imposed upon the Class A shares.
Class T shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. The sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class T shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25%. See Distribution and Service Plan. Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class T shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase based on the initial net asset value for Class T shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class T shares.
Net asset value per share* |
$ | 17.14 | ||
Per share sales charge2.50% of public offering price (2.57% of net asset value per share) |
0.44 | |||
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Per share offering price to the public |
$ | 17.58 | ||
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* | Based upon the net asset value for Class A shares. |
The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class T shares that are sold. The full applicable sales charge shown in the Prospectus is paid to financial intermediaries.
Investors may purchase Class T shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund. In addition, Class T shares may not be available through certain financial intermediaries. Please consult with your financial intermediary to determine whether their policies allow for an investment in Class T shares.
Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class T Shares
Class T shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions from the same Fund are not subject to a sales charge. In addition, Class T shares may be available at net asset value without a sales charge under certain other circumstances, as determined by the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. See the appendix to the Prospectus titled, Variations in Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers Available Through Certain Intermediaries, for information on available Class T share sales charge waivers.
Exchange Privilege
You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state, except that there are no exchange privileges for Class T shares. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same Fund. An exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund may not be considered a taxable event; please consult your own tax advisor for further information.
If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, you may exchange your shares by either sending a written request to the Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530 or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll free at (800) 257-8787.
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If you exchange shares between different Nuveen Mutual Funds and your shares are subject to a CDSC, no CDSC will be charged at the time of the exchange. However, if you subsequently redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the redemption may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you purchased your original shares and the CDSC schedule of the fund from which you exchanged your shares. If you exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund and your original shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will be assessed at the time of the exchange.
For federal income tax purposes, an exchange between different Nuveen Mutual Funds constitutes a sale and purchase of shares and may result in capital gain or loss. Before making any exchange, you should obtain the Prospectus for the Nuveen Mutual Fund you are purchasing and read it carefully. If the registration of the account for the Fund you are purchasing is not exactly the same as that of the fund account from which the exchange is made, written instructions from all holders of the account from which the exchange is being made must be received, with signatures guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion Signature Guarantee Program or in such other manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. You may also exchange shares by telephone if you authorize telephone exchanges by checking the applicable box on the Application Form or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787 to obtain an authorization form. The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.
The exchange privilege is not intended to permit the Fund to be used as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, raise expenses and otherwise have an adverse effect on all shareholders. In order to limit excessive exchange activity and in other circumstances where Fund management believes doing so would be in the best interest of the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, or limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. Shareholders would be notified of any such action to the extent required by law. See Frequent Trading Policy below.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeemed Class A, Class C or Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund, you have up to one year to reinvest all or part of the full amount of the redemption in the same class of shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund at net asset value. This reinstatement privilege can be exercised only once for any redemption, and reinvestment will be made at the net asset value next calculated after reinstatement of the appropriate class of Fund shares. If you reinstate shares that were subject to a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. The federal income tax consequences of any capital gain realized on a redemption will not be affected by reinstatement, but a capital loss may be disallowed in whole or in part depending on the timing, the amount of the reinvestment and the fund from which the redemption occurred.
Suspension of Right of Redemption
The Fund may suspend the right of redemption of Fund shares or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE ) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund normally utilizes is restricted or an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that trading of the Funds investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for any other periods that the SEC by order may permit for protection of Fund shareholders.
Redemption In-Kind
The Fund has reserved the right to redeem in-kind (that is, to pay redemption requests in cash and portfolio securities, or wholly in portfolio securities). Pursuant to a notice of election under Rule 18f-1, the Fund voluntarily has committed to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder, limited as to each shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of the 90-day period.
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The Funds Frequent Trading Policy is as follows:
Nuveen Mutual Funds are intended as long-term investments and not as short-term trading vehicles. At the same time, the Fund recognizes the need of investors to periodically make purchases and redemptions of Fund shares when rebalancing their portfolios and as their financial needs or circumstances change. Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted the following Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance these needs against the potential for higher operating costs, portfolio management disruption and other inefficiencies that can be caused by excessive trading of Fund shares.
1. Definition of Round Trip
A Round Trip trade is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a Round Trip trade may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.
2. Round Trip Trade Limitations
Nuveen Mutual Funds limit the frequency of Round Trip trades that may be placed in the Fund. Subject to certain exceptions noted below, the Fund limits an investor to two Round Trips per trailing 60-day period.
3. Enforcement
Trades placed in violation of the foregoing policies are subject to rejection or cancellation by Nuveen Mutual Funds. Nuveen Mutual Funds may also bar an investor (and/or the investors financial advisor) who has violated these policies from opening new accounts with the Fund and may restrict the investors existing account(s) to redemptions only. Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to (a) interpret the terms and application of these policies, (b) waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if Nuveen Mutual Funds determine that doing so does not harm the interests of Fund shareholders, and (c) exclude certain classes of redemptions from the application of the trading restrictions set forth above.
Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if they determine, in their sole discretion, that a proposed transaction or series of transactions involve market timing or excessive trading that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.
The ability of Nuveen Mutual Funds to implement the Frequent Trading Policy for omnibus accounts at certain financial intermediaries may be dependent on receiving from those intermediaries sufficient shareholder information to permit monitoring of trade activity and enforcement of the Funds Frequent Trading Policy. In addition, the Fund may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if the Fund believes that the policy is reasonably designed to prevent market timing that is detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds Policy. The Fund cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the Funds policy or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Exclusions from the Frequent Trading Policy
As stated above, certain redemptions are eligible for exclusion from the Frequent Trading Policy, including: (i) redemptions or exchanges by shareholders investing through the fee-based platforms of certain financial intermediaries (where the intermediary charges an asset-based or comprehensive wrap fee for its services) that are effected by the financial intermediaries in connection with systematic portfolio rebalancing; (ii) when there is a verified trade error correction, which occurs when a dealer firm sends a trade to correct an earlier trade made in error and then the firm sends an explanation to the Nuveen Mutual Funds confirming that the trade is actually an error correction; (iii) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (iv) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered
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joint owner); (v) redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an accounts net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (vi) redemptions of shares that were purchased through a systematic investment program; (vii) involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law; (viii) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (ix) redemptions or exchanges by any fund of funds advised by the Adviser; and (x) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Funds right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the board has determined may have material adverse consequences to the shareholders of the Fund.
In addition, the following redemptions of shares by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan are excluded from the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1 / 2 ; (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments; or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination, transfer to another employers plan or IRA or changes in a plans recordkeeper; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. Also, the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account are excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholders life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1 / 2 ; and (ii) redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1 / 2 from an IRA account.
The Fund has adopted a plan (the Plan ) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12b-1 provides in substance that a mutual fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares, except pursuant to a plan adopted under the Rule. The Plan authorizes the Fund to pay the Distributor distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees on the Funds Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class T shares as described below. The distribution fees under the Plan are used for the primary purpose of compensating participating intermediaries for their sales of the Fund. The shareholder servicing fees are used primarily for the purpose of providing compensation for the ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of shareholder accounts. Pursuant to the Plan, Class C and Class R3 shares are subject to an annual distribution fee and Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class T shares are subject to the annual service fees (distribution and service fees collectively referred to herein as 12b-1 fees ). The 12b-1 fees are based on the average daily net assets of the class of shares of the Fund and are as follows:
Annual Distribution Fee | Annual Service Fee | Total 12b-1 Fee | ||||||||||
Class A | | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % | |||||||
Class C | 0.75 | % | 0.25 | % | 1.00 | % | ||||||
Class R3 | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % | 0.50 | % | ||||||
Class T | | 0.25 | % | 0.25 | % |
Class R6 and Class I shares are not subject to either distribution or service fees.
The distribution fee applicable to Class C and Class R3 shares under the Funds Plan compensates the Distributor for expenses incurred in connection with the distribution of Class C and Class R3 shares, respectively. These expenses include payments to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, who are brokers of record with respect to the Class C and Class R3 shares, as well as, without limitation, expenses of printing and distributing Prospectuses to persons other than shareholders of the Fund, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing advertising and sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of Class C and Class R3 shares, certain other expenses associated with the distribution of Class C and Class R3 shares, and any other distribution-related expenses that may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Trustees.
The service fee applicable to Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class T shares under the Funds Plan is used to compensate financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of ongoing account
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services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the Fund incurred 12b-1 fees pursuant to its Plan in the amounts set forth in the table below. 12b-1 fees are calculated and accrued daily and paid quarterly or at such other intervals as the Board of Trustees may determine. As noted above, no 12b-1 fees are paid with respect to Class R6 or Class I shares. For this period, substantially all of the 12b-1 service fees on Class A shares were paid out as compensation to financial intermediaries for providing services to shareholders relating to their investments. To compensate for commissions advanced to financial intermediaries, all 12b-1 fees on Class C shares during the first year following a purchase are retained by the Distributor. After the first year following a purchase, 12b-1 fees on Class C shares are paid to financial intermediaries.
12b-1
Fees
Incurred by the Fund for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2016 |
||||
Class A |
$ | 1,133,441 | ||
Class C |
2,309,283 | |||
Class R3 |
11,239 |
The Plan is a compensation-type plan under which the Distributor is entitled to receive the distribution and shareholder servicing fees regardless of whether its actual distribution and shareholder servicing expenses are more or less than the amount of the fees. It is therefore possible that the Distributor may realize a profit in a particular year as a result of these payments. The Plan recognizes that the Distributor and the Adviser, in their discretion, may from time to time use their own assets to pay for certain additional costs of distributing Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class T shares. Any such arrangements to pay such additional costs may be commenced or discontinued by the Distributor or the Adviser at any time.
Under the Funds Plan, the Fund will report quarterly to the Board of Trustees for its review of all amounts expended per class of shares under the Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to any class of shares, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class. The Plan may be renewed from year to year if approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees and a vote of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan may be continued only if the trustees who vote to approve such continuance conclude, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under applicable law, that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the cost which a class of shares may bear under the Plan without the approval of the shareholders of the affected class, and any other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the independent trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. During the continuance of the Plan, the selection and nomination of the independent trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the independent trustees then in office. With the exception of the Distributor and its affiliates, no interested person of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and no trustee of the Fund has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any related agreement.
If the Fund closes to new investors, it may continue to make payments under the Plan. Such payments would be made for the various services provided to existing shareholders by the participating intermediaries receiving such payments.
The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Funds behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a brokers authorized designee accepts
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the order. Customer orders received by such broker (or their designee) will be priced at the Funds net asset value next computed after they are accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee). Orders accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee) before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will receive that days share price; orders accepted after the close of trading will receive the next business days share price.
If you choose to invest in the Fund, an account will be opened and maintained for you by BFDS, the Funds shareholder services agent. Shares will be registered in the name of the investor or the investors financial advisor. A change in registration or transfer of shares held in the name of a financial advisor may only be made by an order in good standing form from the financial advisor acting on the investors behalf. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to waive or increase minimum investment requirements.
The Fund does not issue share certificates.
The Distributor sells shares to or through brokers, dealers, banks or other qualified financial intermediaries (collectively referred to as Dealers ), or others, in a manner consistent with the then effective registration statement of the Trust. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, at its own expense, finances certain activities incident to the sale and distribution of the Funds shares, including printing and distributing of prospectuses and statements of additional information to other than existing shareholders, the printing and distributing of sales literature, advertising and payment of compensation and giving of concessions to Dealers.
The Distributor receives for its services the excess, if any, of the sales price of the Funds shares less the net asset value of those shares, and reallows a majority or all of such amounts to the Dealers who sold the shares. The Distributor also receives distribution fees pursuant to a distribution plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 and described herein under Distribution and Service Plan. The Distributor also receives any CDSCs imposed on redemptions of shares. The Distributor may also act as a Dealer.
The following tables set forth the aggregate amounts of underwriting commissions with respect to the sale of Fund shares, the amount thereof retained by the Distributor and the compensation on redemptions and repurchases received by the Distributor for the Fund for the specified periods. All figures are expressed in thousands and are to the nearest thousand.
Amount of
Underwriting Commissions |
Amount
Retained by the Distributor |
|||||||||||||||||||||
10/01/13-
|
10/01/14-
|
10/01/15-
|
10/01/13-
|
10/01/14-
|
10/01/15-
|
|||||||||||||||||
$ | 1,131 | $ | 1,136 | $ | 1,897 | $ | 111 | $ | 124 | $ | 203 |
Amount of
Compensation on Redemptions and Repurchases |
||||||||||
10/01/13-
9/30/14 |
10/01/14-
|
10/01/15-
|
||||||||
$ | 42 | $ | 84 | $ | 44 |
To help financial advisors and investors better understand and more efficiently use the Fund to reach their investment goals, the Distributor may advertise and create specific investment programs and systems. For example, this may include information on how to use the Fund to accumulate assets for future education needs or periodic payments such as insurance premiums. The Distributor may produce software, electronic information sites or additional sales literature to promote the advantages of using the Fund to meet these and other specific investor needs. In addition, wholesale representatives of the Distributor may visit financial advisors on a regular basis to educate them about the Fund and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law. Nuveen wholesalers may receive additional compensation if they meet certain targets for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds.
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Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments
As described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this SAI, intermediaries that sell shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or provide services to their shareholders, such as brokers, dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, retirement plan administrators and other intermediaries (individually, an Intermediary , and collectively, Intermediaries ), may receive sales charge payments and, out of Fund assets, may be paid Rule 12b-1 distribution and service payments and sub-transfer agency payments. The Distributor and the Adviser may make additional payments out of their own assets to selected Intermediaries. These payments are made for the purposes of promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder processing services.
