As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July
27, 2018
File Nos. 033-21677
811-05547
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Post-Effective
Amendment No. 95
|
☒
|
and
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
LAUDUS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
211 Main Street
San Francisco, California 94105
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(800) 648-5300
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Marie Chandoha
211 Main Street
San Francisco, California 94105
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies of communications to:
Douglas
P. Dick, Esq.
Dechert LLP
1900 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
|
John
M. Loder, Esq.
Ropes & Gray LLP
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199-3600
|
David J.
Lekich, Esq.
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check
appropriate box):
☒ Immediately upon filing
pursuant to paragraph (b)
□ On (date) pursuant to
paragraph (b)
□ 60 days after filing pursuant to
paragraph (a)(1)
□ On (date) pursuant to paragraph
(a)(1)
□ 75 days after filing pursuant to
paragraph (a)(2)
□ On (date) pursuant to paragraph
(a)(2) of Rule 485
If appropriate, check the following
box:
□ This post-effective amendment designates a
new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
Prospectus
| July
27, 2018
Laudus Funds
®
Laudus Mondrian Funds
Laudus
®
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
LIEIX
|
Laudus
®
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
LEMNX
|
Laudus
®
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
LIFNX
|
Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Subadviser
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
Shareholder Services
1.800.447.3332 Retail Investors
1.877.824.5615 Registered
Investment Professionals
www.schwabfunds.com
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has
not approved these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate. Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.
Laudus
®
Mondrian International Equity Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fund Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if
you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Shareholder
Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
None
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
|
Management
fees
|
0.75
|
Distribution
(12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other
expenses
|
0.24
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses
|
0.99
|
Less
expense reduction
|
(0.09)
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses after expense reduction
1
|
0.90
|
1
|
The investment adviser has
contractually agreed to limit the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes and certain non-routine expenses) of the fund to 0.90% until at least July 30, 2020. During this term, the agreement may only be amended or
terminated with the approval of the fund’s Board of Trustees. Any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by the fund to the investment adviser during the next two fiscal years to the extent
that the repayment will not cause the fund’s total annual fund operating expenses to exceed the limit (as stated in the agreement) during the respective year or the current year. The investment adviser may, but is not required to, extend the
agreement for additional years. The information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees and expenses.
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The example also
assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The one-year figures are based on total annual fund operating expenses after expense reduction. The expenses would be the same
whether you stayed in the fund or sold your shares at the end of each period. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses
on a $10,000 Investment
|
1
Year
|
3
Years
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
$92
|
$297
|
$529
|
$1,196
|
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 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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the
average value of its portfolio.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The fund pursues its investment objective primarily by
investing in equity securities of non-U.S. large capitalization issuers, including the securities of emerging market companies, that, in the subadviser’s opinion, are undervalued at the time of purchase based on fundamental value analysis
employed by the subadviser. Normally, the fund will invest primarily in common stocks. The fund may purchase securities of non-U.S. issuers directly or indirectly in the form of American, European or Global depositary receipts or other securities
representing underlying shares of non-U.S. issuers. The fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs).
For purposes of investments to be made by the fund, large
capitalization companies are currently defined by the subadviser to mean issuers that have a market capitalization of more than $7.5 billion at the time of purchase. This level is subject to market movements and is regularly reviewed by the
subadviser. Typically, the fund invests in securities of approximately 30-40 companies.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80%
of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The subadviser’s approach in selecting investments for
the fund is primarily oriented to individual stock selection and is value driven. In selecting stocks for the fund, the subadviser identifies those stocks that it believes will provide capital appreciation over a market cycle, taking into
consideration movements in the price of the individual security and the impact of currency fluctuation on a United States domiciled, dollar-based investor. The subadviser conducts fundamental research on a global basis in order to identify
securities that, in the subadviser’s opinion, have the potential for long-term capital appreciation. This research effort generally centers on a value-oriented dividend discount methodology with respect to individual securities and market
analysis that isolates value across country boundaries. The approach focuses on future anticipated dividends and discounts the value of those dividends back to what they would be worth if they were being received today. In addition, the analysis
typically includes a comparison of the values and current market prices of different possible investments. The subadviser’s general management strategy emphasizes long-term holding of securities,
Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund | Fund Summary
1
although securities may be sold in the subadviser’s discretion without
regard to the length of time they have been held.
The
fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and may hold foreign currency. The fund may carry out hedging activities and may invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge currency risks associated with the purchase of
individual securities denominated in a particular currency. Under normal circumstances, hedging is undertaken defensively back into the base currency of the fund.
The fund may invest in derivative instruments, principally
futures contracts. The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks. The fund may lend its securities to certain financial
institutions to earn additional income.
The fund may
also invest in investment-grade and below investment-grade debt securities (sometimes called junk bonds) issued by government or corporate entities.
The fund may buy and sell portfolio securities actively. As a
result, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower fund performance and may increase the likelihood of capital gain distributions.
For temporary defensive purposes, during unusual economic or
market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its
investment objective.
Principal Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an
investor to lose money. The fund’s principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Financial markets
rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose
money over short or long periods.
Management Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not meet its
objective. Poor stock selection or a focus on securities in a particular sector may cause the fund to underperform its benchmark or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Equity Risk.
The prices
of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices
to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments,
the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk.
Large-cap companies are generally more mature and the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political,
regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); the imposition of economic sanctions or other government restrictions; differing
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of the fund’s investments, and could
impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. There is a risk that investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies will decline in
value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged, resulting in the dollar value of the fund’s investment being adversely affected. Foreign
securities also include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs which may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile. These risks may be heightened
in connection with investments in emerging markets or securities of issuers that conduct their business in emerging markets.
Derivatives Risk.
The
fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. The fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the
fund’s performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets
invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Fixed Income Risk.
Interest
rates rise and fall over time, which will affect the fund’s yield and share price. A change in a central bank’s monetary policy or improving economic conditions may result in an increase in interest rates. A sharp rise in interest
rates could cause the fund to lose value. The credit quality of a portfolio investment could also cause the fund’s share price to fall. The fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio investment or the counterparty to a
derivatives contract fails to make timely principal or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations. Fixed income securities may be paid off earlier or later than expected.
2
Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund | Fund Summary
Either situation could cause the fund to hold securities paying lower than
market rates of interest, which could hurt the fund’s yield or share price. Below investment-grade bonds (junk bonds) involve greater risks than investment-grade securities.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Risk.
The fund may invest in REITs. The fund’s investments in REITs will be subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, including fluctuations in the value of underlying properties,
defaults by borrowers or tenants, access to capital, changes in interest rates and risks related to general or local economic conditions. REITs are also subject to certain additional risks, for example, REITs may have their investments in relatively
few properties, a small geographic area or a single property type. In addition, REITs have their own expenses, and the fund will bear a proportionate share of those expenses.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk.
When the fund invests in an ETF, it will bear a proportionate share of the ETF’s expenses. In addition, lack of liquidity in the market for an ETF’s shares can result in its value being more volatile than
the underlying portfolio of securities.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
The fund
may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the fund may have to sell them at a loss.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund,
please see the “Fund Details” section in the prospectus.
Performance
The bar chart below shows how the fund’s investment
results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compared to that of an index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
All figures assume distributions were reinvested. Keep in mind that future performance (both before and after taxes) may differ from past performance. For current performance information, please see
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
.
On July 25, 2017, the Investor Share class, Select Share class
and Institutional Share class were combined into a single class of shares of the fund, and the fund no longer offers multiple classes of shares. The performance history of the fund is that of the fund’s former Institutional Shares.
Accordingly, the past performance information of the fund’s former Institutional Shares is shown below.
Annual Total Returns
(%) as of
12/31
Best Quarter:
18.48% Q3 2009
Worst Quarter:
(17.70%) Q1 2009
Year-to-date performance (non-annualized and before taxes) as of 6/30/2018:
(4.65%)
Average
Annual Total Returns
as of 12/31/17
|
|
1
Year
|
5
Years
|
Since
Inception
(6/16/08)
|
Before
taxes
|
21.05%
|
7.88%
|
2.13%
|
After
taxes on distributions
|
20.36%
|
6.04%
|
1.11%
|
After
taxes on distributions and sale of shares
|
13.04%
|
6.21%
|
1.79%
|
Comparative
Indices
(reflects no deduction for expenses or taxes)
|
|
|
|
MSCI
EAFE Index (Net)
1
|
25.03%
|
7.90%
|
2.93%
|
MSCI
EAFE Value Index (Net)
1
|
21.44%
|
6.95%
|
2.33%
|
1
|
The net version of the index
reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deductions for expenses or other taxes.
|
The after-tax figures reflect the highest
individual federal income tax rates in effect during the period and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you
hold your fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, IRA or other tax-advantaged account. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of shares may exceed the fund’s other returns due to an
assumed benefit from any losses on a sale of shares at the end of the measurement period.
Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Subadviser
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
Portfolio Managers
Elizabeth Desmond,
CFA,
Director and Chief Investment Officer-International Equity Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since its inception.
Nigel Bliss,
Senior Portfolio
Manager-International Equity Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since 2014.
Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund | Fund Summary
3
Melissa Platt,
CFA, Portfolio
Manager-International Equity Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since 2011.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund is open for business each day that the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund
reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
New investors may only invest in the fund through an account
at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or another financial intermediary. When you place orders to purchase, exchange or redeem fund shares through an account at Schwab or another financial intermediary, you must follow Schwab’s or the
other financial intermediary’s transaction procedures. Investors who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make additional purchases and place exchange and
redemption orders through the fund’s transfer agent. Investors may contact the transfer agent:
•
|
by telephone at
1-800-447-3332; or
|
•
|
by mail to DST Asset Manager
Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975.
|
There is no minimum initial investment for the fund.
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the
fund will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer
or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies 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 salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
4
Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund | Fund Summary
Laudus
®
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fund Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if
you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Shareholder
Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
None
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
|
Management
fees
|
1.00
|
Distribution
(12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other
expenses
|
0.22
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses
|
1.22
|
Less
expense reduction
|
(0.02)
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses after expense reduction
1
|
1.20
|
1
|
The investment adviser has
contractually agreed to limit the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes and certain non-routine expenses) of the fund to 1.20% until at least July 30, 2020. During this term, the agreement may only be amended or terminated
with the approval of the fund’s Board of Trustees. Any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by the fund to the investment adviser during the next two fiscal years to the extent that the
repayment will not cause the fund’s total annual fund operating expenses to exceed the limit (as stated in the agreement) during the respective year or the current year. The investment adviser may, but is not required to, extend the agreement
for additional years. The information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees and expenses.
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The example also
assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The one-year figures are based on total annual fund operating expenses after expense reduction. The expenses would be the same
whether you stayed in the fund or sold your shares at the end of each period. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses
on a $10,000 Investment
|
1
Year
|
3
Years
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
$122
|
$383
|
$666
|
$1,474
|
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 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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the
average value of its portfolio.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The fund is an international fund and generally invests in
large capitalization equity securities of emerging market companies, as described below, that, in the subadviser’s opinion, are undervalued at the time of purchase based on fundamental value analysis employed by the subadviser. Normally, the
fund will invest primarily in common stocks. The fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The fund may purchase securities of non-U.S. issuers directly or indirectly in the form of American, European or Global depositary receipts or
other securities representing underlying shares of non-U.S. issuers. The subadviser currently defines companies with large market capitalizations generally, as those with market capitalizations of $3.5 billion or more at the time of purchase. This
level is subject to market movements and is regularly reviewed by the subadviser. Typically, the fund invests in securities of approximately 45-55 companies.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80%
of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of emerging markets issuers. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The subadviser’s approach in selecting investments for
the fund is primarily oriented to individual stock selection and is value driven. In selecting stocks for the fund, the subadviser identifies those stocks that it believes will provide high total return over a market cycle, taking into consideration
movements in the price of the individual security and the impact of currency fluctuation on a United States domiciled, dollar-based investor. The subadviser conducts fundamental research on a global basis in order to identify securities that, in the
subadviser’s opinion, have the potential for long-term total return. This research effort generally centers on a value-oriented dividend discount methodology with respect to individual securities and market analysis that isolates value across
country boundaries. The approach focuses on future anticipated dividends and discounts the value of those dividends back to what they would be worth if they were being received today. In addition, the analysis typically includes a comparison of the
values and current market prices of different possible investments. The subadviser’s general management strategy emphasizes long-term holding of securities, although securities
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund | Fund Summary
5
may be sold in the subadviser’s discretion without regard to the length
of time they have been held.
The fund considers an
“emerging country” to be any country except the United States, Canada, and those in the MSCI EAFE
®
Index. Although this is not an
exclusive list, the subadviser considers an emerging country security to be one that is issued by a company that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: (1) its principal securities trading market is in an emerging country, as defined
above; (2) while traded in any market, alone or on a consolidated basis, the company derives 50% or more of its annual revenues or annual profits from either goods produced, sales made or services performed in emerging countries; (3) the company has
50% of more of its assets located in an emerging country; or (4) it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal office in, an emerging country.
The fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and
may hold foreign currency. The fund may actively carry on hedging activities, and may invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge currency risks associated with the purchase of individual securities denominated in a particular
currency. The fund may invest in derivative instruments, principally futures contracts. The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other
risks. The fund may lend its securities to certain financial institutions to earn additional income.
The fund may buy and sell portfolio securities actively. As a
result, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower fund performance and may increase the likelihood of capital gain distributions.
For temporary defensive purposes, during unusual economic or
market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its
investment objective.
Principal Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an
investor to lose money. The fund’s principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Financial markets
rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose
money over short or long periods.
Management Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not meet its
objective. Poor stock selection or a focus on securities in a particular sector may cause the fund to underperform its benchmark or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Equity Risk.
The prices
of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices
to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments,
the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk.
Large-cap companies are generally more mature and the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political,
regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); the imposition of economic sanctions or other government restrictions; differing
accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of the fund’s investments, and could
impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. There is a risk that investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies will decline in
value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged, resulting in the dollar value of the fund’s investment being adversely affected. Foreign
securities also include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs which may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Emerging Markets Risk.
Emerging market countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting
requirements and greater risk associated with the custody of securities. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in developed countries. As a result, there may
be an increased risk of illiquidity and price volatility associated with the fund’s investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and, at times, it may be difficult to
value such investments.
Derivatives Risk.
The fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. The fund’s
use of derivatives could reduce the fund’s
6
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund | Fund Summary
performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the
fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk.
When the fund invests in an ETF, it will bear a proportionate share of the ETF’s expenses. In addition, lack of liquidity in the market for an ETF’s shares can result in its value being more volatile than
the underlying portfolio of securities.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
The fund
may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the fund may have to sell them at a loss.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund,
please see the “Fund Details” section in the prospectus.
Performance
The bar chart below shows how the fund’s investment
results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compared to that of an index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
All figures assume distributions were reinvested. Keep in mind that future performance (both before and after taxes) may differ from past performance. For current performance information, please see
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
.
On July 25, 2017, the Investor Share class, Select Share class
and Institutional Share class were combined into a single class of shares of the fund, and the fund no longer offers multiple classes of shares. The performance history of the fund is that of the fund’s former Institutional Shares.
Accordingly, the past performance information of the fund’s former Institutional Shares is shown below.
Annual Total Returns
(%) as of
12/31
Best Quarter:
30.77% Q2 2009
Worst Quarter:
(24.85%) Q4 2008
Year-to-date performance (non-annualized and before taxes) as of 6/30/2018:
(9.36%)
Average
Annual Total Returns
as of 12/31/17
|
|
1
Year
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
Before
taxes
|
26.84%
|
(0.40%)
|
0.86%
|
After
taxes on distributions
|
26.08%
|
(0.80%)
|
0.60%
|
After
taxes on distributions and sale of shares
|
15.88%
|
(0.25%)
|
0.83%
|
Comparative
Index
(reflects no deduction for expenses or taxes)
|
|
|
|
MSCI
Emerging Markets Index (Net)
1
|
37.28%
|
4.35%
|
1.68%
|
1
|
The net version of the index
reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deductions for expenses or other taxes.
|
The after-tax figures reflect the highest
individual federal income tax rates in effect during the period and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you
hold your fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, IRA or other tax-advantaged account. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of shares may exceed the fund’s other returns due to an
assumed benefit from any losses on a sale of shares at the end of the measurement period.
Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Subadviser
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
Portfolio Managers
Andrew Miller,
Chief
Investment Officer-Emerging Markets Equities Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since its inception.
Ginny Chong,
CFA, Senior
Portfolio Manager-Emerging Markets Equities Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since its inception.
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund | Fund Summary
7
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund is open for business each day that the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund
reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
New investors may only invest in the fund through an account
at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or another financial intermediary. When you place orders to purchase, exchange or redeem fund shares through an account at Schwab or another financial intermediary, you must follow Schwab’s or the
other financial intermediary’s transaction procedures. Investors who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make additional purchases and place exchange and
redemption orders through the fund’s transfer agent. Investors may contact the transfer agent:
•
|
by telephone at
1-800-447-3332; or
|
•
|
by mail to DST Asset Manager
Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975.
|
There is no minimum initial investment for the fund.
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the
fund will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer
or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies 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 salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
8
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund | Fund Summary
Laudus
®
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term total return consistent with its
value-oriented investment approach.
Fund Fees and
Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if
you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Shareholder
Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
None
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
|
Management
fees
|
0.60
|
Distribution
(12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other
expenses
|
0.22
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses
|
0.82
|
Less
expense reduction
|
(0.07)
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses after expense reduction
1
|
0.75
|
1
|
The investment adviser has
contractually agreed to limit the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes and certain non-routine expenses) of the fund to 0.75% until at least July 30, 2020. During this term, the agreement may only be amended or terminated
with the approval of the fund’s Board of Trustees. Any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by the fund to the investment adviser during the next two fiscal years to the extent that the
repayment will not cause the fund’s total annual fund operating expenses to exceed the limit (as stated in the agreement) during the respective year or the current year. The investment adviser may, but is not required to, extend the agreement
for additional years. The information in the table has been restated to reflect current fees and expenses.
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The example also
assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The one-year figure is based on total annual fund operating expenses after expense reduction. The expenses would be the same whether
you stayed in the fund or sold your shares at the end of each period. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
Expenses
on a $10,000 Investment
|
1
Year
|
3
Years
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
$77
|
$247
|
$441
|
$1,000
|
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 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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most
recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 52% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The fund invests primarily in fixed income securities that
may also provide the potential for capital appreciation. The fund is an international fund that invests primarily in issuers that are organized, have a majority of their assets or derive most of their operating income outside of the United States.
As such, it may invest primarily in securities issued in any currency and may hold foreign currency. Under normal circumstances, the fund intends to invest in securities which are denominated in foreign currencies. Securities of issuers within a
given country may be denominated in the currency of such country, in the currency of another country or in multinational currency units, such as the euro. The fund will attempt to achieve its objective by investing in a broad range of fixed income
securities, including debt obligations of governments, their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions and companies. They will generally be rated, at the time of investment, BBB or better by S&P or Moody’s or, if unrated, are
deemed to be of comparable quality by the subadviser. The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets (determined at time of purchase) in fixed-income securities rated below investment grade (sometimes called junk bonds), including government securities
as discussed below. The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets (determined at time of purchase) in corporate debt securities.
The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets (determined at time
of purchase) in emerging markets. The fund is considered “non-diversified”, which means that it may invest in the securities of relatively few issuers.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80%
of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities issued by governments, government agencies or instrumentalities including government-sponsored entities and supra-national entities.
The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The subadviser’s approach in selecting investments for
the fund is oriented to country selection and is value driven. In selecting fixed income instruments for the fund, the subadviser identifies those countries’ fixed income markets that it believes will provide the United States domiciled
investor the highest yield over a market cycle while also offering the opportunity for capital gain and
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund | Fund
Summary
9
currency appreciation. The subadviser conducts extensive fundamental research
on a global basis, and it is through this effort that attractive fixed income markets are selected for investment. The core of the fundamental research effort is a value-oriented prospective real yield approach which looks at today’s yield in
each market and subtracts from it forecasted inflation for the next two years to identify value as a forward looking potential real yield. Comparisons of the values of different possible investments are then made. The higher the prospective real
yield the higher the relative allocation and conversely the lower the prospective real yield the lower the allocation or even a zero allocation.
The fund may also invest in zero coupon bonds, and in the debt
securities of supranational entities denominated in any currency. The fund also may invest in securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities such as Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), Federal
National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac).
The fund may actively carry on hedging activities, and may
utilize a wide range of derivative instruments, including options, futures contracts and related options, and forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge currency risks associated with its portfolio securities. This hedging may be in the
form of cross hedging. Hedging and cross hedging may be used to identify value opportunities in the currency markets. The fund may also use derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset. The fund may lend its securities
to certain financial institutions to earn additional income.
The fund may buy and sell portfolio securities actively. As a
result, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower fund performance and may increase the likelihood of capital gain distributions.
For temporary defensive purposes, during unusual economic or
market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its
investment objective.
Principal Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an
investor to lose money. The fund’s principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Financial markets
rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose
money over short or long periods.
Management Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not meet its
objective. Poor bond selection or a focus on securities in a particular region may cause
the fund to underperform its benchmark or other funds with a similar
investment objective.
Non-Diversification Risk.
The fund is non-diversified and, as such, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a fund that is diversified. A non-diversified fund is more susceptible to risks
associated with a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund.
Interest Rate Risk.
The fund’s investments in fixed-income securities are subject to the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. As with any investment whose yield reflects current interest rates, the fund’s yield
will change over time. During periods when interest rates are low, the fund’s yield (and total return) also may be low. Changes in interest rates also may affect the fund’s share price: a rise in interest rates could cause the
fund’s share price to fall. The longer the fund’s portfolio duration, the more sensitive to interest rate movements its share price is likely to be. A change in a central bank’s monetary policy or improving economic
conditions,
among other things, may result in an increase in interest rates.
Credit Risk.
The fund is
subject to the risk that a decline in the credit quality of a portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price to fall. The fund could lose money if the issuer of a portfolio investment fails to make timely principal or interest
payments or if a guarantor or counterparty of a portfolio investment fails to honor its obligations. Securities rated below investment grade (junk bonds) involve greater risk of price declines than investment grade securities due to
actual or perceived changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness.
Prepayment and Extension Risk.
The fund’s investments are subject to the risk that the securities may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the
fund’s yield or share price.
Foreign
Investment Risk.
The fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of
adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); the imposition of economic sanctions or
other government restrictions; differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of
the fund’s investments, and could impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. There is a risk that investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues
in, foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged, resulting in the dollar value of the fund’s investment
being adversely affected. Foreign securities also include ADRs, GDRs and
10
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund | Fund Summary
EDRs which may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary
trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Emerging Markets Risk.
Emerging market countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting
requirements and greater risk associated with the custody of securities. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in developed countries. As a result, there may
be an increased risk of illiquidity and price volatility associated with the fund’s investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and, at times, it may be difficult to
value such investments.
Derivatives Risk.
The fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. The fund’s
use of derivatives could reduce the fund’s performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which
means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
The fund
may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the fund may have to sell them at a loss.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund,
please see the “Fund Details” section in the prospectus.
Performance
The bar chart below shows how the fund’s investment
results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compared to that of an index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
All figures assume distributions were reinvested. Keep in mind that future performance (both before and after taxes) may differ from past performance. For current performance information, please see
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
.
On July 27, 2009, the Investor Share class, Select Share class
and Institutional Share class were combined into a single class of
shares of the fund, and the fund no longer offers multiple classes of shares.
The performance history of the fund is that of the fund’s former Institutional Shares. Accordingly, the past performance information of the fund’s former Institutional Shares is shown below.
Annual Total Returns
(%) as of
12/31
Best Quarter:
11.42% Q1 2008
Worst Quarter:
(11.17%) Q4 2016
Year-to-date performance (non-annualized and before taxes) as of 6/30/2018:
0.10%
Average
Annual Total Returns
as of 12/31/17
|
|
1
Year
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
Before
Taxes
|
10.51%
|
(1.38%)
|
2.23%
|
After
Taxes on Distributions
|
10.51%
|
(1.74%)
|
1.50%
|
After
Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares
|
5.95%
|
(1.06%)
|
1.55%
|
Comparative
Index
(reflects no deduction for expenses or taxes)
|
|
|
|
FTSE
Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index
1
|
10.33%
|
(0.29%)
|
2.44%
|
1
|
Formerly the Citigroup
Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index.
|
The after-tax figures reflect the highest individual federal
income tax rates in effect during the period and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares
through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, IRA or other tax-advantaged account. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of shares may exceed the fund’s other returns due to an assumed benefit from any
losses on a sale of shares at the end of the measurement period.
Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Subadviser
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
Portfolio Managers
David Wakefield
, CFA, Deputy
Chief Investment Officer for the Global Fixed Income and Currency Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since its inception.
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund | Fund
Summary
11
Joanna Bates,
Senior Portfolio
Manager for the Global Fixed Income and Currency Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since 2015.
Matthew Day,
Senior Portfolio
Manager for the Global Fixed Income and Currency Team of the subadviser, has been a portfolio manager of the fund since 2012.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund is open for business each day that
the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business,
the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
New investors may only invest in the fund through an account
at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or another financial intermediary. When you place orders to purchase, exchange or redeem fund shares through an account at Schwab or another financial intermediary, you must follow Schwab’s or the
other financial intermediary’s transaction procedures. Investors who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make additional purchases and place exchange and
redemption orders through the fund’s transfer agent. Investors may contact the transfer agent:
•
|
by telephone at
1-800-447-3332; or
|
•
|
by mail to DST Asset Manager
Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975.
|
The minimum initial investment is $100 and there is no
subsequent investment minimum. The minimum may be waived for certain investors or in the fund’s sole discretion.
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the
fund will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer
or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies 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 salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
12
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund | Fund Summary
Fund Details
There can be no assurance that the funds will achieve their
objectives. Except as explicitly described otherwise, the strategies and policies of each fund may be changed without shareholder approval.
The principal investment strategies and the main risks
associated with investing in each fund are summarized in the fund summaries at the front of this prospectus. This section takes a more detailed look at some of the types of securities, the associated risks, and the various investment strategies that
may be used in the day-to-day portfolio management of the funds, as described below. In addition to the particular types of securities and strategies that are described in this prospectus, each fund may use strategies that are not described herein
in support of its overall investment goal. These additional strategies and the risks associated with them are described in the “Investment Strategies, Securities and Risks” section in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
Investment Objectives, Strategies and Risks
Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
The fund’s investment objective is not fundamental, and
therefore, may be changed by the fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Investment Strategies
The fund pursues its investment objective primarily by
investing in equity securities of non-U.S. large capitalization issuers, including the securities of emerging market companies, that, in the subadviser’s opinion, are undervalued at the time of purchase based on fundamental value analysis
employed by the subadviser. Normally, the fund will invest primarily in common stocks. The fund may purchase securities of non-U.S. issuers directly or indirectly in the form of American, European or Global depositary receipts or other securities
representing underlying shares of non-U.S. issuers. The fund may also purchase other investment funds, including, but not limited to, registered funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), unregistered funds and real estate investment trusts
(REITs).
For purposes of investments to be made by the
fund, large capitalization companies are currently defined by the subadviser to mean issuers that have a market capitalization of more than $7.5 billion at the time of purchase. This level is subject to market movements and is regularly reviewed by
the subadviser. Typically, the fund invests in securities of approximately 30-40 companies.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80%
of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The subadviser’s approach in selecting investments for
the fund is primarily oriented to individual stock selection and is value driven. In selecting stocks for the fund, the subadviser identifies those stocks that it believes will provide capital appreciation over a market cycle, taking into
consideration movements in the price of the individual security and the impact of currency fluctuation on a United States domiciled, dollar-based investor. The subadviser conducts fundamental research on a global basis in order to identify
securities that, in the subadviser’s opinion, have the potential for long-term capital appreciation. This research effort generally centers on a value-oriented dividend discount methodology with respect to individual securities and market
analysis that isolates value across country boundaries. The approach focuses on future anticipated dividends and discounts the value of those dividends back to what they would be worth if they were being received today. In addition, the analysis
typically includes a comparison of the values and current market prices of different possible investments. The subadviser’s general management strategy emphasizes long-term holding of securities, although securities may be sold in the
subadviser’s discretion without regard to the length of time they have been held.
Investments will be made mainly in marketable securities of
companies located in developed countries including but not limited to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The fund may also invest in securities of companies located in emerging countries.
The fund considers an “emerging country” to be any
country except the United States, Canada, and those in the MSCI EAFE Index. In considering possible emerging countries in which the fund may invest, the subadviser places particular emphasis on certain factors, such
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Fund Details
13
as economic conditions (including growth trends, inflation rates and trade
balances), regulatory and currency controls, accounting standards and political and social conditions.
Currency considerations carry a special risk for a portfolio
of international securities. The fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and may hold foreign currency. Securities of issuers within a given country may be denominated in the currency of another country or in multinational currency
units, including the euro. The subadviser primarily uses a purchasing power parity approach to evaluate currency risk. In this regard, the fund may carry out hedging activities and may invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge
currency risks associated with the purchase of individual securities denominated in a particular currency. Under normal circumstances, hedging is undertaken defensively back into the base currency of the fund.
The fund may also invest in debt securities issued by
governments or by their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, or by corporate entities, all of which may be high-yield, high-risk fixed income securities rated below investment-grade (sometimes called junk bonds) or, if unrated,
considered to be of equivalent quality by the subadviser. In addition, for temporary defensive purposes, the fund may invest in high-quality debt instruments.
The fund may invest in derivative instruments, such as futures
contracts. The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks. The fund may lend its securities to certain financial institutions to
earn additional income.
The fund may buy and sell
portfolio securities actively. As a result, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower fund performance and increase the likelihood of capital gain distributions. The turnover rate may also be affected
by cash requirements from redemptions of the fund’s shares.
For temporary defensive purposes, during unusual economic or
market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its
investment objective.
More Information About Principal Investment
Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of
which could cause an investor to lose money.
Management
Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not
meet its objective. The subadviser applies its own investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the fund, but there can be no guarantee that they will produce the desired results. These risks may cause the fund to
underperform its benchmark or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Equity
Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Individual companies may
report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may
cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. In addition, there may be less trading volume in securities issued by mid- and small-cap companies than those
issued by larger companies and, as a result, trading volatility may have a greater impact on the value of securities of mid- and small-cap companies. Securities issued by large-cap companies, on the other hand, may not be able to attain the high
growth rates of some mid- and small-cap companies. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk.
Large-cap companies are generally more mature than smaller companies. They also may have fewer new market opportunities for their products or services, may focus resources on maintaining their market share, and may be unable to respond quickly to
new competitive challenges. As a result, the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political,
regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices;
differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the U.S. These risks may negatively impact the
value or liquidity of the fund’s investments and could impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. In addition, the fund’s investments in foreign securities may
be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. There also is the risk that the cost of buying,
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selling, and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and
custody costs, may be higher than those involved in domestic transactions. The securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid
or extreme changes in value as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of
industries. To the extent the fund’s investments in a single country or a limited number of countries represent a large percentage of the fund’s assets, the fund’s performance may be adversely affected by the economic, political,
regulatory and social conditions in those countries, and the fund’s price may be more volatile than the price of a fund that is geographically diversified.
Sovereign Debt Risk.
Foreign
government securities can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of the debt. A
governmental entity’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign
exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity’s policy toward the International Monetary Fund, and the political constraints to which a governmental
entity may be subject. Governmental entities also may depend on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt.
Depositary Receipt Risk.
Foreign securities also include ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all
dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Foreign securities also include GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more
markets around the world. In addition, foreign securities include EDRs, similar to GDRs, are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of the bank’s home country. Investment in
ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Emerging Markets Risk.
The
risks of foreign investments apply to, and may be heightened in connection with, investments in emerging market countries or securities of issuers that conduct their business in emerging markets. Emerging market countries may be more likely to
experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements and greater risk associated with the custody
of securities. It is sometimes difficult to obtain and enforce court judgments in such countries. There is often a greater potential for nationalization, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, government regulation, social instability or diplomatic
developments (including war) in emerging market countries, which could adversely affect the economies of, or investments in securities of issuers located in, such countries. In addition, emerging markets are substantially smaller than developed
markets, and the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in developed countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of illiquidity and price volatility
associated with the fund’s investments in emerging market countries which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and, at times, it may be difficult to value such investments.
Currency Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, will subject the fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions,
that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that
country’s economy, which makes the forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest
rates; intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund; or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United
States or abroad. These can result in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency
exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a
particular currency for the fund’s account. The fund is subject to the risk of a counterparty’s failure, inability or refusal to perform with respect to such contracts.
Derivatives
Risk.
Examples of derivatives are options, futures, options on futures, swaps and warrants. An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price before a specific date. A future is an
agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a specific day. A swap is an agreement whereby two parties agree to exchange payment streams calculated in relation to a rate, index, instrument or certain securities and a
predetermined amount. A credit default swap is an agreement in which the seller agrees to make a payment to the buyer in the event of a specified credit event in exchange for a fixed payment or series of fixed payments. A warrant is a security that
gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to subscribe for newly created equity issues of the issuing company or a related company at a fixed price either on a certain date or during a set period. Changes in the value of a warrant do not
necessarily
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15
correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a
warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the
underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company.
The fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks
different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as liquidity risk, credit risk, leverage risk, market risk and management risk, are
discussed elsewhere in this section. The fund’s use of derivatives is also subject to lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not
be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate
perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains. The fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the fund’s
performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. However, these risks are less severe when the fund uses derivatives for hedging rather than to enhance the fund’s
returns or as a substitute for a position or security. The use of derivatives that are subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) could cause the fund to register with the CFTC and comply with certain CFTC
rules.
Interest Rate Risk.
The fund’s investments in fixed income securities are subject to the risk that interest rates may rise and fall over time. As with any investment whose yield reflects current interest rates, the fund’s yield
will change over time. During periods when interest rates are low or there are negative interest rates, the fund’s yield (and total return) also may be low or the fund may be unable to maintain positive returns. Changes in interest rates
also may affect the fund’s share price: a rise in interest rates could cause the fund’s share price to fall. This risk is greater when the fund holds bonds with longer maturities. The fund may also lose money if interest
rates rise sharply. The longer the fund’s portfolio duration, the more sensitive to interest rate movements its share price is likely to be. For example, a fund with a longer portfolio duration is more likely to experience a decrease in
its share price as interest rates rise. Duration is an estimate of a security’s (or portfolio of securities) sensitivity to changes in prevailing interest rates that is based on certain factors that may prove to be incorrect. It is
therefore not an exact measurement and may not be able to reliably predict a particular security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
Certain countries have recently experienced
negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments. A change in a central bank’s monetary policy or improving economic conditions, among other things, may result in an increase in interest rates. The fund is currently subject to
heightened levels of interest rate risk because of the continued economic recovery, along with the fact that the Federal Reserve Board ended its quantitative easing program in 2014, and has begun, and may continue, to raise interest rates. Rising
interest rates may decrease liquidity in the fixed income securities markets, making it more difficult for the fund to sell its fixed income securities holdings at a time when the subadviser might wish to sell such securities. In addition,
decreased market liquidity also may make it more difficult to value some or all of the fund’s fixed income securities holdings. In general, changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, could have unpredictable effects on
markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.
Credit Risk.
The fund’s
investments in fixed income securities are subject to the risk that a decline in the credit quality of a portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price to fall. The fund could lose money if the issuer of a portfolio investment or
the counterparty to a derivatives contract fails to make timely principal or interest payments or if a guarantor or counterparty of a portfolio investment fails to honor its obligations. Negative perceptions of the ability of an
issuer, guarantor or counterparty to make payments or otherwise honor its obligations, as applicable, could also cause the price of that investment to decline. The credit quality of the fund’s portfolio holdings can change
rapidly in certain market environments and any downgrade or default on the part of a single portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price or yield to fall. Securities rated below investment-grade (junk bonds) involve greater risks of
default or downgrade and are more volatile than investment-grade securities. Below investment-grade securities involve greater risk of price declines than investment-grade securities due to actual or perceived changes in an issuer’s
creditworthiness. In addition, issuers of below investment-grade securities may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and
ultimately to repay principal upon maturity. Discontinuation of these payments could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities.
Prepayment and Extension Risk.
The fund’s investments in fixed income securities are subject to the risk that the securities may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest,
which could hurt the fund’s yield or share price. In addition, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of certain fixed income securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising
interest rates, the fund may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their fixed income securities sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of the fund because the
fund will have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. This is known as prepayment risk.
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Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk.
When the fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. Therefore, it may be more costly to own an
ETF than to own the underlying securities directly. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF holds, lack of liquidity in the market for an ETF’s shares can
result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Risk.
The fund may invest in REITs. The fund’s investments in REITs will be subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Risks commonly associated with the direct ownership of real estate
include fluctuations in the value of underlying properties, defaults by borrowers or tenants, access to capital, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets, increases in property taxes
and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, changes in interest rates and risks related to general or local economic conditions. In addition to the risks associated with investing in securities of
real estate companies and real estate related companies, REITs are subject to certain additional risks. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the trusts, and mortgage REITs may be affected by the
quality of any credit extended. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills and may have their investments in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. REITs are also subject to heavy
cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under
the Investment Company Act of 1940. The failure of a company to qualify as a REIT under federal tax law may have adverse consequences to the fund. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its
obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments. In addition,
REITs have their own expenses and the fund will bear a proportionate share of these expenses. Additionally, dividends paid by REITs are taxed as ordinary income and generally do not qualify for the preferential rate applicable to qualified dividend
income.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund. The use of leverage may cause the fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be
advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations.
Liquidity Risk.
Liquidity
risk exists when particular investments may be difficult to purchase, sell or value, especially during stressed market conditions. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the conditions of a
particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. In such cases, the fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in readily purchasing and selling such securities
at favorable times or prices, may decline in value, experience lower returns and/or be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain issuer or sector. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that
are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. Liquidity risk also includes the risk that market conditions or large shareholder redemptions may impact the ability of the fund to meet redemption requests within the required time
period. In order to meet such redemption requests, the fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times or prices.
Securities Lending Risk.
The
fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment
performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the
loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the
loan.
Operational Risk.
The fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the fund’s service providers, counterparties or
other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. The fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures believed to be reasonably designed to address these risks. However, these
controls and procedures cannot address every possible risk and may not fully mitigate the risks that they are intended to address.
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
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17
The fund’s investment objective is not fundamental, and
therefore, may be changed by the fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Investment Strategies
The fund is an international fund and generally invests in
large capitalization equity securities of emerging market companies, as described below, that, in the subadviser’s opinion, are undervalued at the time of purchase based on fundamental value analysis employed by the subadviser. Normally, the
fund will invest primarily in common stocks. The fund may also purchase other investment funds, including, but not limited to, registered funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The fund may purchase securities of non-U.S. issuers directly or
indirectly in the form of American, European or Global depositary receipts or other securities representing underlying shares of non-U.S. issuers. The subadviser currently defines companies with large market capitalizations generally, as those with
market capitalizations of $3.5 billion or more at the time of purchase. This level is subject to market movements and is regularly reviewed by the subadviser. To the extent that the fund invests in convertible debt securities, those securities will
be purchased on the basis of their equity characteristics, and ratings of those securities, if any, will not be an important factor in their selection. Typically, the fund invests in securities of approximately 45-55 companies.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80%
of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of emerging markets issuers. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The subadviser’s approach in selecting investments for
the fund is primarily oriented to individual stock selection and is value driven. In selecting stocks for the fund, the subadviser identifies those stocks that it believes will provide high total return over a market cycle, taking into consideration
movements in the price of the individual security and the impact of currency fluctuation on a United States domiciled, dollar-based investor. The subadviser conducts fundamental research on a global basis in order to identify securities that, in the
subadviser’s opinion, have the potential for long-term total return. This research effort generally centers on a value-oriented dividend discount methodology with respect to individual securities and market analysis that isolates value across
country boundaries. The approach focuses on future anticipated dividends and discounts the value of those dividends back to what they would be worth if they were being received today. In addition, the analysis typically includes a comparison of the
values and current market prices of different possible investments. The subadviser’s general management strategy emphasizes long-term holding of securities, although securities may be sold in the subadviser’s discretion without regard to
the length of time they have been held.
The fund
considers an “emerging country” to be any country except the United States, Canada, and those in the MSCI EAFE Index.
In considering possible emerging countries in which the fund
may invest, the subadviser will place particular emphasis on factors such as economic conditions (including growth trends, inflation rates, and trade balances), regulatory and currency controls, accounting standards, and political and social
conditions.
Although this is not an exclusive list, the
subadviser considers an emerging country security to be one that is issued by a company that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: (1) its principal securities trading market is in an emerging country, as defined above; (2) while
traded in any market, alone or on a consolidated basis, the company derives 50% or more of its annual revenues or annual profits from either goods produced, sales made or services performed in emerging countries; (3) the company has 50% of more of
its assets located in an emerging country; or (4) it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal office in, an emerging country. The subadviser determines eligibility based on publicly available information and inquiries made of the
companies.
Currently, investing in many emerging
countries is not feasible, or may, in the subadviser’s opinion, involve unacceptable political or governance risks. The fund focuses its investments in those emerging countries where the subadviser considers the economies to be developing
strongly and where the markets are becoming more sophisticated.
The fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and
may hold foreign currency. Securities of issuers within a given country may be denominated in the currency of another country or in multinational currency units, including the euro. Currency considerations carry a special risk for a portfolio of
international securities. The subadviser primarily uses a purchasing power parity approach to evaluate currency risk. In this regard, the fund may actively carry on hedging activities, and may invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts to
hedge currency risks associated with the purchase of individual securities denominated in a particular currency.
The fund may invest in derivative instruments, such as futures
contracts. The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks. The fund may lend its securities to certain financial institutions to
earn additional income.
For temporary defensive
purposes, during unusual economic or market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such
activities, it may not achieve its investment objective.
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The fund may buy and sell portfolio securities actively. As a
result, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower fund performance and increase the likelihood of capital gain distributions.
More Information About Principal Investment
Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of
which could cause an investor to lose money.
Management
Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not
meet its objective. The subadviser applies its own investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the fund, but there can be no guarantee that they will produce the desired results. These risks may cause the fund to
underperform its benchmark or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Equity
Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Individual companies may
report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause
stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. In addition, there may be less trading volume in securities issued by mid- and small-cap companies than those
issued by larger companies and, as a result, trading volatility may have a greater impact on the value of securities of mid- and small-cap companies. Securities issued by large-cap companies, on the other hand, may not be able to attain the high
growth rates of some mid- and small-cap companies. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk.
Large-cap companies are generally more mature than smaller companies. They also may have fewer new market opportunities for their products or services, may focus resources on maintaining their market share, and may be unable to respond quickly to
new competitive challenges. As a result, the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political,
regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices;
differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the U.S. These risks may negatively impact the
value or liquidity of the fund’s investments and could impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. In addition, the fund’s investments in foreign securities may
be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. There also is the risk that the cost of buying, selling, and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may be higher than those involved in domestic
transactions. The securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value as compared to a fund that
invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. To the extent the fund’s investments in
a single country or a limited number of countries represent a large percentage of the fund’s assets, the fund’s performance may be adversely affected by the economic, political, regulatory and social conditions in those countries, and
the fund’s price may be more volatile than the price of a fund that is geographically diversified.
Depositary Receipt Risk.
Foreign securities also include ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are
paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Foreign securities also include GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. In addition,
foreign securities include EDRs, similar to GDRs, are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of the bank’s home country. Investment in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than
the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.
Emerging Markets Risk.
The
risks of foreign investments apply to, and may be heightened in connection with, investments in emerging market countries or securities of issuers that conduct their business in emerging markets. Emerging market countries may be more likely to
experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements and greater risk associated with the custody
of securities. It is sometimes difficult to obtain and enforce court judgments in such countries. There is often a greater potential for nationalization,
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Fund
Details
19
expropriation, confiscatory taxation, government regulation, social
instability or diplomatic developments (including war) in emerging market countries, which could adversely affect the economies of, or investments in securities of issuers located in, such countries. In addition, emerging markets are substantially
smaller than developed markets, and the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in developed countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of illiquidity and
price volatility associated with the fund’s investments in emerging market countries which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and, at times, it may be difficult to value such investments.
Currency Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, will subject the fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions,
that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that
country’s economy, which makes the forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest
rates; intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund; or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United
States or abroad. These can result in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency
exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a
particular currency for the fund’s account. The fund is subject to the risk of a counterparty’s failure, inability or refusal to perform with respect to such contracts.
Derivatives
Risk.
Examples of derivatives are options, futures, options on futures, swaps and warrants. An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price before a specific date. A future is an
agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a specific day. A swap is an agreement whereby two parties agree to exchange payment streams calculated in relation to a rate, index, instrument or certain securities and a
predetermined amount. A credit default swap is an agreement in which the seller agrees to make a payment to the buyer in the event of a specified credit event in exchange for a fixed payment or series of fixed payments. A warrant is a security that
gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to subscribe for newly created equity issues of the issuing company or a related company at a fixed price either on a certain date or during a set period. Changes in the value of a warrant do not
necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital
loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company.
The fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks
different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as liquidity risk, leverage risk, market risk and management risk, are discussed
elsewhere in this section. The fund’s use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit risk is the risk that the fund could lose money if the counterparty to a
derivatives contract fails to make timely principal or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or
other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax
risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains. The fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the fund’s performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could
cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. However, these risks are less severe when the fund uses derivatives for hedging rather than to enhance the fund’s returns or as a substitute for a position or security. The use
of derivatives that are subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) could cause the fund to register with the CFTC and comply with certain CFTC rules.
Convertible Securities Risk.
A
convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exercised for a prescribed amount of common stock at a specified time and price. Convertible securities provide an opportunity for
equity participation, with the potential for a higher dividend or interest yield and lower price volatility compared to common stock. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as
interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline, and the credit standing of the issuer improves. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock
because of the conversion or exercise feature.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk.
When the fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. Therefore, it may be more costly to own an
ETF than to own the underlying securities directly. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF holds, lack of liquidity in the market for an ETF’s shares can
result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities.
20
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Fund Details
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund. The use of leverage may cause the fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be
advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations.
Liquidity Risk.
Liquidity
risk exists when particular investments may be difficult to purchase, sell or value, especially during stressed market conditions. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the conditions of a
particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. In such cases, the fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in readily purchasing and selling such securities
at favorable times or prices, may decline in value, experience lower returns and/or be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain issuer or sector. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that
are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. Liquidity risk also includes the risk that market conditions or large shareholder redemptions may impact the ability of the fund to meet redemption requests within the required time
period. In order to meet such redemption requests, the fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times or prices.
Securities Lending Risk.
The
fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment
performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the
loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the
loan.
Operational Risk.
The fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the fund’s service providers, counterparties or
other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. The fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures believed to be reasonably designed to address these risks. However, these
controls and procedures cannot address every possible risk and may not fully mitigate the risks that they are intended to address.
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income
Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term total return consistent with its
value-oriented investment approach.
The fund’s
investment objective is not fundamental, and therefore, may be changed by the fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Investment Strategies
The fund invests primarily in fixed income securities that may
also provide the potential for capital appreciation. The fund is an international fund that invests primarily in issuers that are organized, have a majority of their assets or derive most of their operating income outside of the United States. As
such, it may invest in securities issued in any currency and may hold foreign currency. Under normal circumstances, the fund intends to invest primarily in securities which are denominated in foreign currencies. Securities of issuers within a given
country may be denominated in the currency of such country, in the currency of another country or in multinational currency units, such as the euro. The fund will attempt to achieve its objective by investing in a broad range of fixed income
securities, including debt obligations of governments, their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions and companies. They will generally be rated, at the time of investment, BBB or better by S&P or Moody’s or, if unrated, are
deemed to be of comparable quality by the subadviser. The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets (determined at time of purchase) in fixed-income securities rated below investment grade (sometimes called junk bonds), including government securities
as discussed below. The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets (determined at time of purchase) in emerging markets. The fund considers an “emerging country” to be any country that is not included in the Citigroup Non-U.S. Dollar World
Government Bond Index and that is defined as an emerging or developing economy by the International Monetary Fund. The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets (determined at time of purchase) in corporate debt securities. The fund may also
invest in sponsored or unsponsored American Depositary Receipts or European Depositary Receipts. While the fund may purchase securities of issuers in any foreign country, developed or developing, it is currently anticipated that the countries in
which the fund may invest will include, but not be limited to, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
The fund is considered “non-diversified”, which
means that it may invest in the securities of relatively few issuers.
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Fund
Details
21
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80%
of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities issued by governments, government agencies or instrumentalities including government-sponsored entities and supra-national entities.
The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
The subadviser’s approach in selecting investments for
the fund is oriented to country selection and is value driven. In selecting fixed income instruments for the fund, the subadviser identifies those countries’ fixed income markets that it believes will provide the United States domiciled
investor the highest yield over a market cycle while also offering the opportunity for capital gain and currency appreciation. The subadviser conducts extensive fundamental research on a global basis, and it is through this effort that attractive
fixed income markets are selected for investment. The core of the fundamental research effort is a value-oriented prospective real yield approach which looks at today’s yield in each market and subtracts from it forecasted inflation for the
next two years to identify value as a forward looking potential real yield. Comparisons of the values of different possible investments are then made. The higher the prospective real yield the higher the relative allocation and conversely the lower
the prospective real yield the lower the allocation or even a zero allocation.
The fund may also invest in zero coupon bonds, and in the debt
securities of supranational entities denominated in any currency. A supranational entity is an entity established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote reconstruction or development. Examples of
supranational entities include, among others, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly known as the World Bank), the European Economic Community, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and
the Asian Development Bank. For increased safety, the fund currently anticipates that a large percentage of its assets will be invested in foreign government securities and securities of supranational entities.
With respect to U.S. Government securities, the fund may
invest in securities guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. Government, and those of its agencies or instrumentalities which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as Ginnie Mae. The fund also
may invest in securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Currency considerations carry a special risk for a portfolio
of international securities. The subadviser uses a purchasing power parity approach to evaluate currency risk. In this regard, the fund may actively carry on hedging activities, and may utilize a wide range of hedging instruments, including options,
futures contracts and related options, and forward foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge currency risks associated with its portfolio securities. This hedging may be in the form of cross hedging where the currency is the U.S. dollar. Hedging
and cross hedging may be used to identify value opportunities in the currency markets.
The fund may invest in derivative instruments, such as futures
contracts. The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks. The fund may lend its securities to certain financial institutions to
earn additional income.
The fund may buy and sell
portfolio securities actively. As a result, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower fund performance and increase the likelihood of capital gain distributions. The turnover rate may also be affected
by cash requirements from redemptions of the fund’s shares.
For temporary defensive purposes, during unusual economic or
market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its
investment objective.
More Information About Principal Investment
Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of
which could cause an investor to lose money.
Management
Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not
meet its objective. The subadviser applies its own investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the fund, but there can be no guarantee that they will produce the desired results. These risks may cause the fund to
underperform its benchmark or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Debt Securities Risk.
Bond
prices generally fall when interest rates rise. Bonds with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to this risk. Fund performance also could be affected if an issuer or guarantor of a bond held by the fund fails to make timely principal or
interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations. Lower-quality bonds are considered speculative with respect to its issuer’s ability to make timely payments or otherwise honor its obligations. In addition, prices of lower-quality bonds
tend to be more volatile than those of investment-grade bonds, and may fall based on bad news about the issuer, an industry or the overall economy. Mortgage- or asset-backed securities are subject to the risk that these bonds may be paid off earlier
or later than expected. Either situation could cause the fund to hold securities paying lower than market rates of interest, which could hurt the fund’s yield or share price. Also, bonds of foreign issuers
22
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Fund Details
may be more volatile than those of comparable bonds from U.S. issuers, for
reasons ranging from limited issuer information to the risk of political upheaval. The fund’s use of mortgage dollar rolls could cause the fund to lose money if the price of the mortgage-backed securities sold fall below the agreed upon
repurchase price, or if the counterparty is unable to honor the agreement.
Interest Rate Risk.
The fund
is subject to the risk that interest rates may rise and fall over time. As with any investment whose yield reflects current interest rates, the fund’s yield will change over time. During periods when interest rates are low or there are
negative interest rates, the fund’s yield (and total return) also may be low or the fund may be unable to maintain positive returns. Changes in interest rates also may affect the fund’s share price: a rise in interest rates could cause
the fund’s share price to fall. This risk is greater when the fund holds bonds with longer maturities. The fund may also lose money if interest rates rise sharply. The longer the fund’s portfolio duration, the more
sensitive to interest rate movements its share price is likely to be. For example, a fund with a longer portfolio duration is more likely to experience a decrease in its share price as interest rates rise. Duration is an estimate of a
security’s (or portfolio of securities) sensitivity to changes in prevailing interest rates that is based on certain factors that may prove to be incorrect. It is therefore not an exact measurement and may not be able to reliably predict
a particular security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
Certain countries have recently experienced
negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments. A change in a central bank’s monetary policy or improving economic conditions, among other things, may result in an increase in interest rates. The fund is currently subject to
heightened levels of interest rate risk because of the continued economic recovery, along with the fact that the Federal Reserve Board ended its quantitative easing program in 2014, and has begun, and may continue, to raise interest rates. Rising
interest rates may decrease liquidity in the fixed income securities markets, making it more difficult for the fund to sell its fixed income securities holdings at a time when the subadviser might wish to sell such securities. In addition,
decreased market liquidity also may make it more difficult to value some or all of the fund’s fixed income securities holdings. In general, changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, could have unpredictable effects on
markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.
Credit Risk.
The fund is
subject to the risk that a decline in the credit quality of a portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price to fall. Although the fund invests primarily in investment-grade securities, the fund could lose money if the issuer of
a portfolio investment or the counterparty to a derivatives contract fails to make timely principal or interest payments or if a guarantor or counterparty of a portfolio investment fails to honor its obligations. Negative perceptions
of the ability of an issuer, guarantor or counterparty to make payments or otherwise honor its obligations, as applicable, could also cause the price of that investment to decline. The credit quality of the fund’s portfolio holdings
can change rapidly in certain market environments and any downgrade or default on the part of a single portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price or yield to fall. Securities rated below investment-grade (junk bonds) involve
greater risks of default or downgrade and are more volatile than investment-grade securities. Below investment-grade securities involve greater risk of price declines than investment-grade securities due to actual or perceived changes in an
issuer’s creditworthiness. In addition, issuers of below investment-grade securities may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or
dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity. Discontinuation of these payments could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities.
Prepayment and Extension Risk.
The fund’s investments are subject to the risk that the securities may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the
fund’s yield or share price. In addition, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of certain fixed income securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, the
fund may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their fixed income securities sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of the fund because the fund will have
to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. This is known as prepayment risk.
U.S. Government Securities Credit Risk.
Some of the U.S. government securities that the fund invests in are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government, which means they are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Securities such as those issued by the Student Loan Marketing Association and the Federal Home Loan Bank are supported by limited lines of credit maintained by their issuers with the U.S. Treasury. Securities issued by other
issuers, such as the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, are supported solely by the credit of the issuer. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide financial support to securities of its agencies and
instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so under law. Also, any government guarantees on securities the fund owns do not extend to shares of the fund. On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. The actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory
triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political,
regulatory
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Fund
Details
23
and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control
regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. In certain
countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the U.S. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of the fund’s investments and could impair the
fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. In addition, the fund’s investments in foreign securities may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. There
also is the risk that the cost of buying, selling, and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may be higher than those involved in domestic transactions. The securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid
and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities markets
of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. To the extent the fund’s investments in a single country or a limited number of countries represent a large
percentage of the fund’s assets, the fund’s performance may be adversely affected by the economic, political, regulatory and social conditions in those countries, and the fund’s price may be more volatile than the price of a fund
that is geographically diversified.
Sovereign Debt Risk.
Foreign government securities can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in
accordance with the terms of the debt. A governmental entity’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves,
the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity’s policy toward the International Monetary Fund, and the political
constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities also may depend on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their
debt.
Emerging Markets Risk.
The risks of foreign investments apply to, and may be heightened in connection with, investments in emerging market countries or securities of issuers that conduct their business in emerging markets. Emerging market
countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements and greater
risk associated with the custody of securities. It is sometimes difficult to obtain and enforce court judgments in such countries. There is often a greater potential for nationalization, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, government regulation,
social instability or diplomatic developments (including war) in emerging market countries, which could adversely affect the economies of, or investments in securities of issuers located in, such countries. In addition, emerging markets are
substantially smaller than developed markets, and the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in developed countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of
illiquidity and price volatility associated with the fund’s investments in emerging market countries which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and, at times, it may be difficult to value such
investments.
Currency Risk.
The fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, will subject the fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or,
in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in
response to factors extrinsic to that country’s economy, which makes the forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of
reasons, including changes in interest rates; intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund; or by the imposition of currency controls or other
political developments in the United States or abroad. These can result in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered
useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future
delivery of a specified lot of a particular currency for the fund’s account. The fund is subject to the risk of a counterparty’s failure, inability or refusal to perform with respect to such contracts.
Derivatives
Risk.
Examples of derivatives are options, futures, options on futures, swaps and warrants. An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price before a specific date. A future is an
agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a specific day. A swap is an agreement whereby two parties agree to exchange payment streams calculated in relation to a rate, index, instrument or certain securities and a
predetermined amount. A credit default swap is an agreement in which the seller agrees to make a payment to the buyer in the event of a specified credit event in exchange for a fixed payment or series of fixed payments. A warrant is a security that
gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to subscribe for newly created equity issues of the issuing company or a related company at a fixed price either on a certain date or during a set period. Changes in the value of a warrant do not
necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying
24
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Fund Details
security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation
as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company.
The fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks
different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as liquidity risk, credit risk, leverage risk, market risk and management risk, are
discussed elsewhere in this section. The fund’s use of derivatives is also subject to lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not
be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate
perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains. The fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the fund’s
performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. However, these risks are less severe when the fund uses derivatives for hedging rather than to enhance the fund’s
returns or as a substitute for a position or security. The use of derivatives that are subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) could cause the fund to become a commodity pool, which would require the fund to comply
with certain CFTC rules.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund. The use of leverage may cause the fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be
advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations.
Liquidity Risk.
Liquidity
risk exists when particular investments may be difficult to purchase, sell or value, especially during stressed market conditions. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the conditions of a
particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. In addition, dealer inventories of certain securities — an indication of the ability of dealers to engage in “market making” — are
at, or near, historic lows in relation to market size, which could potentially lead to decreased liquidity. In such cases, the fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in readily purchasing and selling such
securities at favorable times or prices, may decline in value, experience lower returns and/or be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain issuer or sector. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction
costs that are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. Liquidity risk also includes the risk that market conditions or large shareholder redemptions may impact the ability of the fund to meet redemption requests within the required
time period. In order to meet such redemption requests, the fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times or prices.
Convertible Securities Risk.
A
convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exercised for a prescribed amount of common stock at a specified time and price. Convertible securities provide an opportunity for
equity participation, with the potential for a higher dividend or interest yield and lower price volatility compared to common stock. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as
interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline, and the credit standing of the issuer improves. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock
because of the conversion or exercise feature.
Securities Lending Risk.
The
fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment
performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the
loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the
loan.
Operational Risk.
The fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the fund’s service providers, counterparties or
other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. The fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures believed to be reasonably designed to address these risks. However, these
controls and procedures cannot address every possible risk and may not fully mitigate the risks that they are intended to address.
Portfolio Holdings
The funds may make various types of portfolio securities
information available to shareholders. The funds post a detailed list of the securities held by each fund at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
(under “Portfolio Holdings”), as of the most
recent calendar quarter-end. This list is generally updated approximately 15-20 days after the end of each calendar quarter and will remain available online until at least the following calendar quarter. The funds also post in the fund summary
section of the website and on fund
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Fund
Details
25
fact sheets certain summary portfolio attributes, including top ten holdings,
approximately 5-25 days after the end of each calendar quarter or month. The funds may exclude any portion of these portfolio holdings from publication when deemed in the best interest of a fund. Further, information regarding the funds’
policy and procedures on the disclosure of portfolio securities information is available in a fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
26
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Fund Details
Financial Highlights
This section provides further details about the financial
history of each fund for the past five years, or if shorter, for its period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. “Total return” shows the percentage that an investor in a fund would
have earned or lost during a given period, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), audited these figures. PwC’s full report is included in
the funds’ annual report (see back cover).
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
4/1/17–
3/31/18
1
|
4/1/16–
3/31/17
|
4/1/15–
3/31/16
|
4/1/14–
3/31/15
|
4/1/13–
3/31/14
|
|
Per-Share
Data
|
Net
asset value at beginning of period
|
$
6.12
|
$
5.68
|
$
6.50
|
$
8.81
|
$
7.46
|
|
Income
(loss) from investment operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
2
|
0.16
|
0.18
|
0.16
|
0.27
|
0.35
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses)
|
0.53
|
0.42
|
(0.61)
|
(0.41)
|
1.22
|
|
Total
from investment operations
|
0.69
|
0.60
|
(0.45)
|
(0.14)
|
1.57
|
|
Less
distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
from net investment income
|
(0.18)
|
(0.16)
|
(0.15)
|
(0.89)
|
(0.22)
|
|
Distributions
from net realized gains
|
(0.06)
|
–
|
(0.22)
|
(1.28)
|
–
|
|
Total
distributions
|
(0.24)
|
(0.16)
|
(0.37)
|
(2.17)
|
(0.22)
|
|
Net
asset value at end of period
|
$
6.57
|
$
6.12
|
$
5.68
|
$
6.50
|
$
8.81
|
|
Total
return
|
11.22%
|
10.78%
|
(6.88%)
|
0.11%
|
21.31%
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental
Data
|
Ratios
to average net assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
operating expenses
|
0.89%
3
|
0.90%
|
0.91%
4
|
1.01%
5
|
1.05%
|
|
Gross
operating expenses
|
0.98%
3
|
0.96%
|
1.06%
|
1.07%
|
1.07%
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
|
2.37%
3
|
3.10%
|
2.53%
|
3.28%
|
4.24%
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate
|
23%
|
34%
|
29%
|
36%
6
|
25%
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (x 1,000)
|
$117,694
|
$92,312
|
$110,873
|
$91,981
|
$162,366
|
|
1
Effective July 25, 2017,
the Investor Share class, the Select Share class, and the Institutional Share class were consolidated into a single class of shares of the fund. The financial history as shown in the financial highlights is that of the former Institutional
Shares.
2
Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during
the period.
3
The ratio of net
operating expenses and gross operating expenses would have been 0.90% and 0.99%, respectively, and the ratio of net investment income would have been 2.36%, if the custody out-of-pocket fee reimbursement had not been included.
4
The ratio of net
operating expenses would have been 0.90%, if certain non-routine expenses had not been incurred.
5
Effective October 1, 2014, the annual operating expense was
reduced. The ratio presented for period ended 3/31/15 is a blended ratio.
6
Portfolio turnover excludes the impact of investment
activity from a merger with another fund.
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Financial Highlights
27
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
4/1/17–
3/31/18
1
|
4/1/16–
3/31/17
|
4/1/15–
3/31/16
|
4/1/14–
3/31/15
|
4/1/13–
3/31/14
|
|
Per-Share
Data
|
Net
asset value at beginning of period
|
$
7.71
|
$
7.03
|
$
8.18
|
$
8.69
|
$
9.85
|
|
Income
(loss) from investment operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
2
|
0.19
|
0.14
|
0.14
|
0.12
|
0.14
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses)
|
0.92
|
0.72
|
(1.20)
|
(0.39)
|
(1.19)
|
|
Total
from investment operations
|
1.11
|
0.86
|
(1.06)
|
(0.27)
|
(1.05)
|
|
Less
distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
from net investment income
|
(0.23)
|
(0.18)
|
(0.09)
|
(0.24)
|
(0.11)
|
|
Distributions
from net realized gains
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
(0.00)
3
|
|
Total
distributions
|
(0.23)
|
(0.18)
|
(0.09)
|
(0.24)
|
(0.11)
|
|
Net
asset value at end of period
|
$
8.59
|
$
7.71
|
$
7.03
|
$
8.18
|
$
8.69
|
|
Total
return
|
14.55%
|
12.57%
|
(12.87%)
|
(3.03%)
|
(10.62%)
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental
Data
|
Ratios
to average net assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
operating expenses
|
1.19%
4
|
1.20%
|
1.20%
|
1.29%
5
|
1.45%
|
|
Gross
operating expenses
|
1.21%
4
|
1.22%
|
1.21%
|
1.31%
|
1.52%
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
|
2.30%
4
|
1.92%
|
1.87%
|
1.42%
|
1.55%
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate
|
39%
|
32%
|
28%
|
30%
6
|
69%
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (x 1,000)
|
$314,259
|
$336,896
|
$406,462
|
$559,347
|
$121,795
|
|
1
Effective July 25, 2017,
the Investor Share class, the Select Share class, and the Institutional Share class were consolidated into a single class of shares of the fund. The financial history as shown in the financial highlights is that of the former Institutional
Shares.
2
Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during
the period.
3
Per-share amount was less
than ($0.005).
4
The ratio of net
operating expenses and gross operating expenses would have been 1.20% and 1.22%, respectively, and the ratio of net investment income would have been 2.29%, if the custody out-of-pocket fee reimbursement had not been included.
5
Effective October 1, 2014, the annual operating expense was
reduced. The ratio presented for period ended 3/31/15 is a blended ratio.
6
Portfolio turnover excludes the impact of investment
activity from a merger with another fund.
28
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Financial Highlights
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income
Fund
|
4/1/17–
3/31/18
|
4/1/16–
3/31/17
|
4/1/15–
3/31/16
|
4/1/14–
3/31/15
|
4/1/13–
3/31/14
|
|
Per-Share
Data
|
Net
asset value at beginning of period
|
$
9.32
|
$
9.93
|
$
9.45
|
$
10.89
|
$
11.01
|
|
Income
(loss) from investment operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
1
|
0.08
|
0.09
|
0.11
|
0.15
|
0.16
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses)
|
1.04
|
(0.64)
|
0.56
|
(1.14)
|
(0.21)
|
|
Total
from investment operations
|
1.12
|
(0.55)
|
0.67
|
(0.99)
|
(0.05)
|
|
Less
distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
from net investment income
|
(0.00)
2
|
(0.00)
2
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
|
Distributions
from net realized gains
|
–
|
(0.06)
|
(0.19)
|
(0.45)
|
(0.07)
|
|
Total
distributions
|
(0.00)
2
|
(0.06)
|
(0.19)
|
(0.45)
|
(0.07)
|
|
Net
asset value at end of period
|
$
10.44
|
$
9.32
|
$
9.93
|
$
9.45
|
$
10.89
|
|
Total
return
|
12.03%
|
(5.48%)
|
7.27%
|
(9.37%)
|
(0.49%)
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental
Data
|
Ratios
to average net assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
operating expenses
|
0.74%
3
|
0.75%
|
0.75%
|
0.74%
|
0.69%
|
|
Gross
operating expenses
|
0.81%
3
|
0.79%
|
0.81%
|
0.76%
|
0.69%
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
|
0.84%
3
|
0.87%
|
1.21%
|
1.39%
|
1.48%
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate
|
52%
|
98%
|
31%
|
50%
|
52%
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (x 1,000)
|
$84,330
|
$95,565
|
$119,938
|
$187,388
|
$652,647
|
|
1
Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during
the period.
2
Per-share amount was less
than ($0.005).
3
The ratio of net
operating expenses and gross operating expenses would have been 0.75% and 0.82%, respectively, and the ratio of net investment income would have been 0.83%, if the custody out-of-pocket fee reimbursement had not been included.
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Financial Highlights
29
Fund Management
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
(CSIM), 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, serves as the funds’ investment adviser. CSIM was founded in 1989 and, as of June 30, 2018, managed approximately $351.3 billion in assets. Mondrian Investment Partners Limited (Mondrian), 10
Gresham Street, London EC2V 7JD, serves as subadviser to the funds.
Mondrian provides investment advisory services to a number of
institutional investors. The firm had more than $55.8 billion under management as of June 30, 2018.
In its capacity as subadviser, Mondrian provides day-to-day
portfolio management services to the funds, while, as adviser, CSIM supervises Mondrian and assumes other functions, including managing the funds’ other affairs and business, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees.
The funds pay CSIM monthly an advisory fee for these services.
The fee paid is based on a percentage of each fund’s average daily net assets. CSIM — and not the funds — pays a portion of the advisory fees it receives to Mondrian in return for its services.
For the 12 months ended March 31, 2018, the
advisory fee paid to CSIM, after waivers and/or reimbursements, was 0.66% for the Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund, 0.98% for the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund and 0.53% of investment advisory fees for the Laudus Mondrian
International Government Fixed Income Fund, expressed as a percentage of each fund’s average daily net assets.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s
approval of the funds’ investment advisory and subadvisory agreements is available in the funds’ semiannual report dated September 30, 2017, which covers the period April 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017.
CSIM has entered into an expense limitation agreement to waive
its management fees and bear certain expenses until July 30, 2020, to limit the total annual operating expenses of the funds. Under that agreement, any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by a
fund to CSIM during the next two fiscal years to the extent that repayment will not cause the fund’s expenses to exceed the limit (as stated in the expense limitation agreement) during the respective year or the current year.
Elizabeth Desmond, CFA, Nigel Bliss and Melissa Platt, CFA
, are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund. Ms. Desmond has been with Mondrian since 1991, where she is currently Director and Chief Investment Officer-International
Equity Team. Ms. Desmond is also the chair of the Equity Strategy Committee. Mr. Bliss has been with Mondrian since 1995, where he is currently a Senior Portfolio Manager on the International Equity Team and a member of the Equity Strategy
Committee. Ms. Platt has been with Mondrian since 2004, where she is currently a Portfolio Manager on the International Equity Team. Ms. Desmond, Mr. Bliss and Ms. Platt are members of the CFA Society of the United Kingdom.
Andrew Miller and Ginny Chong, CFA
, are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund. Mr. Miller has been with Mondrian since 2000, where he is currently Chief Investment Officer on the Emerging Markets Equities
Team. Ms. Chong has been with Mondrian since 2000, where she is currently Senior Portfolio Manager on the Emerging Markets Equities Team. Ms. Chong is a member of the CFA Society of the United Kingdom.
David Wakefield, CFA, Joanna Bates and Matthew Day
are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund. Mr. Wakefield has been with Mondrian since 2001, where he is Deputy Chief Investment Officer for the
Global Fixed Income and Currency Team and chairs the Global Fixed Income and Currency Committee. Mr. Wakefield is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of the United Kingdom. Ms. Bates joined Mondrian’s Fixed Income Team in 1997,
where she is currently Senior Portfolio Manager for the Global Fixed Income and Currency Team. Mr. Day has been with Mondrian since 2007, where he is currently Senior Portfolio Manager for the Global Fixed Income and Currency Team.
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides
additional information about portfolio manager compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of securities of the funds.
