1933 Act File No. 33-3164
1940 Act File No. 811-4577
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
| THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ☒ |
| Pre-Effective Amendment No. | ☐ |
| Post-Effective Amendment No. 230 | ☒ |
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
| THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ☒ |
| Amendment No. 223 | ☒ |
Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(412) 288-1900
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Peter J. Germain, Esquire
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
| ☐ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| ☐ | On __________ pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| ☐ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
| ☒ | On December 29, 2021 pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
| ☐ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
| ☐ | On __________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 |
| If appropriate, check the following: | |
| ☐ | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
Prospectus
December 29, 2021
Disclosure contained herein relates to all classes of the Fund, as listed below, unless otherwise noted.
|
Share Class | Ticker
|
A | RRFAX
|
C | RRFCX
|
Institutional | RRFIX
|
R6 | TBD
|
Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund
(formerly, Federated Hermes Real Return Bond Fund)
A Portfolio of Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust
A mutual fund seeking to provide current income and real total returns by investing in inflation-indexed bonds, other fixed-income
securities and derivatives.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the
contrary is a criminal offense.
Not FDIC Insured ▪ May Lose Value ▪ No Bank Guarantee
Fund Summary Information
Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund (the “Fund”)
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide current income and real total returns. The reference to “real” means a total return in excess of the rate of inflation as measured by year-to-year changes in the consumer price index.
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell Class A Shares (A), Class C Shares (C), Institutional Shares (IS) or Class R6 Shares (R6) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may
qualify for certain sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in certain classes (e.g., A class) of Federated Hermes funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the “What Do Shares Cost?” section of the Prospectus on page 17 and in “Appendix B” to this Prospectus.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
A
|
C
|
IS
|
R6
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
|
4.50%
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase
price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)
|
0.00%
|
1.00%
|
None
|
None
|
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
Exchange Fee
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
|
A
|
C
|
IS
|
R6
|
|
Management Fee
|
0.40%
|
0.40%
|
0.40%
|
0.40%
|
|
Distribution (12b-1) Fee
|
10.00%
|
0.75%
|
None
|
None
|
|
Other Expenses2
|
0.84%
|
0.84%
|
30.59%
|
0.54%
|
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
1.24%
|
1.99%
|
0.99%
|
0.94%
|
|
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements4
|
(0.64)%
|
(0.64)%
|
(0.64)%
|
(0.63)%
|
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements
|
0.60%
|
1.35%
|
0.35%
|
0.31%
|
1
The Fund has adopted a Distribution (12b-1) Plan for its Class A Shares pursuant to which the A class of the Fund may incur
and pay a Distribution (12b-1) Fee of up to a maximum amount of 0.05%. No such fee is currently incurred and paid by the A class of the Fund. The A class of
the Fund will not incur and pay such a Distribution (12b-1) Fee until such time as approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Trustees”).
2
Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
3
The Fund may incur and pay certain service fees (shareholder services/account administration fees) on its IS class of up to
a maximum amount of 0.25%. No such fees are currently incurred and paid by the IS class of the Fund. The IS class of the Fund will not incur and pay such
fees until such time as approved by the Trustees.
4
The Adviser and certain of its affiliates on their own initiative have agreed to waive certain amounts of their respective
fees and/or reimburse expenses. Effective December 29, 2021, total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expense, extraordinary expenses and proxy-related expenses paid by the Fund, if any) paid by the Fund’s A, C, IS and R6 classes (after the voluntary waivers and/or reimbursements) will not exceed 0.59%, 1.34%, 0.34% and 0.30% (the “Fee Limit”), respectively, up to but not including the later of (the “Termination Date”): (a) January 1, 2023; or (b) the date of the Fund’s next effective Prospectus. While the Adviser and its affiliates currently do not anticipate terminating or increasing these arrangements prior to the Termination Date, these arrangements may only be terminated or the Fee Limit increased prior to
the Termination Date with the agreement of the Trustees.
1
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 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. Expenses assuming no redemption are also shown. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses (excluding any sales loads on reinvested dividends, fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) are as shown in the table above and remain the same. The expenses used to calculate the Fund’s examples do not include fee waivers or expense reimbursements. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
TO BE UPDATED BY AMENDMENT
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are
held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was [ ]% of the average value of its portfolio.
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCE
What are the Fund’s Main Investment Strategies?
The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in investment-grade, inflation-indexed bonds issued by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and corporations. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities that are structured to provide protection against inflation. The Fund may invest in derivative instruments, such
as credit default swap agreements, to synthesize inflation-indexed bonds. In addition, the Fund may invest in high-yield, foreign and non-U.S. dollar inflation-indexed fixed-income securities when the Adviser considers the risk-return prospects
of those sectors to be attractive. There is no limitation on the maturity or remaining maturity of the fixed-income securities
purchased by the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s use of derivative contracts or hybrid instruments will work as intended. Derivative investments made by the Fund are included within the Fund’s 80% policy (as described below) and are calculated at market value. The Adviser actively manages the Fund’s portfolio seeking to outperform the Fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS Index. The Adviser seeks to enhance the Fund’s performance by allocating relatively more of its portfolio to the types of inflation-indexed bonds that the Adviser expects to offer the
best balance between real total return and risk and thus offer the greatest potential for return.
The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in inflation protected investments. For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy, the Adviser considers “inflation protected investments” to include inflation-indexed debt obligations of varying maturities issued by the United States and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities (such as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or “TIPs”), corporations and other issuers. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policy that would enable the Fund to invest, under normal circumstances, less than 80% of its net assets in inflation protected investments.
2
What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?
All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund’s returns include:
■ Interest Rate Risk. Prices of fixed-income securities generally fall when interest rates rise. The longer the duration of a fixed-income security, the more susceptible it is to interest rate risk. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. Duration measures
the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to changes in interest rates. Interest rate risks on inflation-indexed bonds
can be more difficult to model than other types of bonds. It is important to emphasize that the Fund operates within a duration range of 0% to 120% of its benchmark.
■ Issuer Credit Risk. It is possible that interest or principal on securities will not be paid when due. Non-investment grade securities generally have a higher default risk than investment-grade securities. Such non-payment or default may reduce the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, its share price and its performance.
■ Counterparty Credit Risk. Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose money or to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the
Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.
■ Call Risk. The Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by the possibility that an issuer of a security held by the Fund may redeem the security prior to maturity at a price below its current market value.
■ Liquidity Risk. Trading opportunities are more limited for fixed-income securities that have not received any credit ratings, have received ratings below investment grade or are not widely held.
■ Risk Associated with Noninvestment-Grade Securities. Securities rated below investment grade may be subject to greater interest rate, credit and liquidity risks than investment-grade securities. These securities are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and repay principal.
■ Risk Related to the Economy. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the markets in which the Fund invests and/or other markets. Economic, political and financial conditions, industry or economic trends and developments or public health risks, such as epidemics or pandemics, may, from time to time, and for varying periods of time cause the Fund to experience volatility, illiquidity, shareholder redemptions, or
other potentially adverse effects. Among other investments, lower-grade bonds may be particularly sensitive to changes in the economy.
■ Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. Accordingly, the Fund may experience increased volatility with respect to the value of its Shares and its returns as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through
direct holding of such currencies or holding of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.
■ Risk of Foreign Investing. Because the Fund invests in securities issued by foreign companies, the Fund’s share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case.
■ Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain. Investments can have these same results if their returns are based on a multiple of a specified index, security or other benchmark.
■ Risk of Investing in Inflation-Indexed Securities. As more fully described in this Prospectus, the value of inflation-indexed securities may decline when interest rates rise and inflation declines. Additionally, it is possible that the interest payments on inflation-indexed securities may be reduced to the point that there is not any net income to distribute.
■ Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts and instruments include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of
these issues is described in greater detail in this prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in this Prospectus, such as interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.
■ Technology Risk. The Adviser uses various technologies in managing the Fund, consistent with its investment objective and strategy described in this Prospectus. For example, proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision-making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.
The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
3
Performance: Bar Chart and Table
Risk/Return Bar Chart
The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund’s investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund’s IS class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns for each class averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Fund is available under the “Products” section at FederatedInvestors.com or by calling 1-800-341-7400.
[The Fund name below will be revised by amendment.]
The Fund’s IS class total return for the nine-month period from January 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, was 9.60%.
Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s IS class highest quarterly return was 3.28% (quarter ended March 31, 2019). Its lowest quarterly return was (5.44)% (quarter ended June 30, 2013).
Average Annual Total Return Table
The Fund’s R6 class is anticipated to commence operations on or about January 3, 2022. For the periods prior to commencement of operations of the Fund’s R6 class, the performance information shown below is for the Fund’s IS class. The performance of the IS class has not been adjusted to reflect the expenses applicable to the R6 class since the R6 class
is expected to have a lower expense ratio than the expense ratio of the IS class. In addition to Return Before Taxes, Returns After Taxes is shown for the Fund’s IS class to illustrate the effect of federal taxes on Fund returns. After-tax returns are shown only for the IS class, and after-tax returns for A, C and R6 classes will differ from those shown for the IS class. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor’s personal tax situation, and are likely to differ from those shown. After-tax returns are calculated using a standard set of assumptions. The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans.
(For the Period Ended December 31, 2020)
1
The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS Index is a market value-weighted index that tracks inflation-protected securities issued
by the U.S. Treasury.
4
2
Morningstar figures represent the average of the total returns reported by all the mutual funds designated by Morningstar
as falling into the respective category indicated. They do not reflect sales charges.
FUND MANAGEMENT
The Fund’s Investment Adviser is Federated Investment Management Company.
J. Andrew Kirschler has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since July of 2013.
Todd A. Abraham, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since November of 2017.
purchase and sale of fund shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open. Shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary firm that has entered into a Fund selling and/or servicing agreement with the Distributor or an affiliate (“Financial Intermediary”) or directly from the Fund, by wire or by check. Please note that certain purchase restrictions may apply. Redeem or exchange Shares through a financial intermediary or directly from
the Fund by telephone at 1-800-341-7400 or by mail.
A & C Classes
The minimum investment amount for the Fund’s A and C classes is generally $1,500 for initial investments and $100 for subsequent investments. The minimum initial and subsequent investment amounts for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are $250 and $100, respectively. There is no minimum initial or subsequent investment amount required for employer-sponsored retirement plans. Certain types of accounts are eligible for lower minimum investments. The minimum investment for Systematic Investment Programs is $50.
IS Class
The minimum initial investment amount for the Fund’s IS class is generally $1,000,000 and there is no minimum subsequent investment amount. Certain types of accounts are eligible for lower minimum investments. The minimum investment amount for Systematic Investment Programs is $50.
R6 Class
There are no minimum initial or subsequent investment amounts required. The minimum investment amount for Systematic Investment Programs is $50.
Tax Information
A, C & IS Classes
The Fund’s distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains except when your investment is through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plan.
R6 Class
The Fund’s distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains except when your investment is through a tax-advantaged investment plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
A, C & IS Classes
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or 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 intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
R6 Class
Class R6 Shares do not make any payments to financial intermediaries, either from Fund assets or from the investment adviser and its affiliates.
What are the Fund’s Investment Strategies?
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide current income and real total returns. While there is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective, it endeavors to do so by following the strategies and policies described in this
Prospectus. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides information about the Fund’s non-principal strategies.
5
The Fund’s total return will consist of two components: (1) changes in the market value of its portfolio securities (both realized and unrealized appreciation); and (2) income received from its portfolio securities. The Fund expects that income
will comprise the largest component of its total return. The Fund seeks to provide the appreciation component of total return by selecting those securities whose prices will, in the opinion of the Fund’s investment adviser, benefit from anticipated changes in economic and market conditions.
The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in inflation-indexed bonds issued by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and corporations. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities
that are structured to provide protection against inflation. In addition, the Fund may invest in high-yield, foreign and non-U.S. dollar inflation-indexed, fixed-income securities when the Adviser considers the risk-return prospects of those sectors to be attractive. The Fund seeks to reduce interest rate risk when it anticipates that interest rates will rise primarily
by selling Treasury note futures contracts. The Fund may buy or sell foreign currencies in lieu of or in addition to non-dollar denominated fixed-income securities in order to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
The Fund invests primarily in investment-grade securities, but may invest up to 15% of its total assets in noninvestment-grade debt securities (also known as “junk bonds”). The maximum that the Fund may invest in unhedged, non-U.S. dollar securities is 15% of the Fund’s total assets. The maximum amount that may be invested in noninvestment-grade debt securities and unhedged, non-U.S. dollar securities is 25% of the Fund’s total assets. There is no limitation on the maturity or remaining maturity of the securities in which the Fund may invest. A description of the various types of securities in
which the Fund principally invests, and their risks, immediately follows this strategy section.
Inflation-indexed bonds have performance characteristics that are distinct from those of fixed-income securities with interest rates that are a fixed percentage of principal or adjusted other than in reference to the rate of inflation (“conventional bonds”). Typically, inflation-indexed bonds may outperform conventional bonds under inflationary economic conditions, because their interest payments are increased with inflation. Because interest payments on inflation-index bonds may increase with market interest rates, while interest payments on conventional bonds will remain fixed, the market prices of inflation-indexed bonds may not decrease in the same manner as those of conventional bonds when market rates rise. The Fund is intended to represent inflation-indexed bonds as an asset class in a broader fixed-income portfolio, although the Adviser may invest up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in conventional bonds, including investment-grade corporate debt securities, when the Adviser considers the risk-return prospects of those bonds to be attractive.
The Adviser actively manages the Fund’s portfolio seeking total returns over a complete market cycle in excess of the Fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS Index (BTIPS). The BTIPS represents an unmanaged market index made up of U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS). There can be no assurance that the Adviser will be successful in achieving investment returns in excess of the BTIPS.
The Adviser’s investment process is primarily concerned with security selection among TIPS and other types of inflation-indexed bonds that may have different credit risk or other risk premiums, liquidity or expected real yield. Based
on its view of economic and market conditions, the Adviser evaluates the relative value of different TIPS issues and types
of inflation bonds. The Adviser seeks to allocate relatively more of the Fund’s portfolio to those types of inflation bonds that the Adviser expects to offer the best balance between total return and risk and thus offer the greatest potential to
outperform the BTIPS. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect an inflation index calculated by that government. Corporate inflation-indexed fixed-income securities offer opportunities for
higher returns than TIPS because they have higher credit risk. Other types of inflation-indexed bonds include interest-indexed bonds and zero-coupon inflation bonds. Interest indexed bonds index coupon payments with inflation but not the principal. Zero-coupon inflation bonds compound at variable inflation rates and a constant real rate. The Adviser will seek
to synthesize inflation-protection characteristics for corporate bonds by combining TIPS with derivative instruments (such
as credit default swap agreements (including credit default swaps), options and futures contracts) related to conventional
bonds. A derivative contract used in this manner will not count toward the 20% limitation on investments in conventional bonds.
The Fund may use derivative contracts and/or hybrid instruments to implement elements of its investment strategy. For example, the Fund may use derivative contracts or hybrid instruments to increase or decrease the portfolio’s exposure to the investment(s) underlying the derivative or hybrid instrument in an attempt to benefit from changes in the value of the
underlying investment(s). Additionally, by way of example, the Fund may use derivative contracts in an attempt to:
■ increase or decrease the effective duration of the Fund’s portfolio;
■ seek to benefit from anticipated changes in the volatility of designated assets or instruments, such as indices, currencies
and interest rates (volatility is a measure of the frequency and level of changes in the value of an asset or instrument without regard to the direction of such changes);
■ obtain premiums from the sale of derivative contracts;
6
■ realize gains from trading a derivative contract; or
■ hedge against potential losses.