The amounts of these payments could be significant and may create an incentive for an Intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds to its customers. The Intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund within the Intermediarys organization by, for example, placing the Fund on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Fund in various ways within the Intermediarys organization.
These payments are made pursuant to negotiated agreements with Intermediaries. The payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount the Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales. Furthermore, these payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Funds Prospectus and described above because they are not paid by the Fund.
The categories of payments described below are not mutually exclusive, and a single Intermediary may receive payments under all categories.
Distribution-Related Payments
The Distributor or the Adviser may from time to time make payments (sometimes referred to as revenue sharing payments) to selected Intermediaries as compensation for services such as providing the Fund with shelf space or a higher profile for the Intermediarys personnel or their customers, placing the Fund on the Intermediarys preferred or recommended fund list, granting access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the Intermediary, providing assistance in training and educating the Intermediarys personnel on the Fund, and furnishing marketing support and other services.
The Adviser and/or the Distributor compensate Intermediaries differently depending upon, among other factors, the number or value of Nuveen Mutual Funds shares that the Intermediary sells or may sell, the value of the assets invested in the Nuveen Mutual Funds by the Intermediarys customers, redemption rates, ability to attract and retain assets, reputation in the industry and the level and/or type of marketing assistance and educational activities provided by the Intermediary. Such payments are generally asset-based but also may include the payment of a lump sum.
Servicing Payments
The Adviser and/or the Distributor may make payments to selected Intermediaries that are registered as holders or dealers of record for accounts invested in one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or that make Nuveen Mutual Fund shares available through employee benefit plans or fee-based advisory programs to compensate them for the variety of services they provide.
Services for which an Intermediary receives servicing payments typically include recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, but may also include services rendered in connection with fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services. An Intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform such services.
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC ( TIAA - CREF IIS ), an affiliate of the Adviser, is one intermediary that receives servicing payments. The shareholder services agreement between TIAA-CREF IIS and the Distributor provides that in exchange for such services, TIAA-CREF IIS will
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receive payments of 0.25% of the average net assets of Fund shares on the TIAA-CREF IIS retirement platform on an annual basis. The Distributor has agreed to pay the portion of the fee that represents 0.05% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to TIAA-CREF IIS and the Fund will pay the remainder.
Servicing payments typically apply to employee benefit plans, such as retirement plans, or fee-based advisory programs but may apply to retail sales and assets in certain situations. The payments are based on such factors as the type and nature of services or support furnished by the Intermediary and are generally asset-based.
Distribution-Related and Servicing Payment Guidelines
In the case of any one Intermediary, distribution-related and servicing payments made by the Adviser and/or the Distributor are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed, in the aggregate, 0.35% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to that Intermediary on an annual basis. In connection with the sale of a business by U.S. Bank N.A. to Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company ( Great-West ), the Adviser and/or the Distributor has a services agreement with GWFS Equities, Inc., an affiliate of Great-West, which provides for payments of up to 0.60% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to GWFS Equities, Inc. on an annual basis (which amount also includes payments by the Fund for sub-transfer agency services).
Other Payments
From time to time, the Adviser and/or the Distributor, at their expense, may provide other compensation to Intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Fund, which may be in addition to distribution-related and servicing payments described above. For example, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may: (i) compensate Intermediaries for National Securities Clearing Corporation networking system services (e.g., shareholder communication, account statements, trade confirmations, and tax reporting) on an asset-based or per account basis; (ii) compensate Intermediaries for providing Fund shareholder trading information; (iii) make one-time or periodic payments to reimburse selected Intermediaries for items such as ticket charges (i.e., fees that an Intermediary charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) of up to $25 per purchase or exchange order, operational charges (e.g., fees that an Intermediary charges for establishing the Fund on its trading system), and literature printing and/or distribution costs; (iv) at the direction of a retirement plans sponsor, reimburse or pay direct expenses of an employee benefit plan that would otherwise be payable by the plan; and (v) provide payments to broker-dealers to help defray their technology or infrastructure costs.
When not provided for in a distribution-related or servicing payment agreement, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may pay Intermediaries for enabling the Adviser and/or the Distributor to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other Intermediary employees, client and investor events and other Intermediary- sponsored events, and for travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, asset retention and due diligence trips. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. The Adviser and/or the Distributor make payments for such events as it deems appropriate, subject to its internal guidelines and applicable law.
The Adviser and/or the Distributor occasionally sponsor due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which the registered representatives receive updates on various Nuveen Mutual Funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Although invitations to these meetings are not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares, those who have shown an interest in Nuveen Mutual Funds are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firms policies and procedures, all or a portion of registered representatives expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by the Adviser and/or the Distributor.
Representatives of the Distributor or its affiliates may receive additional compensation from the Adviser and/or the Distributor if certain targets are met for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds. Such compensation may vary by Fund and by affiliate.
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Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Investors can ask their Intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Adviser and/or the Distributor and the services it provides for those payments.
Investors may wish to take Intermediary payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares.
Intermediaries Receiving Additional Payments
The following is a list of Intermediaries eligible to receive one or more of the types of payments discussed above as of January 20, 2017:
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
AXA Advisors, LLC
American United Life Insurance Company
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Ascensus (formerly BISYS Retirement Services, Inc.)
BB&T
BMO Harris Bank N.A.
Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc.
Benefit Trust Company
Cetera
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Chase Investment Services
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Commonwealth Equity Services, LLP, DBA Commonwealth Financial Network
Davenport & Co., LLC
Digital Retirement Solutions, Inc.
Dyatech, LLC
Edward Jones
ExpertPlan, Inc.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC/National Financial Services LLC
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. (FIIOC)/Fidelity Advisors
Retirement
Financial Data Services, Inc.
First Clearing
Genesis Employee Benefits, Inc. DBA Americas VEBA Solution
Goldman Sachs
Great West Life and Annuity Insurance Co.
GWFS Equities, Inc.
Hartford Life Insurance Company
Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc.
Hewitt Associates LLC
ICMA Retirement Corporation
ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company/ING Institutional Plan Services LLC/ING Financial
Advisors, LLC (formerly CitiStreet LLC/CitiStreet Advisors LLC)
J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.
J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
John Hancock Trust Company
LPL Financial Services
Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC/AMG Service Corp.
Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.
Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company, N.A.
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
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Mercer HR Outsourcing LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation
Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
MSCS Financial Services Division of Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC
NFP Advisor Services, LLC
National Financial Services, LLC
Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.
Newport Retirement Services, Inc.
Northwestern Mutual
NYLife Distributors LLC
Oppenheimer & Co.
Pershing LLC
Principal Life Insurance Company
Prudential Insurance Company of America (The)
Prudential Investment Management Services, LLC/Prudential Investments LLC
Raymond James & Associates/Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Reliance Trust Company
Retirement Plan Company, LLC (The)
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
SI Financial Advisors
Southwest Securities, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc./T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Ameritrade Trust Company (formerly Fiserv Trust Company/International Clearing Trust
Company)
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
U.S. Bank N.A.
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Unified Trust Company, N.A.
VALIC Retirement Services Company (formerly AIG Retirement Services Company)
Vanguard Group, Inc.
Wedbush Morgan Securities
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust
Wilmington Trust Company
Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company (formerly AST Capital Trust
Company)
Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of Intermediaries identified above that have occurred since January 20, 2017 are not reflected in the list.
The audited financial statements for the Funds most recent fiscal year appear in the Funds Annual Report dated September 30, 2016. The Funds Annual Report is incorporated by reference into this SAI and is available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.
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RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS
S&P Global Ratings A brief description of the applicable S&P Global Ratings ( S&P ) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:
Issue Credit Ratings
A S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about 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 opinion reflects S&Ps view of the obligors capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
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 daysincluding 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.
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&Ps analysis of the following considerations:
1. Likelihood of paymentthe capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on a financial obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise S&P imputes;
3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors rights.
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA | An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. | |
AA | An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligors 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 obligors 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. |
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
A-1
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 obligors 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 obligors 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. The CC rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty regardless of the anticipated time to default. | |
C | An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher. | |
D | An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
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.
NR | This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy. |
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1 | A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligors 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 obligors 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 obligors 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 vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. | |
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. |
A-2
D | A short-term obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poors believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligations rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. A brief description of the applicable Moodys Investors Service, Inc. ( Moodys ) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moodys) follows:
Ratings assigned on Moodys global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
Long-Term Obligation Ratings
Aaa | Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk. | |
Aa | Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. | |
A | Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. | |
Baa | Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. | |
Ba | Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. | |
B | Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. | |
Caa | Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. | |
Ca | Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. | |
C | Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. |
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
P-1 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. | |
P-2 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. | |
P-3 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. | |
NP | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. |
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Medium-Term Note Program Ratings
Moodys assigns provisional ratings to medium-term note (MTN) programs and definitive ratings to the individual debt securities issued from them (referred to as drawdowns or notes).
MTN program ratings are intended to reflect the ratings likely to be assigned to drawdowns issued from the program with the specified priority of claim (e.g. senior or subordinated). To capture the contingent nature of a program rating, Moodys assigns provisional ratings to MTN programs. A provisional rating is denoted by a (P) in front of the rating.
The rating assigned to a drawdown from a rated MTN or bank/deposit note program is definitive in nature, and may differ from the program rating if the drawdown is exposed to additional credit risks besides the issuers default, such as links to the defaults of other issuers, or has other structural features that warrant a different rating. In some circumstances, no rating may be assigned to a drawdown.
Moodys encourages market participants to contact Moodys Ratings Desks or visit www.moodys.com directly if they have questions regarding ratings for specific notes issued under a medium-term note program. Unrated notes issued under an MTN program may be assigned an NR (not rated) symbol.
U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. | |
MIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. | |
MIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. | |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. |
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand ( demand feature ). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale.
VMIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
VMIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. | |
VMIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
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SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
Fitch Ratings A brief description of the applicable Fitch Ratings ( Fitch ) ratings symbols and meanings (as published by Fitch) follows:
Fitchs 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 the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. The agencys 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 terms investment grade and speculative grade have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories AAA to BBB (investment grade) and BB to D (speculative grade). The terms investment grade and speculative grade are market conventions, and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
A designation of Not Rated or NR is used to denote securities not rated by Fitch where Fitch has rated some, but not all, securities comprising an issuance capital structure.
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.
Fitchs credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay upon a commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds).
In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instruments documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligations documentation). In such cases, the agency will make clear the assumptions underlying the agencys opinion in the accompanying rating commentary.
International Long-Term Ratings
Issuer Credit Rating Scales
AAA | Highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases 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 default 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 default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. |
A-5
BBB | Good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. |
BB | Speculative. BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. | |
B | Highly speculative. B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. | |
CCC | Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility. | |
CC | Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable. | |
C |
Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a C category rating for an issuer include:
the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
Fitch otherwise believes a condition of RD or D to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange. |
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RD |
Restricted default. RD ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:
the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;
the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or
execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
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D |
Default. D ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitchs opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.
Imminent default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agencys opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuers financial obligations or local commercial practice. |
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International Short-Term Ratings
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1 | Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. | |
F2 | Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. | |
F3 | Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate. | |
B | Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. | |
C | High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility. | |
RD | Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only. | |
D | Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation. |
Notes to 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, or to categories below B.
WD indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and the issue or issuer is no longer rated by Fitch.
Rating Watch: Rating Watches indicate that there is a heightened probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such a change. These are designated as Positive, indicating a potential upgrade, Negative, for a potential downgrade, or Evolving, if ratings may be raised, lowered or affirmed. However, ratings that are not on Rating Watch can be raised or lowered without being placed on Rating Watch first, if circumstances warrant such an action. A Rating Watch is typically event-driven and, as such, it is generally resolved over a relatively short period.
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United States
Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines
2016 Benchmark Policy Recommendations
Effective for Meetings on or after February 1, 2016
Published January 22, 2016
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2016 U.S. Concise Proxy Voting Guidelines |
The policies contained herein are a sampling of selected key U.S. proxy voting guidelines and are
not intended to be exhaustive. A full summary of ISS 2016 proxy voting guidelines can be found
at: http://www.issgovernance.com/policy-gateway/2016-policy-information/
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for director nominees, except under the following circumstances: |
1. | Accountability |
Vote against 1 or withhold from the entire board of directors (except new nominees 2 , who should be considered case-by-case) for the following:
Problematic Takeover Defenses
Classified Board Structure:
1.1. | The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote recommendation is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable. |
Director Performance Evaluation:
1.2. | The board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one- and three-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a companys four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the companys five-year total shareholder return and operational metrics. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to: |
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A classified board structure; |
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A supermajority vote requirement; |
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Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections or a majority vote standard with no plurality carve-out for contested elections; |
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The inability of shareholders to call special meetings; |
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The inability of shareholders to act by written consent; |
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A dual-class capital structure; and/or |
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A nonshareholder-approved poison pill. |
1 In general, companies with a plurality vote standard use Withhold as the contrary vote option in director elections; companies with a majority vote standard use Against. However, it will vary by company and the proxy must be checked to determine the valid contrary vote option for the particular company.
2 A new nominee is any current nominee who has not already been elected by shareholders and who joined the board after the problematic action in question transpired. If ISS cannot determine whether the nominee joined the board before or after the problematic action transpired, the nominee will be considered a new nominee if he or she joined the board within the 12 months prior to the upcoming shareholder meeting.