30
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Fund Management
Investing in the Funds
In this section, you will find information
on buying, selling and exchanging shares. New investors may only invest in a fund through an intermediary by placing orders through your brokerage account at Schwab or an account with another broker/dealer, investment adviser, 401(k) plan, employee
benefit plan, administrator, bank, or other financial intermediary (intermediary) that is authorized to accept orders on behalf of the fund (intermediary orders). No new accounts can be opened directly with the funds’ transfer agent. Eligible
Investors (as defined herein) who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the funds’ transfer agent may continue to place additional purchase, exchange, or redemption orders through the funds’
transfer agent (direct orders). You also will see how to choose a distribution option for your investment. Helpful information on taxes is included as well.
Investing Directly with the Funds
Additional Direct Purchases by Wire
Subject to acceptance by the funds, only Eligible Investors
who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the funds’ transfer agent may make any additional purchases of a funds’ shares in the same account by wiring federal funds. Please first contact the
funds at 1-800-447-3332 for complete wiring instructions. Notification must be given to the funds at 1-800-447-3332 prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on the wire date. Federal funds
purchases will be accepted only on a day on which the funds, the distributor and the custodian are all open for business. The funds reserve the right to suspend the privilege of direct purchase of additional shares of the funds at any time.
Additional Direct Purchases by Mail
Subject to acceptance by a fund,
only Eligible Investors who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make any additional purchases of a fund’s shares in the same account by mail. Additional
investments may be made at any time by mailing a check (payable to Laudus Funds) to the transfer agent at DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. Be sure to include your account number on
your check. The funds reserve the right to suspend the privilege of direct purchase of additional shares of the funds at any time.
Subject to acceptance by a fund, payment for the purchase of
shares received by mail will be credited to a shareholder’s account at the net asset value per share of the fund next determined after receipt, even though the check may not yet have been converted into federal funds. For purposes of
calculating the purchase price of fund shares, a purchase order is received by a fund on the day that it is in good order unless it is rejected by the fund’s transfer agent. For a cash purchase order of fund shares to be in good order on a
particular day, a check must be received on or before the close of the fund (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time or the close of the NYSE, whichever is earlier) on that day. If the payment is received by a fund after the deadline, the purchase price of
fund shares will be based upon the next determination of net asset value of fund shares. No currency, third party checks, foreign checks, starter checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or money orders will be accepted by the
funds.
Automatic Investment Program
Eligible Investors who purchased fund shares
prior to October 2, 2017 and holds such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may also participate in the Laudus Funds Automatic Investment Program, an investment plan that automatically debits money from the shareholder’s
bank account or an account at a broker or other intermediary and invests it in a fund through the use of electronic funds transfers. Investors may commence their participation in this program by making a minimum initial investment that satisfies the
minimum investment amount for a fund and may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of $50 into their established fund account. Intermediaries may establish different minimum subsequent transaction amounts. You should contact
the Trust for more information about the Laudus Funds Automatic Investment Program.
Individual Retirement Accounts
The funds may be used to fund individual retirement accounts
(IRAs). A special application must be completed in order to create such an account. Contributions to IRAs are subject to prevailing amount limits set by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information about IRAs, call the Trust at
1-800-447-3332.
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
31
Direct Redemptions by Telephone
If you authorized the telephone redemption option in the
account application, you may place a redemption order by calling the transfer agent at 1-800-447-3332 and requesting that the redemption proceeds be wired per the authorized instructions in the account application or mailed to the primary
registration address. Your redemption order will be processed at the net asset value per share of a fund next determined after receipt of your telephone redemption order by the transfer agent. Please note that the transfer agent may only act on
telephone instructions believed by the transfer agent to be genuine. The transfer agent’s records of such instructions are binding on the shareholder. The shareholder, not the funds or the transfer agent, bears the risk of loss in the event of
unauthorized instructions reasonably believed by the transfer agent to be genuine. The transfer agent will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated are genuine. These procedures include tape recording of telephone
instructions and requiring some form of personal identification prior to acting upon instructions received by telephone.
Direct Redemptions by Mail
You may redeem your fund shares by mail by
sending a request letter to the funds’ transfer agent at DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. Your redemption request will be processed by a fund at the net asset value per share
of the fund next determined after the request is received in good order. To be in good order, the redemption request must include the name of the fund and the number of shares or the dollar amount to be redeemed, all required signatures,
authorizations and any required signature guarantees, and other supporting legal documents, if required, in the case of estates, trusts, guardianships, custodianships, corporations, pension and profit sharing plans and other organizations.
Additional Direct Redemption Information
To protect you, the funds and their service providers from
fraud, signature guarantees may be required to enable the transfer agent to verify the identity of the person who has authorized a redemption from an account. Signature guarantees are required for (1) redemptions where the proceeds are to be sent to
someone other than the registered shareholder(s) at the registered address, (2) redemptions if your account address has changed within the last 10 business days, (3) share transfer requests, and (4) redemptions where the proceeds are wired in
connection with bank instructions not already on file with the transfer agent. Signature guarantees may be obtained from certain eligible financial institutions, including, but not limited to, the following: U.S. banks, trust companies, credit
unions, securities brokers and dealers, savings and loan associations and participants in the Securities and Transfer Association Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchange Medallion Program (SEMP) or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion
Signature Program (MSP). Signature guarantees from non-U.S. banks that do not include a stamp may require a U.S. consulate stamp. You may contact the transfer agent at 1-800-447-3332 for further details.
The funds will not make payment on redemptions of shares
purchased by check until payment of the purchase price has been collected, which may take up to fifteen days after purchase. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
An owner of $12,000 or more of shares of a
fund who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and holds such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may elect to have periodic redemptions made from the investor’s account to be paid on a monthly, quarterly,
semiannual or annual basis. The maximum payment per year is 12% of the account value at the time of the election. The Trust will normally redeem a sufficient number of shares to make the scheduled redemption payments on a date selected by the
shareholder. Depending on the size of the payment requested and fluctuation in the net asset value, if any, of the shares redeemed, redemptions for the purpose of making such payments may reduce or even exhaust the account. A shareholder may request
that these payments be sent to a predesignated bank or other designated party. Capital gains and dividend distributions paid to the account will automatically be reinvested at net asset value on the distribution payment date.
Direct Exchange Privileges
Upon request, and subject to certain limitations, shares of a
fund may be exchanged into shares of any other fund of the Trust. In order to exchange your shares to another fund of the Trust, you must satisfy the minimum requirements for the new fund. Direct investors should contact the Trust at 1-800-447-3332.
Although the Trust has no current intention of terminating or modifying the exchange privileges, it reserves the right to do so at any time. An exchange of your shares for shares of another Laudus Fund is taxable as a sale of a security on which a
gain or loss may be recognized. Shareholders should receive written confirmation of an exchange within a few days of the completion of the transaction. A new account opened by an exchange must be established with the same name(s), address(es) and
tax identification number(s) as the existing account. All exchanges will be made based on the respective net asset values next determined following receipt of the request by the funds containing the information indicated below. Shareholders should
obtain and read the prospectus for the fund into which you are exchanging prior to placing your order.
32
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
Direct Exchanges by Telephone
If you authorized the telephone redemption option in the
account application, you may exchange fund shares by telephone by calling the funds’ transfer agent at 1-800-447-3332. Please be prepared to provide the following information: (a) the account number, tax identification number and account
registration; (b) the name of the fund from which and the fund into which the exchange is to be made; and (c) the dollar or share amount to be exchanged. Please note that the transfer agent may act only on telephone instructions believed by the
transfer agent to be genuine. Please see the section entitled “Direct Redemptions by Telephone” for more information regarding transacting with the funds’ transfer agent via telephone.
Direct Exchanges by Mail
To exchange fund shares by mail, simply send
a letter of instruction to the funds’ transfer agent at DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. The letter of instruction must include: (a) your account number; (b) the fund from and
the fund into which the exchange is to be made; (c) the dollar or share amount to be exchanged; and (d) the signatures of all registered owners or authorized parties.
The funds reserve the right to suspend or terminate the
privilege of exchanging shares of a fund by mail or by telephone at any time. The funds further reserve the right to materially modify or terminate the exchange privilege upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Investing Through a Financial Intermediary
Placing Orders Through Your Intermediary
When you place orders through Schwab or
other intermediary, you are not placing your orders directly with a fund, and you must follow Schwab’s or the other intermediary’s transaction procedures. Your intermediary may impose different or additional conditions than the fund on
purchases, redemptions and exchanges of fund shares. These differences may include initial, subsequent and maintenance investment requirements, exchange policies, fund choices, cut-off times for investment and trading restrictions. Your intermediary
may independently establish and charge its customers transaction fees, account fees and other fees in addition to the fees charged by the funds, and the intermediary may require its customers to pay a commission when transacting in fund shares.
These additional fees will vary between intermediaries and may vary over time and would increase the cost of your investment and lower investment returns. You should consult your intermediary directly for information regarding these conditions and
fees. The funds are not responsible for the failure of your intermediary to carry out its responsibilities.
Only certain intermediaries are authorized to accept orders on
behalf of a fund. If your fund shares are no longer held by an authorized intermediary, the funds may impose restrictions on your ability to manage or maintain your shares. For example, you may not be able to place orders to purchase additional
shares. To remove these restrictions, you may move your shares to Schwab or another intermediary that is authorized to accept fund orders.
Other Investing Information
For purposes of calculating the purchase price of fund shares,
a purchase order is received by the Trust on the day that it is in “good order” unless it is rejected by the transfer agent. For a cash purchase order of fund shares to be in “good order” on a particular day, a check or money
wire must be received on or before the close of the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on that day. If the payment is received by the Trust after the deadline, the purchase price of fund shares will be based upon the next determination of net
asset value of fund shares. No currency, third party checks, foreign checks, starter checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or money orders will be accepted.
The Trust reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to
suspend the offering of shares of the funds or to reject purchase orders when, in its judgment, such suspension or rejection would be in the best interests of the Trust or the funds. The Trust discourages market timing and maintains procedures
designed to provide reasonable assurances that such activity will be identified and terminated. Purchases of the funds’ shares may be made in full or in fractional shares of the fund (calculated to three decimal places). In the interest of
economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be issued.
When selling or exchanging shares, you should be aware of the
following fund policies:
•
|
For accounts held through a
financial intermediary, each fund typically expects to pay sale proceeds to the financial intermediary for payment to redeeming shareholders within two business days following receipt of a shareholder redemption order. For sale proceeds
|
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
33
|
that are paid directly to a
shareholder by a fund, the fund typically expects to pay sales proceeds by wire, ACH, or by mailing a check to redeeming shareholders within two business days, following receipt of the shareholder redemption order. In each case, however, a fund may
take up to seven days to pay sale proceeds.
|
•
|
Each fund reserves the right
to honor redemptions in liquid portfolio securities instead of cash when your redemptions over a 90-day period exceed $250,000 or 1% of the fund’s assets, whichever is less. You may incur transaction expenses and taxable gains in converting
these securities to cash. In addition, a redemption in liquid portfolio securities would be treated as a taxable event for you and may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.
|
•
|
Exchange
orders are limited to other funds of the Laudus Trust and must meet the minimum investment and other requirements for the fund and share class, if applicable, into which you are exchanging.
|
•
|
You should obtain and read
the prospectus for the fund into which you are exchanging prior to placing your order.
|
Investments in-Kind
Shares of the funds may be purchased in exchange for common
stocks or bonds or by a combination of such securities and cash. Purchase of shares of the funds in exchange for securities is subject in each case to CSIM’s and the subadviser’s determination that the securities to be exchanged are
acceptable. Securities accepted in exchange for fund shares will be valued as set forth under “Share price” (generally the last quoted sale price) as of the time of the next determination of net asset value after such acceptance. All
dividends, subscription or other rights which are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the fund and must be delivered to the fund upon receipt by the investor from the issuer.
Generally, the exchange of common stocks for shares of the funds will be a taxable event for federal income tax purposes, which will trigger gain or loss to an investor subject to federal income taxation, measured by the difference between the value
of the shares of the funds received and the investor’s basis in the securities tendered. Accordingly, you should consult your tax adviser before making such an in-kind purchase.
A fund will not accept securities in exchange for fund shares
unless: (i) CSIM and the subadviser believe the securities are appropriate investments for the fund; (ii) the investor represents and agrees that all securities offered to the fund are not subject to any restrictions upon their sale by the fund
under the Securities Act of 1933, or otherwise; and (iii) the securities may be acquired under the fund’s investment restrictions.
Due to local restrictions, certain emerging markets may not
permit in-kind transactions.
Further Redemption
Information
The funds reserve the right to redeem your shares in-kind in
accordance with the funds’ procedures and applicable regulatory requirements. If CSIM determines that it would not be in the best interests of the remaining shareholders of a fund to make a redemption payment wholly or partly in cash, such
fund may instead pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of readily marketable securities held by such fund. The Trust may commit itself to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited
in amount with respect to each shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of: (i) $250,000, or (ii) one percent of net asset value of such fund at the beginning of such period. Securities used to redeem fund shares in-kind will be valued in
accordance with the funds’ valuation procedures described in this prospectus. Securities distributed by a fund in-kind will be selected by the subadviser, under CSIM’s supervision, in light of each fund’s objective and generally
will be a pro rata distribution of each security held in a fund’s portfolio. Investors may incur brokerage charges on the sale of securities received. Redemptions in-kind are taxable for federal income tax purposes in the same manner as
redemptions for cash.
The funds may suspend the right of
redemption and may postpone payment for a reasonable period when the NYSE is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), during periods when trading on the NYSE is
restricted or during an emergency declared by the SEC which makes it impracticable for the funds to dispose of their securities or to determine the value of their net assets fairly, or during any other period permitted by the SEC for the protection
of investors.
Share Price
The funds are open for business each day that the NYSE is
open. Each fund calculates its share price each business day as of the close of the NYSE (generally 4 p.m. Eastern time). If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or
the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the funds reserve the
34
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
right to treat such day as a business day
and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate their share prices as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day. A fund’s share price is its net asset value per share, or NAV, which is a fund’s
net assets divided by the number of its shares outstanding. Orders received by the fund in good order at or prior to the close of the fund (generally 4 p.m. Eastern time) will be executed at the next share price calculated that day.
When you place an order through your Schwab account
or an account at another intermediary, please consult with your intermediary to determine when your order will be executed. Generally, you will receive the share price next calculated after the fund receives your order from your intermediary.
However, some intermediaries, such as Schwab, may arrange with the fund for you to receive the share price next calculated after your intermediary has received your order. Some intermediaries may require that they receive orders prior to a specified
cut-off time.
In valuing its securities, a fund uses
market quotes or official closing prices if they are readily available. In cases where quotes are not readily available or the investment adviser deems them unreliable, the fund may value securities based on fair values developed using methods
approved by the fund’s Board of Trustees.
When valuing fixed income securities with
remaining maturities of more than 60 days, the funds use the value of the security provided by pricing services. The pricing services value most fixed income securities at an evaluated price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market
transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are generally valued at an evaluated price; however, such securities
may be valued at their amortized cost if it approximates the security’s market value.
Shareholders of the funds should be aware that because foreign
markets are often open on weekends and other days when the funds are closed, the value of a fund’s portfolio may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the fund.
Additional Policies Affecting Your Investment
Minimum Investment
Each of the funds offers one share class with eligibility for
purchase depending on the amount invested in a particular fund. There are no minimums for initial fund investments or subsequent investments into the Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund and Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund.
With respect to the Laudus Mondrian International Government
Fixed Income Fund, the following table sets forth basic investment information for the fund.
|
Minimum
Initial
Fund Investment*
|
Subsequent
Investment
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
$100
|
None
|
*
|
Certain exceptions apply. See
below.
|
Shares of the Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund may be purchased by institutions, certain individual retirement accounts and individuals. In order to be eligible to purchase shares of the Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income
Fund, an investor must make an initial investment of at least $100 in the fund.
The minimums may be waived for certain retirement plans and
plan participants, and for certain investment programs, or in a fund’s sole discretion.
Shares of a fund may be sold to corporations or other
institutions such as trusts, foundations, broker-dealers or other intermediaries purchasing for the accounts of others. Investors purchasing and redeeming shares of the fund through an intermediary may be charged a transaction-based fee or other fee
for the services provided by the intermediary. Each such intermediary is responsible for transmitting to its customers a schedule of any such fees and information regarding any additional or different conditions with respect to purchases and
redemptions of fund shares. Customers of intermediaries should read this prospectus in light of the terms governing accounts with their particular organization.
Please note that intermediaries may impose additional or
different conditions than the funds on purchases, redemptions or exchanges of fund shares, including different initial, subsequent and maintenance investment requirements.
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
35
Each fund reserves certain rights, including the
following:
•
|
To materially modify or
terminate the exchange privilege upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
|
•
|
To change or waive a
fund’s investment minimums.
|
•
|
To suspend the right to sell
shares back to the fund, and delay sending proceeds, during times when trading on the NYSE is restricted or halted, or otherwise as permitted by the SEC.
|
•
|
To
withdraw or suspend any part of the offering made by this prospectus.
|
Payments by the Investment Adviser or Its Affiliates
The investment adviser or its affiliates may
make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers and other financial intermediaries that perform shareholder,
recordkeeping, sub-accounting and other administrative services in connection with investments in fund shares. These payments or discounts are separate from, and may be in addition to, any shareholder service fees or other administrative fees the
funds may pay to those intermediaries. The investment adviser or its affiliates may also make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain financial intermediaries in connection with certain
activities or services which may facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the funds. These payments may relate to marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development and
support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems, data analytics and support, or making shares of the funds available to their customers. These payments, which may be significant, are paid by the investment adviser or its affiliates out of
their own resources and not from the assets of the funds.
Payments to a financial intermediary may create potential
conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its clients as the payments may provide such intermediary with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the funds over other investment options they make available to their customers. Please see the
SAI for additional information.
Policy Regarding
Short-Term or Excessive Trading
The funds are intended for long-term
investment and not for short-term or excessive trading (collectively market timing). Market timing may adversely impact the funds’ performance by disrupting the efficient management of the funds, increasing fund transaction costs and taxes,
causing the funds to maintain higher cash balances, and diluting the value of the funds’ shares.
To discourage market timing, the funds’ Board of
Trustees has adopted policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to reduce the risk of market timing by fund shareholders. Each fund seeks to deter market timing through several methods. These methods may include: fair value pricing and
trade activity monitoring. Fair value pricing is discussed more thoroughly in the subsequent pages of this prospectus and is considered an element of the funds’ policy regarding short term or excessive trading. Trade activity monitoring is
risk based and seeks to identify patterns of activity in amounts that might be detrimental to the funds.
The funds and their service providers maintain risk-based
surveillance procedures designed to detect market timing in fund shares in amounts that might be detrimental to the fund. Under these procedures, the funds have requested that service providers to the funds monitor transactional activity in amounts
and frequency determined by each fund to be significant to the fund and in a pattern of activity that potentially could be detrimental to the fund. Generally, excessive trading activity in a fund is measured by the number of roundtrip transactions
in a shareholder’s account. A roundtrip transaction occurs when a shareholder completes a purchase of shares and then sells the same fund’s shares (including exchanges). If an investor engages in multiple roundtrips in a fund within a 60
day period or the fund, in its sole discretion based on these or other factors, determines that a shareholder has engaged in market timing, it may refuse to process future purchases or exchanges into such fund by that shareholder for a period of 90
days. Subsequent violations within a 12-month period will be evaluated to determine whether a permanent block is appropriate. These procedures may be modified from time to time as appropriate to improve the detection of market timing and to comply
with applicable laws.
If trades are effected through a
financial intermediary, each fund or its service providers will work with the intermediary to monitor possible market timing activity. The funds reserve the right to request that the intermediary provide certain shareholder transaction information
to the funds and may require the intermediary to restrict the shareholder from future purchases or exchanges in the funds. Transactions by fund shareholders investing through intermediaries may also be subject to the restrictions of the
intermediary’s own frequent trading policies, which may differ from those of the funds. Each fund may defer to an intermediary’s frequent trading policies with respect to those shareholders who invest in the fund through such
intermediary. Each fund will defer to an intermediary’s policies only after the fund determines that the intermediary’s frequent trading policies are reasonably designed to deter transactional activity in amounts and frequency that are
deemed to be significant to the fund and in a pattern of activity that potentially could be detrimental to the fund. Shareholders should consult with their intermediary to determine if additional frequent trading restrictions apply to their
fund
36
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
transactions. A fund’s ability to impose restrictions with respect to
accounts traded through particular intermediaries may vary depending on the systems’ capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions and cooperation of those intermediaries.
Although these methods are designed to
discourage market timing, there can be no guarantee that the funds will be able to identify and restrict investors that engage in such activities. In addition, some of these methods are inherently subjective and involve judgment in their
application. Each fund and its service providers seek to make these judgments and applications uniformly and in a manner that they believe is consistent with interests of the fund’s long-term shareholders. The funds may amend these policies
and procedures without prior notice in response to changing regulatory requirements or to enhance the effectiveness of the program.
The funds reserve the right to restrict, reject or cancel
within a reasonable time, without prior notice, any purchase or exchange order for any reason.
Fair Value Pricing
The Board of Trustees has adopted procedures to fair value the
funds’ securities when market prices are not “readily available” or are unreliable. For example, a fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security’s
primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of
the security’s primary trading market.
By fair
valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events occurring after the close of trading, the funds seek to establish prices that investors might expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. This methodology is designed
to deter “arbitrage” market timers, who seek to exploit delays between the change in the value of a fund’s portfolio holdings and the net asset value of the fund’s shares, and seeks to help ensure that the prices at which the
fund’s shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders.
Each fund makes fair value determinations in good faith in
accordance with the fund’s valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that a fund could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Methods to Meet Redemptions
Under normal market conditions, the funds
expect to meet redemption orders by using holdings of cash/cash equivalents or by the sale of portfolio investments. In unusual or stressed market conditions or as CSIM determines appropriate, each fund may borrow through the funds’ bank lines
of credit or through the funds’ interfund lending facility to meet redemption requests. Each fund may also utilize its custodian overdraft facility to meet redemptions, if necessary. As noted above, each fund also reserves the right to honor
redemptions in liquid portfolio securities instead of cash when your redemptions over a 90-day period exceed $250,000 or 1% of the fund’s assets, whichever is less. You may be subject to market risk and you may incur transaction expenses and
taxable gains in converting the securities to cash. In addition, a redemption in liquid portfolio securities would be treated as a taxable event for you and may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.
Large Shareholder Redemptions
Certain accounts or Schwab affiliates may from time to time
own (beneficially or of record) or control a significant percentage of a fund’s shares. Redemptions by these shareholders of their holdings in a fund may impact the fund’s liquidity and NAV. These redemptions may also force a fund to
sell securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s brokerage costs.
Customer Identification and Verification and Anti-Money
Laundering Program
Customer identification and verification is
part of each fund’s overall obligation to deter money laundering under U.S. federal law. The funds have adopted an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program designed to prevent a fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of
terrorist activities. In this regard, each fund reserves the right to (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of
threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of fund management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of a fund or in cases when a fund is requested or
compelled to do so by a governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the fund is required to withhold such
proceeds.
Federal law requires all financial
institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open your account, you will have to provide your name, address, date of birth, identification number and other information that will
allow your financial intermediary to identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the identity of all persons opening an account.
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
37
Your financial intermediary is required by
law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided. Your financial intermediary may contact you in an attempt to collect any missing information required on the application, and your application may be
rejected if they are unable to obtain this information. In certain instances, your financial intermediary is required to collect documents, which will be used solely to establish and verify your identity.
Each fund reserves the right to close and/or liquidate
your account at the then-current day’s price if a fund or your financial intermediary is unable to verify your identity. As a result, you may be subject to a gain or loss on fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax
consequences.
Distributions and Taxes
Any investment in a fund typically involves several tax
considerations. The information below is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Please see the funds’ SAI for additional information. Because each person’s tax situation is different, you should consult your tax
advisor about the tax implications of your investment in a fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website at
www.irs.gov
.
Each fund intends to pay out as dividends substantially all of
its net income and net short-term and long-term capital gains (after reduction by any available capital loss carry-forwards). The Fixed Income Fund’s policies are to declare and pay distributions of their dividends and interest quarterly,
although they may do so less frequently. It is the policy of each fund, other than the Fixed Income Fund, to declare and pay distributions of its dividends and interest annually, although it may do so more frequently as determined by the
Trustees of the Trust. During the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early November, an estimate of each fund’s year-end distribution, if any, may be made available on the funds’ website:
www.schwabfunds.com
. Each fund’s policy is to distribute net short-term capital gains and net long-term gains annually, although it may do so more frequently as determined by the Trustees of the Trust to
the extent permitted by applicable regulations. The amount of any distribution will change and there is no guarantee the funds will declare and pay dividend income or distribute a capital gain.
All dividends and/or distributions will be paid out in the
form of additional shares of the fund at net asset value unless the shareholder elects to receive cash. Shareholders may make this election by marking the appropriate box on the account application or by writing to the Trust.
If you elect to receive distributions in cash and checks are
returned and marked as “undeliverable” or remain uncashed for six months, your cash election will be changed automatically and your future dividend and capital gains distributions will be reinvested in that fund at the per share net
asset value determined as of the date of payment of the distribution. In addition, any undeliverable checks or checks that remain uncashed for six months will be canceled and will be reinvested in that fund at the per share net asset value
determined as of the date of cancellation.
Each fund
intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code) and to meet all requirements necessary to avoid paying any federal income or excise taxes. For federal income
tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has
owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a fund owned for more than one year and that are properly reported by the fund as capital gain dividends will be taxable as long-term capital gains.
Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by the fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be
taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and fund level. Each fund will notify its shareholders as to what portion of fund
distributions are reported as qualified dividend income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are
paid from income or gains earned by a fund before a shareholder’s investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or in the form of additional shares of
the fund to which the distribution relates. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains. For tax purposes, an exchange of your fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a
sale. The gain or loss generally will be treated as short term if you held the shares for one year or less, long term if you held the shares for longer.
The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified
dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts). Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or
less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributions
38
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a
portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if you purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be
adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
If a
fund’s distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital
distribution will not be taxable to the extent of a shareholder’s adjusted basis but will reduce such basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold. To the
extent that a return of capital distribution exceeds a shareholder’s adjusted basis, the distribution will be treated as a gain from the sale of shares.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net
investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such
person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.
The funds will provide federal tax information annually,
including information about dividends and distributions paid during the preceding year.
Prior to January 1, 2012 when shareholders sold fund shares
from a taxable account, they typically received information on their tax forms that calculated their gain or loss using the average cost method. This information was not previously reported to the IRS, and shareholders had the option of calculating
gains or losses using an alternative IRS permitted method. However, in accordance with legislation passed by Congress in 2008, each fund reports cost basis information to the IRS for shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012 and sold thereafter.
Shareholders elect their preferred cost basis method; however, in the absence of an election, a fund will use an average cost basis method. Please consult your tax adviser to determine the appropriate cost basis method for your particular tax
situation and to learn more about how the new cost basis reporting laws apply to you and your investments, including investments made prior to January 1, 2012 and sold thereafter.
If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase
shares of a fund just before it declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable distribution. This is because when a fund makes a distribution, the share price is reduced by the amount of the distribution. You
can avoid “buying a dividend,” as it is often called, by finding out if a distribution is imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide that the opportunity to gain a few days of investment performance
outweighs the tax consequences of buying a dividend.
A
fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on all taxable distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders if the shareholders fail to provide the fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required
certifications, or if they have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against U.S. federal income tax liability.
Foreign shareholders may be subject to
different U.S. federal income tax treatment, including withholding tax at the rate of 30% (unless a lower treaty rate applies) on amounts treated as ordinary dividends from the fund, as discussed in more detail in the SAI. Furthermore, the funds
will be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gains dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed
compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the funds to enable
the funds to determine whether withholding is required.
A fund’s investments in foreign securities may be
subject to foreign withholding taxes. In that case, a fund’s return on those securities would be decreased. In addition, a fund’s investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate a fund’s
recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of a fund’s distributions. If more than 50% of a fund’s assets at fiscal year-end is represented by debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the fund intends
to elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the fund to
foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. For the purposes of the foreign tax credit, each such shareholder would include in gross income from foreign sources its pro
rata share of such taxes. Certain limitations imposed by the Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of such taxes.
To the extent such investments are permissible for a fund, the
fund’s transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, equity swap contracts and straddles will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, and wash sale rules),
the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the fund, defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in
Laudus Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
39
the holding periods of the fund’s securities, convert long-term capital
gains into short-term gains or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A fund’s use of such transactions may result
in the fund realizing more short-term capital gains (subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates) and ordinary income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions.
The foregoing is a general summary of the federal income tax
consequences of investing in a fund to shareholders who are U.S. citizens or U.S. corporations. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors about the tax consequences of an investment in a fund in light of each shareholder’s particular
tax situation. Shareholders should also consult their own tax advisors about consequences under foreign, state, local or other applicable tax laws.
40
Laudus
Mondrian Funds | Investing in the Funds
Prospectus
| July
27, 2018
Laudus
Mondrian Funds
For More Information About the Funds:
Statement of Additional Information (SAI):
The SAI provides additional information about the funds. It is
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and is legally considered a part of this prospectus.
Annual and Semiannual Reports:
Additional information about the funds’ investments is
available in the funds’ Annual and Semiannual Reports to shareholders. In the funds’ Annual Report, you will find a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the funds’ performance during
the last fiscal period.
You may review and copy, for a
fee, the Trust’s Annual and Semiannual Reports and the SAI in person at, or by writing to, the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington D.C. 20549-1520, or by electronic request via e-mail at the following address:
publicinfo@sec.gov. Information on the operation of the Commission’s Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling 1-202-551-8090.You may obtain reports and other information about the funds for free from the EDGAR database on the
Commission’s website at
www.sec.gov
.
You may also obtain free copies of the SAI and the Annual and
Semiannual Reports on the funds’ website at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
. To request that a copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semiannual Reports be mailed to you, free of charge, or to
request other information about the funds or make shareholder inquiries, you may contact the funds at:
Laudus Funds
P.O. Box 219975
Kansas
City, MO 64121-9975
1.877.824.5615 Registered Investment Professionals
1.800.447.3332 Retail Investors
SEC File Numbers
Prospectus
| July
27, 2018
Laudus Funds
®
Laudus
®
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
Ticker Symbol
LGILX
Investment
Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Subadviser
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
Shareholder Services
1.800.447.3332 Retail Investors
1.877.824.5615 Registered
Investment Professionals
www.schwabfunds.com
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has
not approved these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate. Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
Laudus
®
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fund Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if
you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Shareholder
Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
None
|
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
|
Management
fees
|
0.64
|
Distribution
(12b-1) fees
|
None
|
Other
expenses
|
0.12
|
Total
annual fund operating expenses
|
0.76
|
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The example also
assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The expenses would be the same whether you stayed in the fund or sold your shares at the end of each period. Your actual costs may
be higher or lower.
Expenses
on a $10,000 Investment
|
1
Year
|
3
Years
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
$78
|
$243
|
$422
|
$942
|
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 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 the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 49% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the fund invests
at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large capitalization companies. The fund defines large capitalization companies as those with a market capitalization
of at least $3 billion at the time of investment. In addition, up to 20% of the fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign equity securities.
Investments in equity securities include common stock and preferred stock.
The fund may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of the fund’s investment strategies.
In selecting securities, the subadviser seeks to invest in
companies that possess dominant market positions or franchises, a major technological edge, or a unique competitive advantage. To this end, the subadviser considers earnings revision trends, expected earnings growth rates, sales acceleration, price
earnings multiples and positive stock price momentum, when selecting securities. The subadviser expects that these companies can sustain an above average return on invested capital at a higher level and over a longer period of time than is reflected
in the current market prices.
In deciding whether an
investment is tied to the U.S., the subadviser considers a number of factors including whether the investment is issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies; the investment has its primary trading market in the U.S.; the
issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, the U.S.; the investment is included in an index representative of the U.S.; and the investment is exposed to the economic
fortunes and risks of the U.S.
For temporary defensive
purposes during unusual economic or market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such
activities, it may not achieve its investment objective.
Principal Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an
investor to lose money. The fund’s principal risks include:
Market Risk.
Financial markets
rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose
money over short or long periods.
Management Risk.
As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not meet
its objective. The fund’s subadviser applies its own investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the fund, but there can be no guarantee that they will produce the desired results.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Fund Summary
1
Equity Risk.
The prices
of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices
to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments,
the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk.
Large-cap companies are generally more mature and the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Growth Investing Risk.
Growth
stocks can be volatile. Growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses and may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth stocks are based largely on
projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. Growth stocks may also be more expensive relative to their earnings or
assets compared to value or other stocks.
Foreign
Investment Risk.
The fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of
adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); the imposition of economic sanctions or
other government restrictions; differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of
the fund’s investments, and could impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. There is a risk that investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues
in, foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged, resulting in the dollar value of the fund’s investment
being adversely affected. Foreign securities also include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs which may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more
volatile. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets or securities of issuers that conduct their business in emerging markets.
Derivatives Risk.
The
fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. The fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the
fund’s
performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the
fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Leverage Risk.
Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.
Liquidity Risk.
The fund
may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the fund may have to sell them at a loss.
Securities Lending Risk.
Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund,
please see the “Fund Details” section in the prospectus.
Performance
The bar chart below shows how the fund’s investment
results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compared to that of an index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
All figures assume distributions were reinvested. Keep in mind that future performance (both before and after taxes) may differ from past performance. For current performance information, please see
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
.
On July 13, 2009, the fund commenced
operations as a series of Laudus Trust by acquiring all of the assets and liabilities of the UBS U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund (UBS Fund) in a tax-free reorganization. The fund has investment objectives, strategies, and policies substantially similar
to those of the UBS Fund. The performance history of the fund prior to July 13, 2009 is that of the Class Y Shares of the UBS Fund.
Annual Total Returns
(%) as of
12/31
Best Quarter:
19.21% Q1 2012
Worst Quarter:
(22.54%) Q4 2008
2
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Fund Summary
Year-to-date performance (non-annualized and
before taxes) as of 6/30/2018:
14.37%
Average
Annual Total Returns
as of 12/31/17
|
|
1
Year
|
5
Years
|
10
Years
|
Before
taxes
|
33.91%
|
16.50%
|
10.59%
|
After
taxes on distributions
|
29.98%
|
13.88%
|
9.24%
|
After
taxes on distributions and sale of shares
|
22.25%
|
12.71%
|
8.43%
|
Comparative
Index
(reflects no deduction for expenses or taxes)
|
|
|
|
Russell
1000 Growth Index
|
30.21%
|
17.33%
|
10.00%
|
The after-tax figures
reflect the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during the period and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation. In addition, after-tax returns are not
relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, an individual retirement account (IRA) or other tax-advantaged account.
Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
Subadviser
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (BlackRock)
Portfolio Manager
Lawrence G. Kemp, CFA,
Managing Director of BlackRock, has been portfolio manager of the fund since October 4, 2013, and was previously portfolio manager of the fund and its predecessor from 2002 until November 2012 while at the fund’s prior subadviser.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund is open for business each day that the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund
reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
New investors may only invest in the fund through an account
at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or another financial intermediary. When you place orders to purchase, exchange or redeem fund shares through an account at Schwab or another financial intermediary, you must follow Schwab’s or the
other financial intermediary’s transaction procedures. Investors who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make additional purchases and place exchange and
redemption orders through the fund’s transfer agent. Investors may contact the transfer agent:
•
|
by telephone at
1-800-447-3332; or
|
•
|
by mail to DST Asset Manager
Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975.
|
The minimum initial investment for the fund is $100. The
minimum may be waived for certain investors or in the fund’s sole discretion.
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the
fund will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer
or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies 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 salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Fund Summary
3
Fund Details
There can be no assurance that the fund will achieve its
objective. Except as explicitly described otherwise, the strategies and policies of the fund may be changed without shareholder approval.
The principal investment strategies and the main risks
associated with investing in the fund are summarized in the fund summary at the front of this prospectus. This section takes a more detailed look at some of the types of securities, the associated risks, and the various investment strategies that
may be used in the day-to-day portfolio management of the fund, as described below. In addition to the particular types of securities and strategies that are described in this prospectus, the fund may use strategies that are not described herein in
support of its overall investment goal. These additional strategies and the risks associated with them are described in the “Investment Strategies, Securities, Risks and Limitations” section in the Statement of Additional Information
(SAI).
Investment Objective, Strategies and Risks
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
The fund’s investment objective is not fundamental, and,
therefore, may be changed by the fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Investment Strategy
Under normal circumstances, the fund
invests at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large capitalization companies. The fund defines large capitalization companies as those with a market
capitalization of at least $3 billion at the time of investment. In addition, up to 20% of the fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign equity securities. Investments in equity securities include common stock and preferred stock. The fund
may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments (“derivatives”) for risk management purposes or as part of the fund’s investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is
derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. The principal types of derivatives used by the fund include
options, futures and forward currency agreements. The fund may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to manage or adjust the risk profile of the fund, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to certain
markets. The fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days prior to any change in its policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in equity securities of U.S. large capitalization
companies.
The fund will invest in companies
within its capitalization range as described above. However, the fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities outside of this range. Further, if movement in the market price causes a security to change from one capitalization range to
another, the fund is not required to dispose of the security.
The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of the
securities in its portfolio (e.g., greater than 100% turnover), which would increase transaction costs incurred by the fund. In addition, when the fund engages in active and frequent trading, a larger portion of the distributions investors receive
from the fund may reflect short-term capital gains which are taxed like ordinary income, rather than long-term capital gain distributions.
For temporary defensive purposes during unusual economic or
market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and other short-term obligations. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its
investment objective.
In selecting securities, the
subadviser seeks to invest in companies that possess dominant market positions or franchises, a major technological edge, or a unique competitive advantage. To this end, the subadviser considers earnings revision trends, expected earnings growth
rates, sales acceleration, price earnings multiples and positive stock price momentum, when selecting securities. The subadviser expects that these companies can sustain an above average return on invested capital at a higher level and over a longer
period of time than is reflected in the current market prices.
In deciding whether an investment is tied to the U.S., the
subadviser considers a number of factors including whether the investment is issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies; the investment has its primary trading market in the U.S.; the issuer is
4
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Fund Details
organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or
has at least 50% of its assets in, the U.S.; the investment is included in an index representative of the U.S.; and the investment is exposed to the economic fortunes and risks of the U.S.
More Information About Principal Investment
Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of
which could cause an investor to lose money.
Equity
Risk.
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Individual companies may
report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. In addition, equity markets tends to move in cycles which may
cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. Due to their fixed income features, preferred stocks provide higher income potential than issuers’ common stocks, but typically are more sensitive to interest rate changes than
the underlying common stock. The rights of common stockholders are generally subordinate to the rights associated with an issuer’s preferred stocks and the rights of preferred stockholders are generally subordinate to the rights associated
with an issuer’s debt securities on the distribution of an issuer’s assets in the event of a liquidation.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. In addition, there may be less trading volume in securities issued by mid- and small-cap companies than those
issued by larger companies and, as a result, trading volatility may have a greater impact on the value of securities of mid- and small-cap companies. Securities issued by large-cap companies, on the other hand, may not be able to attain the high
growth rates of some mid- and small-cap companies. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk.
Large-cap companies are generally more mature than smaller companies. They also may have fewer new market opportunities for their products or services, may focus resources on maintaining their market share, and may be unable to respond quickly to
new competitive challenges. As a result, the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in
foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and
legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the U.S. These
risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of the fund’s investments and could impair the fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. In addition, the fund’s
investments in foreign securities may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. There also is the risk that the cost of buying, selling, and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may be
higher than those involved in domestic transactions. The securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in
value as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. To the
extent the fund’s investments in a single country or a limited number of countries represent a large percentage of the fund’s assets, the fund’s performance may be adversely affected by the economic, political, regulatory and
social conditions in those countries, and the fund’s price may be more volatile than the price of a fund that is geographically diversified.
Currency Risk.
The
fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, will subject the fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions,
that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to factors extrinsic to that
country’s economy, which makes the forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest
rates; intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund; or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United
States or abroad. These can result in losses to the fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency
exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Forward contracts on foreign currencies are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a
particular currency for the fund’s account. The fund is subject to the risk of a counterparty’s failure, inability or refusal to perform with respect to such contracts.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap
Growth Fund | Fund Details
5
Derivatives Risk.
The
fund may, but is not required to, use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to manage or adjust the risk profile of the fund, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to certain markets. A future is an
agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a specific day. An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price before a specific date. A forward currency agreement involves an obligation to purchase or
sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. The fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from
or possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as leverage risk, market risk, liquidity risk and management risk, are discussed elsewhere in this
section. The fund’s use of derivatives is also subject to credit risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative may not fulfill its contractual
obligations. Lack of availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued
incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts
of short-term capital gains. The fund’s use of derivatives could reduce the fund’s performance, increase the fund’s volatility, and could cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. However, these risks are less
severe when the fund uses derivatives for hedging rather than to enhance the fund’s returns or as a substitute for a position or security. The use of derivatives that are subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
could cause the fund to become a commodity pool, which would require the fund to comply with certain CFTC rules.
Leverage Risk.
The fund’s transactions in derivatives transactions, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the
value of the fund’s portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund. The use of leverage may cause the fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be
advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations.
Liquidity Risk.
Liquidity
risk exists when particular investments may be difficult to purchase, sell or value, especially during stressed market conditions. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the conditions of a
particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. In such cases, the fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in readily purchasing and selling such securities
at favorable times or prices, may decline in value, experience lower returns and/or be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain issuer or sector. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that
are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. Liquidity risk also includes the risk that market conditions or large shareholder redemptions may impact the ability of the fund to meet redemption requests within the required time
period. In order to meet such redemption requests, the fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times or prices.
Securities Lending Risk.
The
fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment
performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the
loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging
the loan.
Operational Risk.
The fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the fund’s service providers, counterparties or
other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. The fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures believed to be reasonably designed to address these risks. However, these
controls and procedures cannot address every possible risk and may not fully mitigate the risks that they are intended to address.
Portfolio Holdings
The fund may make various types of portfolio securities
information available to shareholders. The fund posts a detailed list of the securities held by the fund at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
(under “Portfolio Holdings”), as of the most
recent calendar quarter-end. This list is generally updated approximately 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter and will remain available online until at least the following calendar quarter. The fund also posts in the fund summary section
of the website and on fund fact sheets certain summary portfolio attributes, including top ten holdings, approximately 5-25 days after the end of each calendar quarter or month. The fund may exclude any portion of these portfolio holdings from
publication when deemed in the best interest of the fund. Further information regarding the fund’s policy and procedures on the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the SAI.
6
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Fund Details
Financial Highlights
This section provides further details about the fund’s
financial history for the past five years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. “Total return” shows the percentage that an investor in the fund would have earned or lost during a given
period, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), audited these figures. PwC’s full report is included in the fund’s annual report (see
back cover).
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
4/1/17–
3/31/18
|
4/1/16–
3/31/17
|
4/1/15–
3/31/16
|
4/1/14–
3/31/15
|
4/1/13–
3/31/14
|
|
Per-Share
Data
|
Net
asset value at beginning of period
|
$
18.12
|
$
15.76
|
$
17.22
|
$
18.19
|
$
15.58
|
|
Income
(loss) from investment operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
1
|
0.00
2
|
0.00
2
|
(0.01)
|
(0.01)
|
(0.02)
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses)
|
4.99
|
2.63
|
(0.37)
|
2.44
|
3.85
|
|
Total
from investment operations
|
4.99
|
2.63
|
(0.38)
|
2.43
|
3.83
|
|
Less
distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions
from net realized gains
|
(2.64)
|
(0.27)
|
(1.08)
|
(3.40)
|
(1.22)
|
|
Net
asset value at end of period
|
$
20.47
|
$
18.12
|
$
15.76
|
$
17.22
|
$
18.19
|
|
Total
return
|
28.52%
|
16.85%
|
(2.50%)
|
14.99%
|
24.81%
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental
Data
|
Ratios
to average net assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
operating expenses
|
0.75%
3
|
0.76%
|
0.75%
|
0.77%
|
0.78%
4
|
|
Gross
operating expenses
|
0.75%
3
|
0.76%
|
0.75%
|
0.77%
|
0.78%
|
|
Net
investment income (loss)
|
0.01%
3
|
0.03%
|
(0.04%)
|
(0.06%)
|
(0.12%)
|
|
Portfolio
turnover rate
|
49%
|
73%
|
82%
|
102%
|
124%
|
|
Net
assets, end of period (x 1,000)
|
$1,953,049
|
$1,667,059
|
$1,969,169
|
$2,171,783
|
$2,122,365
|
|
1
Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during
the period.
2
Per-share amount was less than $0.005.
3
The ratio of net
operating expenses and gross operating expenses would have been 0.76% and 0.76%, respectively, and the ratio of net investment income would have been less than 0.005%, if the custody out-of-pocket fee reimbursement had not been included.
4
The ratio of net operating expenses would have been 0.77%,
if certain non-routine expenses had not been incurred.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Financial Highlights
7
Fund Management
The investment adviser for the fund is
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM), 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Founded in 1989, the firm today serves as investment adviser for all of the Schwab Funds
®
, Schwab ETFs
®
and Laudus Funds
®
. As of June 30, 2018, CSIM managed approximately $351.3 billion in assets. BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (BlackRock), 1 University Square
Drive, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, serves as subadviser to the fund.
BlackRock is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of
BlackRock, Inc. BlackRock is a registered investment adviser and a commodity pool operator organized in 1999. As of June 30, 2018, BlackRock and its affiliates had approximately $6.3 trillion in investment company and other portfolio assets under
management. In its capacity as subadviser, BlackRock provides day-to-day portfolio management services to the fund, while, as adviser, CSIM supervises BlackRock and assumes other functions, including managing the fund’s other affairs and
business, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees.
The fund pays CSIM an advisory fee for these services on a
monthly basis. The fee paid is based on a percentage of the fund’s average daily net assets. CSIM — and not the fund — pays a portion of the advisory fees it receives to BlackRock in return for its services. Effective March 1,
2018, the Board of Trustees approved changes to the sub-advisory agreement with BlackRock.
For the 12 months ended March 31, 2018, the advisory fee paid
to CSIM, was 0.64% for the fund, expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The fund and the investment adviser have received exemptive
relief from the SEC to permit the investment adviser and the fund to hire, terminate or replace subadvisers without shareholder approval, subject to certain conditions. One of the conditions requires approvals by the Board of Trustees before any
hiring is implemented. In addition, the exemptive order currently prohibits the investment adviser from entering into a subadvisory agreement with affiliates of the investment adviser without shareholder approval. Within 90 days of the hiring of any
new subadviser, the investment adviser will furnish shareholders with the required information about the new subadviser.
A discussion regarding the basis for the
Board of Trustee’s approval of the fund’s investment advisory agreement and previous sub-advisory agreement are available in the fund’s semiannual report dated September 30, 2017, which covers the period April 1, 2017 through
September 30, 2017. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustee’s approval of an amendment to the fund’s current sub-advisory agreement is available in the fund’s annual report dated March 31, 2018, which covers the
period April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.
CSIM has
entered into an expense limitation agreement to waive its management fees and bear certain expenses until July 30, 2020, to limit the total annual operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, and certain non-routine expenses) of the fund to 0.77%.
Under that agreement, any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by the fund to CSIM during the next two fiscal years to the extent that repayment will not cause the fund’s expenses to exceed
the limit (as stated in the expense limitation agreement) during the respective year or the current year.
Lawrence G. Kemp, CFA,
is
portfolio manager of the fund and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund, including managing the fund’s overall investment strategy. Mr. Kemp is a Managing Director of BlackRock. Prior to joining BlackRock in 2012, Mr. Kemp
was a Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management (Americas) Inc. and was an investment management professional with that firm since 1992.
Additional information about the portfolio manager’s
compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the fund is available in the fund’s SAI.
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Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Fund Management
Investing in the Fund
In this section, you will find information
on buying, selling and exchanging shares. New investors may only invest in the fund through an intermediary by placing orders through your brokerage account at Schwab or an account with another broker/dealer, investment adviser, 401(k) plan,
employee benefit plan, administrator, bank, or other financial intermediary (intermediary) that is authorized to accept orders on behalf of the fund (intermediary orders). No new accounts can be opened directly with the fund’s transfer agent.
Eligible Investors (as defined herein) who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may continue to place additional purchase, exchange, or redemption orders through the
fund’s transfer agent (direct orders). You also will see how to choose a distribution option for your investment. Helpful information on taxes is included as well.
Investing Directly with the Fund
Additional Direct Purchases by Wire
Subject to acceptance by the fund, only Eligible Investors who
purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make any additional purchases of the fund’s shares in the same account by wiring federal funds. Please first contact the
fund at 1-800-447-3332 for complete wiring instructions. Notification must be given to the fund at 1-800-447-3332 prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on the wire date. Federal funds purchases
will be accepted only on a day on which the fund, the distributor and the custodian are all open for business. The fund reserve the right to suspend the privilege of direct purchase of additional shares of the fund at any time.
Additional Direct Purchases by Mail
Subject to acceptance by the fund,
only Eligible Investors who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and hold such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may make any additional purchases of a fund’s shares in the same account by mail. Additional
investments may be made at any time by mailing a check (payable to Laudus Funds) to the transfer agent at DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. Be sure to include your account number on
your check. The fund reserves the right to suspend the privilege of direct purchase of additional shares of the funds at any time.
Subject to acceptance by the fund, payment for the purchase of
shares received by mail will be credited to a shareholder’s account at the net asset value per share of the fund next determined after receipt, even though the check may not yet have been converted into federal funds. For purposes of
calculating the purchase price of fund shares, a purchase order is received by the fund on the day that it is in good order unless it is rejected by the fund’s transfer agent. For a cash purchase order of fund shares to be in good order on a
particular day, a check must be received on or before the close of the fund (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time or the close of the NYSE, whichever is earlier) on that day. If the payment is received by the fund after the deadline, the purchase price
of fund shares will be based upon the next determination of net asset value of fund shares. No currency, third party checks, foreign checks, starter checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or money orders will be accepted by the
fund.
Automatic Investment Program
Eligible Investors who purchased fund shares
prior to October 2, 2017 and holds such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may also participate in the Laudus Funds Automatic Investment Program, an investment plan that automatically debits money from the shareholder’s
bank account or an account at a broker or other intermediary and invests it in the fund through the use of electronic funds transfers. Investors may commence their participation in this program by making a minimum initial investment that satisfies
the minimum investment amount for the fund and may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of $50 into their established fund account. Intermediaries may establish different minimum subsequent transaction amounts. You should
contact the Trust for more information about the Laudus Funds Automatic Investment Program.
Individual Retirement Accounts
The fund may be used to fund individual retirement accounts
(IRAs). A special application must be completed in order to create such an account. Contributions to IRAs are subject to prevailing amount limits set by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information about IRAs, call the Trust at
1-800-447-3332.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
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Direct Redemptions by Telephone
If you authorized the telephone redemption option in the
account application, you may place a redemption order by calling the transfer agent at 1-800-447-3332 and requesting that the redemption proceeds be wired per the authorized instructions in the account application or mailed to the primary
registration address. Your redemption order will be processed at the net asset value per share of the fund next determined after receipt of your telephone redemption order by the transfer agent. Please note that the transfer agent may only act on
telephone instructions believed by the transfer agent to be genuine. The transfer agent’s records of such instructions are binding on the shareholder. The shareholder, not the fund or the transfer agent, bears the risk of loss in the event of
unauthorized instructions reasonably believed by the transfer agent to be genuine. The transfer agent will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated are genuine. These procedures include tape recording of telephone
instructions and requiring some form of personal identification prior to acting upon instructions received by telephone.
Direct Redemptions by Mail
You may redeem your fund shares by mail by
sending a request letter to the fund’s transfer agent at DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. Your redemption request will be processed by the fund at the net asset value per share
of the fund next determined after the request is received in good order. To be in good order, the redemption request must include the name of the fund and the number of shares or the dollar amount to be redeemed, all required signatures,
authorizations and any required signature guarantees, and other supporting legal documents, if required, in the case of estates, trusts, guardianships, custodianships, corporations, pension and profit sharing plans and other organizations.
Additional Direct Redemption Information
To protect you, the fund and its service providers from fraud,
signature guarantees may be required to enable the transfer agent to verify the identity of the person who has authorized a redemption from an account. Signature guarantees are required for (1) redemptions where the proceeds are to be sent to
someone other than the registered shareholder(s) at the registered address, (2) redemptions if your account address has changed within the last 10 business days, (3) share transfer requests, and (4) redemptions where the proceeds are wired in
connection with bank instructions not already on file with the transfer agent. Signature guarantees may be obtained from certain eligible financial institutions, including, but not limited to, the following: U.S. banks, trust companies, credit
unions, securities brokers and dealers, savings and loan associations and participants in the Securities and Transfer Association Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchange Medallion Program (SEMP) or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion
Signature Program (MSP). Signature guarantees from non-U.S. banks that do not include a stamp may require a U.S. consulate stamp. You may contact the transfer agent at 1-800-447-3332 for further details.
The fund will not make payment on redemptions of shares
purchased by check until payment of the purchase price has been collected, which may take up to fifteen days after purchase. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
An owner of $12,000 or more of shares of the
fund who purchased fund shares prior to October 2, 2017 and holds such shares directly through the fund’s transfer agent may elect to have periodic redemptions made from the investor’s account to be paid on a monthly, quarterly,
semiannual or annual basis. The maximum payment per year is 12% of the account value at the time of the election. The Trust will normally redeem a sufficient number of shares to make the scheduled redemption payments on a date selected by the
shareholder. Depending on the size of the payment requested and fluctuation in the net asset value, if any, of the shares redeemed, redemptions for the purpose of making such payments may reduce or even exhaust the account. A shareholder may request
that these payments be sent to a predesignated bank or other designated party. Capital gains and dividend distributions paid to the account will automatically be reinvested at net asset value on the distribution payment date.
Direct Exchange Privileges
Upon request, and subject to certain limitations, shares of
the fund may be exchanged into shares of any other fund of the Trust. In order to exchange your shares to another fund of the Trust, you must satisfy the minimum requirements for the new fund. Direct investors should contact the Trust at
1-800-447-3332. Although the Trust has no current intention of terminating or modifying the exchange privileges, it reserves the right to do so at any time. An exchange of your shares for shares of another Laudus Fund is taxable as a sale of a
security on which a gain or loss may be recognized. Shareholders should receive written confirmation of an exchange within a few days of the completion of the transaction. A new account opened by an exchange must be established with the same
name(s), address(es) and tax identification number(s) as the existing account. All exchanges will be made based on the respective net asset values next determined following receipt of the request by the fund containing the information indicated
below. Shareholders should obtain and read the prospectus for the fund into which you are exchanging prior to placing your order.
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U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
Direct Exchanges by Telephone
If you authorized the telephone redemption option in the
account application, you may exchange fund shares by telephone by calling the fund’s transfer agent at 1-800-447-3332. Please be prepared to provide the following information: (a) the account number, tax identification number and account
registration; (b) the name of the fund from which and the fund into which the exchange is to be made; and (c) the dollar or share amount to be exchanged. Please note that the transfer agent may act only on telephone instructions believed by the
transfer agent to be genuine. Please see the section entitled “Direct Redemptions by Telephone” for more information regarding transacting with the fund’s transfer agent via telephone.
Direct Exchanges by Mail
To exchange fund shares by mail, simply send
a letter of instruction to the fund’s transfer agent at DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., Attn: Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. The letter of instruction must include: (a) your account number; (b) the fund from and
the fund into which the exchange is to be made; (c) the dollar or share amount to be exchanged; and (d) the signatures of all registered owners or authorized parties.
The fund reserves the right to suspend or terminate the
privilege of exchanging shares of the fund by mail or by telephone at any time. The fund further reserves the right to materially modify or terminate the exchange privilege upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Investing Through a Financial Intermediary
Placing Orders Through Your Intermediary
When you place orders through Schwab or
other intermediary, you are not placing your orders directly with the fund, and you must follow Schwab’s or the other intermediary’s transaction procedures. Your intermediary may impose different or additional conditions than the fund on
purchases, redemptions and exchanges of fund shares. These differences may include initial, subsequent and maintenance investment requirements, exchange policies, fund choices, cut-off times for investment and trading restrictions. Your intermediary
may independently establish and charge its customers transaction fees, account fees and other fees in addition to the fees charged by the fund, and the intermediary may require its customers to pay a commission when transacting in fund shares. These
additional fees will vary between intermediaries and may vary over time and would increase the cost of your investment and lower investment returns. You should consult your intermediary directly for information regarding these conditions and fees.
The fund is not responsible for the failure of your intermediary to carry out its responsibilities.
Only certain intermediaries are authorized to accept orders on
behalf of the fund. If your fund shares are no longer held by an authorized intermediary, the fund may impose restrictions on your ability to manage or maintain your shares. For example, you will not be able to place orders to purchase additional
shares. To remove these restrictions, you may move your shares to Schwab or another intermediary that is authorized to accept fund orders.
Other Investing Information
For purposes of calculating the purchase price of fund shares,
a purchase order is received by the Trust on the day that it is in “good order” unless it is rejected by the transfer agent. For a cash purchase order of fund shares to be in “good order” on a particular day, a check or money
wire must be received on or before the close of the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on that day. If the payment is received by the Trust after the deadline, the purchase price of fund shares will be based upon the next determination of net
asset value of fund shares. No currency, third party checks, foreign checks, starter checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or money orders will be accepted.
The Trust reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to
suspend the offering of shares of the fund or to reject purchase orders when, in its judgment, such suspension or rejection would be in the best interests of the Trust or the fund. The Trust discourages market timing and maintains procedures
designed to provide reasonable assurances that such activity will be identified and terminated. Purchases of the fund’s shares may be made in full or in fractional shares of the fund (calculated to three decimal places). In the interest of
economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be issued.
When selling or exchanging shares, you should be aware of the
following fund policies:
•
|
For accounts held through a
financial intermediary, each fund typically expects to pay sale proceeds to the financial intermediary for payment to redeeming shareholders within two business days following receipt of a shareholder redemption order. For sale proceeds
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Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
11
|
that are paid directly to a
shareholder by a fund, the fund typically expects to pay sales proceeds by wire, ACH, or by mailing a check to redeeming shareholders within two business days, following receipt of the shareholder redemption order. In each case, however, a fund may
take up to seven days to pay sale proceeds.
|
•
|
The fund reserves the right
to honor redemptions in liquid portfolio securities instead of cash when your redemptions over a 90-day period exceed $250,000 or 1% of the fund’s assets, whichever is less. You may incur transaction expenses and taxable gains in
converting these securities to cash. In addition, a redemption in liquid portfolio securities would be treated as a taxable event for you and may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.
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•
|
Exchange
orders are limited to other funds of the Laudus Trust and must meet the minimum investment and other requirements for the fund and share class, if applicable, into which you are exchanging.
|
•
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You should obtain and read
the prospectus for the fund into which you are exchanging prior to placing your order.
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Investments in-Kind
Shares of the fund may be purchased in exchange for common
stocks or bonds or by a combination of such securities and cash. Purchase of shares of the fund in exchange for securities is subject in each case to CSIM’s and the subadviser’s determination that the securities to be exchanged
are acceptable. Securities accepted in exchange for fund shares will be valued as set forth under “Share price” (generally the last quoted sale price) as of the time of the next determination of net asset value after such acceptance. All
dividends, subscription or other rights which are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the fund and must be delivered to the fund upon receipt by the investor from the issuer.
Generally, the exchange of common stocks for shares of the fund will be a taxable event for federal income tax purposes, which will trigger gain or loss to an investor subject to federal income taxation, measured by the difference between the value
of the shares of the fund received and the investor’s basis in the securities tendered. Accordingly, you should consult your tax adviser before making such an in-kind purchase.
The fund will not accept securities in exchange for fund
shares unless: (i) CSIM and the subadviser believe the securities are appropriate investments for the fund; (ii) the investor represents and agrees that all securities offered to the fund are not subject to any restrictions upon their sale by the
fund under the Securities Act of 1933, or otherwise; and (iii) the securities may be acquired under the fund’s investment restrictions.
Further Redemption Information
The fund reserves the right to redeem your shares in-kind in
accordance with the fund’s procedures and applicable regulatory requirements. If CSIM determines that it would not be in the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the fund to make a redemption payment wholly or partly in cash, the
fund may instead pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of readily marketable securities held by the fund. The Trust may commit itself to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited
in amount with respect to each shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of: (i) $250,000, or (ii) one percent of net asset value of such fund at the beginning of such period. Securities used to redeem fund shares in-kind will be valued in
accordance with the fund’s valuation procedures described in this prospectus. Securities distributed by the fund in-kind will be selected by the subadviser, under CSIM’s supervision, in light of the fund’s objective and generally
will be a pro rata distribution of each security held in the fund’s portfolio. Investors may incur brokerage charges on the sale of securities received. Redemptions in-kind are taxable for federal income tax purposes in the same manner as
redemptions for cash.
The fund may suspend the right of
redemption and may postpone payment for a reasonable period when the NYSE is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), during periods when trading on the NYSE is
restricted or during an emergency declared by the SEC which makes it impracticable for the fund to dispose of their securities or to determine the value of their net assets fairly, or during any other period permitted by the SEC for the protection
of investors.
Share Price
The fund is open for business each day that the NYSE is open.
The fund calculates its share price each business day as of the close of the NYSE (generally 4 p.m. Eastern time). If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the
NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of
regular trading on the NYSE for that day. The fund’s share price is its net asset value per share, or NAV, which is the fund’s net
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U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
assets divided by the number of its shares
outstanding. Orders received by the fund in good order at or prior to the close of the fund (generally 4 p.m. Eastern time) will be executed at the next share price calculated that day.
When you place an order through your Schwab account or an
account at another intermediary, please consult with your intermediary to determine when your order will be executed. Generally, you will receive the share price next calculated after the fund receives your order from your intermediary. However,
some intermediaries, such as Schwab, may arrange with the fund for you to receive the share price next calculated after your intermediary has received your order. Some intermediaries may require that they receive orders prior to a specified cut-off
time.
In valuing its securities, the fund uses market
quotes or official closing prices if they are readily available. In cases where quotes are not readily available or the investment adviser deems them unreliable, the fund may value securities based on fair values developed using methods approved by
the fund’s Board of Trustees.
Shareholders of the
fund should be aware that because foreign markets are often open on weekends and other days when the fund is closed, the value of the fund’s portfolio may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the fund.
Additional Policies Affecting Your Investment
Minimum Investment
Shares may be purchased by institutions, certain individual
retirement accounts and individuals. In order to be eligible to purchase fund shares, an investor must make an initial investment of at least $100. The minimums may be waived for certain retirement plans and plan participants, and for certain
investment programs, or in the fund’s sole discretion.
The Trustees have authorized the Trust to reimburse, out of
the assets of the fund, intermediaries that provide sub-accounting and sub-transfer agency services an amount up to 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the fund on an annual basis.
Shares of the fund may be sold to corporations or other
institutions such as trusts, foundations, broker-dealers or other intermediaries purchasing for the accounts of others. Investors purchasing and redeeming shares of the fund through an intermediary may be charged a transaction-based fee or other fee
for the services provided by the intermediary. Each such intermediary is responsible for transmitting to its customers a schedule of any such fees and information regarding any additional or different conditions with respect to purchases and
redemptions of fund shares. Customers of intermediaries should read this prospectus in light of the terms governing accounts with their particular organization.
Please note that intermediaries may impose additional or
different conditions than the fund on purchases, redemptions or exchanges of fund shares, including different initial, subsequent and maintenance investment requirements.
The fund reserves certain rights, including the following:
•
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To materially modify or
terminate the exchange privilege upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
|
•
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To change or waive the
fund’s investment minimums.
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•
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To suspend the right to sell
shares back to the fund, and delay sending proceeds, during times when trading on the NYSE is restricted or halted, or otherwise as permitted by the SEC.
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•
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To
withdraw or suspend any part of the offering made by this prospectus.
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Payments by the Investment Adviser or Its Affiliates
The investment adviser or its affiliates may
make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers and other financial intermediaries that perform shareholder,
recordkeeping, sub-accounting and other administrative services in connection with investments in fund shares. These payments or discounts are separate from, and may be in addition to, any shareholder service fees or other administrative fees the
fund may pay to those intermediaries. The investment adviser or its affiliates may also make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain financial intermediaries in connection with certain
activities or services which may facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the fund. These payments may relate to marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development and
support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems, data analytics and support, or making shares of the fund available to their customers. These payments, which may be significant, are paid by the investment adviser or its affiliates out of
their own resources and not from the assets of the fund.
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13
Payments to a financial intermediary may
create potential conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its clients as the payments may provide such intermediary with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the funds over other investment options they make available to their
customers. Please see the SAI for additional information.
Policy Regarding Short-Term or Excessive Trading
The fund is intended for long-term
investment and not for short-term or excessive trading (collectively market timing). Market timing may adversely impact the fund’s performance by disrupting the efficient management of the fund, increasing fund transaction costs and taxes,
causing the fund to maintain higher cash balances, and diluting the value of the fund’s shares.
To discourage market timing, the fund’s Board of
Trustees has adopted policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to reduce the risk of market timing by fund shareholders. The fund seeks to deter market timing through several methods. These methods may include: fair value pricing and
trade activity monitoring. Fair value pricing is discussed more thoroughly in the subsequent pages of this prospectus and is considered an element of the fund’s policy regarding short term or excessive trading. Trade activity monitoring is
risk based and seeks to identify patterns of activity in amounts that might be detrimental to the fund.
The fund and its service providers maintain
risk-based surveillance procedures designed to detect market timing in fund shares in amounts that might be detrimental to the fund. Under these procedures, the fund has requested that service providers to the fund monitor transactional activity in
amounts and frequency determined by the fund to be significant to the fund and in a pattern of activity that potentially could be detrimental to the fund. Generally, excessive trading activity in the fund is measured by the number of roundtrip
transactions in a shareholder’s account. A roundtrip transaction occurs when a shareholder completes a purchase of shares and then sells the same fund’s shares (including exchanges). If an investor engages in multiple roundtrips in the
fund within a 60 day period or the fund, in its sole discretion based on these or other factors, determines that a shareholder has engaged in market timing, it may refuse to process future purchases or exchanges into such fund by that shareholder
for a period of 90 days. Subsequent violations within a 12-month period will be evaluated to determine whether a permanent block is appropriate. These procedures may be modified from time to time as appropriate to improve the detection of market
timing and to comply with applicable laws.
If trades are
effected through a financial intermediary, the fund or its service providers will work with the intermediary to monitor possible market timing activity. The fund reserves the right to request that the intermediary provide certain shareholder
transaction information to the fund and may require the intermediary to restrict the shareholder from future purchases or exchanges in the fund. Transactions by fund shareholders investing through intermediaries may also be subject to the
restrictions of the intermediary’s own frequent trading policies, which may differ from those of the fund. The fund may defer to an intermediary’s frequent trading policies with respect to those shareholders who invest in the fund
through such intermediary. The fund will defer to an intermediary’s policies only after the fund determines that the intermediary’s frequent trading policies are reasonably designed to deter transactional activity in amounts and
frequency that are deemed to be significant to the fund and in a pattern of activity that potentially could be detrimental to the fund. Shareholders should consult with their intermediary to determine if additional frequent trading restrictions
apply to their fund transactions. The fund’s ability to impose restrictions with respect to accounts traded through particular intermediaries may vary depending on the systems’ capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions
and cooperation of those intermediaries.
Although these methods are designed to discourage market
timing, there can be no guarantee that the fund will be able to identify and restrict investors that engage in such activities. In addition, some of these methods are inherently subjective and involve judgment in their application. The fund and its
service providers seek to make these judgments and applications uniformly and in a manner that they believe is consistent with interests of the fund’s long-term shareholders. The fund may amend these policies and procedures without prior
notice in response to changing regulatory requirements or to enhance the effectiveness of the program.
The fund reserves the right to restrict, reject or cancel
within a reasonable time, without prior notice, any purchase or exchange order for any reason.
Fair Value Pricing
The Board of Trustees has adopted procedures to fair value the
fund’s securities when market prices are not “readily available” or are unreliable. For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security’s primary
pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the
security’s primary trading market.
By fair valuing
securities whose prices may have been affected by events occurring after the close of trading, the fund seeks to to establish prices that investors might expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. This methodology is
designed to deter “arbitrage” market timers, who seek to exploit delays between the change in the value of the fund’s holdings and the net asset value of the fund’s shares, and seeks to help ensure that the prices at which
the fund’s shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders.
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U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
The fund makes fair value determinations in good faith in
accordance with the fund’s valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such
security.
Methods to Meet Redemptions
Under normal market conditions, the fund expects to meet
redemption orders by using holdings of cash/cash equivalents or by the sale of portfolio investments. In unusual or stressed market conditions or as CSIM determines appropriate, the fund may borrow through the fund’s bank lines of credit or
through the fund’s interfund lending facility to meet redemption requests. The fund may also utilize its custodian overdraft facility to meet redemptions, if necessary. As noted above, the fund also reserves the right to honor redemptions in
liquid portfolio securities instead of cash when your redemptions over a 90-day period exceed $250,000 or 1% of the fund’s assets, whichever is less. You may be subject to market risk and you may incur transaction expenses and taxable gains in
converting the securities to cash. In addition, a redemption in liquid portfolio securities would be treated as a taxable event for you and may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.
Large Shareholder Redemptions
Certain accounts or Schwab affiliates may from time to time
own (beneficially or of record) or control a significant percentage of the fund’s shares. Redemptions by these shareholders of their holdings in the fund may impact the fund’s liquidity and NAV. These redemptions may also force the fund
to sell securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s brokerage costs.
Customer Identification and Verification and Anti-Money
Laundering Program
Customer identification and verification is
part of the fund’s overall obligation to deter money laundering under U.S. federal law. The fund has adopted an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program designed to prevent the fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of
terrorist activities. In this regard, the fund reserves the right to (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of
threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of fund management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the fund or in cases when the fund is requested or compelled
to do so by a governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain,
verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open your account, you will have to provide your name, address, date of birth, identification number and other information that will allow your financial
intermediary to identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the identity of all persons opening an account.
Your financial intermediary is required by law to reject your
new account application if the required identifying information is not provided. Your financial intermediary may contact you in an attempt to collect any missing information required on the application, and your application may be rejected if they
are unable to obtain this information. In certain instances, your financial intermediary is required to collect documents, which will be used solely to establish and verify your identity.
The fund reserves the right to close and/or liquidate your
account at the then-current day’s price if the fund or your financial intermediary is unable to verify your identity. As a result, you may be subject to a gain or loss on fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax consequences.
Distributions and Taxes
Any investment in the fund typically involves several tax
considerations. The information below is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Please see the fund’s SAI for additional information. Because each person’s tax situation is different, you should consult your tax
advisor about the tax implications of your investment in the fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website at
www.irs.gov
.