There can be no assurance that the Fund’s use of derivative contracts or hybrid instruments will work as intended. Derivative investments made by the Fund are included within the Fund’s 80% policy (as described below) and are calculated at market value.
The Fund’s 30-day yield will fluctuate from period to period. Such fluctuations, which may be significant, are due to a variety of factors. In particular, the Fund’s investment in inflation-indexed bonds may cause the Fund’s 30-day yield to vary substantially due to adjustments based on changes in the rate of inflation or deflation that affect income earned on
these inflation-indexed bonds.
While the Adviser expects that the Fund will invest predominantly in inflation-indexed bonds, the Fund may also invest in fixed-income securities other than inflation-indexed bonds.
The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in inflation protected investments. For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy, the Adviser considers “inflation protected investments” to include inflation-indexed debt obligations of varying maturities issued by the United States and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities (such as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or “TIPs”), corporations and other issuers. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policy that would enable the Fund to invest, under normal circumstances, less than 80% of its net assets in inflation protected investments.
TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS
The Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies by investing its assets in shorter-term debt securities and similar obligations or holding cash. It may do this in response to unusual circumstances, such as: adverse
market, economic, or other conditions (for example, to help avoid potential losses, or during periods when there is a shortage of appropriate securities); to maintain liquidity to meet shareholder redemptions; or to accommodate cash inflows. It is possible that such investments could affect the Fund’s investment returns and/or the ability to achieve the Fund’s investment objectives.
What are the Fund’s Principal Investments?
The following provides general information on the Fund’s principal investments. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides information about the Fund’s non-principal investments and may provide additional information about the Fund’s principal investments.
Fixed-Income Securities
Fixed-income securities pay interest, dividends or distributions at a specified rate. The rate may be a fixed percentage of
the principal or may be adjusted periodically. In addition, the issuer of a fixed-income security must repay the principal
amount of the security, normally within a specified time. Fixed-income securities provide more regular income than equity
securities. However, the returns on fixed-income securities are limited and normally do not increase with the issuer’s earnings. This limits the potential appreciation of fixed-income securities as compared to equity securities.
A security’s yield measures the annual income earned on a security as a percentage of its price. A security’s yield will increase or decrease depending upon whether it costs less (a “discount”) or more (a “premium”) than the principal amount. If the issuer may redeem the security before its scheduled maturity, the price and yield on a discount or premium security
may change based upon the probability of an early redemption. Securities with higher risks generally have higher yields.
The following describes the fixed-income securities in which the Fund principally invests:
Treasury Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)
Treasury securities are direct obligations of the federal government of the U.S. Treasury securities are generally regarded as having minimal credit risks. TIPS are issued with a fixed-coupon rate. The principal, for purposes of computing semi-annual interest payments, is adjusted by an “index ratio.” The index ratio is calculated based on the three-month lagged non-seasonally adjusted CPI-Urban (CPURNSA). Therefore, semi-annual payments will be principal multiplied by the index ratio and then multiplied by the fixed-coupon rate. During periods of inflation, the index ratio will
be greater than one and hence semi-annual payments will compensate for inflation. During periods of deflation, the index ratio will be less than one and semi-annual payments will be reduced.
The TIPS inflation adjustment component is not specifically addressed in SEC rules governing the Fund’s calculation of current yield, and funds that invest in TIPS have adopted various treatments of inflation adjustment when calculating fund
yield. This has led to significant differences in the yield advertised by similar funds for the same periods.
7
At the time of maturity, TIPS principal is adjusted by the index ratio to compensate for inflation. However, the U.S. Treasury guarantees full payment of the original face value despite any deflation. Semi-annual interest payments can
increase or decrease depending upon inflationary or deflationary environment, whereas principal at maturity can increase with inflation, but cannot decline with deflation. Therefore, TIPS provide an inflation hedge on both interest and principal.
In addition, TIPS provide a deflation hedge on the principal. Conventional bonds do not provide a hedge against anticipated inflation on either interest or principal, but do provide a deflation hedge on both.
Other types of inflation-indexed bonds may have terms different than those of TIPS. For example, inflation-indexed bonds issued by a corporation or issuer other than the U.S. Treasury may not provide that principal at maturity is not reduced by deflation. Therefore, some inflation-indexed bonds may decline in value in the event of deflation to a greater
extent than TIPS.
Government Securities (A Type of Fixed-Income Security)
Government securities are issued or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality acting under federal authority. Some government securities, including those issued by Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States and are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal.
Other government securities receive support through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits, but are not backed by the
full faith and credit of the United States. For example, the U.S. Treasury is authorized to purchase specified amounts of
securities issued by (or otherwise make funds available to) the Federal Home Loan Bank System, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) in support of such obligations.
Some government agency securities have no explicit financial support and are supported only by the credit of the applicable agency, instrumentality or corporation. The U.S. government has provided financial support to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but there is no assurance that it will support these or other agencies in the future.
The Fund treats mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality as government securities. Although such a guarantee protects against credit risk, it does not eliminate it entirely or reduce other risks.
Corporate Debt Securities (A Type of Fixed-Income Security)
Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most prevalent types of corporate debt securities. The Fund may also purchase interests in bank loans to companies. The credit risks of corporate debt securities vary widely among issuers.
In addition, the credit risk of an issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (“senior”) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (“subordinated”) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of
subordinated securities. Some subordinated securities, such as trust-preferred and capital-securities notes, also permit the
issuer to defer payments under certain circumstances. For example, insurance companies issue securities known as surplus notes that permit the insurance company to defer any payment that would reduce its capital below regulatory requirements.
Zero-Coupon Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)
Zero-coupon securities do not pay interest or principal until final maturity unlike debt securities that provide periodic
payments of interest (referred to as a coupon payment). Investors buy zero-coupon securities at a price below the amount payable at maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the amount paid at maturity represents interest on the
zero-coupon security. Investors must wait until maturity to receive interest and principal, which increases the interest rate
and credit risks of a zero-coupon security. A zero-coupon, step-up security converts to a coupon security before final maturity.
There are many forms of zero-coupon securities. Some are issued at a discount and are referred to as zero-coupon or capital appreciation bonds. Others are created from interest-bearing bonds by separating the right to receive the bond’s coupon payments from the right to receive the bond’s principal due at maturity, a process known as coupon stripping. In addition, some securities give the issuer the option to deliver additional securities in place of cash interest payments,
thereby increasing the amount payable at maturity. These are referred to as pay-in kind, PIK securities or toggle securities.
8
FOREIGN SECURITIES
Foreign securities are securities of issuers based outside the United States. To the extent a Fund invests in securities included in its applicable broad-based securities market index, the Fund may consider an issuer to be based outside the United States if the applicable index classifies the issuer as based outside the United States. Accordingly, the Fund may
consider an issuer to be based outside the United States if the issuer satisfies at least one, but not necessarily all, of
the following:
■ it is organized under the laws of, or has its principal office located in, another country;
■ the principal trading market for its securities is in another country;
■ it (directly or through its consolidated subsidiaries) derived in its most current fiscal year at least 50% of its total assets,
capitalization, gross revenue or profit from goods produced, services performed or sales made in another country; or
■ it is classified by an applicable index as based outside the United States.
Foreign securities are primarily denominated in foreign currencies. Along with the risks normally associated with domestic securities of the same type, foreign securities are subject to currency risks and risks of foreign investing. Trading
in certain foreign markets is also subject to liquidity risks.
Foreign inflation-indexed securities will reflect the inflation index of the country of origin, which may be higher or lower than the actual rate of inflation experienced by U.S. investors.
Foreign Exchange Contracts
In order to convert U.S. dollars into the currency needed to buy a foreign security, or to convert foreign currency received from the sale of a foreign security into U.S. dollars, the Fund may enter into spot currency trades. In a spot trade,
the Fund agrees to exchange one currency for another at the current exchange rate. The Fund may also enter into derivative contracts in which a foreign currency is an underlying asset. The exchange rate for currency derivative contracts
may be higher or lower than the spot exchange rate. Use of these derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to currency risks. The Fund may use both spot trades and currency derivatives to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
9
Foreign Government Securities (A Type of Foreign Fixed-Income Security)
Foreign government securities generally consist of fixed-income securities supported by national, state or provincial governments or similar political subdivisions. Foreign government securities also include debt obligations of supranational
entities, such as international organizations designed or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development, international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples of these include, but are not limited to, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”), the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Foreign government securities also include fixed-income securities of quasi-governmental agencies that are either issued by entities owned by a national, state or equivalent government or are obligations of a political unit that are not
backed by the national government’s full faith and credit. Further, foreign government securities include mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by national, state or provincial governmental instrumentalities, including quasi-governmental agencies.
Derivative Contracts
Derivative contracts are financial instruments that require payments based upon changes in the values of designated securities, commodities, currencies, indices, or other assets or instruments including other derivative contracts, (each a
“Reference Instrument” and collectively, “Reference Instruments”). Each party to a derivative contract may sometimes be referred to as a counterparty. Some derivative contracts require payments relating to an actual, future trade involving the
Reference Instrument. These types of derivatives are frequently referred to as “physically settled” derivatives. Other derivative contracts require payments relating to the income or returns from, or changes in the market value of, a Reference Instrument. These types of derivatives are known as “cash-settled” derivatives, since they require cash payments in lieu of delivery of the Reference Instrument.
Many derivative contracts are traded on securities or commodities exchanges. In this case, the exchange sets all the terms of the contract except for the price. Investors make payments due under their contracts through the exchange. Most exchanges require investors to maintain margin accounts through their brokers to cover their potential obligations to the
exchange. Parties to the contract make (or collect) daily payments to the margin accounts to reflect losses (or gains) in
the value of their contracts. This protects investors against potential defaults by the other party to the contract. Trading contracts on an exchange also allows investors to close out their contracts by entering into offsetting contracts.
The Fund may also trade derivative contracts over-the-counter (OTC) in transactions negotiated directly between the Fund and a financial institution. OTC contracts do not necessarily have standard terms, so they may be less liquid and more difficult to close out than exchange-traded contracts. In addition, OTC contracts with more specialized terms may be
more difficult to value than exchange-traded contracts, especially in times of financial stress.
The market for swaps and other OTC derivatives was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”). Regulations enacted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) under the Dodd-Frank Act require the Fund to clear certain swap contracts through a clearing house or central counterparty (a “CCP”).
To clear a swap through the CCP, the Fund will submit the contract to, and post margin with, a futures commission merchant (FCM) that is a clearing house member. The Fund may enter into the swap with a financial institution other than the FCM and arrange for the contract to be transferred to the FCM for clearing, or enter into the contract with the FCM itself. If the Fund must centrally clear a transaction, the CFTC’s regulations also generally require that the swap be executed on a registered exchange or through a market facility that is known as a swap execution facility or SEF. Central
clearing is presently required only for certain swaps; the CFTC is expected to impose a mandatory central clearing requirement for additional derivative instruments over time.
The CCP, SEF and FCM are all subject to regulatory oversight by the CFTC. In addition, most derivative market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants and are subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. Similar regulatory requirements are expected to apply to derivative contracts that are subject to the jurisdiction of the SEC, although the SEC has not yet finalized its regulations. In addition,
uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time.
Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund.
10
Depending on how the Fund uses derivative contracts and the relationships between the market value of a derivative contract and the Reference Instrument, derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the Reference Instrument, and may also expose the Fund to liquidity and leverage risks. OTC contracts also expose the Fund to credit risks in the event that a counterparty defaults on the contract, although this risk may be mitigated by submitting the contract for clearing through a CCP.
Payment obligations arising in connection with derivative contracts are frequently required to be secured with margin (which is commonly called “collateral”).
The Fund may invest in a derivative contract if it is permitted to own, invest in, or otherwise have economic exposure to
the Reference Instrument. The Fund is not required to own a Reference Instrument in order to buy or sell a derivative contract relating to that Reference Instrument. The Fund may trade in the following specific types and/or combinations of
derivative contracts:
Futures Contracts (A Type of Derivative)
Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a Reference Instrument at a specified price, date and time. Entering into a contract to buy a Reference Instrument is commonly referred to as buying a contract or holding a long position in the asset. Entering into a contract to sell a Reference Instrument is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position in the Reference Instrument.
Futures contracts are considered to be commodity contracts. Futures contracts traded OTC are frequently referred to as forward contracts. The Fund can buy or sell financial futures (such as interest rate futures, index futures and security futures), as well as, currency futures and currency forward contracts.
Option Contracts (A Type of Derivative)
Option contracts (also called “options”) are rights to buy or sell a Reference Instrument for a specified price (the “exercise price”) during, or at the end of, a specified period. The seller (or “writer”) of the option receives a payment, or premium, from the buyer, which the writer keeps regardless of whether the buyer uses (or exercises) the option. A call option gives the holder (buyer) the right to buy the Reference Instrument from the seller (writer) of the option. A put option gives the holder the right to sell the Reference Instrument to the writer of the option. Options may be bought or sold
on a wide variety of Reference Instruments. Options that are written on futures contracts will be subject to margin requirements similar to those applied to futures contracts.
Swap Contracts (A Type of Derivative)
A swap contract (also known as a “swap”) is a type of derivative contract in which two parties agree to pay each other (swap) the returns derived from Reference Instruments. Swaps do not always involve the delivery of the Reference Instruments by either party, and the parties might not own the Reference Instruments underlying the swap. The payments are usually made on a net basis so that, on any given day, the Fund would receive (or pay) only the amount by which its payment under the contract is less than (or exceeds) the amount of the other party’s payment. Swap agreements are sophisticated instruments that can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names. Common types of swaps in which the Fund may invest include interest rate swaps, caps and floors, total return swaps, credit default swaps,
currency swaps and volatility swaps.
OTHER INVESTMENTS, TRANSACTIONS, TECHNIQUES
Additional Information Regarding the Security Selection Process
As part of analysis inherent in its security selection process, among other factors, the Adviser may consider information
derived from active engagements conducted by its in-house stewardship team with certain issuers or guarantors on environmental, social and governance topics. This qualitative analysis does not automatically result in including or excluding specific securities but may be used by Federated Hermes as an additional input in its primary analysis.
Repurchase Agreements
Repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund buys a security from a dealer or bank and agrees to sell the security back at a mutually agreed-upon time and price. The repurchase price exceeds the sale price, reflecting the Fund’s return on the transaction. This return is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying security. The Fund will enter into
repurchase agreements only with banks and other recognized financial institutions, such as securities dealers, deemed creditworthy by the Adviser.
The Fund’s custodian or sub-custodian will take possession of the securities subject to repurchase agreements. The Adviser or sub-custodian will monitor the value of the underlying security each day to ensure that the value of the security
always equals or exceeds the repurchase price.
Repurchase agreements are subject to credit risks.
11
Securities Lending
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to borrowers that the Adviser deems creditworthy. In return, the Fund receives cash or liquid securities from the borrower as collateral. The borrower must furnish additional collateral if the market value of the loaned securities increases. Also, the borrower must pay the Fund the equivalent of any dividends or interest
received on the loaned securities.
The Fund will reinvest cash collateral in securities that qualify as an acceptable investment for the Fund. However, the Fund must pay interest to the borrower for the use of cash collateral. An acceptable investment into which the Fund may reinvest cash collateral includes, among other acceptable investments, securities of affiliated money market funds (including affiliated institutional prime money market funds with a “floating” net asset value that can impose redemption fees and liquidity gates, impose certain operational impediments to investing cash collateral, and, if net asset value decreases, result in the Fund having to cover the decrease in the value of the cash collateral).
Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower. The Fund will not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, the Fund will attempt to terminate a loan in an effort to reacquire the securities
in time to vote on matters that are deemed to be material by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the Fund will have
sufficient notice of such matters to be able to terminate the loan in time to vote thereon. The Fund may pay administrative
and custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the interest earned on the cash collateral
to a securities lending agent or broker. Securities lending activities are subject to interest rate risks and credit risks.
These transactions create leverage risks.
Asset Segregation
In order to cover its obligations in connection with derivative contracts or special transactions, the Fund will either own
the underlying assets, enter into offsetting transactions or set aside cash or readily marketable securities in each case,
as provided by the SEC or SEC staff guidance. This requirement may cause the Fund to miss favorable trading opportunities, due to a lack of sufficient cash or readily marketable securities. This requirement may also cause the Fund to realize losses
on offsetting or terminated derivative contracts or special transactions.
Investing in Securities of Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest its assets in securities of other investment companies, including the securities of affiliated money market funds, as an efficient means of implementing its investment strategies, managing its uninvested cash and/or other investment reasons consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and investment strategies.
The Fund may also invest in high-yield and emerging market debt securities primarily by investing in another investment company (which is not available for general investment by the public) that owns those securities and that is advised by an affiliate of the Adviser. The Fund may also invest in such securities directly. These other investment companies are managed independently of the Fund and incur additional fees and/or expenses which would, therefore, be borne indirectly by the Fund in connection with any such investment. These investments also can create conflicts of interests for the Adviser to the Fund and the investment adviser to the acquired fund. For example, a conflict of interest
can arise due to the possibility that the Adviser to the Fund could make a decision to redeem the Fund’s investment in the acquired fund. In the case of an investment in an affiliated fund, a conflict of interest can arise if, because of the Fund’s investment in the acquired fund, the acquired fund is able to garner more assets, thereby growing the acquired fund and increasing the management fees received by the investment adviser to the acquired fund, which would either be the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser. However, the Adviser believes that the benefits and efficiencies of making investments in other investment companies should outweigh the potential additional fees and/or expenses and resulting conflicts of interest.
Investment Ratings for Investment-Grade Securities
The Adviser will determine whether a security is investment grade based upon the credit ratings given by one or more NRSROs. For example, Standard & Poor’s, an NRSRO, assigns ratings to investment-grade securities (AAA, AA, A and BBB including modifiers, sub-categories and gradations) based on their assessment of the likelihood of the issuer’s inability to pay interest or principal (default) when due on each security. Lower credit ratings correspond to higher credit
risk. If a security has not received a rating, the Fund must rely entirely upon the Adviser’s credit assessment that the security is comparable to investment grade. The presence of a ratings modifier, sub-category, or gradation (for example, a
(+) or (-)) is intended to show relative standing within the major rating categories and does not affect the security credit
rating for purposes of the Fund’s investment parameters. If a security is downgraded below the minimum quality grade discussed above, the Adviser will reevaluate the security, but will not be required to sell it.
Investment Ratings for nonInvestment-Grade Securities
Noninvestment-grade securities are rated below BBB- by an NRSRO. These bonds have greater economic, credit and liquidity risks than investment-grade securities.
12
What are the Specific Risks of Investing in the Fund?
The following provides general information on the risks associated with the Fund’s principal investments. Any additional risks associated with the Fund’s non-principal investments are described in the Fund’s SAI. The Fund’s SAI also may provide additional information about the risks associated with the Fund’s principal investments.
INTEREST RATE RISK
Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in interest rates. Generally, when interest rates rise,
prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed-income securities,
may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged.
The longer the duration of a fixed-income security, the more susceptible it is to interest rate risk. The duration of a fixed
income security may be equal to or shorter than the stated maturity of a fixed-income security. Recent and potential future
changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates.
Duration measures the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security given a change in interest rates. For example, if a fixed
income security has an effective duration of three years, a 1% increase in general interest rates would be expected to cause
the security’s value to decline about 3% while a 1% decrease in general interest rates would be expected to cause the security’s value to increase about 3%.
ISSUER Credit Risk
It is possible that interest or principal on securities will not be paid when due. Such non-payment or default may reduce
the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, its share price and its performance.
Many fixed-income securities receive credit ratings from nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) such as Fitch Rating Service, Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poor’s that assign ratings to securities by assessing the likelihood of an issuer and/or guarantor default. Higher credit ratings correspond to lower perceived credit risk and lower credit ratings correspond to higher perceived credit risk. Credit ratings may be upgraded
or downgraded from time to time as an NRSRO’s assessment of the financial condition of a party obligated to make payments with respect to such securities and credit risk changes. The impact of any credit rating downgrade can be uncertain. Credit rating downgrades may lead to increased interest rates and volatility in financial markets, which in turn
could negatively affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, its share price and its investment performance. Credit ratings are not a guarantee of quality. Credit ratings may lag behind the current financial conditions of the issuer and/or
guarantor and do not provide assurance against default or other loss of money. Credit ratings do not protect against a decline in the value of a security. If a security has not received a rating, the Fund must rely entirely upon the Adviser’s credit assessment.
Fixed-income securities generally compensate for greater credit risk by paying interest at a higher rate. The difference between the yield of a security and the yield of a U.S. Treasury security or other appropriate benchmark with a comparable
maturity (the “spread”) measures the additional interest paid for risk. Spreads may increase generally in response to adverse economic or market conditions. A security’s spread may also increase if the security’s rating is lowered, or the security is perceived to have an increased credit risk. An increase in the spread will cause the price of the security to
decline if interest rates remain unchanged.
Counterparty Credit Risk
Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This
could cause the Fund to lose money or to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.
Call Risk
Call risk is the possibility that an issuer may redeem a fixed-income security before maturity (a “call”) at a price below or above its current market price. An increase in the likelihood of a call may reduce the security’s price.
If a fixed-income security is called, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in other fixed-income securities with lower interest rates, higher credit risks or other less favorable characteristics.
Liquidity Risk
Trading opportunities are more limited for fixed-income securities that have not received any credit ratings, have received any credit ratings below investment grade or are not widely held.
Trading opportunities are more limited for CMOs that have complex terms or that are not widely held.
13
Also, if dealer capacity has not kept, or does not keep, pace with market growth, or if regulatory changes or other certain developments warrant, dealer inventories of securities (such as corporate bonds) may reach low levels and impact a
dealer’s ability to “make markets” (or buy or sell a security at a quoted bid and ask price). These factors may make it more difficult to sell or buy a security at a favorable price or time. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price
to sell a security or not sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash or give up an investment opportunity, any of which
could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. A significant reduction in dealer inventories or “market makers,” or other factors resulting in infrequent trading of securities, can lead to decreased liquidity and may also lead to an increase in their price volatility. These affects may be exacerbated during times of economic or political stress.
Liquidity risk also refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able to sell a security or close out a derivative contract when it wants to. If this happens, the Fund will be required to continue to hold the security or keep the position
open, and the Fund could incur losses.
OTC derivative contracts generally carry greater liquidity risk than exchange-traded contracts. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC derivative contracts becomes restricted.
Increased Fund redemption activity, which may occur in a rising interest rate environment or for other reasons, also may increase liquidity risk due to the need of the Fund to sell portfolio securities and may negatively impact Fund performance.
Loan instruments may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of loans may require weeks to complete. Additionally, collateral on loan instruments may consist of assets that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets will
satisfy a borrower’s obligations under the instrument.
Risk Associated with Noninvestment-Grade Securities
Securities rated below investment grade, also known as junk bonds, generally entail greater economic, credit and liquidity risks than investment-grade securities. For example, their prices are more volatile, economic downturns and financial setbacks may affect their prices more negatively, and their trading market may be more limited. These securities
are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and repay principal.
RISK RELATED TO THE ECONOMY
The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the markets in which the Fund invests and/or other markets based on negative developments in the U.S. and global economies. Economic, political and financial conditions, or industry or economic trends and developments, may, from time to time, and for varying periods of time, cause volatility, illiquidity or other potentially adverse effects in the financial markets, including the
fixed-income market. The commencement, continuation or ending of government policies and economic stimulus programs, changes in monetary policy, increases or decreases in interest rates, or other factors or events that affect the
financial markets, including the fixed-income markets, may contribute to the development of or increase in volatility, illiquidity, shareholder redemptions and other adverse effects which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance. For example, the value of certain portfolio securities may rise or fall in response to changes in interest rates, which could
result from a change in government policies, and has the potential to cause investors to move out of certain portfolio securities,
including fixed-income securities, on a large scale. This may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of certain securities and may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the financial markets. Market factors,
such as the demand for particular portfolio securities, may cause the price of certain portfolio securities to fall while
the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Among other investments, lower-grade bonds may be particularly sensitive to changes in the economy.
Epidemic and Pandemic Risk
An outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus was first detected in China in late 2019 and subsequently spread globally (“COVID-19”). This coronavirus has resulted in closing borders, enhanced health screenings, disruptions to healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, and disruptions to supply chains, workflow operations and consumer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of this coronavirus may be short-term or may last for an extended period of time and has resulted in a substantial economic downturn. Health crises caused by outbreaks, such as the coronavirus outbreak, may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks. The impact of this outbreak, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could continue to negatively affect the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, individual companies, including certain Fund service providers and issuers of the Fund’s investments, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
14
The United States has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic distress with fiscal and monetary stimulus packages. In late March 2020, the government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), a stimulus package providing for over $2.2 trillion in resources to small businesses, state and local governments, and individuals that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, in mid-March 2020 the U.S. Federal Reserve (“Fed”) cut interest rates to historically low levels and announced a new round of quantitative easing, including purchases of corporate and municipal government bonds. The Fed also enacted various programs to support liquidity operations and funding in the financial markets, including expanding its reverse repurchase agreement operations, adding $1.5 trillion of liquidity to the banking system; establishing swap lines with other major central banks to provide dollar funding; establishing a program to support money market funds; easing various bank capital buffers; providing funding backstops for businesses to provide bridging loans for up to four years; and providing funding to help credit flow in asset-backed securities markets. The Fed also plans to extend credit to small- and medium-sized businesses.
Currency Risk
Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and market risks tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the United States. The Adviser attempts to manage currency risk by limiting the amount the Fund invests in securities denominated in a particular currency. However, diversification will not protect the Fund against a general increase in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies.
Investing in currencies or securities denominated in a foreign currency entails risk of being exposed to a currency that may not fully reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the economy of the country or region utilizing the currency. Currency risk includes both the risk that currencies in which the Fund’s investments are traded, or currencies in which the Fund has taken an active investment position, will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and, in the case of hedging
positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. In addition, it is possible that
a currency (such as, for example, the euro) could be abandoned in the future by countries that have already adopted its use,
and the effects of such an abandonment on the applicable country and the rest of the countries utilizing the currency are
uncertain but could negatively affect the Fund’s investments denominated in the currency. If a currency used by a country or countries is replaced by another currency, the Fund’s Adviser would evaluate whether to continue to hold any investments denominated in such currency, or whether to purchase investments denominated in the currency that replaces such currency, at the time. Such investments may continue to be held, or purchased, to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective(s) and permitted under applicable law.
Many countries rely heavily upon export-dependent businesses and any strength in the exchange rate between a currency and the U.S. dollar or other currencies can have either a positive or a negative effect upon corporate profits and
the performance of investments in the country or region utilizing the currency. Adverse economic events within such country or region may increase the volatility of exchange rates against other currencies, subjecting the Fund’s investments denominated in such country’s or region’s currency to additional risks. In addition, certain countries, particularly emerging market countries, may impose foreign currency exchange controls or other restrictions on the transferability, repatriation
or convertibility of currency.
RISK OF FOREIGN INVESTING
Foreign securities pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States. Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for
U.S. investors.
Foreign companies may not provide information (including financial statements) as frequently or to as great an extent as companies in the United States. Foreign companies may also receive less coverage than U.S. companies by market analysts and the financial press. In addition, foreign countries may lack uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards or regulatory requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. These factors may prevent the Fund and its Adviser from obtaining information concerning foreign companies that is as frequent, extensive and reliable as the information available concerning companies in the United States.
Foreign countries may have restrictions on foreign ownership of securities or may impose exchange controls, capital flow restrictions or repatriation restrictions which could adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments.
Since many loan instruments involve parties (for example, lenders, borrowers and agent banks) located in multiple jurisdictions outside of the United States, there is a risk that a security interest in any related collateral may be unenforceable and obligations under the related loan agreements may not be binding.
15
Leverage Risk
Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain. Investments can have these same results if their returns are based on a multiple of a specified index, security or other benchmark.
Risks of Investing in Inflation-Indexed Securities
Because interest payments on inflation-indexed securities may, by the terms of the securities, be increased or reduced based on economic conditions: (1) interest payments on inflation-indexed securities may be more volatile than those of conventional bonds; (2) investors must reinvest the distributions from any upward inflation adjustment in order to maintain the purchasing power of principal during deflationary periods; (3) the interest payments on the Fund’s portfolio of inflation-indexed securities may be reduced to the point that there is not any net income to distribute; and (4) whenever
inflation causes an interest payment to be increased, the increase is considered reportable income for tax purposes.
Additionally, the value of inflation-indexed securities is subject to the effects of changes in market interest rates caused
by factors other than inflation (“real interest rates”). If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation, the Fund’s investment in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security’s inflation measure. Generally, when real interest rates rise, the value of inflation-indexed securities will fall and the Fund’s value may decline as a result of this exposure to these securities. The greatest risk occurs when interest rates rise and inflation declines.
Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments
The Fund’s exposure to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (either directly or through its investment in another investment company) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly
in securities and other traditional investments. First, changes in the value of the derivative contracts and hybrid instruments
in which the Fund invests may not be correlated with changes in the value of the underlying Reference Instruments or, if they are correlated, may move in the opposite direction than originally anticipated. Second, while some strategies involving derivatives may reduce the risk of loss, they may also reduce potential gains or, in some cases, result in losses
by offsetting favorable price movements in portfolio holdings. Third, there is a risk that derivative contracts and hybrid
instruments may be erroneously priced or improperly valued and, as a result, the Fund may need to make increased cash payments to the counterparty. Fourth, exposure to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may have tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders. For example, derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may cause the Fund to realize increased ordinary income or short-term capital gains (which are treated as ordinary income for Federal income tax purposes) and, as a result, may increase taxable distributions to shareholders. In addition, under certain circumstances certain derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may cause the Fund to: (a) incur an excise tax on a portion of the income related to those contracts and instruments; and/or (b) reclassify, as a return of capital, some or all of the distributions previously made to shareholders during the fiscal year as dividend income. Fifth, a common provision in OTC derivative contracts permits the counterparty to terminate any such contract between it and the Fund, if the value of
the Fund’s total net assets declines below a specified level over a given time period. Factors that may contribute to such a decline (which usually must be substantial) include significant shareholder redemptions and/or a marked decrease in the market value of the Fund’s investments. Any such termination of the Fund’s OTC derivative contracts may adversely affect the Fund (for example, by increasing losses and/or costs, and/or preventing the Fund from fully implementing its investment strategies). Sixth, the Fund may use a derivative contract to benefit from a decline in the value of a Reference
Instrument. If the value of the Reference Instrument declines during the term of the contract, the Fund makes a profit on
the difference (less any payments the Fund is required to pay under the terms of the contract). Any such strategy involves
risk. There is no assurance that the Reference Instrument will decline in value during the term of the contract and make a
profit for the Fund. The Reference Instrument may instead appreciate in value creating a loss for the Fund. Seventh, a default or failure by a CCP or an FCM (also sometimes called a “futures broker”), or the failure of a contract to be transferred from an Executing Dealer to the FCM for clearing, may expose the Fund to losses, increase its costs, or prevent
the Fund from entering or exiting derivative positions, accessing margin, or fully implementing its investment strategies.