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Poison Pills:
1.3. | The companys poison pill has a dead-hand or modified dead-hand feature. Vote against or withhold from nominees every year until this feature is removed; |
1.4. | The board adopts a poison pill with a term of more than 12 months (long-term pill), or renews any existing pill, including any short-term pill (12 months or less), without shareholder approval. A commitment or policy that puts a newly adopted pill to a binding shareholder vote may potentially offset an adverse vote recommendation. Review such companies with classified boards every year, and such companies with annually elected boards at least once every three years, and vote against or withhold votes from all nominees if the company still maintains a non-shareholder-approved poison pill; or |
1.5. | The board makes a material adverse change to an existing poison pill without shareholder approval. |
Vote case-by-case on all nominees if:
1.6. | The board adopts a poison pill with a term of 12 months or less (short-term pill) without shareholder approval, taking into account the following factors: |
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The date of the pills adoption relative to the date of the next meeting of shareholdersi.e. whether the company had time to put the pill on the ballot for shareholder ratification given the circumstances; |
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The issuers rationale; |
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The issuers governance structure and practices; and |
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The issuers track record of accountability to shareholders. |
Problematic Audit-Related Practices
Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the Audit Committee if:
1.7. | The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (see discussion under Auditor Ratification ); |
1.8. | The company receives an adverse opinion on the companys financial statements from its auditor; or |
1.9. | There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm. |
Vote case-by-case on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if:
1.10. | Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the companys efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether withhold/against votes are warranted. |
Problematic Compensation Practices/Pay for Performance Misalignment
In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ballot item or in egregious situations, vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
1.11. | There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance ( pay for performance ); |
1.12. | The company maintains significant problematic pay practices ; |
1.13. | The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders; |
1.14. | The company fails to submit one-time transfers of stock options to a shareholder vote; or |
1.15. | The company fails to fulfill the terms of a burn rate commitment made to shareholders. |
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Vote case-by-case on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Management Say-on-Pay proposal if:
1.16. | The companys previous say-on-pay received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
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The companys response, including: |
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Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
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Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
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The companys ownership structure; and |
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Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments
1.17. | Generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if the board amends the companys bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders rights or that could adversely impact shareholders, considering the following factors: |
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The boards rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification; |
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Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment; |
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The level of impairment of shareholders rights caused by the boards unilateral amendment to the bylaws/charter; |
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The boards track record with regard to unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions; |
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The companys ownership structure; |
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The companys existing governance provisions; |
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The timing of the boards amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development; and, |
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Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders. |
Unless the adverse amendment is reversed or submitted to a binding shareholder vote, in subsequent years vote case-by-case on director nominees. Generally vote against (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if the directors:
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Classified the board; |
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Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter; or |
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Eliminated shareholders ability to amend bylaws. |
1.18. | For newly public companies, generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case) if, prior to or in connection with the companys public offering, the company or its board adopted bylaw or charter provisions materially adverse to shareholder rights, considering the following factors: |
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The level of impairment of shareholders rights caused by the provision; |
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The disclosed rationale for adopting the provision; |
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The ability to change the governance structure in the future (e.g., limitations on shareholders right to amend the bylaws or charter, or supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter); |
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
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The ability of shareholders to hold directors accountable through annual director elections, or whether the company has a classified board structure; and, |
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A public commitment to put the provision to a shareholder vote within three years of the date of the initial public offering. |
Unless the adverse provision is reversed or submitted to a vote of public shareholders, vote case-by-case on director nominees in subsequent years.
Governance Failures
Under extraordinary circumstances, vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to:
1.19. |
Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight 3 , or fiduciary responsibilities at the company; |
1.20. | Failure to replace management as appropriate; or |
1.21. | Egregious actions related to a directors service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company. |
2. Responsiveness
Vote case-by-case on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:
2.1. | The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors that will be considered are: |
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Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote; |
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Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation; |
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The subject matter of the proposal; |
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The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings; |
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Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders; |
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The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and |
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Other factors as appropriate. |
2.2. | The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered; |
2.3. | At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote; |
2.4. | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the majority of votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency; or |
2.5. | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received a plurality, but not a majority, of the votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency, taking into account: |
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The boards rationale for selecting a frequency that is different from the frequency that received a plurality; |
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The companys ownership structure and vote results; |
3 Examples of failure of risk oversight include, but are not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; significant adverse legal judgments or settlements; hedging of company stock; or significant pledging of company stock.
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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ISS analysis of whether there are compensation concerns or a history of problematic compensation practices; and |
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The previous years support level on the companys say-on-pay proposal. |
3. Composition
Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings:
3.1. |
Generally vote against or withhold from directors (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case 4 ) who attend less than 75 percent of the aggregate of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following: |
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Medical issues/illness; |
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Family emergencies; and |
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Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer). |
3.2. | If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote against or withhold from the director(s) in question. |
Overboarded Directors:
Vote against or withhold from individual directors who:
3.3. |
Sit on more than six public company boards; with respect to annual meetings on or after Feb. 1, 2017 5 , sit on more than five public company boards; or |
3.4. |
Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own withhold only at their outside boards 6 . |
4. Independence
Vote against or withhold from Inside Directors and Affiliated Outside Directors (per the Categorization of Directors ) when:
4.1. | The inside or affiliated outside director serves on any of the three key committees: audit, compensation, or nominating; |
4.2. | The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; |
4.3. | The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee; or |
4.4. | Independent directors make up less than a majority of the directors. |
4 For new nominees only, schedule conflicts due to commitments made prior to their appointment to the board are considered if disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing.
5 This policy change includes a 1-year transition period to allow time for affected directors to address necessary changes if they wish.
6 Although all of a CEOs subsidiary boards will be counted as separate boards, ISS will not recommend a withhold vote from the CEO of a parent company board or any of the controlled (>50 percent ownership) subsidiaries of that parent, but may do so at subsidiaries that are less than 50 percent controlled and boards outside the parent/subsidiary relationships.
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
© 2016 ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services |
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Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO)
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requiring that the chairmans position be filled by an independent director, taking into consideration the following: |
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The scope of the proposal; |
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The companys current board leadership structure; |
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The companys governance structure and practices; |
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Company performance; and |
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Any other relevant factors that may be applicable. |
Regarding the scope of the proposal, consider whether the proposal is precatory or binding and whether the proposal is seeking an immediate change in the chairman role or the policy can be implemented at the next CEO transition.
Under the review of the companys board leadership structure, ISS may support the proposal under the following scenarios absent a compelling rationale: the presence of an executive or non-independent chair in addition to the CEO; a recent recombination of the role of CEO and chair; and/or departure from a structure with an independent chair. ISS will also consider any recent transitions in board leadership and the effect such transitions may have on independent board leadership as well as the designation of a lead director role.
When considering the governance structure, ISS will consider the overall independence of the board, the independence of key committees, the establishment of governance guidelines, board tenure and its relationship to CEO tenure, and any other factors that may be relevant. Any concerns about a companys governance structure will weigh in favor of support for the proposal.
The review of the companys governance practices may include, but is not limited to poor compensation practices, material failures of governance and risk oversight, related-party transactions or other issues putting director independence at risk, corporate or management scandals, and actions by management or the board with potential or realized negative impact on shareholders. Any such practices may suggest a need for more independent oversight at the company thus warranting support of the proposal.
ISS performance assessment will generally consider one-, three, and five-year TSR compared to the companys peers and the market as a whole. While poor performance will weigh in favor of the adoption of an independent chair policy, strong performance over the long-term will be considered a mitigating factor when determining whether the proposed leadership change warrants support.
Proxy Access
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals for proxy access with the following provisions: |
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Ownership threshold: maximum requirement not more than three percent (3%) of the voting power; |
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Ownership duration: maximum requirement not longer than three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group; |
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Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of shareholders permitted to form a nominating group; |
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Cap: cap on nominees of generally twenty-five percent (25%) of the board. |
Review for reasonableness any other restrictions on the right of proxy access.
Generally vote against proposals that are more restrictive than these guidelines.
Enabling the financial community to manage governance risk for the benefit of shareholders.
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Proxy Contests/Proxy Access Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors: |
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Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry; |
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Managements track record; |
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Background to the contested election; |
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Nominee qualifications and any compensatory arrangements; |
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Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of the critique against management; |
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Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and |
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Stock ownership positions. |
In the case of candidates nominated pursuant to proxy access, vote case-by-case considering any applicable factors listed above or additional factors which may be relevant, including those that are specific to the company, to the nominee(s) and/or to the nature of the election (such as whether or not there are more candidates than board seats).
CAPITAL/RESTRUCTURING
Common Stock Authorization
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General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support. |
Vote against proposals at companies with more than one class of common stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights.
Vote against proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares if a vote for a reverse stock split on the same ballot is warranted despite the fact that the authorized shares would not be reduced proportionally.
Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following:
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Past Board Performance: |
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The companys use of authorized shares during the last three years |
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The Current Request: |
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Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes of the proposed increase; |
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Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request; and |
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The dilutive impact of the request as determined relative to an allowable increase calculated by ISS (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares) that reflects the companys need for shares and total shareholder returns. |
ISS will apply the relevant allowable increase below to requests to increase common stock that are for general corporate purposes (or to the general corporate purposes portion of a request that also includes a specific need):
A. Most companies: 100 percent of existing authorized shares.
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B. | Companies with less than 50 percent of existing authorized shares either outstanding or reserved for issuance: 50 percent of existing authorized shares. |
C. | Companies with one- and three-year total shareholder returns (TSRs) in the bottom 10 percent of the U.S. market as of the end of the calendar quarter that is closest to their most recent fiscal year end: 50 percent of existing authorized shares. |
D. | Companies at which both conditions (B and C) above are both present: 25 percent of existing authorized shares. |
If there is an acquisition, private placement, or similar transaction on the ballot (not including equity incentive plans) that ISS is recommending FOR, the allowable increase will be the greater of (i) twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and (ii) the allowable increase as calculated above.
Mergers and Acquisitions
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including: |
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Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction and strategic rationale. |
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Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal. |
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Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions. |
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Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arms-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation wins can also signify the deal makers competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process ( e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value. |
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Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the ISS Transaction Summary section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists. |
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Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance. |
COMPENSATION
Executive Pay Evaluation
Underlying all evaluations are five global principles that most investors expect corporations to adhere to in designing and administering executive and director compensation programs:
1. | Maintain appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, with emphasis on long-term shareholder value: This principle encompasses overall executive pay practices, which must be designed to attract, retain, and appropriately motivate the key employees who drive shareholder value creation over the long term. It will take into consideration, among other factors, the link between pay and performance; the mix between fixed and variable pay; performance goals; and equity-based plan costs; |
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2. | Avoid arrangements that risk pay for failure: This principle addresses the appropriateness of long or indefinite contracts, excessive severance packages, and guaranteed compensation; |
3. | Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee: This principle promotes oversight of executive pay programs by directors with appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and a sound process for compensation decision-making ( e.g., including access to independent expertise and advice when needed); |
4. | Provide shareholders with clear, comprehensive compensation disclosures: This principle underscores the importance of informative and timely disclosures that enable shareholders to evaluate executive pay practices fully and fairly; |
5. | Avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors: This principle recognizes the interests of shareholders in ensuring that compensation to outside directors does not compromise their independence and ability to make appropriate judgments in overseeing managers pay and performance. At the market level, it may incorporate a variety of generally accepted best practices. |
Advisory Votes on Executive CompensationManagement Proposals (Management Say-on-Pay)
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation. |
Vote against Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Management Say-on-PayMSOP) if:
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There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance ( pay for performance ); |
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The company maintains significant problematic pay practices ; |
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The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders. |
Vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
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There is no MSOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an MSOP is warranted due to pay for performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof; |
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The board fails to respond adequately to a previous MSOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast; |
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The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, including option repricing or option backdating; or |
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The situation is egregious. |
Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay
Pay-for-Performance Evaluation
ISS annually conducts a pay-for-performance analysis to identify strong or satisfactory alignment between pay and performance over a sustained period. With respect to companies in the Russell 3000 or Russell 3000E Indices 7 , this analysis considers the following:
1. |
Peer Group 8 Alignment: |
7 The Russell 3000E Index includes approximately 4,000 of the largest U.S. equity securities.
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The degree of alignment between the companys annualized TSR rank and the CEOs annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period. |
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The multiple of the CEOs total pay relative to the peer group median. |
2. |
Absolute Alignment 9 the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period. |
If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of companies outside the Russell indices, misaligned pay and performance are otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, as relevant to evaluating how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests:
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The ratio of performance- to time-based equity awards; |
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The overall ratio of performance-based compensation; |
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The completeness of disclosure and rigor of performance goals; |
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The companys peer group benchmarking practices; |
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Actual results of financial/operational metrics, such as growth in revenue, profit, cash flow, etc., both absolute and relative to peers; |
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Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards); |
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Realizable pay 10 compared to grant pay; and |
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Any other factors deemed relevant. |
Problematic Pay Practices
The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including:
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Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements; |
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Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking; and |
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Options Backdating. |
Problematic Pay Practices related to Non-Performance-Based Compensation Elements
Pay elements that are not directly based on performance are generally evaluated case-by-case considering the context of a companys overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. Please refer to ISS Compensation FAQ document for detail on specific pay practices that have been identified as potentially problematic and may lead to negative recommendations if they are deemed to be inappropriate or unjustified relative to executive pay best practices. The list below highlights the problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in adverse vote recommendations:
8 The revised peer group is generally comprised of 14-24 companies that are selected using market cap, revenue (or assets for certain financial firms), GICS industry group, and companys selected peers GICS industry group, with size constraints, via a process designed to select peers that are comparable to the subject company in terms of revenue/assets and industry, and also within a market cap bucket that is reflective of the companys. For Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels companies, market cap is the only size determinant.