The fund intends to pay out as dividends substantially all of
its net income and net short-term and long-term capital gains (after reduction by any available capital loss carry-forwards). It is the policy of the fund to declare and pay distributions of its dividends and interest annually, although it may do so
more frequently as determined by the Trustees of the Trust. The fund’s policy is to distribute net short-term capital gains and net long-term gains annually, although it may do so more frequently as determined by the Trustees of the Trust to
the extent permitted by applicable regulations. During the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early November, an estimate of the fund’s
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
15
year-end distribution, if any, may be made available on the fund’s
website:
www.schwabfunds.com
. The amount of any distribution will change and there is no guarantee the fund will declare and pay dividend income or distribute a capital gain.
All dividends and/or distributions will be paid out in the
form of additional shares of the fund at net asset value unless the shareholder elects to receive cash. Shareholders may make this election by marking the appropriate box on the account application or by writing to the Trust.
If you elect to receive distributions in cash and checks are
returned and marked as “undeliverable” or remain uncashed for six months, your cash election will be changed automatically and your future dividend and capital gains distributions will be reinvested in that fund at the per share net
asset value determined as of the date of payment of the distribution. In addition, any undeliverable checks or checks that remain uncashed for six months will be canceled and will be reinvested in that fund at the per share net asset value
determined as of the date of cancellation.
The fund
intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code) and to meet all requirements necessary to avoid paying any federal income or excise taxes. For federal income
tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has
owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the fund owned for more than one year and that are properly reported by the fund as capital gain dividends will be taxable as long-term capital gains.
Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by the fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be
taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and fund level. The fund will notify its shareholders as to what portion of fund
distributions are reported as qualified dividend income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are
paid from income or gains earned by the fund before a shareholder’s investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or in the form of additional shares
of the fund to which the distribution relates. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gain. For tax purposes, an exchange of your fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a
sale. The gain or loss generally will be treated as short term if you held the shares for one year or less, long term if you held the shares for longer.
The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified
dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts). Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or
less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition
of shares will be disallowed if you purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
If the fund’s distributions exceed its taxable income
and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will not be taxable to the extent of a
shareholder’s adjusted basis but will reduce such basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold. To the extent that a return of capital distribution exceeds a
shareholder’s adjusted basis, the distribution will be treated as a gain from the sale of shares.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net
investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such
person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.
The fund will provide federal tax information annually,
including information about dividends and distributions paid during the preceding year.
Prior to January 1, 2012 when shareholders sold fund shares
from a taxable account, they typically received information on their tax forms that calculated their gain or loss using the average cost method. This information was not previously reported to the IRS, and shareholders had the option of calculating
gains or losses using an alternative IRS permitted method. However, in accordance with legislation passed by Congress in 2008, the fund reports cost basis information to the IRS for shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012 and sold thereafter.
Shareholders elect their preferred cost basis method; however, in the absence of an election, the fund will use an average cost basis
16
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
method. Please consult your tax adviser to determine the appropriate cost
basis method for your particular tax situation and to learn more about how the new cost basis reporting laws apply to you and your investments, including investments made prior to January 1, 2012 and sold thereafter.
If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase
shares of the fund just before it declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable distribution. This is because when the fund makes a distribution, the share price is reduced by the amount of the distribution.
You can avoid “buying a dividend,” as it is often called, by finding out if a distribution is imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide that the opportunity to gain a few days of investment performance
outweighs the tax consequences of buying a dividend.
The
fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on all taxable distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders if the shareholders fail to provide the fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required
certifications, or if they have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against U.S. federal income tax liability.
Foreign shareholders may be subject to
different U.S. federal income tax treatment, including withholding tax at the rate of 30% (unless a lower treaty rate applies) on amounts treated as ordinary dividends from the fund, as discussed in more detail in the SAI. Furthermore, the fund will
be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gains dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant)
with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the fund to enable the fund to
determine whether withholding is required.
The
fund’s investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes. In that case, the fund’s return on those securities would be decreased. In addition, the fund’s investments in foreign securities or foreign
currencies may increase or accelerate the fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the fund’s distributions. If more than 50% of the fund’s assets at fiscal year-end is represented by debt
and equity securities of foreign corporations, the fund intends to elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns
for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by a fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. For the purposes of the foreign tax credit, each such
shareholder would include in gross income from foreign sources its pro rata share of such taxes. Certain limitations imposed by the Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of
such taxes.
To the extent such investments are
permissible for the fund, the fund’s transactions in derivatives will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, and wash sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the fund,
defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term gains or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore
affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund’s use of such transactions may result in the fund realizing more short-term capital gains (subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates) and ordinary income
subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions.
The foregoing is a general summary of the federal income tax
consequences of investing in the fund to shareholders who are U.S. citizens or U.S. corporations. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors about the tax consequences of an investment in the fund in light of each shareholder’s
particular tax situation. Shareholders should also consult their own tax advisors about consequences under foreign, state, local or other applicable tax laws.
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund | Investing in the Fund
17
Prospectus
| July
27, 2018
Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth
Fund
For More Information About the Fund:
Statement of Additional Information (SAI):
The SAI provides additional information about the fund. It is
incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual and Semiannual Reports:
Additional information about the fund’s investments will
be available in the fund’s Annual and Semiannual Reports to shareholders. In the fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund’s performance
during the last fiscal period.
You may review and copy,
for a fee, the fund’s Annual and Semiannual Reports and the SAI in person at, or by writing to, the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington D.C. 20549-1520, or by electronic request via e-mail at the following addresses:
publicinfo@sec.gov. Information on the operation of the Commission’s Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling 1-202-551-8090.You may obtain reports and other information about the fund for free from the EDGAR database on the
Commission’s website at
www.sec.gov
.
You may also obtain free copies of the SAI and the Annual and
Semiannual Reports on the fund’s website at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
. To request that a copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semiannual Reports be mailed to you, free of charge, or to
request other information about the fund or make shareholder inquiries, you may contact the fund at:
Laudus Funds
P.O. Box 219975
Kansas
City, MO 64121-9975
1.800.447.3332 Retail Investors
1.877.824.5615 Registered Investment Professionals
SEC File Numbers
Laudus Funds
®
Laudus
®
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
LIEIX
|
Laudus
®
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
LEMNX
|
Laudus
®
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
LIFNX
|
Statement Of Additional Information
July 27, 2018
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a
prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the funds’ prospectus dated July 27, 2018 as amended or supplemented from time to time.
The funds’ audited financial statements and the report
of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon from the funds’ annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.
For a free copy of these documents or to request other
information or ask questions about the funds, call Laudus Funds
®
at 1.800.447.3332 (Retail Investors) or 1.877.824.5615 (Registered Investment
Professionals) or write to Laudus Funds, P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. In addition, you may visit the Laudus Funds’ website at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
for a free copy of
a prospectus, SAI or an annual or semiannual report.
Each fund is a series of Laudus Trust (the Trust). The funds
are part of the Schwab complex of funds (Schwab Funds).
Investment Objectives, Securities, Strategies, Risks And
Limitations
Notice on Shareholder Approval. Unless
otherwise indicated in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information, the investment objective and policies of each of the funds may be changed without shareholder approval.
Investment Objectives
Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund
seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
seeks long-term total return consistent with its value-oriented investment approach.
The following investment policies, securities, strategies,
risks and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus and may be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted. Also, policies and limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or
other asset, or that set forth a quality standard, shall be measured immediately after and as a result of a fund’s acquisition of such security or asset unless otherwise noted. Thus, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other
circumstances does not require a fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the same investment. There is no guarantee the funds will achieve their objectives.
Fund Investment Policies
The Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund will invest
primarily in equity securities of non-U.S. large capitalization issuers, including the securities of emerging market companies, that in the Subadviser’s (as defined herein) opinion, are undervalued at the time of purchase based on fundamental
value analysis employed by the Subadviser. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. The fund will notify its
shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. The fund considers an “emerging country” to be any country except the United States, Canada, and those in the MSCI EAFE Index. In considering possible emerging countries in which
the fund may invest, the Subadviser will place particular emphasis on factors such as economic conditions (including growth trends, inflation rates, and trade balances), regulatory and currency controls, accounting standards, and political and
social conditions.
It is the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets
Fund’s policy that, under normal circumstances, it will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of emerging markets issuers. The fund will notify its
shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. The Subadviser considers an emerging country equity security to be one that is issued by a company that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: (1) its principal securities
trading market is in an emerging country, as defined above; (2) while traded in any market, alone or on a consolidated basis, the company derives 50% or more of its annual revenues or annual profits from either goods produced, sales made or services
performed in emerging countries; or (3) the company has 50% of more of its assets located in an emerging country; or (4) it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal office in, an emerging country. The Subadviser determines eligibility
based on publicly available information and inquiries made of the companies. The fund considers an “emerging country”’ to be any country that is included in the International Finance Corporation Free Index or MSCI Emerging Markets
Index. In addition, any country which is generally recognized to be an emerging or developing country by the international financial community, including the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, as well as any country that is
classified by the United Nations or otherwise regarded by its authorities as developing, will be considered to be an “emerging country.” There are more than 130 countries that are generally considered to be emerging or developing
countries by the international financial community, approximately 40 of which currently have stock markets. Almost every nation in the world is included within this group of developing or emerging countries except the United States, Canada, and
those in the MSCI EAFE Index.
In considering
possible emerging countries in which the fund may invest, the Subadviser will place particular emphasis on factors such as economic conditions (including growth trends, inflation rates, and trade balances), regulatory and currency controls,
accounting standards, and political and social conditions.
It is the Laudus Mondrian International
Government Fixed Income Fund’s policy that, under normal circumstances, it will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities issued by governments,
government agencies or instrumentalities including government-sponsored entities and supra-national entities. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy.
Each fund seeks to satisfy the diversification requirements
applicable to a regulated investment company (RIC) under provisions of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); however, the Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund (the “Fixed
Income Fund”) will not be diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). A non-diversified portfolio is believed to be subject to greater risk and volatility because adverse effects on the
portfolio’s security holdings may affect a larger portion of the overall assets. When formed, the International Equity Fund and the Emerging Markets Fund (collectively, the “Equity Funds”) were classified as
“non-diversified” funds, as defined in the 1940 Act. However, each fund has historically operated as a “diversified” fund. Therefore,
the International Equity Fund and the Emerging Markets Fund will not operate
in the future as “non-diversified” funds without first obtaining shareholder approval, except as allowed pursuant to the 1940 Act.
In determining whether a company is domestic or international,
the funds will consider various factors, including where the company is headquartered, where the company’s principal operations are located, where the company’s revenues are derived, where the principal trading market is located and the
country in which the company is legally organized.
Investment Securities, Strategies and Risks
The different types of investments that the funds typically
may invest in, the investment techniques they may use and the risks normally associated with these investments are discussed below. Not all securities or techniques discussed below are eligible investments for each fund. Under normal circumstances,
a fund will make investments that are intended to help achieve its investment objective.
From time to time the funds may hold certain securities not
otherwise discussed in this SAI as a permissible investment for a particular fund. To the extent such investment becomes part of a fund’s principal or non-principal investment strategy, the fund will take the necessary steps to identify them
as permissible investments. In addition, a fund may receive (i.e., not actively invest) certain securities as a result of a corporate action, such as securities dividends, spin-offs or rights issues. In such cases, the fund will not actively add to
its position and generally will dispose the securities as soon as reasonably practicable.
Bankers’ Acceptances
or
notes are credit instruments evidencing a bank’s obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity. A fund
will invest only in bankers’ acceptances of banks that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million.
Bond Substitution
is a
strategy whereby a fund may, from time to time, substitute one type of investment-grade bond for another. This means that, as an example, a fund may have a higher weighting in corporate bonds and a lower weighting in U.S. Treasury securities than
its index in order to increase income. This particular substitution – a corporate bond substitution – may increase a fund’s credit risk, although this may be mitigated through increased diversification in the corporate sector of
the bond market.
Borrowing.
A fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes; for example, a fund may borrow at times to meet redemption requests rather than sell portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash. A fund’s borrowings will
be subject to interest costs. Borrowing can also involve leveraging when securities are purchased with the borrowed money. Leveraging creates interest expenses that can exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowed money. In
addition, leveraging may magnify changes in the net asset value of a fund’s shares and in its portfolio yield. To avoid this, a fund will not purchase securities while borrowings are outstanding or will earmark or segregate assets to cover
such borrowings in accordance with positions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If assets used to secure a borrowing decrease in value, a fund may be required to pledge additional collateral to avoid liquidation of those
assets.
Each fund may establish lines-of-credit
(lines) with certain banks by which it may borrow funds for temporary or emergency purposes. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or emergency purposes if it is repaid by a fund within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. Each fund may use
the lines to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force a fund to liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the fund’s remaining shareholders. Each fund will pay a fee to the bank for using the
lines.
Brady Bonds.
The funds may invest in Brady Bonds. Brady Bonds are debt securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan, an initiative announced by the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Nicholas F. Brady in 1989, as a mechanism for
debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external indebtedness (generally, commercial bank debt). Brady Bonds tend to be lower quality and more speculative than securities of developed country issuers.
Brady Bonds are securities created through the exchange of
existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with debt restructurings under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the “Brady Plan”).
Brady Plan debt restructurings have been implemented in a number of countries, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland,
Uruguay, and Venezuela. Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) and are actively traded in the over-the-counter secondary market. Brady Bonds are not considered to be U.S.
Government securities. U.S. dollar-denominated, collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed rate par bonds or floating rate discount bonds, are generally collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds having the same
maturity as the Brady Bonds. Interest payments on these Brady Bonds generally are collateralized on a one-year or longer rolling-forward basis by cash or securities in an amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal to at least one year of
interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one year’s interest payments based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter. Certain Brady Bonds are
entitled to “value recovery payments” in certain circumstances, which in effect constitute supplemental interest payments but generally are not collateralized. Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components:
(i) the collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; (ii) the collateralized interest payments; (iii) the uncollateralized interest payments; and (iv) any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (these uncollateralized
amounts constitute the “residual risk”). Most Mexican Brady Bonds issued to date have principal repayments at final maturity fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds (or comparable collateral denominated in other
currencies) and interest coupon payments collateralized on an 18-month rolling-forward basis by funds held in escrow by an agent for the bondholders. A significant portion of the Venezuelan Brady Bonds
and the Argentine Brady Bonds issued to date have principal repayments at
final maturity collateralized by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds (or comparable collateral denominated in other currencies) and/or interest coupon payments collateralized on a 14-month (for Venezuela) or 12-month (for Argentina) rolling-forward
basis by securities held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as collateral agent.
Brady Bonds involve various risk factors including residual
risk and the history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady Bonds. There can be no assurance that Brady Bonds in which a fund may invest will not be subject to restructuring
arrangements or to requests for new credit, which may cause the fund to suffer a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings.
Capital Securities
are certain
subordinated bank securities. They are bank obligations that fall below senior unsecured debt and deposits in liquidation. A bank’s capital comprises share capital reserves and a series of hybrid instruments also known as capital securities.
These securities are used to augment equity Tier 1 and are usually in the form of subordinated debt. A capital security has to adhere to supervisory guidelines concerning its characteristics such as amount, maturity, subordination and deferral
language in order to count as capital. Regulators across the world tend to look toward the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for guidance in setting the capital adequacy framework for banks. Regulators use these guidelines to place limits on
the proportions and type of capital (including capital securities) allowed to make up the capital base. Capital adequacy requires not just a certain quantity of capital but certain types in relationship to the nature of a bank’s assets.
Capital securities may be denominated in U.S. or local currency.
Certificates of Deposit
or
time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. A fund will invest only in certificates of deposit of banks that have capital, surplus and undivided profits, in
the aggregate, in excess of $100 million.
Commercial Paper
consists of
short term, promissory notes issued by banks, corporations and other institutions to finance short term credit needs. These securities generally are discounted but sometimes may be interest bearing. Commercial paper, which also may be unsecured, is
subject to credit risk.
Concentration
means that substantial amounts of assets are invested in a particular industry or group of industries. Concentration increases investment exposure to industry risk. For example, the automobile industry may have a
greater exposure to a single factor, such as an increase in the price of oil, which may adversely affect the sale of automobiles and, as a result, the value of the industry’s securities. Each fund will not concentrate its investments in a
particular industry or group of industries.
Credit
and Liquidity Supports or Enhancements
may be employed by issuers or a fund to reduce the credit risk of their securities. Credit supports include letters of credit, insurance, total return and credit swap
agreements and guarantees provided by foreign and domestic financial institutions. Liquidity supports include puts, demand features and lines of credit. Most of these arrangements move the credit risk of an investment from the issuer of the security
to the support provider. The Investment Adviser or Subadviser may rely on its evaluation of the credit and liquidity support provider in determining whether to purchase or hold a security enhanced by such a support. Changes in the credit quality of
a support provider could cause losses to a fund, and affect its share price.
Debt Securities
are obligations issued by domestic and foreign entities, including governments and corporations, in order to raise money. They are basically “IOUs,” but are commonly referred to as bonds or money market
securities. These securities normally require the issuer to pay a fixed, variable or floating rate of interest on the amount of money borrowed (principal) until it is paid back upon maturity.
Debt securities experience price changes when interest rates
change. For example, when interest rates fall, the prices of debt securities generally rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the prices of debt securities generally fall. Certain debt securities have call features that allow issuers to redeem
their outstanding debts prior to final maturity. Depending on the call feature, an issuer may pre-pay its outstanding debts and issue new ones paying lower interest rates. This is especially true for bonds with sinking fund provisions, which commit
the issuer to set aside a certain amount of money to cover timely repayment of principal and typically allow the issuer to annually repurchase certain of its outstanding bonds from the open market or at a pre-set call price.
Prepayment is more likely to occur in a falling interest rate
environment. In a rising interest rate environment, prepayment on outstanding debt securities is less likely to occur. This is known as extension risk and may cause the value of debt securities to depreciate as a result of the higher market interest
rates. Typically, longer-maturity securities react to interest rate changes more severely than shorter-term securities (all things being equal), but generally offer greater rates of interest. If an issuer redeems its debt securities prior to final
maturity, a fund may have to replace these securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return.
A change in the Federal Reserve’s
monetary policy (or that of other central banks) or improving economic conditions, among other things, may lead to increases in interest rates, which could significantly impact the value of debt securities in which a fund invests. There is currently
a heightened risk of increased interest rates because of the continued economic recovery, along with the fact that the Federal Reserve Board ended its quantitative easing program in 2014, and has begun, and may continue, to raise interest rates. A
sharp rise in interest rates could cause a fund’s share price to fall. Some debt securities, such as bonds with longer durations, are more sensitive to interest rate changes than others and may experience an immediate and considerable
reduction in value if interest rates rise. Longer duration securities tend to be more volatile than shorter duration securities. As the values of debt securities in a fund’s portfolio adjust to a rise in interest rates, the fund’s
share
price may fall. In the event that a fund holds a large portion of its
portfolio in longer duration securities when interest rates increase, the share price of the fund may fall significantly.
Debt securities also are subject to the risk that the issuers
will not make timely interest and/or principal payments or fail to make them at all. This is called credit risk. Corporate debt securities (bonds) tend to have higher credit risk generally than U.S. government debt securities. Debt securities also
may be subject to price volatility due to market perception of future interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (market risk). Investment-grade debt securities are considered medium- or/and high-quality
securities, although some still possess varying degrees of speculative characteristics and risks. Debt securities rated below investment-grade are riskier, but may offer higher yields. These securities are sometimes referred to as high yield
securities or “junk bonds.”
Corporate bonds
are debt securities issued by corporations. Although a higher return is expected from corporate bonds, these securities, while subject to the same general risks as U.S. government securities, are subject to greater credit risk than U.S. government
securities. Their prices may be affected by the perceived credit quality of their issuer.
Delayed-Delivery Transactions
include purchasing and selling securities on a delayed-delivery or when-issued basis. These transactions involve a commitment to buy or sell specific securities at a predetermined price or yield, with payment and
delivery taking place after the customary settlement period for that type of security. When purchasing securities on a delayed-delivery basis, a fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations.
Typically, no interest will accrue to the purchaser until the security is delivered. A fund will earmark or segregate appropriate liquid assets to cover its delayed-delivery purchase obligations. When a fund sells a security on a delayed-delivery
basis, it does not participate in further gains or losses with respect to that security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, a fund could suffer losses.
Depositary Receipts
include
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer.
Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or
similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and
corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign
securities.
Investments in the securities of
foreign issuers may subject the funds to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, withholding taxes on
income or possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to
changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition,
foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States. Please see the section entitled “Foreign Securities” for more
detail.
Although the two types of depositary receipt
facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder’s rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or
acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of
the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other
services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the
underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt
facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out
the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment
fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting
instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer’s request.
Derivative Instruments
are
commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose values depend on (or “derive” from) the value of one or more other assets such as securities, currencies or commodities. These “other assets” are commonly referred to
as “underlying assets.”
A derivative
instrument generally consists of, is based upon, or exhibits characteristics similar to options or forward contracts. Options and forward contracts are considered to be the basic “building blocks” of derivatives. For example,
forward-based derivatives include forward contracts, as well as exchange-traded futures. Option-based derivatives include privately negotiated, over-the-counter (OTC) options (including
caps, floors, collars, and options on forward and swap contracts) and
exchange-traded options on futures. Diverse types of derivatives may be created by combining options or forward contracts in different ways, and applying these structures to a wide range of underlying assets. Risk management strategies include
investment techniques designed to facilitate the sale of portfolio securities, manage the average duration of the portfolio or create or alter exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, other debt or foreign securities.
In addition to the derivative instruments and strategies
described in this SAI, the Investment Adviser (as defined herein) or Subadviser expects to discover additional derivative instruments and other hedging or risk management techniques. The investment adviser or Subadviser may utilize these new
derivative instruments and techniques to the extent that they are consistent with a fund’s investment objective and permitted by a fund’s investment limitations, operating policies, and applicable regulatory authorities.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulates the
trading of commodity interests, including certain futures contracts, options, and swaps in which a fund may invest. A fund that invests in commodity interests will generally be subject to certain CFTC regulatory requirements, if it is considered a
“commodity pool”. The Trust, on behalf of each fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (CEA), with
respect to each fund’s operation. Therefore, each fund and its investment adviser are not subject to regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If a fund were no longer able to claim the exclusion, the fund’s investment adviser may be required
to register as a CPO and the fund and its investment adviser would be subject to regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If a fund or its investment adviser is subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses and/or may choose to make changes
to its investment strategies.
Credit Default Swaps
may be entered into for investment purposes. As the seller in a credit default swap contract, a fund would be required to pay the par (or other
agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or foreign corporate issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, the fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic
stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, the fund would be subject to
investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
A fund may also purchase credit default swap contracts in
order to hedge against the risk of default of debt securities held in its portfolio, in which case the fund would function as the counterparty referenced in the preceding paragraph. This would involve the risk that the investment may expire
worthless and would only generate income in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). It would also involve credit risk–that the
seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the fund in the event of a default.
Options
Contracts
generally provide the right to buy or sell a security, commodity, futures contract or foreign currency in exchange for an agreed upon price. If the right is not exercised after a specified period,
the option expires and the option buyer forfeits the money paid to the option seller.
A call option gives the buyer the right to buy a specified
number of shares of a security at a fixed price on or before a specified date in the future. For this right, the call option buyer pays the call option seller, commonly called the call option writer, a fee called a premium. Call option buyers are
usually anticipating that the price of the underlying security will rise above the price fixed with the call writer, thereby allowing them to profit. If the price of the underlying security does not rise, the call option buyer’s losses are
limited to the premium paid to the call option writer. For call option writers, a rise in the price of the underlying security will be offset in part by the premium received from the call option buyer. If the call option writer does not own the
underlying security, however, the losses that may ensue if the price rises could be potentially unlimited. If the call option writer owns the underlying security or commodity, this is called writing a covered call. All call options written by a fund
will be covered, which means that a fund will own the securities subject to the option so long as the option is outstanding or a fund will earmark or segregate assets for any outstanding option contracts.
A put option is the opposite of a call option. It gives the
buyer the right to sell a specified number of shares of a security at a fixed price on or before a specified date in the future. Put option buyers are usually anticipating a decline in the price of the underlying security, and wish to offset those
losses when selling the security at a later date. All put options a fund writes will be covered, which means that a fund will earmark or segregate cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid securities with a value at least equal to the
exercise price of the put option. The purpose of writing such options is to generate additional income for a fund. However, in return for the option premium, a fund accepts the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying securities at a
price in excess of the securities’ market value at the time of purchase.
A fund may purchase and write put and call options on any
securities in which it may invest or any securities index or basket of securities based on securities in which it may invest. In addition, a fund may purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related
options. A fund may purchase and write such options on securities that are listed on domestic or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. Like futures contracts, option contracts are rarely exercised. Option buyers
usually sell the option before it expires. Option writers may terminate their obligations under a written call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase
transactions.” A fund may enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options it has purchased or written.
An exchange-traded currency option position may be closed out
only on an options exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. Although a fund generally will purchase or write only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a
liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option or at any particular time. If a fund is unable to effect a
closing purchase transaction with respect to options it has written, it will
not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of assets earmarked or held in a segregated account until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if a fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it
has purchased, it would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities.
Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an
exchange include the following: (1) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (2) an exchange may impose restrictions on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (3) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions
may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (4) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (5) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) may not at
all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (6) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options),
although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
The ability to terminate over-the-counter options is more
limited than with exchange-traded options and may involve the risk that broker-dealers participating in such transactions will not fulfill their obligations. Until such time as the staff of the SEC changes its position, a fund will treat purchased
over-the-counter options and all assets used to cover written over-the-counter options as illiquid securities, except that with respect to options written with primary dealers in U.S. government securities pursuant to an agreement requiring a
closing purchase transaction at a formula price, the amount of illiquid securities may be calculated with reference to a formula the staff of the SEC approves.
Additional risks are involved with options trading because of
the low margin deposits required and the extremely high degree of leverage that may be involved in options trading. There may be imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the securities held by the fund and the prices of the
options, possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and the resulting inability to close such positions prior to their maturity dates.
A fund may write or purchase an option only when the market
value of that option, when aggregated with the market value of all other options transactions made on behalf of a fund, does not exceed 5% of its net assets.
An option contract may be implicitly entered into by
purchasing certain securities with built in options. An example of such would be a reverse floating rate note where the buyer is also selling one or more caps on short dated interest rates.
Swap
Agreements
are privately negotiated over-the-counter derivative products in which two parties agree to exchange payment streams calculated in relation to a rate, index, instrument or certain securities
(referred to as the “underlying”) and a predetermined amount (referred to as the “notional amount”). The underlying for a swap may be an interest rate (fixed or floating), a currency exchange rate, a commodity price index, a
credit derivative contract (single name or multiname or index), a security, group of securities or a securities index, a combination of any of these, or various other rates, assets or indices. Swap agreements generally do not involve the delivery of
the underlying or principal, and a party’s obligations generally are equal to only the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the swap agreement.
Swap agreements can be structured to increase or decrease a
fund’s exposure to long or short term interest rates, corporate borrowing rates and other conditions, such as changing security prices and inflation rates. They also can be structured to increase or decrease a fund’s exposure to specific
issuers or specific sectors of the bond market such as mortgage securities. For example, if a fund agreed to pay a longer-term fixed rate in exchange for a shorter-term floating rate while holding longer-term fixed rate bonds, the swap would tend to
decrease the fund’s exposure to longer-term interest rates. Swap agreements tend to increase or decrease the overall volatility of the fund’s investments and its share price and yield. Changes in interest rates, or other factors
determining the amount of payments due to and from a fund, can be the most significant factors in the performance of a swap agreement. If a swap agreement calls for payments from a fund, the fund must be prepared to make such payments when they are
due. In order to help minimize risks, a fund will earmark or segregate appropriate assets for any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed under the terms of a swap agreement entered into on a net basis. All other swap agreements will require a fund to
earmark or segregate assets in the amount of the accrued amounts owed under the swap. A fund could sustain losses if a counterparty does not perform as agreed under the terms of the swap. A fund will enter into swap agreements with counterparties
deemed creditworthy by the Investment Adviser.
In
addition, a fund may invest in swaptions, which are privately-negotiated option-based derivative products. Swaptions give the holder the right to enter into a swap. The fund may use a swaption in addition to or in lieu of a swap involving a similar
rate or index.
As a result of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and related regulatory developments, certain standardized swaps are now subject to mandatory central clearing and trade execution requirements. Unlike uncleared swaps, which are negotiated bilaterally and
traded over-the-counter, cleared swaps must trade through a futures commission merchant and be cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty to the transaction. A fund posts initial and variation margin for cleared swaps by
making payments to their clearing member futures commission merchants. Mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements will occur on a phased-in basis based on a number of factors. Currently, the CFTC has designated the most basic types of swaps
(e.g., credit default index swaps and interest rate swaps) as subject to mandatory central clearing, and certain public trading facilities have made those types of swaps available for trading. It is expected that additional types of swaps will
become subject to central clearing and exchange-trading requirements in
the future. While the new clearing and trade execution requirements are
intended to reduce counterparty and credit risk, they do not eliminate these types of risks from a transaction. Any type of swap agreement poses a risk for a fund and may cause it to lose money.
For purposes of applying a fund’s investment policies
and restrictions (as stated in the prospectus and this SAI) swap agreements are generally valued by the fund at market value. In the case of a credit default swap sold by a fund (i.e., where the fund is selling credit default protection), however,
the fund will generally value the swap at its notional amount. The manner in which certain securities or other instruments are valued by the fund for purposes of applying investment policies and restrictions may differ from the manner in which those
investments are valued by other types of investors.
Diversification
involves
investing in a wide range of securities and thereby spreading and reducing the risks of investment. Each fund is a series of an open-end investment management company with limited redeemability. The Fixed Income Funds are each a non-diversified
fund, which means that a relatively high percentage of assets of the fund may be invested in the obligations of a limited number of issuers. The value of shares of the fund may be more susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory
occurrence than the value of shares of a diversified investment company.
Emerging or Developing Markets
exist in countries that are considered to be in the initial stages of industrialization. The risks of investing in these markets are similar to the risks of international investing in general, although the risks are
greater in emerging and developing markets. Countries with emerging or developing securities markets tend to have economic structures that are less stable than countries with developed securities markets. This is because their economies may be based
on only a few industries and their securities markets may trade a small number of securities. Prices on these exchanges tend to be volatile, and securities in these countries historically have offered greater potential for gain (as well as loss)
than securities of companies located in developed countries. There are no strict definitions of what is emerging or developing versus what is considered developed and certain countries are considered emerging or developing in some indices yet
developed in others.
A fund’s investments
in emerging markets can be considered speculative, and therefore may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in developed markets of the world. With respect to an emerging market country, there may be a greater potential for
nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political changes, government regulation, social instability or diplomatic developments (including war) which could affect adversely the economies of such countries or investments in such
countries. The economies of developing countries generally are heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by trade barriers, exchange or currency controls, managed adjustments in
relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade.
In addition to the risks of investing in emerging market
country debt securities, a fund’s investment in government or government-related securities of emerging market countries and restructured debt instruments in emerging markets are subject to special risks, including the inability or
unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt, and requests to extend additional loan amounts. A fund may have limited recourse in the event of default on such debt instruments.
Equity Linked Securities.
The
funds may invest a portion of their assets in equity linked securities. Equity linked securities are privately issued derivative securities which have a return component based on the performance of a single security, a basket of securities, or an
index. Equity linked securities are primarily used by the funds as an alternative means to more efficiently and effectively access the securities market of what is generally an emerging country. To the extent that the funds invest in equity linked
securities whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign securities index or one or more of foreign stocks, investing in equity linked securities will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities. See
“Foreign Securities” below.
The funds
deposit an amount of cash with its custodian (or broker, if legally permitted) in an amount near or equal to the selling price of the underlying security in exchange for an equity linked security. Upon sale, the fund receives cash from the broker or
custodian equal to the value of the underlying security. Aside from the market risk associated with the underlying security, there is the risk of default by the other party to the transaction. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the fund
might be unable to obtain its expected benefit. In addition, while the fund will seek to enter into such transactions only with parties which are capable of entering into closing transactions with the fund, there can be no assurance that the fund
will be able to close out such a transaction with the other party or obtain an offsetting position with any other party, at any time prior to the end of the term of the underlying agreement. This may impair the fund’s ability to enter into
other transactions at a time when doing so might be advantageous.
Equity linked securities are often used for many of the same
purposes as, and share many of the same risks with, derivative instruments such as options. See “Options Contracts” below. Equity linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to a fund’s restrictions on investments
in illiquid securities. In some instances, investments in equity linked securities may also be subject to a fund’s limitations on investing in investment companies; see “Securities of Other Investment Companies” below.
Equity Securities
represent
ownership interests in a company, and are commonly called “stocks.” Equity securities historically have outperformed most other securities, although their prices can fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition,
market conditions and political, economic or even company-specific news. When a stock’s price declines, its market value is lowered even though the intrinsic value of the company may not have changed. Sometimes factors, such as economic
conditions or political events, affect the value of stocks of companies of the same or similar industry or group of industries, and may affect the entire stock market.
Types of equity securities include common stocks, preferred
stocks, convertible securities, rights and warrants, depositary receipts (ADRs, EDRs, GDRs), interests in real estate investment trusts and interests in business development companies, (For more information on real estate investment trusts (REITs),
see the section entitled “Real Estate Investment Trusts,” for more information on depositary receipts, see the section entitled “Depositary Receipts,” and for more information on business development companies, see the
section entitled “Business Development Companies”).
Common Stocks
, which are probably the most recognized type of equity security, represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer and usually entitle the owner to voting rights in the election of the corporation’s directors
and any other matters submitted to the corporation’s shareholders for voting, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. The market value of common stock can fluctuate widely, as it reflects increases and decreases in an issuer’s
earnings. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners, other debt holders and owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stock owners.
Preferred
stocks
represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer but do not ordinarily carry voting rights, though they may carry limited voting rights. Preferred stocks normally have preference over the
corporation’s assets and earnings, however. For example, preferred stocks have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends. Preferred stocks normally pay dividends at a specified rate. However, preferred stock may be purchased
where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond
owners take precedence over the claims of preferred and common stock owners. Certain classes of preferred stock are convertible into shares of common stock of the issuer. By holding convertible preferred stock, a fund can receive a steady stream of
dividends and still have the option to convert the preferred stock to common stock. Preferred stock is subject to many of the same risks as common stock and debt securities.
Convertible
Securities
are typically preferred stocks or bonds that are exchangeable for a specific number of another form of security (usually the issuer’s common stock) at a specified price or ratio. A convertible
security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on bonds or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. A company may issue a convertible security
that is subject to redemption after a specified date, and usually under certain circumstances. A holder of a convertible security that is called for redemption would be required to tender it for redemption to the issuer, convert it to the underlying
common stock or sell it to a third party. The convertible structure allows the holder of the convertible bond to participate in share price movements in the company’s common stock. The actual return on a convertible bond may exceed its stated
yield if the company’s common stock appreciates in value and the option to convert to common stocks becomes more valuable.
Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate
than nonconvertible bonds of the same quality and maturity because of the conversion feature. Convertible securities are also rated below investment grade (“high yield”) or are not rated, and are subject to credit risk.
Prior to conversion, convertible securities have
characteristics and risks similar to nonconvertible debt and equity securities. In addition, convertible securities are often concentrated in economic sectors, which, like the stock market in general, may experience unpredictable declines in value,
as well as periods of poor performance, which may last for several years. There may be a small trading market for a particular convertible security at any given time, which may adversely impact market price and a fund’s ability to liquidate a
particular security or respond to an economic event, including deterioration of an issuer’s creditworthiness.
Convertible preferred stocks are nonvoting equity securities
that pay a fixed dividend. These securities have a conversion feature similar to convertible bonds, but do not have a maturity date. Due to their fixed income features, convertible securities provide higher income potential than the issuer’s
common stock, but typically are more sensitive to interest rate changes than the underlying common stock. In the event of a company’s liquidation, bondholders have claims on company assets senior to those of shareholders; preferred
shareholders have claims senior to those of common shareholders.
Convertible securities typically trade at prices above their
conversion value, which is the current market value of the common stock received upon conversion, because of their higher yield potential than the underlying common stock. The difference between the conversion value and the price of a convertible
security will vary depending on the value of the underlying common stock and interest rates. When the underlying value of the common stocks declines, the price of the issuer’s convertible securities will tend not to fall as much because the
convertible security’s income potential will act as a price support. While the value of a convertible security also tends to rise when the underlying common stock value rises, it will not rise as much because its conversion value is more
narrow. The value of convertible securities also is affected by changes in interest rates. For example, when interest rates fall, the value of convertible securities may rise because of their fixed income component.
Rights and
Warrants
are types of securities that entitle the holder to purchase a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price for a specific period of time. Rights allow a shareholder to buy more shares
directly from the company, usually at a price somewhat lower than the current market price of the outstanding shares. Warrants are usually issued with bonds and preferred stock. Rights and warrants can trade on the market separately from the
company’s stock. The prices of rights and warrants do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying common stock. Rights usually expire within a few weeks of issuance, while warrants may not expire for several years. If a right
or warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it will become worthless and a fund will lose the purchase price it paid for the right or warrant and the right to purchase the underlying security.
Initial Public
Offering
. The funds may purchase shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a company’s initial public offering (IPOs), and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition. A
fund’s purchase of shares issued in IPOs exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where these new issuers operate.
The market for IPO issuers has been volatile, and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time.
Master Limited
Partnerships
(MLPs)
.
MLPs are limited partnerships in which the common units are publicly traded. MLP common units are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the
over-the-counter market and are generally registered with the SEC. MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures,
research and development and other projects. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP
or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an up to
2% equity interest in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the partnership, through ownership of common units, and have a limited role, if any, in the
partnership’s operations and management.
MLPs are typically structured such that common units and
general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (minimum quarterly distributions). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent
the minimum quarterly distribution is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the minimum quarterly distribution; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages.
Distributable cash in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive
incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the
general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and
subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions are intended to encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership’s cash flow and raise the
quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results are intended to benefit all security holders of the MLP, however, such incentive distribution payments give rise to potential conflicts of interest between the common unit
holders and the general partner.
MLP common units
represent a limited partnership interest in the MLP. Common units are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges or over-the-counter, with their value fluctuating predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP.
The funds may purchase common units in market transactions as well as directly from the MLP or other parties in private placements. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability
to annually elect directors. MLPs generally distribute all available cash flow (cash flow from operations less maintenance capital expenditures) in the form of quarterly distributions. Common units along with general partner units have first
priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to the minimum quarterly distribution and have arrearage rights. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not debt or preferred units, to the remaining
assets of the MLP.
MLP subordinated units are typically
issued by MLPs to their original sponsors, such as their founders, corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to the MLP, and investors. Subordinated units may be purchased directly from these persons as well as newly-issued
subordinated units from MLPs themselves. Subordinated units have similar voting rights as common units and are generally not publicly traded. Once the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units, including any arrearages, has been paid,
subordinated units receive cash distributions up to the minimum quarterly distribution prior to any incentive payments to the MLP’s general partner. Unlike common units, subordinated units do not have arrearage rights. In the event of
liquidation, common units and general partner interests have priority over subordinated units. Subordinated units are typically converted into common units on a one-to-one basis after certain time periods and/or performance targets have been
satisfied. The purchase or sale price of subordinated units is generally tied to the common unit price less a discount. The size of the discount varies depending on the likelihood of conversion, the length of time remaining to conversion, the size
of the block purchased relative to trading volumes, and other factors, including smaller capitalization partnerships or companies potentially having limited product lines, markets or financial resources, lacking management depth or experience, and
being more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic development than larger more established companies.
General partner interests of MLPs are
typically retained by an MLP’s original sponsors, such as its founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater
than the amount of the holder’s investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. These interests themselves are not
publicly traded, although they may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP’s aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership
agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights, which provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to limited partner unit holders are
increased to prescribed levels. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a
supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.
Additional risks involved with investing in an MLP are risks
associated with the specific industry or industries in which the partnership invests, such as the risks of investing in real estate, or oil and gas industries.
Certain MLPs are dependent on their parent companies or
sponsors for a majority of their revenues. Any failure by an MLP’s parents or sponsors to satisfy their payments or obligations would impact the MLP’s revenues and cash flows and ability to make distributions.
Business Development Companies
(BDCs) are closed-end investment companies that have elected to be BDCs under the 1940 Act and are typically taxed as RICs under the Code.
BDCs operate as venture capital companies and typically invest in, lend capital to, and provide significant managerial assistance to developing private companies or thinly-traded public companies. Under the 1940 Act, BDCs are required to invest at
least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of privately-held U.S. companies or thinly-traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. In
addition, a BDC may only incur indebtedness in amounts such that the BDC’s coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities equals at least 200% after such incurrence.
BDCs generally invest in debt securities that are not rated by
a credit rating agency and are considered below investment grade quality (junk bonds). Little public information generally exists for the type of companies in which a BDC may invest and, therefore, there is a risk that investors may not be able to
make a fully informed evaluation of the BDC and its portfolio of investments. In addition, investments made by BDCs are typically illiquid and are difficult to value for purposes of determining a BDC’s net asset value.
Exchange-Traded Funds
(ETFs),
such as Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipts (SPDRs) Trust, are investment companies that typically are registered under the 1940 Act as open-end funds or unit investment trusts (UITs). ETFs
are actively traded on national securities exchanges and are generally based on specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold throughout the day at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the
shares’ net asset value. Market prices of ETF shares will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and materially, in response to various factors including changes in the ETF’s net asset value, the value of ETF holdings, and supply of and demand for
ETF shares. Although the creation/redemption feature of ETFs generally makes it more likely that ETF shares will trade close to their net asset value, market volatility, lack of an active trading market for ETF shares, disruptions at market
participants (such as Authorized Participants or market makers) and any disruptions in the ordinary functioning of the creation/redemption process may result in ETF shares trading significantly above (at a “premium”) or below (at a
“discount”) their net asset value. An ETF’s investment results are based on the ETF’s daily net asset value. Investors transacting in ETF shares in the secondary market, where market prices may differ from net asset value,
may experience investment results that differ from results based on the ETF’s daily net asset value. An “index-based ETF” seeks to track the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a
representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are based on an underlying basket of stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market fluctuations as these types of securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual
funds, have expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. When a fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses.
As with any exchange listed security, ETF shares purchased in the secondary market are subject to customary brokerage charges.
Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and
Exchange Commission to iShares
®
and certain additional ETFs and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, each fund may invest in the permitted
ETFs beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act but not to exceed 25% of a fund’s total assets, provided that the fund has described exchange-traded fund investments in its prospectus and otherwise complies with the
conditions of the exemptive order and other applicable investment limitations. Neither the permitted ETFs nor their investment adviser make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in a fund.
Fixed Rate Capital Securities
(FRCSs) are hybrid securities that combine the features of both corporate bonds and preferred stock. FRCSs pay dividends monthly or quarterly. FRCSs are listed on major exchanges and, also, trade on the OTC markets.
FRCSs are generally issued by large corporations and are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. FRCSs bear the creditworthiness of the corporate issuer and generally have a stated maturity (20 to 49 years). There are
currently three types of FRCSs offered in the marketplace: direct subordinate FRCSs which are offered directly by a corporation and zero coupon partnership preferred and trust preferred FRCSs which are issued indirectly by a corporation through a
conduit financing vehicle. FRCSs generally rank senior to common stock and preferred stock in a corporation’s capital structure, but have a lower security claim than the issuer’s corporate bonds. FRCSs generally offer higher yields than
corporate bonds or agency securities, but they carry more risks than the higher lien debt. In addition to risks commonly associated with other fixed income securities, FRCSs are subject to certain additional risks. Many FRCSs include a
“special event” redemption option, allowing the issuer to redeem the securities at the liquidation value if a tax law change disallows the deductibility of payments by the issuer’s parent company, or subjects the issue to taxation
separate from the parent company. FRCSs permit the deferral of payments (without declaring default), if the issuer experiences financial difficulties. Payments may be suspended for some stipulated period, usually up to five years. If the issuer
defers payments, the deferred income continues to accrue for tax purposes, even though the investor does not receive cash payments. Such deferrals can only occur if the parent company stops all other stock dividend payments on both common and
preferred stock classes. The treatment of investment income from trust and debt securities for federal tax purposes is uncertain and may vary depending on whether the possibility of the issuer deferring payments is, or is not, considered a remote
contingency.
Fixed Time Deposits
are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties, which vary
depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a
third party, although there is no market for such deposits. A fund will not
invest in fixed time deposits, which (1) are not subject to prepayment or (2) provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits) if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such deposits,
repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and other illiquid assets.
Foreign Currency Transactions.
The funds that may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities also may purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related options and may engage in foreign currency
transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward currency contracts (forwards) with terms generally of less than one year. Funds may engage in these transactions in
order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities.
The funds may also use foreign currency options and foreign
currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another (as in cross hedging, see below). Each fund will earmark or segregate assets for any open
positions in forwards used for non-hedging purposes and mark to market daily as may be required under the federal securities laws.
A forward involves an obligation to purchase or sell a
specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect a fund against a
possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Many foreign securities markets do not settle trades within a time frame that
would be considered customary in the U.S. stock market. Therefore, a fund may engage in forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to secure exchange rates for fund securities purchased or sold, but awaiting settlement. These transactions
do not seek to eliminate any fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities involved. Instead, the transactions simply establish a rate of exchange that can be expected when the fund settles its securities transactions in the future.
Forwards involve certain risks. For example, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of the contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably, the fund could sustain a loss.
Funds also may engage in forward foreign currency exchange
options and contracts to protect the value of specific portfolio positions, which is called “position hedging.” When engaging in position hedging, a fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange transactions to protect against a
decline in the values of the foreign currencies in which portfolio securities are denominated (or against an increase in the value of currency for securities that the fund expects to purchase).
Buying and selling foreign currency exchange options and
contracts involves costs and may result in losses. The ability of a fund to engage in these transactions may be limited by tax considerations. Although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to declines in the value of the hedged
currency, they tend to limit any potential gain that might result from an increase in the value of such currency. Transactions in these contracts involve certain other risks. Unanticipated fluctuations in currency prices may result in a poorer
overall performance for the funds than if they had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the fund’s holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts into
which the fund enters. Such imperfect correlation may cause a fund to sustain losses, which will prevent it from achieving a complete hedge or expose it to risk of foreign exchange loss. A fund’s transactions in foreign currency exchange
contracts may cause a portion of the fund’s distributions to constitute returns of capital for tax purposes.
Suitable hedging transactions may not be available in all
circumstances and there can be no assurance that a fund will engage in such transactions at any given time or from time to time. Also, such transactions may not be successful and may eliminate any chance for a fund to benefit from favorable
fluctuations in relevant foreign currencies.
Forwards
will be used primarily to adjust the foreign exchange exposure of each fund with a view to protecting the outlook, and the funds might be expected to enter into such contracts under the following circumstances:
Lock In
.
When the Investment Adviser or Subadviser desires to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.
Cross Hedge
.
If a particular currency is expected to decrease against another currency, a fund may sell the currency expected to decrease and purchase a currency which is expected to increase against the currency sold in an amount
approximately equal to some or all of the fund’s portfolio holdings denominated in the currency sold.
Direct Hedge
.
If the Investment Adviser or Subadviser wants to eliminate substantially all of the risk of owning a particular currency, and/or if the Investment Adviser or Subadviser thinks that a fund can benefit from price
appreciation in a given country’s bonds but does not want to hold the currency, it may employ a direct hedge back into the U.S. dollar. In either case, a fund would enter into a forward contract to sell the currency in which a portfolio
security is denominated and purchase U.S. dollars at an exchange rate established at the time it initiated the contract. The cost of the direct hedge transaction may offset most, if not all, of the yield advantage offered by the foreign security,
but a fund would benefit from an increase in value of the bond.
Proxy Hedge
.
The Investment Adviser or Subadviser might choose to use a proxy hedge, which may be less costly than a direct hedge. In this case, a fund, having purchased a security, will sell a currency whose value is believed to be
closely linked to the currency in which the security is denominated. Interest rates prevailing in the country whose currency was sold would be expected to be closer to those in the U.S. and lower
than those of securities denominated in the currency of the original holding.
This type of hedging entails greater risk than a direct hedge because it is dependent on a stable relationship between the two currencies paired as proxies and the relationships can be very unstable at times.
Costs of
Hedging
.
When a fund purchases a foreign bond with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or lost
if the fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. This is what is known as the “cost” of hedging. Proxy hedging attempts to reduce this cost through an indirect hedge back to
the U.S. dollar. It is important to note that hedging costs are treated as capital transactions and are not, therefore, deducted from a fund’s dividend distribution and are not reflected in its yield. Instead such costs will, over time, be
reflected in a fund’s net asset value per share.
Tax Consequences of
Hedging
.
Under applicable tax law, the funds may be required to limit their gains from hedging in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options. Although the funds are expected to comply with such limits,
the extent to which these limits apply is subject to tax regulations as yet unissued. Hedging may also result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Code. Those provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in
the amount of taxable dividends paid by the funds and could affect whether dividends paid by the funds are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Foreign Securities
involve additional risks, including foreign currency exchange rate risks, because they are issued by foreign entities, including foreign governments, banks and corporations or because they are traded principally
overseas. Foreign securities in which the funds may invest include those issued by foreign entities that may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable
to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments, as well as fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates and withholding taxes, could have
more dramatic effects on the value of foreign securities. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, the
imposition of trade sanctions, change of government or war could affect the value of foreign investments. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national
product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.
Foreign securities typically have less volume and are
generally less liquid and more volatile than securities of U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the funds will endeavor to achieve the most
favorable overall results on portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed
settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. There may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers as well. Bankruptcy laws in some foreign countries are sometimes biased to
the borrowers and against the creditors. These factors and others may increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of a fund, and its ability to meet a large number of shareholder redemption requests.
In addition, a fund’s investments in foreign securities
may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. These restrictions may negatively impact the value or liquidity of a fund’s investments, and could impair a fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest
in accordance with its investment strategy. For example, a fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such restrictions. In addition, these restrictions may require a fund to freeze its existing investments in
certain foreign securities, which would prohibit the fund from buying, selling, receiving or delivering those securities or other financial instruments. As a result, such restrictions may limit a fund’s ability to meet a large number of
shareholder redemption requests.
Foreign markets also
have different clearance and settlement procedures and, in certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such
delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause a fund to miss
attractive investment opportunities. Losses to a fund arising out of the inability to fulfill a contract to sell such securities also could result in potential liability for a fund.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may be made
and held in foreign currencies. In addition, the funds may hold cash investments in foreign currencies. These investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and may cause a fund
to incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange market as well as by political and
economic factors. Changes in the foreign currency exchange rates also may affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities, and net investment income and gains, if any, to be distributed to
shareholders by a fund.
During the 2008-2009 global financial
crisis, financial markets in Europe experienced significant volatility due, in part, to concerns about rising levels of government debt and the prevalence of increased budget deficits. As a result, many economies in the region suffered through
prolonged economic downturns. Due to the economic integration of the region, another economic downturn in one European country may have a negative impact on the economies of other European countries.
In a 2016 referendum, citizens of the United Kingdom (the
“UK”) voted to withdraw from the European Union (the “EU”), which caused significant volatility in global financial markets. The UK has formally notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the EU (commonly
referred to as “Brexit”) by invoking Article 50, which triggers a two-year period of negotiations on the terms of Brexit. There is significant uncertainty regarding the consequences and timeframe for Brexit. During this period of
uncertainty, the UK and European economies and the broader global economy may experience increased volatility and illiquidity, and companies that conduct a significant amount of business in the UK or Europe may experience lower revenue and/or profit
growth, all of which may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments. Brexit also may cause additional member states to contemplate departing the EU, which would likely perpetuate political and economic instability in the region and
cause additional market disruption in global financial markets.
As the funds may hold investments in issuers that are located
in Europe or that depend on revenues generated from operations in Europe, any material negative developments in Europe could have a negative impact on the value and liquidity of these investments, which could harm the funds’ performance.
Forward Contracts
are sales
contracts between a buyer (holding the “long” position), and the seller (holding the “short” position) for an asset with delivery deferred to a future date. The buyer agrees to pay a fixed price at the agreed future date and
the seller agrees to deliver the asset. The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. The change in value of a forward-based derivative generally is roughly
proportional to the change in value of the underlying asset.
Futures Contracts
are
instruments that represent an agreement between two parties that obligates one party to buy, and the other party to sell, specific instruments at an agreed-upon price on a stipulated future date. In the case of futures contracts relating to an index
or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the close of the transaction, the parties usually agree to deliver the final cash settlement price of the contract. A fund may purchase and sell futures contracts based on securities, securities
indices and foreign currencies, interest rates, or any other futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that the CFTC licenses and regulates on foreign exchanges.
Each fund must maintain a small portion of its assets in cash
to process shareholder transactions in and out of the fund and to pay its expenses. In order to reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, a fund may purchase futures contracts. Such transactions allow the
fund’s cash balance to produce a return similar to that of the underlying security or index on which the futures contract is based. Also, a fund may purchase or sell futures contracts on a specified foreign currency to “fix” the
price in U.S. dollars of the foreign security it has acquired or sold or expects to acquire or sell. A fund may enter into futures contracts for other reasons as well. For example, to efficiently change the duration stance of the fund by buying
and/or selling government bond futures.
When buying or
selling futures contracts, a fund must place a deposit with its broker equal to a fraction of the contract amount. This amount is known as “initial margin” and must be in the form of liquid debt instruments, including cash,
cash-equivalents and U.S. government securities. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as “variation margin” may be made daily, if necessary, as the value of the futures contracts fluctuates. This process is known as
“marking-to-market.” The initial margin amount will be returned to the fund upon termination of the futures contracts assuming all contractual obligations are satisfied. Because margin requirements are normally only a fraction of the
amount of the futures contracts in a given transaction, futures trading can involve a great deal of leverage. In order to avoid the creation of a senior security, each fund will earmark or segregate liquid assets for any outstanding futures
contracts as may be required under the federal securities laws.
While a fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts in
order to simulate full investment, there are risks associated with these transactions. Adverse market movements could cause a fund to experience substantial losses when buying and selling futures contracts. Of course, barring significant market
distortions, similar results would have been expected if a fund had instead transacted in the underlying securities directly. There also is the risk of losing any margin payments held by a broker in the event of its bankruptcy. Additionally, a fund
incurs transaction costs (i.e., brokerage fees) when engaging in futures trading. To the extent a fund also invests in futures in order to simulate full investment, these same risks apply.
When interest rates are rising or securities prices are
falling, a fund may seek, through the sale of futures contracts, to offset a decline in the value of their current portfolio securities. When rates are falling or prices are rising, a fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, may attempt to
secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when they effect anticipated purchases. Similarly, a fund may sell futures contracts on a specified currency to protect against a decline in the value of that currency and its
portfolio securities that are denominated in that currency. A fund may purchase futures contracts on a foreign currency to fix the price in U.S. dollars of a security denominated in that currency that a fund has acquired or expects to acquire.
Futures contracts may require actual delivery or acquisition
of an underlying security or cash value of an index on the expiration date of the contract. In most cases, however, the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract by buying or selling, as the case may be, identical futures
contracts. Such offsetting transactions terminate the original contracts and cancel the obligation to take or make delivery of the underlying securities or cash. There may not always be a liquid secondary market at the time a fund seeks to close out
a futures position. If a fund is unable to close out its position and prices move adversely, the fund would have to continue to make daily cash payments to maintain its margin requirements. If a fund had insufficient cash to meet these requirements
it may have to sell portfolio securities at a disadvantageous time or incur extra costs by borrowing the cash. Also, a fund may be required to make or take delivery and incur extra transaction costs buying or selling the underlying securities. A
fund seeks to reduce the risks associated with futures transactions by buying and selling futures contracts that are traded on national exchanges or for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.
With respect to futures contracts that are not legally
required to “cash settle,” a fund may cover the open position by setting aside or earmarking liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value (i.e., the purchase or delivery obligation) of the futures contracts. With respect to
futures contracts that are required to “cash settle,” however, a fund is permitted to set aside or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the fund’s daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the
fund’s daily net liability, if any) rather than the notional value of the futures contracts. By setting aside assets or earmarking equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures, a fund will have the ability to employ leverage to
a greater extent than if the fund were required to set aside or earmark assets equal to the full notional value of the futures contract.
Hybrid Instruments
are a type
of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied
(positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount
payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid could be a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional
interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil.
Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a
variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result,
may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the
purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S.
dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes a fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations
in the net asset value of the fund. Each fund will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in hybrid instruments.
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the
commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may
be either equity or debt securities, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures
contract, index or other economic variable. The funds will only invest in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid
instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the funds’ investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to
restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.
Illiquid Securities
generally are any securities that cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the amount at which a fund has valued the instruments. Under a new definition that takes
effect December 1, 2018, an illiquid security will be defined as a security that may not reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly
changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of a fund’s investments is monitored under the supervision and direction of the Board of Trustees. Investments currently not considered liquid include, among others, repurchase
agreements not maturing within seven days that are not subject to a demand feature of seven days or less and certain restricted securities. Any security may become illiquid at times of market dislocation.
International Bonds
are
certain obligations or securities of foreign issuers, including Eurodollar Bonds, which are U.S. dollar-denominated bonds issued by foreign issuers payable in Eurodollars (U.S. dollars held in banks located outside the United States, primarily
Europe), Yankee Bonds, which are U.S. dollar-denominated bonds issued in the U.S. by foreign banks and corporations, and EuroBonds, which are bonds denominated in U.S. dollars and usually issued by large underwriting groups composed of banks and
issuing houses from many countries. Investments in securities issued by foreign issuers, including American Depositary Receipts and securities purchased on foreign securities exchanges, may subject a fund to additional investment risks, such as
adverse political and economic developments, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign investments, less stringent disclosure requirements, non-U.S. withholding taxes and the adoption of other foreign governmental
restrictions.
Additional risks include less
publicly available information, the risk that companies may not be subject to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements of U.S. companies, the risk that foreign securities markets may have less volume and therefore
may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than U.S. securities, and the risk that custodian and transaction costs may be higher. Foreign issuers of securities or obligations are often subject to accounting requirements and engage in business
practices different from those respecting domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. Foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of
U.S. banks.
Sovereign debt investment can involve a high degree of risk.
The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of the debt. A governmental entity’s willingness or ability to repay
principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of
the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity’s policy toward the International Monetary Fund, and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities also may depend on
expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be
conditioned on a governmental entity’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or
repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts in a
timely manner. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt (including the funds) may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental
entities. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.
A fund’s investments in foreign currency denominated
debt obligations and hedging activities will likely produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. This difference may cause a portion of the fund’s income distributions to constitute returns of capital for tax purposes
or require the fund to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a RIC for federal tax purposes.
Loan Interests
, and other
direct debt instruments or interests therein, may be acquired by a fund. A loan interest is typically originated, negotiated, and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company, or other financial institution
(Agent) for a lending syndicate of financial institutions. The Agent typically administers and enforces the loan on behalf of the other lenders in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent (Collateral Bank),
holds collateral (if any) on behalf of the lenders. When a Collateral Bank holds collateral, such collateral typically consists of one or more of the following asset types: inventory, accounts receivable, property, plant and equipment, intangibles,
common stock of subsidiaries or other investments. These loan interests may take the form of participation interests in, assignments of or novations of a loan during its second distribution, or direct interests during a primary distribution. Such
loan interests may be acquired from U.S. or foreign banks, insurance companies, finance companies, or other financial institutions who have made loans or are members of a lending syndicate or from other holders of loan interests. A fund may also
acquire loan interests under which the fund derives its rights directly from the borrower. Such loan interests are separately enforceable by a fund against the borrower and all payments of interest and principal are typically made directly to the
fund from the borrower. In the event that a fund and other lenders become entitled to take possession of shared collateral, it is anticipated that such collateral would be held in the custody of the Collateral Bank for their mutual benefit. A fund
may not act as an Agent, a Collateral Bank, a guarantor or sole negotiator or structurer with respect to a loan.
The Investment Adviser or Subadviser will analyze and evaluate
the financial condition of the borrower in connection with the acquisition of any loan interest. Credit ratings are typically assigned to loan interests in the same manner as with other fixed income debt securities, and the Investment Adviser
analyzes and evaluates these ratings, if any, in deciding whether to purchase a loan interest. The Investment Adviser also analyzes and evaluates the financial condition of the Agent and, in the case of loan interests in which the fund does not have
privity with the borrower, those institutions from or through whom the fund derives its rights in a loan (Intermediate Participants).
In a typical loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan
agreement. In such cases, the Agent is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all the institutions which are parties to the loan
agreement. A fund will generally rely upon the Agent or Intermediate Participant to receive and forward to the fund its portion of the principal and interest payments on the loan. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a participation agreement a
fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the fund will rely on the Agent and the other members of the lending syndicate to use appropriate credit remedies against the borrower. The Agent is typically responsible for monitoring compliance with
covenants contained in the loan agreement based upon reports prepared by the borrower. The seller of the loan interest usually does, but is often not obligated to, notify holders of loan interests of any failures of compliance. The Agent may monitor
the value of the collateral and, if the value of the collateral declines, may accelerate the loan, may give the borrower an opportunity to provide additional collateral or may seek other protection for the benefit of the participants in the loan.
The Agent is compensated by the borrower for providing these services under a loan agreement, and such compensation may include special fees paid upon structuring and funding the loan and other fees paid on a continuing basis. With respect to loan
interests for which the Agent does not perform such administrative and enforcement functions, the fund will perform such tasks on its own behalf, although a Collateral Bank will typically hold any collateral on behalf of the fund and the other
holders pursuant to the applicable loan agreement.
A
financial institution’s appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent, enters Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) receivership, or, if not FDIC
insured, enters into bankruptcy proceedings. A successor agent generally would be appointed to replace the terminated Agent, and assets held by the Agent under the loan agreement should remain available to holders of loan interests. However, if
assets held by the Agent for the benefit of a fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agent’s general creditors, the fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan interest, or suffer a loss of
principal and/or interest. In situations involving Intermediate Participants, similar risks may arise.
Purchasers of loan interests depend primarily upon the
creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest. If a fund does not receive a scheduled interest or principal payment on such indebtedness, the fund’s share price and yield could be adversely affected. Loans that are
fully secured offer a fund more protections than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the
borrower’s obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring
may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Direct indebtedness of developing countries also will involve a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable,
or unwilling, to pay interest and repay principal when due.
The loan interests market is in a developing phase with
increased participation among several investor types. The dealer community has become increasingly involved in this secondary market. If, however, a particular loan interest is deemed to be illiquid, it would be valued using procedures adopted by
the Board of Trustees. In such a situation, there is no guarantee that the fund will be able to sell such loan interests, which could lead to a decline in the value of the loan interests and the value of the fund’s shares.
Loan Participations
. A fund
may purchase participations in commercial loans. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Loan participations typically represent direct participation in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial
institutions or lending syndicates. A fund may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the fund assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower and may
assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. The participation interests in which the fund intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service.
A loan is often administered by an agent bank acting as agent
for all holders. The agent bank administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. In addition, the agent bank is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the corporate borrower and the
apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions which are parties to the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, a fund has direct recourse against the corporate borrower, the fund may have to
rely on the agent bank or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a corporate borrower.
A financial institution’s employment as agent bank might
be terminated in the event that it fails to observe a requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. A successor agent bank would generally be appointed to replace the terminated agent bank, and assets held by the agent bank under the loan
agreement should remain available to holders of such indebtedness. However, if assets held by the agent bank for the benefit of the fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent bank’s general creditors, the fund might incur
certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving other interposed financial institutions (e.g., an insurance company or governmental agency)
similar risks may arise.
Purchasers of loans and other
forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the corporate borrower for payment of principal and interest. If a fund does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the fund’s share
price and yield could be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured offer the fund more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of
collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower’s obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated.
A fund may invest in loan participations with credit quality
comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may
pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the fund bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.
A fund limits the amount of its total assets that it will
invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry. For purposes of these limits, the fund generally will treat the corporate borrower as the “issuer” of indebtedness held by the fund. In the case of loan participations
where a bank or other lending institution serves as a financial intermediary between the fund and the corporate borrower, if the participation does not shift to a fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the corporate borrower, SEC
interpretations require the fund to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the corporate borrower as “issuers” for the purposes of determining whether the fund has invested more than 5% of its assets in a single
issuer. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict the fund’s ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the
underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be
readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at
what the Investment Adviser believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining the fund’s net asset value than if that value were based on available market
quotations, and could result in significant variations in the fund’s daily share price. At the same time, some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different
types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve. In addition, a fund currently intends to treat indebtedness for which there is no readily available market as
illiquid for purposes of the fund’s limitation on illiquid investments.
Investments in loan participations are considered to be debt obligations for purposes of the fund’s investment restriction relating to the lending of funds or assets by a fund.
Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the
financial institution’s interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks to the fund. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, a fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated
with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, the fund could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer
securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, a fund relies on the Investment Adviser’s research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could
adversely affect the fund.
Maturity of Investments
will generally be determined using a portfolio security’s final maturity date (date on which the final principal payment of a bond is scheduled to be paid); however, for securitized products, such as
mortgage-backed securities and certain other asset-backed securities, maturity will be determined on an average life basis (weighted average time to receipt of all principal payments) by the investment adviser. Because pre-payment rates of
individual mortgage pools vary widely, the average life of a particular pool cannot be predicted precisely. For securities with embedded demand features, such as puts or calls, either the demand date or the final maturity date will be used depending
on interest rates, yields and other market conditions. The average portfolio maturity of a fund is dollar-weighted based upon the market value of a fund’s securities at the time of the calculation.
Money Market Securities
are
high-quality, short term debt securities that may be issued by entities such as the U.S. government, corporations and financial institutions (like banks). Money market securities include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, banker’s
acceptances, notes and time deposits. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Banker’s acceptances are credit
instruments evidencing a bank’s obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity. Commercial paper consists
of short term, unsecured promissory notes issued to finance short term credit needs.
Money market securities pay fixed, variable or floating rates
of interest and are generally subject to credit and interest rate risks. The maturity date or price of and financial assets collateralizing a security may be structured in order to make it qualify as or act like a money market security. These
securities may be subject to greater credit and interest rate risks than other money market securities because of their structure. Money market securities may be issued with puts or sold separately; these puts, which are sometimes called demand
features or guarantees, are agreements that allow the buyer to sell a security at a specified price and time to the seller or “put provider.” When a fund buys a put, losses could occur as a result of the costs of the put or if it
exercises its rights under the put and the put provider does not perform as agreed. Standby commitments are types of puts.
Each fund may keep a portion of its assets in cash for
business operations. In order to reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, a fund may invest in money market securities. Each fund may also invest in money market securities to the extent it is consistent with
its investment objective.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
(MBS)
and other Asset-Backed Securities
(ABS) may be purchased by a fund. MBS represent participations in mortgage loans, and include pass-through securities, adjustable rate
mortgages, collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage-backed securities. MBS may be issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae), the
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) or by private issuers, generally originators and investors in mortgage loans, including savings associations, mortgage banks, commercial
banks, and special purpose entities (collectively, “private lenders”). MBS are based on different types of mortgages including those on commercial real estate and residential property. MBS issued by private lenders may be supported by
pools of mortgage loans or other MBS that are guaranteed, directly or indirectly, by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or they may be issued without any governmental guarantee of the underlying mortgage assets but with
some form of credit enhancement.
ABS have
structural characteristics similar to MBS. ABS represent direct or indirect participation in assets such as automobile loans, credit card receivables, trade receivables, home equity loans (which sometimes are categorized as MBS) or other financial
assets. Therefore, repayment depends largely on the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities. The credit quality of most ABS depends primarily on the credit quality of the assets underlying such securities, how well the entity
issuing the security is insulated from the credit risk of the originator or any other affiliated entities, and the amount and quality of any credit enhancement of the securities. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on ABS may be
supported by credit enhancements including letters of credit, an insurance guarantee, reserve funds and overcollateralization. Based on the characteristics of mortgage-backed securities, the funds have identified mortgage-backed securities issued by
private lenders and not guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities or by a foreign government, its agencies or instrumentalities as a separate industry for purposes of a fund’s concentration policy.
Commercial mortgage-backed securities include securities that
reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. The market for commercial mortgage-backed securities developed more recently and in terms of total outstanding principal amount of issues is relatively small
compared to the market for residential single-family MBS. Many of the risks of investing in commercial MBS reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other
economic
conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan
payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. Commercial MBS may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
The funds may invest in collateralized debt obligations
(CDOs), which includes collateralized bond obligations (CBOs), collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other similarly structured securities such as credit derivatives or even derivatives of credit derivatives. CBOs and CLOs are types of
asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and
foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.
For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the Trust are split
into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the Trust and serves to protect the other, more senior
tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically has higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be
rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting
tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.
The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type
of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be
characterized by the funds as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere
in this SAI and the funds’ prospectuses (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make
interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the funds may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the
time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results and (v) credit ratings by major credit rating agencies may be no indication of the credit worthiness of the security.
Collateralized
Mortgage Obligation
(CMO) is a hybrid between a mortgage-backed bond and a mortgage pass-through security. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases, on a monthly basis. CMOs may
be collateralized by whole mortgage loans, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and their income streams, as well as private issuers.
CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a
different stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according
to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the longer maturity
classes receive principal only after the first class has been retired. An investor is partially guarded against a sooner than desired return of principal because of the sequential payments.
In a typical CMO transaction, a corporation (issuer) issues
multiple series (e.g., A, B, C, Z) of CMO bonds (Bonds). Proceeds of the Bond offering are used to purchase mortgages or mortgage pass-through certificates (Collateral). The Collateral is pledged to a third party trustee as security for the Bonds.
Principal and interest payments from the Collateral are used to pay principal on the Bonds in the order A, B, C, Z. The Series A, B, and C Bonds all bear current interest. Interest on the Series Z Bond is accrued and added to principal and a like
amount is paid as principal on the Series A, B, or C Bond currently being paid off. When the Series A, B, and C Bonds are paid in full, interest and principal on the Series Z Bond begins to be paid currently. With some CMOs, the issuer serves as a
conduit to allow loan originators (primarily builders or savings and loan associations) to borrow against their loan portfolios.
The rate of principal payment on MBS and ABS generally depends
on the rate of principal payments received on the underlying assets which in turn may be affected by a variety of economic and other factors. As a result, the price and yield on any MBS or ABS is difficult to predict with precision and price and
yield to maturity may be more or less than the anticipated yield to maturity. If a fund purchases these securities at a premium, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower
than expected will have the opposite effect of increasing the yield to maturity. Conversely, if a fund purchases these securities at a discount, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will increase yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate
that is slower than expected will reduce yield to maturity. Amounts available for reinvestment by a fund are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates than
during a period of rising interest rates.