The central clearing of a derivative and trading of a contract over a SEF could reduce the liquidity in, or increase costs
of entering into or holding, any contracts. Finally, derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks
described in this Prospectus, such as interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.
16
technology Risk
The Adviser uses various technologies in managing the Fund, consistent with its investment objective(s) and strategy described in this Prospectus. For example, proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision-making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.
What Do Shares Cost?
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
When the Fund receives your transaction request in proper form (as described in this Prospectus under the sections entitled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem and Exchange Shares”), it is processed at the next calculated net asset value of a Share (NAV) plus any applicable front-end sales charge (“public offering price”). A Share’s NAV is determined as of the end of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), each day the NYSE is open. The Fund calculates the NAV of each class by valuing the assets allocated to the Share’s class, subtracting the liabilities allocated to each class and dividing the balance by the number of Shares of the class outstanding. The NAV for each class of Shares may differ due to the level of expenses allocated to each class as well as a
result of the variance between the amount of accrued investment income and capital gains or losses allocated to each class
and the amount actually distributed to shareholders of each class. The Fund’s current NAV and/or public offering price may be found at FederatedInvestors.com, via online news sources and in certain newspapers.
You can purchase, redeem or exchange Shares any day the NYSE is open.
When the Fund holds securities that trade principally in foreign markets on days the NYSE is closed, the value of the Fund’s assets may change on days you cannot purchase or redeem Shares. This may also occur when the U.S. markets for fixed-income securities are open on a day the NYSE is closed.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values investments as follows:
■ Fixed-income securities are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees (“Board”).
■ Derivative contracts listed on exchanges are valued at their reported settlement or closing price, except that options are
valued at the mean of closing bid and asked quotations.
■ Over-the-counter (OTC) derivative contracts are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Board.
If any price, quotation, price evaluation or other pricing source is not readily available when the NAV is calculated, if
the Fund cannot obtain price evaluations from a pricing service or from more than one dealer for an investment within a reasonable period of time as set forth in the Fund’s valuation policies and procedures, or if information furnished by a pricing service, in the opinion of the Valuation Committee, is deemed not representative of the fair value of such security,
the Fund uses the fair value of the investment determined in accordance with the procedures generally described below. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it sold the investment at
approximately the time at which the Fund determines its NAV per share.
Shares of other mutual funds are valued based upon their reported NAVs. The prospectuses for these mutual funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.
Fair Valuation and Significant Events Procedures
The Board has ultimate responsibility for determining the fair value of investments for which market quotations are not readily available. The Board has appointed a Valuation Committee comprised of officers of the Fund, the Adviser and certain of the Adviser’s affiliated companies to assist in determining fair value and in overseeing the calculation of the NAV. The Board has also authorized the use of pricing services recommended by the Valuation Committee to provide fair value evaluations of the current value of certain investments for purposes of calculating the NAV. In the event that market
quotations and price evaluations are not available for an investment, the Valuation Committee determines the fair value of
the investment in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. The Board periodically reviews and approves the fair valuations made by the Valuation Committee and any changes made to the procedures. The Fund’s SAI discusses the methods used by pricing services and the Valuation Committee to assist the Board in valuing investments.
Using fair value to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent closing price and from the prices used by other mutual funds to calculate their NAVs. The application of the fair value procedures
to an investment represent a good faith determination of such investment’s fair value. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it sold the investment at approximately the time at which the
Fund determines its NAV per share, and the actual value could be materially different.
17
The Board also has adopted procedures requiring an investment to be priced at its fair value whenever the Adviser determines that a significant event affecting the value of the investment has occurred between the time as of which the price of the investment would otherwise be determined and the time as of which the NAV is computed. An event is considered significant if there is both an affirmative expectation that the investment’s value will change in response to the event and a reasonable basis for quantifying the resulting change in value.
Examples of significant events that may occur after the close of the principal market on which a security is traded, or after the time of a price evaluation provided by a pricing service or a dealer, include:
■ With respect to securities traded principally in foreign markets, significant trends in U.S. equity markets or in the trading of foreign securities index futures contracts;
■ Political or other developments affecting the economy or markets in which an issuer conducts its operations or its securities are traded; and
■ Announcements concerning matters such as acquisitions, recapitalizations or litigation developments or a natural disaster affecting the issuer’s operations or regulatory changes or market developments affecting the issuer’s industry.
The Board has adopted procedures whereby the Valuation Committee uses a pricing service to provide factors to update the fair value of equity securities traded principally in foreign markets from the time of the close of their respective foreign
stock exchanges to the pricing time of the Fund. For other significant events, the Fund may seek to obtain more current quotations or price evaluations from alternative pricing sources. If a reliable alternative pricing source is not available,
the Valuation Committee will determine the fair value of the investment using another method approved by the Board. The Board has ultimate responsibility for any fair valuations made in response to a significant event.
The fair valuation of securities following a significant event can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities for short-term
traders to profit at the expense of long-term investors in the Fund. For example, such arbitrage opportunities may exist when the market on which portfolio securities are traded closes before the Fund calculates its NAV, which is typically the
case with Asian and European markets. However, there is no assurance that these significant event procedures will prevent
dilution of the NAV by short-term traders. See “Account and Share Information–Frequent Trading Policies” for other procedures the Fund employs to deter such short-term trading.
SALES CHARGE INFORMATION
The following table summarizes the minimum investment amount and the maximum sales charge, if any, that you will pay on an investment in the Fund. Keep in mind that financial intermediaries may charge you fees for their services in connection with your Share transactions.
|
|
Minimum
Initial/Subsequent
Investment
Amounts1
|
Maximum Sales Charges
|
|
|
Shares Offered
|
Front-End
Sales Charge2
|
Contingent
Deferred
Sales Charge3
|
|
|
A
|
$1,500/$100
|
4.50%
|
0.00%
|
|
C
|
$1,500/$100
|
None
|
1.00%
|
1
The minimum initial and subsequent investment amounts for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are generally $250 and $100,
respectively. There is no minimum initial or subsequent investment amount required for employer-sponsored retirement plans; however, such accounts
remain subject to the Fund’s policy on “Accounts with Low Balances” as discussed later in this Prospectus. Please see “By Systematic Investment Program” for applicable minimum investment. Financial intermediaries may impose higher or lower minimum investment requirements on their customers
than those imposed by the Fund.
To maximize your return and minimize the sales charges and marketing fees, purchases of the C class are generally limited
to $1,000,000. Purchases equal to or in excess of these limits may be made in the A class. If your Shares are held on the books of the Fund in the
name of a financial intermediary, you may be subject to rules of your financial intermediary that differ from those of the Fund. See “Purchase Restrictions on C Class” below.
After C Shares have been held for eight years from the date of purchase, they will automatically convert to A Shares on the next monthly conversion processing date, provided that certain conditions are satisfied. See “How is the Fund Sold?” This conversion is a non-taxable event.
2
Front-End Sales Charge is expressed as a percentage of public offering price. See “Sales Charge When You Purchase.”
3
See “Sales Charge When You Redeem.”
As shown in the table above, each class of Shares has a different sales charge structure. In addition, the ongoing annual
operating expenses (expense ratios), as well as the compensation payable to financial intermediaries, also vary among the
classes. Before you decide which class to purchase, you should review the different charges and expenses of each class carefully, in light of your personal circumstances, and consult with your financial intermediary.
Among the important factors to consider are the amount you plan to invest and the length of time you expect to hold your investment (for example, whether the investment is in connection with a long-term retirement program). You should also consider, for example, that it may be possible to reduce, or eliminate, the front-end sales charges imposed on purchases of the A class. Among other ways, the A class has a series of “breakpoints,” which means that the front-end
18
sales charges decrease (and can be eliminated entirely) as the amount invested increases. (The breakpoint schedule is set
out below, along with detailed information on ways to reduce, or eliminate, front-end sales charges.) On the other hand, the C class does not have front-end sales charges, but does impose a contingent deferred sales charge only if redeemed within one year after purchase; however, the asset-based 12b-1 fees charged to the C class are greater than those charged
to the A class.
You should also consider that the expense ratio for the A class will be lower than that for the C class. Thus, the fact that
no front-end charge is imposed on purchases of the C class does not always make them preferable to the A class.
SALES CHARGE WHEN YOU PURCHASE
The following table lists the sales charges which will be applied to your Share purchase, subject to the breakpoint discounts indicated in the table and described below.
|
A Class:
|
||
|
Purchase Amount
|
Sales Charge
as a Percentage
of Public
Offering Price
|
Sales Charge
as a Percentage
of NAV
|
|
Less than $100,000
|
4.50%
|
4.71%
|
|
$100,000 but less than $250,000
|
3.75%
|
3.90%
|
|
$250,000 but less than $500,000
|
2.50%
|
2.56%
|
|
$500,000 but less than $1 million
|
2.00%
|
2.04%
|
|
$1 million or greater1
|
0.00%
|
0.00%
|
1
A contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 0.75% of the redemption amount applies to Shares originally purchased in an amount
of $1 million or more and redeemed up to 24 months after purchase under certain investment programs where a financial intermediary received
an advance payment on the transaction. CDSC exceptions may apply. See “Sales Charge When You Redeem.”
REDUCING THE SALES CHARGE WITH BREAKPOINT DISCOUNTS
Your investment may qualify for a reduction or elimination of the sales charge, also known as a breakpoint discount. The breakpoint discounts offered by the Fund are indicated in the table above.
You or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund’s Transfer Agent of eligibility for any applicable breakpoint discount at the time of purchase.
In order to receive the applicable breakpoint discount, it may be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform your financial intermediary or the Transfer Agent of the existence of other accounts in which there are holdings eligible
to be aggregated to meet a sales charge breakpoint (“Qualifying Accounts”). Qualifying Accounts mean those share accounts in the Federated Hermes funds held directly or through a financial intermediary or through a single-participant retirement
account by you, your spouse, your parents (if you are under age 21) and/or your children under age 21, which can be linked using tax identification numbers (TINs), social security numbers (SSNs) or broker identification numbers (BINs). Accounts held through 401(k) plans and similar multi-participant retirement plans, or through “Section 529” college savings plans or those accounts which cannot be linked using TINs, SSNs or BINs, are not Qualifying Accounts.
In order to verify your eligibility for a breakpoint discount, you will be required to provide to your financial intermediary or the Transfer Agent certain information on your New Account Form and may be required to provide account statements regarding Qualifying Accounts. If you purchase through a financial intermediary, you may be asked to provide additional information and records as required by the financial intermediary. Failure to provide proper notification
or verification of eligibility for a breakpoint discount may result in your not receiving a breakpoint discount to which you
are otherwise entitled. Breakpoint discounts apply only to your current purchase and do not apply retroactively to previous
purchases. The sales charges applicable to the Shares offered in this Prospectus, and the breakpoint discounts offered with
respect to such Shares, are described in full in this Prospectus. Because the Prospectus is available on Federated Hermes’ website free of charge, Federated Hermes does not disclose this information separately on the website.
Contingent upon notification to the Transfer Agent, the sales charge at purchase of the A class only, may be reduced or eliminated by:
Larger Purchases
■ Purchasing the A class in greater quantities to reduce the applicable sales charge;
19
Concurrent and Accumulated Purchases
■ Excluding any Federated Hermes Fund A class without a sales charge (“no-load A class”), combining concurrent purchases of and/or current investments in the A class, B class, C class, F class and R class shares of any Federated Hermes fund made or held by Qualifying Accounts; the purchase amount used in determining the sales charge on your additional Share purchase will be calculated by multiplying the respective maximum public offering price times the number of the A class, B class, C class, F class and R class shares of any Federated Hermes fund currently held in Qualifying Accounts and adding the dollar amount of your current purchase; or
Letter of Intent
■ Signing a letter of intent to purchase a qualifying amount of the A class within 13 months. (Call your financial intermediary or the Fund for more information.) The Fund’s custodian will hold Shares in escrow equal to the maximum applicable sales charge. If you complete the Letter of Intent, the Custodian will release the Shares in escrow to your account. If you do not fulfill the Letter of Intent, the Custodian will redeem the appropriate amount from the Shares held in escrow to pay the sales charges that were not applied to your purchases.
PURCHASE RESTRICTIONS ON c class
In order to maximize shareholder returns and minimize sales charges and marketing fees, an investor’s purchases of C class are generally limited to less than $1,000,000 (except for employer-sponsored retirement plans held in omnibus accounts). In applying the limit, the dollar amount of the current purchase is added to the product obtained by multiplying
the respective maximum public offering price times the number of the A class, B class, C class, F class and R class shares
of any Federated Hermes fund currently held in linked Qualifying Accounts, as defined in the section entitled “Reducing the Sales Charge with Breakpoint Discounts.” If the sum of these two amounts would equal or exceed the limit, then the current purchase order will not be processed. Instead, the Distributor will attempt to contact the investor or the investor’s financial intermediary to offer the opportunity to convert the order to the A class.
If your Shares are held on the books of the Fund in the name of a financial intermediary, you may be subject to rules of your financial intermediary that differ from those of the Fund.
ELIMINATING The SALES CHARGE
Your investment may qualify for a sales charge waiver. Sales charge waivers offered by the Fund are listed below. In order to receive a sales charge waiver, you must inform your financial intermediary or the Transfer Agent at the time of each purchase that your investment is eligible for a waiver. It is possible that your financial intermediary may not, in accordance with its policies, procedures and system limitations, be able to ensure your receipt of one or more of these waiver categories. In this situation, you would need to invest directly through the Fund’s Transfer Agent. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Transfer Agent know that your investment is eligible for a sales charge waiver at the time of purchase, you may not receive the waiver to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Contingent upon notification to the Transfer Agent, the sales charge will be eliminated when you purchase or acquire Shares:
■ within 120 days of redeeming Shares of an equal or greater amount (see “120 Day Reinstatement Program” below);
■ through an eligible program offered by a Financial Intermediary that provides for the purchase of Shares without imposition of a sales charge (for example, a wrap account, self-directed brokerage account, retirement, or other fee-based program offered by the Financial Intermediary);
■ with reinvested dividends or capital gains;
■ issued in connection with the merger, consolidation, or acquisition of the assets of another fund. Further, the sales charge will be eliminated on purchases of Shares made by a shareholder that originally became a shareholder of a Federated Hermes Fund pursuant to the terms of an agreement and plan of reorganization which permits shareholders to acquire Shares at NAV, provided that such purchased Shares are held directly with the Fund’s transfer agent. If the Shares are held through a financial intermediary the sales charge waiver will not apply (A class only);
■ as a Federated Hermes Life Member (Federated Hermes shareholders who originally were issued shares through the “Liberty Account,” which was an account for the Liberty Family of Funds on February 28, 1987, or who invested through an affinity group prior to August 1, 1987, into the Liberty Account) (A class only);
■ as a Trustee, employee or former employee of the Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor and their affiliates, an employee of any financial intermediary that sells Shares according to a sales agreement with the Distributor, an immediate family member of these individuals or a trust, pension or profit-sharing plan for these individuals; or
■ pursuant to the exchange privilege.