9 Only Russell 3000 Index companies are subject to the Absolute Alignment analysis.
10 ISS research reports include realizable pay for S&P1500 companies.
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Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARS without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options); |
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Excessive perquisites or tax gross-ups, including any gross-up related to a secular trust or restricted stock vesting; |
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New or extended agreements that provide for: |
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CIC payments exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus; |
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CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties (single or modified single triggers); |
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CIC payments with excise tax gross-ups (including modified gross-ups); |
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Insufficient executive compensation disclosure by externally- managed issuers (EMIs) such that a reasonable assessment of pay programs and practices applicable to the EMIs executives is not possible. |
Incentives that may Motivate Excessive Risk-Taking
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Multi-year guaranteed bonuses; |
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A single or common performance metric used for short- and long-term plans; |
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Lucrative severance packages; |
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High pay opportunities relative to industry peers; |
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Disproportionate supplemental pensions; or |
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Mega annual equity grants that provide unlimited upside with no downside risk. |
Factors that potentially mitigate the impact of risky incentives include rigorous claw-back provisions and robust stock ownership/holding guidelines.
Options Backdating
The following factors should be examined case-by-case to allow for distinctions to be made between sloppy plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud:
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Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes; |
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Duration of options backdating; |
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Size of restatement due to options backdating; |
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Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and |
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Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating, and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future. |
Compensation Committee Communications and Responsiveness
Consider the following factors case-by-case when evaluating ballot items related to executive pay on the boards responsiveness to investor input and engagement on compensation issues:
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Failure to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics; or |
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Failure to adequately respond to the companys previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
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The companys response, including: |
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Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; |
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Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
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Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
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The companys ownership structure; and |
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Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on certain equity-based compensation plans 11 depending on a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an equity plan scorecard (EPSC) approach with three pillars: |
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Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the companys equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the companys estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both: |
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SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and |
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SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants. |
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Plan Features: |
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Automatic single-triggered award vesting upon a change in control (CIC); |
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Discretionary vesting authority; |
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Liberal share recycling on various award types; |
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Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan. |
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Grant Practices: |
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The companys three year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers; |
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Vesting requirements in most recent CEO equity grants (3-year look-back); |
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The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years); |
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The proportion of the CEOs most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions; |
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Whether the company maintains a claw-back policy; |
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Whether the company has established post exercise/vesting share-holding requirements. |
Generally vote against the plan proposal if the combination of above factors indicates that the plan is not, overall, in shareholders interests, or if any of the following egregious factors apply:
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Awards may vest in connection with a liberal change-of-control definition; |
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The plan would permit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval (either by expressly permitting it for NYSE and Nasdaq listed companies or by not prohibiting it when the company has a history of repricing for non-listed companies); |
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The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances; or |
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Any other plan features are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests. |
11 Proposals evaluated under the EPSC policy generally include those to approve or amend (1) stock option plans for employees and/or employees and directors, (2) restricted stock plans for employees and/or employees and directors, and (3) omnibus stock incentive plans for employees and/or employees and directors.
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SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS)
Global Approach
Issues covered under the policy include a wide range of topics, including consumer and product safety, environment and energy, labor standards and human rights, workplace and board diversity, and corporate political issues. While a variety of factors goes into each analysis, the overall principle guiding all vote recommendations focuses on how the proposal may enhance or protect shareholder value in either the short or long term.
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General Recommendation: Generally vote case-by-case, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value, and in addition the following will also be considered: |
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If the issues presented in the proposal are more appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation; |
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If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal; |
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Whether the proposals request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive; |
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The companys approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal; |
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If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and |
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If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage. |
Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for resolutions requesting that a company disclose information on the risks related to climate change on its operations and investments, such as financial, physical, or regulatory risks, considering: |
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Whether the company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impact that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
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The companys level of disclosure is at least comparable to that of industry peers; and |
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There are no significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the companys environmental performance. |
Generally vote for proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations and/or products and operations, unless:
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The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
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The companys level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; and |
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There are no significant, controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the companys GHG emissions. |
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Vote case-by-case on proposals that call for the adoption of GHG reduction goals from products and operations, taking into account:
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Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data; |
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Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers; |
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The companys actual GHG emissions performance; |
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The companys current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and |
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Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to GHG emissions. |
Board Diversity
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for requests for reports on a companys efforts to diversify the board, unless: |
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The gender and racial minority representation of the companys board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and |
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The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board and within the company. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals asking a company to increase the gender and racial minority representation on its board, taking into account:
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The degree of existing gender and racial minority diversity on the companys board and among its executive officers; |
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The level of gender and racial minority representation that exists at the companys industry peers; |
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The companys established process for addressing gender and racial minority board representation; |
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Whether the proposal includes an overly prescriptive request to amend nominating committee charter language; |
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The independence of the companys nominating committee; |
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Whether the company uses an outside search firm to identify potential director nominees; and |
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Whether the company has had recent controversies, fines, or litigation regarding equal employment practices. |
Sustainability Reporting
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General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability, unless: |
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The company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies such as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) report; a comprehensive code of corporate conduct; and/or a diversity report; or |
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The company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines or a similar standard within a specified time frame. |
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Compensation-Related Proposals
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General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to link, or report on linking, executive compensation to sustainability (environmental and social) criteria, considering: |
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Whether the company has significant and/or persistent controversies or regulatory violations regarding social and/or environmental issues; |
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Whether the company has management systems and oversight mechanisms in place regarding its social and environmental performance; |
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The degree to which industry peers have incorporated similar non-financial performance criteria in their executive compensation practices; and |
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The companys current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance. |
This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, and charts (collectively, the Information) is the property of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), its subsidiaries, or, in some cases third party suppliers.
The Information has not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), or a promotion or recommendation of, any security, financial product or other investment vehicle or any trading strategy, and ISS does not endorse, approve, or otherwise express any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial products or instruments or trading strategies.
The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of the Information.
ISS MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS for A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION.
Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall ISS have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits), or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall not exclude or limit any liability that may not by applicable law be excluded or limited.
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PART COTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
(a)(1) | Declaration of Trust of Registrant.(1) | |||
(a)(2) | Amended Establishment and Designation of Classes, dated November 16, 2016.(14) | |||
(a)(3) | Amended and Restated Designation of Series, dated May 25, 2016.(11) | |||
(b) | By-Laws of Registrant, amended and restated as of November 18, 2009.(5) | |||
(c) | Not applicable. | |||
(d)(1) | Management Agreement between Registrant and Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC dated October 1, 2014.(8) | |||
(d)(2) | Amended Schedules A and B of Management Agreement between Registrant and Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, dated September 9, 2016.(13) | |||
(d)(3) | Renewal of Investment Management Agreement between Registrant and Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, dated July 27, 2016.(13) | |||
(d)(4) | Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, dated October 1, 2014.(8) | |||
(d)(5) | Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, dated October 1, 2014.(8) | |||
(d)(6) | Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Gresham Investment Management, LLC, dated February 23, 2016.(14) | |||
(d)(7) | Notice of Continuance of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, dated July 28, 2016.(14) | |||
(d)(8) |
Notice of Continuance of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Gresham Investment Management, LLC, dated July 28, 2016.(14) |
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(d)(9) | Notice of Continuance of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, dated July 28, 2016.(14) | |||
(e)(1) | Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Nuveen Securities, LLC (f/k/a Nuveen Investments, LLC), dated December 15, 2006.(2) | |||
(e)(2) | Form of Dealer Distribution, Shareholder Servicing and Fee-Based Program Agreement.(3) | |||
(e)(3) | Form of Nuveen Funds Rule 22c-2 Agreement, dated October 16, 2006.(4) | |||
(e)(4) | Renewal of Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Nuveen Securities, LLC (f/k/a Nuveen Investments, LLC), dated August 5, 2016.(13) | |||
(f) | Not applicable. | |||
(g)(1) | Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Nuveen Funds and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated July 15, 2015.(9) | |||
(g)(2) | Appendix A to Custodian Agreement, dated October 19, 2016.(14) | |||
(h)(1) | Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Nuveen Mutual Funds and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., dated May 11, 2012.(6) | |||
(h)(2) | Amendment and Schedule A to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, effective as of October 11, 2016.(14) | |||
(i) |
Not applicable. |
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(j)(1) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated January 25, 2017.(14) | |||
(j)(2) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated January 26, 2017.(14) | |||
(j)(3) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated January 26, 2017.(14) | |||
(k) | Not applicable. | |||
(l) | Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (f/k/a Nuveen Asset Management), dated December 11, 2006.(2) |
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(m) | Plan of Distribution and Service Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, dated February 28, 2013.(7) | |||
(n) | Multiple Class Plan Adopted Pursuant to Rule 18f-3, as amended November 14, 2012.(7) | |||
(o) | Not applicable. | |||
(p)(1) | Code of Ethics, as amended September 2016.(13) | |||
(p)(2) | Code of Ethics for the Independent Trustees of the Nuveen Funds, as amended August 4, 2016.(13) | |||
(p)(3) | Code of Ethics for Gresham Investment Management, LLC.(6) | |||
(z)(1) | Original Power of Attorney of Michelle Wilson-Clarke, dated July 26, 2012.(6) | |||
(z)(2) | Original Power of Attorney of Mr. Nelson, dated September 1, 2013.(7) | |||
(z)(3) | Original Powers of Attorney of Messrs. Evans, Hunter, Kundert, Schneider and Toth and Mss. Stockdale and Stone, dated October 13, 2013.(7) | |||
(z)(4) | Original Powers of Attorney of Mr. Adams, dated August 15, 2014.(8) | |||
(z)(5) | Original Powers of Attorney of Ms. Wolff, dated February 15, 2016.(10) | |||
(z)(6) | Original Powers of Attorney of Ms. Cook and Mr. Moschner, dated June 24, 2016.(12) |
(1) | Incorporated by reference to the initial registration statement filed on November 9, 2006 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(2) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 1 filed on February 2, 2007 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(3) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 2 filed on July 2, 2007 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(4) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 7 filed on April 30, 2009 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(5) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 14 filed on January 18, 2011 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(6) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 21 filed on July 30, 2012 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(7) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 25 filed on December 2, 2013 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(8) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 30 filed on January 28, 2015 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(9) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 32 filed on January 28, 2016 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(10) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 33 filed on February 22, 2016 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(11) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 35 filed on June 6, 2016 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(12) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 38 filed on July 22, 2016 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(13) | Incorporated by reference to the post-effective amendment no. 41 filed on September 26, 2016 on Form N-1A for Registrant. |
(14) | Filed herewith. |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Fund
Not applicable.
Item 30. Indemnification
Section 4 of Article XII of Registrants Declaration of Trust provides as follows:
Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in this Section 4, every person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a Covered Person), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and
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against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.
No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:
(a) against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of a final adjudication by the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought that he engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office;
(b) with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests of the Trust; or
(c) in the event of a settlement or other disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in paragraph (a) or (b)) and resulting in a payment by a Covered Person, unless there has been either a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition or a reasonable determination, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that he did not engage in such conduct:
(i) by a vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter); or
(ii) by written opinion of independent legal counsel.
The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.
Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 4 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 4, provided that either:
(a) such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security or the Trust shall be insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or
(b) a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) or independent legal counsel in a written opinion shall determine, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
As used in this Section 4, a Disinterested Trustee is one (x) who is not an Interested Person of the Trust (including, as such Disinterested Trustee, anyone who has been exempted from being an Interested Person by any rule, regulation or order of the Commission), and (y) against whom none of such actions, suits or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending.
As used in this Section 4, the words claim, action, suit or proceeding shall apply to all claims, actions, suits, proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals), actual or threatened; and the word liability and expenses shall include without limitation, attorneys fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
C-3
The trustees and officers of the Registrant are covered by the Mutual Fund Professional Liability policy in the aggregate amount of $70,000,000 against liability and expenses of claims of wrongful acts arising out of their position with the Registrant and other Nuveen funds, except for matters that involve willful acts, bad faith, gross negligence and willful disregard of duty (i.e., where the insured did not act in good faith for a purpose he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interest of the Registrant or where he or she had reasonable cause to believe this conduct was unlawful). The policy has a $2,500,000 deductible for operational failures and $1,000,000 deductible for all other claims.