While many MBS
and ABS are issued with only one class of security, many are issued in more than one class, each with different payment terms. Multiple class MBS and ABS are issued as a method of providing credit support, typically through creation of one or more
classes whose right to payments on the security is made subordinate to the right to such payments of the remaining class or classes. In addition, multiple classes may permit the issuance of securities with payment terms, interest rates, or other
characteristics differing both from those of each other and from those of the underlying assets. Examples include stripped securities, which are MBS and ABS entitling the holder to
disproportionate interest or principal compared with the assets backing the
security, and securities with classes having characteristics different from the assets backing the securities, such as a security with floating interest rates with assets backing the securities having fixed interest rates. The market value of such
securities and CMO’s generally is more or less sensitive to changes in prepayment and interest rates than is the case with traditional MBS and ABS, and in some cases such market value may be extremely volatile.
CMO Residuals
are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government or by private
originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a
series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash
flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on,
among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the prepayment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to
maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to prepayments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only (IO) class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. See “Stripped Mortgage-Backed
Securities.” In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which
interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances a fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual.
CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by
institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. The CMO residual market has only very recently developed and CMO residuals currently may not have the liquidity of other more established securities
trading in other markets. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been
registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act). CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed “illiquid” and subject to a
fund’s limitations on investment in illiquid securities.
Stripped
Mortgage-Backed Securities
are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government,
or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive
different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will
receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the IO class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or PO class). The yield
to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on a fund’s yield
to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of
the highest rating categories.
Under certain
circumstances these securities may be deemed “illiquid” and subject to a fund’s limitations on investment in illiquid securities.
Non-Publicly Traded Securities and Private Placements.
A fund may invest in securities that are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter, including privately placed securities. Such unlisted securities may involve a higher degree of business and
financial risk that can result in substantial losses. As a result of the absence of a public trading market for these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately
negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not publicly traded
may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements which might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more
jurisdictions before being sold, a fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration.
Non-Traditional Equity Securities.
The funds may invest in convertible preferred stocks that offer enhanced yield features, such as Preferred Equity Redemption Cumulative Stock (PERCS), which provide an investor, such as the funds, with the opportunity to
earn higher dividend income than is available on a company’s common stock. A PERCS is a preferred stock which generally features a mandatory conversion date, as well as a capital appreciation limit which is usually expressed in terms of a
stated price. Upon the conversion date, most PERCS convert into common stock of the issuer (PERCS are generally not convertible into cash at maturity). Under a typical arrangement, if after a predetermined number of years the issuer’s common
stock is trading at a price below that set by the capital appreciation limit, each PERCS would convert to one share of common stock. If, however, the issuer’s common stock is trading at a price above that set by the capital appreciation limit,
the holder of the PERCS would receive less than one full share of common stock. The amount of that fractional share of common stock received by the PERCS holder is determined by dividing the price set by the capital appreciation limit of the PERCS
by the market price of the issuer’s
common stock. PERCS can be called at any time prior to maturity, and hence do
not provide call protection. However, if called early, the issuer may pay a call premium over the market price to the investor. This call premium declines at a preset rate daily, up to the maturity date of the PERCS.
The funds may also invest in other enhanced convertible
securities. These include but are not limited to ACES (Automatically Convertible Equity Securities), PEPS (Participating Equity Preferred Stock), PRIDES (Preferred Redeemable Increased Dividend Equity Securities), SAILS (Stock Appreciation Income
Linked Securities), TECONS (Term Convertible Notes), QICS (Quarterly Income Cumulative Securities), and DECS (Dividend Enhanced Convertible Securities). ACES, PEPS, PRIDES, SAILS, TECONS, QICS, and DECS all have the following features: they are
company-issued convertible preferred stock; unlike PERCS, they do not have capital appreciation limits; they seek to provide the investor with high current income, with some prospect of future capital appreciation; they are typically issued with
three- to four-year maturities; they typically have some built-in call protection for the first two to three years; investors have the right to convert them into shares of common stock at a preset conversion ratio or hold them until maturity; and
upon maturity, they will automatically convert to either cash or a specified number of shares of common stock.
Pay-In-Kind
(PIK) are
instruments that give the issuer an option (during an initial period) either to make coupon payments in cash or in the form of additional bonds.
Promissory Notes
are written
agreements committing the maker or issuer to pay the payee a specified amount either on demand or at a fixed date in the future, with or without interest. These are sometimes called negotiable notes or instruments and are subject to credit risk.
Bank notes are notes used to represent obligations issued by banks in large denominations.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) are pooled investment vehicles, which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests and, in some cases, manage real estate. REITs are sometimes referred to as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or
hybrid REITs. An equity REIT invests primarily in properties and generates income from rental and lease properties and, in some cases, from the management of real estate. Equity REITs also offer the potential for growth as a result of property
appreciation and from the sale of appreciated property. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in real estate mortgages, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans, and derive income for the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs
may combine the features of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are generally organized as corporations or business trusts, but are not taxed as a corporation if they meet certain requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify, a REIT must,
among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including other REITs), cash and government securities, distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive at least 75% of that income
from rents, mortgages and sales of property.
Like
any investment in real estate, a REIT’s performance depends on many factors, such as its ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to finance property purchases and renovations. In general, REITs may be affected by
changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent a REIT concentrates its investment in certain regions or property types. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased
competition from nearby properties, tenants’ failure to pay rent, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in
the neighborhood, losses due to casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Ultimately, a REIT’s performance depends on the types of properties it owns and how well the REIT manages its properties.
In general, during periods of rising interest rates, REITs may
lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly
and difficult to obtain. During periods of declining interest rates, certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that mortgagors elect to prepay, which can reduce the yield on securities issued by mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the
ability of borrowers to repay debts to the REIT when due and equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
Like small-cap stocks in general, certain REITs have
relatively small market capitalizations and their securities can be more volatile than—and at times will perform differently from—large-cap stocks. In addition, because small-cap stocks are typically less liquid than large-cap stocks,
REIT stocks may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger companies. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification, and are therefore subject to risks inherent in
operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a fund, a shareholder will bear indirectly a proportionate share of the REIT’s expenses in addition to their proportionate share of a fund’s
expenses. Finally, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for pass-through tax treatment under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act and CFTC regulations.
Repurchase Agreements
are
instruments under which a buyer acquires ownership of certain securities (usually U.S. government securities) from a seller who agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the
buyer’s holding period. Any repurchase agreements a fund enters into will involve the fund as the buyer and banks or broker-dealers as sellers. The period of repurchase agreements is usually short - from overnight to one week, although the
securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement may have longer maturity dates. Default by the seller might cause a fund to experience a loss or delay in the liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. A fund also may incur
disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a repurchase agreement’s seller, the fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could experience losses, including
a decline in the value of the underlying securities and loss of income. A
fund will make payment under a repurchase agreement only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer of the collateral to the account of its custodian bank.
Restricted Securities
are
securities that are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling restricted securities may result in a loss or be costly to a fund. Restricted securities generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to
an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act, or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may
elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a
less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. Certain restricted securities, such as 4(a)(2) commercial paper and Rule 144A securities under the 1933 Act, may be considered to be liquid if they meet the
criteria for liquidity established by the Board. To the extent the fund invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, the general level of illiquidity in the fund’s portfolio may be increased if such securities become
illiquid.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and
Mortgage Dollar Rolls
may be used by a fund. A fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements to facilitate portfolio liquidity, a practice common in the mutual fund industry, or for arbitrage transactions as
discussed below. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund would sell a security and enter into an agreement to repurchase the security at a specified future date and price. A fund generally retains the right to interest and principal payments on
the security. If a fund uses the cash it obtains to invest in other securities, this may be considered a form of leverage and may expose the fund to a greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the value of the
fund’s portfolio’s securities. Because a fund receives cash upon entering into a reverse repurchase agreement, it may be considered a borrowing. When required by guidelines of the SEC, a fund will set aside permissible liquid assets
earmarked or in a segregated account to secure its obligations to repurchase the security.
A fund also may enter into mortgage dollar rolls, in which a
fund would sell MBS for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contract to purchase substantially similar securities on a specified future date. While a fund would forego principal and interest paid on the MBS during the roll period, a
fund would be compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower price for the future purchase as well as by any interest earned on the proceeds of the initial sale. A fund also could be compensated through the receipt of
fee income equivalent to a lower forward price. At the time a fund would enter into a mortgage dollar roll, it would set aside permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure its obligation for the forward commitment to buy
MBS. Mortgage dollar roll transactions may be considered a borrowing by a fund.
The mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements
entered into by a fund may be used as arbitrage transactions in which a fund will maintain an offsetting position in short duration investment-grade debt obligations. Since a fund will receive interest on the securities or repurchase agreements in
which it invests the transaction proceeds, such transactions may involve leverage. However, since such securities or repurchase agreements will be high quality and short duration, the Investment Adviser believes that such arbitrage transactions
present lower risks to a fund than those associated with other types of leverage. There can be no assurance that a fund’s use of the cash it receives from a mortgage dollar roll will provide a positive return.
Securities Lending
of
portfolio securities is a common practice in the securities industry. A fund may engage in security lending arrangements. When the fund is lending its portfolio securities, a fund may receive cash collateral, and it may invest it in short term,
interest-bearing obligations, but will do so only to the extent that it will not lose the tax treatment available to RICs. Lending portfolio securities involves risks that the borrower may fail to return the securities or provide additional
collateral. Also, voting rights with respect to the loaned securities may pass with the lending of the securities and efforts to call such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities. Securities lending involves the
risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities, if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. A fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash
collateral.
A fund may loan portfolio securities
to qualified broker-dealers or other institutional investors provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. government securities, letters of credit, cash or cash equivalents or other permitted instruments maintained
on a daily marked-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities loaned; (3) the fund will receive payments in lieu
of any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the fund, including collateral received from the loan (at market value
computed at the time of the loan).
Although voting
rights with respect to loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lender retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the security’s voting rights. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may
be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities such as small-cap stocks. In addition, because recalling a security may involve expenses to a fund, it is expected that a fund will do so only where the items being voted
upon are, in the judgment of the investment adviser, either material to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the issuer’s corporate governance policies or structure.
To the extent a fund participates in
securities lending with unaffiliated lending agents, costs and expenses, including agent fees, associated with securities lending activities under the securities lending program paid to the lending agent are approximately 10% of the gross lending
revenues (with the ability to reach further breakpoints). All remaining revenue is retained by a fund, as applicable. No portion of the lending revenue is paid to or retained by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM) or any affiliate of
CSIM.
Securities of Other Investment Companies
may be purchased and sold by a fund and include those issued by foreign investment companies. Investment companies generally offer investors the advantages of diversification and professional investment management, by
combining shareholders’ money and investing it in securities such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. Investment companies include: (1) open-end funds (commonly called mutual funds) that issue and redeem their shares on a continuous
basis; (2) BDCs that generally invest in, and provide services to, privately-held companies or thinly-traded public companies (see the sub-section entitled “Business Development Companies” for more information); (3) closed-end funds that
offer a fixed number of shares, and are usually listed on an exchange; (4) unit investment trusts that generally offer a fixed number of redeemable shares; and (5) money market funds that typically seek current income by investing in money market
securities (see the sections titled “Money Market Funds” and “Money Market Securities” for more information). Certain open-end funds, closed-end funds and unit investment trusts are traded on exchanges. (See the section
entitled “Exchange Traded Funds” for more information.) Investment Companies also make various investments and use certain techniques in order to enhance their performance. These may include entering into delayed-delivery and when-issued
securities transactions or swap agreements; buying and selling futures contracts, illiquid and restricted securities and repurchase agreements and borrowing or lending money and/or portfolio securities. The risks of investing in a particular
investment company generally reflect the risks of the securities in which it invests and the investment techniques it employs. Also, investment companies charge fees and incur operating expenses.
To the extent a fund invests, or has invested, in shares of
other investment companies, including BDCs, during its prior fiscal year, the fund, pursuant to SEC rules, must disclose any material fees and expenses indirectly incurred by the fund as a result of such investments. These indirect fees and
expenses, to the extent incurred, will appear in the fee table of the fund’s prospectus as a separate line item captioned “Acquired fund fees and expenses.”
Federal law restricts the ability of one registered investment
company to invest in another. As a result, the extent to which a fund may invest in another investment company may be limited.
Funds in which a fund also may invest include unregistered or
privately-placed funds, such as hedge funds and offshore funds. Hedge funds and offshore funds are not registered with the SEC, and therefore are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered investment companies (mutual
funds). As a result, these types of funds have greater ability to make investments or use investment techniques, such as leveraging, that can increase investment return but also may substantially increase the risk of losses. Investments in these
funds also may be more difficult to sell, which could cause losses to a fund. For example, hedge funds typically require investors to keep their investment in a hedge fund for some period of time, such as 1 year or more. This means investors would
not be able to sell their shares of a hedge fund until such time had passed, and the investment may be deemed to be illiquid. In addition, because hedge funds may not value their portfolio holdings on a frequent basis, investments in those hedge
funds may be difficult to price.
The Laudus Mondrian
International Equity, Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets and Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Funds are prohibited from acquiring any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in
reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) or Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act.
Short Sales
may be used by a
fund as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset (hedge) a potential decline in the value of a security. A fund may engage in short sales that are either “against the box” or “uncovered.” A short sale
is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, a fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or has the right to acquire, at no added cost, the securities of the
same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to a fund with respect to the securities that are sold short. “Uncovered” short sales are transactions under which a fund sells a
security it does not own. To complete such transaction, a fund may borrow the security through a broker to make delivery to the buyer and, in doing so, the fund becomes obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the
market price at the time of the replacement. A fund also may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities, which would increase the cost of the security. In addition, a fund is often obligated to pay any accrued interest and dividends on the
securities until they are replaced. The proceeds of the short sale position will be retained by the broker until a fund replaces the borrowed securities.
A fund will incur a loss if the price of the security sold
short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the fund replaces the borrowed security and, conversely, the fund will realize a gain if the price declines. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs
described above. A short sale creates the risk of an unlimited loss, as the price of the underlying securities could theoretically increase without limit, thus increasing the cost of buying those securities to cover the short position. If a fund
sells securities short “against the box,” it may protect unrealized gains, but will lose the opportunity to profit on such securities if the price rises. The successful use of short selling as a hedging strategy may be adversely affected
by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.
A fund’s obligation to replace the securities borrowed
in connection with a short sale will be secured by collateral deposited with the broker that consists of cash or other liquid securities. In addition, a fund will earmark cash or liquid assets or place in a segregated account an amount of cash or
other liquid assets equal to the difference, if any, between (1) the market value of the securities sold short, marked-to-market daily, and (2) any cash or other liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker in connection with the short
sale.
Spread
Transactions
may be used for hedging or managing risk. A fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers. Such covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded. The
purchase of a spread option gives a fund the right to put, or
sell, a security that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread
in relation to another security that a fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to a fund in purchasing covered spread options is the cost of the premium paid for the spread option and any transaction costs. In addition, there
is no assurance that closing transactions will be available. The purchase of spread options will be used to protect a fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality
securities. Such protection is only provided during the life of the spread option.
Stripped Securities
are
securities whose income and principal components are detached and sold separately. While risks associated with stripped securities are similar to other fixed income securities, stripped securities are typically subject to greater changes in value.
U.S. Treasury securities that have been stripped by the Federal Reserve Bank are obligations of the U.S. Treasury.
Temporary Defensive
Strategies
. During unusual economic or market conditions or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, each fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and
other short term obligations that would not ordinarily be consistent with the funds’ objectives. A fund will do so only if the Investment Adviser or Subadviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity for capital gains or
higher income. When a fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its investment objective.
U.S. Government Securities
are issued by the U.S. Treasury or issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. Not all U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
government. Some U.S. government securities, such as those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae), and the
Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by a line of credit the issuing entity has with the U.S. Treasury. Securities issued by other issuers are supported solely by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality such as obligations issued by
the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S. government securities of its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so under law. U.S.
government securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, are among the safest securities, however, not unlike other debt securities, they are still sensitive to interest rate changes, which will cause their yields and prices to
fluctuate.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S.
Treasury announced a federal takeover of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each
instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (SPAs), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per instrumentality as needed,
including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. On May 6, 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs to $200 billion per
instrumentality. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae’s and Freddie
Mac’s net worth through the end of 2012. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the SPAs to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts received
under the funding commitment. Instead, they will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. It is anticipated that the new amendment would put Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt. Under the new arrangement, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are required to reduce their investment portfolios over time.
The actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful. The future for Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac remains uncertain. The U.S. Congress continues to evaluate proposals to reduce the U.S. government’s role in the mortgage market and to wind down, restructure, consolidate, or privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Should the
federal government adopt any such proposal, the value of the fund’s investments in securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would be impacted.
Although the risk of default with U.S. government securities
is considered unlikely, any default on the part of a portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price or yield to fall.
In accordance with recommendations made by the Treasury Market
Practices Group, to the extent the funds enter into transactions involving U.S. Treasury securities, agency debt instruments issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loans Banks, and agency-pass-through MBS issued or guaranteed by
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae, the funds may pay “fails charges” to or be owed “fails charges” from a counterparty, in connection with certain failures to deliver securities to settle trades.
The risk of default may be heightened when
there is uncertainty relating to negotiations in the U.S. Congress over increasing the statutory debt ceiling. If the U.S. Congress is unable to negotiate an increase to the statutory debt ceiling, the U.S. government may default on certain U.S.
government securities including those held by a fund, which could have an adverse impact on the fund. In recent years, the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government was downgraded by a major rating agency as a result of concern about the U.S.
government’s budget deficit and rising debt burden. Similar downgrades in the future could increase volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets, result in higher interest rates, lower prices of U.S. Treasury securities and increase
the costs of different kinds of debt. Although remote, it is at least theoretically possible that under certain scenarios the U.S. government could default on its debt, including U.S. Treasury securities.
Zero-Coupon Securities
are
debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest before maturity or a specific date when the securities begin paying current interest. Therefore, they are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts or
par value. The market prices of zero-coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do non-zero-coupon
securities having similar maturities and credit quality. Current federal income tax law requires that a holder of a taxable zero-coupon security report as income each year the portion of the original issue discount of such security that accrues that
year, even though the holder receives no cash payments of interest during the year. Each fund has qualified as a RIC under the Code. Accordingly, during periods when a fund receives no interest payments on its zero-coupon securities, it will be
required, in order to maintain its desired tax treatment, to distribute cash approximating the income attributable to such securities.
Such distribution may require the sale of portfolio securities
to meet the distribution requirements and such sales may be subject to the risk factor discussed above.
Investment Limitations
The following investment limitations are fundamental and may be
changed only by vote of a majority of each fund’s outstanding voting securities.
The Laudus Mondrian Funds may not:
(1)
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Concentrate investments in a
particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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(2)
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Purchase or sell commodities
or real estate, except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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(3)
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Make loans to other persons,
except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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(4)
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Borrow money, except to the
extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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(5)
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Issue senior securities,
except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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(6)
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Underwrite securities
issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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The following descriptions of the 1940
Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions.
Diversification.
Under
the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a “diversified company,” as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government
or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer’s voting securities would
be held by a fund.
Borrowing.
The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings
not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Transactions that are fully collateralized in a manner that does not involve the prohibited issuance of a “senior security” within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, shall not be
regarded as borrowings for the purposes of a fund’s investment restriction.
Concentration.
The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.
Lending.
Under
the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.
Real Estate.
The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. Each fund has adopted a
fundamental policy that would permit direct investment in real estate. However, each fund has a non-fundamental investment limitation that prohibits it from investing directly in real estate. This non-fundamental policy may be changed only by vote
of a fund’s Board of Trustees.
Senior Securities.
Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits each fund from issuing senior
securities, although it provides allowances for certain borrowings and certain other investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, when such investments are “covered”
or with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligations.
Underwriting.
Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.
The following are non-fundamental investment policies and
restrictions, and may be changed by the board of trustees.
Each fund may not:
(1)
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Invest more than 15% of its
net assets in illiquid securities.
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(2)
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Purchase securities of other
investment companies, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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(3)
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Sell securities short unless
it owns the security or the right to obtain the security or equivalent securities, or unless it covers such short sale as required by current SEC rules and interpretations (transactions in futures contracts, options and other derivative instruments
are not considered selling securities short).
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(4)
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Purchase securities on
margin, except such short term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures or other derivative instruments shall not
constitute purchasing securities on margin.
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(5)
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Borrow money except that the
fund may (i) borrow money from banks or through an interfund lending facility, if any, only for temporary or emergency purposes (and not for leveraging) and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements with any party; provided that (i) and (ii) in
combination do not exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets (any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced to the extent necessary to comply with the limitation within three business days).
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(6)
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Lend any security or make
any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties (this restriction does not apply to purchases of debt securities or repurchase agreements).
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(7)
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Purchase
or sell commodities, commodity contracts or real estate, including interests in real estate limited partnerships, provided that the fund may (i) purchase securities of companies that deal in real estate or interests therein (including REITs), (ii)
purchase or sell futures contracts, options contracts, equity index participations and index participation contracts, and (iii) purchase securities of companies that deal in precious metals or interests therein.
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Policies and investment limitations that state a maximum
percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund’s acquisition of such security or asset, unless otherwise noted.
Except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent change in total assets or net assets, as applicable, or other circumstances does not require a fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the
same investment. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a fund to exceed its limitation, the fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of
illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
The phrase “shareholder approval” as used in the
Prospectus and herein, and the phrase “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” as used herein, means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a class, a fund or the Trust, as
the case may be, or (2) 67% or more of the shares of a class, a fund or the Trust, as the case may be, present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.
Portfolio Turnover
A change in securities held by a fund is known as
“portfolio turnover” and almost always involves the payment by a fund of brokerage commissions or dealer markup and other transaction costs on the sale of securities as well as on the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities.
Portfolio turnover is not a limiting factor with respect to investment decisions.
As disclosed in the Prospectus, high portfolio turnover
involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the funds, and could involve realization of capital gains that would be taxable when distributed to shareholders of a fund. To the
extent that portfolio turnover results in the realization of net short-term capital gains, such gains are ordinarily taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.
The portfolio turnover rates for each fund for the past two
fiscal years ended March 31, were:
Fund
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2018
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2017
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Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
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23%
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34%
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Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
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39%
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32%
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Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
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52%
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98%
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Income, Dividends, Distributions and
tax status
This discussion of federal income
tax consequences is based on Subchapter M of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions
expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transaction contemplated herein.
The tax status of the funds and the distributions which they
may make are summarized in the Prospectus under the headings “Distributions” and “Taxes.” Each fund intends to qualify each year as a RIC under the Code. In order to qualify as a RIC and to qualify for the special tax
treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, each fund must, among other requirements: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other
disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net
income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership; (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of cash, cash items, U.S.
Government securities, securities of other RICs or other securities limited generally with respect to any one issuer to a value not more than 5% of the value of the total assets of such fund and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers of which the fund owns at least
20% of the voting power of each issuer and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and (c) distribute as dividends with respect to each taxable year an
amount at least equal to 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses), without regard to the deduction for
dividends paid, and 90% of its net tax-exempt income for such year. To the extent a fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC, the fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain
distributions.
If a fund fails to qualify as a RIC
accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the fund will be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term
capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Subject to certain limitations, such distributions should qualify for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and for the lower tax rates applicable to qualified
dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, the fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax
treatment.
In order to avoid an excise tax imposed on
certain under-distributed amounts, a fund must distribute in each calendar year (without regard to the fund’s fiscal year end) an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the fund’s ordinary income (taking into account certain
deferrals and elections), (ii) 98.2% of the fund’s capital gain net income, if any, realized in the one-year period ending on October 31 (or later if the fund is permitted and so elects), and (iii) 100% of any undistributed income from prior
years. A dividend paid to shareholders by a fund in January of a year is generally deemed to have been paid by the fund on December 31 of the preceding year, if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October,
November or December of that preceding year.
For federal
income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of capital gains are generally taxed based upon how long the fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a
shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the fund owned for more than one year and that are properly reported by the fund as capital gain dividends will be taxable as long-term
capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. The dividends-received deduction for corporations will generally be available to corporate shareholders
with respect to their receipt of a fund’s dividends from investment income to the extent derived from dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations, provided the fund and the shareholder each meet the relevant holding period
requirements.
Distributions of investment income
reported by the fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by fund shareholder to be
qualified dividend income, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the
fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before
the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an
obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for
purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the
exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States), or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.
If the aggregate qualified dividends received by the fund
during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the fund’s dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain
included in the term “gross income” is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss. In general,
distributions of investment income reported by the fund as derived from
qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the fund’s shares.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are
paid from income or gains earned by the fund before a shareholder’s investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or in the form of additional shares
of the fund to which the distribution relates. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains.
The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified
dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts.
Gain or loss on the sale or redemption of shares in the fund
is measured by the difference between the amount received and the adjusted tax basis of the shares. Shareholders should keep records of investments made (including shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and distribution) so they can
compute the tax basis of their shares.
A loss realized
on a sale or exchange of shares of the fund may be disallowed if other substantially identical shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a sixty-one (61) day period beginning thirty (30) days
before and ending thirty (30) days after the date that the shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired must be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of shares held for six (6) months
or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received by the shareholders.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net
investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gains distributions received from a fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such
person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.
Dividends and distributions on a fund’s shares are
generally subject to federal income tax as described herein, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares
purchased at a time when a fund’s net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed.
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including
qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI).
Under current law, the funds generally serve to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of their investments in a fund where, for
example, (i) the fund invests in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs); (ii) the fund invests in a REIT which qualifies as a taxable mortgage pool under the Code or has a qualified REIT subsidiary that qualifies as
a taxable mortgage pool under the Code; or (iii) shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special
rules associated with such investments, and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing the funds from holding investments in such REITs or REMICs, and the funds may do so. The Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance
with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.
For taxable years beginning after 2017 and before 2026,
non-corporate taxpayers generally may deduct 20% of “qualified business income” derived either directly or through partnerships or S corporations. For this purpose, “qualified business income” generally includes ordinary REIT
dividends and income derived from MLP investments. There is currently no mechanism for a fund that invests in REITs or MLPs to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the character of ordinary REIT dividends or income derived from MLP investments
so as to allow such shareholders to claim this deduction. It is uncertain whether future legislation or other guidance will enable the funds to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the ability to claim this deduction.
Under current law, each fund is generally required to withhold
and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable dividends and other distributions paid to and proceeds of share sales, exchanges or redemptions made by any individual shareholder who fails to furnish the fund with a correct taxpayer
identification number, who has underreported income in the past or fails to provide certain certifications. However, the general backup withholding rules set forth above will not apply to a shareholder so long as the shareholder furnishes a fund
with the appropriate certification required by the Internal Revenue Service. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.
Foreign shareholders generally are subject to U.S. withholding
tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on taxable distributions derived from net investment income and short-term capital gains; provided, however, that U.S. source interest related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends
generally are not subject to U.S. withholding taxes if a fund elects to make reports with respect to such dividends. Distributions to foreign shareholders of such short-term capital gain dividends and long-term capital gains, and any gains from the
sale or other disposition of shares of a fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Internal Revenue Code’s definition of “resident alien” or (2) is physically
present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Different consequences may result if the
foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United
States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may differ from those described above.
In order for a foreign investor to qualify for exemption from
(or reduced rates for) withholding tax under income tax treaties, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign shareholders may also be subject to U.S. estate taxes with respect to shares in a fund.
Foreign investors in a fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard. If a fund invests in certain REITs or in REMIC residual interests, a portion of the fund’s income may be classified as “excess inclusion income.” With
respect to foreign shareholders, no exemption or reduction in withholding tax will apply to such excess inclusion income.
Each fund will be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30%
rate) on payments of taxable dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding
requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to a fund to enable the fund to determine whether withholding is
required.
The funds may invest in a non-U.S.
corporation, which could be treated as a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) or become a PFIC under the Code. This could result in adverse tax consequences upon the disposition of, or the receipt of “excess distributions” with
respect to, such equity investments. To the extent a fund does invest in PFICs, it may be eligible to elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or mark-to-market its investments in PFICs annually. In either case, a fund may
be required to distribute amounts in excess of realized income and gains. To the extent that a fund does invest in foreign securities which are determined to be PFIC securities and are required to pay a tax on such investments, a credit for this tax
would not be allowed to be passed through to the fund’s shareholders. Therefore, the payment of this tax would reduce the fund’s economic return from its PFIC shares, and excess distributions received with respect to such shares are
treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains.
Section 988 of the Code contains special tax rules applicable
to certain foreign currency transactions and instruments that may affect the amount, timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized by a fund. Under these rules, foreign exchange gain or loss realized by a fund with respect to foreign
currencies and certain futures and options thereon, foreign currency-denominated debt instruments, foreign currency forward contracts, and foreign currency-denominated payables and receivables will generally be treated as ordinary income or loss,
although in some cases elections may be available that would alter this treatment. Foreign currency losses could result in distributions of ordinary income being reclassified as a return of capital for tax purposes.
A fund’s investments in foreign securities may be
subject to foreign withholding taxes. In that case, a fund’s return on those securities would be decreased. If more than 50% of a fund’s assets at fiscal year-end is represented by debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the
fund intends to elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by
the fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. For the purposes of the foreign tax credit, each such shareholder would include in gross income from foreign
sources its pro rata share of such taxes. Certain limitations imposed by the Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of such taxes.
A fund’s securities lending activities may affect the
amount, timing, and character of its dividends and distributions to shareholders. With respect to any security subject to a security loan, any amounts received by a fund in place of dividends earned on the security during the period that such
security was not directly held by the fund may not give rise to dividends otherwise eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction or qualified dividend income. Moreover, withholding taxes accrued on any dividends during the period that
such security was not directly held by a fund will not qualify as a foreign tax paid by the fund and, therefore, cannot be passed through to the fund’s shareholders even if the fund satisfied the requirements for such foreign tax pass-through
treatment.
To the extent such investments are
permissible for a particular fund, the fund’s transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles and certain foreign currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market,
constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the fund, defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities, convert long-term capital
gains into short-term capital gains and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.
The funds are required for federal income tax purposes to
mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Except for contracts subject to ordinary
income or loss treatment under Section 988 of the Code, gain or loss from such futures and options contracts required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing
and character of distributions to shareholders. The funds may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by a fund. It is
anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described above.
The funds distribute to shareholders at least annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for federal income tax purposes, including unrealized gains at the end of the funds’ fiscal year on futures or options transactions
subject to this marking to market requirement. Such distributions are
combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the funds’ other investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.
With respect to investments in zero coupon securities,
deferred interest securities, certain structured securities, or other securities bearing original issue discount, each fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even if the fund has not
received any interest payments on such securities during that period. Because a fund is required to annually distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains to its shareholders in order to avoid the imposition of
fund-level taxation, the fund may have to sell fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the adviser would not have chosen to sell such securities, and which may result in additional taxable gain or loss.
Certain transactions effectively insulating a fund from
substantially all risk of loss and all opportunity for gain in an appreciated financial position are treated as constructive sales of those positions for federal income tax purposes. Short sales, swap contracts, and forward or futures contracts to
sell the appreciated position, or one or more other transactions that have substantially the same effect as those transactions as determined under regulations, are treated as “constructive sales” for this purpose. A fund that owns an
appreciated financial position that enters into such a transaction generally recognizes gain for tax purposes prior to the generation of cash by such activities, which may require the fund to sell assets to meet its distribution requirement.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a
loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities
are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the funds are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of
most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the
applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances
THE TAX DISCUSSION SET FORTH ABOVE IS A SUMMARY INCLUDED FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. EACH SHAREHOLDER IS ADVISED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIFIC TAX CONSEQUENCES TO HIM OR HER OF AN INVESTMENT IN ANY OF THE FUNDS, INCLUDING THE EFFECT AND APPLICABILITY OF STATE,
LOCAL, FOREIGN, AND OTHER TAX LAWS AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN FEDERAL OR OTHER TAX LAWS. THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT INTENDED, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED, TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR CAREFUL TAX PLANNING.
Management of the FUNDS
The funds are overseen by a Board of
Trustees. The trustees are responsible for protecting shareholder interests. The trustees regularly meet to review the investment activities, contractual arrangements and the investment performance of each fund. The Board of Trustees met five times
during the most recent fiscal year.
Certain trustees are
“interested persons.” A trustee is considered an interested person (Interested Person) of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she is an officer, director, or an employee of CSIM. A trustee also may be considered an interested person of
the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she owns stock of The Charles Schwab Corporation (CSC), a publicly traded company and the parent company of CSIM.
As used herein the terms “Fund Complex” and
“Family of Investment Companies” each refer collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust which, as of July 27, 2018,
included 107 funds. As used herein, the term “Schwab Funds” refers collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Capital Trust; the term “Laudus Funds” refers to
Laudus Trust; and the term “Schwab ETFs” refers to Schwab Strategic Trust.
Each of the officers and/or trustees serves in the same
capacity, unless otherwise noted, for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust. The tables below provide information about the trustees and
officers for the Trust, which includes funds in this SAI. The address of each individual listed below is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
1
)
|
Principal
Occupations
During the Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios
in Fund Complex
Overseen by the Trustee
|
Other
Directorships During
the Past Five Years
|
INDEPENDENT
TRUSTEES
|
Robert
W. Burns
1959
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009; The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Retired/Private
Investor (Jan. 2009-present). Formerly, Managing Director, Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO) (investment management firm) and President, PIMCO Funds.
|
107
|
Director,
PS Business Parks, Inc. (2005-2012)
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
1
)
|
Principal
Occupations
During the Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios
in Fund Complex
Overseen by the Trustee
|
Other
Directorships During
the Past Five Years
|
INDEPENDENT
TRUSTEES
|
John
F. Cogan
1947
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2008; Laudus Trust since 2010; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Senior
Fellow, The Hoover Institution at Stanford University (public policy think tank) (Oct. 1979-present); Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (2000-present); Professor of Public Policy, Stanford University (1994-2015).
|
107
|
Director,
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (2005-present)
|
Nancy
F. Heller
1956
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2018)
|
President
and Chairman, TIAA Charitable (financial services) (2014-2016); Senior Managing Director, TIAA (financial services) (2003-2016).
|
107
|
None
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis
1946
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Strategic Trust since 2012; The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
CEO
and Owner, Kochis Global (wealth management consulting) (May 2012-present); Chairman and CEO, Aspiriant, LLC (wealth management) (Jan. 2008-Apr. 2012).
|
107
|
None
|
David
L. Mahoney
1954
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2011; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Private
Investor.
|
107
|
Director,
Symantec Corporation (2003-present)
Director, Corcept Therapeutics
Incorporated (2004-present)
Director, Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2009-present)
|
Kiran
M. Patel
1948
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2011; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Retired.
Executive Vice President and General Manager of Small Business Group, Intuit, Inc. (financial software and services firm for consumers and small businesses) (Dec. 2008-Sept. 2013).
|
107
|
Director,
KLA-Tencor Corporation (2008-present)
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore
1956
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Consultant,
Patmore Management Consulting (management consulting) (2008-present).
|
107
|
None
|
Gerald
B. Smith
1950
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2000; Laudus Trust since 2010; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Smith Graham & Co. (investment advisors) (Mar. 1990-present).
|
107
|
Director,
Eaton (2012-present)
Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Oneok Partners LP (2003-2013)
Director, Oneok, Inc. (2009-2013)
Lead Independent Director, Board of Cooper Industries (2002-2012)
|
Joseph
H. Wender
1944
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2008; Laudus Trust since 2010; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Senior
Consultant, Goldman Sachs & Co., Inc. (investment banking and securities firm) (Jan. 2008-present); Co-CEO, Colgin Cellars, LLC (vineyards) (Feb. 1998-present).
|
107
|
Board
Member and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Ionis Pharmaceuticals (1994-present)
Lead Independent Director and Chair of Audit Committee, OUTFRONT Media Inc. (2014-present)
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
1
)
|
Principal
Occupations
During the Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios
in Fund Complex
Overseen by the Trustee
|
Other
Directorships During
the Past Five Years
|
INTERESTED
TRUSTEES
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
2
1960
Chairman and Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and
Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2008; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009; Laudus Trust since 2010)
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Charles Schwab Corporation (Oct. 2008-present); President and Chief Executive Officer (Oct. 2008-present), Director (May 2008-present), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Director, Charles Schwab Bank (Apr.
2006-present); Director (May 2008-present), President and Chief Executive Officer (Aug. 2017-present), Schwab Holdings, Inc.; and Director, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (July 2016-present).
|
107
|
Director,
The Charles Schwab Corporation (2008-present)
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
2
1961
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity
Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), Chief Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Trustee (Jan. 2016-present), President, Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), and Chief
Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs; Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds plc and Charles Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited (Jan. 2011-present); Global Head of Fixed Income Business
Division, BlackRock, Inc. (formerly Barclays Global Investors) (investment management firm) (Mar. 2007-Aug. 2010).
|
107
|
None
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
2
1962
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity
Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Chief
Operating Officer (Feb. 2018-present), Senior Executive Vice President (July 2015-Feb. 2018), The Charles Schwab Corporation; Senior Executive Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (July 2015-present); Chief Financial Officer (July
2015-Aug. 2017), Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (May 2007-July 2015), The Charles Schwab Corporation and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Director, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (May 2007-present); Director (Apr. 2010-present)
and Chief Executive Officer (July 2013-Apr. 2015), Charles Schwab Bank; Director (May 2007-present), Chief Financial Officer (May 2007-Aug. 2017), Senior Executive Vice President (Feb. 2016-present), and Executive Vice President (May 2007-Feb.
2016), Schwab Holdings, Inc.
|
107
|
None
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
3
)
|
Principal
Occupations During the Past Five Years
|
OFFICERS
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
1961
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2010)
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), Chief Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Trustee (Jan. 2016-present), President, Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), and Chief
Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs; Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds plc and Charles Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited (Jan. 2011-present); Global Head of Fixed Income Business
Division, BlackRock, Inc. (formerly Barclays Global Investors) (investment management firm) (Mar. 2007-Aug. 2010).
|
Mark
Fischer
1970
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2013)
|
Treasurer
and Chief Financial Officer, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs (Jan. 2016-present); Assistant Treasurer, Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds (Dec. 2013-Dec. 2015), Schwab ETFs (Nov. 2013-Dec. 2015); Vice President, Charles Schwab Investment
Management, Inc. (Oct. 2013-present); Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Investor Services (Apr. 2011-Sept. 2013); Assistant Treasurer, Massachusetts Financial Service Investment Management (May 2005-Mar. 2011).
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
3
)
|
Principal
Occupations During the Past Five Years
|
OFFICERS
|
George
Pereira
1964
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2004; Laudus Trust since 2006; Schwab Strategic
Trust since 2009)
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Nov. 2004-present), Chief Operating Officer (Jan. 2011-present), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (Jan. 2016-present), Treasurer and Chief
Financial Officer, Laudus Funds (June 2006-Dec. 2015); Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, Schwab Funds (Nov. 2004-Dec. 2015) and Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009-Dec. 2015); Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds plc and Charles Schwab Asset
Management (Ireland) Limited (Apr. 2005-present).
|
Omar
Aguilar
1970
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab
Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2011)
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Apr. 2011-present); Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds
and Schwab ETFs (June 2011-present); Head of the Portfolio Management Group and Vice President of Portfolio Management, Financial Engines, Inc. (investment management firm) (May 2009-Apr. 2011); Head of Quantitative Equity, ING Investment Management
(July 2004-Jan. 2009).
|
Brett
Wander
1961
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus
Trust since 2011)
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Apr. 2011-present); Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs
(June 2011-present); Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Active Fixed-Income Strategies, State Street Global Advisors (Jan. 2008-Oct. 2010); Director of Alpha Strategies Loomis, Sayles & Company (investment management firm) (Apr. 2006-Jan.
2008).
|
David
Lekich
1964
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs
Vice President and Assistant Clerk, Laudus Funds
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity
Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2011)
|
Senior
Vice President (Sept. 2011-present), Vice President (Mar. 2004-Sept. 2011), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel (Sept. 2011-present), Vice President (Jan. 2011-Sept. 2011), Charles Schwab Investment Management,
Inc.; Secretary (Apr. 2011-present) and Chief Legal Officer (Dec. 2011-present), Schwab Funds; Vice President and Assistant Clerk, Laudus Funds (Apr. 2011-present); Secretary (May 2011-present) and Chief Legal Officer (Nov. 2011-present), Schwab
ETFs.
|
Catherine
MacGregor
1964
Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs
Chief Legal Officer, Vice President and Clerk, Laudus Funds
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital
Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2005; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009)
|
Vice
President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (July 2005-present); Vice President (Dec. 2005-present), Chief Legal Officer and Clerk (Mar. 2007-present), Laudus Funds; Vice President (Nov. 2005-present) and
Assistant Secretary (June 2007-present), Schwab Funds; Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009-present).
|
1
|
Each Trustee shall hold
office until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed. The retirement policy requires that each independent trustee retire by December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 74 or the
Trustee’s twentieth year of service as an independent trustee on any trust in the Fund Complex, whichever occurs first.
|
2
|
Mr. Bettinger, Ms. Chandoha
and Mr. Martinetto are Interested Trustees. Mr. Bettinger is an Interested Trustee because he owns stock of CSC, the parent company of CSIM, the investment adviser for the trusts in the Fund Complex, is an employee and director of Schwab, the
principal underwriter for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios, and is a director of CSIM. Ms. Chandoha is an Interested Trustee because she owns stock of CSC and is an employee
and director of CSIM. Mr. Martinetto is an Interested Trustee because he owns stock of CSC and is an employee and director of Schwab.
|
3
|
The President, Treasurer and
Secretary/Clerk hold office until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Each of the other officers serves at the pleasure of the Board.
|
Board Leadership Structure
The Chairman of the Board, Walter W.
Bettinger II, is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of CSC and an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Board is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of trustees who are not
interested persons of the Trust (i.e., independent trustees). The Trust does not have a single lead independent trustee. There are three primary committees of the Board: the Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee; the Governance Committee; and
the Investment Oversight Committee. Each of the Committees is chaired by an independent trustee, and each Committee is comprised solely of independent trustees. The Committee chairs preside at Committee meetings, participate in formulating agendas
for those meetings, and coordinate with management to serve as a liaison between the independent trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of each Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Board has
determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent trustees of the
Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the fact that Committee chairs are independent trustees, the number of funds (and classes) overseen by the Board, and the total number of trustees on the Board.
Board Oversight of Risk Management
Like most investment companies, fund
management and its other service providers have responsibility for day-to-day risk management for the funds. The Board’s duties, as part of its risk oversight of the Trust, consist of monitoring risks identified during regular and special
reports to the Committees of the Board, as well as regular and special reports to the full Board. In addition to monitoring such risks, the Committees and the
Board oversee efforts of fund management and service providers to manage
risks to which the funds of the Trust may be exposed. For example, the Investment Oversight Committee meets with portfolio managers and receives regular reports regarding investment risk and credit risk of a fund’s portfolio. The Audit,
Compliance and Valuation Committee meets with the funds’ Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and receives regular reports regarding compliance risks, operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of
portfolio securities. From its review of these reports and discussions with management, each Committee receives information about the material risks of the funds of the Trust and about how management and service providers mitigate those risks,
enabling the independent Committee chairs and other independent members of the Committees to discuss these risks with the full Board.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the
funds can be identified nor can processes and controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate the occurrence or effects of certain risks; some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the funds, their management, and service providers.
Although the risk oversight functions of the Board, and the risk management policies of fund management and fund service providers, are designed to be effective, there is no guarantee that they will eliminate or mitigate all risks. In addition, it
may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve each fund’s investment objective. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the funds’ ability to manage risk is subject to significant
limitations.
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the trustees should
initially and continue to serve on the Board because of (i) his or her ability to review and understand information about the Trust provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance
of their duties, to question management regarding material factors bearing on the management of the Trust, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Trust’s shareholders and (ii) the
trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills as described below.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Bettinger should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as president and chief executive officer of The Charles Schwab Corporation, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as
trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2008, the Schwab ETFs since 2009, and the Laudus Funds since 2010.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Burns should serve as trustee
of the Trust because of the experience he gained as managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO) and president of PIMCO Funds as well as the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab ETFs since 2009, and
his experience serving as chair of the Schwab ETFs’ Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee until December 2015.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Chandoha should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as president and chief executive officer of Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., the Schwab Funds, Schwab ETFs and Laudus Funds, as well as her knowledge of and experience in financial
and investment management services.
The Board has
concluded that Mr. Cogan should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he has gained serving as a senior fellow and professor of public policy at a university and his former service in government, the experience he has gained
serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2008 and Laudus Funds since 2010, and his service on other public company boards.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Heller
should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as President of TIAA Charitable and as Senior Managing Director at TIAA, the experience she has gained serving on other non-public company boards and her knowledge of and
experience in the financial services industry.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Kochis should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as chair and chief executive officer of Aspiriant, LLC, an advisory firm, as well as his knowledge of and experience in wealth management consulting and the experience he has gained
serving as trustee of the Schwab ETFs since 2012.
The
Board has concluded that Mr. Mahoney should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds since 2011, as co-chief executive officer of a healthcare services company, and his
service on other public company boards.
The Board has
concluded that Mr. Martinetto should serve as trustee of the Trust because of his experience serving as senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Charles Schwab Corporation and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Patel should serve as trustee
of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds since 2011, as executive vice president, general manager and chief financial officer of a software company, his service on other public company
boards, and his experience serving as chair of the Schwab Funds’ and Laudus Funds’ Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Patmore should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of her experience serving as chief financial officer and executive vice president of First Data Payment Business and First Data Corporation, as well as her knowledge of and experience in management consulting.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Smith should serve as trustee
of the Trust because of the experience he has gained as managing partner of his own investment advisory firm, the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2000, as trustee of the Laudus Funds since 2010, his service on
other public company boards, and his experience serving as chair of the Schwab Funds’ and Laudus Funds’ Investment Oversight Committee.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Wender should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as former partner and head of the financial institutions group of an investment bank, the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2008, as trustee of the
Laudus Funds since 2010, and his service on other public company boards.
Trustee Committees
The Board of Trustees has established certain committees and
adopted Committee charters with respect to those committees, each as described below:
•
|
The Audit, Compliance and
Valuation Committee reviews the integrity of the Trust’s financial reporting processes and compliance policies, procedures and processes, and the Trust’s overall system of internal controls. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee
also reviews and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors, and the implementation and operation of the Trust’s valuation policy and procedures. This Committee is comprised of at least
three independent trustees and currently has the following members: Kiran M. Patel (Chairman), John F. Cogan, Nancy F. Heller and Kimberly S. Patmore. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.
|
•
|
The Governance Committee
reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding Trust governance-related matters, including but not limited to Board compensation practices, retirement policies and term limits, Board self-evaluations, the effectiveness and allocation of
assignments and functions by the Board, the composition of Committees of the Board, and the training of trustees. The Governance Committee is responsible for selecting and nominating candidates to serve as trustees. The Governance Committee does not
have a written policy with respect to consideration of candidates for trustee submitted by shareholders. However, if the Governance Committee determined that it would be in the best interests of the Trust to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees,
and a shareholder submitted a candidate for consideration by the Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy, the Governance Committee would evaluate that candidate in the same manner as it evaluates nominees identified by the Governance Committee.
Nominee recommendations may be submitted to the Clerk of the Trust at the Trust’s principal business address. This Committee is comprised of at least three independent trustees and currently has the following members: John F. Cogan (Chairman),
Stephen Timothy Kochis, David L. Mahoney, Kimberly S. Patmore and Joseph H. Wender. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.
|
•
|
The
Investment Oversight Committee reviews the investment activities of the Trust and the performance of the funds’ investment adviser. This Committee is comprised of at least three trustees (at least two-thirds of whom shall be independent
trustees) and currently has the following members: Gerald B. Smith (Chairman), Robert W. Burns, Stephen Timothy Kochis, David L. Mahoney and Joseph H. Wender. The Committee met five times during the most recent fiscal year.
|
Trustee Compensation
The following table provides Trustee
compensation for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, earned with respect to the funds and the Fund Complex.
Name
of Trustee
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the Funds in this SAI
|
Pension
or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Total
Compensation from the Funds
and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
|
Interested
Trustees
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Robert
W. Burns
|
$5,310
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
John
F. Cogan
|
$5,672
|
N/A
|
$313,500
|
Nancy
F. Heller
1
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis
|
$5,310
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
David
L. Mahoney
|
$5,310
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
Kiran
M. Patel
|
$5,672
|
N/A
|
$313,500
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore
|
$5,310
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
Charles
A. Ruffel
2
|
$5,310
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
Gerald
B. Smith
|
$5,672
|
N/A
|
$313,500
|
Name
of Trustee
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the Funds in this SAI
|
Pension
or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Total
Compensation from the Funds
and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Joseph
H. Wender
|
$5,310
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
1
|
Ms. Heller joined the Board
effective June 1, 2018.
|
2
|
Mr. Ruffel
resigned from the Board effective May 15, 2018.
|
Securities Beneficially Owned By Each Trustee
The following table provides each
trustee’s equity ownership of the fund and ownership of all registered investment companies overseen by each trustee in the Family of Investment Companies as of December 31, 2017.
Name
of Trustee
|
Dollar
Range of Trustee Ownership of the Funds Included in the SAI
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Trustee Ownership in the Family
of Investment Companies
|
Interested
Trustees
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Robert
W. Burns
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
John
F. Cogan
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Nancy
F. Heller
1
|
|
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
David
L. Mahoney
|
|
|
$10,001-50,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Kiran
M. Patel
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Name
of Trustee
|
Dollar
Range of Trustee Ownership of the Funds Included in the SAI
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Trustee Ownership in the Family
of Investment Companies
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Gerald
B. Smith
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
Joseph
H. Wender
|
|
|
Over
$100,000
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
1
|
Ms. Heller joined the Board
effective June 1, 2018.
|
As of
December 31, 2017, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of CSIM or any sub-advisers or Schwab, or in a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or
indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with CSIM or any sub-advisers or Schwab.
Investment Advisory and Other Services
Advisory Agreements
After its initial two year term, the continuation of each
fund’s advisory agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (1) by the vote of the trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the investment
advisory agreement or “interested persons” of any party (independent trustees), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
After its initial two year term, each year, the Board of
Trustees will call and hold one or more meetings to decide whether to renew the advisory agreements between the Trust and CSIM (Investment Adviser), and the sub-advisory agreement between CSIM and Mondrian Investment Partners Limited (Subadviser or
Mondrian) with respect to the funds. In preparation for the meetings, the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by CSIM and Mondrian as well as extensive data provided by third parties and the independent trustees receive
advice from counsel to the independent trustees.
Mondrian serves as a subadviser to the funds. Mondrian was
established as a limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales in 1990 under the name Delaware International Advisers Limited, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Delaware Holdings, Inc. In 2004, a senior management team,
together with private equity funds sponsored by Hellman & Friedman LLC, acquired Delaware International Advisers Limited and changed its name to Mondrian Investment Partners Limited. On July 12, 2011, Mondrian completed a transaction to acquire
the remaining 27% of the company that was not already held by the employee-owned partnership. Mondrian is now 100% owned by its senior employees, including the majority of investment professionals, senior client service officers, and senior
operations personnel. Mondrian’s principal office is located at Fifth Floor 10 Gresham Street London EC2V 7JD.
CSIM oversees the advisory services provided to the funds.
Pursuant to a separate sub-advisory agreement, and under the supervision of the Investment Adviser and the funds’ Board of Trustees, Mondrian is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of each fund’s assets. Mondrian also is
responsible for managing their employees who provide services to the funds.
Management Contracts
About CSIM
CSIM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSC. Both CSIM and CSC
are located at 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Principal Executive Officer and Directors — Listed below
are the directors and principal executive officer of CSIM. The principal business address of each director and the principal executive officer, as it relates to their duties at CSIM, is the same as above.
Name
|
Position
|
Marie
Chandoha
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
Director
|
Peter
B. Crawford
|
Director
|
As disclosed in the Prospectus
under the heading “Management of the funds” under management contracts (each a “Management Contract”) between the Trust, on behalf of each fund, and CSIM, subject to the supervision of the trustees of the Trust and such
policies as the trustees may determine, CSIM furnishes office space and equipment, provides certain bookkeeping and clerical services and pays all salaries, fees and expenses of officers and trustees of the Trust who are affiliated with CSIM. In
addition, pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between CSIM and Mondrian, Mondrian will continuously furnish an investment program for each fund and will make investment decisions on behalf of each fund and place all orders for the purchase and sale
of portfolio securities.
Each of the funds has agreed to
pay CSIM a monthly management fee at the annual percentage rate of the relevant fund’s average daily net assets. The table below shows the advisory fee payable to CSIM by each fund.
Fund
|
Agreement
Rate
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
0.75%
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
1.00%
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
0.60%
|
CSIM has agreed with the Trust that it will
waive some or all of its management fees under the Management Contract and, if necessary, will bear certain expenses of each fund until July 30, 2020 (unless the waiver is extended, modified or terminated by mutual agreement of the Trust and CSIM;
provided that termination by CSIM must be authorized by the Board of Trustees) so that each fund’s total annual operating expenses (exclusive of nonrecurring account fees, fees on securities transactions such as exchange fees, service fees,
interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the funds’ business) will not
exceed 0.90% for the Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund; 1.20% for the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund; and 0.75% for the Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund. Any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular
fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by a fund to the investment adviser during the next two fiscal years to the extent that the repayment will not cause the fund’s total annual fund operating expenses to exceed the limit (as stated in
the agreement) during the respective year or the current year. The investment adviser may, but is not required to, extend the agreement for additional years. In addition, CSIM’s compensation under each Management Contract is subject to
reduction to the extent that in any year the expenses of a fund (including investment advisory fees but excluding taxes, portfolio brokerage commissions and any distribution and shareholder service expenses paid by a class of shares of a fund
pursuant to a distribution and shareholder service plan or otherwise) exceed the limits on investment company expenses imposed by any statute or regulatory authority of any jurisdiction in which shares of the fund are qualified for offer and
sale.
Each Management Contract provides that
CSIM shall not be subject to any liability to the Trust or to any shareholder of the Trust in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its
obligations and duties thereunder.
Each Management Contract will continue in
effect for a period no more than two years from the date of its execution, and annual renewals thereof must be approved by (i) vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested
persons” of CSIM or the Trust, and by (ii) the majority vote of either the full Board of Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the relevant fund. Each Management Contract automatically terminates on assignment and is
terminable on 60 days’ notice by the Trust to CSIM or by CSIM to the Trust.
For the fiscal year and period ended March 31, the funds paid
to CSIM as management fees, and CSIM, in its capacity as adviser, has waived and reimbursed to the funds, the following amounts:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
Net
Management Fee
|
$
766,082
|
$
951,419
|
$
636,643
|
Amount
Waived/Reimbursed
|
$
102,612
|
$
77,198
|
$
159,691
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
|
|
Net
Management Fee
|
$3,185,568
|
$3,818,542
|
$4,649,810
|
Amount
Waived/Reimbursed
|
$
49,435
|
$
73,789
|
$
54,381
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
|
|
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Net
Management Fee
|
$
473,295
|
$
728,794
|
$
789,948
|
Amount
Waived/Reimbursed
|
$
62,289
|
$
52,325
|
$
78,310
|
Subadvisory Agreement
On October 5, 2011, the shareholders of the Laudus Mondrian
International Equity Fund, Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund, and Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund approved the new Subadviser Agreement between CSIM and Mondrian which was substantially identical to the interim
subadvisory agreement in place on July 12, 2011 (with the exception of effective and termination dates and certain items required by the 1940 Act). The Interim Agreement was substantially identical to the prior subadvisory agreement in effect prior
to July 12, 2011 between CSIM and Mondrian with respect to the funds. Under the Subadvisory Agreements, Mondrian, at its expense, continuously furnishes an investment management program for the particular fund and makes investment decisions on
behalf of such fund and places all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and all other investments, subject to the supervision of CSIM and the Trustees.
Subadvisory Fee
This section describes the subadvisory fee payable by CSIM to
Mondrian. Please remember, however, that the following fees described are paid by CSIM to Mondrian; they do not affect how much you pay or your fund pays.
Fund
|
Subadvisory
Fee
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
First
$250 million
|
0.40%
|
Over
$250 million
|
0.325%
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
First
$250 million
|
0.65%
|
Over
$250million
|
0.60%
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
First
$250 million
|
0.30%
|
Over
$250 million
|
0.265%
|
For the fiscal year and period
ended March 31, CSIM paid to Mondrian as subadvisory fees, and Mondrian in its capacity as Subadviser, has waived the following amounts:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
Net
Subadvisory Fee
|
$
463,578
|
$
547,773
|
$
425,827
|
Amount
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
|
|
Net
Subadvisory Fee
|
$2,066,661
|
$2,460,003
|
$2,950,137
|
Amount
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
|
|
Net
Subadvisory Fee
|
$
267,596
|
$
392,105
|
$
434,145
|
Amount
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Administrative Services
The Trust has entered into a Fund Administration Agreement
with State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) (in such capacity, the “Administrator”) pursuant to which the Administrator provides certain management and administrative services necessary for the funds’
operations including: (i) regulatory compliance, including the compilation of information for documents such as reports to, and filings with, the SEC and state securities commissions, and preparation of proxy statements and shareholder reports for
the funds; (ii) general supervision relative to the compilation of data required for the preparation of periodic reports distributed to the funds’ officers and Board of Trustees; and (iii) furnishing office space and certain facilities
required for conducting the business of the funds. For these services, the Administrator is entitled to receive $1,000 per fund per annum, as well as a fee based on the average daily net assets of the Trust (Administrator’s Asset-Based Fee).
In calculating the Administrator’s Asset Based-Fee payable by the Trust, the assets of the Trust are aggregated with the average daily net assets of each of the other portfolios for which CSIM serves as investment adviser and State Street
serves as administrator
1
.
1
|
In addition to the funds of
the Trust, this list includes each of the funds of Schwab Investments, The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, and Schwab Capital Trust.
|
For the fiscal year and period ended March 31, State Street in
its capacity as the Administrator was paid, and waived, the following amounts:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
Fees
Received
|
$7,379
|
$7,744
|
$
7,829
|
Fees
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
|
|
Fees
Received
|
$8,443
|
$9,531
|
$10,975
|
Fees
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
|
|
Fees
Received
|
$5,440
|
$5,904
|
$
6,080
|
Fees
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Distributor
Charles Schwab & Co. (Schwab), located at 211 Main Street,
San Francisco, California 94105, is the principal underwriter and distributor of shares of the funds. Schwab has entered into an agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of the funds (the Distribution Agreement). Schwab
continually distributes shares of the funds on a best effort basis. Schwab has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually
thereafter in accordance with the 1940 Act. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the funds through Schwab, as described in the funds’ prospectus. Schwab is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the 1934 Act) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Schwab is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation, a publicly traded company. The funds pay for prospectus and shareholder reports to be prepared and
delivered to existing shareholders. Schwab pays such costs when the described materials are used in connection with the offering of shares to prospective investors and for supplemental sales literature and advertising. Schwab receives no fee under
the Distribution Agreement; however, as described below in “Payments to Financial Intermediaries,” CSIM compensates Schwab, in its capacity as a financial intermediary and not in its capacity as distributor and principal underwriter for
the funds, for providing certain additional services that may be deemed to be distribution-related.
The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated
at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940
Act).
Prior to June 29, 2018, shares of the funds were
sold on a continuous basis by the Trust’s previous distributor, ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS). ALPS’s principal offices are located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado, 80203. Under the distribution contract between the Trust
and ALPS, ALPS was not obligated to sell any specific amount of shares of the Trust and purchased shares for resale only against orders for shares.
Prior to the consolidation of the Investor Shares into the
Institutional Shares of each of the Equity Funds, the Investor Shares were subject to a Distribution and Shareholder Service Plan (Plan). The Plan was terminated on July 25, 2017, when the Investor Shares consolidated into the Institutional Shares.
Pursuant to the Plan, in connection with the distribution of Investor Shares of the Equity Funds and/or in connection with the provision of direct client service, personal services, maintenance of shareholder accounts and reporting services to
holders of such Investor Shares, the Distributor received certain distribution and shareholder service fees from the Trust. The distribution and shareholder service fees were not retained by the Distributor but were instead reallowed to the
financial intermediaries who provide these services. The Distributor could pay all or a portion of the distribution and shareholder service fees it receives from the Trust to intermediaries.
The Plan was a “compensation” plan. This means
that the fees were payable to compensate the Distributor or another intermediary for services rendered even if the amount paid exceeded the Distributor’s or intermediary’s expenses. Because these fees were paid out of the funds’
assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees would have increased the cost of your investment and may have cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
The Distributor paid intermediaries on
behalf of the funds for the expenses incurred by the funds under the Plan. For the three fiscal years ended March 31, the funds incurred distribution expenses and paid intermediaries as follows:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
Distribution
Expenses Incurred by the Fund
|
$5,441
|
$16,373
|
$11,645
|
Distribution
Expenses Paid to Intermediaries
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
|
|
Distribution
Expenses Incurred by the Fund
|
$2,331
|
$
7,791
|
$10,307
|
Distribution
Expenses Paid to Intermediaries
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
|
|
Distribution
Expenses Incurred by the Fund
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Distribution
Expenses Paid to Intermediaries
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
CSIM and its affiliates may make payments to broker-dealers,
banks, trust companies, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers, consultants and other financial intermediaries (Intermediaries) for services and expenses incurred in connection with certain activities or services which may educate
financial advisors or facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the funds and other investment companies advised by CSIM, including the Schwab ETFs. These payments are made by CSIM or its affiliates at their own expense, and not from the
assets of the funds. Although a portion of CSIM’s and its affiliates’ revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the funds, these payments do not increase the expenses paid by investors for the purchase of fund
shares, or the cost of owning a fund.
These payments may
relate to educational efforts regarding the funds, or for other activities, such as marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, data analytics and support, the development and support of
technology platforms and/or reporting systems. In addition, CSIM may make payments to Intermediaries that make shares of the funds available to their customers or otherwise promote the funds, which may include Intermediaries that allow customers to
buy and sell fund shares without paying a commission or other transaction charge. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing or marketing support.
Payments made to Intermediaries may be significant and may
cause an Intermediary to make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive. As a result, these
payments could create conflicts of interest between an Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the funds over other investments.
As of July 27, 2018, CSIM anticipates that Cambridge
Investment Research, Inc., Ladenburg Thalmann Advisor Network LLC, LPL Financial LLC, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC will receive these payments. CSIM may enter into similar agreements with other
FINRA member firms (or their affiliates) in the future. In addition to member firms of FINRA, CSIM and its affiliates may also make these payments to certain other financial intermediaries, such as banks, trust companies, insurance companies, and
plan administrators and consultants that sell fund shares or provide services to the funds and their shareholders. These firms may not be included in this list. You should ask your financial intermediary if it receives such payments.
As noted above, CSIM also makes payments to Schwab for certain
additional services provided by Schwab, in its capacity as an affiliated financial intermediary and not as distributor and principal underwriter of the funds, with regard to its brokerage customers who are shareholders of the funds. These payments
may include services related to sales lead generation, client support, assistance with public relations, marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, data analytics and support, and the
development and support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems.
Custodian and Fund Accountant
The Trust’s custodian is State Street (in such capacity,
the “Custodian”), One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111. As such, the Custodian holds in safekeeping certificated securities and cash belonging to the Trust and, in such capacity, is the registered owner of securities in book-entry form
belonging to the fund. Upon instruction, the Custodian receives and delivers cash and securities of the fund in connection with fund transactions and collects all dividends and other distributions made with respect to fund portfolio
securities.
The Trust also has entered into a Fund
Accounting Agreement with State Street (in such capacity, the “Fund Accountant”) pursuant to which the Fund Accountant provides certain accounting services necessary for the funds’ operations.
For the fiscal year and period ended March 31, State Street in
its capacity as Fund Accountant was paid, and waived, the following amounts:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
Fees
Received
|
$20,849
|
$22,238
|
$24,207
|
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
|
|
Fees
Received
|
$53,897
|
$52,300
|
$61,024
|
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
|
|
Fees
Received
|
$16,167
|
$15,997
|
$13,674
|
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Transfer Agent
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., 2000 Crown Colony Drive,
Quincy, MA 02169-0953, provides transfer agency and dividend disbursing agent services for the funds. As part of these services, the firm maintains records pertaining to the sale, redemption and transfer of the funds shares and distributes the funds
cash distributions to shareholders.
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
The funds independent registered public accounting firm,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Three Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, California 94111, audits and reports on the annual financial statements of the funds and reviews certain regulatory reports and each fund’s federal income tax return.
PwC also performs other professional, accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services when engaged to do so by the Trust.
Securities Lending Activities
As of the most recent fiscal year-end, the funds had not
entered into a contract with a securities lending agent and were not engaged in securities lending.
Code of Ethics
The funds, CSIM and Schwab have adopted a Code of Ethics as
required under the 1940 Act. Subject to certain conditions or restrictions, the Code of Ethics permits the trustees, directors, officers or advisory representatives of the funds or CSIM or the directors or officers of Schwab to buy or sell directly
or indirectly securities for their own accounts. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the funds. Securities transactions by some of these individuals may be subject to prior approval of the investment adviser’s Chief
Compliance Officer or alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting and review requirements.
Mondrian’s code of ethics permits personnel to buy or
sell securities for their own accounts and accounts for which they are the beneficial owner so long as the investment does not lead to an actual or potential conflict of interest. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the funds
Mondrian advises or subadvises. Securities transactions may be subject to prior approval of Mondrian’s Chief Compliance Officer or his or her alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting and review
requirements.
Portfolio Managers
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited (Mondrian) sub-advises each
of the funds.
Other Accounts.
In addition to the funds, the portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below, as of March 31, 2018.
|
Registered
Investment Companies
|
Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts (separate accounts)
|
Name
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Other
Accounts Managed by:
|
Emerging
Markets Managers
|
Andrew
Miller
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
0
|
$
0
|
5
|
$3,632,000,000
|
10
|
$6,744,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
3
|
$
357,000,000
|
3
|
$
601,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
Ginny
Chong
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
0
|
$
0
|
2
|
$3,333,000,000
|
6
|
$3,269,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
2
|
$
280,000,000
|
1
|
$
230,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
International
Equity Managers
†
|
Elizabeth
Desmond
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
1
|
$
491,000,000
|
2
|
$5,368,000,000
|
18
|
$7,537,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
5
|
$3,610,000,000
|
4
|
$1,053,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
Nigel
Bliss
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
1
|
$
491,000,000
|
2
|
$5,368,000,000
|
11
|
$5,682,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
5
|
$3,610,000,000
|
4
|
$1,606,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
Melissa
Platt
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
1
|
$
491,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
7
|
$4,445,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
2
|
$1,626,000,000
|
6
|
$1,465,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
|
Registered
Investment Companies
|
Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts (separate accounts)
|
Name
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
International
Fixed Income Managers
|
David
Wakefield
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
0
|
$
0
|
4
|
$
163,000,000
|
3
|
$
946,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
1
|
$
703,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
0
|
$
0
|
Matthew
Day
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
0
|
$
0
|
2
|
$
140,000,000
|
3
|
$
74,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
1
|
$
703,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
0
|
$
0
|
Joanna
Bates
|
Advisory
Relationship
|
0
|
$
0
|
4
|
$
788,000,000
|
1
|
$
841,000,000
|
Sub-Advisory
Relationship
|
0
|
$
0
|
2
|
$
293,000,000
|
0
|
$
0
|
†
|
Mondrian manages its accounts
using a team-based approach. Accordingly, client accounts are assigned to more than one portfolio manager, therefore the accounts listed above may be attributed to more than one of the portfolio managers listed.
|
Potential Conflicts of Interests
Mondrian does not foresee any material conflicts of interest
that may arise in its management of the Funds, and of any other accounts managed with similar investment guidelines. Mondrian acts solely as an investment manager and does not engage in any other business activities. The following is a list of some
potential conflicts of interest that can arise in the course of its investment management business activities together with a summary of Mondrian’s policy in that area:
Allocation of aggregated trades
Mondrian may from time to time aggregate trades for a number
of its clients. In the vast majority of situations a trade will be prorated across all participating accounts. There are a small number of situations where a different allocation model is applied. For example, for equities when the amounts involved
are too small to be evenly proportioned in a cost efficient manner; for bonds where a minimum lot size and/or a minimum trading size do not permit a pro rata allocation. For these situations Mondrian applies an allocation model that takes account of
the size of the individual orders.
Mondrian’s
policy requires that all allocations of aggregated trades must be fair between clients. Mondrian monitors the effectiveness of its allocation process to ensure that clients are being treated fairly over a given period (usually annually) and to
remain satisfied that the process is fair. In addition, Mondrian performs periodic reviews of portfolio performance dispersion to confirm that clients with the same or similar investment mandates have been fairly treated.
Allocation of investment opportunities
Mondrian is an investment manager of multiple client
portfolios. As such, it has to ensure that investment opportunities are allocated fairly between clients. There is a potential risk that Mondrian may favor one client over another client in making allocations of investment opportunities.
Mondrian makes security selection decisions at committee level
and those securities identified as investment opportunities are added to a list of approved securities; portfolios will hold only such approved securities. All portfolios governed by the same or a similar mandate will be structured similarly (that
is, will hold the same or comparable stocks), and will exhibit similar characteristics. Sale and purchase opportunities identified at regular investment meetings will be applied to portfolios across the board, subject to the requirements of
individual client mandates.
Allocation of IPO
opportunities
New issues, including Initial Public
Offerings (IPOs) present a potential conflict of interest when they are priced at a discount to the anticipated secondary market price and the issuer has restricted or scaled back its allocation due to market demand. In such instances, the new issue
allocation could be allocated to selected clients with others not receiving the allocation they would otherwise be entitled to.
Mondrian clients with relevant mandates are given an equal
opportunity, proportionate to the size of their portfolio, to participate in IPO trades, and that all IPO purchases are allocated on a strict pro-rata basis.
Dealing in investments as principal in connection with the
provision of seed capital
A conflict of interest exists
when a portfolio management firm manages its own money alongside client money.
Mondrian generally does not trade for its own account.
However, Mondrian and its affiliates have provided the seed capital to certain investment vehicles that have been established by Mondrian group entities. Mondrian serves as the investment manager to these investment vehicles.
Mondrian operates pursuant to dealing policies designed to
ensure the fair and equal treatment of all clients e.g., the allocation of aggregated trades among clients. These policies ensure that any portfolios in which Mondrian has an investment interest do not receive favorable treatment relative to other
client portfolios.
Directorships and external
arrangements
Certain Mondrian staff may hold positions
in external organizations. There is a potential risk that Mondrian personnel may place their own interests (resulting from outside employment / directorships) ahead of the interests of Mondrian clients. Before accepting an executive or non-executive
directorship or any other appointment in another company, employees, including executive directors, must obtain the prior approval of Mondrian’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mondrian states that its Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) must also
be informed of all such appointments and changes. The CEO and CCO will only permit appointments that would not present a conflict of interest with the individual’s responsibilities to Mondrian clients.
Dual agency
Dual Agency (also known as Cross Trading) concerns those
transactions where Mondrian may act as agent for both the buyer and seller. In such circumstances there is a potential conflict of interest as it may be possible to favor one client over another when establishing the execution price and/or
commission rate.