The sales charge will not be eliminated if you purchase Shares of the Fund through an exchange of shares of any no-load A class unless your no-load A shares class were acquired through an exchange of shares on which the sales charge had previously been paid.
20
120 Day reinstatement program
Within 120 days of redeeming Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund, upon proper notification to the Fund’s Transfer Agent, you may reinvest all or a portion of the redemption proceeds in Class A Shares of the Fund at net asset value, without the imposition of a sales charge or CDSC. Please note:
■ The ownership of the account receiving the purchase is not required to be identical to that of the account in which the redemption was placed; however, the registration of the account receiving the purchase must include at least one registered shareholder of the account from which the redemption occurred.
■ You will not be reimbursed for any fees originally incurred on the redemption (e.g., CDSC or redemption fees) by subsequently participating in the 120 Day Reinstatement Program.
■ The 120 Day Reinstatement Program does not supersede or override any restrictions placed on an account due to frequent trading and/or client contractual issues.
Additional operational restrictions may apply, please contact a Client Service Representative at 1-800-341-7400 for more information.
sales charge when you redeem
Your redemption proceeds may be reduced by a sales charge, commonly referred to as a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC). Shares otherwise subject to a CDSC will not be charged a CDSC at the time of an exchange; however, the CDSC will continue to be measured from the date of your original purchase. The CDSC schedule applicable to your original purchase will continue to apply to the shares you receive in an exchange.
To keep the sales charge as low as possible, the Fund redeems your Shares in this order:
■ Shares that are not subject to a CDSC; and
■ Shares held the longest. (To determine the number of years your Shares have been held, include the time you held shares of other Federated Hermes funds that have been exchanged for Shares of this Fund.)
The CDSC is then calculated using the Share price at the time of purchase or redemption, whichever is lower.
|
A Class:
|
|
|
|
If you make a purchase of A class in the amount of $1 million or more and your financial intermediary received an advance
commission on the sale, you will pay a
0.75% CDSC on any such Shares redeemed within 24 months of the purchase.
|
||
|
C Class:
|
||
|
You will pay a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem Shares within 12 months of the purchase date.
|
||
Your redemption may qualify for a waiver of the CDSC. The CDSC waivers offered by the Fund are listed below. In order to receive a waiver of the CDSC, you must inform your financial intermediary or the Transfer Agent at the time of each redemption that your investment is eligible for a waiver. It is possible that your financial intermediary may not, in
accordance with its policies, procedures and system limitations, be able to ensure your receipt of one or more of these waiver categories. In this situation, you would need to invest directly through the Fund’s Transfer Agent in order to take advantage of the waiver. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Transfer Agent know that your redemption is
eligible for a CDSC waiver at the time of redemption, you may not receive the waiver to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Contingent upon notification to the Transfer Agent, you will not be charged a CDSC when redeeming Shares:
■ following the death of the last surviving shareholder on the account or the post-purchase disability of all registered shareholders, as defined in Section 72(m)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the beneficiary on an account with a Transfer on Death registration is deemed the last surviving shareholder on the account);
■ due to the termination of a trust following the death of the trustor/grantor or beneficiary, provided that the trust document specifically states that the trust is terminated upon the death;
■ representing minimum required distributions from an IRA or other retirement plan as required under the Internal Revenue Code;
■ purchased by Trustees, employees of the Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor and their affiliates, by employees of a financial intermediary that sells Shares according to a sales agreement with the Distributor, by the immediate family members of the above persons and by trusts, pension or profit-sharing plans for the above persons;
■ purchased through an eligible program offered by a Financial Intermediary that provides for the purchase of Shares without imposition of a sales charge (for example, a wrap account, self-directed brokerage account, retirement, or other fee-based program offered by the Financial Intermediary);
■ purchased with reinvested dividends or capital gains;
■ redeemed by the Fund when it closes an account for not meeting the minimum balance requirements;
21
■ purchased pursuant to the exchange privilege if the Shares were held for the applicable CDSC holding period (the holding period on the Shares purchased in the exchange will include the holding period of the Shares sold in the exchange); or
A Class Only
■ purchased in the amount of $1 million or more and redeemed within 24 months of purchase if the Shares were originally purchased through an eligible program offered by a Financial Intermediary that provides for the purchase of Shares without imposition of a sales charge (for example, a wrap account, self-directed brokerage account, retirement, or other fee-based program offered by the Financial Intermediary).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN WAIVERS AND DISCOUNTS
The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Certain financial intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or CDSC waivers which are discussed in Appendix B to this Prospectus. The information contained in Appendix B is provided by these financial intermediaries. Please contact your financial intermediary to ensure that you have the most current information regarding the sales charge waivers and discounts available to you and that you understand the steps you must take to qualify for available waivers and discounts. In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the shareholder’s Financial Intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the investor for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular financial intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another financial intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.
COMMISSIONS ON CERTAIN SHARES
The Fund does not charge any front-end load, deferred sales charge or other asset-based fee for sales or distribution of IS and R6 Shares. However, if you purchase IS and R6 Shares through a broker acting solely as an agent on behalf of its customers, you may be required to pay a commission to the broker in an amount determined and separately disclosed to you by the broker.
Because the Fund is not a party to any such commission arrangement between you and your broker, any purchases and redemptions of IS and R6 Shares will be made at the applicable net asset value (before imposition of the sales commission). Any such commissions charged by a broker are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the “Risk/Return Summary: Fees and Expenses” section of the Fund’s Prospectus and described above nor are they reflected in the “Performance: Bar Chart and Table,” because they are not charged by the Fund.
Shares of the Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
How is the Fund Sold?
The Fund offers the following Share classes: Class A Shares (A), Class C Shares (C), Institutional Shares (IS), and Class R6 Shares (R6), each representing interests in a single portfolio of securities. All Share classes have different sales charges and/or other expenses which affect their performance. Please note that certain purchase restrictions may apply.
Under the Distributor’s Contract with the Fund, the Distributor, Federated Securities Corp., offers Shares on a continuous, best-efforts basis. The Distributor is a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes,” formerly, Federated Investors, Inc.).
A & C Classes
The Fund’s Distributor markets the A and C classes to institutions or to individuals, directly or through financial intermediaries.
IS Class
The Fund’s Distributor markets the IS class to Eligible Investors, as described below. In connection with a request to purchase the IS class, you should provide documentation sufficient to verify your status as an Eligible Investor. As a general matter, the IS class is not available for direct investment by natural persons.
The following categories of Eligible Investors are not subject to any minimum initial investment amount for the purchase of the IS class (however, such accounts remain subject to the Fund’s policy on “Accounts with Low Balances” as discussed later in this Prospectus):
■ An investor participating in a no-load platform, network or other fee-based program offered by a financial intermediary, for example, a wrap-account or retirement platform where Federated Hermes has entered into an agreement with the intermediary;
22
■ A trustee/director, employee or former employee of the Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor and their affiliates; an immediate family member of these individuals or a trust, pension or profit-sharing plan for these individuals;
■ An employer-sponsored retirement plan;
■ A trust institution investing on behalf of its trust customers;
■ Additional sales to an investor (including a natural person) who owned the IS class of the Fund as of December 31, 2008;
■ A Federated Hermes Fund;
■ An investor (including a natural person) who acquired the IS class of a Federated Hermes fund pursuant to the terms of an agreement and plan of reorganization which permits the investor to acquire such shares; and
■ In connection with an acquisition of an investment management or advisory business, or related investment services, products or assets, by Federated Hermes or its investment advisory subsidiaries, an investor (including a natural person)
who: (1) becomes a client of an investment advisory subsidiary of Federated Hermes; or (2) is a shareholder or interest holder of a pooled investment vehicle or product that becomes advised or subadvised by a Federated Hermes investment advisory subsidiary as a result of such an acquisition other than as a result of a fund reorganization transaction pursuant to an agreement and plan of reorganization.
The following categories of Eligible Investors are subject to applicable minimum initial investment amounts for the purchase of the IS class (see “How to Purchase Shares” below):
■ An investor, other than a natural person, purchasing the IS class directly from the Fund; and
■ In connection with an initial purchase of the IS class through an exchange, an investor (including a natural person) who owned the IS class of another Federated Hermes fund as of December 31, 2008.
R6 Class
The Fund’s Distributor markets the R6 class to Eligible Investors, as described below. The R6 Shares are sold at net asset value and are not subject to any minimum initial or subsequent investment amounts. In connection with a request to purchase the R6 class, you should provide documentation sufficient to verify your status as an Eligible Investor.
R6 Shares do not carry sales commissions or pay Rule 12b-1 fees, or make similar payments to financial intermediaries. As a general matter, the R6 class is not available for direct investment by natural persons. Individual shareholders who purchase R6 Shares through retirement platforms or other intermediaries will not be eligible to hold R6 Shares outside of
their respective plan or intermediary platform.
Following are categories of Eligible Investors:
■ An investor participating in a no-load platform, network or other fee-based program offered by a financial intermediary, for example, a wrap-account or retirement platform where Federated Hermes has entered into an agreement with the intermediary;
■ A trustee/director, employee or former employee of the Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor and their affiliates; an immediate family member of these individuals or a trust, pension or profit-sharing plan for these individuals;
■ An employer-sponsored retirement plan;
■ A trust institution investing on behalf of its trust customers;
■ An investor, other than a natural person, purchasing Shares directly from the Fund;
■ A Federated Hermes Fund;
■ An investor (including a natural person) who acquired the R6 class of a Federated Hermes fund pursuant to the terms of an agreement and plan of reorganization which permits the investor to acquire such shares; and
■ In connection with an acquisition of an investment management or advisory business, or related investment services, products or assets, by Federated Hermes or its investment advisory subsidiaries, an investor (including a natural person)
who: (1) becomes a client of an investment advisory subsidiary of Federated Hermes; or (2) is a shareholder or interest holder of a pooled investment vehicle or product that becomes advised or subadvised by a Federated Hermes investment advisory subsidiary as a result of such an acquisition other than as a result of a fund reorganization transaction pursuant to an agreement and plan of reorganization.
Intra-Fund Share Conversion Program
A shareholder in the Fund’s Shares may convert their Shares at net asset value to any other share class of the Fund if the shareholder meets the investment minimum and eligibility requirements for the share class into which the conversion is sought, as applicable. The share conversion program is not applicable to the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class C Shares subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable. For Class C Shares purchased through a financial intermediary
after June 30, 2017, such shares may only be converted to another share class of the same Fund if: (i) the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC or the financial intermediary agrees to reimburse the Fund’s distributor the CDSC otherwise payable upon the sale of such shares; (ii) the shareholder meets the investment minimum and eligibility requirements for
23
the share class into which the conversion is sought, as applicable; and (iii) (a) the conversion is made to facilitate the
shareholder’s participation in a self-directed brokerage (non-advice) account or a fee-based advisory program offered by the intermediary; or (b) the conversion is part of a multiple-client transaction through a particular financial intermediary
as pre-approved by the Fund’s Administrator. Such conversion of classes should not result in a realization event for tax purposes. Contact your financial intermediary or call 1-800-341-7400 to convert your Shares.
Class C Share Automatic Conversion Feature
After Class C Shares have been held for eight years from the date of purchase, they will automatically convert into Class A Shares on the next monthly conversion processing date, provided that the Fund or financial intermediary has records confirming that the Class C Shares have been held for at least eight years and that the Class A Shares are available for purchase. For Class C Shares acquired in an exchange from another Federated Hermes fund, the date of purchase will be based on the initial purchase of the Class C Shares of the prior Federated Hermes fund. Certain financial intermediaries,
record keepers and platforms do not track shareholder level share lot aging for certain types of accounts. These Class C Shares would not satisfy the conditions for the conversion. Contact your financial intermediary or call 1-800-341-7400 for
more information.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its affiliated service providers may pay fees as described below to financial intermediaries (such as broker-dealers, banks, investment advisers or third-party administrators) whose customers are shareholders of the Fund.
The Fund’s Class R6 Shares do not make any payments to financial intermediaries, either from Fund assets or from the investment adviser and its affiliates.
FRONT-END SALES CHARGE REALLOWANCES
The Distributor receives a front-end sales charge on certain Share sales. The Distributor pays a portion of this charge to
financial intermediaries that are eligible to receive it (the “Dealer Reallowance”) and retains any remaining portion of the front-end sales charge.
When a financial intermediary’s customer purchases Shares, the financial intermediary may receive a Dealer Reallowance as follows:
|
A Class:
|
|
|
Purchase Amount
|
Dealer Reallowance
as a Percentage of
Public Offering Price
|
|
Less than $100,000
|
4.00%
|
|
$100,000 but less than $250,000
|
3.25%
|
|
$250,000 but less than $500,000
|
2.25%
|
|
$500,000 but less than $1 million
|
1.80%
|
|
$1 million or greater
|
0.00%
|
ADVANCE COMMISSIONS
When a financial intermediary’s customer purchases Shares, the financial intermediary may receive an advance commission as follows:
|
A Class (for purchases over $1 million):
|
|
|
Purchase Amount
|
Advance Commission
as a Percentage of
Public Offering Price
|
|
First $1 million - $5 million
|
0.75%
|
|
Next $5 million - $20 million
|
0.50%
|
|
Over $20 million
|
0.25%
|
Advance commissions are calculated on a year-by-year basis based on amounts invested during that year. Accordingly, with respect to additional purchase amounts, the advance commission breakpoint resets annually to the first breakpoint on
the anniversary of the first purchase.
A class purchases under this program may be made by Letter of Intent or by combining concurrent purchases. The above advance commission will be paid only on those purchases that were not previously subject to a front-end sales charge or dealer advance commission. Certain retirement accounts may not be eligible for this program.
24
|
C Class:
|
|
|
|
Advance Commission
as a Percentage of
Public Offering Price
|
|
All Purchase Amounts
|
1.00%
|
RULE 12b-1 FEES
A & C Classes
The Board has adopted a Rule 12b-1 Plan, which allows payment of marketing fees of up to 0.05% (A class) and 0.75% (C class) of average net assets to the Distributor for the sale, distribution, administration and customer servicing of the
Fund’s A and C classes. When the Distributor receives Rule 12b-1 Fees, it may pay some or all of them to financial intermediaries whose customers purchase Shares. The Fund’s A class has no present intention of paying, accruing or incurring any Rule 12b-1 Fees until such time as approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. In addition, in connection with the sale of the C class, Federated Hermes and its subsidiaries make advance commission payments to financial intermediaries and in return may receive Rule 12b-1 Fees and contingent deferred sales loads for the C class. Federated Hermes and its subsidiaries may benefit or sustain losses from such arrangements. Because these Shares pay marketing fees on an ongoing basis, your investment cost may be higher over time than other shares with different sales charges marketing fees.
service fees
A, C & IS Classes
A, C and IS classes may pay Service Fees of up to 0.25% of average net assets to financial intermediaries or to Federated Shareholder Services Company (FSSC), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, for providing services to shareholders and maintaining shareholder accounts. Intermediaries that receive Service Fees may include a company affiliated with management of Federated Hermes. If a financial intermediary receives Service Fees on an account, it is not
eligible to also receive Account Administration Fees on that same account.
The Fund has no present intention of paying, accruing or incurring any such Service Fees on the IS class until such time as approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATION FEES
A, C & IS Classes
A, C and IS classes may pay Account Administration Fees of up to 0.25% of average net assets to banks that are not registered as broker-dealers or investment advisers for providing administrative services to the Fund and its shareholders.