Insofar as the indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the 1933 Act) may be permitted to the officers, trustees or controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the Declaration of Trust of the Registrant or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by an officer or trustee or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such officer, trustee or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
(a) Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (Nuveen Fund Advisors) (formerly known as Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. and Nuveen Asset Management) manages the Registrant and serves as investment adviser or manager to other open-end and closed-end management investment companies. The principal business address for all of these investment companies and the persons named below is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
A description of any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which the directors and officers of Nuveen Fund Advisors who serve as officers or trustees of the Registrant have engaged during the last two years for his or her account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee appears under Management in the Statement of Additional Information. Such information for the remaining senior officers of Nuveen Fund Advisors appears below:
Name and Position with Nuveen Fund Advisors |
Other Business, Profession, Vocation or
|
|
Joseph T. Castro, Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer |
Managing Director (since 2011), Head of Compliance (since 2013) of Nuveen Investments, Inc. |
|
Stuart J. Cohen, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary |
Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, Nuveen Investments, Inc. and Nuveen Securities, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC. |
C-4
Name and Position with Nuveen Fund Advisors |
Other Business, Profession, Vocation or
|
|
Sherri A. Hlavacek, Executive Vice President and Controller |
Managing Director and Controller of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President (since 2015, formerly, Managing Director), Treasurer and Controller of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President, Principal Financial Officer (since 2015, formerly, Managing Director), Treasurer and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since 2015, formerly, Managing Director), Treasurer and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC and Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Executive Vice President, formerly, Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Vice President, Controller and Treasurer of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC; Vice President and Controller of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC; Certified Public Accountant. |
|
Lucas A. Satre, Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC and Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC, NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC. |
|
Diane M. Whelan, Executive Vice President | Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc. |
(b) Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (Nuveen Asset Management) acts as one of the sub-investment advisers to the Registrant for Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund, Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund and Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund and also serves as sub-investment adviser to other open-end and closed-end funds and investment adviser to separately managed accounts. The following is a list of the senior officers of Nuveen Asset Management. The principal business address of each person is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
C-5
A description of any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which the directors and officers of Nuveen Asset Management who serve as officers or trustees of the Registrant have engaged during the last two years for his or her account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee appears under Management in the Statement of Additional Information. Such information for the remaining senior officers of Nuveen Asset Management appears below:
Name |
Position and Offices with
|
Other Business, Profession, Vocation or
|
||
William T. Huffman | President | CPA. | ||
Charles R. Manzoni, Jr. |
Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and
General Counsel |
Managing Director of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. | ||
Lucas A. Satre | Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC, NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC. | ||
Mark Slevin | Senior Vice President | Senior Vice President and Director of Operations of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC. | ||
Stuart J. Cohen | Managing Director and Assistant Secretary | Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, Nuveen Investments, Inc. and Nuveen Securities, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC. |
C-6
Name |
Position and Offices with
|
Other Business, Profession, Vocation or
|
||
Sherri A. Hlavacek | Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Controller | Executive Vice President (since 2015, formerly, Managing Director) and Controller of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director and Controller of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President, Principal Financial Officer (since 2015, formerly, Managing Director), Treasurer and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since 2015, formerly, Managing Director), Treasurer and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC and Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Executive Vice President, formerly, Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Vice President, Controller and Treasurer of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC; Vice President and Controller of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC; Certified Public Accountant. | ||
Diane S. Meggs | Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | Senior Vice President and Compliance Manager (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President (since 2013) of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC. |
(c) Gresham Investment Management LLC (Gresham), through its Near Term Active division acts as one of the sub-investment advisers to the Registrant for Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund and Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund and also serves as sub-investment adviser to another open-end fund and as a commodity trading advisor for other pooled investment vehicles and separately managed accounts. The following is a list of the executive officers of Gresham. The principal business address of each person (other than Mr. Adams and Mr. Jurecki) is 67 Irving Place, New York, New York 10003; the principal business address of Mr. Adams and Mr. Jurecki is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Name |
Positions and Offices
|
Other Business, Profession,
|
||
Dr. Henry G. Jarecki | Chairman; Member of Operating Committee | Professor of Psychiatry and a member of the Advisory Council of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine | ||
Jonathan S. Spencer | President; Member of Operating Committee | None | ||
Douglas J. Hepworth, CFA | Executive Vice President; Member of the Operating Committee | None | ||
Robert Reeves | Chief Financial Officer | None |
C-7
Name |
Positions and Offices
|
Other Business, Profession,
|
||
Brian E. Delman | Chief Compliance Officer | None | ||
William Adams IV | Member of Operating Committee | Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; President of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC | ||
Michael Jurecki | Member of Operating Committee | Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc. |
(d) NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (NWQ) acts as sub-investment adviser to the Registrant for Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund. In addition, NWQ serves as sub-investment adviser to other open-end funds and as investment adviser to separately managed accounts. The following is a list of the executive officers of NWQ. The principal business address of each person is 2049 Century Park East, 16th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067.
Name |
Positions and Offices with NWQ |
Other Business, Profession, Vocation or
|
||
Jon D. Bosse, CFA | Chief Investment Officer, Co-President, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager | None | ||
John E. Conlin | Co-President, Executive Committee Member, Chief Operating Officer | Board Member (since 2005), Pope Resources M.L.P.; Board Member, Victory Park Capital.; General Partner, Education Partners 1, LLP. |
Item 32. Principal Underwriters
(a) Nuveen Securities, LLC (Nuveen) acts as principal underwriter to the following open-end management type investment companies: Nuveen Multistate Trust I, Nuveen Multistate Trust II, Nuveen Multistate Trust III, Nuveen Multistate Trust IV, Nuveen Municipal Trust, Nuveen Managed Accounts Portfolios Trust, Nuveen Investment Trust, Nuveen Investment Trust II, Nuveen Investment Trust III, Nuveen Investment Funds, Inc., Nuveen Strategy Funds, Inc. and the Registrant.
(b)
Name and Principal
|
Positions and Offices
|
Positions and Offices
|
||
William Adams IV 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer | Trustee | ||
Margo L. Cook 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer | Trustee | ||
Sherri A. Hlavacek 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller | None | ||
Carl M. Katerndahl
333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Senior Executive Vice President | None | ||
Kevin J. McCarthy 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Executive Vice President and Assistant Secretary | Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
C-8
Name and Principal
|
Positions and Offices
|
Positions and Offices
|
||
Kathleen L. Prudhomme
901 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55402 |
Managing Director and Assistant Secretary | Vice President and Secretary | ||
Lucas A. Satre 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel | None | ||
Gifford R. Zimmerman 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 |
Managing Director and Assistant Secretary | Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
(c) Not applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
Nuveen Fund Advisors, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, maintains the Declaration of Trust, By-Laws, minutes of trustees and shareholder meetings and contracts of the Registrant and all advisory material of the investment adviser.
For Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund and Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, currently maintains all general and subsidiary ledgers, journals, trial balances, records of all portfolio purchases and sales, and all other required records not maintained by Nuveen Fund Advisors. For Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund and Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, currently maintains all general and subsidiary ledgers, journals, trial balances, records of all portfolio purchases and sales, and all other required records not maintained by Nuveen Fund Advisors.
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, maintains all the required records in its capacity as transfer, dividend paying, and shareholder service agent for Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund and Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund. Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts 02169, maintains all the required records in its capacity as transfer, dividend paying, and shareholder service agent for Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund and Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund.
Item 34. Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not applicable.
C-9
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and has duly caused this post-effective amendment to its registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Chicago and State of Illinois, on the 27th day of January, 2017.
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V | ||
B Y : | / S / K ATHLEEN L. P RUDHOMME | |
Kathleen L. Prudhomme Vice President and Secretary |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this post-effective amendment to the registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||||||
/ S / S TEPHEN D. F OY S TEPHEN D. F OY |
Vice President and Controller (principal financial and accounting officer) | January 27, 2017. | ||||||
/ S / G REG A. B OTTJER G REG A. B OTTJER |
Chief Administrative Officer (principal executive officer) | January 27, 2017. | ||||||
W ILLIAM J. S CHNEIDER * | Chairman of the Board and Trustee |
ü
ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ý ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï þ |
By: |
/ S / K ATHLEEN L. P RUDHOMME K ATHLEEN L. P RUDHOMME
Attorney-in-Fact
|
||||
W ILLIAM A DAMS IV* | Trustee | |||||||
M ARGO L. C OOK * | Trustee | |||||||
J ACK B. E VANS * | Trustee | |||||||
W ILLIAM C. H UNTER * | Trustee | |||||||
D AVID J. K UNDERT * | Trustee | |||||||
A LBIN F. M OSCHNER * | Trustee | |||||||
J OHN K. N ELSON * | Trustee | |||||||
J UDITH M. S TOCKDALE * | Trustee | |||||||
C AROLE E. S TONE * | Trustee | |||||||
T ERENCE J. T OTH * | Trustee | |||||||
M ARGARET L. W OLFF * | Trustee |
* | An original power of attorney authorizing, among others, Kevin J. McCarthy, Kathleen L. Prudhomme and Gifford R. Zimmerman to execute this registration statement, and amendments thereto, for each of the trustees of the Registrant on whose behalf this registration statement is filed, has been executed and has previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference herein. |
This Registration Statement of Nuveen Investment Trust V, with respect only to information that specifically relates to the Gresham Diversified Commodity Fund Ltd. and the Gresham Long/Short Commodity Fund Ltd., has been signed below by the following person in the capacity and on the date indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||||||
WFS Directors Limited
by Michelle Wilson-Clarke* |
By: |
/ S / K EVIN J. M C C ARTHY K EVIN J. M C C ARTHY |
||||||
Senior Vice President | Attorney-in-Fact | |||||||
January 27, 2017 |
* | An original power of attorney authorizing Kevin J. McCarthy to execute this registration statement, and amendments thereto, for Michelle Wilson-Clarke, has been executed and has previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference herein. |
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
|
Exhibit |
|||
(a)(2) | Amended Establishment and Designation of Classes, dated November 16, 2016. | |||
(d)(6) | Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Gresham Investment Management, LLC, dated February 23, 2016. | |||
(d)(7) | Notice of Continuance of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, dated July 28, 2016. | |||
(d)(8) |
Notice of Continuance of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Gresham Investment Management, LLC, dated July 28, 2016. |
|||
(d)(9) | Notice of Continuance of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, dated July 28, 2016. | |||
(g)(2) | Appendix A to Custodian Agreement, dated October 19, 2016. | |||
(h)(2) | Amendment and Schedule A to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, effective as of October 11, 2016. | |||
(j)(1) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated January 25, 2017. | |||
(j)(2) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated January 26, 2017. | |||
(j)(3) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated January 26, 2017. |
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V
AMENDED ESTABLISHMENT AND DESIGNATION OF CLASSES
WHEREAS, on September 27, 2006, the Trustees of Nuveen Investment Trust V, a Massachusetts business trust (the Trust), acting pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 of Article IV of the Declaration of Trust dated September 27, 2006 (the Declaration), divided the Shares of its series into five classes of shares, Class A Shares, Class B Shares, Class C Shares, Class D Shares and Class R Shares, effective as of that date;
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust, on May 1, 2008, renamed the class of shares known as Class R Shares to Class I Shares and further divided unissued Shares of its series into a sixth class of shares, Class R3 Shares;
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust, on April 13, 2016, further divided unissued Shares of its series into a seventh class of shares, Class R6 Shares;
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust now desire to further divide unissued Shares of its series into an eighth class of shares, Class T Shares, effective as of November 18, 2016;
NOW THEREFORE, the Trustees do hereby amend the Trusts Establishment and Designation of Classes to add such eighth class of shares, as follows:
1. The eight Classes of Shares are designated Class A Shares, Class B Shares, Class C Shares, Class D Shares, Class I Shares, Class R3 Shares, Class R6 Shares and Class T Shares.
2. Each Class shall be entitled to all the rights and preferences accorded to Shares under the Declaration.
3. The number of Shares of each Class designated hereby shall be unlimited.
4. The purchase price of each Class , the method of determination of the net asset value of each Class, the price, terms and manner of redemption of each Class, any conversion or exchange feature or privilege of each Class, and the relative dividend rights of the holders of each Class shall be established by the Trustees of the Trust in accordance with the Declaration and shall be set forth in the current prospectus and statement of additional information of the Trust or any series thereof, as amended from time to time, contained in the
Trusts registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Prospectus).
5. Each Class shall bear the expenses of payments under any distribution and service agreements entered into by or on behalf of the Trust with respect to that Class, and any other expenses that are properly allocated to such Class in accordance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any rule or order issued thereunder and applicable to the Trust (the 1940 Act).
6. As to any matter on which shareholders are entitled to vote, all Classes of a series shall vote together as a single class; provided however, that notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4 of Article IX of the Declaration to the contrary, (a) as to any matter with respect to which a separate vote of any Class is required by the 1940 Act or is required by a separate agreement applicable to such Class, such requirements as to a separate vote by the Class shall apply, (b) except as required by (a) above, to the extent that a matter affects more than one Class and the interests of two or more Classes in the matter are not materially different, then the Shares of such Classes whose interests in the matter are not materially different shall vote together as a single Class, but to the extent that a matter affects more than one Class and the interests of a Class in the matter are materially different from that of each other Class, then the Shares of such Class shall vote as a separate class; and (c) except as required by (a) above or as otherwise required by the 1940 Act, as to any matter which does not affect the interests of a particular Class, only the holders of Shares of the one or more affected Classes shall be entitled to vote.
7. The designation of Class A Shares, Class B Shares, Class C Shares, Class D Shares, Class I Shares, Class R3 Shares, Class R6 Shares and Class T Shares hereby shall not impair the power of the Trustees from time to time to designate additional classes of Shares of the Trust.
8. Subject to the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the Trustees may from time to time modify the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges of any of the Classes designated hereby or redesignate any of the Classes designated hereby without any action or consent of the Shareholders.
-2-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, have executed this instrument as of this 16th day of November, 2016.