Although it rarely does so, Mondrian
may act as agent for both buying and selling parties with respect to transactions in investments. If Mondrian proposes to act in such capacity, the Portfolio Manager will first obtain approval from the CCO. The CCO has an obligation to ensure that
both parties are treated fairly in any such trade.
Employee personal account dealing
There are a number of potential conflicts when staff of an
investment firm engage in buying and selling securities for their personal account.
Mondrian has arrangements in place to ensure that none of its
directors, officers or employees (or persons connected to them by way of a business or domestic relationship) effects any transaction for their own account which conflicts with client interests.
Mondrian rules which govern personal account dealing and
general ethical standards are set out in Mondrian Investment Partner’s Code of Ethics.
Gifts and entertainment (received)
In the normal course of its business Mondrian employees may
receive gifts and entertainment from third parties e.g., brokers and other service providers and this results in a potential conflict of interest when selecting third parties to provide services to Mondrian and its clients.
Mondrian has a policy which requires that gifts and
entertainment received are reported to Mondrian’s CCO (any items in excess of £10 ($15) require pre-approval). All gifts and entertainment are reviewed by Mondrian to ensure that they are not inappropriate and that Mondrian staff have not
been unduly influenced by them.
Gifts and entertainment
(given)
In the normal course of business, its employees
may provide gifts and entertainment to third parties. Excessively lavish gifts and entertainment would be inappropriate.
Mondrian has a policy which requires that any gifts and
entertainment provided are reported to Mondrian’s Chief Compliance Officer (any items in excess of £200 ($300) require pre-approval).
All gifts and entertainment are reviewed by Mondrian to ensure
that they are not inappropriate and that Mondrian staff have not attempted to obtain undue influence from them.
Performance fees
Where an investment firm has clients with a performance fee
arrangement there is a risk that those clients could be favored over clients without performance fees.
Mondrian charges fees as a proportion of assets under
management. In a very limited number of situations, in addition to this fee basis, certain accounts also include a performance fee basis.
The potential conflict of interest arising from these fee
arrangements is addressed by Mondrian’s procedures for the allocation of aggregated trades among clients. Investment opportunities are allocated totally independently of fee arrangements.
Soft dollar policy
Mondrian does not use client commissions to pay for any soft
dollar services, including those services permitted by the “Safe Harbor” in Section 28(e) of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, such as proprietary research. Client commissions are solely used to compensate the broker/dealer for the
cost of executing the trade.
Compensation of Portfolio Managers
Mondrian has the following programs in place to retain key
investment staff:
1.
|
Competitive Salary
– All investment professionals are remunerated with a competitive base salary. Salaries are reviewed annually and benchmarked against industry standards.
|
2.
|
Profit Sharing Bonus Pool
- All Mondrian staff, including portfolio managers and senior officers, qualify for participation in an annual profit sharing pool determined by the company’s profitability (approximately 30% of profits).
|
3.
|
Equity
Ownership
- Mondrian is employee owned. A high proportion of senior Mondrian staff (investment professionals and other support functions) are shareholders in the business. Equity value is built up over many years
with long vesting periods and the value of any individual’s equity is normally paid out in installments over a number of years post an agreed retirement from the firm. This is a (very) long term incentive plan directly tied to the long term
equity value of the firm.
|
Incentives (Bonus and Equity Programs) focus on the key areas
of a) research quality, b) long-term and short-term stock performance, c) teamwork, d) client service and e) marketing. As an individual’s ability to influence these factors depends on that individual’s position and seniority within the
firm, so the allocation to these factors and of participation in these programs will reflect this.
At Mondrian, the investment management of particular
portfolios is not “star manager” based but uses a team system. This means that Mondrian’s investment professionals are primarily assessed on their contribution to the team’s effort and results, though with an important
element of their assessment being focused on the quality of their individual research contribution.
Remuneration
Committee
In determining the amount of bonus and
equity awarded, Mondrian’s Board of Directors consults with the company’s Remuneration Committee, who will make recommendations based on a number of factors including investment research, investment performance contribution, organization
management, team work, client servicing and marketing.
Defined Contribution Pension Plan
All portfolio managers are members of the Mondrian defined
contribution pension plan where Mondrian pays a regular monthly contribution and the member may pay additional voluntary contributions if they wish. The plan is governed by trustees who have responsibility for the trust fund and payments of benefits
to members. In addition, the plan provides death benefits for death in service and a spouse’s or dependants’ pension may also be payable.
Mondrian remuneration
philosophy
The guiding principle of the
company’s compensation programs is to enable it to retain and motivate a team of high quality employees with both attractive shorter term remuneration and long-term equity incentives that are appropriately competitive, well-structured and
which help align the aspirations of individuals with those of the company and its clients. Through widespread equity ownership, we believe that Mondrian as an owner operated business provides an excellent incentive structure that is highly likely to
continue to attract, hold and motivate a talented team.
Approximately 80 Mondrian employees are equity owners of the
business representing about 50% of the total staff. In determining whether an employee should become an owner, Mondrian has to date focused on senior management, investment professionals and senior client service and operations personnel. The equity
owners represent those staff recognized as either a significant contributor currently or in the future and awards focus in particular on key investment professionals.
Ownership of Fund Shares.
As of June 29, 2018, none of the portfolio managers beneficially owned shares of the funds they managed.
Portfolio Transactions
Investment Decisions.
The
purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the funds and for the other investment advisory clients of Mondrian are made by it with a view to achieving each client’s investment objective. For example, a particular security may be purchased
or sold on behalf of certain clients of Mondrian even though it could also have been purchased or sold for other clients at the same time.
Likewise, a particular security may be purchased on behalf of
one or more clients when Mondrian is selling the same security on behalf of one or more other clients. In some instances, therefore, Mondrian, acting for one client may sell a particular security to another client indirectly. It also happens that
two or more clients may simultaneously buy or sell the same security, in which event purchases or sales are effected pro rata on the basis of cash available or another equitable basis so as to avoid any one account being preferred over any other
account.
Mondrian makes decisions with respect to the purchase and sale
of portfolio securities on behalf of the funds. Mondrian is responsible for implementing these decisions, including the negotiation of commissions and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage. Purchases and sales of securities on
a stock exchange or certain riskless principal transactions placed on NASDAQ are typically effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. Purchases and sales of fixed income securities may be transacted with the issuer, the
issuer’s underwriter, or a dealer. The funds do not usually pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fixed income securities, although the price of the securities generally includes compensation, in the form of a spread or a mark-up
or mark-down, which is not disclosed separately. The prices the funds pay to underwriters of newly-issued securities usually include a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter. Transactions placed through dealers who are serving as primary
market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. The money market securities in which certain of the funds invest are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage
commissions or transfer taxes.
Brokerage and Research
Services.
It is Mondrian’s policy to select brokers for fund trades on the basis of “best execution.” As a fiduciary to its advisory clients, Mondrian endeavors to seek best execution for client
transactions by executing securities transactions for its clients in such a manner that the client’s net costs or proceeds in each transaction are the most favorable under the circumstances, i.e., by seeking to obtain not necessarily the
lowest commission cost, but the best overall qualitative execution.
In determining which broker offers best execution for a
particular transaction, Mondrian maintains a list of approved brokers and Mondrian’s traders consider a number of factors, including: (i) the broker’s effectiveness in executing trades; (ii) the reliability, integrity, confidentiality,
promptness, reputation and financial condition of the broker (including the trader’s past execution history with the broker); (iii) the size of the trade, its relative difficulty and the security’s trading characteristics and liquidity;
(iv) the quality and breadth of products offered by the broker; and (v) the broker’s willingness to accept Mondrian’s standardized commission rates.
Mondrian may aggregate client orders for the purpose of
purchasing or selling particular securities. The aggregation of orders may provide an overall benefit to Mondrian’s clients by achieving, in aggregate, a relatively better purchase or sale price, lower commission expenses, lower market impact,
beneficial timing of transactions, or a combination of such factors. Aggregated trades are allocated automatically among various clients by Mondrian’s investment model which includes “fairness rules” designed to allocate the
aggregated trades across individual client accounts in a way that is intended to ensure fair and equitable treatment on average over time for all clients.
Mondrian may cause a fund to pay a higher commission than
otherwise obtainable from other brokers or dealers in return for brokerage or research services if Mondrian believes that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided. In addition to agency transactions, Mondrian may receive
brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC and other regulatory guidelines. In both instances, these services may include: economic, industry, or company research
reports or investment recommendations. Mondrian may use research services furnished by brokers or dealers in servicing all fund accounts, and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions or spreads to
the broker or dealer providing such services.
Performance
Comparisons.
Investors may judge the performance of the funds by comparing them to the performance of other mutual fund portfolios with comparable investment objectives and policies through various mutual fund or
market indices such as those prepared by Dow Jones & Co., Inc. and Standard & Poor’s and to data prepared by Lipper, Inc., a widely recognized independent service which monitors the performance of mutual funds. Comparisons may also be
made to indices or data published in Money Magazine, Forbes, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, Morningstar, Inc., Ibbotson Associates, CDA/Weisenberger, The New York Times, Business Week, U.S.A. Today, Institutional Investor and other
periodicals. In addition to performance information, general information about the funds that appears in publications such as those mentioned above may be included in advertisements, sales literature and reports to shareholders. The funds may also
include in advertisements and reports to shareholders information discussing the performance of Mondrian in comparison to other investment advisers and to other institutions.
From time to time, the Trust may include the following types
of information in advertisements, supplemental sales literature and reports to shareholders: (1) discussions of general economic or financial principles (such as the effects of inflation, the power of compounding and the benefits of dollar cost
averaging); (2) discussions of general economic trends; (3) presentations of statistical data to supplement such discussions; (4) descriptions of past or anticipated portfolio holdings for the funds; (5) descriptions of investment strategies for the
funds; (6) descriptions or comparisons of various investment products, which may or may not include the funds; (7) comparisons of investment products (including the funds) with relevant market or industry indices or other appropriate benchmarks; (8)
discussions of fund rankings or ratings by recognized rating organizations; and (9) testimonials describing the experience of persons that have invested in a fund. The Trust may also include calculations, such as hypothetical compounding examples,
which describe hypothetical investment results in such communications. Such performance examples will be based on an express set of assumptions and are not indicative of the performance of a fund.
For the fiscal year and period ended March 31, the funds paid
brokerage commissions as follows:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
|
|
|
Amount
|
$
22,368
|
$
34,069
|
$
40,294
|
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
|
|
|
Amount
|
$203,687
|
$252,777
|
$307,377
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
|
|
|
Amount
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Regular Broker-Dealers
During the fiscal year, certain of the funds
held securities issued by their respective “regular broker-dealers” (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act), indicated below as of March 31, 2018.
Fund
|
Regular
Broker-Dealer
|
Value
of Holdings
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity Fund
|
None
|
N/A
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
|
None
|
N/A
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
|
None
|
N/A
|
Description Of The
Trust And Ownership Of Shares
The Trust is an open-end
series investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on April 1, 1988. A copy of the Third Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust (Declaration of Trust), is on file with the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The fiscal year of the Trust ends on March 31. The Trust changed its name to “Barr Rosenberg Series Trust” from “Rosenberg Series Trust” on August 5, 1996. Effective March 30, 2004, the Trust
changed its name to the “Laudus Trust.”
Interests in the Trust’s portfolios are currently
represented by shares of four series, the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund, Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund, Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund and Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund issued pursuant to the
Declaration of Trust.
Each fund has one class of shares.
As of July 25, 2017, the three share classes of the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund and Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund were combined into a single share class and the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund and Laudus Mondrian
International Equity Fund no longer offered multiple classes of shares. As of July 27, 2009, the three share classes of the Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund were combined into a single share class and the Laudus Mondrian
International Government Fixed Income Fund no longer offered multiple classes of shares.
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence
of the Trust. The Trust may, however, be terminated at any time by vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each series of the Trust or by the vote of the Trustees by written notice to shareholders.
Voting Rights
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held
(with fractional votes for fractional shares held) and will vote (to the extent provided herein) in the election of Trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders. Shareholders will vote by
individual series on all matters except (i) when required by the 1940 Act, shares shall be voted in the aggregate and not by individual series and (ii) when the Trustees have determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more
series, then only shareholders of such series shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shareholders of one series shall not be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting another series, such matters including, without limitation, the adoption of or
change in any fundamental policies or restrictions of the other series and the approval of the investment advisory contracts of the other series.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the
purpose of electing Trustees, except that in accordance with the 1940 Act (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders’ meeting for the election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been elected by
shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board of Trustees, less than two-thirds of the Independent Trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In
addition, Trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust’s custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a
meeting duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Upon written request by the holders of at least 1% of the outstanding shares stating that such
shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a Trustee, the Trust has undertaken to provide a list of shareholders or to disseminate
appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders). Except as set forth above, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. Voting rights are not cumulative.
No amendment may be made to the Declaration of Trust without
the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust except (i) to change the Trust’s name or to cure technical problems in the Declaration of Trust and (ii) to establish, liquidate, designate or modify new and existing
series, sub-series or classes of shares of any series of Trust shares or other provisions relating to Trust shares in response to applicable laws or regulations. Trustees may, without approval of the relevant shareholders, amend the Declaration of
Trust to combine, recognize or merge one or more series or classes of the Trust into a single series or class on such terms and conditions as the Trustees shall determine.
Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for
inclusion in a proxy statement for a future shareholder meeting should send their written submissions to the Trust at P. O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. Proposals must be received a reasonable time in advance of a proxy solicitation to be
included. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee inclusion in a proxy statement because proposals must comply with certain federal securities regulations.
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement,
obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the Trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of all the property of the relevant series for all loss and expense of any shareholder of that series held
personally liable for the obligations of the Trust solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered remote since it is limited to
circumstances in which the disclaimer is inoperative and the series of which he is or was a shareholder would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees
will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against any liability to which the Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office. The Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification by the Trust of the Trustees and the officers of the Trust against liabilities and expenses
reasonably incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust, except if it is determined in the manner specified in the Declaration of Trust that such Trustees are liable to the Trust or its
shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.
Proxy Voting
The Board has delegated the
responsibility for voting proxies to CSIM. The trustees have adopted CSIM’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various Schwab Funds portfolios. A description of CSIM’s Proxy Voting Policy
and Procedures is included in Appendix – Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures.
The Trust is required to disclose annually the funds’
complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The funds’ proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available by visiting the Schwab Funds’ website at www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus. The
funds’ Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
For this section only, the following disclosure relates to The
Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust (collectively, the Trusts) and each series thereunder (each a fund and collectively, the funds).
The Trusts’ Board has approved policies and procedures
that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the
funds’ portfolio securities is in the best interests of fund shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the funds’ shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the funds’ investment adviser,
subadviser (if applicable), principal underwriter or any affiliated person of a fund, its investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized one of the President, Chief
Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Trusts (in consultation with a fund’s subadviser, if applicable) to authorize the release of the funds’ portfolio holdings prior to regular public disclosure (as outlined in the
prospectus and below) or regular public filings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles.
The Board exercises on-going oversight of the disclosure of
fund portfolio holdings by overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the funds’ policies and procedures by the Chief Compliance Officer and by considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any
material compliance matters. The Board will receive periodic updates, at least annually, regarding entities which were authorized to be provided “early disclosure” of the funds’ portfolio holdings information and will periodically
review any agreements that the Trusts have entered into to selectively disclose portfolio holdings.
Portfolio holdings may be made available on a selective basis
to ratings agencies, certain industry organizations, consultants and other qualified financial professionals when the appropriate officer of the Trusts determines such disclosure meets the requirements noted above and serves a
legitimate business purpose. Agreements entered into with such entities will
describe the permitted use of portfolio holdings and provide that, among other customary confidentiality provisions: (i) the portfolio holdings will be kept confidential; (ii) the person will not trade on the basis of any material non-public
information; and (iii) the information will be used only for the purpose described in the agreement.
The funds’ service providers including, without
limitation, the investment adviser, subadvisers (if applicable), the distributor, the custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, counsel, auditor, proxy voting service provider, pricing information vendors, trade execution measurement vendors,
portfolio management system providers, securities lending agents, publisher, printer and mailing agent may receive disclosure of portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with the services they perform for the funds. CSIM,
any subadviser to a fund as disclosed in the most current prospectus, Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC, State Street and/or Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., as service providers to the funds, are currently receiving this information on a daily basis.
Donnelley Financial Solutions, as a service provider to the funds, is currently receiving this information on a quarterly basis. PwC, the Transfer Agent, and the Distributor, as service providers to the funds, receive this information on an
as-needed basis. Service providers are subject to a duty of confidentiality with respect to any portfolio holdings information they receive whether imposed by the confidentiality provisions of the service providers’ agreements with the Trusts
or by the nature of its relationship with the Trusts. Although certain of the service providers are not under formal confidentiality obligations in connection with disclosure of portfolio holdings, a fund will not continue to conduct business with a
service provider who the fund believes is misusing the disclosed information.
To the extent that a fund invests in an ETF, the Trusts will,
when required by the exemptive orders issued by the SEC to ETF sponsors and the procedures adopted by the Board, promptly notify the ETF in writing of any purchase or acquisition of shares of the ETF that causes the fund to hold (i) 5% or more of
such ETF’s total outstanding voting securities, and (ii) 10% or more of such ETF’s total outstanding voting securities. In addition, CSIM will, upon causing a fund to acquire more than 3% of an ETF’s outstanding shares, notify the
ETF of the investment.
The funds’ policies and
procedures prohibit the funds, the funds’ investment adviser or any related party from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.
Generally, a complete list of a fund’s portfolio
holdings is published on the fund’s website www.schwabfunds.com on the “Prospectuses & Reports” tab under “Portfolio Holdings” generally 60-80 days after a fund’s fiscal quarter-end in-line with regulatory
filings unless a different timing is outlined in the fund’s prospectus.
Specifically for the Schwab ETFs, each Schwab ETF discloses
its portfolio holdings and the percentages the holdings represent of the fund’s net assets at least monthly on the website and as often as each day the fund is open for business. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with
the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units for the Schwab ETFs may be provided to other entities that provided services to the funds in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.
The Schwab Money Funds have an ongoing arrangement to make
available information about the funds’ portfolio holdings and information derived from the funds’ portfolio holdings to iMoneyNet, a rating and ranking organization, which is subject to a confidentiality agreement. Under its arrangement
with the funds, iMoneyNet, among other things, receives information concerning the funds’ net assets, yields, maturities and portfolio compositions on a weekly basis, subject to a one business day lag.
On the website, the funds also may provide, on a monthly or
quarterly basis, information regarding certain attributes of a fund’s portfolio, such as a fund’s top ten holdings, sector weightings, composition, credit quality and duration and maturity, as applicable. This information is generally
updated within 5-25 days after the end of the period. This information on the website is publicly available to all categories of persons.
The funds may disclose non-material information including
commentary and aggregate information about the characteristics of a fund in connection with or relating to a fund or its portfolio securities to any person if such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose, such disclosure does not effectively
result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio securities of any fund (which can only be disclosed in accordance with the above requirements), and such information does not constitute material non-public information. Such disclosure does not
fall within the portfolio securities disclosure requirements outlined above.
Whether the information constitutes material non-public
information will be made on a good faith determination, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. In most cases, commentary or analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient in making a
decision concerning a fund. Commentary and analysis include, but are not limited to, the allocation of a fund’s portfolio securities and other investments among various asset classes, sectors, industries and countries, the characteristics of
the stock components and other investments of a fund, the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry and country, and the volatility characteristics of a fund.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of
Securities
As of June 29, 2018, the officers and
trustees of the Trust, as a group, owned, of record or beneficially, less than 1% of the outstanding voting securities of the funds.
The appendix, “Principal Holders of Securities”,
lists persons or entities that owned, of record or beneficially, 5% or more of the outstanding equity securities of a fund as of June 29, 2018 of Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund, Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund and Laudus Mondrian
International Government Fixed Income Fund. Those persons who beneficially own more than 25% of a particular fund may be
deemed to control such fund. As a result, it may not be possible for matters
subject to a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a fund to be approved without the affirmative vote of such shareholder, and it may be possible for such matters to be approved by such shareholder without the affirmative vote
of any other shareholder.
Determination Of Net Asset Value
Each business day, each fund calculates its
share price, or NAV, as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This means that NAVs are calculated using the values of each fund’s portfolio securities as of the close of the NYSE. Such values are required to be determined in one
of two ways: securities for which market quotations are readily available are required to be valued at current market value; and securities for which market quotations are not readily available or the investment adviser deems them to be unreliable
are required to be valued at fair value using procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Shareholder of funds that invest in foreign securities should be aware that because foreign markets are often open on weekends and other days when the funds
are closed, the value of some of a fund’s securities may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the fund. Each fund uses approved pricing sources to provide values for its portfolio securities. Current market values
are generally determined by the approved pricing sources as follows: securities traded on stock exchanges, excluding the NASDAQ National Market System, are valued at the last-quoted sales price on the exchange on which such securities are primarily
traded (closing values), or, lacking any sales, at the mean between the bid and ask prices; securities traded in the over-the-counter market are generally valued at an evaluated price using a mid-price as supplied by an approved, independent pricing
service. The mid-price is the mean of the bid and ask prices as calculated by the pricing service. Generally, securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. In addition,
securities that are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are generally valued at the official closing price or last sales price on the exchange where the securities are primarily traded with these values then translated into U.S. dollars at the
current exchange rate. Fixed income securities normally are valued based on valuations provided by approved pricing sources. Securities may be fair valued pursuant to procedures approved by the funds’ Board of Trustees when approved pricing
sources do not provide a value for a security, a furnished price appears manifestly incorrect or events occur prior to the close of the NYSE that materially affect the furnished price. The Board of Trustees regularly reviews fair value
determinations made by the funds pursuant to the procedures.
Purchase And Redemption Of Shares
The funds are open each day that the NYSE is open. The
NYSE’s trading session is normally conducted from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, although some days, such as in advance of and following holidays, the NYSE’s trading session closes early. The NYSE
typically observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Although it is expected that the same
holidays will be observed in the future, the NYSE may modify its holiday schedule or hours of operation at any time. Orders that are received in good order by the funds’ transfer agent no later than the time specified by the Trust will be
executed that day at the funds’ (or class’) share price calculated that day. On any day that the NYSE closes early, the funds reserve the right to advance the time by which purchase, redemption and exchange orders must be received by the
funds’ transfer agent that day in order to be executed that day at that day’s share price. The Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which the Trust is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash for
any shareholder during any 90-day period up to the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the total net asset value of the Trust at the beginning of such period. The procedures for redeeming shares of each of the funds are described in the Prospectus.
If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the funds reserve the right to treat such day
as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate their share prices as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
As described in the Prospectus, the Trust reserves the right,
in its sole discretion, to reject purchase orders for shares of a fund. As a general matter, the Trust expects that it will not accept purchase orders when the purchase price is to be paid by cash (in the form of actual currency), third party
checks, checks payable in foreign currency, credit card convenience checks or traveler’s checks.
The funds have authorized one or more brokers to accept on
their behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers have also been 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 broker’s authorized designee, receives such order. Such orders will be priced at the respective fund’s net asset value per share next determined after such orders are
received by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee.
Appendix – Ratings Of Investment Securities
From time to time, the fund may report the percentage of its
assets that fall into the rating categories set forth below, as defined by the ratings agencies.
Moody’ s Investors Service
Global Long-Term Rating Scale
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.
|
Global Short-Term Rating Scale
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.
|
STANDARD & POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
AAA:
|
An obligation rated
‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
|
AA:
|
An obligation rated
‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
|
A:
|
An obligation rated
‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation is still strong.
|
BBB:
|
An obligation rated
‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
BB:
|
An obligation rated
‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
B:
|
An obligation rated
‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely
impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
CCC:
|
An obligation rated
‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or
economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
CC:
|
An obligation rated
‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P Global Ratings 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 Global
Ratings 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 obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
|
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1:
|
A short-term obligation rated
‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+).
This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
|
A-2:
|
A short-term obligation rated
‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation is satisfactory.
|
A-3:
|
A
short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation.
|
FITCH,
INC.
Long-Term Ratings Scales
AAA:
|
‘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:
|
‘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:
|
‘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:
|
‘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:
|
‘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:
|
‘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:
|
Default is a real
possibility.
|
CC:
|
Default of some kind appears
probable.
|
C:
|
Default
is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:
|
a.
|
the issuer has entered into
a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
|
b.
|
the issuer has entered into
a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
|
c.
|
Fitch
Ratings otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.
|
RD:
|
‘RD’ ratings
indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or
other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:
|
a.
|
the selective payment
default on a specific class or currency of debt;
|
b.
|
the uncured expiry of any
applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
|
c.
|
the extension of multiple
waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or
|
d.
|
execution
of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.
|
D:
|
‘D’ ratings
indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
|
Short-Term Ratings
F1:
|
Indicates the strongest
intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
|
F2:
|
Good intrinsic capacity for
timely payment of financial commitments.
|
F3:
|
The
intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
|
DBRS
Long Term Obligations Scale
AAA:
|
Highest credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
|
AA:
|
Superior credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
|
A:
|
Good credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
|
BBB:
|
Adequate credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
|
BB:
|
Speculative, non-investment
grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.
|
B:
|
Highly speculative credit
quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.
|
CCC/CC/C:
|
Very highly speculative
credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to
obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the C category.
|
D:
|
When the
issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases
where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”. See Default Definition for more information.
|
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Debt Rating Scale
R-1
(high):
|
Highest credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
|
R-1
(middle):
|
Superior credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
|
R-1 (low):
|
Good credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered
manageable.
|
R-2
(high):
|
Upper end of adequate credit
quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
|
R-2
(middle):
|
Adequate credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.
|
R-2 (low):
|
Lower end of adequate credit
quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.
|
R-3:
|
Lowest
end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments
|
Appendix – Principal Holders Of
Securities
The table below lists persons or entities
that owned, of record or beneficially, 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the listed funds, as of June 29, 2018.
Fund
|
Name
and Address
|
Percentage
of Ownership
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Equity
Fund
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
For the Exclusive Use of
Our Customers Reinvest Account
Attn: Mutual Funds
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
|
30.41%
|
National
Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of
Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4
th
Floor
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey
City, NJ 07310-1995
|
15.60%
|
Capinco
c/o US Bank NA
1555 N RiverCenter Drive Suite 302
Milwaukee, WI 53212-3958
|
9.93%
|
Laudus
Mondrian Emerging Markets
Fund
|
MAC
& Co
Attn: Mutual Funds Ops
500 Grant Street
Room 151-1010
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2502
|
23.50%
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
For the Exclusive Use of
Our Customers Reinvest Account
Attn: Mutual Funds
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
|
22.77%
|
MAC
& Co
Attn: Mutual Funds Ops
500 Grant Street
Room 151-1010
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2502
|
10.83%
|
Wells
Fargo Bank NA FBO
Buck Leonard & Beryl-EMG MKTS EQUITY
P.O. Box 1533
Minneapolis, MN 55480-1533
|
7.94%
|
National
Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of
Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4
th
Floor
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey
City, NJ 07310-1995
|
7.59%
|
The
Northern Trust Company As
Trustee FBO Walgreens Boots
Alliance Profit Sharing Retirement
Trust-DV
P.O. Box 92994
Chicago, IL 60675-2994
|
6.65%
|
Blue
Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas, Inc.
Attn: Steven D Morris CPA
1133 SW Topeka Blvd
Topeka, KS 66629-0001
|
6.47%
|
Schwab
Target 2040 Fund
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
7.83%
1
|
Fund
|
Name
and Address
|
Percentage
of Ownership
|
Laudus
Mondrian International Government
Fixed Income Fund
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
For the Exclusive Use of
Our Customers Reinvest Account
Attn: Mutual Funds
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
|
66.24%
|
Capinco
c/o US Bank NA
1555 N RiverCenter Drive Suite 302
Milwaukee, WI 53212-3958
|
11.72%
|
Wells
Fargo Bank, NA FBO
Omnibus Account Cash/Cash
P.O. Box 1533
Minneapolis, MN 55480-1533
|
10.15%
|
Schwab
Target 2030 Fund
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
13.67%
1
|
Schwab
Target 2020 Fund
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
9.07%
1
|
Schwab
Target 2025 Fund
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
7.93%
1
|
Schwab
Target 2040 Fund
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
6.80%
1
|
Schwab
Target 2035 Fund
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
|
5.17%
1
|
1
|
These shares are held within
the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. account listed elsewhere in the table.
|
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
The Charles Schwab
Family of Funds
Schwab Investments
Schwab Capital
Trust
Schwab Annuity Portfolios
Laudus Trust
Schwab Strategic Trust
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND
PROCEDURES
AS OF MARCH, 2018
Charles Schwab Investment
Management, Inc. (“CSIM”), as an investment adviser, is generally responsible for voting proxies with respect to the securities held in accounts of investment companies and other clients for which it provides discretionary investment
management services. CSIM’s Proxy Committee exercises and documents CSIM’s responsibility with regard to voting of client proxies (the “Proxy Committee”). The Proxy Committee is composed of CSIM representatives, including
representatives from the Fund Administration, Portfolio Management, and Investment Risk and Oversight departments, with input from other relevant departments. The Proxy Committee reviews these policies periodically. The policies stated in these
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the “Proxy Policies”) pertain to all of CSIM’s clients.
The Boards of Trustees (the
“Board”) of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, and Schwab Annuity Portfolios (“Schwab Funds”), Laudus Trust (“Laudus Funds”) and Schwab Strategic Trust (“Schwab
ETFs”; collectively with the Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds, the “Funds”) have delegated the responsibility for voting proxies to CSIM through their respective investment advisory agreements. The Board has adopted these Proxy
Policies with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various series of the Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds, and Schwab ETFs. CSIM will present amendments to the Board for approval. However, there may be circumstances where the Proxy Committee deems it
advisable to amend these Proxy Policies between regular Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs Board meetings. In such cases, the Board will be asked to ratify any changes at its next regular meeting.
To assist CSIM in its responsibility for
voting proxies and the overall proxy voting process, CSIM has retained Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) as an expert in the proxy voting and corporate governance area. The services provided by Glass Lewis include in-depth
research, global issuer analysis, and voting recommendations as well as vote execution, reporting and record keeping. CSIM has also retained Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. to conduct research on certain topics and may retain additional
experts in the proxy voting and corporate governance area in the future.
The Proxy Committee has the ultimate
responsibility for making the determination of how to vote the shares to seek to maximize the value of that particular holding.
Just as the investors in
CSIM’s equity funds generally have a long-term investment horizon, CSIM takes a long-term, measured approach to investor stewardship. CSIM strives to promote long-term shareholder value through the consistent application of its guiding
principles as it engages with companies through proxy voting. CSIM believes that directors, as shareholder-elected representatives, are best positioned to oversee the management of their companies. Consequently, CSIM generally supports a board of
directors’ and management’s recommendations. However, CSIM may vote differently if it has concerns about a board’s accountability or how a board manages conflicts of interest.
CSIM invests on behalf of its clients in
companies domiciled all over the world. Since corporate governance standards and best practices differ by country and jurisdiction, the market context is taken into account in the analysis of proposals. Furthermore, there are instances where CSIM
may determine that voting is not in the best interests of its clients (typically due to costs or to trading restrictions) and will refrain from submitting votes.
III.
|
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
|
The Proxy Committee
receives and reviews Glass Lewis’ proxy voting policies and procedures (“Glass Lewis’ Proxy Policies”) and evaluates them in light of the long-term best interests of shareholders. CSIM generally utilizes Glass Lewis’
Proxy Policies (which are posted on the Funds’ website) except in instances where CSIM believes that Glass Lewis’ Proxy Policies do not align with CSIM’s proxy voting philosophy. CSIM’s proxy voting philosophy is to generally
support a board of directors’ and management’s recommendations unless CSIM has concerns about a board’s accountability or how a board manages conflicts of interest.
The following is a summary of key guidelines
which are grouped according to types of proposals usually presented to shareholders in proxy statements.
A.
|
DIRECTORS AND AUDITORS
|
As a starting point, CSIM expects the
board to be composed of a majority of independent directors and to be responsive to shareholders. CSIM also expects directors that serve on a company’s nominating, compensation or audit committee to be independent.
Factors that may result in a vote against
one or more directors:
•
|
The board is not majority
independent
|
•
|
Non-independent directors
serve on the nominating, compensation or audit committees
|
•
|
Director
recently failed to attend at least 75% of meetings or serves on an excessive number of publically traded company boards
|
•
|
Directors
approved executive compensation schemes that appear misaligned with shareholders’ interests
|
•
|
Director
recently acted in a manner inconsistent with these Proxy Policies or failed to be responsive to concerns of a majority of shareholders
|
CSIM typically supports the ratification
of auditors unless CSIM believes that the auditors’ independence may have been compromised.
Factors that may result in a vote against
the ratification of auditors:
•
|
Audit-related fees are less
than half of the total fees paid by the company to the audit firm
|
•
|
A recent
material restatement of annual financial statements
|
CSIM generally defers to
management’s recommendation for classified board proposals unless CSIM has particular concerns regarding the board’s accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.
Factors that may result in a vote
supporting a shareholder proposal to de-classify a board:
•
|
The
company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings
|
•
|
The
company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting
|
•
|
The company had material
financial statement restatements
|
•
|
The
company’s board adopted a shareholder rights plan (also known as a “Poison Pill”) during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval
|
CSIM generally supports majority voting
proposals when they call for plurality voting standards in contested elections.
CSIM typically supports the concept of
voting rights being proportional to shareholders’ economic stake in the company. Therefore, CSIM will generally not support cumulative voting proposals unless the company has a controlling shareholder or shareholder group and has plurality
voting standards.
CSIM typically does not support proxy
access proposals unless CSIM has particular concerns regarding the board’s accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.
Factors that may result in a vote
supporting proxy access:
•
|
The
company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings
|
•
|
The
company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting
|
•
|
The company had material
financial statement restatements
|
•
|
The
company’s board adopted a Poison Pill during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval
|
CSIM believes that the board is typically
best positioned to determine its leadership structure. Therefore, CSIM will typically not support proposals requiring an independent chair unless CSIM has concerns regarding the board’s accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.
Factors that may result in a vote
supporting a shareholder proposal requiring an independent chair:
•
|
The
company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings
|
•
|
The
company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting
|
•
|
The company had material
financial statement restatements
|
•
|
The
company’s board adopted a Poison Pill during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval
|
i.
|
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation and Frequency
|
CSIM generally supports
advisory votes on executive compensation (which are proposed by management and are known as “Say-On-Pay”) when the compensation scheme appears aligned with shareholder economic interests and lacks problematic features.
Factors that may result in a vote against
Say-On-Pay:
•
|
Executive
compensation is out of line with industry peers considering the company’s performance over time
|
•
|
Executive
compensation plan includes significant guaranteed bonuses or has a low amount of compensation at risk
|
•
|
Executive
compensation plan offers excessive perquisites, tax-gross up provisions, or golden parachutes
|
CSIM typically supports annual advisory
votes on executive compensation.
ii.
|
Equity Compensation Plans
|
CSIM generally supports stock-based
compensation plans when they do not overly dilute shareholders by providing participants with excessive awards and lack problematic features.
Factors that may result in a vote against
Equity Compensation Plans:
•
|
Plan’s total potential
dilution appears excessive
|
•
|
Plan’s burn rate
appears excessive compared to industry peers
|
•
|
Plan allows for the
re-pricing of options without shareholder approval
|
•
|
Plan has
an evergreen feature
|
iii.
|
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
|
CSIM supports the concept of broad
employee participation in a company’s equity. Therefore, CSIM typically supports employee stock purchase plans when the shares can be purchased at 85% or more of the shares’ market value.
iv.
|
Re-price/Exchange Option Plans
|
CSIM generally only supports
management’s proposals to re-price options when the plan excludes senior management and directors, does not excessively dilute shareholders, and the company has not significantly underperformed its industry peers over time.
i.
|
Shareholder Rights Plans (“Poison Pills”)
|
Poison Pills constrain a potential
acquirer’s ability to buy shares in a company above a certain threshold without the approval of the company’s board of directors. While a Poison Pill may help a company in achieving a higher bid, it may also entrench the incumbent
management and board. CSIM believes that shareholders should have the right to approve a Poison Pill within a year of its adoption. CSIM generally votes against Poison Pills that do not have safeguards to protect shareholder interests.
Factors that may result in a vote against
Poison Pills:
•
|
Plan does not expire in a
relatively short time horizon
|
•
|
Plan does
not have a well-crafted permitted bid or qualified offer feature that mandates shareholder votes in certain situations
|
•
|
Plan automatically renews
without shareholder approval
|
•
|
Company’s
corporate governance profile
|
ii.
|
Right to Call Special Meeting
|
CSIM generally votes against the right of
shareholders to call a special meeting unless the threshold to call a special meeting is 25% or more of shares outstanding to avoid wasting corporate resources.
iii.
|
Right to Act by Written Consent
|
CSIM generally votes
against the right of shareholders to act by written consent if the company already offers shareholders the right to call special meetings. CSIM expects appropriate mechanisms for implementation, including that the threshold to call a special meeting
is 25% or more of shares outstanding.
CSIM generally supports the concept of
simple majority standards to pass proposals.
E.
|
CAPITAL STRUCTURE, MERGERS
AND ACQUISITIONS
|
i.
|
Increase in Authorized Common Shares
|
CSIM typically supports proposals to
increase the authorized shares unless the company does not sufficiently justify the need for the use of the proposed shares.
CSIM generally supports proposals to
create a class of preferred shares with specific voting, dividend, conversion and other rights.
iii.
|
Mergers and Acquisitions
|
CSIM generally supports transactions that
appear to maximize shareholder value. In assessing the proposals, CSIM considers the proposed transaction’s strategic rationale, the offer premium, the board’s oversight of the sales process, and other pertinent factors.
F.
|
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL
PROPOSALS
|
|
Environmental
and Social shareholder proposals typically request companies to change their business practices or to enhance their disclosures. CSIM believes that in most instances, the board is best positioned to evaluate the impact of these proposals on the
company’s business. Therefore, CSIM generally defers to the board’s recommendation unless the proposal has successfully articulated a demonstrable tangible economic impact on shareholder value.
|
i.
|
Political Contribution Proposals
|
CSIM expects the board of directors to
have an oversight process for political contributions and lobbying proposals. CSIM generally votes against political contribution shareholder proposals unless there is no evidence of board oversight.
A.
|
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS
|
|
With respect to proxies of
an underlying affiliated Fund, the Proxy Committee will vote such proxies in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of such Fund (i.e., “echo vote”), unless otherwise required by law. When required by law or applicable
exemptive order, the Proxy Committee will also “echo vote” proxies of an unaffiliated mutual fund or exchange traded fund (“ETF”). For example, certain exemptive orders issued to the Funds by the Securities and Exchange
Commission and Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, require the Funds, under certain circumstances, to “echo vote” proxies of registered investment companies that serve as underlying investments of the
Funds.
|
|
In addition, with respect to
holdings of The Charles Schwab Corporation (“CSC”) (ticker symbol: SCHW), the Proxy Committee will vote such proxies in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of CSC (i.e., “echo vote”), unless otherwise
required by law.
|
|
Other than proxies that will
be “echo voted”, proxy issues that present material conflicts of interest between CSIM, and/or any of its affiliates, and CSIM’s clients will be delegated to Glass Lewis to be voted in accordance with CSIM’s Proxy Voting
Guidelines.
|
B.
|
FOREIGN
SECURITIES/SHAREBLOCKING
|
|
CSIM has
arrangements with Glass Lewis for the execution of proxy votes. However, voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign securities may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost than voting proxies with respect to domestic
securities, due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Problems voting foreign proxies may include the following:
|
•
|
proxy statements and ballots
written in a foreign language;
|
•
|
untimely and/or inadequate
notice of shareholder meetings;
|
•
|
restrictions of
foreigner’s ability to exercise votes;
|
•
|
requirements to vote proxies
in person;
|
•
|
requirements
to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate CSIM’s voting instructions.
|
In consideration of the foregoing issues,
Glass Lewis uses its best efforts to vote foreign proxies. As part of its ongoing oversight, the Proxy Committee will monitor the voting of foreign proxies to determine whether all reasonable steps are taken to vote foreign proxies. If the Proxy
Committee determines that the cost associated with the attempt to vote outweighs the potential benefits clients may derive from voting, the Proxy Committee may decide not to attempt to vote. In addition, certain foreign countries impose restrictions
on the sale of securities for a period of time before and/or after the shareholder meeting. To avoid these trading restrictions, the Proxy Committee instructs Glass Lewis not to vote such foreign proxies.
Certain of the
Funds enter into securities lending arrangements with lending agents to generate additional revenue for their portfolios. In securities lending arrangements, any voting rights that accompany the loaned securities generally pass to the borrower of
the securities, but the lender retains the right to recall a security and may then exercise the security’s voting rights. In order to vote the proxies of securities out on loan, the securities must be recalled prior to the established record
date. CSIM will use its best efforts to recall a Fund’s securities on loan and vote such securities’ proxies if (a) the proxy relates to a special meeting of shareholders of the issuer (as opposed to the issuer’s annual meeting of
shareholders), or (b) the Fund owns more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the issuer. Further, it is CSIM’s policy to use its best efforts to recall securities on loan and vote such securities’ proxies if CSIM determines that the
proxies involve a material event affecting the loaned securities. CSIM may utilize third-party service providers to assist it in identifying and evaluating whether an event is material. CSIM may also recall securities on loan and vote such
securities’ proxies in its discretion.
D.
|
SUB-ADVISORY RELATIONSHIPS
|
Where CSIM has
delegated day-to-day investment management responsibilities to an investment sub-adviser, CSIM may (but generally does not) delegate proxy voting responsibility to such investment sub-adviser. Each sub-adviser to whom proxy voting responsibility has
been delegated will be required to review all proxy solicitation material and to exercise the voting rights associated with the securities it has been allocated in the best interest of each investment company and its shareholders, or other client.
Prior to delegating the proxy voting responsibility, CSIM will review each sub-adviser’s proxy voting policy to determine whether it believes that each sub-adviser’s proxy voting policy is generally consistent with the maximization of
the value of CSIM’s clients’ investments by protecting the long-term best interest of shareholders.
E.
|
REPORTING AND RECORD
RETENTION
|
CSIM
will maintain, or cause Glass Lewis to maintain, records that identify the manner in which proxies have been voted (or not voted) on behalf of CSIM clients. CSIM will comply with all applicable rules and regulations regarding disclosure of its or
its clients’ proxy voting records and procedures.
CSIM will retain all proxy voting materials
and supporting documentation as required under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Laudus Funds
®
Laudus
®
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
LGILX
|
Statement Of Additional Information
July 27, 2018
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a
prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the fund’s prospectus dated July 27, 2018, as amended or supplemented from time to time.
The fund’s audited financial statements and the report
of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon from the fund’s annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.
For a free copy of these documents or to request other
information or ask questions about the fund, call Laudus Funds
®
at 1.800.447.3332 or write to Laudus Funds at P.O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO
64121-9975. In addition, you may visit the Laudus Funds’ website at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
for a free copy of a prospectus, SAI or an annual or semiannual report.
The fund is a series of Laudus Trust (the Trust). The fund is
part of the Schwab complex of funds (Schwab Funds).
Investment Objective, Securities, Strategies, Risks And
Limitations
Notice on Shareholder Approval. Unless
otherwise indicated in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information, the investment objective and policies of the fund may be changed without shareholder approval. The following investment policies, securities, strategies, risks and
limitations supplement those set forth in the Prospectus and may be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted. Also, except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, policies and limitations that
state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard, shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund’s acquisition of such security or asset unless
otherwise noted. Thus, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the same investment.
Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. There is no
guarantee the fund will achieve its objective.
Fund
Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the fund will
invest at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large capitalization companies. The fund defines large capitalization companies as those with a market
capitalization of at least $3 billion at the time of investment. In addition, up to 20% of the fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign equity securities. Investments in equity securities include common stock and preferred stock. The fund
may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments (Derivatives) for risk management purposes or as part of the fund’s investment strategies. Generally, Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the
value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. The principal types of Derivatives used by the fund include options, futures and
forward currency agreements. The fund may use Derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to manage or adjust the risk profile of the fund, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to certain markets. The fund will
notify shareholders at least 60 days prior to any change in its policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large capitalization
companies.
In deciding whether an investment is
tied to the U.S., the fund’s subadviser considers a number of factors including whether the investment is issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies; the investment has its primary trading market in the U.S.; the issuer
is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, the U.S.; the investment is included in an index representative of the U.S.; and the investment is exposed to the economic fortunes and
risks of the U.S.
Investment Securities, Strategies and
Risks
The different types of investments that the fund
typically may invest in, the investment techniques it may use and the risks normally associated with these investments are discussed below. The fund will make investments that are intended to help achieve its investment objective.
From time to time the fund may hold certain securities not
otherwise discussed in this SAI as a permissible investment for the fund. To the extent an investment becomes part of the fund’s principal or non-principal investment strategy, the fund will take the necessary steps to identify them as
permissible investments. In addition, the fund may receive (i.e., not actively invest) certain securities as a result of a corporate action, such as securities dividends, spin-offs or rights issues. In such cases, the fund will not actively add to
its position and generally will dispose the securities as soon as reasonably practicable.
Bankers’ Acceptances
or
notes are credit instruments evidencing a bank’s obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity. The fund
will invest only in bankers’ acceptances of banks that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in the aggregate in excess of $100 million.
Borrowing.
The fund may borrow
for temporary or emergency purposes; for example, the fund may borrow at times to meet redemption requests rather than sell portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash. The fund’s borrowings will be subject to interest costs. Borrowing
can also involve leveraging when securities are purchased with the borrowed money. Leveraging creates interest expenses that can exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowed money. In addition, leveraging may magnify changes in the
net asset value of the fund’s shares and in its portfolio yield. To avoid this, a fund will not purchase securities while borrowings are outstanding or will earmark or segregate assets to cover such borrowings in accordance with positions of
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If assets used to secure a borrowing decrease in value, the fund may be required to pledge additional collateral to avoid liquidation of those assets.
The fund may establish lines-of-credit (lines) with certain
banks by which it may borrow funds for temporary or emergency purposes. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or emergency purposes if it is repaid by the fund within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. The fund may use the lines to meet
large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force the fund to liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the fund’s remaining shareholders. The fund will pay a fee to the bank for using the lines.
Certificates of Deposit
or time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. The fund will invest only in certificates of deposit of banks that have capital, surplus and undivided profits
in the aggregate in excess of $100 million.
Concentration
means that
substantial amounts of assets are invested in a particular industry or group of industries. Concentration increases investment exposure to industry risk. For example, the automobile industry may have a greater exposure to a single factor, such as an
increase in the price of oil, which may adversely affect the sale of automobiles and, as a result, the value of the industry’s securities. The fund will not concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of
industries.
Commercial Paper
consists of short term, promissory notes issued by banks, corporations and other institutions to finance short term credit needs. These securities generally are discounted but sometimes may be interest bearing.
Commercial paper, which also may be unsecured, is subject to credit risk.
Credit and Liquidity Supports or Enhancements
may be employed by issuers to reduce the credit risk of their securities. Credit supports include letters of credit, insurance, total return and credit swap agreements and guarantees provided by foreign and domestic
financial institutions. Liquidity supports include puts, demand features and lines of credit. Most of these arrangements move the credit risk of an investment from the issuer of the security to the support provider. The subadviser may rely on its
evaluation of the credit and liquidity support provider in determining whether to purchase or hold a security enhanced by such support. Changes in the credit quality of a support provider could cause losses to the fund, and affect its share
price.
Debt Securities
are obligations issued by domestic and foreign entities, including governments and corporations, in order to raise money. They are basically “IOUs,” but are commonly referred to as bonds or money market
securities. These securities normally require the issuer to pay a fixed, variable or floating rate of interest on the amount of money borrowed (principal) until it is paid back upon maturity.
Debt securities experience price changes when interest rates
change. For example, when interest rates fall, the prices of debt securities generally rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the prices of debt securities generally fall. Certain debt securities have call features that allow issuers to redeem
their outstanding debts prior to final maturity. Depending on the call feature, an issuer may pre-pay its outstanding debts and issue new ones paying lower interest rates. This is especially true for bonds with sinking fund provisions, which commit
the issuer to set aside a certain amount of money to cover timely repayment of principal and typically allow the issuer to annually repurchase certain of its outstanding bonds from the open market or at a pre-set call price.
Prepayment is more likely to occur in a falling interest rate
environment. In a rising interest rate environment, prepayment on outstanding debt securities is less likely to occur. This is known as extension risk and may cause the value of debt securities to depreciate as a result of the higher market interest
rates. Typically, longer-maturity securities react to interest rate changes more severely than shorter-term securities (all things being equal), but generally offer greater rates of interest. If an issuer redeems its debt securities prior to final
maturity, a fund may have to replace these securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return.
A change in the Federal Reserve’s
monetary policy (or that of other central banks) or improving economic conditions, among other things, may lead to increases in interest rates, which could significantly impact the value of debt securities in which the fund invests. There is
currently a heightened risk of increased interest rates because of the continued economic recovery, along with the fact that the Federal Reserve Board ended its quantitative easing program in 2014, and has begun, and may continue, to raise interest
rates. A sharp rise in interest rates could cause the fund’s share price to fall. Some debt securities, such as bonds with longer durations, are more sensitive to interest rate changes than others and may experience an immediate and
considerable reduction in value if interest rates rise. Longer duration securities tend to be more volatile than shorter duration securities. As the values of debt securities in the fund’s portfolio adjust to a rise in interest rates, the
fund’s share price may fall. In the event that the fund holds a large portion of its portfolio in longer duration securities when interest rates increase, the share price of the fund may fall significantly.
Debt securities also are subject to the risk that the issuers
will not make timely interest and/or principal payments or fail to make them at all. This is called credit risk. Corporate debt securities (bonds) tend to have higher credit risk generally than U.S. government debt securities. Debt securities also
may be subject to price volatility due to market perception of future interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (market risk). Investment-grade debt securities are considered medium- and/or high-quality
securities, although some still possess varying degrees of speculative characteristics and risks. Debt securities rated below investment-grade are riskier, but may offer higher yields. These securities are sometimes referred to as high yield
securities or “junk bonds.”
Corporate bonds
are debt securities issued by corporations. Although a higher return is expected from corporate bonds, these securities, while subject to the same general risks as U.S. government securities, are subject to greater credit risk than U.S. government
securities. Their prices may be affected by the perceived credit quality of their issuer.
Delayed-Delivery
Transactions
include purchasing and selling securities on a delayed-delivery or when-issued basis. These transactions involve a commitment to buy or sell specific securities at a predetermined price or yield,
with payment and delivery taking place after the customary settlement period for that type of security. When purchasing securities on a delayed-delivery basis, the fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield
fluctuations. Typically, no interest will accrue to the purchaser until the security is delivered. The fund will earmark or segregate appropriate liquid assets to cover its delayed-delivery purchase obligations. When the fund sells a security on a
delayed-delivery basis, it does not participate in further gains or losses with respect to that security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the fund could suffer losses.
Depositary Receipts
include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign
issuer. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian
bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and
interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in
foreign securities.
Investments in the securities
of foreign issuers may subject the fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments; withholding taxes on
income or possible imposition of withholding taxes on income; possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits; possible establishment of exchange controls; or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to
changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition,
foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States. Please see the section entitled “Foreign Securities” for more
detail.
Although the two types of depositary receipt
facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder’s rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or
acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of
the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other
services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the
underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt
facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out
the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment
fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting
instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer’s request.
Derivative Instruments
are
commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose values depend on (or “derive” from) the value of one or more other assets such as securities, currencies or commodities. These “other assets” are commonly referred to
as “underlying assets.” The fund may use derivative instruments as part of its principal investment strategy.
A derivative instrument generally consists of, is based upon,
or exhibits characteristics similar to options or forward contracts. Options and forward contracts are considered to be the basic “building blocks” of derivatives. For example, forward-based derivatives include forward contracts, as well
as exchange-traded futures. Option-based derivatives include privately negotiated, over-the-counter (OTC) options (including caps, floors, collars, and options on forward and swap contracts) and exchange-traded options on futures. Diverse types of
derivatives may be created by combining options or forward contracts in different ways, and applying these structures to a wide range of underlying assets. Risk management strategies include investment techniques designed to facilitate the sale of
portfolio securities, manage the average duration of the portfolio or create or alter exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, other debt or foreign securities.
In addition to the derivative instruments and strategies
described in this SAI, the investment adviser (as defined below) or subadviser expects to discover additional derivative instruments and other hedging or risk management techniques. The investment adviser or subadviser may utilize these new
derivative instruments and techniques to the extent that they are consistent with the fund’s investment objective and permitted by the fund’s investment limitations, operating policies, and applicable regulatory authorities.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulates the
trading of commodity interests, including certain futures contracts, options, and swaps in which the fund may invest. Investing in commodity interests will generally be subject to certain CFTC regulatory requirements, if it is considered a
“commodity pool”. The Trust, on behalf of the fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (CEA), with
respect to the fund’s operation. Therefore, the fund and its investment adviser are not subject to regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If the fund were no longer able to claim the exclusion, the fund’s investment adviser may be required
to register as a CPO and the fund and its investment adviser would be subject to regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If the fund or its investment adviser is subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses and/or may choose to make
changes to its investment strategies.
Exchange-Traded Funds
(ETFs),
such as Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipts (SPDRs) Trust, are investment companies that typically are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act) as open-end funds or unit investment trusts (UITs). ETFs are
actively traded on national securities exchanges and are generally based on specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold throughout the day at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the
shares’ net asset value. Market prices of ETF shares will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and materially, in response to various factors including changes in the ETF’s net asset value, the value of ETF holdings, and supply of and demand for
ETF shares. Although the creation/redemption feature of ETFs generally makes it more likely that ETF shares will trade close to their net asset value, market volatility, lack of an active trading market for ETF shares, disruptions at market
participants (such as Authorized Participants or market makers) and any disruptions in the ordinary functioning of the creation/redemption process may result in ETF shares trading significantly above (at a “premium”) or below (at a
“discount”) their net asset value. An ETF’s investment results are based on the ETF’s daily net asset value. Investors transacting in ETF shares in the secondary market, where market prices may differ from net asset value,
may experience investment results that differ from results based on the ETF’s daily net asset value. An “index-based ETF” seeks to track the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a
representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are based on an underlying basket of stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market fluctuations as these types of securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual
funds, have expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. When the fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses.
As with any exchange listed security, ETF shares purchased in the secondary market are subject to customary brokerage charges.
Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and
Exchange Commission to iShares
®
and certain additional ETFs and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, the fund may invest in the permitted
ETFs beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act but not to exceed 25% of the fund’s total assets, provided that the fund has described exchange-traded fund investments in its prospectus and otherwise complies with the
conditions of the exemptive order and other applicable investment limitations. Neither the iShares
®
Funds nor their investment manager make any
representations regarding the advisability of investing in the fund.
Equity Linked Securities.
The
fund may invest a portion of its assets in equity linked securities. Equity linked securities are privately issued derivative securities which have a return component based on the performance of a single security, a basket of securities, or an
index. Equity linked securities are primarily used by the fund as an alternative means to more efficiently and effectively access the securities market of what is generally an emerging country. To the extent that the fund invests in equity linked
securities whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign securities index or one or more of foreign stocks, investing in equity linked securities will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities. See
“Foreign Securities” below.
The fund
deposits an amount of cash with its custodian (or broker, if legally permitted) in an amount near or equal to the selling price of the underlying security in exchange for an equity linked security. Upon sale, the fund receives cash from the broker
or custodian equal to the value of the underlying security. Aside from the market risk associated with the underlying security, there is the risk of default by the other party to the transaction. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the
fund might be unable to obtain its expected benefit. In addition, while the fund will seek to enter into such transactions only with parties which are capable of entering into closing transactions with the fund, there can be no assurance that the
fund will be able to close out such a transaction with the other party or obtain an offsetting position with any other party, at any time prior to the end of the term of the underlying agreement. This may impair the fund’s ability to enter
into other transactions at a time when doing so might be advantageous.
Equity linked securities are often used for many of the same
purposes as, and share many of the same risks with, derivative instruments such as options. See “Options Contracts” below. Equity linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the fund’s restrictions on
investments in illiquid securities. In some instances, investments in equity linked securities may also be subject to the fund’s limitations on investing in investment companies; see “Securities of Other Investment Companies”
below.
Equity Securities
represent ownership interests in a company, and are commonly called “stocks.” The fund invests in equity securities as part of its principal investment strategy. Equity securities historically have
outperformed most other securities, although their prices can fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition, market conditions and political, economic or even company-specific news. When a stock’s price declines, its
market value is lowered even though the intrinsic value of the company may not have changed. Sometimes factors, such as economic conditions or political events, affect the value of stocks of companies of the same or similar industry or group of
industries, and may affect the entire stock market.
Types of equity securities include common stocks, preferred
stocks, convertible securities, rights and warrants, depositary receipts (ADRs, EDRs, GDRs), interests in real estate investment trusts and interests in business development companies. (For more information on real estate investment trusts (REITs),
see the section entitled “Real Estate Investment Trusts,” for more information on depositary receipts, see the section entitled “Depositary Receipts,” and for more information on business development companies, see the
section entitled “Business Development Companies”).
Common Stocks
, which are probably the most recognized type of equity security, represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer and usually entitle the owner to voting rights in the election of the corporation’s directors
and any other matters submitted to the corporation’s shareholders for voting, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. The market value of common stock can fluctuate widely, as it reflects
increases and decreases in an issuer’s earnings. In the event an issuer
is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners, other debt holders and owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stock owners.
Preferred
Stocks
represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer but do not ordinarily carry voting rights, though they may carry limited voting rights. Preferred stocks normally have preference over the
corporation’s assets and earnings, however. For example, preferred stocks have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends. Preferred stocks normally pay dividends at a specified rate. However, preferred stock may be purchased
where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond
owners take precedence over the claims of preferred and common stock owners. Certain classes of preferred stock are convertible into shares of common stock of the issuer. By holding convertible preferred stock, the fund can receive a steady stream
of dividends and still have the option to convert the preferred stock to common stock. Preferred stock is subject to many of the same risks as common stock and debt securities.
Convertible
Securities
are typically preferred stocks or bonds that are exchangeable for a specific number of another form of security (usually the issuer’s common stock) at a specified price or ratio. A convertible
security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on bonds or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. A company may issue a convertible security
that is subject to redemption after a specified date, and usually under certain circumstances. A holder of a convertible security that is called for redemption would be required to tender it for redemption to the issuer, convert it to the underlying
common stock or sell it to a third party. The convertible structure allows the holder of the convertible bond to participate in share price movements in the company’s common stock. The actual return on a convertible bond may exceed its stated
yield if the company’s common stock appreciates in value and the option to convert to common stocks becomes more valuable.
Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate
than nonconvertible bonds of the same quality and maturity because of the conversion feature. Convertible securities are also rated below investment grade (“high yield”) or are not rated, and are subject to credit risk.
Prior to conversion, convertible securities have
characteristics and risks similar to nonconvertible debt and equity securities. In addition, convertible securities are often concentrated in economic sectors, which, like the stock market in general, may experience unpredictable declines in value,
as well as periods of poor performance, which may last for several years. There may be a small trading market for a particular convertible security at any given time, which may adversely impact market price and the fund’s ability to liquidate
a particular security or respond to an economic event, including deterioration of an issuer’s creditworthiness.
Convertible preferred stocks are nonvoting equity securities
that pay a fixed dividend. These securities have a conversion feature similar to convertible bonds, but do not have a maturity date. Due to their fixed income features, convertible securities provide higher income potential than the issuer’s
common stock, but typically are more sensitive to interest rate changes than the underlying common stock. In the event of a company’s liquidation, bondholders have claims on company assets senior to those of shareholders; preferred
shareholders have claims senior to those of common shareholders.
Convertible securities typically trade at prices above their
conversion value, which is the current market value of the common stock received upon conversion, because of their higher yield potential than the underlying common stock. The difference between the conversion value and the price of a convertible
security will vary depending on the value of the underlying common stock and interest rates. When the underlying value of the common stocks declines, the price of the issuer’s convertible securities will tend not to fall as much because the
convertible security’s income potential will act as a price support. While the value of a convertible security also tends to rise when the underlying common stock value rises, it will not rise as much because its conversion value is more
narrow. The value of convertible securities also is affected by changes in interest rates. For example, when interest rates fall, the value of convertible securities may rise because of their fixed income component.
Rights and
Warrants
are types of securities that entitle the holder to purchase a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price for a specific period of time. Rights allow a shareholder to buy more shares
directly from the company, usually at a price somewhat lower than the current market price of the outstanding shares. Warrants are usually issued with bonds and preferred stock. Rights and warrants can trade on the market separately from the
company’s stock. The prices of rights and warrants do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying common stock. Rights usually expire within a few weeks of issuance, while warrants may not expire for several years. If a right
or warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it will become worthless and the fund will lose the purchase price it paid for the right or warrant and the right to purchase the underlying security.
Initial Public Offering
. The
fund may purchase shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a company’s initial public offering (IPOs), and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition. The fund’s purchase of shares issued in IPOs
exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where these new issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers has been volatile,
and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time.
Master Limited Partnerships
(MLPs). MLPs are limited partnerships in which the common units are publicly traded. MLP common units are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market and are generally registered with the SEC. MLPs often own several
properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures, research and development and other projects. MLPs generally have two classes of owners,
the general partner and limited
partners. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company,
an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the
operations and management of the MLP through an up to 2% equity interest in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the partnership, through ownership of common units, and
have a limited role, if any, in the partnership’s operations and management.
MLPs are typically structured such that
common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (minimum quarterly distributions). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in
distributions to the extent the minimum quarterly distribution is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the minimum quarterly distribution; however, subordinated units
do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also
eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the
limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to
common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions are intended to encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership’s cash flow and raise
the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results are intended to benefit all security holders of the MLP, however, such incentive distribution payments give rise to potential conflicts of interest between the common unit
holders and the general partner.
MLP common units
represent a limited partnership interest in the MLP. Common units are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges or over-the-counter, with their value fluctuating predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP.
The fund may purchase common units in market transactions as well as directly from the MLP or other parties in private placements. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability
to annually elect directors. MLPs generally distribute all available cash flow (cash flow from operations less maintenance capital expenditures) in the form of quarterly distributions. Common units along with general partner units have first
priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to the minimum quarterly distribution and have arrearage rights. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not debt or preferred units, to the remaining
assets of the MLP.
MLP subordinated units are
typically issued by MLPs to their original sponsors, such as their founders, corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to the MLP, and investors. Subordinated units may be purchased directly from these persons as well as
newly-issued subordinated units from MLPs themselves. Subordinated units have similar voting rights as common units and are generally not publicly traded. Once the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units, including any arrearages, has
been paid, subordinated units receive cash distributions up to the minimum quarterly distribution prior to any incentive payments to the MLP’s general partner. Unlike common units, subordinated units do not have arrearage rights. In the event
of liquidation, common units and general partner interests have priority over subordinated units. Subordinated units are typically converted into common units on a one-to-one basis after certain time periods and/or performance targets have been
satisfied. The purchase or sale price of subordinated units is generally tied to the common unit price less a discount. The size of the discount varies depending on the likelihood of conversion, the length of time remaining to conversion, the size
of the block purchased relative to trading volumes, and other factors, including smaller capitalization partnerships or companies potentially having limited product lines, markets or financial resources, lacking management depth or experience, and
being more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic development than larger more established companies.
General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by an
MLP’s original sponsors, such as its founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the
holder’s investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. These interests themselves are not publicly traded, although they
may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP’s aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of
general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights, which provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to limited partner unit holders are increased to prescribed levels. General
partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner
unitholders.
Additional risks involved with investing in
an MLP are risks associated with the specific industry or industries in which the partnership invests, such as the risks of investing in real estate, or oil and gas industries.
Certain MLPs are dependent on their parent
companies or sponsors for a majority of their revenues. Any failure by an MLP’s parents or sponsors to satisfy their payments or obligations would impact the MLP’s revenues and cash flows and ability to make distributions.
Business Development
Companies
(BDCs) are closed-end investment companies that have elected to be BDCs under the 1940 Act and are typically taxed as RICs under the Code. BDCs operate as venture capital companies and typically
invest in, lend capital to, and provide significant managerial assistance to developing private companies or thinly-traded public companies. Under the 1940 Act, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities
of privately-held U.S. companies or thinly-traded U.S. public companies, cash,
cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high quality debt
investments that mature in one year or less. In addition, a BDC may only incur indebtedness in amounts such that the BDC’s coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities equals at least 200% after such incurrence.
BDCs generally invest in debt securities that are not rated by
a credit rating agency and are considered below investment grade quality (junk bonds). Little public information generally exists for the type of companies in which a BDC may invest and, therefore, there is a risk that investors may not be able to
make a fully informed evaluation of the BDC and its portfolio of investments. In addition, investments made by BDCs are typically illiquid and are difficult to value for purposes of determining a BDC’s net asset value.
Fixed Time Deposits
are bank
obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties, which vary depending upon market conditions and the
remaining maturity of the obligation. There are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third party, although there is no market for such deposits. The fund will not invest in fixed
time deposits, which (1) are not subject to prepayment or (2) provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits) if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such deposits, repurchase
agreements maturing in more than seven days and other illiquid assets.
Foreign Currency Transactions
.
As part of its principal investment strategy, the fund may invest in foreign currency denominated securities, purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related options and engage in foreign currency
transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward currency contracts (forwards) with terms generally of less than one year. The fund may engage in these transactions in
order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities.
The fund may also use foreign currency options and foreign
currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another (as in cross hedging, see below). The fund will earmark or segregate assets for any open
positions in forwards used for non-hedging purposes and mark to market daily as may be required under the federal securities laws.
A forward involves an obligation to purchase or sell a
specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect the fund against a
possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Many foreign securities markets do not settle trades within a time frame that
would be considered customary in the U.S. stock market. Therefore, the fund may engage in forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to secure exchange rates for fund securities purchased or sold, but awaiting settlement. These
transactions do not seek to eliminate any fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities involved. Instead, the transactions simply establish a rate of exchange that can be expected when the fund settles its securities transactions in the
future. Forwards involve certain risks. For example, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of the contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably, the fund could sustain a loss.
The fund also may engage in forward foreign currency exchange
contracts to protect the value of specific portfolio positions, which is called “position hedging.” When engaging in position hedging, the fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange transactions to protect against a decline in
the values of the foreign currencies in which portfolio securities are denominated (or against an increase in the value of currency for securities that the fund expects to purchase).
Buying and selling foreign currency options and exchange
contracts involves costs and may result in losses. The ability of the fund to engage in these transactions may be limited by tax considerations. Although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to declines in the value of the hedged
currency, they tend to limit any potential gain that might result from an increase in the value of such currency. Transactions in these contracts involve certain other risks. Unanticipated fluctuations in currency prices may result in a poorer
overall performance for the fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the fund’s holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts into which
the fund enters. Such imperfect correlation may cause the fund to sustain losses, which will prevent it from achieving a complete hedge or expose it to risk of foreign exchange loss. A fund’s transactions in foreign currency exchange contracts
may cause a portion of the fund’s distributions to constitute returns of capital for tax purposes.
Suitable hedging transactions may not be available in all
circumstances and there can be no assurance that the fund will engage in such transactions at any given time or from time to time. Also, such transactions may not be successful and may eliminate any chance for the fund to benefit from favorable
fluctuations in relevant foreign currencies.
Forwards
will be used primarily to adjust the foreign exchange exposure of the fund with a view to protecting the outlook, and the fund might be expected to enter into such contracts under the following circumstances:
Lock In
.
When the Investment Adviser or Subadviser desires to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.
Cross Hedge
.
If a particular currency is expected to decrease against another currency, the fund may sell the currency expected to decrease and purchase a currency which is expected to increase against the currency sold in an amount
approximately equal to some or all of the fund’s portfolio holdings denominated in the currency sold.
Direct Hedge
.
If the Investment Adviser or Subadviser wants to eliminate substantially all of the risk of owning a particular currency, and/or if the Investment Adviser or Subadviser thinks that the fund can benefit from price
appreciation in a given country’s bonds but does not want to hold the currency, it may employ a direct hedge back into the U.S. dollar. In either case, the fund would enter into a forward contract to sell the currency in which a portfolio
security is denominated and purchase U.S. dollars at an exchange rate established at the time it initiated the contract. The cost of the direct hedge transaction may offset most, if not all, of the yield advantage offered by the foreign security,
but the fund would benefit from an increase in value of the bond.
Proxy Hedge
.
The Investment Adviser or Subadviser might choose to use a proxy hedge, which may be less costly than a direct hedge. In this case, the fund, having purchased a security, will sell a currency whose value is believed to be
closely linked to the currency in which the security is denominated. Interest rates prevailing in the country whose currency was sold would be expected to be closer to those in the U.S. and lower than those of securities denominated in the currency
of the original holding. This type of hedging entails greater risk than a direct hedge because it is dependent on a stable relationship between the two currencies paired as proxies and the relationships can be very unstable at times.
Costs of
Hedging
.
When the fund purchases a foreign bond with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or
lost if the fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. This is what is known as the “cost” of hedging. Proxy hedging attempts to reduce this cost through an indirect hedge back
to the U.S. dollar. It is important to note that hedging costs are treated as capital transactions and are not, therefore, deducted from the fund’s dividend distribution and are not reflected in its yield. Instead such costs will, over time,
be reflected in the fund’s net asset value per share.
Tax Consequences of
Hedging
.
Under applicable tax law, the fund may be required to limit its gains from hedging in foreign currency forwards, futures, and options. Although the fund is expected to comply with such limits, the
extent to which these limits apply is subject to tax regulations as yet unissued. Hedging may also result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Those provisions could result in an increase (or
decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the fund and could affect whether dividends paid by the fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Foreign Securities
involve additional risks, including foreign currency exchange rate risks, because they are issued by foreign entities, including foreign governments, banks and corporations or because they are traded principally
overseas. The fund may invest in foreign securities as part of its principal investment strategy. Foreign securities in which the fund may invest include those issued by foreign entities that may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and
financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments,
as well as fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates and withholding taxes, could have more dramatic effects on the value of foreign securities. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation
or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, the imposition of trade sanctions, change of government or war could affect the value of foreign investments. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ
favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.
Foreign securities typically have less volume and are
generally less liquid and more volatile than securities of U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the fund will endeavor to achieve the most
favorable overall results on portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed
settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. There may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers as well. Bankruptcy laws in some foreign countries are sometimes biased to
the borrowers and against the creditors. Bankruptcy laws in some foreign countries are sometimes biased to the borrowers and against the creditors. These factors and others may increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of the fund, and its
ability to meet a large number of shareholder redemption requests.
In addition, a fund’s investments in foreign securities
may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. These restrictions may negatively impact the value or liquidity of a fund’s investments, and could impair a fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest
in accordance with its investment strategy. For example, a fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such restrictions. In addition, these restrictions may require a fund to freeze its existing investments in
certain foreign securities, which would prohibit the fund from buying, selling, receiving or delivering those securities or other financial instruments. As a result, such restrictions may limit a fund’s ability to meet a large number of
shareholder redemption requests.