If a financial intermediary receives Account Administration Fees on an account, it is not eligible to also receive Service
Fees or Recordkeeping Fees on that same account.
The Fund has no present intention of paying, accruing or incurring any such Account Administration Fees on the IS class until such time as approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
RECORDKEEPING FEES
A, C & IS Classes
The Fund may pay Recordkeeping Fees on an average-net-assets basis or on a per-account-per-year basis to financial intermediaries for providing recordkeeping services to the Fund and its shareholders. If a financial intermediary receives
Recordkeeping Fees on an account, it is not eligible to also receive Account Administration Fees or Networking Fees on that same account.
networking fees
A, C & IS Classes
The Fund may reimburse Networking Fees on a per-account-per-year basis to financial intermediaries for providing administrative services to the Fund and its shareholders on certain non-omnibus accounts. If a financial intermediary receives Networking Fees on an account, it is not eligible to also receive Recordkeeping Fees on that same account.
25
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
A, C & IS Classes
The Distributor may pay out of its own resources amounts to certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, independent financial planners and retirement plan administrators, that support the
sale of Shares or provide services to Fund shareholders. The amounts of these payments could be significant, and may create an incentive for the financial intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend or sell Shares of the
Fund to you. Not all financial intermediaries receive such payments, and the amount of compensation may vary by intermediary. In some cases, such payments may be made by or funded from the resources of companies affiliated with the Distributor (including the Adviser). These payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Fund’s Prospectus and described above because they are not paid by the Fund.
These payments are negotiated and may be based on such factors as: the number or value of Shares that the financial intermediary sells or may sell; the value of client assets invested; the level and types of services or support furnished
by the financial intermediary; or the Fund’s and/or other Federated Hermes funds’ relationship with the financial intermediary. These payments may be in addition to payments, as described above, made by the Fund to the financial intermediary. In connection with these payments, the financial intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund and/or other Federated Hermes funds, within the financial intermediary’s organization by, for example, placement on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote
the funds in various ways within the financial intermediary’s organization. In addition, as discussed above in “Commissions on Certain Shares,” if you purchase IS or R6 Shares through a broker acting solely as an agent on behalf of its customers, you may be required to pay a commission to the broker in an amount determined and separately disclosed to you by the broker. You can ask your financial intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Distributor or the Fund and any services provided, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges.
How to Purchase Shares
You may purchase Shares of the Fund any day the NYSE is open. Shares will be purchased at the NAV next calculated after your investment is received by the Fund, or its agent, in proper form. The Fund reserves the right to reject any request
to purchase or exchange Shares. New investors must submit a completed New Account Form. All accounts, with the exception of R6 class accounts, including those for which there is no minimum initial investment amount required, are subject to the Fund’s policy on “Accounts with Low Balances” as discussed later in this Prospectus.
Where the Fund offers more than one Share class and you do not specify the class choice on your New Account Form or form of payment (e.g., Federal Reserve wire or check), you automatically will receive the A class.
For important account information, see the section “Security and Privacy Protection.”
A & C Classes
You may purchase Shares through a financial intermediary, directly from the Fund or through an exchange from another Federated Hermes fund.
IS Class
Eligible investors may purchase Shares through a financial intermediary, directly from the Fund or through an exchange from another Federated Hermes fund in the manner described above under “How is the Fund Sold?”
Where applicable, the required minimum initial investment for IS class is generally $1,000,000. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount.
R6 Class
Eligible Investors may purchase Shares through a financial intermediary, directly from the Fund or through an exchange from another Federated Hermes fund in the manner described above under “How is the Fund Sold?”
There is no minimum initial or subsequent investment amount required.
THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
■ Establish an account with the financial intermediary; and
■ Submit your purchase order to the financial intermediary before the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time).
The Fund has authorized certain intermediaries to accept Share purchase orders on its behalf. When authorized intermediaries receive an order in proper form, the order is considered as being placed with the Fund, and Shares will be
bought at the NAV next calculated after such an order is received by the authorized intermediary. If your financial intermediary is not an authorized intermediary, the Fund or its agent must receive the purchase order in proper form from
26
your financial intermediary by the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in order for your
transaction to be priced at that day’s NAV. In addition, your financial intermediary must forward your payment by the prescribed trade settlement date (typically within one to three business days) to the Fund’s transfer agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company (“Transfer Agent”). You will become the owner of Shares and receive dividends when your payment is received in accordance with these time frames (provided that, if payment is received in the form of a check, the
check clears). If your payment is not received in accordance with these time frames, or a check does not clear, your purchase will be canceled and you could be liable for any losses, fees or expenses incurred by the Fund or the Fund’s Transfer Agent.
Financial intermediaries should send payments according to the instructions in the sections “By Wire” or “By Check.”
Financial intermediaries may impose higher or lower minimum investment requirements on their customers than those imposed by the Fund. Keep in mind that financial intermediaries may charge you fees for their services in connection with
your Share transactions.
Shareholders are encouraged to ask their financial intermediary if they are an authorized agent for the Fund and about any fees that may be charged by the financial intermediary.
DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND
■ Establish your account with the Fund by submitting a completed New Account Form; and
■ Send your payment to the Fund by Federal Reserve wire or check.
You will become the owner of Shares and your Shares will be priced at the next calculated NAV after the Fund receives your wire or your check. If your check does not clear, your purchase will be canceled and you could be liable for any losses or fees incurred by the Fund or the Fund’s Transfer Agent.
By Wire
To facilitate processing your order, please call the Fund before sending the wire. Send your wire to:
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Boston, MA
Dollar Amount of Wire
ABA Number 011000028
BNF: 23026552
Attention: Federated Hermes EDGEWIRE
Wire Order Number, Dealer Number or Group Number
Nominee/Institution Name
Fund Name and Number and Account Number
Boston, MA
Dollar Amount of Wire
ABA Number 011000028
BNF: 23026552
Attention: Federated Hermes EDGEWIRE
Wire Order Number, Dealer Number or Group Number
Nominee/Institution Name
Fund Name and Number and Account Number
You cannot purchase Shares by wire on holidays when wire transfers are restricted.
By Check
Make your check payable to The Federated Hermes Funds, note your account number on the check, and send it to:
The Federated Hermes Funds
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318
If you send your check by a private courier or overnight delivery service that requires a street address, send it to:
The Federated Hermes Funds
430 W 7th Street
Suite 219318
Kansas City, MO 64105-1407
430 W 7th Street
Suite 219318
Kansas City, MO 64105-1407
Payment should be made in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request. For example, to protect against check fraud the Fund may reject any purchase request involving a check that is not
made payable to The Federated Hermes Funds (including, but not limited to, requests to purchase Shares using third-party checks) or involving temporary checks or credit card checks.
By Direct Deposit
You may establish Payroll Deduction/Direct Deposit arrangements for investments into the Fund by either calling a Client Service Representative at 1-800-341-7400; or by completing the Payroll Deduction/Direct Deposit Form, which is available on FederatedInvestors.com under “Resources” and then “Literature and Forms,” then “Forms.” You will receive a confirmation when this service is available.
27
THROUGH AN EXCHANGE
You may purchase Fund Shares through an exchange from another Federated Hermes fund. To do this you must:
■ meet any applicable shareholder eligibility requirements;
■ ensure that the account registrations are identical;
■ meet any applicable minimum initial investment requirements; and
■ receive a prospectus for the fund into which you wish to exchange.
An exchange is treated as a redemption and a subsequent purchase, and is a taxable transaction. The Fund reserves the right to reject any request to purchase or exchange Shares. The Fund may modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time.
A & C Classes
You may purchase Shares through an exchange from the same share class of another Federated Hermes fund.
IS & R6 Classes
You may purchase Shares through an exchange from any Federated Hermes fund or share class that does not have a stated sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, except Shares of Federated Hermes Institutional Money Market Management, Federated Hermes Institutional Tax-Free Cash Trust, Federated Hermes Institutional Prime Obligations Fund, Federated Hermes Institutional Prime Value Obligations Fund, no-load Class A Shares and Class R Shares of any Fund.
By Online Account Services
You may access your accounts online to purchase Shares through FederatedInvestors.com’s Shareholder Account Access system once you have registered for access. Online transactions may be subject to certain limitations including limitations as to the amount of the transaction. For more information about the services available through Shareholder Account Access, please visit FederatedInvestors.com and select “Sign In” and “Access and Manage Investments,” or call 1-800-245-4770 to speak with a Client Service Representative.
BY SYSTEMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAM (SIP)
Once you have opened an account, you may automatically purchase additional Shares on a regular basis by completing the SIP section of the New Account Form or by contacting the Fund or your financial intermediary. The minimum investment amount for SIPs is $50.
BY AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE (ACH)
Once you have opened an account, you may purchase additional Shares through a depository institution that is an ACH member. This purchase option can be established by completing the appropriate sections of the New Account Form.
RETIREMENT INVESTMENTS
A & C Classes
You may purchase Shares as retirement investments (such as qualified plans and IRAs or transfer or rollover of assets). Call your financial intermediary or the Fund for information on retirement investments. We suggest that you discuss retirement investments with your tax adviser. You may be subject to an account fee charged by your financial intermediary.
R6 Class
You may purchase Shares as retirement investments (such as qualified plans or transfer of assets). Call your financial intermediary or the Fund for information on retirement investments. We suggest that you discuss retirement investments with your tax adviser. You may be subject to an account fee charged by your financial intermediary.
How to Redeem and Exchange Shares
You should redeem or exchange Shares:
■ through a financial intermediary if you purchased Shares through a financial intermediary; or
■ directly from the Fund if you purchased Shares directly from the Fund.
Shares of the Fund may be redeemed for cash, or exchanged for shares of other Federated Hermes funds as described herein, on days on which the Fund computes its NAV. Redemption requests may be made by telephone or in writing.
28
Redemption proceeds normally are wired or mailed within one business day for each method of payment after receiving a timely request in proper form. Depending upon the method of payment, when shareholders receive redemption proceeds can differ. Payment may be delayed for up to seven days under certain circumstances (see “Limitations on Redemption Proceeds”).
For important account information, see the section “Security and Privacy Protection.”
THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
Submit your redemption or exchange request to your financial intermediary by the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). The redemption amount you will receive is based upon the next calculated NAV after the Fund receives the order from your financial intermediary.
DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND
By Telephone
You may redeem or exchange Shares by simply calling the Fund at 1-800-341-7400.
If you call before the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), you will receive a redemption amount based on that day’s NAV.
By Mail
You may redeem or exchange Shares by sending a written request to the Fund.
You will receive a redemption amount based on the next calculated NAV after the Fund receives your written request in proper form.
Send requests by mail to:
The Federated Hermes Funds
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318
Send requests by private courier or overnight delivery service to:
The Federated Hermes Funds
430 W 7th Street
Suite 219318
Kansas City, MO 64105-1407
430 W 7th Street
Suite 219318
Kansas City, MO 64105-1407
All requests must include:
■ Fund name and Share class, account number and account registration;
■ amount to be redeemed or exchanged;
■ signatures of all shareholders exactly as registered; and
■ if exchanging, the Fund name and Share class, account number and account registration into which you are exchanging.
Call your financial intermediary or the Fund if you need special instructions.
Signature Guarantees
Signatures must be guaranteed by a financial institution which is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program if:
■ your redemption will be sent to an address other than the address of record;
■ your redemption will be sent to an address of record that was changed within the last 30 days;
■ a redemption is payable to someone other than the shareholder(s) of record; or
■ transferring into another fund with a different shareholder registration.
A Medallion signature guarantee is designed to protect your account from fraud. Obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from a bank or trust company, savings association, credit union or broker, dealer or securities exchange member. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee.
By Online Account Services
You may access your accounts online to redeem or exchange Shares through FederatedInvestors.com’s Shareholder Account Access system once you have registered for access. Online transactions may be subject to certain limitations including limitations as to the amount of the transaction. For more information about the services available through Shareholder Account Access, please visit FederatedInvestors.com and select “Sign In” and “Access and Manage Investments,” or call 1-800-245-4770 to speak with a Client Service Representative.
29
PAYMENT METHODS FOR REDEMPTIONS
Your redemption proceeds will be mailed by check to your address of record. The following payment options are available if you complete the appropriate section of the New Account Form or an Account Service Options Form. These payment options require a signature guarantee if they were not established when the account was opened:
■ An electronic transfer to your account at a financial institution that is an ACH member; or
■ Wire payment to your account at a domestic commercial bank that is a Federal Reserve System member.
Methods the Fund May Use to Meet Redemption Requests
The Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash. To ensure that the Fund has cash to meet Share redemptions on any day, the Fund typically expects to hold a cash or cash equivalent reserve or sell portfolio securities.
In unusual or stressed circumstances, the Fund may generate cash in the following ways:
■ Inter-fund Borrowing and Lending. The SEC has granted an exemption that permits the Fund and all other funds advised by subsidiaries of Federated Hermes (“Federated Hermes funds”) to lend and borrow money for certain temporary purposes directly to and from other Federated Hermes funds. Inter-fund borrowing and lending is permitted only: (a) to meet shareholder redemption requests; (b) to meet commitments arising from “failed” trades; and (c) for other temporary purposes. All inter-fund loans must be repaid in seven days or less.
■ Committed Line of Credit. The Fund participates with certain other Federated Hermes funds, on a several basis, in an up to $500,000,000 unsecured, 364-day, committed, revolving line of credit (LOC) agreement. The LOC was made available to temporarily finance the repurchase or redemption of shares of the funds, failed trades, payment of dividends, settlement of trades and for other short-term, temporary or emergency general business purposes. The Fund cannot borrow under the LOC if an inter-fund loan is outstanding.
■ Redemption in Kind. Although the Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, it reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by an “in-kind” distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Because the Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is obligated to pay Share redemptions to any one shareholder in cash only up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets represented by such Share class during any 90-day period. Redemptions in kind are made consistent with the procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board, which generally include distributions of a pro rata share of the Fund’s portfolio assets. Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. If redemption is made in kind, securities received may be subject to market risk and the shareholder could incur taxable gains and brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
LIMITATIONS ON REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
Redemption proceeds normally are wired or mailed within one business day after receiving a request in proper form. Payment may be delayed for up to seven days:
■ to allow your purchase to clear (as discussed below);
■ during periods of market volatility;
■ when a shareholder’s trade activity or amount adversely impacts the Fund’s ability to manage its assets; or
■ during any period when the Federal Reserve wire or applicable Federal Reserve banks are closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings.
If you request a redemption of Shares recently purchased by check (including a cashier’s check or certified check), money order, bank draft or ACH, your redemption proceeds may not be made available for up to seven calendar days to allow the Fund to collect payment on the instrument used to purchase such Shares. If the purchase instrument does not clear, your purchase order will be canceled and you will be responsible for any losses incurred by the Fund as a result of
your canceled order.
In addition, the right of redemption may be suspended, or the payment of proceeds may be delayed (including beyond seven days), during any period:
■ when the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings;
■ when trading on the NYSE is restricted, as determined by the SEC;
■ in which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC, so that disposal of the Fund’s investments or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or
■ as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of Fund shareholders.
You will not accrue interest or dividends on uncashed redemption checks from the Fund when checks are undeliverable and returned to the Fund.
30
redemptions from retirement accounts
A, C & R6 Classes
In the absence of your specific instructions, 10% of the value of your redemption from a retirement account in the Fund may be withheld for taxes. This withholding only applies to certain types of retirement accounts.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
You may exchange Shares of the Fund. To do this, you must:
■ meet any applicable shareholder eligibility requirements;
■ ensure that the account registrations are identical;
■ meet any applicable minimum initial investment requirements; and
■ receive a prospectus for the fund into which you wish to exchange.