/s/ William Adams IV |
/s/ Margo L. Cook |
|||
William Adams IV, | Margo L. Cook, | |||
as Trustee | as Trustee | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 333 West Wacker Drive | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 | |||
/s/ Jack B. Evans |
/s/ William C. Hunter |
|||
Jack B. Evans, | William C. Hunter, | |||
as Trustee | as Trustee | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 333 West Wacker Drive | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 | |||
/s/ David J. Kundert |
/s/ Albin F. Moschner |
|||
David J. Kundert, | Albin F. Moschner, | |||
as Trustee | as Trustee | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 333 West Wacker Drive | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 | |||
/s/ John K. Nelson |
/s/ William J. Schneider |
|||
John K. Nelson, | William J. Schneider, | |||
as Trustee | as Trustee | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 333 West Wacker Drive | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 | |||
/s/ Judith M. Stockdale |
/s/ Carole E. Stone |
|||
Judith M. Stockdale, | Carole E. Stone, | |||
as Trustee | as Trustee | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 333 West Wacker Drive | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 | |||
/s/ Terence J. Toth |
/s/ Margaret L. Wolff |
|||
Terence J. Toth, | Margaret L. Wolff, | |||
as Trustee | as Trustee | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 333 West Wacker Drive | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 |
-3-
AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT MADE THIS 23 rd day of February 2016 by and between Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a registered investment adviser (Manager), Gresham Investment Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a registered investment adviser (Sub-Adviser), and each registered investment company listed on Schedule A hereto (each a Fund and collectively the Funds).
WHEREAS, Manager is the investment manager for the Funds, each a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V (the Trust), an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act);
WHEREAS, Manager desires to retain Sub-Adviser as its agent to furnish investment advisory services for each Fund upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
WHEREAS, Manager has caused the formation of a Cayman Islands Exempted Company as a wholly owned subsidiary of each Fund to implement the investment program of the Funds pursuant to separate sub-advisory agreements with the Exempted Companies (Exempted Company Agreements), and Sub-Adviser will be compensated for its services to each Exempted Company out of a portion of the fees paid to Manager by each Fund solely for administrative convenience due to considerations under the 1940 Act;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment . Manager hereby appoints Sub-Adviser to provide certain sub-investment advisory services with respect to the development of an investment program for each Fund and the portion of each Funds portfolio allocated by Manager to Sub-Adviser for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. Sub-Adviser accepts such appointments and agrees to furnish the services herein set forth for the compensation herein provided.
2. Services to be Performed . Subject always to the supervision of Manager and the Trusts Board of Trustees (the Board), Sub-Adviser is authorized to furnish an investment program in respect of, make investment decisions for, and place all orders for the purchase and sale of (i) futures contracts, forward contracts, options on futures contracts and other commodity interests (Commodity Interests) and (ii) U.S. government securities, other short-term, high grade fixed income securities and cash equivalents that serve to collateralize the Commodity Interests (Collateral Assets, and together with Commodity Interests, Investments) for the portion of each Funds investment portfolio allocated by Manager to Sub-Adviser. In the performance of its duties, Sub-Adviser will satisfy its fiduciary duties to the Trust, will select and monitor each Funds Investments, and will comply with the provisions of the Trusts Declaration of Trust and By-laws, each as amended from time to time (the Trust Documents), and the stated investment objectives, policies and restrictions of each Fund. Manager will provide Sub-Adviser with current copies of the Trust Documents, each Funds prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and any amendments thereto, and any objectives, policies or restrictions not appearing therein as they may be relevant to Sub-Advisers performance under this Agreement. Sub-Adviser and Manager will each make its officers and employees available
to the other from time to time at reasonable times to review investment policies of each Fund and to consult with each other regarding the investment affairs of each Fund. Sub-Adviser will report to Manager and the Board with respect to the implementation of its investment program for each Fund.
All commissions and expenses arising from Sub-Advisers trading of Commodity Interests on behalf of a Fund shall be charged to the applicable Funds account with its clearing broker(s). Manager shall deliver to Sub-Adviser, and renew when necessary, a commodity trading authorization appointing Sub-Adviser as the Funds agent and attorney-in-fact for the purpose of trading Commodity Interests on behalf of the Funds. All trades in Commodity Interests for the accounts of the Funds directed by Sub-Adviser shall be made through such clearing broker(s) as Manager directs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sub-Adviser may place orders for transactions in Commodity Interests for the Funds through executing brokers or floor brokers selected by Sub-Adviser and may execute on behalf of the Funds give-up agreements with such executing brokers or floor brokers where necessary; provided that (i) Sub-Adviser will use its best efforts to obtain best execution of each Funds transactions and (ii) Sub-Adviser will provide Manager and the Funds on a quarterly basis with a list of the executing brokers or floor brokers Sub-Adviser is then using, and Manager may, within 5 days of receiving such list after consultation with Sub-Adviser, object to the use of an executing broker or floor broker because the Manager reasonably believes the use of such executing broker or floor broker would be detrimental to the Funds and their investors, and Sub-Adviser shall cease using such broker on behalf of the Funds. Any over-the-counter contracts in Commodity Interests transacted for the Funds accounts will be effected through the clearing broker or its affiliates, as agreed upon between Sub-Adviser and Manager. Sub-Adviser from time to time may select other dealers through which any such contracts will be traded, with the prior written consent of Manager.
Sub-Adviser is authorized to select the brokers or dealers that will execute the purchases and sales of Collateral Assets for each Fund, and is directed to use its best efforts to obtain best execution, which includes most favorable net results and execution of each Funds orders, taking into account all appropriate factors, including price, dealer spread or commission, size and difficulty of the transaction and research or other services provided. It is understood that Sub-Adviser will not be deemed to have acted unlawfully, or to have breached a fiduciary duty to a Fund, or be in breach of any obligation owing to a Fund under this Agreement, or otherwise, solely by reason of its having caused the Fund to pay a member of a securities exchange, a broker or a dealer a commission for effecting a Collateral Asset transaction for the Fund in excess of the amount of commission another member of an exchange, broker or dealer would have charged if Sub-Adviser determined in good faith that the commission paid was reasonable in relation to the brokerage or research services provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of that particular transaction or Sub-Advisers overall responsibilities with respect to its accounts, including the Fund, as to which it exercises investment discretion. In addition, if in the judgment of Sub-Adviser, a Fund would be benefited by supplemental services, Sub-Adviser is authorized to pay spreads or commissions to brokers or dealers furnishing such services in excess of spreads or commissions which another broker or dealer may charge for the same transaction, provided that Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that the commission or spread paid is reasonable in relation to the services provided. Sub-Adviser will properly communicate to the Manager such information relating to Collateral Asset transactions for each Fund as it may reasonably request. In no instance will Collateral Assets for a Fund be
2
purchased from or sold to Manager, Sub-Adviser or any affiliated person of the Company, Manager or Sub-Adviser, except as may be permitted under the 1940 Act, and under no circumstances will Sub-Adviser select brokers or dealers for the Companys Collateral Asset transactions on the basis of sales by such brokers or dealers of any investment company advised by the Manager.
Sub-Adviser further agrees that it:
(a) | will use the same degree of skill and care in providing such services as it uses in providing services to fiduciary accounts for which it has investment responsibilities; |
(b) | will conform to all applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in all material respects and in addition will conduct its activities under this Agreement in accordance with any applicable regulations of any governmental authority pertaining to its investment advisory activities; |
(c) | will report regularly to Manager and the Board and will make appropriate persons available for the purpose of reviewing with representatives of Manager and the Board on a regular basis at reasonable times the management of the Funds, including, without limitation, review of the general investment strategies of the Funds, the performance of the Funds in relation to standard industry indices and general conditions affecting the marketplace, and will provide various other reports from time to time as reasonably requested by Manager; |
(d) | will prepare such books and records with respect to each Funds Investments as requested by Manager and will furnish Manager and the Board such periodic and special reports as Manager or the Board may reasonably request; and |
(e) | will monitor the pricing of the Funds Investments, and events relating to and the markets in which the Funds trade, and will notify Manager promptly of any market events or other situations that come to its attention (particularly those that may occur after the close of a foreign market in which the Funds Commodity Interests may primarily trade but before the time at which the Funds Commodity Interests are priced on a given day) that may materially impact the pricing of one or more of the Funds Investments. In addition, upon the request of Manager, Sub-Adviser will assist Manager in evaluating the impact that such an event may have on the net asset value of the Funds and in determining a recommended fair value of the affected Investments. Sub-Adviser shall not be liable for any valuation determined or adopted by the Funds, the Funds custodian and/or portfolio accounting agent, as contemplated in this Agreement, unless such determination is made based upon information provided by Sub-Adviser that is materially incorrect or incomplete as a result of Sub-Advisers gross negligence. |
3. Expenses . During the term of this Agreement, Sub-Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement other than the cost of Investments (including brokerage commissions and other related expenses) purchased or sold for each Fund.
3
4. Compensation . For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement and, solely for administrative convenience, the Exempted Company Agreements, Manager will pay Sub-Adviser, and Sub-Adviser agrees to accept as full compensation therefor, a portfolio management fee for each Fund equal to a percentage (as set forth on Schedule A) of the remainder of (a) the investment management fee payable by each Fund to Manager based on average daily net assets pursuant to the Management Agreement between Manager and the Trust, less (b) any management fees, expenses, supermarket fees and alliance fees waived, reimbursed or paid by Manager in respect of each Fund.
The management fee shall accrue on each calendar day, and shall be payable monthly on the second business day of the next succeeding calendar month. The daily fee accrual shall be computed by multiplying the fraction of one divided by the number of days in the calendar year by the applicable annual rate of fee, and multiplying this product by the net assets of each Fund, determined in the manner established by the Board, as of the close of business on the last preceding business day on which each Funds net asset value was determined.
For the month and year in which this Agreement becomes effective or terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration on the basis of the number of days that the Agreement is in effect during the month and year, respectively.
5. Services to Others . Manager understands, and has advised the Board, that Sub-Adviser now acts, or may in the future act, as an investment adviser and/or commodity trading advisor to fiduciary and other managed accounts (including accounts owned by Sub-Adviser and/or its principals), and as investment adviser or sub-investment adviser to other investment companies that are not series of the Trust. In addition, Manager understands, and has advised the Board, that the persons employed by Sub-Adviser to assist in Sub-Advisers duties under this Agreement will not devote their full such efforts and service to the Funds. It is also agreed that Sub-Adviser may use any supplemental research obtained for the benefit of the Funds in providing investment advice to its other investment advisory accounts or for managing its own accounts. Sub-Adviser agrees to comply with the position limits imposed on certain Commodity Interest contracts by the CFTC or applicable contract market. If, at any time during the term of this Agreement, Sub-Adviser is required to aggregate the Funds Commodity Interest positions with the positions of any other person for purposes of applying the CFTC or exchange imposed speculative position limits, Sub-Adviser will promptly notify Manager if the Funds positions are included in an aggregate amount which exceeds the applicable speculative position limit. Sub-Adviser represents that, if speculative position limits are reached in any Commodity Interest contract, it will modify the trading instructions to the Funds accounts and its other accounts in a reasonable and good faith effort to achieve an equitable treatment of all accounts. Sub-Adviser currently believes and represents that such speculative limits will not materially affect its investment recommendations or strategy for the Funds given Sub-Advisers current accounts and all proposed accounts for which Sub-Adviser has a contract to act as a commodity trading advisor and/or investment adviser or sub-investment adviser.
4
6. Limitation of Liability . Sub-Adviser shall not be liable for, and Manager will not take any action against Sub-Adviser to hold Sub-Adviser liable for, any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Fund (including, without limitation, by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any asset) in connection with the performance of Sub-Advisers duties under this Agreement, except for a loss resulting from Sub-Advisers willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