Foreign markets also
have different clearance and settlement procedures and, in certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such
delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the fund to miss
attractive investment opportunities. Losses to the fund arising out of the inability to fulfill a contract to sell such securities also could result in potential liability for the fund.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may be made
and held in foreign currencies. In addition, the fund may hold cash investments in foreign currencies. These investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control
regulations, and may cause the fund to incur costs in connection with
conversions between various currencies. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange market as well as by political and economic factors. Changes in the
foreign currency exchange rates also may affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities, and net investment income and gains, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by the fund.
During the 2008-2009 global financial
crisis, financial markets in Europe experienced significant volatility due, in part, to concerns about rising levels of government debt and the prevalence of increased budget deficits. As a result, many economies in the region suffered through
prolonged economic downturns. Due to the economic integration of the region, another economic downturn in one European country may have a negative impact on the economies of other European countries.
In a 2016 referendum, citizens of the United Kingdom (the
“UK”) voted to withdraw from the European Union (the “EU”), which caused significant volatility in global financial markets. The UK has formally notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the EU (commonly
referred to as “Brexit”) by invoking Article 50, which triggers a two-year period of negotiations on the terms of Brexit. There is significant uncertainty regarding the consequences and timeframe for Brexit. During this period of
uncertainty, the UK and European economies and the broader global economy may experience increased volatility and illiquidity, and companies that conduct a significant amount of business in the UK or Europe may experience lower revenue and/or profit
growth, all of which may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments. Brexit also may cause additional member states to contemplate departing the EU, which would likely perpetuate political and economic instability in the region and
cause additional market disruption in global financial markets.
As the fund may hold investments in issuers that are located
in Europe or that depend on revenues generated from operations in Europe, any material negative developments in Europe could have a negative impact on the value and liquidity of these investments, which could harm the fund’s performance.
Forward Contracts
are sales
contracts between a buyer (holding the “long” position), and the seller (holding the “short” position) for an asset with delivery deferred to a future date. The fund may engage in forward contracts as part of its principal
investment strategy. The buyer agrees to pay a fixed price at the agreed future date and the seller agrees to deliver the asset. The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes
for the contrary. The change in value of a forward-based derivative generally is roughly proportional to the change in value of the underlying asset.
Futures Contracts
are
instruments that represent an agreement between two parties that obligates one party to buy, and the other party to sell, specific instruments at an agreed-upon price on a stipulated future date. In the case of futures contracts relating to an index
or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the close of the transaction, the parties usually agree to deliver the final cash settlement price of the contract. As part of its principal investment strategy, the fund may purchase and sell
futures contracts based on securities, securities indices and foreign currencies, interest rates, or any other futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that the Commodities Future Trading Commission (CFTC) licenses and regulates
on foreign exchanges. Although positions are usually marked to market on a daily basis with an intermediary (executing broker) there remains a credit risk with the futures exchange.
The fund must maintain a small portion of its assets in cash
to process shareholder transactions in and out of the fund and to pay its expenses. In order to reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, the fund may purchase futures contracts. Such transactions allow the
fund’s cash balance to produce a return similar to that of the underlying security or index on which the futures contract is based. Also, the fund may purchase or sell futures contracts on a specified foreign currency to “fix” the
price in U.S. dollars of the foreign security it has acquired or sold or expects to acquire or sell. The fund may enter into futures contracts for other reasons as well.
When buying or selling futures contracts, the fund must place
a deposit with its broker equal to a fraction of the contract amount. This amount is known as “initial margin” and must be in the form of liquid debt instruments, including cash, cash-equivalents and U.S. government securities.
Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as “variation margin” may be made daily, if necessary, as the value of the futures contracts fluctuates. This process is known as “marking-to-market.” The initial margin
amount will be returned to the fund upon termination of the futures contracts assuming all contractual obligations are satisfied. Because margin requirements are normally only a fraction of the amount of the futures contracts in a given transaction,
futures trading can involve a great deal of leverage. In order to avoid the creation of a senior security, the fund will earmark or segregate liquid assets for any outstanding futures contracts as may be required under the federal securities
laws.
While the fund intends to purchase and sell
futures contracts in order to simulate full investment, there are risks associated with these transactions. Adverse market movements could cause the fund to experience substantial losses when buying and selling futures contracts. Of course, barring
significant market distortions, similar results would have been expected if the fund had instead transacted in the underlying securities directly. There also is the risk of losing any margin payments held by a broker in the event of its bankruptcy.
Additionally, the fund incurs transaction costs (i.e. brokerage fees) when engaging in futures trading. To the extent the fund also invests in futures in order to simulate full investment, these same risks apply.
When interest rates are rising or securities prices are
falling, the fund may seek, through the sale of futures contracts, to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities. When rates are falling or prices are rising, the fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, may attempt to
secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases. Similarly, the fund may sell futures contracts on a specified currency to protect against a decline in the value of that currency and
its portfolio securities that are
denominated in that currency. The fund may purchase futures contracts on a
foreign currency to fix the price in U.S. dollars of a security denominated in that currency that the fund has acquired or expects to acquire.
Futures contracts may require actual delivery or acquisition
of an underlying security or cash value of an index on the expiration date of the contract. In most cases, however, the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract by buying or selling, as the case may be, identical futures
contracts. Such offsetting transactions terminate the original contracts and cancel the obligation to take or make delivery of the underlying securities or cash. There may not always be a liquid secondary market at the time the fund seeks to close
out a futures position. If the fund is unable to close out its position and prices move adversely, the fund would have to continue to make daily cash payments to maintain its margin requirements. If the fund had insufficient cash to meet these
requirements it may have to sell portfolio securities at a disadvantageous time or incur extra costs by borrowing the cash. Also, the fund may be required to make or take delivery and incur extra transaction costs buying or selling the underlying
securities. The fund seeks to reduce the risks associated with futures transactions by buying and selling futures contracts that are traded on national exchanges or for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.
With respect to futures contracts that are not legally
required to “cash settle,” the fund may cover the open position by setting aside or earmarking liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value (i.e., the purchase or delivery obligation) of the futures contracts. With respect to
futures contracts that are required to “cash settle,” however, the fund is permitted to set aside or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the fund’s daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the
fund’s daily net liability, if any) rather than the notional value of the futures contracts. By setting aside assets or earmarking equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures, the fund will have the ability to employ leverage
to a greater extent than if the fund were required to set aside or earmark assets equal to the full notional value of the futures contract.
Hybrid Instruments
are
a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied
(positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount
payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid could be a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional
interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil.
Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a
variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result,
may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the
purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S.
dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant
fluctuations in the net asset value of the fund. The fund will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in hybrid instruments.
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the
commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may
be either equity or debt securities, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures
contract, index or other economic variable. The fund will only invest in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid
instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the fund’s investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to
restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.
Illiquid Securities
generally are any securities that cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the amount at which the fund has valued the instruments. Under a new definition that takes
effect December 1, 2018, an illiquid security will be defined as a security that may not reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly
changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of the fund’s investments is monitored under the supervision and direction of the Board of Trustees. Investments currently not considered liquid include, among others, repurchase
agreements not maturing within seven days that are not subject to a demand feature of seven days or less and certain restricted securities. Any security may become illiquid at times of market dislocation.
Money Market Securities
are
high-quality, short term debt securities that may be issued by entities such as the U.S. government, corporations and financial institutions (like banks). Money market securities include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, banker’s
acceptances, notes and time deposits. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Banker’s acceptances are credit
instruments evidencing a bank’s obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a
customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of
the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity. Commercial paper consists of short term, unsecured promissory notes issued to finance short term credit needs.
Money market securities pay fixed, variable or floating rates
of interest and are generally subject to credit and interest rate risks. The maturity date or price of and financial assets collateralizing a security may be structured in order to make it qualify as or act like a money market security. These
securities may be subject to greater credit and interest rate risks than other money market securities because of their structure. Money market securities may be issued with puts or sold separately; these puts, which are sometimes called demand
features or guarantees, are agreements that allow the buyer to sell a security at a specified price and time to the seller or “put provider.” When the fund buys a put, losses could occur as a result of the costs of the put or if it
exercises its rights under the put and the put provider does not perform as agreed. Standby commitments are types of puts.
The fund may keep a portion of its assets in cash for business
operations. In order to reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, the fund may invest in money market securities. The fund may also invest in money market securities to the extent it is consistent with its
investment objective.
Non-Publicly Traded Securities and
Private Placements.
The fund may invest in securities that are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter, including privately placed securities. Such unlisted securities may involve a higher
degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses. As a result of the absence of a public trading market for these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold
in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not
publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements which might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or
more jurisdictions before being sold, the fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration.
Non-Traditional Equity Securities.
The fund may invest in convertible preferred stocks that offer enhanced yield features, such as Preferred Equity Redemption Cumulative Stock (PERCS), which provide an investor, such as the fund, with the opportunity to
earn higher dividend income than is available on a company’s common stock. A PERCS is a preferred stock which generally features a mandatory conversion date, as well as a capital appreciation limit which is usually expressed in terms of a
stated price. Upon the conversion date, most PERCS convert into common stock of the issuer (PERCS are generally not convertible into cash at maturity). Under a typical arrangement, if after a predetermined number of years the issuer’s common
stock is trading at a price below that set by the capital appreciation limit, each PERCS would convert to one share of common stock. If, however, the issuer’s common stock is trading at a price above that set by the capital appreciation limit,
the holder of the PERCS would receive less than one full share of common stock. The amount of that fractional share of common stock received by the PERCS holder is determined by dividing the price set by the capital appreciation limit of the PERCS
by the market price of the issuer’s common stock. PERCS can be called at any time prior to maturity, and hence do not provide call protection. However, if called early, the issuer may pay a call premium over the market price to the investor.
This call premium declines at a preset rate daily, up to the maturity date of the PERCS.
The fund may also invest in other enhanced convertible
securities. These include but are not limited to ACES (Automatically Convertible Equity Securities), PEPS (Participating Equity Preferred Stock), PRIDES (Preferred Redeemable Increased Dividend Equity Securities), SAILS (Stock Appreciation Income
Linked Securities), TECONS (Term Convertible Notes), QICS (Quarterly Income Cumulative Securities), and DECS (Dividend Enhanced Convertible Securities). ACES, PEPS, PRIDES, SAILS, TECONS, QICS, and DECS all have the following features: they are
company-issued convertible preferred stock; unlike PERCS, they do not have capital appreciation limits; they seek to provide the investor with high current income, with some prospect of future capital appreciation; they are typically issued with
three- to four-year maturities; they typically have some built-in call protection for the first two to three years; investors have the right to convert them into shares of common stock at a preset conversion ratio or hold them until maturity; and
upon maturity, they will automatically convert to either cash or a specified number of shares of common stock.
Options Contracts
generally
provide the right to buy or sell a security, commodity, futures contract or foreign currency in exchange for an agreed upon price. If the right is not exercised after a specified period, the option expires and the option buyer forfeits the money
paid to the option seller. The fund may use options contracts as part of its principal investment strategy.
A call option gives the buyer the right to buy a specified
number of shares of a security at a fixed price on or before a specified date in the future. For this right, the call option buyer pays the call option seller, commonly called the call option writer, a fee called a premium. Call option buyers are
usually anticipating that the price of the underlying security will rise above the price fixed with the call writer, thereby allowing them to profit. If the price of the underlying security does not rise, the call option buyer’s losses are
limited to the premium paid to the call option writer. For call option writers, a rise in the price of the underlying security will be offset in part by the premium received from the call option buyer. If the call option writer does not own the
underlying security, however, the losses that may ensue if the price rises could be potentially unlimited. If the call option writer owns the underlying security or commodity, this is called writing a covered call. All call and put options written
by the fund will be covered, which means that the fund will own the securities subject to the option so long as the option is outstanding or the fund will earmark or segregate assets for any outstanding option contracts.
A put option is the opposite of a call option. It gives the
buyer the right to sell a specified number of shares of a security at a fixed price on or before a specified date in the future. Put option buyers are usually anticipating a decline in the price of the underlying security, and wish to
offset those losses when selling the security at a later date. All put
options the fund writes will be covered, which means that the fund will earmark or segregate cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid securities with a value at least equal to the exercise price of the put option. The purpose of writing such
options is to generate additional income for the fund. However, in return for the option premium, the fund accepts the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the securities’ market value at
the time of purchase.
The fund may purchase and write
put and call options on any securities in which it may invest or any securities index or basket of securities based on securities in which it may invest. In addition, the fund may purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency
futures contracts and related options. The fund may purchase and write such options on securities that are listed on domestic or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. Like futures contracts, option contracts are
rarely exercised. Option buyers usually sell the option before it expires. Option writers may terminate their obligations under a written call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Such purchases are referred to
as “closing purchase transactions.” The fund may enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options it has purchased or wrote.
An exchange-traded currency option position may be closed out
only on an options exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. Although the fund generally will purchase or write only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that
a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option or at any particular time. If the fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to options it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying securities or
dispose of assets earmarked or held in a segregated account until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if the fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it would have to exercise the
options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities.
Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an
exchange include the following: (1) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (2) an exchange may impose restrictions on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (3) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions
may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (4) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (5) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) may not at
all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (6) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options),
although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
The ability to terminate over-the-counter options is more
limited than with exchange-traded options and may involve the risk that broker-dealers participating in such transactions will not fulfill their obligations. Until such time as the staff of the SEC changes its position, the fund will treat purchased
over-the-counter options and all assets used to cover written over-the-counter options as illiquid securities, except that with respect to options written with primary dealers in U.S. government securities pursuant to an agreement requiring a
closing purchase transaction at a formula price, the amount of illiquid securities may be calculated with reference to a formula the staff of the SEC approves.
Additional risks are involved with options trading because of
the low margin deposits required and the extremely high degree of leverage that may be involved in options trading. There may be imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the securities held by the fund and the prices of the
options, possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and the resulting inability to close such positions prior to their maturity dates.
The fund may write or purchase an option only when the market
value of that option, when aggregated with the market value of all other options transactions made on behalf of the fund, does not exceed 5% of its net assets.
An option contract may be implicitly entered into by
purchasing certain securities with built in options. An example of such would be a reverse floating rate note where the buyer is also selling one or more caps on short dated interest rates.
Promissory Notes
are written
agreements committing the maker or issuer to pay the payee a specified amount either on demand or at a fixed date in the future, with or without interest. These are sometimes called negotiable notes or instruments and are subject to credit risk.
Bank notes are notes used to represent obligations issued by banks in large denominations.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) are pooled investment vehicles, which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests and, in some cases, manage real estate. REITs are sometimes referred to as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or
hybrid REITs. An equity REIT invests primarily in properties and generates income from rental and lease properties and, in some cases, from the management of real estate. Equity REITs also offer the potential for growth as a result of property
appreciation and from the sale of appreciated property. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in real estate mortgages, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans, and derive income for the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs
may combine the features of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are generally organized as corporations or business trusts, but are not taxed as a corporation if they meet certain requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify, a REIT must,
among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including other REITs), cash and government securities, distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive at least 75% of that income
from rents, mortgages and sales of property.
Like any investment in real estate, a REIT’s performance
depends on many factors, such as its ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to finance property purchases and renovations. In general, REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an
exaggerated effect to the extent a REIT concentrates its investment in certain regions or property types. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants’ failure to
pay rent, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses due to casualty or condemnation,
increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Ultimately, a REIT’s performance depends on the types of properties it owns and how well the REIT manages its properties. Additionally, declines in the market value of a REIT may reflect
not only depressed real estate prices, but may also reflect the degree of leverage utilized by the REIT.
In general, during periods of rising interest rates, REITs may
lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly
and difficult to obtain. During periods of declining interest rates, certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that mortgagors elect to prepay, which can reduce the yield on securities issued by mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the
ability of borrowers to repay debts to the REIT when due and equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
Like small-cap stocks in general, certain REITs have
relatively small market capitalizations and their securities can be more volatile than—and at times will perform differently from—large-cap stocks. In addition, because small-cap stocks are typically less liquid than large-cap stocks,
REIT stocks may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger companies. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification, and are therefore subject to risks inherent in
operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through the fund, a shareholder will bear indirectly a proportionate share of the REIT’s expenses in addition to their proportionate share of the
fund’s expenses. Finally, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for pass-through tax treatment under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act and CFTC regulations.
Repurchase Agreements
are
instruments under which a buyer acquires ownership of certain securities (usually U.S. government securities) from a seller who agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the
buyer’s holding period. Any repurchase agreements the fund enters into will involve the fund as the buyer and banks or broker-dealers as sellers. The period of repurchase agreements is usually short - from overnight to one week, although the
securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement may have longer maturity dates. Default by the seller might cause the fund to experience a loss or delay in the liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The fund also may
incur disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a repurchase agreement’s seller, the fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could experience losses, including a decline in
the value of the underlying securities and loss of income. The fund will make payment under a repurchase agreement only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer of the collateral to the account of its custodian bank.
Restricted Securities
are
securities that are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling restricted securities may result in a loss or be costly to the fund. Restricted securities generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to
an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration
expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to
develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. Certain restricted securities, such as 4(a)(2) commercial paper and Rule 144A securities under the 1933 Act, may be
considered to be liquid if they meet the criteria for liquidity established by the Board. To the extent the fund invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, the general level of illiquidity in the fund’s portfolio may be increased
if such securities become illiquid.
Reverse
Repurchase Agreements and Mortgage Dollar Rolls
may be used by the fund. The fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements to facilitate portfolio liquidity, a practice common in the mutual fund industry, or for
arbitrage transactions as discussed below. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the fund would sell a security and enter into an agreement to repurchase the security at a specified future date and price. The fund generally retains the right to
interest and principal payments on the security. If the fund uses the cash it obtains to invest in other securities, this may be considered a form of leverage and may expose the fund to a greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any
decrease or increase in the value of the fund’s portfolio’s securities. Because the fund receives cash upon entering into a reverse repurchase agreement, it may be considered a borrowing. When required by guidelines of the SEC, the fund
will set aside permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure its obligations to repurchase the security.
The fund also may enter into mortgage dollar rolls, in which
the fund would sell MBS for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contract to purchase substantially similar securities on a specified future date. While the fund would forego principal and interest paid on the MBS during the roll period,
the fund would be compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower price for the future purchase as well as by any interest earned on the proceeds of the initial sale. The fund also could be compensated through the receipt
of fee income equivalent to a lower forward price. At the time the fund would enter into a mortgage dollar roll, it would set aside permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure its obligation for the forward commitment to
buy MBS. Mortgage dollar roll transactions may be considered a borrowing by the fund.
The mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements
entered into by the fund may be used as arbitrage transactions in which the fund will maintain an offsetting position in short duration investment-grade debt obligations. Since the fund will receive interest on the securities or
repurchase agreements in which it invests the transaction proceeds, such
transactions may involve leverage. However, since such securities or repurchase agreements will be high quality and short duration, the investment adviser believes that such arbitrage transactions present lower risks to the fund than those
associated with other types of leverage. There can be no assurance that the fund’s use of the cash it receives from a mortgage dollar roll will provide a positive return.
Securities Lending
of
portfolio securities is a common practice in the securities industry. The fund may engage in security lending arrangements. For example, the fund may receive cash collateral, and it may invest it in short term, interest-bearing obligations, but will
do so only to the extent that it will not lose the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies (RIC). Lending portfolio securities involves risks that the borrower may fail to return the securities or provide additional collateral.
Also, voting rights with respect to the loaned securities may pass with the lending of the securities and efforts to re-call such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities. Securities lending involves the risk of
loss of rights in the collateral, or delay in recovery of the collateral, if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash
collateral.
The fund may loan portfolio
securities to qualified broker-dealers or other institutional investors provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. government securities, letters of credit, cash or cash equivalents or other appropriate
instruments maintained on a daily marked-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities loaned; (3) the fund will
receive any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the fund, including collateral received from the loan (at market
value computed at the time of the loan).
By lending its
securities, the fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower
in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. Government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral.
Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass
to the borrower, the lender retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the security’s voting rights. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign
securities or thinly traded securities such as small-cap stocks. In addition, because recalling a security may involve expenses to the fund, it is expected that the fund will do so only where the items being voted upon are, in the judgment of the
investment adviser, either material to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the issuer’s corporate governance policies or structure.
To the extent the fund participates in
securities lending with unaffiliated lending agents, costs and expenses, including agent fees, associated with securities lending activities under the securities lending program paid to the lending agent are approximately 10% of the gross lending
revenues (with the ability to reach further breakpoints). All remaining revenue is retained by the fund, as applicable. No portion of the lending revenue is paid to or retained by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM) or any affiliate of
CSIM.
Securities of Other Investment Companies
may be purchased and sold by the fund and include those issued by foreign investment companies. Investment companies generally offer investors the advantages of diversification and professional investment management, by
combining shareholders’ money and investing it in securities such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. Investment companies include: (1) open-end funds (commonly called mutual funds) that issue and redeem their shares on a continuous
basis; (2) BDCs that generally invest in, and provide services to, privately-held companies or thinly-traded public companies (see the sub-section entitled “Business Development Companies” for more information); (3) closed-end funds that
offer a fixed number of shares, and are usually listed on an exchange; (4) unit investment trusts that generally offer a fixed number of redeemable shares; and (5) money market funds that typically seek current income by investing in money market
securities (see the sections titled “Money Market Funds” and “Money Market Securities” for more information). Certain open-end funds, closed-end funds and unit investment trusts are traded on exchanges. (See the section
entitled “Exchange Traded Funds” for more information.) Investment Companies also make various investments and use certain techniques in order to enhance their performance. These may include entering into delayed-delivery and when-issued
securities transactions or swap agreements; buying and selling futures contracts, illiquid and restricted securities and repurchase agreements and borrowing or lending money and/or portfolio securities. The risks of investing in a particular
investment company generally reflect the risks of the securities in which it invests and the investment techniques it employs. Also, investment companies charge fees and incur operating expenses.
To the extent the fund invests, or has invested, in shares of
other investment companies, including BDCs, during its prior fiscal year, the fund, pursuant to SEC rules, must disclose any material fees and expenses indirectly incurred by the fund as a result of such investments. These indirect fees and
expenses, to the extent incurred, will appear in the fee table of the fund’s prospectus as a separate line item captioned “Acquired fund fees and expenses.”
Federal law restricts the ability of one registered investment
company to invest in another. As a result, the extent to which a fund may invest in another investment company may be limited.
Funds in which the fund also may invest include unregistered
or privately-placed funds, such as hedge funds and offshore funds. Hedge funds and offshore funds are not registered with the SEC, and therefore are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered investment companies
(mutual funds). As a result, these types of funds have greater ability to make investments or use investment techniques, such as leveraging, that can increase investment return but also may substantially increase the risk of losses. Investments in
these funds also may be more difficult to sell, which could cause losses to the fund. For example, hedge funds typically require investors to keep their investment
in a hedge fund for some period of time, such as 1 year or more. This means
investors would not be able to sell their shares of a hedge fund until such time had passed, and the investment may be deemed to be illiquid. In addition, because hedge funds may not value their portfolio holdings on a frequent basis, investments in
those hedge funds may be difficult to price.
The fund is
prohibited from acquiring any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) or Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act.
Short Sales
may be used by the
fund as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset (hedge) a potential decline in the value of a security. The fund may engage in short sales that are either “against the box” or “uncovered.” A short
sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, the fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or has the right to acquire, at no added cost, the securities of
the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to the fund with respect to the securities that are sold short. “Uncovered” short sales are transactions under which the fund
sells a security it does not own. To complete such transaction, the fund may borrow the security through a broker to make delivery to the buyer and, in doing so, the fund becomes obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security
at the market price at the time of the replacement. The fund also may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities, which would increase the cost of the security. In addition, the fund is often obligated to pay any accrued interest and
dividends on the securities until they are replaced. The proceeds of the short sale position will be retained by the broker until the fund replaces the borrowed securities.
The fund will incur a loss if the price of the security sold
short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the fund replaces the borrowed security and, conversely, the fund will realize a gain if the price declines. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs
described above. A short sale creates the risk of an unlimited loss, as the price of the underlying securities could theoretically increase without limit, thus increasing the cost of buying those securities to cover the short position. If the fund
sells securities short “against the box,” it may protect unrealized gains, but will lose the opportunity to profit on such securities if the price rises. The successful use of short selling as a hedging strategy may be adversely affected
by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.
The fund’s obligation to replace the securities borrowed
in connection with a short sale will be secured by collateral deposited with the broker that consists of cash or other liquid securities. In addition, the fund will earmark cash or liquid assets or place in a segregated account an amount of cash or
other liquid assets equal to the difference, if any, between (1) the market value of the securities sold short, marked-to-market daily, and (2) any cash or other liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker in connection with the short
sale.
Spread
Transactions
may be used for hedging or managing risk. The fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers. Such covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded. The
purchase of a spread option gives the fund the right to put, or sell, a security that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relation to another security that the fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to
the fund in purchasing covered spread options is the cost of the premium paid for the spread option and any transaction costs. In addition, there is no assurance that closing transactions will be available. The purchase of spread options will be
used to protect the fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality securities. Such protection is only provided during the life of the spread option.
Swap Agreements
are privately
negotiated over-the-counter derivative products in which two parties agree to exchange payment streams calculated in relation to a rate, index, instrument or certain securities (referred to as the “underlying”) and a predetermined amount
(referred to as the “notional amount”). The underlying for a swap may be an interest rate (fixed or floating), a currency exchange rate, a commodity price index, a credit derivative contract (single name or multiname or index), a
security, group of securities or a securities index, a combination of any of these, or various other rates, assets or indices. Swap agreements generally do not involve the delivery of the underlying or principal, and a party’s obligations
generally are equal to only the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the swap agreement. In addition, the fund may invest in swaptions, which are
privately-negotiated option-based derivative products. Swaptions give the holder the right to enter into a swap. The fund may use a swaption in addition to or in lieu of a swap involving a similar rate or index.
As a result of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act of 2010 and related regulatory developments, certain standardized swaps are now subject to mandatory central clearing and trade execution requirements. Unlike uncleared swaps, which are negotiated bilaterally and traded
over-the-counter, cleared swaps must trade through a futures commission merchant and be cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty to the transaction. The fund posts initial and variation margin for cleared swaps by
making payments to their clearing member futures commission merchants. Mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements will occur on a phased-in basis based on a number of factors. Currently, the CFTC has designated the most basic types of swaps
(e.g., credit default index swaps and interest rate swaps) as subject to mandatory central clearing, and certain public trading facilities have made those types of swaps available for trading. It is expected that additional types of swaps will
become subject to central clearing and exchange-trading requirements in the future. While the new clearing and trade execution requirements are intended to reduce counterparty and credit risk, they do not eliminate these types of risks from a
transaction. Any type of swap agreement poses a risk for the fund and may cause it to lose money.
Regulators are in the process of developing rules that would
require trading and execution of most liquid swaps on trading facilities. Moving trading to an exchange-type system may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require the fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of
swaps.
Swap agreements can be structured to increase or
decrease the fund’s exposure to long or short term interest rates, corporate borrowing rates and other conditions, such as changing security prices and inflation rates. They also can be structured to increase or decrease the fund’s
exposure to specific issuers or specific sectors of the bond market such as mortgage securities. For example, if the fund agreed to pay a longer-term fixed rate in exchange for a shorter-term floating rate while holding longer-term fixed rate bonds,
the swap would tend to decrease the fund’s exposure to longer-term interest rates. Swap agreements tend to increase or decrease the overall volatility of the fund’s investments and its share price and yield. Changes in interest rates, or
other factors determining the amount of payments due to and from the fund, can be the most significant factors in the performance of a swap agreement. If a swap agreement calls for payments from the fund, the fund must be prepared to make such
payments when they are due. In order to help minimize risks, the fund will earmark or segregate appropriate assets for any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed under the terms of a swap agreement entered into on a net basis. All other swap agreements
will require the fund to earmark or segregate assets in the amount of the accrued amounts owed under the swap. The fund could sustain losses if a counterparty does not perform as agreed under the terms of the swap. The fund will enter into swap
agreements with counterparties deemed creditworthy by the Investment Adviser.
For purposes of applying the fund’s investment policies
and restrictions (as stated in the prospectus and this SAI) swap agreements are generally valued by the fund at market value. In the case of a credit default swap sold by the fund (i.e., where the fund is selling credit default protection), however,
the fund will generally value the swap at its notional amount. The manner in which certain securities or other instruments are valued by the fund for purposes of applying investment policies and restrictions may differ from the manner in which those
investments are valued by other types of investors.
Temporary Defensive
Strategies
. During unusual economic or market conditions or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements and
other short-term obligations that would not ordinarily be consistent with the fund’s objectives. The fund will do so only if the Investment Adviser or Subadviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity for capital gains or
higher income. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its investment objective.
U.S. Government Securities
are issued by the U.S. Treasury or issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. Not all U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
government. Some U.S. government securities, such as those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Student Loan Marketing Association and the Federal Home Loan
Banks, are supported by a line of credit the issuing entity has with the U.S. Treasury. Securities issued by other issuers are supported solely by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, such as obligations issued by the Federal Farm
Credit Banks Funding Corporation. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S. government securities of its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so under law. U.S. government
securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, are among the safest securities, however, not unlike other debt securities, they are still sensitive to interest rate changes, which will cause their yields and prices to fluctuate.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal
takeover of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for
the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (SPAs), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash
capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. On May 6, 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs to $200 billion per instrumentality. On December 24, 2009,
the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s net worth through the end of
2012. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the SPAs to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts received under the funding commitment. Instead,
they will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. It is anticipated that the new amendment would put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position
to service their debt. Under the new arrangement, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are required to reduce their investment portfolios over time.
The actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful. The future for Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac remains uncertain. The U.S. Congress continues to evaluate proposals to reduce the U.S. government’s role in the mortgage market and to wind down, restructure, consolidate, or privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Should the
federal government adopt any such proposal, the value of the fund’s investments in securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would be impacted.
Although the risk of default with U.S. government securities
is considered unlikely, any default on the part of a portfolio investment could cause the fund’s share price or yield to fall.
The risk of default may be heightened when
there is uncertainty relating to negotiations in the U.S. Congress over increasing the statutory debt ceiling. If the U.S. Congress is unable to negotiate an increase to the statutory debt ceiling, the U.S. government may default on certain U.S.
government securities including those held by the fund, which could have an adverse impact on the fund. In recent years, the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government was downgraded by a major rating agency as a result of concern about the U.S.
government’s budget deficit and rising debt burden. Similar downgrades in the future could increase volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets, result in higher interest rates, lower prices of U.S. Treasury securities and increase
the costs of different kinds of debt. Although remote, it is at least theoretically possible that under certain scenarios the U.S. government could default on its debt, including U.S. Treasury securities.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS
The following are fundamental investment limitations and
restrictions, and may be changed only by vote of a majority of the fund’s outstanding voting securities.
The fund may not:
(1)
|
Concentrate investments in a
particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(2)
|
Purchase or sell commodities
or real estate, except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(3)
|
Make loans to other persons,
except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(4)
|
Borrow money, except to the
extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(5)
|
Issue senior securities,
except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(6)
|
Underwrite securities
issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted (or not prohibited) under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(7)
|
Purchase securities of an
issuer, except as consistent with the maintenance of its status as an open-end diversified company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or
interpreted from time to time.
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The following descriptions of the 1940 Act may assist
investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions.
Diversification.
Under
the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a “diversified company,” as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government
or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer’s voting securities would
be held by the fund.
Borrowing.
The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings
not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Transactions that are fully collateralized in a manner that does not involve the prohibited issuance of a “senior security” within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, shall not be
regarded as borrowings for the purposes of the fund’s investment restriction.
Concentration.
The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions such as with respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the
U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities, or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions. For purposes of the fund’s concentration policy, (i) financial service companies will be
classified according to the types of services; for example, insurance, commercial banks, mortgages, and diversified finance will each be considered a separate industry; and (ii) energy and natural resources companies will be classified according to
the types of products and services; for example, crude oil, petroleum, natural gas, precious metals and mining will each be considered a separate industry.
Lending.
Under
the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies. The fund’s non-fundamental investment policy on lending is set forth below.
Real Estate.
The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The fund has adopted a
fundamental policy that would permit direct investment in real estate. However, the fund has a non-fundamental investment limitation that prohibits it from investing directly in real estate. This non-fundamental policy may be changed only by vote of
the fund’s Board of Trustees.
Senior
Securities.
Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits the fund from issuing senior securities, although it provides allowances for
certain borrowings and certain other investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, when such investments are “covered” or with appropriate earmarking or segregation
of assets to cover such obligations.
Underwriting.
Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any
such activity either directly or indirectly.
The following
are non-fundamental investment limitations and restrictions, and may be changed by the board of trustees.
The fund may not:
(1)
|
Invest more than 15% of its
net assets in illiquid securities.
|
(2)
|
Purchase securities of other
investment companies, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
|
(3)
|
Sell securities short unless
it owns the security or the right to obtain the security or equivalent securities, or unless it covers such short sale as required by current SEC rules and interpretations (transactions in futures contracts, options and other derivative instruments
are not considered selling securities short).
|
(4)
|
Purchase securities on
margin, except such short term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures or other derivative instruments shall not
constitute purchasing securities on margin.
|
(5)
|
Borrow money except that the
fund may (i) borrow money from banks or through an interfund lending facility, if any, only for temporary or emergency purposes (and not for leveraging) and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements with any party; provided that (i) and (ii) in
combination do not exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets (any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced to the extent necessary to comply with the limitation within three business days).
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(6)
|
Lend any security or make
any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties (this restriction does not apply to purchases of debt securities or repurchase agreements).
|
(7)
|
Purchase
or sell commodities, commodity contracts or real estate, including interests in real estate limited partnerships, provided that the fund may (i) purchase securities of companies that deal in real estate or interests therein (including REITs), (ii)
purchase or sell futures contracts, options contracts, equity index participations and index participation contracts, and (iii) purchase securities of companies that deal in precious metals or interests therein.
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Policies and investment limitations that state a maximum
percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund’s acquisition of such security or asset, unless otherwise noted.
Except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent change in total assets or net assets, as applicable, or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it could not then make
the same investment. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the fund to exceed its limitation, the fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of
illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
The phrase “shareholder approval” as used in the
Prospectus and herein, and the phrase “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” as used herein, means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a class, the fund or the Trust,
as the case may be, or (2) 67% or more of the shares of a class, the fund or the Trust, as the case may be, present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.
Portfolio Turnover
A change in securities held by the fund is known as
“portfolio turnover” and almost always involves the payment by the fund of brokerage commissions or dealer markup and other transaction costs on the sale of securities as well as on the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities.
Portfolio turnover is not a limiting factor with respect to investment decisions.
As disclosed in the Prospectus, high portfolio turnover
involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the fund, and could involve realization of capital gains that would be taxable when distributed to shareholders of the fund. To the
extent that portfolio turnover results in the realization of net short-term capital gains, such gains are ordinarily taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.
The portfolio turnover rates for the fund for the past two
fiscal years ended March 31, were:
Fund
|
2018
|
2017
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
49%
|
73%
|
Income, Dividends, Distributions and Tax Status
This discussion of federal income tax
consequences is based on Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the
conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transaction contemplated herein.
The tax status of the fund and the distributions which it may
make are summarized in the Prospectus under the headings “Distributions” and “Taxes.” The fund intends to qualify each year as a RIC under the Code. In order to qualify as a RIC and to qualify for the special tax treatment
accorded RICs and their shareholders, the fund must, among other requirements: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of
stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived
from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership; (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of cash, cash items, U.S. Government
securities, securities of other RICs or other securities limited generally with respect to any one issuer to a value not more than 5% of the value of the total assets of the fund and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such
issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers of which the fund owns at least 20% of
the voting power of each issuer and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and (c) distribute as dividends with respect to each taxable year an amount at
least equal to 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses), without regard to the deduction for dividends paid,
and 90% of its net tax-exempt income for such year. To the extent the fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC, the fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain
distributions.
If the fund fails to qualify as a RIC
accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the fund will be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term
capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Subject to certain limitations, such distributions should qualify for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and for the lower tax rates applicable to qualified
dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, the fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax
treatment.
In order to avoid an excise tax imposed on
certain underdistributed amounts, the fund must distribute in each calendar year (without regard to the fund’s fiscal year end) an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the fund’s ordinary income (taking into account certain
deferrals and elections), (ii) 98.2% of the fund’s capital gain net income, if any, realized in the one-year period ending on October 31 (or later if the fund is permitted and so elects), and (iii) 100% of any undistributed income from prior
years. A dividend paid to shareholders by the fund in January of a year is generally deemed to have been paid by the fund on December 31 of the preceding year, if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October,
November or December of that preceding year.
For federal
income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of capital gains are generally taxed based upon how long the fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a
shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the fund owned for more than one year and that are properly reported by the fund as capital gain dividends will be taxable as long-term
capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. The dividends-received deduction for corporations will generally be available to corporate shareholders
with respect to their receipt of the fund’s dividends from investment income to the extent derived from dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations, provided the fund and the shareholder each meet the relevant holding period
requirements.
Distributions of investment income
reported by the fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by fund shareholder to be
qualified dividend income, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the
fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before
the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an
obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for
purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the
exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States), or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.
If the aggregate qualified dividends received by the fund
during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the fund’s dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain
included in the term “gross income” is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss. In general,
distributions of investment income reported by the fund as derived from
qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the fund’s shares.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are
paid from income or gains earned by the fund before a shareholder’s investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or in the form of additional shares
of the fund to which the distribution relates. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains.
The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified
dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts).
Gain or loss on the sale or redemption of shares in the fund
is measured by the difference between the amount received and the adjusted tax basis of the shares. Shareholders should keep records of investments made (including shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and distribution) so they can
compute the tax basis of their shares.
A loss realized
on a sale or exchange of shares of the fund may be disallowed if other substantially identical shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a sixty-one (61) day period beginning thirty (30) days
before and ending thirty (30) days after the date that the shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired must be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of shares held for six (6) months
or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividend received by the shareholders.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net
investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such
person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.
Dividends and distributions on the fund’s shares are
generally subject to federal income tax as described herein, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares
purchased at a time when the fund’s net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed.
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including
qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI).
Under current law, the fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of their investments in a fund where, for
example, (i) the fund invests in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs); (ii) the fund invests in a REIT which qualifies as a taxable mortgage pool under the Code or has a qualified REIT subsidiary that qualifies as
a taxable mortgage pool under the Code; or (iii) shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special
rules associated with such investments, and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing the fund from holding investments in such REITs or REMICs, and the fund may do so. The Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance
with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.
For taxable years beginning after 2017 and before 2026,
non-corporate taxpayers generally may deduct 20% of “qualified business income” derived either directly or through partnerships or S corporations. For this purpose, “qualified business income” generally includes ordinary REIT
dividends and income derived from MLP investments. There is currently no mechanism for the fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the character of ordinary REIT dividends or income derived by the fund from MLP investments so as to allow
such shareholders to claim this deduction. It is uncertain whether future legislation or other guidance will enable the fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the ability to claim this deduction.
Under current law, the fund is generally required to withhold
and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable dividends and other distributions paid to and proceeds of share sales, exchanges or redemptions made by any individual shareholder who fails to furnish the fund with a correct taxpayer
identification number, who has underreported income in the past or fails to provide certain certifications. However, the general backup withholding rules set forth above will not apply to a shareholder so long as the shareholder furnishes the fund
with the appropriate certification required by the Internal Revenue Service. The backup withholding tax rate currently is 24%.
Foreign shareholders generally are subject to U.S. withholding
tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on taxable distributions derived from net investment income and short-term capital gains; provided, however, that U.S. source interest related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends
generally are not subject to U.S. withholding taxes if the fund elects to make reports with respect to such dividends. Distributions to foreign shareholders of such short-term capital gain dividends and long-term capital gains, and any gains from
the sale or other disposition of shares of the fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Code’s definition of “resident alien” or (2) is physically present in
the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Different consequences may result if the foreign
shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In
addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may differ from those described above.
In order for a foreign investor to qualify for exemption from
(or reduced rates for) withholding tax under income tax treaties, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign shareholders may also be subject to U.S. estate taxes with respect to shares in the fund.
Foreign investors in the fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. If the fund invests in certain REITs or in REMIC residual interests, a portion of the fund’s income may be classified as “excess inclusion income.”
With respect to foreign shareholders, no exemption or reduction in withholding tax will apply to such excess inclusion income.
The fund will be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate)
on payments of dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements
designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the fund to enable the fund to determine whether withholding is required.
The fund may invest in a non-U .S. corporation, which could be
treated as a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) or become a PFIC under the Code. This could result in adverse tax consequences upon the disposition of, or the receipt of “excess distributions” with respect to, such equity
investments. To the extent the fund does invest in a PFIC, it may be eligible to elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or mark-to-market its investments in PFICs annually. In either case, the fund may be required to
distribute amounts in excess of realized income and gains. To the extent that the fund does invest in foreign securities which are determined to be PFIC securities and are required to pay a tax on such investments, a credit for this tax would not be
allowed to be passed through to the fund’s shareholders. Therefore, the payment of this tax would reduce the fund’s economic return from its PFIC shares, and excess distributions received with respect to such shares are treated as
ordinary income rather than capital gains.
Section 988
of the Code contains special tax rules applicable to certain foreign currency transactions and instruments that may affect the amount, timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized by the fund. Under these rules, foreign exchange gain or
loss realized by the fund with respect to foreign currencies and certain futures and options thereon, foreign currency-denominated debt instruments, foreign currency forward contracts, and foreign currency denominated payables and receivables
will generally be treated as ordinary income or loss, although in some cases elections may be available that would alter this treatment. Foreign currency losses could result in distributions of ordinary income being reclassified as a return of
capital for tax purposes.
The fund’s investments
in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes. In that case, the fund’s return on those securities would be decreased. If more than 50% of the fund’s assets at fiscal year-end is represented by debt and equity
securities of foreign corporations, the fund intends to elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns for their pro
rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. For the purposes of the foreign tax credit, each such shareholder would
include in gross income from foreign sources its pro rata share of such taxes. Certain limitations imposed by the Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of such taxes.
The fund’s securities lending activities may affect the
amount, timing, and character of its dividends and distributions to shareholders. With respect to any security subject to a security loan, any amounts received by a fund in place of dividends earned on the security during the period that such
security was not directly held by the fund may not give rise to dividends otherwise eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction or qualified dividend income. Moreover, withholding taxes accrued on any dividends during the period that
such security was not directly held by a fund will not qualify as a foreign tax paid by the fund and, therefore, cannot be passed through to the fund’s shareholders even if the fund satisfied the requirements for such foreign tax pass-through
treatment.
The fund’s transactions in options,
futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles and certain foreign currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which
may be to accelerate income to the fund, defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains and convert short-term capital losses into
long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.
The fund is required for federal income tax purposes to
mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Except for contracts subject to ordinary
income or loss treatment under Section 988 of the Code, gain or loss from such futures and options contracts required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing
and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the fund. It is
anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described above.
The fund distributes to shareholders at least annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for federal income tax purposes, including unrealized gains at the end of the fund’s fiscal year on futures or options transactions subject
to this marking to market requirement. Such distributions are combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the fund’s other investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.
With respect to investments in zero coupon securities,
deferred interest securities, certain structured securities, or other securities bearing original issue discount, each fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even if the fund has not
received any interest payments on such securities during that period. Because the fund is required to annually distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains to its shareholders in order to avoid the imposition of
fund-level taxation, the fund may have to sell fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the adviser would not have chosen to sell such securities, and which may result in additional taxable gain or loss
Certain transactions effectively insulating the fund from
substantially all risk of loss and all opportunity for gain in an appreciated financial position are treated as constructive sales of those positions for federal income tax purposes. Short sales, swap contracts, and forward or futures contracts to
sell the appreciated position, or one or more other transactions that have substantially the same effect as those transactions as determined under regulations, are treated as “constructive sales” for this purpose. If the fund owns an
appreciated financial position and enters into such a transaction it will generally recognize gain for tax purposes prior to the generation of cash by such activities, which may require the fund to sell assets to meet its distribution
requirement.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a
shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct
shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the fund is not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting
requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their
tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the
state and local tax rules affecting investments in the fund.
THE TAX DISCUSSION SET FORTH ABOVE IS A
SUMMARY INCLUDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. EACH SHAREHOLDER IS ADVISED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIFIC TAX CONSEQUENCES TO HIM OR HER OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND, INCLUDING THE EFFECT AND
APPLICABILITY OF STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN, AND OTHER TAX LAWS AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN FEDERAL OR OTHER TAX LAWS. THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT INTENDED, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED, TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR CAREFUL TAX PLANNING.
Management of the FUND
The fund is overseen by a Board of Trustees.
The trustees are responsible for protecting shareholder interests. The trustees regularly meet to review the investment activities, contractual arrangements and the investment performance of the fund. The Board of Trustees met five times during the
most recent fiscal year.
Certain trustees are
“interested persons.” A trustee is considered an interested person (Interested Trustee) of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she is an officer, director, or an employee of CSIM. A trustee also may be considered an interested person
of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she owns stock of The Charles Schwab Corporation (CSC), a publicly traded company and the parent company of CSIM.
As used herein the terms “Fund Complex” and
“Family of Investment Companies” each refer collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust which, as of July 27, 2018,
included 107 funds. As used herein, the term “Schwab Funds” refers collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Capital Trust; the term “Laudus Funds” refers to
Laudus Trust; and the term “Schwab ETFs” refers to Schwab Strategic Trust.
Each of the officers and/or trustees serves in the same
capacity, unless otherwise noted, for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust. The tables below provide information about the trustees and
officers for the Trust, which includes the fund in this SAI. The address of each individual listed below is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
1
)
|
Principal
Occupations
During the Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios
in Fund Complex
Overseen by the Trustee
|
Other
Directorships During
the Past Five Years
|
INDEPENDENT
TRUSTEES
|
Robert
W. Burns
1959
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009; The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Retired/Private
Investor (Jan. 2009-present). Formerly, Managing Director, Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO) (investment management firm) and President, PIMCO Funds.
|
107
|
Director,
PS Business Parks, Inc. (2005-2012)
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
1
)
|
Principal
Occupations
During the Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios
in Fund Complex
Overseen by the Trustee
|
Other
Directorships During
the Past Five Years
|
INDEPENDENT
TRUSTEES
|
John
F. Cogan
1947
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2008; Laudus Trust since 2010; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Senior
Fellow, The Hoover Institution at Stanford University (public policy think tank) (Oct. 1979-present); Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (2000-present); Professor of Public Policy, Stanford University (1994-2015).
|
107
|
Director,
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (2005-present)
|
Nancy
F. Heller
1956
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2018)
|
President
and Chairman, TIAA Charitable (financial services) (2014-2016); Senior Managing Director, TIAA (financial services) (2003-2016).
|
107
|
None
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis
1946
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Strategic Trust since 2012; The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
CEO
and Owner, Kochis Global (wealth management consulting) (May 2012-present); Chairman and CEO, Aspiriant, LLC (wealth management) (Jan. 2008-Apr. 2012).
|
107
|
None
|
David
L. Mahoney
1954
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2011; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Private
Investor.
|
107
|
Director,
Symantec Corporation (2003-present)
Director, Corcept Therapeutics
Incorporated (2004-present)
Director, Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2009-present)
|
Kiran
M. Patel
1948
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2011; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Retired.
Executive Vice President and General Manager of Small Business Group, Intuit, Inc. (financial software and services firm for consumers and small businesses) (Dec. 2008-Sept. 2013).
|
107
|
Director,
KLA-Tencor Corporation (2008-present)
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore
1956
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Consultant,
Patmore Management Consulting (management consulting) (2008-present).
|
107
|
None
|
Gerald
B. Smith
1950
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2000; Laudus Trust since 2010; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Smith Graham & Co. (investment advisors) (Mar. 1990-present).
|
107
|
Director,
Eaton (2012-present)
Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Oneok Partners LP (2003-2013)
Director, Oneok, Inc. (2009-2013)
Lead Independent Director, Board of Cooper Industries (2002-2012)
|
Joseph
H. Wender
1944
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2008; Laudus Trust since 2010; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016)
|
Senior
Consultant, Goldman Sachs & Co., Inc. (investment banking and securities firm) (Jan. 2008-present); Co-CEO, Colgin Cellars, LLC (vineyards) (Feb. 1998-present).
|
107
|
Board
Member and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Ionis Pharmaceuticals (1994-present)
Lead Independent Director and Chair of Audit Committee, OUTFRONT Media Inc. (2014-present)
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
1
)
|
Principal
Occupations
During the Past Five Years
|
Number
of Portfolios
in Fund Complex
Overseen by the Trustee
|
Other
Directorships During
the Past Five Years
|
INTERESTED
TRUSTEES
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
2
1960
Chairman and Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and
Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2008; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009; Laudus Trust since 2010)
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Charles Schwab Corporation (Oct. 2008-present); President and Chief Executive Officer (Oct. 2008-present), Director (May 2008-present), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Director, Charles Schwab Bank (Apr.
2006-present); Director (May 2008-present), President and Chief Executive Officer (Aug. 2017-present), Schwab Holdings, Inc.; and Director, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (July 2016-present).
|
107
|
Director,
The Charles Schwab Corporation (2008-present)
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
2
1961
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity
Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), Chief Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Trustee (Jan. 2016-present), President, Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), and Chief
Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs; Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds plc and Charles Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited (Jan. 2011-present); Global Head of Fixed Income Business
Division, BlackRock, Inc. (formerly Barclays Global Investors) (investment management firm) (Mar. 2007-Aug. 2010).
|
107
|
None
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
2
1962
Trustee
(Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity
Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016)
|
Chief
Operating Officer (Feb. 2018-present), Senior Executive Vice President (July 2015-Feb. 2018), The Charles Schwab Corporation; Senior Executive Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (July 2015-present); Chief Financial Officer (July
2015-Aug. 2017), Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (May 2007-July 2015), The Charles Schwab Corporation and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Director, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (May 2007-present); Director (Apr. 2010-present)
and Chief Executive Officer (July 2013-Apr. 2015), Charles Schwab Bank; Director (May 2007-present), Chief Financial Officer (May 2007-Aug. 2017), Senior Executive Vice President (Feb. 2016-present), and Executive Vice President (May 2007-Feb.
2016), Schwab Holdings, Inc.
|
107
|
None
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
3
)
|
Principal
Occupations During the Past Five Years
|
OFFICERS
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
1961
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2010)
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), Chief Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Trustee (Jan. 2016-present), President, Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010-present), and Chief
Investment Officer (Sept. 2010-Oct. 2011), Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs; Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds plc and Charles Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited (Jan. 2011-present); Global Head of Fixed Income Business
Division, BlackRock, Inc. (formerly Barclays Global Investors) (investment management firm) (Mar. 2007-Aug. 2010).
|
Mark
Fischer
1970
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2013)
|
Treasurer
and Chief Financial Officer, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs (Jan. 2016-present); Assistant Treasurer, Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds (Dec. 2013-Dec. 2015), Schwab ETFs (Nov. 2013-Dec. 2015); Vice President, Charles Schwab Investment
Management, Inc. (Oct. 2013-present); Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Investor Services (Apr. 2011-Sept. 2013); Assistant Treasurer, Massachusetts Financial Service Investment Management (May 2005-Mar. 2011).
|
Name,
Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust
(Term of Office and Length of Time Served
3
)
|
Principal
Occupations During the Past Five Years
|
OFFICERS
|
George
Pereira
1964
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios since 2004; Laudus Trust since 2006; Schwab Strategic
Trust since 2009)
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Nov. 2004-present), Chief Operating Officer (Jan. 2011-present), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (Jan. 2016-present), Treasurer and Chief
Financial Officer, Laudus Funds (June 2006-Dec. 2015); Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, Schwab Funds (Nov. 2004-Dec. 2015) and Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009-Dec. 2015); Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Funds plc and Charles Schwab Asset
Management (Ireland) Limited (Apr. 2005-present).
|
Omar
Aguilar
1970
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab
Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2011)
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Apr. 2011-present); Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds
and Schwab ETFs (June 2011-present); Head of the Portfolio Management Group and Vice President of Portfolio Management, Financial Engines, Inc. (investment management firm) (May 2009-Apr. 2011); Head of Quantitative Equity, ING Investment Management
(July 2004-Jan. 2009).
|
Brett
Wander
1961
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus
Trust since 2011)
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Apr. 2011-present); Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs
(June 2011-present); Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Active Fixed-Income Strategies, State Street Global Advisors (Jan. 2008-Oct. 2010); Director of Alpha Strategies Loomis, Sayles & Company (investment management firm) (Apr. 2006-Jan.
2008).
|
David
Lekich
1964
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs
Vice President and Assistant Clerk, Laudus Funds
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity
Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2011)
|
Senior
Vice President (Sept. 2011-present), Vice President (Mar. 2004-Sept. 2011), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel (Sept. 2011-present), Vice President (Jan. 2011-Sept. 2011), Charles Schwab Investment Management,
Inc.; Secretary (Apr. 2011-present) and Chief Legal Officer (Dec. 2011-present), Schwab Funds; Vice President and Assistant Clerk, Laudus Funds (Apr. 2011-present); Secretary (May 2011-present) and Chief Legal Officer (Nov. 2011-present), Schwab
ETFs.
|
Catherine
MacGregor
1964
Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs
Chief Legal Officer, Vice President and Clerk, Laudus Funds
(Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital
Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2005; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009)
|
Vice
President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (July 2005-present); Vice President (Dec. 2005-present), Chief Legal Officer and Clerk (Mar. 2007-present), Laudus Funds; Vice President (Nov. 2005-present) and
Assistant Secretary (June 2007-present), Schwab Funds; Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009-present).
|
1
|
Each Trustee shall hold
office until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed. The retirement policy requires that each independent trustee retire by December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 74 or the
Trustee’s twentieth year of service as an independent trustee on any trust in the Fund Complex, whichever occurs first.
|
2
|
Mr. Bettinger, Ms. Chandoha
and Mr. Martinetto are Interested Trustees. Mr. Bettinger is an Interested Trustee because he owns stock of CSC, the parent company of CSIM, the investment adviser for the trusts in the Fund Complex, is an employee and director of Schwab, the
principal underwriter for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios, and is a director of CSIM. Ms. Chandoha is an Interested Trustee because she owns stock of CSC and is an employee
and director of CSIM. Mr. Martinetto is an Interested Trustee because he owns stock of CSC and is an employee and director of Schwab.
|
3
|
The President, Treasurer and
Secretary/Clerk hold office until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Each of the other officers serves at the pleasure of the Board.
|
Board Leadership Structure
The Chairman of the Board, Walter W.
Bettinger II, is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of CSC and an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Board is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of trustees who are not
interested persons of the Trust (i.e., independent trustees). The Trust does not have a single lead independent trustee. There are three primary committees of the Board: the Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee; the Governance Committee; and
the Investment Oversight Committee. Each of the Committees is chaired by an independent trustee, and each Committee is comprised solely of independent trustees. The Committee chairs preside at Committee meetings, participate in formulating agendas
for those meetings, and coordinate with management to serve as a liaison between the independent trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of each Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Board has
determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent trustees of the
Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the fact that Committee chairs are independent trustees, the number of funds (and classes) overseen by the Board, and the total number of trustees on the Board.
Board Oversight of Risk Management
Like most investment companies, fund
management and its other service providers have responsibility for day-to-day risk management for the fund. The Board’s duties, as part of its risk oversight of the Trust, consist of monitoring risks identified during regular and special
reports to the Committees of the Board, as well as regular and special reports to the full Board. In addition to monitoring such risks, the Committees and the
Board oversee efforts of fund management and
service providers to manage risks to which the funds of the Trust may be exposed. For example, the Investment Oversight Committee meets with portfolio managers and receives regular reports regarding investment risk and credit risk of the
fund’s portfolio. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee meets with the fund’s Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and receives regular reports regarding compliance risks, operational risks and risks related to
the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. From its review of these reports and discussions with management, each Committee receives information about the material risks of the funds of the Trust and about how management and service
providers mitigate those risks, enabling the independent Committee chairs and other independent members of the Committees to discuss these risks with the full Board.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the
fund can be identified nor can processes and controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate the occurrence or effects of certain risks; some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the fund, its management, and service providers. Although
the risk oversight functions of the Board, and the risk management policies of fund management and fund service providers, are designed to be effective, there is no guarantee that they will eliminate or mitigate all risks. In addition, it may be
necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the fund’s investment objective. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the fund’s ability to manage risk is subject to significant limitations.
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the
trustees should initially and continue to serve on the Board because of (i) his or her ability to review and understand information about the Trust provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to
the performance of their duties, to question management regarding material factors bearing on the management of the Trust, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Trusts’ shareholders and (ii)
the trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills as described below.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Bettinger should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as president and chief executive officer of The Charles Schwab Corporation, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as
trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2008, the Schwab ETFs since 2009, and the Laudus Funds since 2010.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Burns should serve as trustee
of the Trust because of the experience he gained as managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO) and president of PIMCO Funds as well as the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab ETFs since 2009, and
his experience serving as chair of the Schwab ETFs’ Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee until December 2015.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Chandoha should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as president and chief executive officer of Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., the Schwab Funds, Schwab ETFs and Laudus Funds, as well as her knowledge of and experience in financial
and investment management services.
The Board has
concluded that Mr. Cogan should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he has gained serving as a senior fellow and professor of public policy at a university and his former service in government, the experience he has gained
serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2008 and Laudus Funds since 2010, and his service on other public company boards.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Heller
should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as President of TIAA Charitable and as Senior Managing Director at TIAA, the experience she has gained serving on other non-public company boards and her knowledge of and
experience in the financial services industry.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Kochis should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as chair and chief executive officer of Aspiriant, LLC, an advisory firm, as well as his knowledge of and experience in wealth management consulting and the experience he has gained
serving as trustee of the Schwab ETFs since 2012.
The
Board has concluded that Mr. Mahoney should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds since 2011, as co-chief executive officer of a healthcare services company, and his
service on other public company boards.
The Board has
concluded that Mr. Martinetto should serve as trustee of the Trust because of his experience serving as senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Charles Schwab Corporation and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Patel should serve as trustee
of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds since 2011, as executive vice president, general manager and chief financial officer of a software company, his service on other public company
boards, and his experience serving as chair of the Schwab Funds’ and Laudus Funds’ Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee.
The Board has concluded that Ms. Patmore should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of her experience serving as chief financial officer and executive vice president of First Data Payment Business and First Data Corporation, as well as her knowledge of and experience in management consulting.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Smith should serve as trustee
of the Trust because of the experience he has gained as managing partner of his own investment advisory firm, the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2000, as trustee of the Laudus Funds since 2010, his service on
other public company boards, and his experience serving as chair of the Schwab Funds’ and Laudus Funds’ Investment Oversight Committee.
The Board has concluded that Mr. Wender should serve as
trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as former partner and head of the financial institutions group of an investment bank, the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds since 2008, as trustee of the
Laudus Funds since 2010, and his service on other public company boards.
Trustee Committees
The Board of Trustees has established certain committees and
adopted Committee charters with respect to those committees, each as described below:
•
|
The Audit, Compliance and
Valuation Committee reviews the integrity of the Trust’s financial reporting processes and compliance policies, procedures and processes, and the Trust’s overall system of internal controls. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee
also reviews and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors, and the implementation and operation of the Trust’s valuation policy and procedures. This Committee is comprised of at least
three independent trustees and currently has the following members: Kiran M. Patel (Chairman), John F. Cogan, Nancy F. Heller and Kimberly S. Patmore. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.
|
•
|
The Governance Committee
reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding Trust governance-related matters, including but not limited to Board compensation practices, retirement policies and term limits, Board self-evaluations, the effectiveness and allocation of
assignments and functions by the Board, the composition of Committees of the Board, and the training of trustees. The Governance Committee is responsible for selecting and nominating candidates to serve as trustees. The Governance Committee does not
have a written policy with respect to consideration of candidates for trustee submitted by shareholders. However, if the Governance Committee determined that it would be in the best interests of the Trust to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees,
and a shareholder submitted a candidate for consideration by the Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy, the Governance Committee would evaluate that candidate in the same manner as it evaluates nominees identified by the Governance Committee.
Nominee recommendations may be submitted to the Clerk of the Trust at the Trust’s principal business address. This Committee is comprised of at least three independent trustees and currently has the following members: John F. Cogan (Chairman),
Stephen Timothy Kochis, David L. Mahoney, Kimberly S. Patmore and Joseph H. Wender. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.
|
•
|
The
Investment Oversight Committee reviews the investment activities of the Trust and the performance of the fund’s investment adviser. This Committee is comprised of at least three trustees (at least two-thirds of whom shall be independent
trustees) and currently has the following members: Gerald B. Smith (Chairman), Robert W. Burns, Stephen Timothy Kochis, David L. Mahoney and Joseph H. Wender. The Committee met five times during the most recent fiscal year.
|
Trustee Compensation
The following table provides Trustee
compensation for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, earned with respect to the fund and the Fund Complex.
Name
of Trustee
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the Fund in this SAI
|
Pension
or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Total
Compensation from the Fund
and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
|
Interested
Trustees
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Robert
W. Burns
|
$5,741
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
John
F. Cogan
|
$6,132
|
N/A
|
$313,500
|
Nancy
F. Heller
1
|
None
|
N/A
|
None
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis
|
$5,741
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
David
L. Mahoney
|
$5,741
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
Kiran
M. Patel
|
$6,132
|
N/A
|
$313,500
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore
|
$5,741
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
Charles
A. Ruffel
2
|
$5,741
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
Gerald
B. Smith
|
$6,132
|
N/A
|
$313,500
|
Name
of Trustee
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the Fund in this SAI
|
Pension
or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Total
Compensation from the Fund
and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Joseph
H. Wender
|
$5,741
|
N/A
|
$293,500
|
1
|
Ms. Heller joined the Board
effective June 1, 2018.
|
2
|
Mr. Ruffel
resigned from the Board effective May 15, 2018.
|
Securities Beneficially Owned by Each Trustee
The following table provides each
trustee’s equity ownership of the fund and ownership of all registered investment companies overseen by each trustee in the Family of Investment Companies as of December 31, 2017.
Name
of Trustee
|
Dollar
Range of Trustee Ownership of the Fund Included in the SAI
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Trustee Ownership in the Family
of Investment Companies
|
Interested
Trustees
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
Marie
A. Chandoha
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
Over
$100,000
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
Independent
Trustees
|
Robert
W. Burns
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
John
F. Cogan
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
Nancy
F. Heller
1
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
None
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
David
L. Mahoney
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
Kiran
M. Patel
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
Gerald
B. Smith
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
Joseph
H. Wender
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
None
|
Over
$100,000
|
1
|
Ms. Heller joined the Board
effective June 1, 2018.
|
As of
December 31, 2017, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of CSIM or any sub-advisers or Schwab, or in a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or
indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with CSIM or any sub-advisers or Schwab.
Investment Advisory and Other Services
Advisory Agreements
After their initial two year terms, the continuation of the
fund’s advisory agreements must be specifically approved at least annually (1) by the vote of the trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the fund and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the investment
advisory agreements or “interested persons” of any party (independent trustees), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of the fund fail to approve an advisory agreement, CSIM
and the Subadviser, as applicable, may continue to serve under their agreement in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
After their initial two year terms, each year, the Board of
Trustees will call and hold one or more meetings to decide whether to renew the advisory agreement between Laudus Trust (Trust) and CSIM (Investment Adviser), and the sub-advisory agreement between CSIM and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
(BlackRock or the Subadviser) with respect to the fund. In preparation for the meetings, the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by CSIM and BlackRock as well as extensive data provided by third parties and the
independent trustees receive advice from counsel to the independent trustees.
CSIM oversees the advisory services provided to the fund.
Pursuant to a separate sub-advisory agreement, and under the supervision of the Investment Adviser and the fund’s Board of Trustees, BlackRock is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the fund’s assets. BlackRock also
is responsible for managing their employees who provide services to the fund.
About CSIM
CSIM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSC. Both CSIM and CSC
are located at 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Principal Executive Officer and Directors — Listed below
are the directors and principal executive officer of CSIM. The principal business address of each director and the principal executive officer, as it relates to their duties at CSIM, is the same as above.
Name
|
Position
|
Marie
Chandoha
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
Director
|
Peter
B. Crawford
|
Director
|
As disclosed in the Prospectus
under the heading “Management of the Fund,” under a management contract (Management Contract) between the Trust, on behalf of the fund, and CSIM, subject to the supervision of the trustees of the Trust and such policies as the trustees
may determine, CSIM furnishes office space and equipment, provides certain bookkeeping and clerical services and pays all salaries, fees and expenses of officers and trustees of the Trust who are affiliated with CSIM. In addition, pursuant to a
sub-advisory agreement between CSIM and BlackRock, BlackRock will continuously furnish an investment program for the fund and will make investment decisions on behalf of the fund and place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio
securities.
The fund has agreed to pay CSIM a monthly
management fee at an annual percentage rate of the fund’s average daily net assets. The table below shows the advisory fee payable to CSIM by the fund.
First
$500 million
|
0.70%
|
$500
million to $1 billion
|
0.65%
|
$1
billion to $1.5 billion
|
0.60%
|
$1.5
billion to $2 billion
|
0.575%
|
Above
$2 billion
|
0.55%
|
CSIM has agreed with the Trust that it will
waive some or all of its management fees under the Management Contract and, if necessary, will bear certain expenses of the fund until at least July 30, 2020 (unless the waiver is extended, modified or terminated by mutual agreement of the Trust and
CSIM; provided that termination by CSIM must be authorized by the Board of Trustees) so that the fund’s total annual operating expenses (exclusive of nonrecurring account fees, fees on securities transactions such as exchange fees, service
fees, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the fund’s business,
such as shareholder meeting costs) will not exceed 0.77%. Any amounts waived or reimbursed in a particular fiscal year will be subject to reimbursement by the fund to the investment adviser during the next two fiscal years to the extent that the
repayment will not cause the fund’s total annual fund operating expenses to exceed the limit (as stated in the agreement) during the respective year or the current year. The investment adviser may, but is not required to, extend the agreement
for additional years. The expense limitation also does not cover fees and expenses of pooled investment vehicles, such as ETFs, REITs and other investment companies that are held by the fund. In addition, CSIM’s compensation under the
Management Contract is subject to reduction to the extent that in any year the expenses of the fund (including investment advisory fees but excluding taxes, portfolio brokerage commissions and any distribution and shareholder service expenses paid
by a class of shares of the fund pursuant to a distribution and shareholder service plan or otherwise) exceed the limits on investment company expenses imposed by any statute or regulatory authority of any jurisdiction in which shares of the fund
are qualified for offer and sale.
The
Management Contract provides that CSIM shall not be subject to any liability to the Trust or to any shareholder of the Trust in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder.
The Management Contract automatically
terminates on assignment and is terminable on 60 days’ notice by the Trust to CSIM or by CSIM to the Trust.
For the fiscal year and period ended March 31, the fund paid
to CSIM as management fees, and CSIM, in its capacity as adviser, has waived and reimbursed to the fund the following amounts:
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Net
Management Fee
|
$11,499,237
|
$11,723,622
|
$13,503,642
|
Amount
Waived/Reimbursed
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Amount
Recouped
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Subadvisory Agreement
CSIM has entered into an agreement on behalf of the fund with
BlackRock by which BlackRock acts as subadviser to the fund (Subadviser Agreement). Under the Subadviser Agreement, BlackRock, continuously furnishes an investment management program for the fund and makes investment decisions on behalf of the fund
and places all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and all other investments, subject to the supervision of CSIM and the trustees.
BlackRock, with its principal office located
at 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, manages the assets of the fund. BlackRock is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. BlackRock is a registered investment adviser organized in 1999. As of June 30, 2018, BlackRock
and its affiliates had approximately $6.3 trillion in investment company and other portfolio assets under management.
Subadvisory Fee
This section describes the
subadvisory fee payable by CSIM to BlackRock. Please remember, however, that the following fees described are paid by CSIM to BlackRock; they do not affect how much you pay or the fund pays. Effective March 1, 2018, the subadvisory fee is:
First
$1.5 billion
|
0.25%
|
Over
$1.5 billion to $2.5 billion
|
0.21%
|
Over
$2.5 billion
|
0.19%
|
Prior to March 1, 2018, the
subadvisory fee was:
First
$1.7 billion
|
0.25%
|
Over
$1.7 billion to $2.5 billion
|
0.21%
|
Over
$2.5 billion
|
0.19%
|
In connection with the hiring of
BlackRock as subadviser, BlackRock and CSIM have entered into an agreement regarding responsibilities for the assets and shareholders of the fund (Agreement). Subject to certain conditions, including termination for cause, the Agreement provides
that CSIM will pay compensation to BlackRock, in the event that BlackRock is terminated as investment subadviser to the fund during the first 2 years of the Subadviser Agreement. The amount of compensation owed to BlackRock upon its termination, if
any, is based on a formula that takes into account when BlackRock is terminated, the circumstances surrounding the termination, and the amount of compensation received under the Subadviser Agreement by BlackRock in the month prior to
termination.
For the fiscal year and period ended March
31, CSIM paid to BlackRock, as a subadvisory fee, and BlackRock in its capacity as subadviser has waived the following amounts:
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Net
Subadvisory Fee
|
$4,464,640
|
$4,547,601
|
$5,224,037
|
Amount
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Other Service Providers
Administrative Services
The Trust has entered into a Fund Administration Agreement
with State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street) (in such capacity, the “Administrator”) pursuant to which the Administrator provides certain management and administrative services necessary for the fund’s operations
including: (i) regulatory compliance, including the compilation of information for documents such as reports to, and filings with, the SEC and state securities commissions, and preparation of proxy statements and shareholder reports for the fund;
(ii) general supervision relative to the compilation of data required for the preparation of periodic reports distributed to the fund’s officers and Board of Trustees; and (iii) furnishing office space and certain facilities required for
conducting the business of the fund. For these services, the Administrator is entitled to receive $1,000 per annum, as well as a fee based on the average daily net assets of the Trust (Administrator’s Asset-Based Fee). In calculating the
Administrator’s Asset Based-Fee payable by the Trust, the assets of the Trust are aggregated with the average daily net assets of certain of the other portfolios for which CSIM serves as investment adviser and State Street serves as
administrator
1
.