An exchange is treated as a redemption and a subsequent purchase, and is a taxable transaction. The Fund reserves the right to reject any request to purchase or exchange Shares. The Fund may modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time.
In addition, the Fund may terminate your exchange privilege if your exchange activity is found to be excessive under the Fund’s frequent trading policies. See “Account and Share Information–Frequent Trading Policies.”
Financial intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of intra-fund exchanges (“automatic exchanges”). These exchanges which are directed by the financial intermediary and not the Fund are discussed in Appendix B to this Prospectus.
A & C Classes
You may exchange Shares into shares of the same class of another Federated Hermes fund.
IS & R6 Classes
You may exchange Shares of the Fund for shares of any Federated Hermes fund or share class that does not have a stated sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, except Shares of Federated Hermes Institutional Money Market Management, Federated Hermes Institutional Tax-Free Cash Trust, Federated Hermes Institutional Prime Obligations Fund, Federated Hermes Institutional Prime Value Obligations Fund, no-load Class A Shares and Class R Shares of any Fund.
Systematic Withdrawal/Exchange Program
You may automatically redeem or exchange Shares. The minimum amount for all new or revised systematic redemptions or exchanges of Shares is $50 per transaction per fund. Complete the appropriate section of the New Account Form or an Account Service Options Form or contact your financial intermediary or the Fund. Your account value must meet the minimum initial investment amount at the time the program is established. This program may reduce, and eventually deplete, your account. Payments should not be considered yield or income.
Generally, it is not advisable to continue to purchase Shares subject to a sales charge while redeeming Shares using this program.
ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS
Telephone Transactions
The Fund will record your telephone instructions. If the Fund does not follow reasonable procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions.
Share Certificates
The Fund does not issue share certificates.
Security and Privacy Protection
ONLINE ACCOUNT and TELEPHONE ACCESS SECURITY
Federated Hermes will not be responsible for losses that result from unauthorized transactions, unless Federated Hermes does not follow procedures designed to verify your identity. When initiating a transaction by telephone or online, shareholders should be aware that any person with access to your account and other personal information including PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) may be able to submit instructions by telephone or online. Shareholders are responsible
for protecting their identity by using strong usernames and complex passwords which utilize combinations of mixed case letters, numbers and symbols, and change passwords and PINs frequently.
31
Using FederatedInvestors.com’s Account Access website means you are consenting to sending and receiving personal financial information over the Internet, so you should be sure you are comfortable with the risks. You will be required to
accept the terms of an online agreement and to establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.
The Transfer Agent has adopted security procedures to confirm that internet instructions are genuine. The Transfer Agent will also send you written confirmation of share transactions. The Transfer Agent, the Fund and any of its affiliates will
not be liable for losses or expenses that occur from fraudulent Internet instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.
The Transfer Agent or the Fund will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone transaction requests are genuine, which may include recording calls, asking the caller to provide certain personal identification information, sending you written confirmation, or requiring other confirmation security procedures. The Transfer Agent, the Fund and any of its affiliates will not be liable for relying on instructions submitted by telephone that the Fund reasonably believes
to be genuine.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such person’s name appears on governmental lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. Pursuant to the requirements under the USA PATRIOT Act, the information obtained will be used for compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act or other applicable laws, regulations and rules in connection with money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities.
Information required includes your name, residential or business address, date of birth (for an individual), and other information that identifies you, including your social security number, tax identification number or other identifying number. The Fund cannot waive these requirements. The Fund is required by law to reject your Account Application if the required information is not provided. If, after reasonable effort, the Fund is unable to verify your identity or that of any
other person(s) authorized to act on your behalf, or believes it has identified potentially suspicious, fraudulent or criminal
activity, the Fund reserves the right to close your account and redeem your shares at the next calculated NAV without your
permission. Any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) will be assessed upon redemption of your shares.
The Fund has a strict policy designed to protect the privacy of your personal information. A copy of Federated Hermes’ privacy policy notice was given to you at the time you opened your account. The Fund sends a copy of the privacy notice to you annually. You may also obtain the privacy notice by calling the Fund, or through FederatedInvestors.com.
Account and Share Information
CONFIRMATIONS AND ACCOUNT STATEMENTS
You will receive confirmation of purchases, redemptions and exchanges (except for systematic transactions). In addition, you will receive periodic statements reporting all account activity, including systematic transactions, dividends
and capital gains paid.
DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS
The Fund declares and pays any dividends quarterly to shareholders. Dividends are paid to all shareholders invested in the Fund on the record date. The record date is the date on which a shareholder must officially own Shares in order to earn
a dividend.
In addition, the Fund pays any capital gains at least annually and may make such special distributions of dividends and capital gains as may be necessary to meet applicable regulatory requirements. Your dividends and capital gains distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Shares without a sales charge, unless you elect cash payments.
Dividends may also be reinvested without sales charges in shares of any class of any other Federated Hermes fund of which you are already a shareholder.
If you purchase Shares just before the record date for a dividend or capital gain distribution, you will pay the full price
for the Shares and then receive a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution, whether or not you reinvest
the distribution in Shares. Therefore, you should consider the tax implications of purchasing Shares shortly before the record date for a dividend or capital gain. Contact your financial intermediary or the Fund for information concerning when dividends and capital gains will be paid.
Under the federal securities laws, the Fund is required to provide a notice to shareholders regarding the source of distributions made by the Fund if such distributions are from sources other than ordinary investment income. In addition,
important information regarding the Fund’s distributions, if applicable, is available via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com/FundInformation.
32
Small Distributions and Uncashed Checks
Generally, dividend and/or capital gain distributions payable by check in an amount of less than $25 will be automatically reinvested in additional shares. This policy does not apply if you have elected to receive cash distributions
that are directly deposited into your bank account via wire or ACH.
Additionally, if one or more dividend or capital gain distribution checks are returned as “undeliverable,” or remain uncashed for 180 days, all subsequent dividend and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in additional shares. No
interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution checks. For questions on whether reinvestment applies to your distributions, please contact a Client Service Representative at 1-800-341-7400.
Certain states, including the State of Texas, have laws that allow shareholders to designate a representative to receive abandoned or unclaimed property (“escheatment”) notifications by completing and submitting a designation form that generally can be found on the official state website. If a shareholder resides in an applicable state, and elects to designate
a representative to receive escheatment notifications, escheatment notices generally will be delivered as required by such state laws, including, as applicable, to both the shareholder and the designated representative. A completed designation form may be mailed to the Fund (if Shares are held directly with the Fund) or to the shareholder’s financial intermediary (if Shares are not held directly with the Fund). Shareholders should refer to relevant state law for the shareholder’s specific rights and responsibilities under his or her state’s escheatment law(s), which can generally be found on a state’s official website.
ACCOUNTS WITH LOW BALANCES
A, C & IS Classes
Federated Hermes reserves the right to close accounts if redemptions or exchanges cause the account balance to fall below:
■ $1,500 for the A and C classes (or in the case of IRAs, $250); and
■ $25,000 for the IS class.
Before an account is closed, you will be notified and allowed at least 30 days to purchase additional Shares to meet the minimum.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund sends an IRS Form 1099 and an annual statement of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Fund distributions of dividends and capital gains are taxable to you whether paid in
cash or reinvested in the Fund. Dividends are taxable at different rates depending on the source of dividend income. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of net long-term capital
gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your Shares.
Fund distributions are expected to be both dividends and capital gains. Redemptions and exchanges are taxable sales. Please consult your tax adviser regarding your federal, state and local tax liability.
FREQUENT TRADING POLICIES
Frequent or short-term trading into and out of the Fund can have adverse consequences for the Fund and shareholders who use the Fund as a long-term investment vehicle. Such trading in significant amounts can disrupt the Fund’s investment strategies (e.g., by requiring it to sell investments at inopportune times or maintain excessive short-term or
cash positions to support redemptions), increase brokerage and administrative costs and affect the timing and amount of taxable gains distributed by the Fund. Investors engaged in such trading may also seek to profit by anticipating changes in
the Fund’s NAV in advance of the time as of which NAV is calculated.
The Fund’s Board has approved policies and procedures intended to discourage excessive frequent or short-term trading of the Fund’s Shares. The Fund’s fair valuation procedures are intended in part to discourage short-term trading strategies by reducing the potential for these strategies to succeed. See “What Do Shares Cost?” The Fund also monitors trading in Fund Shares in an effort to identify disruptive trading activity. The Fund monitors trades into and out of the Fund within
a period of 30 days or less. The Fund may also monitor trades into and out of the Fund for potentially disruptive trading activity over periods longer than 30 days. The size of Share transactions subject to monitoring varies. Where it is determined that a shareholder has exceeded the detection amounts twice within a period of 12 months, the Fund will temporarily prohibit the shareholder from making further purchases or exchanges of Fund Shares. If the shareholder continues to exceed the detection amounts for specified periods, the Fund will impose lengthier trading restrictions on the
shareholder, up to and including permanently prohibiting the shareholder from making any further purchases or exchanges of Fund Shares. Whether or not the specific monitoring limits are exceeded, the Fund’s management or the Adviser may determine from the amount, frequency or pattern of purchases and redemptions or exchanges that a shareholder is engaged
33
in excessive trading that is or could be detrimental to the Fund and other shareholders and may prohibit the shareholder from making further purchases or exchanges of Fund Shares. No matter how the Fund defines its limits on frequent trading of Fund Shares, other purchases and sales of Fund Shares may have adverse effects on the management of the Fund’s portfolio and its performance.
The Fund’s frequent trading restrictions do not apply to purchases and sales of Fund Shares by other Federated Hermes funds. These funds impose the same frequent trading restrictions as the Fund at their shareholder level. In addition, allocation changes of the investing Federated Hermes fund are monitored, and the managers of the recipient fund must determine that there is no disruption to their management activity. The intent of this exception is to allow investing fund
managers to accommodate cash flows and other activity that result from non-abusive trading in the investing fund, without
being stopped from such trading because the aggregate of such trades exceeds the monitoring limits. Nonetheless, as with any trading in Fund Shares, purchases and redemptions of Fund Shares by other Federated Hermes funds could adversely affect the management of the Fund’s portfolio and its performance.
The Fund will not restrict transactions made on a non-discretionary basis by certain asset allocation programs, wrap programs, fund of funds, collective funds or other similar accounts that have been pre-approved by Federated Hermes (“Approved Accounts”). The Fund will continue to monitor transactions by the Approved Accounts and will seek to limit or restrict even non-discretionary transactions by Approved Accounts that are determined to be disruptive or harmful to the Fund.
The Fund’s objective is that its restrictions on short-term trading should apply to all shareholders that are subject to the restrictions, regardless of the number or type of accounts in which Shares are held. However, the Fund anticipates that limitations on its ability to identify trading activity to specific shareholders, including where Shares are held through
intermediaries in multiple or omnibus accounts, will mean that these restrictions may not be able to be applied uniformly
in all cases.
Other funds in the Federated Hermes family of funds may impose different monitoring policies or in some cases, may not monitor for frequent or short-term trading. Under normal market conditions such monitoring policies are designed to protect the funds being monitored and their shareholders and the operation of such policies and shareholder investments under such monitoring are not expected to have materially adverse impact on the Federated Hermes funds or their shareholders. If you plan to exchange your fund shares for shares of another Federated Hermes fund, please read the prospectus of that other Federated Hermes fund for more information.
The Fund may invest in affiliated investment companies whose boards have determined not to adopt frequent trading policies. The Fund therefore may be exposed to any adverse consequences of any frequent or short-term trading in such funds, to the extent of the Fund’s investment therein.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com/FundInformation. A complete listing of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter is posted on the website 30 days (or the next business day) after the end of the quarter and remains posted
for six months thereafter. Summary portfolio composition information as of the close of each month is posted on the website 15 days (or the next business day) after month-end and remains posted until replaced by the information for the succeeding month. The summary portfolio composition information may include percentage breakdowns of the portfolio by effective maturity range, type of security and credit quality.
You may also access portfolio information as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal quarters via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com. The Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Shareholder Reports contain complete listings of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of the Fund’s second and fourth fiscal quarters. Fiscal quarter information is made available on the website within 70 days after the end of the fiscal quarter. This information is also
available in reports filed with the SEC at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.
Each fiscal quarter, the Fund will file with the SEC a complete schedule of its monthly portfolio holdings on “Form N-PORT.” The Fund’s holdings as of the end of the third month of every fiscal quarter, as reported on Form N-PORT, will be publicly available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov within 60 days of the end of the fiscal quarter upon filing. You may also access this information via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com.
In addition, from time to time (for example, during periods of unusual market conditions), additional information regarding the Fund’s portfolio holdings and/or composition may be posted to FederatedInvestors.com. If and when such information is posted, its availability will be noted on, and the information will be accessible from, the home page of the website.
34
Who Manages the Fund?
The Board governs the Fund. The Board selects and oversees the Adviser, Federated Investment Management Company. The Adviser manages the Fund’s assets, including buying and selling portfolio securities. Federated Advisory Services Company (FASC), an affiliate of the Adviser, provides certain support services to the Adviser. The fee for these
services is paid by the Adviser and not by the Fund. The address of the Adviser and FASC is 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779.
The Adviser and other subsidiaries of Federated Hermes advise approximately 163 equity, fixed-income and money market mutual funds as well as a variety of other pooled investment vehicles, private investment companies and customized separately managed accounts (including non-U.S./offshore funds) which totaled approximately $619.4 billion in assets as of December 31, 2020. Federated Hermes was established in 1955 as Federated Investors, Inc. and is one of the largest investment managers in the United States with approximately 1,900 employees. Federated Hermes provides investment products to more than 11,000 investment professionals and institutions.
The Adviser advises approximately 75 fixed-income and money market mutual funds (including sub-advised funds) and private investment companies, which totaled approximately $370.2 billion in assets as of December 31, 2020.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
J. Andrew Kirschler
J. Andrew Kirschler has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since July of 2013.
Mr. Kirschler is responsible for day to day management of the Fund focusing on asset allocation, interest rate strategy and security selection. He has been with the Adviser or an affiliate since 1990; has worked in investment management since 1994; has managed investment portfolios since 2013. Education: B.S., The Pennsylvania State University; M.B.A., University of Pittsburgh.
Todd A. Abraham
Todd A. Abraham, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since November of 2017.
Mr. Abraham is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of the Government/Mortgage-backed Fixed Income Group. He is responsible for overseeing the macro risk elements in the portfolio. He has been with the Adviser or an affiliate since 1993; has worked in investment management since 1993; has managed investment portfolios since 1995. Education: B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.B.A., Loyola College.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, management of other accounts and ownership of securities in the Fund.
ADVISORY FEES
The Fund’s investment advisory contract provides for payment to the Adviser of an annual investment advisory fee of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser may voluntarily waive a portion of its fee or reimburse the Fund for certain operating expenses. The Adviser and its affiliates have also agreed to certain “Fee Limits” as described in the footnote to the “Risk/Return Summary: Fees and Expenses” table found in the “Fund Summary” section of the Prospectus.
A discussion of the Board’s review of the Fund’s investment advisory contract is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports for the periods ended March 31 and September 30, respectively.
Financial Information
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Financial Highlights will help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for its past five fiscal years. Some of the information is presented on a per Share basis. Total returns represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost)
on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains.