7. Indemnity.
a) | In any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, or proceeding to which Sub-Adviser, its members, officers, directors, employees or associated persons (collectively, its affiliates ) was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that Sub-Adviser is or was an investment sub-adviser of a Fund or otherwise, the Fund and the Manager, jointly and severally, shall indemnify and hold harmless, subject to subsection (d) below, Sub-Adviser and its affiliates against any loss, liability, damage, cost, expenses (including attorneys fees and accountants fees), judgments and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by it or its affiliates in connection with any action, suit or proceeding if Sub-Adviser acted in good faith and in a manner it reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Fund, and provided that its conduct does not constitute willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order or settlement shall not, of itself, create a presumption that Sub-Adviser did not act in good faith or in a manner which it reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Fund. |
b) | Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending civil, administrative or criminal action, suit or proceeding against Sub-Adviser or its affiliates may, in the sole discretion of Manager, be paid by a Fund in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if and to the extent that the person on whose behalf such expenses are paid shall agree to reimburse the Fund in the event indemnification is not permitted under this Section 7. |
c) | Sub-Adviser agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Funds, Manager and its affiliates (as defined above) against any loss, liability, damage, cost, expenses (including attorneys fees and accountants fees), judgments and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by it or its affiliates by reason of any act or omission of Sub-Adviser relating to a Fund (including costs and expenses of investigating and defending any claims, demand or suit and attorneys and accountants fees) if such act or omission materially violated the terms of this Agreement or involved willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of Sub-Adviser in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. |
d) |
Any indemnification under subsections (a) or (c) above, unless ordered by a court or administrative forum, shall be made only as authorized in the specific case and only |
5
upon a determination by independent legal counsel in a written opinion that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because the party claiming indemnification (the Indemnitee ) has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsection (a) or (c), as the case may be. To the extent that the Indemnitee or its affiliates have been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsection (a) or (c) above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the immediately preceding sentence of this subsection (d) shall not apply and the party obligated to indemnify the other party (the Indemnitor ) shall indemnify the Indemnitee or its affiliates against the expenses, including attorneys and accountants fees, actually and reasonably incurred by it or its affiliates in connection therewith. |
e) | In the event that any claim, dispute or litigation arises between Sub-Adviser and any party other than a Fund or Manager, which claim, dispute or litigation is unrelated to the Funds business, and if a Fund or Manager are made a party to such claim, dispute or litigation by such other party, Sub-Adviser shall defend any actions brought in connection therewith on behalf of the Fund and/or Manager each of whom agree to cooperate in such defense, and Sub-Adviser shall indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and Manager from and with respect to any amounts awarded to such other party. If any claim, dispute or litigation arises between a Fund and/or Manager and any party other than Sub-Adviser which claim, dispute or litigation is unrelated to Sub-Advisers duties under this Agreement, and if Sub-Adviser is made a party to such claim, dispute or litigation by such other party, the Fund and/or Manager, as the case may be, shall defend any actions brought in connection therewith on behalf of Sub-Adviser or its principals, each of whom agree to cooperate in such defense and the Fund and / or Manager, as the case may be, shall indemnify and hold harmless Sub-Adviser and its affiliates from and with respect to any amounts awarded to such other party. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (e), if, in any claim as to which indemnity is or may be available, any indemnified party reasonably determines that its interests are or may be, in whole or in part, adverse to the interests of the indemnifying party, the indemnified party may retain its own counsel in connection with such claim and shall be indemnified by the indemnifying party for any legal or any other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending such claim. |
f) |
None of the foregoing provisions for indemnification shall be applicable with respect to default judgments, confessions of judgment or settlements entered into by the Indemnitee without the prior consent of the Indemnitor; provided, however, that should the Indemnitor refuse to consent to a settlement approved by the Indemnitee, the Indemnitee may effect such settlement, pay such amount in settlement as it shall deem reasonable and seek a judicial or regulatory determination with respect to reimbursement by the Indemnitor of any loss, liability, damage, cost or expenses (including reasonable attorneys and accountants fees) incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with such settlement to the extent such loss, liability, damage, cost or expense (including reasonable attorneys and accountants fees) was caused by or resulted from a material violation of this Agreement by the Indemnitor or violation of the standard of conduct or the representations and warranties set forth herein. |
6
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Indemnitor shall, at all times, have the right to offer to settle any matters, and if the Indemnitor successfully negotiates a settlement and tenders payment therefor to the Indemnitee, the Indemnitee must either use its best efforts to dispose of the matter in accordance with the terms and conditions of the proposed settlement or the Indemnitee may refuse to settle the matter and continue its defense in which latter event the maximum liability of the Indemnitor to the Indemnitee shall be the amount of said proposed settlement. |
g) | The foregoing provisions for indemnification shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
h) | Sub-Adviser acknowledges as to it that the indemnities provided in this Agreement by Manager and the Funds to Sub-Adviser shall be inapplicable in the event of any liability accruing to the extent, if any, caused by or based upon Sub-Advisers misrepresentations, omissions or breach of any warranty in this Agreement. |
i) | The Funds and Manager acknowledge as to each of them that the indemnities provided in this Agreement by Sub-Adviser to the Funds and Manager shall be inapplicable in the event of any liability accruing to the extent, if any, caused by or based upon a Funds or Managers misrepresentations, omissions or breach of any warranty in this Agreement. |
j) | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, all securities laws impose liabilities under certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith, and, therefore, nothing in this Agreement shall constitute a waiver or limitation of liability under such laws to the extent (but only to the extent) such liability may not be waived, modified or limited. |
8. Term; Termination; Amendment . As to each Fund, this Agreement shall become effective and shall run for an initial period as specified for each Fund in Schedule A hereto. This Agreement shall continue in force from year to year thereafter with respect to each Fund, but only as long as such continuance is specifically approved for each Fund at least annually in the manner required by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; provided, however, that if the continuation of this Agreement is not approved for each Fund, Sub-Adviser may continue to serve in such capacity for each Fund in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment and may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by either party on sixty (60) days written notice to the other party. This Agreement may also be terminated by the Trust with respect to a Fund by action of the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund on sixty (60) days written notice to Sub-Adviser by the Trust.
This Agreement may be terminated with respect to each Fund at any time without the payment of any penalty by Manager or the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund in the event that it shall have been established by a court of competent jurisdiction that Sub-Adviser or any officer or director of Sub-Adviser has taken any action which results in a breach of the covenants of Sub-Adviser set forth herein.
7
The terms assignment and vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities shall have the meanings set forth in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Termination of this Agreement shall not affect the right of Sub-Adviser to receive payments on any unpaid balance of the compensation described in Section 4 earned prior to such termination. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event the Management Agreement between Manager and the Trust is terminated, assigned or not renewed.
9. Notice . Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party as set forth below:
If to Manager: | If to Sub-Adviser: | |||
Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC | Gresham Investment Management LLC | |||
333 West Wacker Drive | 257 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor | |||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | New York, NY 10010 | |||
Attention: Mr. Gifford R. Zimmerman | Attention: Mr. Jonathan S. Spencer | |||
With a copy to: | ||||
Nuveen Investments, Inc. | ||||
333 West Wacker Drive | ||||
Chicago, Illinois 60606 | ||||
Attention: General Counsel |
or such address as such party may designate for the receipt of such notice.
10. Miscellaneous . The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision of this Agreement is held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement will not be affected thereby. This Agreement will be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
11. Applicable Law, Entire Agreement, Amendments, Arbitration . This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with applicable federal law and the laws of the State of Illinois. This Agreement is the entire agreement of the parties in respect of the subject matter and may be amended only by a writing signed by the parties. All disputes not resolved by negotiation shall be exclusively resolved by confidential binding arbitration in New York in accordance with the then rules of the American Arbitration Association by a panel of three arbitrators, one selected by each party and the third by the two so selected. The arbitrators shall have no authority to amend this Agreement. Any award by the arbitrators may be entered as a judgment by any court having jurisdiction.
8
12. Sub-Advisers Rule 4.7 Advisory and Companys Consent. Sub-Adviser manages the accounts of each Fund and its related Exempted Company as exempt accounts under CFTC Rule 4.7 and provides the following advisory in connection therewith:
PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH ACCOUNTS OF QUALIFIED ELIGIBLE PERSONS, THIS BROCHURE OR ACCOUNT DOCUMENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE, AND HAS NOT BEEN, FILED WITH THE COMMISSION. THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION DOES NOT PASS UPON THE MERITS OF PARTICIPATING IN A TRADING PROGRAM OR UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF COMMODITY TRADING ADVISOR DISCLOSURE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT REVIEWED OR APPROVED THIS TRADING PROGRAM OR THIS BROCHURE OR ACCOUNT DOCUMENT.
Each Fund consents to its account and the account of its related Exempted Company being managed by Sub-Adviser being an exempt account under CFTC Rule 4.7.
9
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Manager, Sub-Adviser and the Funds have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above written.
NUVEEN FUND ADVISORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company |
GRESHAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC, a Delaware limited liability company |
|||||
By: |
/s/ Kevin J. McCarthy |
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Spencer |
|||
Title: | Managing Director | Title: | President | |||
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V, | ||||||
a Massachusetts business trust, | ||||||
on behalf only of the Funds listed on Schedule A hereto | ||||||
By: |
/s/ Stephen D. Foy |
|||||
Title: | Vice President |
10
I NVESTMENT S UB -A DVISORY A GREEMENT
Schedule A
Fund Name |
Effective Date | Period End |
Compensation
Percentage |
|||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund |
February 23,
2016 |
August 1, 2016 | 47 | % | ||||
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
February 23,
2016 |
August 1, 2016 | 47.5 | % |
NUVEEN OPEN-END FUNDS
NOTICE OF CONTINUANCE OF INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS
WHEREAS, Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Manager ) and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Sub-Adviser) have entered into Sub-Advisory Agreements (the Agreements), pursuant to which the Sub-Adviser furnishes investment advisory services to various open-end funds as listed on attached Schedule A (Nuveen Open-End Funds); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of each Agreement, the Agreement shall continue in force from year to year, provided that such continuance is specifically approved for each Portfolio (as defined in the Agreement) at least annually in the manner required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
NOW THEREFORE, this Notice memorializes between the parties that the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Open-End Fund, including the independent Directors/Trustees, at a meeting called in part for the purpose of reviewing the Agreements, have approved the continuance of each Agreement with respect to each Portfolio until August 1, 2017, in the manner required by the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Dated as of July 28, 2016
NUVEEN FUND ADVISORS, LLC | ||||||
By: |
/s/ Gifford R. Zimmerman |
|||||
Managing Director | ||||||
ATTEST: | ||||||
/s/ Virginia ONeal |
||||||
NUVEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC | ||||||
By: |
/s/ Kevin J. McCarthy |
|||||
Executive Vice President | ||||||
ATTEST: | ||||||
/s/ Virginia ONeal |
Schedule A
NUVEEN MUNICIPAL TRUST
Nuveen All-American Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Inflation Protected Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Limited Term Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST I
Nuveen Arizona Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Colorado Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Maryland Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New Mexico Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Virginia Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST II
Nuveen California High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen California Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Connecticut Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New York Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST III
Nuveen Georgia Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Louisiana Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen North Carolina Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST IV
Nuveen Kansas Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Michigan Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Missouri Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Ohio Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Wisconsin Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST
Nuveen Concentrated Core Fund
Nuveen Core Dividend Fund
Nuveen Equity Market Neutral Fund
Nuveen Global Total Return Bond Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Core Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Core Plus Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Value Fund
Nuveen U.S. Infrastructure Bond Fund (until August 19, 2016)
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST II
Nuveen Equity Long/Short Fund
Nuveen Growth Fund
Nuveen International Growth Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
NUVEEN MANAGED ACCOUNTS PORTFOLIOS TRUST
Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts Portfolio
NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS, INC.
Nuveen Core Bond Fund
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund
Nuveen Dividend Value Fund
Nuveen Equity Index Fund
Nuveen Global Infrastructure Fund
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund
Nuveen International Select Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Growth Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Select Fund
Nuveen Mid Cap Growth Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Mid Cap Index Fund
Nuveen Mid Cap Value Fund
Nuveen Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Minnesota Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Nebraska Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Real Asset Income Fund
Nuveen Real Estate Securities Fund
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund
Nuveen Short Term Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Growth Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Index Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Select Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Value Fund
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund
Nuveen Tactical Market Opportunities Fund
NUVEEN STRATEGY FUNDS, INC.
Nuveen Strategy Aggressive Growth Allocation Fund
Nuveen Strategy Balanced Allocation Fund
Nuveen Strategy Conservative Allocation Fund
Nuveen Strategy Growth Allocation Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V
NOTICE OF CONTINUANCE OF INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Manager) and Gresham Investment Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Sub-Adviser) have entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement dated as of February 23, 2016, pursuant to which the Sub-Adviser furnishes investment advisory services to a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V as listed on attached Schedule A; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Agreement shall continue in force from year to year after the initial effective period, provided that such continuance is specifically approved for each Portfolio (as defined in the Agreement) at least annually in the manner required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
NOW THEREFORE, this Notice memorializes between the parties that the Board of Trustees of Nuveen Investment Trust V, including the independent Trustees, at a meeting called in part for the purpose of reviewing the Agreement, have approved the continuance of the Agreement with respect to each Portfolio until August 1, 2017, in the manner required by the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Dated as of July 28, 2016
NUVEEN FUND ADVISORS, LLC | ||||||||
By: |
/s/ Gifford R. Zimmerman |
|||||||
Managing Director | ||||||||
ATTEST: | ||||||||
/s/ Virginia ONeal |
||||||||
GRESHAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC | ||||||||
By: |
/s/ Jonathan Spencer |
|||||||
Its: | President | |||||||
ATTEST: | ||||||||
/s/ Adam Gehrie |
S CHEDULE A TO S UB -A DVISORY A GREEMENT R ENEWAL
A GREEMENTS BETWEEN N UVEEN F UND A DVISORS , LLC AND
G RESHAM I NVESTMENT M ANAGEMENT LLC
Fund in Nuveen Investment Trust V |
Date of
Contract |
Date of
Renewal |
||||||
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund |
2-23-16 | 8-1-16 |
Date of
Contract |
Date of
Renewal |
|||||||
A GREEMENT BETWEEN N UVEEN F UND A DVISORS , LLC AND L ONG -O NLY C OMMODITY F UND LTD AND G RESHAM I NVESTMENT M ANAGEMENT LLC |
2-23-16 | 8-1-16 | ||||||
A GREEMENT BETWEEN N UVEEN F UND A DVISORS , LLC AND L ONG -S HORT C OMMODITY F UND LTD AND G RESHAM I NVESTMENT M ANAGEMENT LLC |
2-23-16 | 8-1-16 |
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V
NOTICE OF CONTINUANCE OF INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Manager) and NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Sub-Adviser) have entered into Sub-Advisory Agreements, pursuant to which the Sub-Adviser furnishes investment advisory services to various series of Nuveen Investment Trust V as listed on attached Schedule A; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Agreement shall continue in force from year to year after the initial effective period, provided that such continuance is specifically approved for each Portfolio (as defined in the Agreement) at least annually in the manner required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
NOW THEREFORE, this Notice memorializes between the parties that the Board of Trustees of Nuveen Investment Trust V, including the independent Trustees, at a meeting called in part for the purpose of reviewing the Agreement, have approved the continuance of the Agreement with respect to each Portfolio until August 1, 2017, in the manner required by the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Dated as of July 28, 2016
NUVEEN FUND ADVISORS, LLC | ||||||
By: |
/s/ Gifford R. Zimmerman |
|||||
Managing Director | ||||||
ATTEST: | ||||||
/s/ Virginia ONeal |
||||||
NWQ INVESTMENT | ||||||
MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC | ||||||
By: |
/s/ Kevin J. McCarty |
|||||
Its: | Vice President and Secretary | |||||
ATTEST: | ||||||
/s/ Virginia ONeal |
S CHEDULE A TO S UB -A DVISORY A GREEMENT R ENEWAL
A GREEMENTS BETWEEN N UVEEN F UND A DVISORS , LLC AND NWQ I NVESTMENT M ANAGEMENT C OMPANY , LLC
Fund in Nuveen Investment Trust V |
Date of Contract | Date of Renewal | ||||||
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund |
10-1-14 | 8-1-16 |
APPENDIX A
TO
A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER C USTODIAN A GREEMENT
July 15, 2015
(Updated as of October 19, 2016)
NUVEEN CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Diversified Real Asset Income Fund
Nuveen All Cap Energy MLP Opportunities Fund
Nuveen AMT-Free Municipal Income Fund
Nuveen AMT-Free Municipal Value Fund
Nuveen Arizona Premium Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Build America Bond Fund
Nuveen Build America Bond Opportunity Fund
Nuveen California AMT-Free Municipal Income Fund
Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund
Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2
Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 3
Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2
Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund, Inc.