1
|
In addition to the fund of the
Trust, this list includes each of the funds of Schwab Investments, The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, and Schwab Capital Trust.
|
For the past three fiscal years ended March 31, State Street
in its capacity as Administrator received the following amounts:
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Fees
Received
|
$15,780
|
$20,050
|
$22,965
|
Fees
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Distributor
Charles Schwab & Co. (Schwab), located at 211 Main Street,
San Francisco, California 94105, is the principal underwriter and distributor of shares of the fund. Schwab has entered into an agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of the fund (the Distribution Agreement). Schwab
continually distributes shares of the fund on a best effort basis. Schwab has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually
thereafter in accordance with the 1940 Act. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the fund through Schwab, as described in the fund’s prospectus. Schwab is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the 1934 Act) and a member of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority. Schwab is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Charles
Schwab Corporation, a publicly traded company. The fund pays for prospectus and shareholder reports to be prepared and delivered to existing shareholders. Schwab pays such costs when the described materials are used in connection with the offering
of shares to prospective investors and for supplemental sales literature and advertising. Schwab receives no fee under the Distribution Agreement; however, as described below in “Payments to Financial Intermediaries,” CSIM compensates
Schwab, in its capacity as a financial intermediary and not in its capacity as distributor and principal underwriter for the fund, for providing certain additional services that may be deemed to be distribution-related.
The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated
at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940
Act).
Prior to June 29, 2018, shares of the fund were
sold on a continuous basis by the Trust’s previous distributor, ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS). ALPS’s principal offices are located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado, 80203. Under the distribution contract between the Trust
and ALPS, ALPS was not obligated to sell any specific amount of shares of the Trust and purchased shares for resale only against orders for shares.
For the past three fiscal years ended March 31, ALPS
Distributors, Inc. incurred distribution expenses or paid intermediaries the following amounts:
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Distribution
Expenses Incurred by the Fund
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
Distribution
Expenses Paid to Intermediaries
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
Payments to Financial
Intermediaries
CSIM and its affiliates may make payments
to broker-dealers, banks, trust companies, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers, consultants and other financial intermediaries (Intermediaries) for services and expenses incurred in connection with certain activities or services
which may educate financial advisors or facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the funds and other investment companies advised by CSIM, including the Schwab ETFs. These payments are made by CSIM or its affiliates at their own expense,
and not from the assets of the fund. Although a portion of CSIM’s and its affiliates’ revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the fund, these payments do not increase the expenses paid by investors for the purchase
of fund shares, or the cost of owning the fund.
These
payments may relate to educational efforts regarding the fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, data analytics and support, the development and
support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems. In addition, CSIM may make payments to Intermediaries that make shares of the fund available to their customers or otherwise promote the fund, which may include Intermediaries that allow
customers to buy and sell fund shares without paying a commission or other transaction charge. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing or marketing support.
Payments made to Intermediaries may be significant and may
cause an Intermediary to make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive. As a result, these
payments could create conflicts of interest between an Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the fund over other investments.
As of July 27, 2018,, CSIM anticipates that Cambridge
Investment Research, Inc., Ladenburg Thalmann Advisor Network LLC, LPL Financial LLC, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC will receive these payments. CSIM may enter into similar agreements with other
FINRA member firms (or their affiliates) in the future. In addition to member firms of FINRA, CSIM and its affiliates may also make these payments to certain other financial intermediaries, such as banks, trust companies, insurance companies, and
plan administrators and consultants that sell fund shares or provide services to the fund and its shareholders. These firms may not be included in this list. You should ask your financial intermediary if it receives such payments.
As noted above, CSIM also makes payments to Schwab for certain
additional services provided by Schwab, in its capacity as an affiliated financial intermediary and not as distributor and principal underwriter of the fund, with regard to its brokerage customers who are shareholders of the fund. These payments may
include services related to sales lead generation, client support, assistance with public relations, marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, data analytics and support, and the
development and support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems.
Custodian and Fund Accountant
The Trust’s custodian is State Street (in such capacity, the
“Custodian”), One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111. As such, the Custodian holds in safekeeping certificated securities and cash belonging to the Trust and, in such capacity, is the registered owner of securities in book-entry form
belonging to the fund. Upon instruction, the Custodian receives and delivers cash and securities of the fund in connection with fund transactions and collects all dividends and other distributions made with respect to fund portfolio
securities.
The Trust also has entered into a Fund
Accounting Agreement with State Street (in such capacity, the “Fund Accountant”) pursuant to which the Fund Accountant provides certain accounting services necessary for the fund’s operations.
For the past three fiscal years ended March 31, State Street
in its capacity as Fund Accountant received the following amounts:
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Fees
Received
|
$56,799
|
$54,730
|
$74,179
|
Fees
Waived
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
Transfer Agent
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., 2000 Crown Colony Drive,
Quincy, MA 02169-0953, provides transfer agency and dividend disbursing agent services for the fund. As part of these services, the firm maintains records pertaining to the sale, redemption and transfer of the fund’s shares and distributes the
fund’s cash distributions to shareholders.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The fund’s independent registered public accounting
firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Three Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, California 94111, audits and reports on the annual financial statements of the fund and reviews certain regulatory reports and the fund’s federal income tax
return. PwC also performs other professional, accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services when engaged to do so by the Trust.
Securities Lending Activities
As of the most recent fiscal year-end, the fund had not
entered into a contract with a securities lending agent and was not engaged in securities lending.
Code of Ethics
The funds, CSIM and Schwab have adopted a Code of Ethics as
required under the 1940 Act. Subject to certain conditions or restrictions, the Code of Ethics permits the trustees, directors, officers or advisory representatives of the funds or CSIM or the directors or officers of Schwab to buy or sell directly
or indirectly securities for their own accounts. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the funds. Securities transactions by some of these individuals may be subject to prior approval of the investment adviser’s Chief
Compliance Officer or alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting and review requirements.
BlackRock’s code of ethics establishes procedures for
personal investing and restricts certain transactions. Employees of BlackRock subject to the code of ethics may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
BlackRock acts as subadviser to the fund. Presented below is
information about the portfolio manager of the fund as identified in the fund’s prospectus.
Other Accounts.
In addition to the fund, the portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below, as of March 31, 2018. The accounts listed below are not subject to a
performance-based advisory fee.
|
Registered
Investment Companies
|
Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
Other
Accounts (separate accounts)
|
Portfolio
Manager
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Number
of Accounts
|
Total
Assets
|
Lawrence
Kemp
|
19
|
$14.23
Billion
|
2
|
$1.56
Billion
|
1
|
$853.0
Million
|
POTENTIAL
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Portfolio Manager Potential
Material Conflicts of Interest
BlackRock has built a
professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address
the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time.
Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including
accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different from those made to the Fund. In
addition, BlackRock, its affiliates and significant shareholders and any officer, director, shareholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, or any of its
affiliates or significant shareholders, or any officer, director, shareholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those
recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities.
Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRock’s (or its affiliates’ or significant shareholders’) officers, directors or employees are directors
or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Certain
portfolio managers also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for the Fund. It should also be noted that a portfolio manager may be managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, or may be
part of a team managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, subject to incentive fees. Such portfolio managers may therefore be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such accounts. Currently, the portfolio manager of this
fund is not entitled to receive a portion of incentive fees of other accounts.
As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its
clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair
and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock has adopted policies that are intended to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient
flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base, as appropriate.
Description of Compensation Structure
The discussion below describes the portfolio
manager’s compensation as of March 31, 2018. BlackRock’s financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key
resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in
various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock.
Base compensation
. Generally,
the portfolio manager receives base compensation based on their position with the firm.
Discretionary Incentive Compensation
Generally, discretionary incentive compensation for Active
Equity portfolio managers is based on a formulaic compensation program. BlackRock’s formulaic portfolio manager compensation program is based on team revenue and pre-tax investment performance relative to appropriate competitors or benchmarks
over 1-, 3- and 5-year performance periods, as applicable. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured.
BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officers determine the benchmarks or rankings against which the performance of funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio management team is compared and the period of time over which performance is
evaluated. With respect to the portfolio manager, such benchmarks for the fund and other accounts are: Russell 1000 Growth Index; Russell 1000 Growth Index in EUR; S&P 500 Index; Russell 1000 Growth Custom Index; Morningstar US Large-Cap Growth
Equity; Morningstar Large Growth; Morningstar Large Blend; and Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth.
A smaller element of portfolio manager discretionary
compensation may include consideration of: financial results, expense control, profit margins, strategic planning and implementation, quality of client service, market share, corporate reputation, capital allocation, compliance and risk control,
leadership, technology and innovation. These factors are considered collectively by BlackRock management and the relevant Chief Investment Officers.
Distribution of Discretionary Incentive
Compensation
. Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash, deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards, and/or deferred cash awards that notionally track the return
of certain BlackRock investment products.
Portfolio managers receive their annual discretionary
incentive compensation in the form of cash. Portfolio managers whose total compensation is above a specified threshold also receive deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards annually as part of their discretionary incentive compensation. Paying a
portion of discretionary incentive compensation in the form of deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year “at risk” based on BlackRock’s ability to sustain and improve its
performance over future periods. In some cases, additional deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock may be granted to certain key employees as part of a long-term incentive award to aid in retention, align interests with long-term shareholders and motivate
performance. Deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that vest pursuant to the terms of the applicable plan and, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. The
portfolio manager of this Fund has deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards.
For certain portfolio managers, a portion of the discretionary
incentive compensation is also distributed in the form of deferred cash awards that notionally track the returns of select BlackRock investment products they manage, which provides direct alignment of portfolio manager discretionary incentive
compensation with investment product results. Deferred cash awards vest ratably over a number of years and, once vested, settle in the form of cash. Only portfolio managers who manage specified products and whose total compensation is above a
specified threshold are eligible to participate in the deferred cash award program.
Other Compensation Benefits
.
In addition to base salary and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:
Incentive Savings Plans
— BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal
to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the Internal Revenue Service limit ($275,000 for 2018). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock
contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into a target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant
attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock common stock contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into a target date fund
that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of
$25,000 based on its fair market value on the purchase date. All of the eligible portfolio managers are eligible to participate in these plans.
Ownership of Fund Shares.
As
of March 31, 2018, the portfolio manager beneficially owned shares of the fund as follows:
Portfolio
Manager
|
Dollar
Range
|
Lawrence
Kemp
|
Over
$1 Million
|
Portfolio
Transactions
Subject to policies established by the
Board of Directors, BlackRock is primarily responsible for the execution of the fund’s portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage. BlackRock does not execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but seeks to obtain
the best net results for the fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and
skill in positioning blocks of securities.
While
BlackRock generally seeks reasonable trade execution costs, the fund does not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available, and payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and
execution in particular transactions. Subject to applicable legal requirements, BlackRock may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to BlackRock and its clients. In return for such services, BlackRock may cause
the fund to pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if BlackRock determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.
In selecting brokers or dealers to execute portfolio
transactions, BlackRock seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the fund, taking into account a variety of factors including: (i) the size, nature and character of the security or instrument being traded and the markets in
which it is purchased or sold; (ii) the desired timing of the transaction; (iii) BlackRock’s knowledge of the expected commission rates and spreads currently available; (iv) the activity existing and expected in the market for the particular
security or instrument, including any anticipated execution difficulties; (v) the full range of brokerage services provided; (vi) the broker’s or dealer’s capital (vii) the quality of research and research services provided; (viii) the
reasonableness of the commission, dealer spread or its equivalent for the specific transaction; and (ix) BlackRock’s knowledge of any actual or apparent operational problems of a broker or dealer.
Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act (Section 28(e)) permits an
investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction that exceeds the amount another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction in
recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by that broker or dealer. This includes commissions paid on riskless principal transactions under certain conditions. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice
as to the value of securities, including pricing and appraisal advice, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis, as well as the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of
securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities
transactions and performing functions incidental to securities transactions (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). BlackRock believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes
and, therefore, to the fund.
BlackRock may participate
in client commission arrangements under which BlackRock may execute transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions or commission credits to another firm that provides research to
BlackRock. BlackRock believes that research services obtained through soft dollar or commission sharing arrangements enhance its investment decision-making capabilities, thereby increasing the prospects for higher investment returns. BlackRock will
engage only in soft dollar or commission sharing transactions that comply with the requirements of Section 28(e). BlackRock regularly evaluates the soft dollar products and services utilized, as well as the overall soft dollar and commission sharing
arrangements to ensure that trades are executed by firms that are regarded as best able to execute trades for client accounts, while at the same time providing access to the research and other services BlackRock views as impactful to its trading
results.
BlackRock may utilize soft dollars and related
services, including research (whether prepared by the broker-dealer or prepared by a third-party and provided to BlackRock by the broker-dealer) and execution or brokerage services within applicable rules and BlackRock’s policies to the extent
that such permitted services do not compromise BlackRock’s ability to seek to obtain best execution. In this regard, the portfolio
management investment and/or trading teams may consider a variety of factors,
including the degree to which the broker-dealer: (a) provides access to company management; (b) provides access to their analysts; (c) provides meaningful/insightful research notes on companies or other potential investments; (d) facilitates calls
on which meaningful or insightful ideas about companies or potential investments are discussed; (e) facilitates conferences at which meaningful or insightful ideas about companies or potential investments are discussed; or (f) provides research
tools such as market data, financial analysis, and other third party related research and brokerage tools that aid in the investment process.
Payments of commissions to brokers who are affiliated persons
of the Fund (or affiliated persons of such persons), will be made in accordance with Rule 17e-1 under the Investment Company Act.
Investment decisions for the Fund and for other investment
accounts managed by BlackRock are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. BlackRock allocates investments among client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. A variety of factors will be considered in making such
allocations. These factors include: (i) investment objectives or strategies for particular accounts, including sector, industry, country or region and capitalization weightings, (ii) tax considerations of an account, (iii) risk or investment
concentration parameters for an account, (iv) supply or demand for a security at a given price level, (v) size of available investment, (vi) cash availability and liquidity requirements for accounts, (vii) regulatory restrictions, (viii) minimum
investment size of an account, (ix) relative size of account, and (x) such other factors as may be approved by BlackRock’s general counsel. Moreover, investments may not be allocated to one client account over another based on any of the
following considerations: (i) to favor one client account at the expense of another, (ii) to generate higher fees paid by one client account over another or to produce greater performance compensation to BlackRock, (iii) to develop or enhance a
relationship with a client or prospective client, (iv) to compensate a client for past services or benefits rendered to BlackRock or to induce future services or benefits to be rendered to BlackRock, or (v) to manage or equalize investment
performance among different client accounts.
In certain instances, BlackRock may find it
efficient for purposes of seeking to obtain best execution, to aggregate or “bunch” certain contemporaneous purchases or sale orders of its advisory accounts. In general, all contemporaneous trades for client accounts under management by
the same portfolio manager or investment team will be bunched in a single order if the trader believes the bunched trade would provide each client with an opportunity to achieve a more favorable execution at a potentially lower execution cost. The
costs associated with a bunched order will be shared pro rata among the clients in the bunched order. Generally, if an order for a particular portfolio manager or management team is filled at several different prices through multiple trades, all
accounts participating in the order will receive the average price except in the case of certain international markets where average pricing is not permitted. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value
of the security as far as the fund is concerned, in other cases it could be beneficial to the fund. Transactions effected by BlackRock on behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the demand for securities being
purchased or the supply of securities being sold, causing an adverse effect on price. The trader will give the bunched order to the broker dealer that the trader has identified as being able to provide the best execution of the order. Orders for
purchase or sale of securities will be placed within a reasonable amount of time of the order receipt and bunched orders will be kept bunched only long enough to execute the order.
Brokerage Commissions
For the fiscal year and period ended March 31, the fund paid
brokerage commissions in the following amounts:
|
2018
|
2017
|
2016
|
Amount
|
$427,441
|
$815,727
|
$878,890
|
Regular
Broker-Dealers
During the fiscal year, the fund held
securities issued by its respective “regular broker-dealers” (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act), indicated below as of March 31, 2018.
Fund
|
Regular
Broker-Dealer
|
Value
of Holdings
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
Merrill
Lynch Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.
|
$49,107,965
|
Description Of The
Trust And Ownership Of Shares
The Trust is an open-end
series investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust. A copy of the Third Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust (Declaration of Trust) on April 1988, is on file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts. The fiscal year of the Trust ends on March 31. The Trust changed its name to “Barr Rosenberg Series Trust” from “Rosenberg Series Trust” on August 5, 1996. Effective March 30, 2004, the Trust changed its
name to the “Laudus Trust.”
Interests in the
Trust’s portfolios are currently represented by shares of 4 series, the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund, Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund, Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund and Laudus U.S. Large Cap
Growth Fund, issued pursuant to the Declaration of Trust. The rights of shareholders and powers of the Trustees of the Trust with respect to such shares are described in their respective Prospectuses.
The fund has one class of shares. On July 13, 2009, the fund
acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the UBS U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund (UBS Fund) pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization approved by the UBS Fund’s shareholders.
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence
of the Trust. The Trust may, however, be terminated at any time by vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each series of the Trust or by the vote of the Trustees.
Voting Rights
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held
(with fractional votes for fractional shares held) and will vote (to the extent provided in the Declaration of Trust) in the election of Trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders.
Shareholders will vote by individual series on all matters except (i) when required by the 1940 Act, shares shall be voted in the aggregate and not by individual series and (ii) when the Trustees have determined that the matter affects only the
interests of one or more series, then only shareholders of such series shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shareholders of one series shall not be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting another series, such matters including, without
limitation, the adoption of or change in any fundamental policies or restrictions of the other series and the approval of the investment advisory contracts of the other series.
There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the
purpose of electing Trustees, except that in accordance with the 1940 Act (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders’ meeting for the election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been elected by
shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board of Trustees, less than two-thirds of the Independent Trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In
addition, Trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust’s custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a
meeting duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Upon written request by the holders of at least 1% of the outstanding shares stating that such
shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a Trustee, the Trust has undertaken to provide a list of shareholders or to disseminate
appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders). Except as set forth above, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. Voting rights are not cumulative.
No amendment may be made to the Declaration of Trust without
the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust except (i) to change the Trust’s name or to cure technical problems in the Declaration of Trust and (ii) to establish, liquidate, designate or modify new and existing
series, sub-series or classes of shares of any series of Trust shares or other provisions relating to Trust shares in response to applicable laws or regulations. Trustees may, without approval of the relevant shareholders, combine, reorganize or
merge one or more series or classes of the Trust into a single series or class on such terms and conditions as the Trustees shall determine.
Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for
inclusion in a proxy statement for a future shareholder meeting should send their written submissions to the Trust at P. O. Box 219975, Kansas City, MO 64121-9975. Proposals must be received a reasonable time in advance of a proxy solicitation to be
included. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee inclusion in a proxy statement because proposals must comply with certain federal securities regulations.
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement,
obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the Trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of all the property of the relevant series for all loss and expense of any shareholder of that series held
personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is considered remote since it is limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer is inoperative and the
series of which he is or was a shareholder would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees
will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against any liability to which the Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office. The Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification by the Trust of the Trustees and the officers of the Trust against liabilities and expenses
reasonably incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust, except if it is determined in the manner specified in the Declaration of Trust that such Trustees are liable to the Trust or its
shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF
SECURITIES
As of June 29, 2018, the officers and
trustees of the Trust, as a group, owned, of record or beneficially, less than 1% of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.
As of June 29, 2018, the following persons or entities owned,
of record or beneficially, 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the fund. Those persons who beneficially own more than 25% of the fund may be deemed to control the fund. As a result, it may not be possible for
matters subject to a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the fund to be approved without the affirmative vote of such shareholder, and it may be possible for such matters to be approved by such shareholder without the affirmative vote of any other shareholder.
Fund
|
Name
and Address
|
Percentage
of Ownership
|
Laudus
U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
For the Exclusive Use of
Our Customers Reinvest Account
Attn: Mutual Funds
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
|
71.30%
|
National
Financial Services Corp
For Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4
th
Floor
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ
07310-1995
|
7.06%
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Determination Of Net Asset Value
Each business day, the fund calculates its share price, or
NAV, as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This means that NAVs are calculated using the values of the fund’s portfolio securities as of the close of the NYSE. Such values are required to be determined in one of two ways:
securities for which market quotations are readily available are required to be valued at current market value; and securities for which market quotations are not readily available or the adviser deems them to be unreliable are required to be valued
at fair value using procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. The fund uses approved pricing services to provide values for its portfolio securities. Current market values are generally determined by the approved pricing services as follows:
securities traded on stock exchanges are valued at the last-quoted sales price on the exchange on which such securities are primarily traded (closing values), or, lacking any sales, at the mean between the bid and ask prices; securities traded in
the over-the-counter market are valued at the last sales price that day, or, if there are no sales that day, at the mean between the bid and ask prices. Generally securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with
the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. In addition, securities that are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are generally valued at the official closing price or last sales price on the exchange where the securities are primarily traded with these
values then translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Fixed income securities normally are valued based on valuations provided by approved pricing services. Securities may be fair valued pursuant to procedures approved by the
fund’s Board of Trustees when approved pricing services do not provide a value for a security, a furnished price appears manifestly incorrect or events occur prior to the close of the NYSE that materially affect the furnished price. The Board
of Trustees regularly reviews fair value determinations made by the fund pursuant to the procedures.
Proxy Voting
The Board has delegated the responsibility for voting proxies
to CSIM. The trustees have adopted CSIM’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various Schwab Funds portfolios. A description of CSIM’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures is included in
Appendix – Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures.
The
Trust is required to disclose annually a fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available by visiting the Schwab Funds’ website at
www.schwabfunds.com/laudusfunds_prospectus
. The fund’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov
.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
For this section only, the following disclosure relates to The
Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust (collectively, the Trusts) and each series thereunder (each a fund and collectively, the funds).
The Trusts’ Board has approved policies and procedures
that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the
funds’ portfolio securities is in the best interests of fund shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the funds’ shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the funds’ investment adviser,
subadviser (if applicable), principal underwriter or any affiliated person of a fund, its investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized one of the President, Chief
Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Trusts (in consultation with a fund’s subadviser, if applicable) to authorize the release of the funds’ portfolio holdings prior to regular public disclosure (as outlined in the
prospectus and below) or regular public filings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles.
The Board exercises on-going oversight of the disclosure of
fund portfolio holdings by overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the funds’ policies and procedures by the Chief Compliance Officer and by considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any
material compliance matters. The Board will receive periodic updates, at least annually, regarding entities which were
authorized to be provided “early disclosure” of the funds’
portfolio holdings information and will periodically review any agreements that the Trusts have entered into to selectively disclose portfolio holdings.
Portfolio holdings may be made available on a selective basis
to ratings agencies, certain industry organizations, consultants and other qualified financial professionals when the appropriate officer of the Trusts determines such disclosure meets the requirements noted above and serves a legitimate business
purpose. Agreements entered into with such entities will describe the permitted use of portfolio holdings and provide that, among other customary confidentiality provisions: (i) the portfolio holdings will be kept confidential; (ii) the person will
not trade on the basis of any material non-public information; and (iii) the information will be used only for the purpose described in the agreement.
The funds’ service providers including, without
limitation, the investment adviser, subadvisers (if applicable), the distributor, the custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, counsel, auditor, proxy voting service provider, pricing information vendors, trade execution measurement vendors,
portfolio management system providers, securities lending agents, publisher, printer and mailing agent may receive disclosure of portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with the services they perform for the funds. CSIM,
any subadviser to a fund as disclosed in the most current prospectus, Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC, State Street and/or Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., as service providers to the funds, are currently receiving this information on a daily basis.
Donnelley Financial Solutions, as a service provider to the funds, is currently receiving this information on a quarterly basis. PwC, the Transfer Agent, and the Distributor, as service providers to the funds, receive this information on an
as-needed basis. Service providers are subject to a duty of confidentiality with respect to any portfolio holdings information they receive whether imposed by the confidentiality provisions of the service providers’ agreements with the Trusts
or by the nature of its relationship with the Trusts. Although certain of the service providers are not under formal confidentiality obligations in connection with disclosure of portfolio holdings, a fund will not continue to conduct business with a
service provider who the fund believes is misusing the disclosed information.
To the extent that a fund invests in an ETF, the Trusts will,
when required by the exemptive orders issued by the SEC to ETF sponsors and the procedures adopted by the Board, promptly notify the ETF in writing of any purchase or acquisition of shares of the ETF that causes the fund to hold (i) 5% or more of
such ETF’s total outstanding voting securities, and (ii) 10% or more of such ETF’s total outstanding voting securities. In addition, CSIM will, upon causing a fund to acquire more than 3% of an ETF’s outstanding shares, notify the
ETF of the investment.
The funds’ policies and
procedures prohibit the funds, the funds’ investment adviser or any related party from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.
Generally, a complete list of a fund’s portfolio
holdings is published on the fund’s website www.schwabfunds.com on the “Prospectuses & Reports” tab under “Portfolio Holdings” generally 60-80 days after a fund’s fiscal quarter-end in-line with regulatory
filings unless a different timing is outlined in the fund’s prospectus.
Specifically for the Schwab ETFs, each Schwab ETF discloses
its portfolio holdings and the percentages the holdings represent of the fund’s net assets at least monthly on the website and as often as each day the fund is open for business. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with
the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units for the Schwab ETFs may be provided to other entities that provided services to the funds in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.
The Schwab Money Funds have an ongoing arrangement to make
available information about the funds’ portfolio holdings and information derived from the funds’ portfolio holdings to iMoneyNet, a rating and ranking organization, which is subject to a confidentiality agreement. Under its arrangement
with the funds, iMoneyNet, among other things, receives information concerning the funds’ net assets, yields, maturities and portfolio compositions on a weekly basis, subject to a one business day lag.
On the website, the funds also may provide, on a monthly or
quarterly basis, information regarding certain attributes of a fund’s portfolio, such as a fund’s top ten holdings, sector weightings, composition, credit quality and duration and maturity, as applicable. This information is generally
updated within 5-25 days after the end of the period. This information on the website is publicly available to all categories of persons.
The funds may disclose non-material information including
commentary and aggregate information about the characteristics of a fund in connection with or relating to a fund or its portfolio securities to any person if such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose, such disclosure does not effectively
result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio securities of any fund (which can only be disclosed in accordance with the above requirements), and such information does not constitute material non-public information. Such disclosure does not
fall within the portfolio securities disclosure requirements outlined above.
Whether the information constitutes material non-public
information will be made on a good faith determination, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. In most cases, commentary or analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient in making a
decision concerning a fund. Commentary and analysis include, but are not limited to, the allocation of a fund’s portfolio securities and other investments among various asset classes, sectors, industries and countries, the characteristics of
the stock components and other investments of a fund, the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry and country, and the volatility characteristics of a fund.
Purchase And Redemption Of Shares
The fund is open each day that the NYSE is open. The
NYSE’s trading session is normally conducted from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, although some days, such as in advance of and following holidays, the NYSE’s trading session closes early. The NYSE
typically observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Although it is expected that the same
holidays will be observed in the future, the NYSE may modify its holiday schedule or hours of operation at any time. Orders that are received in good order by the fund’s transfer agent no later than the time specified by the Trust will be
executed that day at the fund’s share price calculated that day. On any day that the NYSE closes early, the fund reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase, redemption and exchange orders must be received by the fund’s
transfer agent that day in order to be executed that day at that day’s share price. The Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which the Trust is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash for any
shareholder during any 90-day period up to the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the total net asset value of the Trust at the beginning of such period. The procedures for redeeming shares of the fund are described in the Prospectus. If the NYSE
is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a
business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
As described in the Prospectus, the Trust reserves the right,
in its sole discretion, to reject purchase orders for shares of the fund. As a general matter, the Trust expects that it will not accept purchase orders when the purchase price is to be paid by cash (in the form of actual currency), third party
checks, checks payable in foreign currency, credit card convenience checks or traveler’s checks.
The fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its
behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers have also been authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the fund’s behalf. The fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption
order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives such order. Such orders will be priced at the fund’s net asset value per share next determined after such orders are received by an authorized
broker or the broker’s authorized designee.
Appendix – Ratings Of Investment Securities
From time to time, the fund may report the percentage of its
assets that fall into the rating categories set forth below, as defined by the ratings agencies.
Moody’s Investors Service
Global Long-Term Rating Scale
Aaa:
|
Obligations rated Aaa are
judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
|
Aa:
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Obligations rated Aa are
judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
|
A:
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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:
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Obligations rated Ba are
judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
|
B:
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Obligations rated B are
considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
|
Caa:
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Obligations rated Caa are
judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
|
Ca:
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Obligations rated Ca are
highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
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C:
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Obligations
rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
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Global Short-Term Rating Scale
P-1:
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Issuers (or supporting
institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
|
P-2:
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Issuers (or supporting
institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
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P-3:
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Issuers
(or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
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STANDARD & POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
AAA:
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An obligation rated
‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
|
AA:
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An obligation rated
‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
|
A:
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An obligation rated
‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation is still strong.
|
BBB:
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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.
|
BB:
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An obligation rated
‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
B:
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An obligation rated
‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely
impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
CCC:
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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:
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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 Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to
default.
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C:
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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:
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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 Global
Ratings 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 obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
|
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1:
|
A short-term obligation rated
‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+).
This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
|
A-2:
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A short-term obligation rated
‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation is satisfactory.
|
A-3:
|
A
short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation.
|
FITCH,
INC.
Long-Term Ratings Scales
AAA:
|
‘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:
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‘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.
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A:
|
‘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:
|
‘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:
|
‘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.
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B:
|
‘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:
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Default is a real
possibility.
|
CC:
|
Default of some kind appears
probable.
|
C:
|
Default
is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:
|
a.
|
the issuer has entered into
a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
|
b.
|
the issuer has entered into
a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
|
c.
|
Fitch
Ratings otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.
|
RD:
|
‘RD’ ratings
indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or
other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:
|
a.
|
the selective payment
default on a specific class or currency of debt;
|
b.
|
the uncured expiry of any
applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
|
c.
|
the extension of multiple
waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or
|
d.
|
execution
of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.
|
D:
|
‘D’ ratings
indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
|
Short-Term Ratings
F1:
|
Indicates the strongest
intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
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F2:
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Good intrinsic capacity for
timely payment of financial commitments.
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F3:
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The
intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
|
DBRS
Long Term Obligations Scale
AAA:
|
Highest credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
|
AA:
|
Superior credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
|
A:
|
Good credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
|
BBB:
|
Adequate credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
|
BB:
|
Speculative, non-investment
grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.
|
B:
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Highly speculative credit
quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.
|
CCC/CC/C:
|
Very highly speculative
credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to
obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the C category.
|
D:
|
When the
issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases
where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”. See Default Definition for more information.
|
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Debt Rating Scale
R-1
(high):
|
Highest credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
|
R-1
(middle):
|
Superior credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
|
R-1 (low):
|
Good credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered
manageable.
|
R-2
(high):
|
Upper end of adequate credit
quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
|
R-2
(middle):
|
Adequate credit quality. The
capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.
|
R-2 (low):
|
Lower end of adequate credit
quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.
|
R-3:
|
Lowest
end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments
|
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
The Charles Schwab
Family of Funds
Schwab Investments
Schwab Capital
Trust
Schwab Annuity Portfolios
Laudus Trust
Schwab Strategic Trust
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND
PROCEDURES
AS OF MARCH, 2018
Charles Schwab Investment
Management, Inc. (“CSIM”), as an investment adviser, is generally responsible for voting proxies with respect to the securities held in accounts of investment companies and other clients for which it provides discretionary investment
management services. CSIM’s Proxy Committee exercises and documents CSIM’s responsibility with regard to voting of client proxies (the “Proxy Committee”). The Proxy Committee is composed of CSIM representatives, including
representatives from the Fund Administration, Portfolio Management, and Investment Risk and Oversight departments, with input from other relevant departments. The Proxy Committee reviews these policies periodically. The policies stated in these
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the “Proxy Policies”) pertain to all of CSIM’s clients.
The Boards of Trustees (the
“Board”) of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, and Schwab Annuity Portfolios (“Schwab Funds”), Laudus Trust (“Laudus Funds”) and Schwab Strategic Trust (“Schwab
ETFs”; collectively with the Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds, the “Funds”) have delegated the responsibility for voting proxies to CSIM through their respective investment advisory agreements. The Board has adopted these Proxy
Policies with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various series of the Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds, and Schwab ETFs. CSIM will present amendments to the Board for approval. However, there may be circumstances where the Proxy Committee deems it
advisable to amend these Proxy Policies between regular Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs Board meetings. In such cases, the Board will be asked to ratify any changes at its next regular meeting.
To assist CSIM in its responsibility for
voting proxies and the overall proxy voting process, CSIM has retained Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) as an expert in the proxy voting and corporate governance area. The services provided by Glass Lewis include in-depth
research, global issuer analysis, and voting recommendations as well as vote execution, reporting and record keeping. CSIM has also retained Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. to conduct research on certain topics and may retain additional
experts in the proxy voting and corporate governance area in the future.
The Proxy Committee has the ultimate
responsibility for making the determination of how to vote the shares to seek to maximize the value of that particular holding.
Just as the investors in
CSIM’s equity funds generally have a long-term investment horizon, CSIM takes a long-term, measured approach to investor stewardship. CSIM strives to promote long-term shareholder value through the consistent application of its guiding
principles as it engages with companies through proxy voting. CSIM believes that directors, as shareholder-elected representatives, are best positioned to oversee the management of their companies. Consequently, CSIM generally supports a board of
directors’ and management’s recommendations. However, CSIM may vote differently if it has concerns about a board’s accountability or how a board manages conflicts of interest.
CSIM invests on behalf of its clients in
companies domiciled all over the world. Since corporate governance standards and best practices differ by country and jurisdiction, the market context is taken into account in the analysis of proposals. Furthermore, there are instances where CSIM
may determine that voting is not in the best interests of its clients (typically due to costs or to trading restrictions) and will refrain from submitting votes.
III.
|
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
|
The Proxy Committee
receives and reviews Glass Lewis’ proxy voting policies and procedures (“Glass Lewis’ Proxy Policies”) and evaluates them in light of the long-term best interests of shareholders. CSIM generally utilizes Glass Lewis’
Proxy Policies (which are posted on the Funds’ website) except in instances where CSIM believes that Glass Lewis’ Proxy Policies do not align with CSIM’s proxy voting philosophy. CSIM’s proxy voting philosophy is to generally
support a board of directors’ and management’s recommendations unless CSIM has concerns about a board’s accountability or how a board manages conflicts of interest.
The following is a summary of key guidelines
which are grouped according to types of proposals usually presented to shareholders in proxy statements.
A.
|
DIRECTORS AND AUDITORS
|
As a starting point, CSIM expects the
board to be composed of a majority of independent directors and to be responsive to shareholders. CSIM also expects directors that serve on a company’s nominating, compensation or audit committee to be independent.
Factors that may result in a vote against
one or more directors:
•
|
The board is not majority
independent
|
•
|
Non-independent directors
serve on the nominating, compensation or audit committees
|
•
|
Director
recently failed to attend at least 75% of meetings or serves on an excessive number of publically traded company boards
|
•
|
Directors
approved executive compensation schemes that appear misaligned with shareholders’ interests
|
•
|
Director
recently acted in a manner inconsistent with these Proxy Policies or failed to be responsive to concerns of a majority of shareholders
|
CSIM typically supports the ratification
of auditors unless CSIM believes that the auditors’ independence may have been compromised.
Factors that may result in a vote against
the ratification of auditors:
•
|
Audit-related fees are less
than half of the total fees paid by the company to the audit firm
|
•
|
A recent
material restatement of annual financial statements
|
CSIM generally defers to
management’s recommendation for classified board proposals unless CSIM has particular concerns regarding the board’s accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.
Factors that may result in a vote
supporting a shareholder proposal to de-classify a board:
•
|
The
company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings
|
•
|
The
company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting
|
•
|
The company had material
financial statement restatements
|
•
|
The
company’s board adopted a shareholder rights plan (also known as a “Poison Pill”) during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval
|
CSIM generally supports majority voting
proposals when they call for plurality voting standards in contested elections.
CSIM typically supports the concept of
voting rights being proportional to shareholders’ economic stake in the company. Therefore, CSIM will generally not support cumulative voting proposals unless the company has a controlling shareholder or shareholder group and has plurality
voting standards.
CSIM typically does not support proxy
access proposals unless CSIM has particular concerns regarding the board’s accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.
Factors that may result in a vote
supporting proxy access:
•
|
The
company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings
|
•
|
The
company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting
|
•
|
The company had material
financial statement restatements
|
•
|
The
company’s board adopted a Poison Pill during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval
|
CSIM believes that the board is typically
best positioned to determine its leadership structure. Therefore, CSIM will typically not support proposals requiring an independent chair unless CSIM has concerns regarding the board’s accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.
Factors that may result in a vote
supporting a shareholder proposal requiring an independent chair:
•
|
The
company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings
|
•
|
The
company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting
|
•
|
The company had material
financial statement restatements
|
•
|
The
company’s board adopted a Poison Pill during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval
|
i.
|
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation and Frequency
|
CSIM generally supports
advisory votes on executive compensation (which are proposed by management and are known as “Say-On-Pay”) when the compensation scheme appears aligned with shareholder economic interests and lacks problematic features.
Factors that may result in a vote against
Say-On-Pay:
•
|
Executive
compensation is out of line with industry peers considering the company’s performance over time
|
•
|
Executive
compensation plan includes significant guaranteed bonuses or has a low amount of compensation at risk
|
•
|
Executive
compensation plan offers excessive perquisites, tax-gross up provisions, or golden parachutes
|
CSIM typically supports annual advisory
votes on executive compensation.
ii.
|
Equity Compensation Plans
|
CSIM generally supports stock-based
compensation plans when they do not overly dilute shareholders by providing participants with excessive awards and lack problematic features.
Factors that may result in a vote against
Equity Compensation Plans:
•
|
Plan’s total potential
dilution appears excessive
|
•
|
Plan’s burn rate
appears excessive compared to industry peers
|
•
|
Plan allows for the
re-pricing of options without shareholder approval
|
•
|
Plan has
an evergreen feature
|
iii.
|
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
|
CSIM supports the concept of broad
employee participation in a company’s equity. Therefore, CSIM typically supports employee stock purchase plans when the shares can be purchased at 85% or more of the shares’ market value.
iv.
|
Re-price/Exchange Option Plans
|
CSIM generally only supports
management’s proposals to re-price options when the plan excludes senior management and directors, does not excessively dilute shareholders, and the company has not significantly underperformed its industry peers over time.
i.
|
Shareholder Rights Plans (“Poison Pills”)
|
Poison Pills constrain a potential
acquirer’s ability to buy shares in a company above a certain threshold without the approval of the company’s board of directors. While a Poison Pill may help a company in achieving a higher bid, it may also entrench the incumbent
management and board. CSIM believes that shareholders should have the right to approve a Poison Pill within a year of its adoption. CSIM generally votes against Poison Pills that do not have safeguards to protect shareholder interests.
Factors that may result in a vote against
Poison Pills:
•
|
Plan does not expire in a
relatively short time horizon
|
•
|
Plan does
not have a well-crafted permitted bid or qualified offer feature that mandates shareholder votes in certain situations
|
•
|
Plan automatically renews
without shareholder approval
|
•
|
Company’s
corporate governance profile
|
ii.
|
Right to Call Special Meeting
|
CSIM generally votes against the right of
shareholders to call a special meeting unless the threshold to call a special meeting is 25% or more of shares outstanding to avoid wasting corporate resources.
iii.
|
Right to Act by Written Consent
|
CSIM generally votes
against the right of shareholders to act by written consent if the company already offers shareholders the right to call special meetings. CSIM expects appropriate mechanisms for implementation, including that the threshold to call a special meeting
is 25% or more of shares outstanding.
CSIM generally supports the concept of
simple majority standards to pass proposals.
E.
|
CAPITAL STRUCTURE, MERGERS
AND ACQUISITIONS
|
i.
|
Increase in Authorized Common Shares
|
CSIM typically supports proposals to
increase the authorized shares unless the company does not sufficiently justify the need for the use of the proposed shares.
CSIM generally supports proposals to
create a class of preferred shares with specific voting, dividend, conversion and other rights.
iii.
|
Mergers and Acquisitions
|
CSIM generally supports transactions that
appear to maximize shareholder value. In assessing the proposals, CSIM considers the proposed transaction’s strategic rationale, the offer premium, the board’s oversight of the sales process, and other pertinent factors.
F.
|
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL
PROPOSALS
|
|
Environmental
and Social shareholder proposals typically request companies to change their business practices or to enhance their disclosures. CSIM believes that in most instances, the board is best positioned to evaluate the impact of these proposals on the
company’s business. Therefore, CSIM generally defers to the board’s recommendation unless the proposal has successfully articulated a demonstrable tangible economic impact on shareholder value.
|
i.
|
Political Contribution Proposals
|
CSIM expects the board of directors to
have an oversight process for political contributions and lobbying proposals. CSIM generally votes against political contribution shareholder proposals unless there is no evidence of board oversight.
A.
|
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS
|
|
With respect to proxies of
an underlying affiliated Fund, the Proxy Committee will vote such proxies in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of such Fund (i.e., “echo vote”), unless otherwise required by law. When required by law or applicable
exemptive order, the Proxy Committee will also “echo vote” proxies of an unaffiliated mutual fund or exchange traded fund (“ETF”). For example, certain exemptive orders issued to the Funds by the Securities and Exchange
Commission and Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, require the Funds, under certain circumstances, to “echo vote” proxies of registered investment companies that serve as underlying investments of the
Funds.
|
|
In addition, with respect to
holdings of The Charles Schwab Corporation (“CSC”) (ticker symbol: SCHW), the Proxy Committee will vote such proxies in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of CSC (i.e., “echo vote”), unless otherwise
required by law.
|
|
Other than proxies that will
be “echo voted”, proxy issues that present material conflicts of interest between CSIM, and/or any of its affiliates, and CSIM’s clients will be delegated to Glass Lewis to be voted in accordance with CSIM’s Proxy Voting
Guidelines.
|
B.
|
FOREIGN
SECURITIES/SHAREBLOCKING
|
|
CSIM has
arrangements with Glass Lewis for the execution of proxy votes. However, voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign securities may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost than voting proxies with respect to domestic
securities, due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Problems voting foreign proxies may include the following:
|
•
|
proxy statements and ballots
written in a foreign language;
|
•
|
untimely and/or inadequate
notice of shareholder meetings;
|
•
|
restrictions of
foreigner’s ability to exercise votes;
|
•
|
requirements to vote proxies
in person;
|
•
|
requirements
to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate CSIM’s voting instructions.
|
In consideration of the foregoing issues,
Glass Lewis uses its best efforts to vote foreign proxies. As part of its ongoing oversight, the Proxy Committee will monitor the voting of foreign proxies to determine whether all reasonable steps are taken to vote foreign proxies. If the Proxy
Committee determines that the cost associated with the attempt to vote outweighs the potential benefits clients may derive from voting, the Proxy Committee may decide not to attempt to vote. In addition, certain foreign countries impose restrictions
on the sale of securities for a period of time before and/or after the shareholder meeting. To avoid these trading restrictions, the Proxy Committee instructs Glass Lewis not to vote such foreign proxies.
Certain of the
Funds enter into securities lending arrangements with lending agents to generate additional revenue for their portfolios. In securities lending arrangements, any voting rights that accompany the loaned securities generally pass to the borrower of
the securities, but the lender retains the right to recall a security and may then exercise the security’s voting rights. In order to vote the proxies of securities out on loan, the securities must be recalled prior to the established record
date. CSIM will use its best efforts to recall a Fund’s securities on loan and vote such securities’ proxies if (a) the proxy relates to a special meeting of shareholders of the issuer (as opposed to the issuer’s annual meeting of
shareholders), or (b) the Fund owns more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the issuer. Further, it is CSIM’s policy to use its best efforts to recall securities on loan and vote such securities’ proxies if CSIM determines that the
proxies involve a material event affecting the loaned securities. CSIM may utilize third-party service providers to assist it in identifying and evaluating whether an event is material. CSIM may also recall securities on loan and vote such
securities’ proxies in its discretion.
D.
|
SUB-ADVISORY RELATIONSHIPS
|
Where CSIM has
delegated day-to-day investment management responsibilities to an investment sub-adviser, CSIM may (but generally does not) delegate proxy voting responsibility to such investment sub-adviser. Each sub-adviser to whom proxy voting responsibility has
been delegated will be required to review all proxy solicitation material and to exercise the voting rights associated with the securities it has been allocated in the best interest of each investment company and its shareholders, or other client.
Prior to delegating the proxy voting responsibility, CSIM will review each sub-adviser’s proxy voting policy to determine whether it believes that each sub-adviser’s proxy voting policy is generally consistent with the maximization of
the value of CSIM’s clients’ investments by protecting the long-term best interest of shareholders.
E.
|
REPORTING AND RECORD
RETENTION
|
CSIM
will maintain, or cause Glass Lewis to maintain, records that identify the manner in which proxies have been voted (or not voted) on behalf of CSIM clients. CSIM will comply with all applicable rules and regulations regarding disclosure of its or
its clients’ proxy voting records and procedures.
CSIM will retain all proxy voting materials
and supporting documentation as required under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Laudus Trust
PEA No. 95
Part C: Other Information
ITEM
28.
|
EXHIBITS.
|
(a)
|
Third
Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated September 28, 2007, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form
N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on October 23, 2007 (referred to herein as “PEA No. 60”).
|
(b)
|
Amended
and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant dated September 28, 2007, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b)(2) of PEA No. 60.
|
(c)
|
Reference
is made to Article 5 of the Third Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant.
|
(d)(i)
|
Management
Contract dated September 28, 2007 between the Registrant on behalf of its Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(13) of PEA No. 60.
|
(d)(ii)
|
Amendment
to the Management Contract dated October 1, 2014 between the Registrant on behalf of its Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 88 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on July 28, 2015 (referred to herein as “PEA No. 88”).
|
(d)(iii)
|
Management
Contract dated September 28, 2007 between the Registrant on behalf of its Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(14) of PEA No. 60.
|
(d)(iv)
|
Management
Contract dated March 31, 2008 between the Registrant on behalf of its Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 65
to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on July 30, 2008 (referred to herein as “PEA No. 65”).
|
(d)(v)
|
Amendment
to the Management Contract dated October 1, 2014 between the Registrant on behalf of its Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(5) of PEA No. 88.
|
(d)(vi)
|
Management
Contract dated March 26, 2009 between the Registrant on behalf of its Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on October 26, 2009.
|
(d)(vii)
|
Subadviser
Agreement dated October 1, 2011 between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and Mondrian Investment Partners Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 to the Registrant’s
Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on July 25, 2012 (referred to herein as “PEA No. 78”).
|
(d)(viii)
|
Subadviser
Agreement dated October 4, 2013 between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (“BlackRock”) with regard to Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on May 20, 2014.
|
(d)(ix)
|
Amendment
dated March 1, 2018 to Schedule B of the Subadviser Agreement dated October 4, 2013, is filed herein as Exhibit (d)(ix).
|
(e)(i)
|
Distribution
Agreement dated June 1, 2018 between the Registrant and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab), is filed herein as Exhibit (e)(i).
|
(f)
|
Inapplicable.
|
(g)(i)
|
Amended
and Restated Master Custodian Agreement dated December 9, 2005 by and between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to the Registrant’s
Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on April 14, 2006 (referred to herein as “PEA No. 56”).
|
(g)(ii)
|
Amendment
dated April 2, 2008 to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement dated December 9, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of PEA No. 65.
|
(g)(iii)
|
Amendment
dated March 15, 2012 to Appendix A of the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement dated December 9, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(3) of PEA No. 78.
|
(h)(i)
|
Transfer
Agency and Service Agreement dated October 3, 2005 between the Registrant and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (n/k/a DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of PEA No. 56.
|
(h)(ii)
|
Amendment
dated April 3, 2008 to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated October 3, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of PEA No. 65.
|
(h)(iii)
|
Amended
and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated October 1, 2014 between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of PEA No. 88.
|
ITEM
28.
|
EXHIBITS.
|
(h)(iv)
|
Administration
Agreement dated October 1, 2005 by and between State Street Bank and Trust Company and the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of PEA No. 56.
|
(h)(v)
|
Amendment
dated April 16, 2008 to the Administration Agreement dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of PEA No. 65.
|
(h)(vi)
|
Amendment
dated March 15, 2012 to the Administration Agreement dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of PEA No. 78.
|
(h)(vii)
|
Master
Fund Accounting and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2005 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of PEA No. 56.
|
(h)(viii)
|
Amendment
dated April 2, 2008 to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of PEA No. 65.
|
(h)(ix)
|
Amendment
dated March 15, 2012 to Appendix A of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(9) of PEA No 78.
|
(i)
|
Opinion
and Consent of Counsel is filed herein as Exhibit (i).
|
(j)(i)
|
Consent of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is filed herein as Exhibit (j)(i).
|
(j)(ii)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Walter W. Bettinger, II, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(ii) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(iii)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Marie A. Chandoha, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(iii) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(iv)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Joseph R. Martinetto, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(iv) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(v)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Robert W. Burns, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(v) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(vi)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by John F. Cogan, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(vi) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(vii)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Stephen T. Kochis, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(vii) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(viii)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by David L. Mahoney, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(viii) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(ix)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Kiran M. Patel, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(ix) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(x)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Kimberly S. Patmore, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(x) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(xi)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Nancy F. Heller, dated June 1, 2018, is filed herein as Exhibit (j)(xi).
|
(j)(xii)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Gerald B. Smith, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(xii) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(xiii)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Joseph H. Wender, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(xiii) of PEA No. 90.
|
(j)(xiv)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Mark D. Fischer, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(xiv) of PEA No. 90.
|
(k)
|
Inapplicable.
|
(l)
|
Investment
letter regarding initial capital is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on July 31, 2003.
|
(m)
|
Amended
and Restated Distribution and Shareholder Service Plan for Investor Shares is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m) of PEA No. 88.
|
(n)
|
Amended
and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n) of PEA No. 76.
|
(o)
|
Reserved.
|
(p)(i)
|
Joint Code
of Ethics for the Registrant, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and Schwab, dated October 31, 2017, is filed herein as Exhibit (p)(i).
|
(p)(ii)
|
Code
of Ethics of Mondrian Investment Partners Limited, investment subadviser to certain of the Funds, dated January 1, 2018, is filed herein as (p)(ii).
|
ITEM
28.
|
EXHIBITS.
|
(p)(iii)
|
Code
of Ethics of BlackRock, investment subadviser to the Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund, dated May 8, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 92 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A electronically filed with the SEC on May 26, 2017.
|
Item 29.
|
Persons Controlled By Or
Under Common Control With The Registrant.
|
The Board of Trustees of the Registrant is identical to the
boards of trustees of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios. Each such trust has Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. as its investment adviser. In addition the officers of
the Registrant are also identical to those of each such other trust, with the exception of the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary/Clerk. As a result, the above-named trusts may be deemed to be under common control with the Registrant. Nonetheless,
the Registrant takes the position that it is not under common control with such other trusts because the power residing in the respective trusts’ boards and officers arises as a result of an official position with each such trust.
Item 30.
|
Indemnification.
|
(a)
Indemnification
Article VIII of the Registrant’s
Third Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust reads as follows (referring to the Registrant as the “Trust”):
SECTION 1. TRUSTEES, OFFICERS, ETC. The Trust shall indemnify
each of its Trustees and officers (including persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (hereinafter referred
to as a “Covered Person”) against all liabilities and expenses, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees reasonably incurred by any Covered Person
in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or
otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Covered Person except with respect to any matter as to which such Covered Person shall have been
finally adjudicated in any such action, suit or other proceeding to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered
Person’s office. Expenses, including counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), shall be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance
of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not
authorized under this Article, provided, however, that either (a) such Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking, (b) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising from any such advance payments or (c) either 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 have determined, based upon a review of
readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry) that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Article.
SECTION 2. COMPROMISE PAYMENT. As to any matter disposed of
(whether by a compromise payment, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise) without an adjudication by a court, or by any other body before which the proceeding was brought, that such Covered Person is liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office, indemnification shall be provided if (a) approved, after notice that it involves such indemnification, by at
least 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) upon a determination, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full
trial type inquiry) that such Covered Person is not liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office, or (b) there
has been obtained an opinion in writing of independent legal counsel, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry) to the effect that such indemnification would not protect such Person against any
liability to the Trust to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office. Any approval pursuant to this Section shall not
prevent the recovery from any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance with this Section as indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been liable to
the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office.
SECTION 3. INDEMNIFICATION NOT EXCLUSIVE. The right of
indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in this Article VIII, the term “Covered Person” shall include such person’s heirs, executors
and administrators and a “disinterested Trustee” is a Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (or who has been exempted from
being an “interested person” by any rule, regulation or order of the Commission) and 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. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any rights to
indemnification to which personnel of the Trust, other than Trustees or
officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such person; provided, however, that the Trust shall not purchase or maintain
any such liability insurance in contravention of applicable law, including without limitation the 1940 Act.
SECTION 4. SHAREHOLDERS. In case any Shareholder or former
Shareholder shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a Shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his or her heirs,
executors, administrators or other legal representatives or in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from
such liability, but only out of the assets of the particular series of Shares of which he or she is or was a Shareholder.”
(b) Summary of Indemnification
Provisions
The Trust shall indemnify each of its
Trustees and officers against all liabilities, expenses and counsel fees reasonably incurred in the defense or disposition of any action, suit or proceeding in which the Trustee or officer is involved because of his or her role as a Trustee or
officer unless, in the final adjudication of that action, suit or proceeding, the Trustee or officer was found to have acted with willful malfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or
her office. This right of indemnification is not exclusive.
(c) Insurance
The Registrant maintains comprehensive Errors and
Omissions/Directors and Officers insurance policies for each of its trustees and officers. The policy provides coverage for the trustees and officers with respect to the Registrant, The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab
Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios (“Schwab and Laudus Funds”). The Registrant’s policies insure each trustee and officer against professional liability for decisions made in connection with the Trust, to the extent
permitted by the 1940 Act. In addition, the Independent Trustees have additional coverage through independent directors’ liability policies with respect to the Schwab and Laudus Funds. The premiums for such policies are allocated among the
insureds in accordance with Rule 17d-1 of the 1940 Act.
Item 31.
|
Business And Other
Connections Of Investment Adviser.
|
Registrant’s investment adviser, Charles Schwab
Investment Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation, organized in October 1989, also serves as the investment manager to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Strategic
Trust, each an open-end management investment company. The principal place of business of the investment adviser is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105. The only business in which the investment adviser engages is that of investment
adviser and administrator to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Strategic Trust, investment adviser of Laudus Trust and any other investment companies that Schwab may
sponsor in the future, and an investment adviser to certain non-investment company clients.
The business, profession, vocation or employment of a
substantial nature in which each director and/or senior or executive officer of the investment adviser (CSIM) is or has been engaged during the past two fiscal years is listed below. The name of any company for which any director and/or senior or
executive officer of the investment adviser serves as director, officer, employee, partner or trustee is also listed below.
Name
and Position with Adviser
|
Name
of Other Company
|
Capacity
|
Walter
W. Bettinger, II, Director
|
The
Charles Schwab Corporation
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Schwab
Holdings, Inc.
|
Director,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Schwab
International Holdings, Inc.
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
Charles
Schwab Bank
|
Director
|
Charles
Schwab Signature Bank
|
Director
|
Schwab
(SIS) Holdings, Inc. I
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Chairman and
Trustee
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Chairman and
Trustee
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Chairman
and Trustee
|
Name
and Position with Adviser
|
Name
of Other Company
|
Capacity
|
Peter
B. Crawford, Director
|
The
Charles Schwab Corporation
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
Director,
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Schwab
Holdings, Inc.
|
Director,
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Charles
Schwab Global Holdings, Inc.
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Schwab
International Holdings, Inc.
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Performance
Technologies, Inc.
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Schwab
(SIS) Holdings, Inc. I
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Schwab
Technology Holdings, Inc.
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Marie
Chandoha, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Trustee, President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Trustee, President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Trustee, President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
Charles
Schwab Worldwide Funds, plc
|
Director
|
Charles
Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited
|
Director
|
Omar
Aguilar, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities and Multi-Asset Strategies
|
Brett
Wander, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
|
David
Lekich, Chief Counsel and Senior Vice President
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
Senior
Vice President
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Secretary
and Chief Legal Officer
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Vice
President and Assistant Clerk
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Secretary
and Chief Legal Officer
|
Michael
Hogan, Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Chief
Compliance Officer
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Chief
Compliance Officer
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Chief
Compliance Officer
|
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer – IIMS Compliance
|
Name
and Position with Adviser
|
Name
of Other Company
|
Capacity
|
George
Pereira, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
|
Schwab
Funds
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
|
Laudus
Funds
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
|
Schwab
ETFs
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
|
Charles
Schwab Worldwide Funds, plc
|
Director
|
Charles
Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited
|
Director
|
Mondrian Investment Partners
Limited (“Mondrian”) was established as a limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales in 1990 under the name Delaware International Advisers Limited, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Delaware Holdings, Inc. In
2004, a senior management team, together with private equity funds sponsored by Hellman & Friedman LLC, acquired Delaware International Advisers Limited and changed its name to Mondrian Investment Partners Limited. In 2011, Mondrian’s
senior management team acquired the private equity funds’ stake in Mondrian. Mondrian is currently 100% owned by its senior employees, including the majority of investment professionals, senior client service officers, and senior operations
personnel. Mondrian’s principal office is located at 10 Gresham Street, Fifth Floor, London EC2V 7JD. Mondrian is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Mondrian provides investment advisory services to
a substantial number of institutional and high net worth investors, as well as to several funds in this Trust. With respect to Mondrian, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference to the Subadviser’s Uniform Application for
Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the SEC. Mondrian’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov
.
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (“BlackRock”)
provides investment advisory services consisting of portfolio management for a variety of individuals and institutions, as well as to Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund. With respect to BlackRock, the response to this Item will be incorporated by
reference to BlackRock’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the SEC. BlackRock’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov
.
Item 32.
|
Principal Underwriters.
|
(a) Schwab acts as
principal underwriter and distributor of Registrant’s shares. Schwab also acts as principal underwriter for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios and may act as such for any
other investment company which Schwab may sponsor in the future.
(b) Information with respect to
Schwab’s directors and officers is as follows:
Name
|
Position
and Offices with the Underwriter
|
Position
and Offices with the Registrant
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II
|
President,
Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
Chairman
and Trustee
|
Steven
H. Anderson
|
Executive
Vice President, Retirement Plan Services
|
None
|
Catherine
M. Casey
|
Executive
Vice President, Human Resources
|
None
|
Jason
C. Clague
|
Executive
Vice President, Operational Services
|
None
|
Bernard
J. Clark
|
Executive
Vice President, Advisor Services
|
None
|
Jonathan
M. Craig
|
Senior
Executive Vice President
|
None
|
Peter
B. Crawford
|
Executive
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director
|
None
|
David
R. Garfield
|
Executive
Vice President and Corporate Secretary
|
None
|
G.
Andrew Gill
|
Executive
Vice President, Client Solutions
|
None
|
Neesha
K. Hathi
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Digital Officer
|
None
|
Timothy
C. Heier
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
|
None
|
Dennis
W. Howard
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
|
None
|
Lisa
Kidd Hunt
|
Executive
Vice President, Business Initiatives
|
None
|
Name
|
Position
and Offices with the Underwriter
|
Position
and Offices with the Registrant
|
Terri
R. Kallsen
|
Executive
Vice President, Investor Services
|
None
|
Mitch
Mantua
|
Executive
Vice President, Internal Audit
|
None
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto
|
Senior
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director
|
Trustee
|
Nigel
J. Murtagh
|
Executive
Vice President, Corporate Risk
|
None
|
The principal business address of
all directors and officers of Schwab is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
(c) None.
Item 33.
|
Location Of Accounts And
Records.
|
All accounts, books and
other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the Rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:
1)
|
Laudus Trust, 211 Main
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
|
2)
|
Charles Schwab Investment
Management, Inc., 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
|
3)
|
Mondrian Investment Partners
Limited, 10 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7JD
|
4)
|
State Street Bank and Trust
Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111
|
5)
|
Boston Financial Data
Services, Inc. (n/k/a DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc.), 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA, 02169
|
6)
|
Charles Schwab & Co.,
Inc., 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
|
7)
|
BlackRock Investment
Management, LLC, 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540
|
Item 34.
|
Management Services.
|
None.
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for the effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of
Washington in the District of Columbia, on the 27th day of July, 2018.
LAUDUS TRUST
|
Registrant
|
|
Marie
A. Chandoha*
|
Marie
A. Chandoha, President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933
Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated this 27th day of July, 2018.
Signature
|
|
Title
|
Walter
W. Bettinger II*
Walter W. Bettinger II
|
|
Chairman
and Trustee
|
Marie
A. Chandoha*
Marie A. Chandoha
|
|
Trustee,
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Joseph
R. Martinetto*
Joseph R. Martinetto
|
|
Trustee
|
Robert
W. Burns*
Robert W. Burns
|
|
Trustee
|
John
F. Cogan*
John F. Cogan
|
|
Trustee
|
Nancy
F. Heller*
Nancy F. Heller
|
|
Trustee
|
Stephen
Timothy Kochis*
Stephen Timothy Kochis
|
|
Trustee
|
David
L. Mahoney*
David L. Mahoney
|
|
Trustee
|
Kiran
M. Patel*
Kiran M. Patel
|
|
Trustee
|
Kimberly
S. Patmore*
Kimberly S. Patmore
|
|
Trustee
|
Gerald
B. Smith*
Gerald B. Smith
|
|
Trustee
|
Joseph
H. Wender*
Joseph H. Wender
|
|
Trustee
|
Mark
D. Fischer*
Mark D. Fischer
|
|
Treasurer
and Chief Financial Officer
|
*By:
|
/s/
Douglas P. Dick
Douglas P. Dick, Attorney-in-Fact
Pursuant to
Power of Attorney
|
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
(d)(ix)
|
Amended
Schedule B dated March 1, 2018 to the Subadviser Agreement
|
Exhibit
(e)(i)
|
Distribution
Agreement dated June 1, 2018
|
Exhibit
(i)
|
Opinion
and Consent of Counsel
|
Exhibit
(j)(i)
|
Consent
of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
|
Exhibit
(j)(xi)
|
Power of
Attorney executed by Nancy F. Heller dated June 1, 2018
|
Exhibit
(p)(i)
|
Joint
Code of Ethics dated October 31, 2017
|
Exhibit
(p)(ii)
|
Mondrian
Code of Ethics dated January 1, 2018
|
March 1, 2018
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
Attention: Steve Witthuhn
55 East 52
nd
Street
New York, NY 10055
Re:
Amendment to
Schedule B
Dear Mr. Witthuhn:
This letter agreement serves to amend Schedule B (Schedule B) to our Investment
Sub-Advisory
Agreement, dated October 4, 2013 (the Agreement).
The amended
Schedule B reflects the new breakpoints with respect to the
sub-advisory
fees. Amended Schedule B shall replace the existing Schedule B effective March 1, 2018.
The Agreement otherwise remains unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect.
In the space provided below, please acknowledge your agreement to the foregoing.
|
|
|
Very truly yours,
|
|
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Marie Chandoha
|
|
|
Name:
|
|
Marie Chandoha
|
Title:
|
|
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED TO:
|
|
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Steve Witthuhn
|
Name:
|
|
Steve Witthuhn
|
Title:
|
|
Managing Director, COO of US Wealth Advisory
|
SCHEDULE B
TO THE
INVESTMENT
SUB-ADVISORY
AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
CHARLES SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
AND
BLACKROCK INVESTMENT
MANAGEMENT, LLC
FEES
Fees will be accrued each day by
applying to the net assets of the Managed Assets at the end of that day, the daily rate, using a
365-day
year, equivalent to the applicable fee percentage set forth below (Company Percentage).
Sub-Adviser
represents and warrants that the Company Percentage now is and in the future will be equal to or less than the applicable fee percentage payable to
Sub-Adviser
under any other
sub-advisory
agreement to which
Sub-Adviser
and a party unaffiliated with BlackRock are parties pursuant to which
Sub-Adviser
provides similar investment
sub-advisory
services to retail portfolios of
open-end
investment companies registered
under the 1940 Act for which Lawrence Kemp or a member of his team serves as lead portfolio manager and that have a similar investment objective and investment strategies (i.e. holding substantially the same securities, which shall be deemed to
constitute 90% or more of overlap between the two portfolios), and are of comparable size (measured at the time
Sub-Adviser
is retained pursuant to such
sub-advisory
agreement), to the Laudus Growth Investors US Large Cap Growth Fund (now known as Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund) (each a Third Party Percentage). If at any time, the Company Percentage is greater than any Third Party Percentage,
the Company Percentage will be reduced to the lowest Third Party Percentage, including with respect to any
sub-advisory
agreement amended or entered into by
Sub-Adviser
after the effective date of this Schedule that meets the criteria set forth in the immediately preceding sentence. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing provisions do not apply to (x) any existing or future BlackRock sponsored mutual funds
and insurance-dedicated mutual funds (or any subsequent combination thereof); (y) insurance company sponsored mutual funds or insurance dedicated mutual funds for which BlackRock serves as
sub-adviser
or
investment solution provider and (z) BlackRocks institutional or separately managed account businesses or any other business line of BlackRock not specifically contemplated herein. Fees will be paid within 30 days following the end
of each calendar quarter.
COMPANY PERCENTAGE
For net
assets equal to or less than $1.5 billion, the Company Percentage will be 25 Basis Points.
For net assets greater than $1.5 billion but
less than or equal to $2.5 billion, the Company Percentage will be 21 Basis Points.
For net assets in excess of $2.5 billion, the
Company Percentage will be 19 Basis Points.
Effective Date of this Schedule B: March 1, 2018
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
June 1, 2018
Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco,
California 94105
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This is to confirm that, in consideration of the agreements hereinafter contained, the undersigned,
LAUDUS TRUST
(the
Trust), a Massachusetts business trust, has agreed that
CHARLES SCHWAB
& CO., INC.
(the Distributor), a corporation organized under the laws of California, shall be, for the period of this
Agreement, the distributor of the units of beneficial interest of the investment portfolios of the Trust identified on Schedule A hereto (each a Fund, and collectively, the Funds), and that, at the request of the Trust and
pursuant to a Rule
18f-3
Multiple Class Plan (the Plan) adopted by the Trusts Board of Trustees, the Distributor may facilitate payments to service providers who provide services to
shareholders of the Trust (Clients) who purchase shares of the Funds. Such units of beneficial interest are hereinafter called Shares.
1.
Services as Distributor
.
1.1. Distributor will act as agent for the distribution of the Shares covered by the registration statement and prospectus of
the Trust in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
1.2. Distributor agrees to use appropriate efforts to
solicit orders for the sale of the Shares and will undertake such advertising and promotion as it believes reasonable in connection with such solicitation. The Trust understands that Distributor may, in the future, be the distributor of the shares
of several investment companies or series (together, Companies), including Companies having investment objectives similar to those of the Trust. The Trust further understands that investors and potential investors in the Trust may invest
in shares of such other Companies. The Trust agrees that Distributors duties to such Companies shall not be deemed to be in conflict with its duties to the Trust under this paragraph 1.2.
Distributor shall, at its own expense, finance appropriate activities which it deems reasonable which are primarily intended
to result in the sale of the Shares, including, but not limited to, advertising, compensation of underwriters, dealers and sales personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Shareholders, and the printing and mailing of
sales literature.
1.3. All activities by Distributor and its partners, agents, and employees as distributor of the Shares shall comply with all
applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, all rules and regulations made or adopted pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any securities association registered under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
1
1.4. Distributor will provide one or more persons, during normal business hours,
to respond to telephone questions with respect to the Trust.
1.5. Distributor will transmit any orders received by it for
purchase or redemption of the Shares to the transfer agent and custodian for the Funds.
1.6. Whenever in their judgment
such action is warranted by unusual market, economic or political conditions, or by abnormal circumstances of any kind, the Trusts officers may decline to accept any orders for, or make any sales of the Shares until such time as those officers
deem it advisable to accept such orders and to make such sales.
1.7. Distributor will act only on its own behalf as
principal if it chooses to enter into selling agreements with selected dealers or others.
1.8. The Trust agrees at its
own expense to execute any and all documents and to furnish any and all information and otherwise to take all actions that may be reasonably necessary in connection with the qualification of the Shares for sale in such states as Distributor may
designate.
1.9. The Trust shall furnish from time to time, for use in connection with the sale of the Shares, such
information with respect to the Funds and the Shares as Distributor may reasonably request; and the Trust warrants that the statements contained in any such information shall fairly show or represent what they purport to show or represent. The Trust
shall also furnish Distributor upon request with: (a) unaudited semi-annual statements of the Funds books and accounts prepared by the Trust, (b) quarterly earnings statements prepared by the Trust, (c) a monthly itemized list
of the securities in the Funds, (d) monthly balance sheets as soon as practicable after the end of each month, and (e) from time to time such additional information regarding the financial condition of the Funds as Distributor may
reasonably request.
1.10. The Trust represents to Distributor that all registration statements and prospectuses filed by
the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the Shares have been carefully prepared in conformity with the requirements of said Act and rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission thereunder. As used in this agreement the terms registration statement and prospectus shall mean any registration statement and any prospectus and Statement of Additional Information relating to the
Funds filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any amendments and supplements thereto which at any time shall have been filed with the same Commission. The Trust represents and warrants to Distributor that any registration statement and
prospectus, when such registration statement becomes effective, will contain all statements required to be stated therein in conformity with said Act and the rules and regulations of said Commission; that all statements of fact contained in any such
registration statement and prospectus will be true and correct when such registration statement becomes effective; and that neither any registration statement nor any prospectus when such registration statement becomes effective will include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading to a purchaser of the Shares. The Distributor may but shall not be obligated to propose
from time to time such amendment or
2
amendments to any registration statement and such supplement or supplements to any prospectus as, in the light of future developments, may, in the opinion of the Distributors counsel, be
necessary or advisable. If the Trust shall not propose such amendment or amendments and/or supplement or supplements within fifteen days after receipt by the Trust of a written request from Distributor to do so, Distributor may, at its option,
terminate this agreement. The Trust shall not file any amendment to any registration statement or supplement to any prospectus without giving Distributor reasonable notice thereof in advance; provided, however, that nothing contained in this
agreement shall in any way limit the Trusts right to file at any time such amendments to any registration statement and/or supplements to any prospectus, of whatever character, as the Trust may deem advisable, such right being in all respects
absolute and unconditional.