Nuveen California Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio
Nuveen Connecticut Premium Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund
Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund
Nuveen Diversified Dividend and Income Fund
Nuveen Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund
Nuveen Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2
Nuveen Enhanced Municipal Credit Opportunities Fund f/k/a Nuveen Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 3
Nuveen Enhanced AMT-Free Municipal Credit Opportunities Fund f/k/a Nuveen Dividend Advantage Municipal Income Fund
Nuveen Dow 30 SM Dynamic Overwrite Fund
Nuveen Energy MLP Total Return Fund
Nuveen Enhanced Municipal Value Fund
Nuveen Flexible Investment Income Fund
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Opportunity Fund
Nuveen Georgia Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2
Nuveen Global High Income Fund
Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund f/k/a Nuveen Global Value Opportunities Fund
Nuveen High Income 2020 Target Term Fund
Nuveen High Income December 2018 Target Term Fund
Nuveen High Income December 2019 Target Term Fund
Nuveen High Income November 2021 Target Term Fund f/k/a Nuveen High Income December 2020 Target Term Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Duration Municipal Term Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Duration Quality Municipal Term Fund
Nuveen Investment Quality Municipal Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Maryland Premium Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Massachusetts Premium Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Michigan Quality Income Municipal Fund
1
APPENDIX A
TO
A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER C USTODIAN A GREEMENT
July 15, 2015
(Updated as of October 19, 2016)
Nuveen Minnesota Municipal Income Fund
Nuveen Missouri Premium Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund
Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund 2
Nuveen Municipal 2021 Target Term Fund
Nuveen Municipal Advantage Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity Fund
Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Municipal Market Opportunity Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Municipal Opportunity Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Multi-Market Income Fund
Nuveen NASDAQ 100 Dynamic Overwrite Fund
Nuveen New Jersey Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund
Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund
Nuveen New York AMT-Free Municipal Income Fund
Nuveen New York Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund
Nuveen New York Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2
Nuveen New York Municipal Value Fund 2
Nuveen New York Municipal Value Fund, Inc.
Nuveen New York Performance Plus Municipal Fund, Inc.
Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio
Nuveen North Carolina Premium Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Ohio Quality Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Pennsylvania Investment Quality Municipal Fund
Nuveen Pennsylvania Municipal Value Fund
Nuveen Performance Plus Municipal Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund
Nuveen Preferred Income Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Premier Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Premium Income Municipal Fund 2, Inc.
Nuveen Premium Income Municipal Fund 4, Inc.
Nuveen Premium Income Municipal Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Quality Income Municipal Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Quality Municipal Fund, Inc.
Nuveen Quality Preferred Income Fund
Nuveen Quality Preferred Income Fund 2
Nuveen Quality Preferred Income Fund 3
Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund
Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund
Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund f/k/a Nuveen Equity Premium and Growth Fund
Nuveen S&P 500 Buy-Write Fund f/k/a Nuveen Equity Premium Income Fund
Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund
Nuveen Select Quality Municipal Fund, Inc.
2
APPENDIX A
TO
A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER C USTODIAN A GREEMENT
July 15, 2015
(Updated as of October 19, 2016)
Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio
Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio 2
Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio 3
Nuveen Senior Income Fund
Nuveen Short Duration Credit Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Tax-Advantaged Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Tax-Advantaged Total Return Strategy Fund
Nuveen Technology Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Texas Quality Income Municipal Fund
Nuveen Virginia Premium Income Municipal Fund
NUVEEN OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
NUVEEN MUNICIPAL TRUST , on behalf of:
Nuveen All-American Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Inflation Protected Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Limited Term Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST I , on behalf of:
Nuveen Arizona Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Colorado Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Maryland Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New Mexico Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Virginia Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST II , on behalf of:
Nuveen California High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen California Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Connecticut Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New York Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST III , on behalf of:
Nuveen Georgia Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Louisiana Municipal Bond Fund
3
APPENDIX A
TO
A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER C USTODIAN A GREEMENT
July 15, 2015
(Updated as of October 19, 2016)
Nuveen North Carolina Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST IV , on behalf of:
Nuveen Kansas Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Michigan Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Missouri Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Ohio Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Wisconsin Municipal Bond Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST , on behalf of:
Nuveen Concentrated Core Fund
Nuveen Core Dividend Fund
Nuveen Equity Market Neutral Fund
Nuveen Global Total Return Bond Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Core Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Core Plus Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Value Fund (f/k/a Nuveen Multi-Manager Large-Cap Value Fund)
Nuveen NWQ Global All-Cap Fund (f/k/a Nuveen NWQ Global Equity Fund)
Nuveen NWQ Global Equity Income Fund
Nuveen NWQ Multi-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Small-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Large-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Small/Mid-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen Tradewinds Value Opportunities Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST II , on behalf of:
Nuveen Equity Long/Short Fund
Nuveen Growth Fund
Nuveen International Growth Fund
Nuveen Santa Barbara Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Santa Barbara Global Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Santa Barbara International Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Symphony Dynamic Equity Fund
Nuveen Symphony International Equity Fund
Nuveen Symphony Large-Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Symphony Low Volatility Equity Fund
Nuveen Symphony Mid-Cap Core Fund
Nuveen Symphony Small Cap Core Fund
4
APPENDIX A
TO
A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER C USTODIAN A GREEMENT
July 15, 2015
(Updated as of October 19, 2016)
Nuveen Tradewinds Global All-Cap Fund
Nuveen NWQ International Value Fund (f/k/a Nuveen Tradewinds International Value Fund)
Nuveen NWQ Japan Fund (f/k/a Nuveen Tradewinds Japan Fund)
Nuveen Winslow Large-Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Winslow Managed Volatility Equity Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST III , on behalf of:
Nuveen Symphony Credit Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Symphony Dynamic Credit Fund
Nuveen Symphony Floating Rate Income Fund
Nuveen Symphony High Yield Bond Fund
NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V , on behalf of:
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen Multi-Asset Income Fund
Nuveen Multi-Asset Income Tax-Aware Fund
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
NUVEEN MANAGED ACCOUNTS PORTFOLIOS TRUST , on behalf of
Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts Portfolio
NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS, INC. , on behalf of
Nuveen Global Infrastructure Fund
Nuveen Real Asset Income Fund
Nuveen International Select Fund
SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS
5
APPENDIX A
TO
A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER C USTODIAN A GREEMENT
July 15, 2015
(Updated as of October 19, 2016)
Acknowledged and Accepted:
For the Above Fund Parties
By: |
/s/ Stephen D. Foy |
|
Name: | Stephen D. Foy | |
Title: | Vice President |
Acknowledged:
STATE STREET BANK AND
TRUST COMPANY, as Custodian
By: |
/s/ Andrew Erickson |
|
Name: | Andrew Erickson | |
Title: | Executive Vice President |
6
AMENDMENT
To Transfer Agency and Service Agreement
Between
Each of the Nuveen Open-End Investment Companies Listed on Schedule A to the Agreement
And
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
This Amendment is made as of this 11 th day of October, 2016, between each of the Nuveen Open-End Investment Companies Listed on Schedule A to the Agreement (collectively, the Fund) and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent). In accordance with Section 16.1 (Amendment) and Section 17 (Additional Portfolios/Funds) and Section 16.1 (Amendment) of the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated May 11, 2012, as amended (the Agreement), the parties desire to amend the Agreement as set forth herein.
NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
1. | Schedule A. The current Schedule A to the Agreement is replaced and superseded with the Schedule A attached hereto, effective as of October 11, 2016; and |
2. | All defined terms and definitions in the Agreement shall be the same in this amendment (the October 11, 2016 Amendment) except as specifically revised by this Amendment. |
3. | Except as specifically set forth in this October 11, 2016 Amendment, all other terms and conditions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this October 11, 2016 Amendment 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.
EACH OF THE ENTITIES, INDIVIDUALLY AND NOT JOINTLY, AS LISTED ON SCHEDULE A | BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC. | |||
By: /s/ Tina M. Lazar |
By: /s/ Richard J. Johnson |
|||
Name: Tina M. Lazar |
Name: Richard J. Johnson |
|||
Title: SVP |
Title: Managing Director |
|||
as an Authorized Officer on behalf of each of the Funds as listed on Schedule A |
SCHEDULE A
Nuveen Open-End Funds
Effective as of: October 11, 2016
1. | NUVEEN MUNICIPAL TRUST |
Nuveen All-American Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Inflation Protected Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Limited Term Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund
2. | NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST I |
Nuveen Arizona Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Colorado Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Maryland Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New Mexico Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Virginia Municipal Bond Fund
3. | NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST II |
Nuveen California High Yield Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund*
Nuveen California Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Connecticut Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen New York Municipal Bond Fund
4. | NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST III |
Nuveen Georgia Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Louisiana Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen North Carolina Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund
5. | NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST IV |
Nuveen Kansas Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Michigan Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Missouri Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Ohio Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Wisconsin Municipal Bond Fund
SCHEDULE A
Nuveen Open-End Funds
Effective as of: October 11, 2016
6. | NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST |
Nuveen Concentrated Core Fund
Nuveen Core Dividend Fund
Nuveen Equity Market Neutral Fund
Nuveen Global Total Return Bond Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Core Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Core Plus Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Global All-Cap Fund ( formerly, Nuveen NWQ Global Equity Fund )
Nuveen NWQ Global Equity Income Fund
Nuveen NWQ Large-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Multi-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Small/Mid-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen NWQ Small-Cap Value Fund
Nuveen Tradewinds Value Opportunities Fund
7. | NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST II |
Nuveen Equity Long/Short Fund
Nuveen Growth Fund
Nuveen International Growth Fund
Nuveen NWQ International Value Fund ( formerly, Nuveen Tradewinds International Value Fund )
Nuveen NWQ Japan Fund ( formerly, Nuveen Tradewinds Japan Fund )
Nuveen Santa Barbara Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Santa Barbara Global Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Santa Barbara International Dividend Growth Fund
Nuveen Symphony Dynamic Equity Fund
Nuveen Symphony International Equity Fund
Nuveen Symphony Large-Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Symphony Low Volatility Equity Fund
Nuveen Symphony Mid-Cap Core Fund
Nuveen Symphony Small Cap Core Fund1
Nuveen Tradewinds Global All-Cap Fund
Nuveen Winslow Large-Cap Growth Fund
Nuveen Winslow Managed Volatility Equity Fund
8. | NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST III |
Nuveen Symphony Credit Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Symphony Dynamic Credit Fund
Nuveen Symphony Floating Rate Income Fund
Nuveen Symphony High Yield Bond Fund
SCHEDULE A
Nuveen Open-End Funds
Effective as of: October 11, 2016
9. | NUVEEN INVESTMENT TRUST V |
Nuveen Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy Fund
Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund
Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund
Nuveen Multi-Asset Income Fund
Nuveen Multi-Asset Income Tax-Aware Fund
10. | NUVEEN MANAGED ACCOUNTS PORTFOLIOS TRUST |
Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts Portfolio
11. | NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS, INC. |
Nuveen Core Bond Fund
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund
Nuveen Dividend Value Fund
Nuveen Equity Index Fund
Nuveen Global Infrastructure Fund
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Growth Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Large Cap Select Fund
Nuveen Mid Cap Growth Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Mid Cap Index Fund
Nuveen Mid Cap Value Fund
Nuveen Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Minnesota Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Nebraska Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Real Asset Income Fund
Nuveen Real Estate Securities Fund
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund
Nuveen Short Term Municipal Bond Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Growth Opportunities Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Index Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Select Fund
Nuveen Small Cap Value Fund
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund
Nuveen Tactical Market Opportunities Fund
12. | NUVEEN STRATEGY FUNDS, INC. |
Nuveen Strategy Aggressive Growth Allocation Fund
Nuveen Strategy Balanced Allocation Fund
Nuveen Strategy Conservative Allocation Fund
Nuveen Strategy Growth Allocation Fund
* | Expected live date on or about October 19, 2016 |
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of our report dated November 23, 2016, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appears in the September 30, 2016 Annual Report to Shareholders of Nuveen Investment Trust V, which is 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/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
January 25, 2017
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Trustees of
Nuveen Investment Trust V:
We consent to the use of our report dated November 28, 2016, with respect to the financial statements of Nuveen NWQ Flexible Income Fund, a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V, as of September 30, 2016, incorporated herein by reference and to the references to our firm under the headings Financial Highlights in the Prospectus and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings in the Statement of Additional Information.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Chicago, Illinois
January 26, 2017
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Trustees of
Nuveen Investment Trust V:
We consent to the use of our report dated November 28, 2016, with respect to the financial statements of Nuveen Preferred Securities Fund, a series of Nuveen Investment Trust V, as of September 30, 2016, incorporated herein by reference and to the references to our firm under the headings Financial Highlights in the Prospectus and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings in the Statement of Additional Information.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Chicago, Illinois
January 26, 2017