1.11. The Trust authorizes Distributor and dealers to use any prospectus in the form
furnished from time to time in connection with the sale of the Shares. The Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Distributor, its directors, officers and employees, and any person who controls Distributor within the meaning of Section 15
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any counsel fees incurred
in connection therewith) which Distributor, its partners and employees, or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement, or
alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in any registration statement or any prospectus or arising out of or based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in either any registration
statement or any prospectus or necessary to make the statements in either thereof not misleading; provided, however, that the Trusts agreement to indemnify Distributor, its directors, officers or employees, and any such controlling person
shall not be deemed to cover any claims, demands, liabilities or expenses arising out of any statements or representations as are contained in any prospectus and in such financial and other statements as are furnished in writing to the Trust by
Distributor and used in the answers to the registration statement or in the corresponding statements made in the prospectus, or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with the giving of
such information required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make the answers not misleading; and further provided that the Trusts agreement to indemnify Distributor and the Trusts representations and warranties hereinbefore
set forth in paragraph 1.10 shall not be deemed to cover any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which Distributor would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties,
or by reason of Distributors reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this agreement. The Trusts agreement to indemnify Distributor, its partners and employees, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly
conditioned upon the Trusts being notified of any action brought against Distributor, its directors, officers or employees, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by letter or by telegram addressed to the Trust at its
principal office in San Francisco, California and sent to the Trust by the person against whom such action is brought, within 10 days after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served. The failure to so notify the Trust of any
such action shall not relieve the Trust from any liability which the Trust may have to the person against whom such action is brought by reason of any such untrue, or allegedly untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise than on
account of the Trusts indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph 1.11. The Trust will be entitled to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any
3
such claim, demand or liability, but, in such case, such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing chosen by the Trust and approved by Distributor, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld. In the event the Trust elects to assume the defense of any such suit and retain counsel of good standing approved by Distributor, the defendant or defendants in such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional
counsel retained by any of them; but in case the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of any such suit, or in case Distributor reasonably does not approve of counsel chosen by the Trust, the Trust will reimburse Distributor, its directors,
officers and employees, or the controlling person or persons named as defendant or defendants in such suit, for the fees and expenses of any counsel retained by Distributor or them. The Trusts indemnification agreement contained in this
paragraph 1.11 and the Trusts representations and warranties in this agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of Distributor, its partners and employees, or any
controlling person, and shall survive the delivery of any Shares. This agreement of indemnity will inure exclusively to Distributors benefit, to the benefit of its several partners and employees, and their respective estates, and to the
benefit of the controlling persons and their successors. The Trust agrees promptly to notify Distributor of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Trust or any of its officers or Trustees in connection with the issue and sale
of any Shares.
1.12. Distributor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, its several officers and Trustees and
any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the costs of investigating or
defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Trust, its officers or Trustees or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under common
law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Trust, its officers or Trustees or such controlling person resulting from such claims or demands, shall arise out of or be based upon any untrue, or alleged
untrue, statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by Distributor to the Trust and used in the answers to any of the items of the registration statement or in the corresponding statements made in the prospectus, or
shall arise out of or be based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in connection with such information furnished in writing by Distributor to the Trust required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such
information not misleading. Distributors agreement to indemnify the Trust, its officers and Trustees, and any such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon Distributors being notified of any action brought against
the Trust, its officers or Trustees, or any such controlling person, such notification to be given by letter or telegram addressed to Distributor at its principal office in San Francisco, California and sent to Distributor by the person against whom
such action is brought, within 10 days after the summons or other first legal process shall have been served. Distributor shall have the right of first control of the defense of such action, with counsel of its own choosing, satisfactory to the
Trust, if such action is based solely upon such alleged misstatement or omission on Distributors part, and in any other event the Trust, its officers or Trustees or such controlling person shall each have the right to participate in the
defense or preparation of the defense of any such action. The failure to so notify Distributor of any such action shall not relieve Distributor from any liability which Distributor may have to the Trust, its officers or Trustees, or to such
controlling person by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged
4
omission, otherwise than on account of Distributors indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph 1.12.
1.13. No Shares shall be offered by either Distributor or the Trust under any of the provisions of this agreement and no
orders for the purchase or sale of Shares hereunder shall be accepted by the Trust if and so long as the effectiveness of the registration statement then in effect or any necessary amendments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or if and so long as a current prospectus as required by Section 10(b)(2) of said Act, as amended, is not on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission; provided, however, that nothing contained in
this paragraph 1.13 shall in any way restrict or have an application to or bearing upon the Trusts obligation to repurchase Shares from any Shareholder in accordance with the provisions of the Trusts prospectus, Declaration of Trust, or
By-laws.
1.14. The Trust agrees to advise Distributor as soon as reasonably practical
by a notice in writing delivered to Distributor or its counsel:
(a) of any request by the Securities and Exchange
Commission for amendments to the registration statement or prospectus then in effect or for additional information;
(b)
in the event of the issuance by the Securities and Exchange Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement or prospectus then in effect or the initiation by service of process on the Trust of any proceeding
for that purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event that makes untrue any statement of a material fact made in the
registration statement or prospectus then in effect or which requires the making of a change in such registration statement or prospectus in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and
(d) of all action of the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to any amendment to any registration statement or
prospectus which may from time to time be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For purposes of this
section, informal requests by or acts of the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission shall not be deemed actions of or requests by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.15. Distributor agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, officers and employees to treat confidentially and as
proprietary information of the Trust all records and other information relative to the Trust and its prior, present or potential Shareholders, and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than performance of its responsibilities
and duties hereunder, except after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Trust, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where Distributor may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for
failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by the Trust.
1.16. This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
5
2. Reserved.
3.
Issuance of Shares
.
The Trust reserves the right to issue, transfer or sell Shares of the Funds at net asset value (a) in connection with the
merger or consolidation of the Trust or the Funds with any other investment company or the acquisition by the Trust or the Funds of all or substantially all of the assets or of the outstanding Shares of any other investment company; (b) in
connection with a pro rata distribution directly to the holders of Shares of a Fund in the nature of a stock dividend or split; (c) upon the exercise of subscription rights granted to the holders of Shares of a Fund on a pro rata basis;
(d) in connection with the issuance of Shares of a Fund pursuant to any exchange and reinvestment privileges described in any then-current prospectus of a Fund; and (e) otherwise in accordance with any then-current prospectus of the Funds.
4.
Term and Matters Relating to the Trust as a Massachusetts Business Trust
.
This agreement shall become effective as to the Trust on June 1, 2018 and, unless sooner terminated as provided herein,
shall continue until July 1, 2019, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive
one-year
periods ending on July 1 of each successive year; provided, however, that such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Trusts Board of Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares (as defined below) of the Trust, and provided further, that in either event the
continuance is also approved at least annually by the majority of the Trusts Trustees who are not parties to the agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to this agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting
called for the purpose of voting on such approval. This agreement is terminable on not less than sixty days notice by the Trusts Board of Trustees, by vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares (as defined below) of the
Trust or by Distributor. This agreement will also terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). For purposes of this Agreement, the term vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares shall mean the
approval, at a meeting of Shareholders duly called, of the lesser of (i) the holders of 67% or more of the votes present at any such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding votes are present or represented by proxy thereat;
or (ii) the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding votes.
The names Laudus Trust and Trustees
of Laudus Trust refer respectively to the Trust created and the Trustees, as trustees but not individually or personally, acting from time to time under a Third Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated as of
September 28, 2007 to which reference is hereby made and a copy of which is on file at the office of the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and elsewhere as required by law, and to any and all amendments thereto so filed or
hereafter filed. The obligations of Laudus Trust entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by any of the Trustees, representatives or agents are made not individually, but in such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the
Trustees, Shareholders or representatives of the Trust personally, but bind only the assets of the Trust, and all persons dealing with any series of Shares of the Trust must look solely to the assets of the Trust belonging to such series for the
enforcement of any claims against the Trust.
6
5.
Severability
.
If any provision of this Agreement is found by a court or agency of competent jurisdiction to be in violation of any state or
federal law, rule or regulation, then the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the enforceability or validity of the remaining provisions.
7
Please confirm that the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding by
indicating your acceptance hereof at the place below indicated, whereupon it shall become a binding agreement between us.
Yours very truly,
|
Laudus Trust
|
By:
/s/ George Pereira
|
Name: George Pereira
|
Title: Chief Operating Officer
|
Accepted:
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
By:
/s/ John Sturiale
|
Name: John Sturiale
|
Title: Senior Vice President
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8
SCHEDULE A
TO THE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
LAUDUS TRUST AND
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.
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Fund
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|
Effective Date
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|
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Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Fund
|
|
June 1, 2018
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Laudus Mondrian International Equity Fund
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June 1, 2018
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Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Fund
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June 1, 2018
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Laudus Mondrian International Government Fixed Income Fund
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June 1, 2018
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LAUDUS TRUST
By
/s/ George
Pereira
Name: George Pereira
Title: Chief
Operating Officer
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CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.
By
/s/ John
Sturiale
Name: John Sturiale
Title: Senior Vice President
|
Dated as of
June
1, 2018
9
|
|
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|
|
1900 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
+1 202 261 3300 Main
+1 202 261 3333 Fax
www.dechert.com
|
July 27, 2018
Laudus Trust
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for Laudus Trust (the Trust), a trust duly organized and validly existing under the laws
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in connection with Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Trusts Registration Statement on Form
N-1A,
together with all Exhibits thereto (the Registration
Statement), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act), and Amendment No. 98 to the Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. We have examined such governmental and corporate
certificates and records as we deemed necessary to render this opinion and we are familiar with the Trusts Third Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and its Amended and Restated
By-Laws,
each as amended to date.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the
opinion that the shares proposed to be sold pursuant to the Registration Statement, when paid for as contemplated in the Registration Statement, will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to
the Registration Statement, to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and to the use of our name in the Trusts Registration Statement to be dated on or about July 27, 2018 and in any revised or amended versions
thereof. In giving such consent, however, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Dechert LLP
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form
N-1A
of Laudus Trust of our
reports dated May 17, 2018, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appear in the Laudus Mondrian Emerging Markets Funds, Laudus Mondrian International Equity Funds, Laudus Mondrian International
Government Fixed Income Funds, and Laudus U.S. Large Cap Growth Funds Annual Reports on Form
N-CSR
for the year ended March 31, 2018. We also consent to the references to us under the headings
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Portfolio Holdings Disclosure and Financial Highlights in such Registration Statement.
|
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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San Francisco, California
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July 23, 2018
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THE CHARLES SCHWAB FAMILY OF FUNDS
SCHWAB ANNUITY PORTFOLIOS
SCHWAB
INVESTMENTS
SCHWAB CAPITAL TRUST
LAUDUS TRUST
SCHWAB STRATEGIC
TRUST
POWER OF ATTORNEY
I,
the undersigned trustee and/or officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Laudus Trust, each a Massachusetts business trust, and Schwab Strategic Trust, a Delaware statutory
trust (each a Trust), do hereby constitute and appoint David Lekich, Catherine MacGregor, Robin Nesbitt, Douglas P. Dick, Jeremy I. Senderowicz and Stephen T. Cohen, and each of them singly, my true and lawful attorneys, with full power
to them and each of them, to sign for me and in my name and the capacity listed below, any and all amendments to the Registration Statement on Form
N-1A
of each Trust, and to file the same with all exhibits
thereto, and other documents in connection thereunder, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto my said attorneys, and each of them, acting alone, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or
necessary to be done in the premises, as fully as to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys or any of them may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
WITNESS my hand on the date set forth below.
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|
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/s/ Nancy F. Heller
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Date: June 1, 2018
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Nancy F. Heller
Trustee
J.II.1.B.
THE CHARLES SCHWAB FAMILY OF FUNDS
SCHWAB INVESTMENTS
SCHWAB CAPITAL TRUST
SCHWAB ANNUITY PORTFOLIOS
SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST
LAUDUS TRUST
CHARLES
SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.
JOINT CODE OF ETHICS
PERSONAL TRADING POLICY
Effective October 31, 2017
Capitalized terms used in the Code are defined, when practicable, within the related text. Otherwise such terms are defined in the attached Appendix A.
1
J.II.1.B.
INTRODUCTION
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM) and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.), in its
capacity as principal underwriter for certain funds, have a fiduciary duty to the Funds and advisory clients (Clients). The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios (the
Schwab Funds), Laudus Trust (the Laudus Funds) and Schwab Strategic Trust (the Schwab ETFs, and together with Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds, the Funds) have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders. To
assist in meeting these fiduciary duties, CSIM, CS&Co. and the Funds expect every person subject to this Joint Code of Ethics to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct in such a manner as to (i) avoid serving their own
personal interest ahead of clients, (ii) avoid taking inappropriate advantage of their position with CS&Co., CSIM or the Funds, and (iii) avoid and, where appropriate, mitigate any actual or potential conflicts of interests or any
abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.
To this end, CSIM, CS&Co. and the Funds have adopted this Joint Code of Ethics
(the Code) which sets the minimum standards of conduct applicable to all of CSIMs directors, officers and employees, officers and trustees of the Funds, and certain CS&Co. persons and other individuals as designated by the
Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) or designee (Access Persons).
The Code is designed to help Access Persons avoid
potential conflicts that may arise from their actions and their personal investments and preclude activities which may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business
conduct.
In addition, all CSIM and CS&Co. employees are also responsible for knowing and complying with The Charles Schwab
Corporations Compliance Manual, The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and applicable policies and procedures related to individual roles and responsibilities. Access Persons who are also CS&Co. employees are required to comply with the
Broker-Dealer Compliance Manual as well.
The Code does not and cannot identify all possible conflicts of interest that you might
encounter. Rather, you have an
on-going
responsibility to identify any areas where personal activities may conflict with Clients interests and to operate in a manner that mitigates both actual and
perceived conflicts. You must at all times act in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of applicable laws, rules and regulations.
If you violate this Code or associated policies and procedures, CSIM, the Funds and/or CS&Co. may impose disciplinary action against you
which may include
2
J.II.1.B.
notification to your supervisor, disgorgement of profits and possibly suspension and/or
termination.
If you have any questions concerning a proposed course of action that may present a conflict of interest, you should contact
your supervisor for guidance. Supervisors who have questions about how to proceed should contact the CCO or his or her designee for guidance.
MATERIAL
NON-PUBLIC
INFORMATION
You have an obligation to safeguard material
non-public
information (MNPI) regarding CSIM
and its Clients, including the Funds. The Charles Schwab Corporations Compliance Manual has policies and procedures that establish minimum requirements that all employees are required to follow when in possession of MNPI about any issuer. In
addition, when you are in possession of confidential information about CSIM and/or its Clients, you are prohibited from sharing such information with anyone, other than those who have a business need to know, and from using such information for
personal gain.
Specifically, you are prohibited from:
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◾
|
Disclosing current portfolio transactions that portfolio managers and traders have made or potential portfolio transactions that are being contemplated on behalf of Clients or any other
non-public
information to anyone outside of CSIM, except as required to effect securities transactions on behalf of a Client.
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◾
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Trading on the basis of the Funds MNPI: the following types of information have, under certain circumstances, been determined to be MNPI in the mutual fund context (if not yet publicly disclosed):
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i.
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Holdings and transaction information.
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ii.
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The portfolio managers investment decisions.
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iii.
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Performance analysis.
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iv.
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Subscription and redemption activity.
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v.
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Dividend activity.
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vi.
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Decisions to hire or fire an
adviser/sub-adviser
or invest or divest in a proprietary or third-party mutual fund or ETF.
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3
J.II.1.B.
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vii.
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Material
sub-adviser
due diligence information.
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viii.
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Change of portfolio manager.
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◾
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Using knowledge of portfolio transactions that portfolio managers and traders have made or potential portfolio transactions that are being contemplated on behalf of Clients to personally profit, or cause others to
profit, by the market effect of such transactions. Anytime you are in possession of MNPI, you are prohibited from transacting in such transactions, regardless of having received
pre-clearance
approval (as
discussed below).
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◾
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Engaging in deceptive conduct in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio transactions for Client accounts, including without limitation:
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i.
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Employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any Client.
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ii.
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Making any untrue statement of a material fact to any Client or misleading any Client by omitting to state a material fact.
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iii.
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Engaging in any act, practice or course of business that would defraud or deceive any Client.
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iv.
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Engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to any Client.
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v.
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Investing in derivatives or similar instruments to evade the restrictions of this Code.
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◾
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In addition to the above, employees may receive MNPI concerning certain issuers, underwriters or from representatives of issuers or underwriters during their normal course of employment. Such information may include
information that has not been publically disseminated such as potential transactions, financing and capital requests, future rating actions and certain information about the issuer or its securities. Any employee who suspects they are in receipt of
MNPI should limit their communications with others regarding such MNPI and immediately contact the Compliance department.
|
These requirements may be supplemented from time to time by additional policies and procedures. It is your responsibility to be familiar with
and to comply with all such policies and procedures.
4
J.II.1.B.
PERSONAL TRADING
This section of the Code contains rules applicable to Access Persons and
certain of their household members (Covered Persons) regarding owning and trading Covered Securities in certain Personal Accounts.
An
Access Person
is
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◾
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Any officer, director or trustee of CSIM or the Funds
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◾
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Certain CSIM contractors as determined and notified by CSIM Compliance
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◾
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Certain CS&Co. employees, as determined and notified by CSIM Compliance, who support CSIM and/or the Funds
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◾
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Other persons who are determined and notified by the CCO or his designee to have access to nonpublic information regarding any Client or Fund, including portfolio holdings and/or any transactions in a portfolio
|
If you are an Access Person, your
Covered Persons
include
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◾
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Individuals living in your home who are supported, directly or indirectly, to a material extent by you
|
Personal Accounts
are securities accounts over which you or any of your
Covered Persons exercise direct or indirect control or
discretion or in which you or any of your Covered Persons have a direct or indirect beneficial ownership or financial interest.
Covered Securities
include:
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◾
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All publicly and privately traded securities
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◾
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Debt securities including convertible, municipal and
non-U.S.
government bonds
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◾
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Any option, future, forward contract or other obligation involving securities or indices thereof, including an instrument whose value is derived or based on any of the above
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◾
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Any separate security which is convertible into or exchangeable for, or which confers a right to purchase, a Covered Security
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◾
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Shares of a
closed-end
investment company
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5
J.II.1.B.
|
◾
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Exchange traded products (
e.g.
, ETFs/ETNs, including Schwab ETFs)
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◾
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Shares of the Schwab and Laudus Funds (except money market funds)
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The following securities
are
excluded
from the definition of Covered Securities:
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◾
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Shares of registered
non-affiliated
open-end
investment companies (e.g., mutual funds), except for shares of ETFs
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◾
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Shares of
non-affiliated
unit investment trusts that invest exclusively in
non-affiliated
registered
open-end
investment companies, except those that trade as exchanged traded products
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◾
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Direct obligations of the U.S. government (e.g., Treasury securities)
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◾
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High-Quality Short-Term Debt Instruments, as defined in Appendix A, such as bank certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, repurchase agreements, and commercial paper
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◾
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Affiliated money market funds
1
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II.
|
Reporting Requirements
|
The following reporting requirements apply to all Access
Persons and their Covered Persons (excluding Independent Trustees unless otherwise noted in Section II.E. below).
|
A.
|
Initial Accounts and Holdings Reports and Certifications
|
Within 10 days of hire or of
being notified by CSIM Compliance that you have been deemed an Access Person, you must submit to the CCO or his or her designee an Accounts and Holdings Report showing all of your Personal Accounts and holdings in Covered Securities (including those
of your Covered Persons). Your report must include the name of security, type of security, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each security held, as well as the name of any broker, dealer or bank
with whom the account is maintained, the name on the account and the account number. You must submit an Accounts and Holdings Report even if you do not have any securities accounts or applicable holdings. Initial reports are submitted through the
on-line
personal trading monitoring system utilized by CSIM (Personal Trading Monitoring System) and the information contained in the report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the
date of your hire or of being notified by CSIM Compliance that you have been deemed an Access Person. The report must contain the date you submitted the report.
1
Receipt of MNPI concerning an affiliated money market fund may subject an Access Person to trade
restrictions in such fund.
6
J.II.1.B.
In addition, as a newly designated Access Person, you must certify in writing within ten
(10) calendar days of designation that you have received a current copy of the Code.
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B.
|
Quarterly Transaction Reports
|
On a quarterly basis, you must report all transactions
in Covered Securities in all Personal Accounts. These quarterly transaction reports must be made no later than thirty days after the end of each calendar quarter and include trading activity at CS&Co. and any other broker, dealer or bank where
Personal Accounts are maintained. You are required to submit a quarterly report to the CCO or his or her designee, even if there were no reportable transactions during the quarter. The report must indicate the date you submit the report, as well as
the following:
|
1.
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The transaction date, name and identifier of the security (such as exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number), interest rate and maturity date, number of shares, and cost of each reportable security involved;
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|
2.
|
The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected
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3.
|
The type of transaction, such as purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition; and
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4.
|
The price of the security at which the transaction was effected.
|
Transaction information is
automatically updated in the Personal Trading Monitoring System throughout the quarter to reflect transactions made in CS&Co. accounts you have disclosed.
This may not include all of the
transactions you must report, and it is your
responsibility to review the information and update it to ensure it is accurate and complete.
This
includes providing information on any new Personal Account established during the quarter including the name of the broker, dealer or bank
and the date the account was established.
|
C.
|
Annual Holdings Reports
|
Annually, you must report all holdings in Covered Securities
in Personal Accounts as of December 31 of each year. This report must be submitted to the CCO or his or her designee no later than 45 calendar days following the year end.
Similar to quarterly transaction reporting, holdings
information is displayed on the Access Persons reporting screen in the Personal Trading Monitoring System. The position may not reflect all activities in a security (e.g. corporate actions) and you must review and
7
J.II.1.B.
correct the holdings report, as needed, to ensure its accuracy.
Your
report
must indicate the date you submit the report and must include the title, type of security, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each security held, as well as the name of any broker, dealer or bank
with whom the account is maintained.
|
D.
|
Other Compliance Certifications
|
On a quarterly basis, you are required to confirm
your compliance with the provisions of this Code. In addition, you must acknowledge, in writing, which may be made electronically, receipt of any revisions to this Code whenever amendments to the Code are made and delivered.
|
E.
|
Independent Trustee Reporting Requirements
|
Independent Trustees are required to
submit a Quarterly Transactions Report containing the information as described below to the Funds CCO. Such report must include:
|
◾
|
all transactions in any Funds, excluding money market funds, on whose board the Independent Trustee serves
|
|
◾
|
all transactions made in a Covered Security if, at the time of that transaction, they knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling their official duties as Independent Trustees of the Funds, should have known that,
during the
15-day
period immediately before or after the date of their transaction, the same Covered Security was purchased or sold by the Fund or was being considered by the Fund or its investment adviser(s)
for purchase or sale by the Fund
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III.
|
Preclearance Requirements
|
All Access Persons, except (i) Independent Trustees and
(ii) Interested Trustees and/or directors of CSIM not responsible for the day to day management of CSIM, must receive clearance prior to the execution of any transaction in Covered Securities in their Personal Accounts (including the accounts
of their Covered Persons).
Notwithstanding the above, Access Persons who are (i) Independent Trustees and (ii) Interested
Trustees and/or directors of CSIM not responsible for the day to day management of CSIM, must receive clearance prior to the execution of transactions in the Funds, excluding money market funds.
8
J.II.1.B.
|
B.
|
How to Request Preclearance
|
Generally, you must submit requests for
pre-clearance
of personal transactions through the Personal Trading Monitoring System unless otherwise noted in this Code.
Pre-clearance
requests will be reviewed by CSIM
Compliance in relation to information available from the trading system(s) or other relevant information sources (consulting with CSIM Portfolio Management as needed) to determine whether your request should be approved. CSIM Compliance may, at its
discretion, require supervisor approval of a
pre-clearance
request before considering such request. You will be notified via email of approval or denial.
Pre-clearance
requests made by the CCO will be forwarded to the Senior Vice President and Head of Global Compliance or his or her designee for approval.
You should only submit a
pre-clearance
request when you intend to execute a trade, not to secure your
right to execute a transaction on the basis of favorable intraday price movements. Excessive
pre-clearance
requests and/or trading in personal accounts are strongly discouraged. CSIM Compliance monitors
trading activity, reports this activity periodically to CSIM management and may impose additional trading restrictions or prohibitions as appropriate.
Access Persons who are (i) Independent Trustees and (ii) Interested Trustees and/or directors of CSIM not responsible for day to
day management of CSIM, should direct any preclearance request to the CCO or his or her designee by telephone or email.
|
C.
|
Two Day Effective Period
|
Pre-clearance
of
personal securities transactions for publicly traded securities will be effective for two (2) days beginning on the calendar day on which
pre-clearance
approval is granted, as well as trading day
immediately following.
Limit Orders, including stop loss orders, will generally not be allowed unless you expect the order to be
completed within the two day effective period. If your order is not executed within the two day effective period, your initial
pre-clearance
will no longer be valid and you will need to cancel the open
order(s) and obtain
pre-clearance
again.
You are prohibited from trading in a security if, after
you have received
pre-clearance
approval, you come into possession of MNPI.
9
J.II.1.B.
|
D.
|
Additional Responsibilities
|
|
◾
|
Access Persons, excluding Independent Trustees, may not trade in securities included on The Charles Schwab Corporations Restricted List for their own benefit or the benefit of CS&Co. when the
restriction indicates that it applies to all employees. This restriction also applies to Covered Persons and Personal Accounts over which the Access Person has control. Before trading, you must check to see if the security is on the Restricted
Securities List (Schweb jumpword: restricted list.)
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|
◾
|
Certain Access Persons may be subject to trading restrictions of The Charles Schwab Corporation common stock (SCHW) and its derivatives. Before trading in SCHW or a derivative security, you are responsible for checking
the SCHW Trading Window (Schweb jumpword: trading window.)
|
All Access Persons are prohibited from engaging in any transaction in
a Covered Security when they know or should have known at the time that there is a pending buy or sell order in that same security for any Client Account. Exceptions to this prohibition may be granted by CSIM Compliance if,
upon receipt of a request for preclearance of a transaction in a mutual fund or ETF, it determines that the client trading activity in that mutual fund or ETF occurred for cash flow purposes or that other potential conflicts do not exist or are
adequately mitigated.
Certain additional trading restrictions apply to portfolio managers, research analysts and credit analysts, as such
terms may be defined from time to time by CSIM Compliance, as follows:
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◾
|
If you are a
portfolio manager or research analyst
, you are prohibited from trading in a Covered Security if the same security has been traded in any Fund or Client Account for which you are a primary or backup
portfolio manager or research analyst during the past seven (7) calendar days, or is expected to be traded within the next seven (7) calendar days.
|
|
◾
|
If you are a
credit analyst
, you may not trade in a fixed income Covered Security for any issuer for which you are responsible for reviewing or approving if a fixed income security related to that same issuer has
been traded in any Fund or Client Account during the past seven (7) calendar days, or is expected to be traded within the next seven (7) calendar days.
|
|
◾
|
If you are a portfolio manager, research analyst or credit analyst, your transactions will be reviewed further by the CCO or his or her designee and may be required to reverse the transaction in the following
situations:
|
10
J.II.1.B.
|
(i)
|
Have received
pre-clearance
for a transaction in a Covered Security, and
|
|
(ii)
|
A transaction in the same security takes place for a Fund or Client Account subject to the Blackout Period as discussed above within seven (7) calendar days following the execution of your transaction.
|
|
V.
|
Prohibition on Short Term Profits
(60-DAY
RULE)
|
Access Persons, except (i) Independent Trustees and (ii) Interested Trustees and/or directors of CSIM not responsible for day to day
management of CSIM, are prohibited from realizing a profit from the purchase and sale, or the sale and purchase, of the same (or related) Covered Securities within 60 calendar days. If an Access Person is found to have violated this prohibition, any
profit realized will be required to be disgorged. This restriction applies without regard to tax lot considerations. Generally speaking, profit determinations will be made on the basis of a
Last-In-First-Out
(LIFO) accounting methodology, unless the fundamentals of the trade warrant a different consideration as determined by the CCO or his or
her designee.
|
VI.
|
IPOs and Private Placements
|
The
Employee Securities
Accounts
& Investments and Inside Information
&
Information Barriers
chapters of The Charles Schwab Corporations Compliance
Manual address certain
prohibited practices. Among them is the participation in an IPO. This applies to all Access Persons, except Independent Trustees.
Access
Persons, excluding Independent Trustees, must receive clearance from The Charles Schwab Corporations Compliance Department prior to participating in a private securities transaction. A request for approval should first be submitted to the
Schwab Compliance Department through My Disclosure Online (Schweb jumpword: MDO).
VII. Exceptions
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A.
|
Personal Account Exemptions
|
After a Personal Account has been reported as discussed in
Section II above, you may request that the Personal Account be exempt from personal trading requirements and restrictions by submitting a written request to CSIM Compliance. Such exemptions will be considered on a
case-by-case
basis considering individual facts and circumstances. Accounts that may be considered for exemption from personal trading requirements and restrictions include accounts that are managed on a
fully discretionary basis by an investment advisor, manager or other third party in which all trading activity is directed by the investment manager without prior knowledge or consent of
11
J.II.1.B.
the employee. In such cases, a copy of the executed investment management or advisory
agreement must be submitted to CSIM Compliance. If CSIM Compliance grants an exception, you are responsible for ensuring that copies of trade confirmations and account statements are mailed directly to CSIM Compliance. Provided you do so, you will
not be required to further certify during the quarterly and annual certification periods to the holdings or transactions in such Personal Account once the exception is granted. You may, however, be asked from time to time by CSIM Compliance to
validate information to support maintaining an accounts status as exempt.
|
B.
|
Transactional Exemptions
|
The following transactional exemptions apply:
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◾
|
All transactions in The Charles Schwab Corporations securities (equities, fixed income, options) are exempt from
preclearance,
blackout periods and the short-term profit prohibition
,
provided that
you comply with the requirements outlined in
The Charles Schwab Corporations Compliance Manual
.
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◾
|
Non-Volitional
Transactions are exempt from
preclearance, blackout
periods and the short-term profit prohibition
. Please refer to Appendix
A for more information on what qualifies as a
Non-Volitional
Transaction.
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◾
|
When establishing an automatic investment plan, direct stock purchase plan or other similar plans involving a Covered Security, enrollment in the plan must be approved by CSIM Compliance and the initial purchase of that
Covered Security in the plan must be
pre-cleared.
Subsequent investments
of the applicable Covered Security subject to
the plan are exempt from
pre-clearance
and blackout periods
provided no changes to the plan have been made (i.e., cancellation) since originally approved by CSIM Compliance.
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◾
|
Profits received from a sale of securities which were acquired as a result of exercising options received through a Stock Option Program are exempt from the
short-term profits prohibition
.
|
Exceptions to Reporting Requirements
You do not need to include in your quarterly transaction reports any transactions made in any account over which you have no direct or
indirect influence or control regarding specific security selection (i.e. investment discretion) or any
Non-Volitional
Transactions, provided you have ensured that copies of trade confirmations and account
statements are mailed directly to CSIM Compliance.
12
J.II.1.B.
If you have any questions concerning whether or not an account or transaction is exempt from
personal trading requirement or restrictions, you should contact your Supervisor or the CCO or his or her designee.
The CCO may approve other exemptions to certain restrictions and
prohibitions of the Code after consideration of relevant facts and circumstances. Such exemptions are not automatic but rather granted on an exception basis and require either preclearance through the channels discussed above or other advance
written approval from the CCO.
OTHER POTENTIAL CONFLICTS
GIFTS AND BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT
The following applies to Access Persons with the exception of (i) Independent Trustees and (ii) Interested Trustees and/or directors
of CSIM not responsible for day to day management of CSIM:
The giving and acceptance of gifts and/or business entertainment that
influences or appears to influence the behavior of the recipient may compromise the reputation and integrity of CSIM, CS&Co., or the Funds. You should never accept or provide any gift or business entertainment that would violate the law,
embarrass, or reflect poorly on CSIM, CS&Co. or the Funds. CSIM follows The Charles Schwab Corporations Compliance Manuals chapter on
Gifts, Business
Entertainment, Loans
& Charitable Contributions
Policy
and, with respect to its
directors and employees, has adopted more restrictive limits for the acceptance of gifts and business entertainment, which are detailed in the
CSIM Gifts and
Business Entertainment Policy and
Procedures
. You are responsible for
understanding these policies and procedures and ensuring that your conduct with respect to the acceptance and provision of gifts and business entertainment is consistent with these procedures, including
obtaining the appropriate approvals and reporting your gifts and business entertainment activity.
SERVICE AS DIRECTOR OR PUBLIC
OFFICIAL
All employees are prohibited from serving on the board of directors of any publicly traded company or in an official
capacity for any federal, state, or local government (or governmental agency or instrumentality) without prior approval from the Compliance Review Officer and the Schwab Control Group (Schweb jumpword: MDO).
13
J.II.1.B.
OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
Employees may not engage in outside employment or other outside activity that conflicts or otherwise interferes with their duties and
responsibilities. It is each employee responsibility to disclose and request approval for any such outside employment or business activity through the My Disclosure Online system (Schweb jumpword: MDO).
COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE
Adherence to the Code is a basic condition of employment or service with CS&Co. and CSIM. CSIM Compliance monitors compliance with the
Code, including reviewing Access Persons personal securities transactions and holdings reports, and reviews violations of the Code to determine what action or sanctions are appropriate. You are required to report any violations of the Code promptly
to your supervisor or the CCO. Reports of all violations must be provided to the CCO. Violations may be reported to CSIM management as well as to the Funds boards of trustees.
Violations of the Code are taken seriously and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Violations of the Code may
also adversely affect your career with respect to such matters as compensation and advancement. Since many provisions of the Code also reflect provisions of the US securities laws, you should be aware that violations could also lead to enforcement
action resulting in suspension or expulsion from the securities business, fines and penalties, and imprisonment. Questions regarding interpretation of the Code or questions related to specific situations should be directed to your supervisor or CSIM
Compliance.
ADMINISTRATION, RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING
CSIM Compliance is responsible for the administration of this Code. This includes identifying all Access Persons and notifying them of this
classification and their obligations under this Code. CSIM Compliance will also maintain procedures for periodic reviews of Access Persons personal securities transactions. Such reviews are undertaken with regard to both the prohibitions and
reporting requirements contained in the Code.
All records associated with this Code that are required to be retained by Federal
Securities Laws will be maintained by CSIM Compliance for seven years and in
14
J.II.1.B.
an easily accessible place for at least five years. In addition, any record of any decision,
and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve a hardship exemption or the acquisition by Access Persons of securities acquired in a Private Placement, will be maintained by CSIM Compliance for at least seven years after the end of the fiscal
year in which the approval is granted.
At least annually, the president of each Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs trust, the
president of CSIM and an executive of CS&Co., as principal underwriter to the Schwab Funds, (or their designees) will provide each Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs trusts board of trustees:
|
◾
|
a written report of any issues arising under this Code, including any material violations and any sanctions imposed in response to these violations and
|
|
◾
|
a certification that each has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent its Access Persons from violating the provisions of this Code.
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15
J.II.1.B.
A
PPENDIX
A: D
EFINITIONS
An
Automatic Investment Plan
is a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts
in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.
Beneficial
Ownership
is interpreted in the same manner when determining whether a
person has beneficial ownership of a security for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (1934 Act), and includes ownership by
any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares or direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a security.
Control
has the same meaning as in Section (2)(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of
1940 (the 1940 Act). Section 2(a)(9)
provides that control means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company.
Ownership of more than 25% of a companys outstanding voting securities is presumed to give the holder of such securities control over the company. The
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may determine, however, that the facts and circumstances of a given situation that may counter this presumption.
Federal Securities Laws
refers to the Securities Act of 1933, the 1934 Act, the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the 1940 Act, the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the SEC under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to investment companies and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or
the Department of the Treasury.
A
High Quality Short-Term Debt Instrument
is any instrument having a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days
and which is rated in one of the highest two rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or which is unrated but is of comparable quality.
An
Initial Public Offering
is an offering of securities registered under the 1933 Act, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was
not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.
An
Independent Trustee
is any Trustee of a Trust who is not an
interested person of such Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
An
Interested Trustee
is any Trustee of a Trust who is an
interested person of such Trust as defined in Section (a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
16
J.II.1.B.
A
Non-Volitional
Transaction
is one in which the Access
Persons does not determine price or time of the transaction. Such transactions include:
|
◾
|
acquisition of securities through stock dividends, automatic dividend reinvestment plans, stock splits, reverse stock splits, mergers, consolidations, spin-offs or other similar corporate reorganizations or
distributions generally applicable to all holders of the same class of such securities; and
|
|
◾
|
acquisition of securities through the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of securities, to the extent the rights were acquired in the issue.
|
Transactions in a managed account or those made by an independent third party or adviser will not be considered
non-volitional
unless an Access Person requests and is granted an account level exemption.
A
Private
Placement
is an offering that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 adopted thereunder.
A
Stock Option Program
allows an employee to buy a set number of shares of a companys stock at a future date at a set price.
17
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
Fifth Floor, 10 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7JD
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
Code of Ethics
Effective: January 2018
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Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
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Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
Contents
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Page
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Introduction
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4
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1.
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Prohibited Activities
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5
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2.
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Gifts & Entertainment; Charitable and Political Giving;
Placement Agents; Bribery
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6
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3.
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Personal Conflicts of Interest
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8
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4.
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Reporting Requirements
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8
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5.
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Administrative Procedures
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9
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6.
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General Guidance
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10
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7.
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Insider Trading Policies and Procedures
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10
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Appendix A Code of Ethics Summary
Table
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11
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Appendix B Reporting Requirements
Table
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12
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Appendix C Definitions
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13
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Appendix D Exemptions to Code Rules
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16
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Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
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Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
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Introduction
This Code of Ethics (Code) covers all employees of Mondrian Investment Partners Limited and Mondrian Investment Partners (U.S.), Inc.
(collectively Mondrian). The Code includes standards of business conduct that are expected of Mondrian employees, and that reflect Mondrians fiduciary duties. The Code requires compliance with applicable U.K. regulations and U.S.
federal securities laws, and incorporates procedures to implement such compliance.
The responsibility for maintenance and enforcement of the Code lies substantially with the Chief Compliance Officer.
It is the duty of all Mondrian employees, officers and directors to conduct themselves with integrity, and at all times to place the interests of clients
first. All personal securities transactions will be conducted consistent with, and in the spirit of, the Code of Ethics and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individuals position of
trust and responsibility. The fundamental standard of this Code is that personnel should not take any inappropriate advantage of their positions.
Mondrian is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the U.K. and the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) in the U.S. This Code is designed to adhere to the standards of ethical conduct set by both regulators. Furthermore, Rule
17j-1
under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule
204A-1
of the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Rules) make it unlawful for certain persons, including any employee, officer or director of an investment adviser, in connection with the purchase
or sale by such person of a security held or to be acquired by a client account:
a.
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To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud;
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b.
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To make any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading;
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c.
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To engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit; or
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d.
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To engage in any manipulative practice.
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The Rules also require investment adviser firms to adopt a written code of ethics containing provisions reasonably necessary to prevent certain persons
from engaging in acts in violation of the above standard. Investment adviser firms should also use reasonable diligence and institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of that code.
Employees must report any violations of the Code promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer.
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Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
|
Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
I.
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The following restrictions apply to all Employees. A summary of these requirements is available
in Appendix A.
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a.
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No Employee shall engage in any act, practice or course of conduct, which would violate the provisions of the Rules set
forth below.
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b.
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General Requirement and Exceptions:
No Employee shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Security which
to his/her knowledge is being actively considered for purchase or sale by Mondrian; except that this prohibition shall not apply to:
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|
1.
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Transactions that have been
pre-cleared
in accordance with the requirements of
paragraph
1-
I (f) below;
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2.
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Purchases or sales that are
non-voluntary
on the part of either the person or the
account;
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3.
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Purchases which result from a scrip dividend or are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan;
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4.
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Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Securities,
to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;
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5.
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Other purchases and sales specifically approved by the Chief Executive Officer, with the advice of the General Counsel
and/or the Chief Compliance Officer, and deemed appropriate because of unusual or unforeseen circumstances. A list of any securities excepted will be maintained by the Compliance & Risk team; and
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6.
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Purchases or sales made by a third party in a Managed Account, provided that such purchases or sales do not reflect a
pattern of conflict.
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7.
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Sales which result from a compulsory company tender offer. Voluntary decisions require
pre-disclosure
to the Chief Compliance Officer.
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8.
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Purchases or sales in respect of transfers between brokerage accounts, providing it represents a
like-for-like
amount for example in the case of transferring stocks to a new ISA provider.
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c.
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3-Day
Rule
: No Employee may execute a buy or sell order for an account in
which he or she has beneficial ownership or control until the third trading day following the execution of a Mondrian buy or sell order in that same Security.
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d.
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Monthly Trading Limits:
No more than twenty (20) Security transactions are permitted per calendar month.
This limit is applicable in aggregate to all Security transactions in which the covered person has a beneficial interest.
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e.
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Disgorgement:
Despite any fault or impropriety, any Employee who executes a buy or sell for an account in which
he/ she has beneficial ownership or control either (i) before the third trading day following the execution of a Mondrian order in the same security, or (ii) where deemed necessary, when there are pending orders for a Mondrian transaction
as reflected on the open order blotter, shall forfeit any profits made (in the event of purchases) or loss avoided (in the event of sales), whether realised or unrealised, in the period from the date of the personal transaction to the end of the
proscribed trading period. Payment of the amount forfeited shall be made by cheque or in cash to a charity of Mondrians choice and the payment will be overseen by the Chief Compliance Officer.
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f.
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Preclearance Requirement:
Except for Managed Accounts meeting the provisions of
Section 1-
I (b)(6) above, each Employees personal transactions or transactions for an account in which he/she has beneficial ownership or control must be
pre-cleared
using the PTA Connect system. The request for preclearance must be submitted prior to entering any orders for personal transactions. Preclearance is generally only valid for 24 hours after the
request is authorised and if the order is not executed within the 24 hour period, the preclearance request must be resubmitted. In certain circumstances, where the timing of the trade execution is outside of the control of the Employee, the Chief
Compliance Officer may allow an extension to this period. Regardless of preclearance, all transactions remain subject to the provisions of (b), (c), (d) and (e) above.
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g.
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60-Day
Rule:
Short term trading in Securities resulting in a profit is
prohibited. All open positions must be held for a period of 60 days, in the aggregate, before they can be closed at a profit (see Appendix D for certain exemptions). Any short term trading profits are subject to the disgorgement procedures outlined
in (e) above and at the maximum level of profit obtained. The closing of positions at a loss within 60 days is not prohibited.
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h.
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Initial Public Offerings:
Employees are prohibited from purchasing any initial public offering without the PRIOR
written consent of the Chief Compliance Officer. A separate approval process needs to be followed: email request should be made to the Chief Compliance Officer (i.e. not via the PTA Connect system).
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Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
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i.
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Private Placements:
No Employee shall purchase any private placement without express PRIOR written consent by the
Chief Compliance Officer. A separate approval process needs to be followed: email request should be made to the Chief Compliance Officer (i.e. not via the PTA Connect system). All private placement holdings are subject to disclosure to the Chief
Compliance Officer.
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j.
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Brokerage/Trading Account Losses:
No Employee shall operate a brokerage or other trading account(s) with an
individual or combined net loss in any Derivative position of more than £25,000 ($40,000). Brokerage or other trading accounts with an individual or combined net loss of more that £20,000 ($30,000) should be reported to the Chief
Compliance Officer immediately. In relation to positions covered by assets held separately (i.e. not in the brokerage account which has a net loss position), the Chief Compliance Officer may permit an exemption from this requirement.
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k.
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Online Chat Rooms:
No Employee shall participate in online discussions related to Securities (e.g. internet
discussion boards or chat rooms) by posting or encouraging others to post. This prohibition includes all Securities whether or not held by Mondrian clients. Employees are not prohibited from passively reading such online discussions.
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l.
|
Outside Interests:
Employees require PRIOR written approval from the Chief Compliance Officer before they may
serve on the board of directors, board of trustees or similar governing or oversight body of any company (public or private), charity, endowment, foundation or similar organisation.
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II.
|
The following additional restrictions apply to all Investment Professionals.
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a.
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Private Placements and Other Unlisted Securities:
Investment Professionals that hold unlisted Securities (normally
obtained through a private placement) must receive permission from the Chief Compliance Officer prior to any participation by such person in Mondrians consideration of an investment in the same issuer, or any issuer of underlying investments
e.g. holdings within a venture capital fund.
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b.
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7-Day
Blackout Period:
No Named Portfolio Manager of a U.S. Registered
Investment Company (RIC) may execute a buy or sell order for an account for which he/she has beneficial ownership within seven calendar days before or after that RIC account, trades in that Security.
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c.
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Disgorgement:
Despite any fault or impropriety, any Investment Professional who executes a personal transaction
within seven calendar days before or after a RIC account, for which they are a Named Portfolio Manager, trades in that Security, shall forfeit any profits made (in the event of purchases) or loss avoided (in the event of sales), whether realised or
unrealised, in the period from the date of the personal transaction to the end of the prescribed trading period. Payment of the amount forfeited shall be made by cheque or in cash to a charity of Mondrians choice and the payment will be
overseen by the Chief Compliance Officer.
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2.
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Gifts & Entertainment; Charitable and Political Giving; Placement Agents; Bribery
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I.
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The following restrictions apply to all Employees.
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a.
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Gift and Entertainment Receipt:
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1.
|
Employees should not retain Gifts or accept offers of Entertainment valued at over £10 (or local currency
equivalent) without obtaining the PRIOR consent of the Chief Compliance Officer.
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2.
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Where it is not practical to obtain consent (e.g. a client presents a portfolio manager with a Gift during a meeting) it
must be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer as soon as possible after receipt. The Chief Compliance Officer will determine if the recipient can retain the Gift. Items of material value will typically be surrendered to the Chief Compliance
Officer and they will be included in a Christmas Charity raffle.
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3.
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Invitations to attend events (e.g. a broker Christmas party or a sports event) cannot be accepted without obtaining the
PRIOR consent of the Chief Compliance Officer. Any applications for approval must be in writing and include a justification for attending the event and a valuation of the Entertainment event provided by the person offering the invite (please use the
form on the Compliance & Risk page of the intranet).
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4.
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Please see additional guidance in Section 6 below and the guidance notes on the Compliance & Risk page of
the intranet for further details.
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Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
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Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
b.
|
Gift and Entertainment Giving:
|
|
1.
|
All Gifts and Entertainment to clients, consultants or other business related contacts must be reported (regardless of
whether the Employee seeks reimbursement from Mondrian) using the relevant expense reimbursement forms/system.
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2.
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Employees may not give Gifts or Entertainment valued in excess of £100 (or local currency equivalent) to clients,
consultants or other business related contacts without the prior consent of the Chief Compliance Officer or Chief Executive Officer (where practical).
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3.
|
Mondrian may from time to time impose limits on the value of gifts or entertainment that individuals can give and that
Mondrian Employees, in total, can give to a particular party over a set period of time. These will be separately notified to Employees as and when necessary.
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Employees are prohibited from using their personal charitable giving to influence decision makers in a way that could reasonably be seen
to benefit Mondrian directly or indirectly (e.g. a Client Services Officer making a large donation to a charity supported by a consultant who may be influential in Mondrians appointment or retention by a client would not be permitted). Note
that the restrictions with respect to political giving supersede the restrictions with respect to charitable giving (e.g. a nominal gift to a charity at the suggestion of a person running for state political office in the United States would not be
permitted). This prohibition also applies to Employees spouse or life partner and immediate family members.
Employees are prohibited from using their personal political giving to influence decision makers in a way that could reasonably be seen to
benefit Mondrian directly or indirectly (e.g. a Client Services Officer making a political contribution to a candidate for state elected office who may be influential in Mondrians appointment or retention by a client would not be permitted).
Laws have been implemented at the U.S. federal, state and local level, which are not always consistent and a violation can result in termination of Mondrian by the client. For example, some jurisdictions have restrictions on the amount that a
business may contribute and still be eligible to be a vendor to that jurisdiction. Since donations from Employees can be attributable to Mondrians limit, it is important that there be transparency in personal political giving. In addition, a
contribution to the campaign of a person that holds state level office but is running for federal level office may violate a state prohibition on contributions.
Specifically, unless approved in advance by the Chief Compliance Officer, Employees are prohibited from making any contribution to any
political campaign or political organisation, in the United States, except as set out below. This prohibition also applies to Employees spouse or life partner and immediate family members. Contributions include both directly or indirectly,
including for example cash, volunteering,
in-kind
contribution, soliciting, providing a loan, serving as an intermediary, aggregating contributions or contributing to a political action committee. Covered
political campaigns include for example, governor, controller, treasurer and trustee of a pension fund.
If approved in advance by the
Chief Compliance Officer, Employees are generally permitted to make contributions to a political campaign for an elected office that the Employees may vote for and with respect to United States national or federal level political activities (i.e.
House of Representatives, Senate, President, Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee).
Information regarding
personal political giving will be kept confidential by Mondrian and only revealed when required by applicable law, rule or policy.
e.
|
Placement Agents and
Pay-to-Play:
|
Unless approved in advance by the Chief Compliance Officer, Employees are prohibited from, or causing Mondrian to,
directly or indirectly, engage hire, retain, pay, engage or otherwise compensate any third party to act as a placement agent, solicitor, finder, marketer, consultant or broker or other intermediary for the purpose, explicitly or implicitly, of
selling or facilitating the sale of any Mondrian service (such as investment advisory services) or security (such as an interest in a Mondrian limited partnership). This prohibition also applies to Employees spouse or life partner and
immediate family members.
|
|
|
Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
f.
|
U.K. Bribery Act 2010 and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977:
|
The U.K. Bribery Act 2010 defines four criminal offences for which penalties include imprisonment and fines:
|
1.
|
Offering or paying a bribe;
|
|
2.
|
Requesting or receiving a bribe;
|
|
3.
|
Bribing a foreign public official;
|
|
4.
|
A corporate offence of failing to prevent bribery being undertaken on the corporations behalf.
|
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, 15 U.S.C. §§
78dd-1,
et seq. (FCPA), was enacted for the purpose of making it unlawful for certain classes of persons and entities to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or
retaining business. Since 1977, the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA have applied to all U.S. persons and certain foreign issuers of securities. With the enactment of certain amendments in 1998, the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA now also
apply to foreign firms and persons who cause, directly or through agents, an act in furtherance of such a corrupt payment to take place within the territory of the United States.
For clarification, Mondrian prohibits all forms of bribery, regardless of whether of a foreign public official or any other
individual or organisation.
Any suspicions of bribery being undertaken or received should always be reported immediately to the Chief
Compliance Officer. Any failure to comply with this requirement may constitute a serious disciplinary offence and could result in dismissal.
For further details refer to Mondrians Anti-Bribery Policy.
3.
|
Personal Conflicts of Interest
|
The following restrictions apply to all Employees.
Employees are required to disclose to the Chief Compliance Officer if, to their knowledge, they or their family members (including spouse
or life partner and immediate family members) currently or previously have been associated with any client, prospective client, vendor, prospective vendor, trading partner, governmental agency, regulator or other party which may create the
appearance of a conflict of interest. Examples where disclosure would be required include:
|
·
|
|
Employees spouse holds elective office.
|
|
·
|
|
Employees brother is a lobbyist.
|
|
·
|
|
Employees adult child is a broker.
|
|
·
|
|
Employees sister is employed by a client.
|
|
·
|
|
Employee was previously employed by a governmental body.
|
4.
|
Reporting Requirements
|
I.
|
The following reports are required to be made by all Employees:
|
a.
|
All personal holdings must be loaded onto PTA Connect no later than 10 days following commencement of employment. A
member of the Compliance & Risk team will provide instructions on system usage.
|
b.
|
Disclose brokerage or other trading relationships at employment and at the time of opening any new account.
All
brokerage accounts should be
set-up
on PTA Connect by the Employee.
|
c.
|
Direct their brokers to supply to the Chief Compliance Officer (or the Philadelphia office Legal team), on a timely
basis, duplicate copies of all confirmations and statements for all brokerage or other trading accounts and Managed Accounts (please see below). In the case of a brokerage relationship where a margin account is available (NB: this includes a spread
betting account), the broker must supply the Chief Compliance Officer with a monthly statement.
|
|
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
|
Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
d.
|
On request, each quarter, no later than the tenth day after the end of the calendar quarter, complete a Personal Security
Transaction declaration using PTA Connect.
|
e.
|
On request, at year end, provide Annual Holdings reports containing information regarding all personal Securities
holdings. This report must be current as of a date no more than 30 days before the report is submitted. The report should be submitted using PTA Connect.
|
f.
|
Quarterly Gift and Entertainment, Charitable, Political and Other Giving; Placement Agent and Bribery certifications must
be submitted by the end of the month following each calendar quarter end. Certifications are to be submitted using PTA Connect.
|
For items (d)
to (f), reminders will be issued when these are due.
g.
|
Immediately notify the Chief Compliance Officer upon obtaining a 1% interest in a company which Mondrian holds for
clients.
|
II.
|
Special Requirements for Managed Accounts:
|
Managed Accounts require
pre-approval
through the Chief Compliance Officer prior to starting up
the account. The Chief Compliance Officer will consider the following facts and circumstances of the account when approving or denying such requests:
|
·
|
|
The functions and duties of the Employee;
|
|
·
|
|
The trustee or third party managers relationship to the Employee (i.e., independent and professional versus friend
or relative);
|
|
·
|
|
The Employees influence or control over the trusts or accounts.
|
The ongoing reporting requirements for Managed Accounts will be agreed with the Chief Compliance Officer when approval is granted and they
will depend on the relative risks associated with the factors listed above e.g. the frequency of the provision of statements and whether or not individual trade confirmations are required.
Trading in Managed Accounts is exempt from preclearance requirements where trades are initiated by the third party manager.
On a sample basis, Compliance will review holdings and transactions of Managed Accounts to identify any activity that may have been
prohibited by Mondrians Code of Ethics.
5.
|
Administrative Procedures
|
I.
|
The following administrative procedures shall apply.
|
a.
|
The Compliance & Risk team will identify all Employees and will notify them of this classification and their
obligations under this Code. The Compliance & Risk team will also maintain procedures regarding the review of all reports required to be made under the Rules.
|
b.
|
The Compliance & Risk team shall keep records of Employees holdings and transaction reports, the names of
all Employees for the past five years, and records of decisions approving Employees acquisitions of IPOs and private placements. The Compliance & Risk team shall maintain copies of the Code of Ethics, records of Code violations
and action taken as a result of Code violations, and copies of Employees acknowledgements of receipt of the Code. Such records shall be kept by the Compliance & Risk team for five years in an easily accessible place and for the first
two years in Mondrians office premises.
|
c.
|
The Compliance & Risk team shall perform periodic reviews of notifications and reports required to be made under
the Rules, as part of its annual Compliance Monitoring Programme.
|
d.
|
The Compliance & Risk team shall report to the Chief Compliance Officer any apparent violations of the
prohibitions or reporting requirements contained in this Code of Ethics. The Chief Compliance Officer will review the reports made and determine whether or not the Code of Ethics has been violated and shall determine what sanctions, if any, should
be imposed in addition to any that may already have been imposed. Breaches of this Code of Ethics are considered to be a serious matter and can lead to disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal.
|
e.
|
Failure to
pre-clear
a Gift or Entertainment event may result in the recipient
being required to refund the provider the full value of the Gift or Entertainment. This is very likely if the Gift or Entertainment would not have been approved if preclearance had been sought.
|
|
|
|
Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
f.
|
On a quarterly basis, a summary report of material violations of the Code and the sanctions imposed will be made to the
Compliance & Risk Committee (a committee of the Board of Directors of Mondrian Investment Partners Limited). In reviewing this report, the Compliance & Risk Committee will consider if the appropriate sanctions were imposed. When
the Compliance & Risk team finds that a transaction otherwise reportable above could not reasonably be found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit or manipulative practice in violation of the Rules, it may, in its discretion, lodge a written
memorandum of such finding in lieu of reporting the transaction.
|
|
The following general guidance shall apply.
|
The value of Gifts and Entertainment should be determined using the following guidelines:
|
·
|
|
The full value of any entertainment package should be disclosed i.e. if an event includes food and beverages, they must
be taken into account. Often the package will be provided by a corporate hospitality provider and there will be a total cost price available from the provider.
|
|
·
|
|
Where the value of a Gift or Entertainment is not easily determined, the provider of the Gift or Entertainment will be
asked to confirm the cost in writing.
|
|
·
|
|
If no independent value is available, a best estimate which errs on the high side should be given. The market value of a
gift should be taken into account in making that determination.
|
|
·
|
|
The value of any gift received by or given to a spouse or other guest must also be reported (for example if a broker
provides an entertainment package and the Mondrian Employee brings their spouse, the value provided to the spouse must also be reported).
|
Stop-loss arrangements may be put in place to limit exposure to loss in fast moving markets
provided that:
|
·
|
|
Details of the stop-loss limit are noted in the comments section of the PTA Connect preclearance request.
|
|
·
|
|
The stop-loss limit is not adjusted during the life of the derivative position without a new preclearance being sought
and approved.
|
Auto-roll of arrangements may be put in place provided that:
|
·
|
|
Details of the auto-roll are noted in the comments section of the PTA Connect preclearance request.
|
|
·
|
|
The decision to roll the contract is not altered during the life of the derivative position without a new preclearance
being sought and approved.
|
7.
|
Insider Trading Policies and Procedures
|
|
Details of Mondrians Insider Trading and Rumours Policies and Procedures can be found in Mondrians Market
Abuse Policy.
|
|
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
|
Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
Appendix A Code of Ethics Summary Table
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Activity
|
|
|
|
Investment
Professionals*
|
|
Access
Persons*
|
A.
|
|
Blackout Periods
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Generally trading is prohibited until the third trading day
following the execution of a Mondrian trade in that same Security. (see Appendix D for certain exemptions).
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
2.
|
|
Trading by the named Portfolio Manager of a U.S. Registered
Investment Company (RIC) is prohibited for seven calendar days before or after the execution of a trade in that same Security for that RIC.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
B.
|
|
Preclearance
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
All transactions in Securities, including IPOs and private
placements, must be
pre-cleared
(see Appendix D for certain exemptions). Preclearance requests should be submitted using PTA Connect. Employees will be notified of approved or denied transactions via email
directly from the PTA Connect system. Preclearance is generally only valid for twenty-four hours. Preclearance requests for participation in IPOs or private placements should be made to the Chief Compliance Officer by
e-mail
(i.e. they are not handled through the PTA Connect preclearance process).
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
C.
|
|
Transaction Monthly Limit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
No more than twenty (20) Security transactions are
permitted per calendar month. This limit is applicable in aggregate to all Security transactions in which the covered person has a beneficial interest.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
D.
|
|
Initial Public Offering
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Purchasing any initial public offering without PRIOR written
consent from the Chief Compliance Officer is prohibited.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
E.
|
|
Private Placement and Unlisted Securities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Purchasing any private placement without PRIOR written consent
from the Chief Compliance Officer is prohibited.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
2.
|
|
Investment Professionals that hold unlisted Securities (normally
obtained through a private placement) must receive permission from the Chief Compliance Officer prior to their participation in Mondrians consideration of an investment in the same issuer, or any issuer of underlying investments e.g. holdings
within a venture capital fund.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
F.
|
|
Ban on Short-Term Trading Profits
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
All positions must be held for a period of 60 days, in
aggregate, before they can be closed at a profit. Any short-term trading profits are subject to disgorgement procedures (see Appendix D for certain exemptions).
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
G.
|
|
Gifts & Entertainment; Charitable and Political Giving; Placement Agents; Bribery
|
1.
|
|
Receipt of gifts and entertainment valued over £10 (or
local currency equivalent) should be precleared or where this is not possible, reported to the CCO as soon as practicable after receipt and a determination will be made as to whether the gift can be retained.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
2.
|
|
All gifts and entertainment provided, regardless of value must
be disclosed.
Pre-approval,
where practical, is required from the CCO for the giving of all gifts and entertainment in excess of £100 (or local currency equivalent) in value. Where not practical,
post-approval should be sought from the CCO as soon as possible.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
3.
|
|
Employees are prohibited from using their personal charitable
giving to influence decision makers in a way that could reasonably be seen to benefit Mondrian directly or indirectly.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
4.
|
|
Unless approved in advance by the Chief Compliance Officer,
Employees are prohibited from making any contribution to any political campaign or political organisation, in the United States.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
5.
|
|
Unless approved in advance by the Chief Compliance Officer,
Employees are prohibited from making any payment to any placement agent.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
6.
|
|
Employees are prohibited from offering or paying a bribe,
requesting a bribe, or bribing a foreign public official.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
H.
|
|
Service as a Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Employees must receive PRIOR written approval from the Chief
Compliance Officer before they may serve on the board of directors, board of trustees or similar governing or oversight body of any company (public or private), charity, endowment, foundation or similar organisation.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
I.
|
|
Significant Ownership
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Employees must inform the Chief Compliance Officer before they
own 5% or more of the outstanding shares either directly or beneficially of any
non-Mondrian
group entities (whether public or private).
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
Appendix B Reporting Requirements Table
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reporting Requirements
|
|
|
|
Investment
Professionals*
|
|
Access
Persons*
|
A.
|
|
Disclosure of all Personal Holdings
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
All personal holdings must be loaded onto PTA Connect within 10 days of employment and reported
annually thereafter.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
A member of the Compliance & Risk team will initiate the process by creating an
account on the system and providing training. Reminders for submission of annual holdings reports will be sent to all Employees.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B.
|
|
Records of Securities Transactions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Employees must direct their broker(s) to forward confirmations
of personal transactions and monthly account statements to the Chief Compliance Officer.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
2.
|
|
Employees are required to complete a Personal Securities
Transaction declaration within 10 days of each quarter end using PTA Connect. Reminders for submission of these declarations will be sent to all Employees.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.
|
|
Periodic Certification of Compliance with Code of
Ethics & Market Abuse Policy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Employees must certify that they have read and understand the Code of Ethics and the Market Abuse
Policy, and have complied with all requirements of the Code and Policy. The certification will be completed on PTA Connect.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
The frequency of these certifications will be determined by the Compliance & Risk
team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.
|
|
Quarterly Gifts, Entertainment, Charitable and Political Giving; Placement Agents and Bribery Certification
|
1.
|
|
Employees must certify that they have:
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
Reported
all relevant gifts, entertainment and hospitality
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
Not used
personal charitable giving to influence a decision in a way that could reasonably be seen to benefit Mondrian, directly or indirectly
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
Not made
any contribution to any political campaign or political organisation in the United States
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
Not made
any payment to any placement agent
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
Not
offered or paid a bribe (in any jurisdiction), requested or received a bribe (in any jurisdiction), or bribed a foreign public official.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E.
|
|
Violations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
|
Employees must report any violations of the Code promptly to the
Chief Compliance Officer.
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
*Applies not only to the Employee but, but also to Connected Persons. Refer to the Appendix C Definitions for more
details. Also note the Control definition that covers when Employees, e.g. act in an advisory capacity.
|
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
|
Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
Appendix C Definitions
Access Person
means any Mondrian
Employee who has access to
non-public
information regarding clients securities transactions or who has access to
non-public
information regarding a clients
portfolio holdings. This definition includes all Employees who are not Investment Professionals e.g. client services and administrative staff. Those persons deemed to be Access Persons will be notified of this designation.
Beneficial ownership
is as defined
in Section 16 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations thereunder. Generally speaking, a person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or
shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a Security, is a beneficial owner of the Security. For example, a person is normally regarded as the beneficial owner of Securities held by members of his or her immediate family sharing
the same household. Additionally, ownership of a Derivative constitutes beneficial ownership of the underlying Security itself.
Broker
means any entity with which an Employee can establish a trading arrangement to facilitate the execution of a Security transaction including
banks, dealers, internet trading facilities and spread betting service providers.
Chief Compliance Officer
means the person named as Chief Compliance Officer of Mondrian Investment Partners Limited or his/her alternate.
Connected Persons
means a person
is connected if they are a member of the Employees family (spouse, civil partner, any person with whom the Employee lives as a partner in an enduring family relationship, a child or stepchild of the Employee, a child or stepchild of an
Employees partner (if living with the Employee and under the age of 18), or the Employees parents). See also the definition of Control below.
Control
means investment
discretion in whole or in part of an account regardless of beneficial ownership, such as an account for which a person has power of attorney or authority to effect transactions.
De minimis transaction
means a
transaction in an investment that is too small from a Conflict of Interest perspective to materially impact Mondrian Clients. A de minimis transaction is one where the trade has a nominal value of less than £1000/$1500 (NB: this does not cover
derivative exposure).
Derivative
includes futures, options, contracts for differences, spread betting or any other device that provides exposure to profits or losses from any financial
instrument or index (NB: this is intended to cover a wide range of financial exposures e.g. it includes interest rates and currencies).
Digital Currency
is a type of
currency available only in digital form, not in physical (such as banknotes and coins). It exhibits properties similar to physical currencies, but allows for instantaneous transactions and borderless
transfer-of-ownership.
An example of a digital currency is Bitcoin.
DRIP
means an automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Employee
means both Investment
Professionals and Access Persons (see relevant definitions) and includes temporary staff, whether employed by Mondrian directly, or through an agency, and consultants, as well as permanent members of staff.
Entertainment
means attendance at an event (widely
defined) given to/by a Mondrian Employee (whether or not including spouse or other guest) by/to a business related contact (whether or not including spouse or other guest) where the host would attend the event with the guest(s). Examples might
include:
·
|
|
Meals or other forms of food & drink provided by a business contact (see definition of Meals below).After a
conference the host may invite a Mondrian Employee to attend a sports event or show.
|
·
|
|
Mondrian client services staff entertain a group of client representatives and their spouses to an evening meal and the
theatre.
|
|
|
|
Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
means a security that tracks an index, a commodity or a basket of assets like an index fund, but trades like a stock on an exchange. ETFs are
considered to be a Security for the purposes of this Code.
G7
is a group of seven industrialised nations. The group includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States of America.
Gift
means an item of value given to/by a
Mondrian Employee (whether or not including spouse or other guest) by/to a business related contact (whether or not including spouse or other guest). Examples might include:
·
|
|
A company that Mondrian is researching gives a product sample to an Investment Professional for their personal use which
they keep.
|
·
|
|
A broker gives a Trader a case of wine at Christmas.
|
·
|
|
A Mondrian Client Services Officer gives a client Trustee or a consultant tickets to a sporting event.
|
High Quality Short-Term Debt Instruments
means any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by an
internationally recognised statistical rating organisation.
Investment Professional
means any Employee who, in connection with his/her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in, the making of investment decisions affecting a
client. Investment Professional includes portfolio managers, research analysts and anyone that assists them directly in the execution of their duties e.g. implementation staff and assistant portfolio managers. Secretarial support staff working
within the investment teams are not included in this definition.
Managed Accounts
means an account that is professionally managed by a third party on a discretionary basis. For clarification purposes, this is intended to cover accounts
where the Beneficial Owners investment decisions in Securities caught by the Code has been delegated to that third party. For the avoidance of doubt, this does not cover investment in UK unit trusts, US mutual funds, OEICs, or ICVCs, unless
such instruments are advised or
sub-advised
by Mondrian.
Meals
means:
·
|
|
Evening restaurant meals offered by brokers and other service providers.
|
·
|
|
Invitations of hospitality at the homes of brokers and other service providers.
|
Mondrian
means Mondrian Investment
Partners Limited and Mondrian Investment Partners (U.S.), Inc.
Named Portfolio Manager
means the Portfolio Manager(s) named in the RIC Portfolio Managers document maintained on the Compliance & Risk page of the intranet.
Physical Commodity
means the
actual commodity that is delivered to a futures contract buyer when the expiration of the commodity contract occurs. Metals such as copper, gold, and silver and agricultural products such as cattle, wheat, and soybeans are examples of physical
commodities.
Private Placement
means a funding round of securities which are sold not through a public offering, but rather through a private offering, mostly to a small number of
chosen investors. Private placements include investments in crowd funding
(i.e. crowdcube) and investments in friends businesses.
PTA Connect
means the
web-based
system used by Mondrian to manage the approval, reporting and record keeping processes associated with personal account trading and Gifts and Entertainment.
|
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
|
|
Code of Ethics
⬛
January
2018
|
Security
(Important Note: If you are uncertain as to whether a holding or position falls within the definition of a Security you should assume it is included
unless advised otherwise by the Compliance
& Risk team.)
is as set forth in Section 2(a)(36) of the US Investment
Company Act of 1940 which provides a very broad ranging definition of a security. In addition, the purchase, sale or exercise of a Derivative shall constitute the purchase or sale of the underlying Security or exposure.
The following instruments are
excluded:
·
|
|
Securities issued or guaranteed by Supranationals and their agencies.
|
·
|
|
Securities issued by a G7 government, and in the case of the government of the United States or any of its federal
agencies, bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, High Quality Short-term Debt Instruments including repurchase agreements.
|
·
|
|
Securities issued by governmental agencies or government guaranteed entities of a G7 country.
|
·
|
|
Unit Investment Trusts (UIT).
|
·
|
|
UK open-ended investment companies (OEICs).
|
·
|
|
European investment company with variable capital (ICVCs).
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·
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|
European undertaking for collective investments in transferable securities (UCITS) (that are not advised or
sub-advised
by Mondrian.
|
·
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Shares of
open-end
registered investment companies (that are not advised or
sub-advised
by Mondrian).
|
·
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|
Municipal fund securities.US 529 Plans.
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To help clarify the above exclusions the following instruments are not excluded (and therefore are subject to the restrictions of this Code):
·
|
|
Mutual funds, unit investment trusts, OEICs, UCITS, UK unit trusts, of which Mondrian is the adviser and/or
sub-adviser.
See Appendix A on the Compliance &Risk page of the Intranet for a list of these Funds.
|
·
|
|
UK registered Investment Trusts.
|
·
|
|
Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).
|
·
|
|
UIT exchange traded funds.
|
·
|
|
UCITS exchange traded funds.
|
Security being considered for purchase or sale or being purchased or sold
means when a recommendation to purchase or sell the Security has been made and communicated to the Trading Desk and with respect to the person making the
recommendation, when such person seriously considers making, or when such person knows or should know that another person is seriously considering making, such a recommendation.
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|
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Code of
Ethics
⬛
January 2018
|
|
Mondrian Investment Partners Limited
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Appendix D Exemptions to Code Rules
The following requirements of this Code do not apply to investments in the Exempted Securities described below:
2.
|
The three day blackout period rule
|
3.
|
The
60-day
minimum hold rule
|
Note that the maximum of twenty (20) Security transactions per calendar month rule still applies to transactions in these Exempted Securities.
Exempted Derivative Transactions
As described in
Appendix C, the Mondrian definition of derivatives includes futures, options, contracts for differences, spread betting or any other device that provides exposure to profits or losses from any financial instrument or index (NB: this is intended to
cover a wide range of financial exposures e.g. it includes interest rates and currencies).
1.
|
Derivative positions which track or provide exposure to the following indices:
|
|
·
|
|
Dow Jones Industrial Average
|
|
·
|
|
Financial Times Stock Exchange
(FT-SE)
100 Index
|
2.
|
Derivative positions that pair any of the following currencies:
|
3.
|
Derivative positions on interest rates.
|
4.
|
Derivative positions which track indices or provide exposure to bonds issued by G7 governments.
|
5.
|
Derivative positions which track a physical commodity index or provide exposure to physical commodities e.g. foods,
grains, metals & oil.
|
6.
|
Derivative positions on digital currencies.
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De Minimis Transaction Exemption
De minimis transaction (as
defined in Appendix C) in any security can be exempted from the Code requirements listed in A above where specifically agreed in advance with the Chief Compliance Officer (or his/her designate).
Please remember that:
·
|
|
All other requirements of the Code of Ethics may still apply including the need to report transactions in these
instruments and the maximum loss restriction.
|
·
|
|
Employees are responsible for ensuring that their PTA Connect accounts reflect all holdings in Securities covered by
this Code i.e. you need to update your account to show transactions in the exempted securities.
|