As the R6 class has not yet commenced operations, audited fiscal year end information is not available as of the date of this prospectus.
This information has been audited by [], an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s audited financial statements, is included in the Annual Report.
35
Financial Highlights–Class A Shares
(For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period)
|
|
Six Months
Ended
(unaudited)
3/31/2021
|
Year Ended September 30,
|
Period
Ended
9/30/20161
|
Year
Ended
3/31/2016
|
|||
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
2018
|
2017
|
|||
|
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
|
$11.52
|
$10.61
|
$10.22
|
$10.33
|
$10.40
|
$10.24
|
$10.32
|
|
Income From Investment Operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss)2
|
0.05
|
0.09
|
0.18
|
0.26
|
0.15
|
0.14
|
0.12
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
0.03
|
0.90
|
0.43
|
(0.11)
|
(0.07)
|
0.10
|
(0.13)
|
|
Total Income From Investment Operations
|
0.08
|
0.99
|
0.61
|
0.15
|
0.08
|
0.24
|
(0.01)
|
|
Less Distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions from net investment income
|
(0.06)
|
(0.08)
|
(0.22)
|
(0.26)
|
(0.15)
|
(0.08)
|
(0.05)
|
|
Distributions from net realized gain
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(0.02)3
|
|
Total Distributions
|
(0.06)
|
(0.08)
|
(0.22)
|
(0.26)
|
(0.15)
|
(0.08)
|
(0.07)
|
|
Net Asset Value, End of Period
|
$11.54
|
$11.52
|
$10.61
|
$10.22
|
$10.33
|
$10.40
|
$10.24
|
|
Total Return4
|
0.65%
|
9.41%
|
6.03%
|
1.49%
|
0.78%
|
2.40%
|
(0.10)%
|
|
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net expenses5
|
0.74%6
|
0.74%
|
0.74%
|
0.74%
|
0.74%
|
0.74%6
|
0.74%
|
|
Net investment income
|
0.94%6
|
0.80%
|
1.74%
|
2.54%
|
1.47%
|
2.75%6
|
1.21%
|
|
Expense waiver/reimbursement7
|
0.57%6
|
0.82%
|
0.88%
|
1.10%
|
1.08%
|
1.34%6
|
1.06%
|
|
Supplemental Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$19,211
|
$17,772
|
$14,884
|
$23,230
|
$12,819
|
$13,732
|
$13,173
|
|
Portfolio turnover
|
13%
|
78%
|
35%
|
34%
|
26%
|
13%
|
35%
|
|
1
|
The Fund has changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to September 30. This period represents the six-month period from April
1, 2016 to September 30, 2016.
|
|
2
|
Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.
|
|
3
|
Represents a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.
|
|
4
|
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee or contingent deferred sales charge, if
applicable. Total returns for periods of
less than one year are not annualized.
|
|
5
|
Amount does not reflect net expenses incurred by investment companies in which the Fund may invest.
|
|
6
|
Computed on an annualized basis.
|
|
7
|
This expense decrease is reflected in both the net expense and the net investment income ratios shown above. Amount does not
reflect expense waiver/
reimbursement recorded by investment companies in which the Fund may invest.
|
Further information about the Fund’s performance is contained in the Fund’s Annual Report, dated September 30, 2020, which can be obtained free of charge.
36
Financial Highlights–Class C Shares
(For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period)
|
|
Six Months
Ended
(unaudited)
3/31/2021
|
Year Ended September 30,
|
Period
Ended
9/30/20161
|
Year
Ended
3/31/2016
|
|||
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
2018
|
2017
|
|||
|
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
|
$11.31
|
$10.44
|
$10.08
|
$10.18
|
$10.26
|
$10.10
|
$10.24
|
|
Income From Investment Operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss)2
|
0.01
|
(0.00)3
|
0.10
|
0.21
|
0.08
|
0.10
|
0.06
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
0.02
|
0.90
|
0.42
|
(0.13)
|
(0.07)
|
0.11
|
(0.15)
|
|
Total Income From Investment Operations
|
0.03
|
0.90
|
0.52
|
0.08
|
0.01
|
0.21
|
(0.09)
|
|
Less Distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions from net investment income
|
(0.03)
|
(0.03)
|
(0.16)
|
(0.18)
|
(0.09)
|
(0.05)
|
(0.03)
|
|
Distributions from net realized gain
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(0.02)4
|
|
Total Distributions
|
(0.03)
|
(0.03)
|
(0.16)
|
(0.18)
|
(0.09)
|
(0.05)
|
(0.05)
|
|
Net Asset Value, End of Period
|
$11.31
|
$11.31
|
$10.44
|
$10.08
|
$10.18
|
$10.26
|
$10.10
|
|
Total Return5
|
0.22%
|
8.60%
|
5.21%
|
0.77%
|
0.07%
|
2.04%
|
(0.90)%
|
|
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net expenses6
|
1.49%7
|
1.49%
|
1.49%
|
1.49%
|
1.49%
|
1.49%7
|
1.49%
|
|
Net investment income (loss)
|
0.15%7
|
(0.02)%
|
0.94%
|
2.07%
|
0.77%
|
2.00%7
|
0.61%
|
|
Expense waiver/reimbursement8
|
0.56%7
|
0.82%
|
0.88%
|
1.14%
|
1.08%
|
1.34%7
|
1.06%
|
|
Supplemental Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$2,687
|
$2,089
|
$2,284
|
$2,736
|
$4,068
|
$4,710
|
$5,111
|
|
Portfolio turnover
|
13%
|
78%
|
35%
|
34%
|
26%
|
13%
|
35%
|
|
1
|
The Fund has changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to September 30. This period represents the six-month period from April
1, 2016 to September 30, 2016.
|
|
2
|
Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.
|
|
3
|
Represents less than $0.01.
|
|
4
|
Represents a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.
|
|
5
|
Based on net asset value, which does not reflect the sales charge, redemption fee or contingent deferred sales charge, if
applicable. Total returns for periods of
less than one year are not annualized.
|
|
6
|
Amount does not reflect net expenses incurred by investment companies in which the Fund may invest.
|
|
7
|
Computed on an annualized basis.
|
|
8
|
This expense decrease is reflected in both the net expense and the net investment income (loss) ratios shown above. Amount
does not reflect expense waiver/
reimbursement recorded by investment companies in which the Fund may invest.
|
Further information about the Fund’s performance is contained in the Fund’s Annual Report, dated September 30, 2020, which can be obtained free of charge.
37
Financial Highlights–Institutional Shares
(For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period)
|
|
Six Months
Ended
(unaudited)
3/31/2021
|
Year Ended September 30,
|
Period
Ended
9/30/20161
|
Year
Ended
3/31/2016
|
|||
|
|
2020
|
2019
|
2018
|
2017
|
|||
|
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
|
$11.60
|
$10.67
|
$10.27
|
$10.37
|
$10.44
|
$10.28
|
$10.35
|
|
Income From Investment Operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss)2
|
0.06
|
0.12
|
0.25
|
0.30
|
0.18
|
0.15
|
0.14
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
|
0.03
|
0.91
|
0.39
|
(0.11)
|
(0.07)
|
0.11
|
(0.14)
|
|
Total Income From Investment Operations
|
0.09
|
1.03
|
0.64
|
0.19
|
0.11
|
0.26
|
0.00
|
|
Less Distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distributions from net investment income
|
(0.07)
|
(0.10)
|
(0.24)
|
(0.29)
|
(0.18)
|
(0.10)
|
(0.05)
|
|
Distributions from net realized gain
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(0.02)3
|
|
Total Distributions
|
(0.07)
|
(0.10)
|
(0.24)
|
(0.29)
|
(0.18)
|
(0.10)
|
(0.07)
|
|
Net Asset Value, End of Period
|
$11.62
|
$11.60
|
$10.67
|
$10.27
|
$10.37
|
$10.44
|
$10.28
|
|
Total Return4
|
0.77%
|
9.74%
|
6.29%
|
1.82%
|
1.04%
|
2.52%
|
0.06%
|
|
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net expenses5
|
0.49%6
|
0.49%
|
0.49%
|
0.49%
|
0.49%
|
0.49%6
|
0.49%
|
|
Net investment income
|
1.10%6
|
1.06%
|
2.39%
|
2.93%
|
1.76%
|
2.94%6
|
1.37%
|
|
Expense waiver/reimbursement7
|
0.55%6
|
0.82%
|
0.88%
|
1.13%
|
1.08%
|
1.36%6
|
1.06%
|
|
Supplemental Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted)
|
$64,311
|
$34,967
|
$24,444
|
$14,048
|
$14,377
|
$13,760
|
$11,837
|
|
Portfolio turnover
|
13%
|
78%
|
35%
|
34%
|
26%
|
13%
|
35%
|
|
1
|
The Fund has changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to September 30. This period represents the six-month period from April
1, 2016 to September 30, 2016.
|
|
2
|
Per share numbers have been calculated using the average shares method.
|
|
3
|
Represents a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.
|
|
4
|
Based on net asset value. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
|
|
5
|
Amount does not reflect net expenses incurred by investment companies in which the Fund may invest.
|
|
6
|
Computed on an annualized basis.
|
|
7
|
This expense decrease is reflected in both the net expense and the net investment income ratios shown above. Amount does not
reflect expense waiver/
reimbursement recorded by investment companies in which the Fund may invest.
|
Further information about the Fund’s performance is contained in the Fund’s Annual Report, dated September 30, 2020, which can be obtained free of charge.
38
Appendix A: Hypothetical Investment and Expense Information
The following charts provide additional hypothetical information about the effect of the Fund’s expenses, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s assumed returns over a 10-year period. Each chart shows the estimated expenses that would be incurred in respect of a hypothetical investment of $10,000, assuming a 5% return each year, and no redemption of Shares. Each chart also assumes that the Fund’s annual expense ratio stays the same throughout the 10-year period (except for the C class, which converts to the A class after you have held them for eight years) and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratios used in each chart are the same as stated in the “Fees and Expenses” table of this Prospectus (and thus may not reflect any fee waiver or expense reimbursement currently in effect). The maximum amount of any sales charge that might be imposed on the purchase of Shares (and deducted from the hypothetical initial investment of $10,000; the “Front-End Sales Charge”) is reflected in the “Hypothetical Expenses” column. The hypothetical investment information does not reflect the effect of charges (if any) normally applicable to redemptions of Shares (e.g., deferred sales charges, redemption fees). Mutual fund returns, as well
as fees and expenses, may fluctuate over time, and your actual investment returns and total expenses may be higher or lower than those shown below.
|
FEDERATED HERMES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND - A CLASS
|
|||||
|
ANNUAL EXPENSE RATIO: 1.24%
|
|||||
|
MAXIMUM FRONT-END SALES CHARGE: 4.50%
|
|||||
|
Year
|
Hypothetical
Beginning
Investment
|
Hypothetical
Performance
Earnings
|
Investment
After
Returns
|
Hypothetical
Expenses
|
Hypothetical
Ending
Investment
|
|
1
|
$10,000.00
|
$477.50
|
$10,027.50
|
$570.65
|
$9,909.08
|
|
2
|
$9,909.08
|
$495.45
|
$10,404.53
|
$125.18
|
$10,281.66
|
|
3
|
$10,281.66
|
$514.08
|
$10,795.74
|
$129.89
|
$10,668.25
|
|
4
|
$10,668.25
|
$533.41
|
$11,201.66
|
$134.77
|
$11,069.38
|
|
5
|
$11,069.38
|
$553.47
|
$11,622.85
|
$139.84
|
$11,485.59
|
|
6
|
$11,485.59
|
$574.28
|
$12,059.87
|
$145.10
|
$11,917.45
|
|
7
|
$11,917.45
|
$595.87
|
$12,513.32
|
$150.55
|
$12,365.55
|
|
8
|
$12,365.55
|
$618.28
|
$12,983.83
|
$156.22
|
$12,830.49
|
|
9
|
$12,830.49
|
$641.52
|
$13,472.01
|
$162.09
|
$13,312.92
|
|
10
|
$13,312.92
|
$665.65
|
$13,978.57
|
$168.18
|
$13,813.49
|
|
Cumulative
|
|
$5,669.51
|
|
$1,882.47
|
|
|
FEDERATED HERMES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND - C CLASS
|
|||||
|
ANNUAL EXPENSE RATIO: 1.99%
|
|||||
|
MAXIMUM FRONT-END SALES CHARGE: NONE
|
|||||
|
Year
|
Hypothetical
Beginning
Investment
|
Hypothetical
Performance
Earnings
|
Investment
After
Returns
|
Hypothetical
Expenses
|
Hypothetical
Ending
Investment
|
|
1
|
$10,000.00
|
$500.00
|
$10,500.00
|
$201.99
|
$10,301.00
|
|
2
|
$10,301.00
|
$515.05
|
$10,816.05
|
$208.07
|
$10,611.06
|
|
3
|
$10,611.06
|
$530.55
|
$11,141.61
|
$214.34
|
$10,930.45
|
|
4
|
$10,930.45
|
$546.52
|
$11,476.97
|
$220.79
|
$11,259.46
|
|
5
|
$11,259.46
|
$562.97
|
$11,822.43
|
$227.44
|
$11,598.37
|
|
6
|
$11,598.37
|
$579.92
|
$12,178.29
|
$234.28
|
$11,947.48
|
|
7
|
$11,947.48
|
$597.37
|
$12,544.85
|
$241.33
|
$12,307.10
|
|
8
|
$12,307.10
|
$615.36
|
$12,922.46
|
$248.60
|
$12,677.54
|
|
Converts from Class C to Class A
|
|
|
|
Annual Expense Ratio 1.24%
|
|
|
9
|
$12,677.54
|
$633.88
|
$13,311.42
|
$160.16
|
$13,154.22
|
|
10
|
$13,154.22
|
$657.71
|
$13,811.93
|
$166.18
|
$13,648.82
|
|
Cumulative
|
|
$5,739.33
|
|
$2,123.18
|
|
39
|
FEDERATED HERMES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND - IS CLASS
|
|||||
|
ANNUAL EXPENSE RATIO: 0.99%
|
|||||
|
MAXIMUM FRONT-END SALES CHARGE: NONE
|
|||||
|
Year
|
Hypothetical
Beginning
Investment
|
Hypothetical
Performance
Earnings
|
Investment
After
Returns
|
Hypothetical
Expenses
|
Hypothetical
Ending
Investment
|
|
1
|
$10,000.00
|
$500.00
|
$10,500.00
|
$100.98
|
$10,401.00
|
|
2
|
$10,401.00
|
$520.05
|
$10,921.05
|
$105.03
|
$10,818.08
|
|
3
|
$10,818.08
|
$540.90
|
$11,358.98
|
$109.25
|
$11,251.89
|
|
4
|
$11,251.89
|
$562.59
|
$11,814.48
|
$113.63
|
$11,703.09
|
|
5
|
$11,703.09
|
$585.15
|
$12,288.24
|
$118.18
|
$12,172.38
|
|
6
|
$12,172.38
|
$608.62
|
$12,781.00
|
$122.92
|
$12,660.49
|
|
7
|
$12,660.49
|
$633.02
|
$13,293.51
|
$127.85
|
$13,168.18
|
|
8
|
$13,168.18
|
$658.41
|
$13,826.59
|
$132.98
|
$13,696.22
|
|
9
|
$13,696.22
|
$684.81
|
$14,381.03
|
$138.31
|
$14,245.44
|
|
10
|
$14,245.44
|
$712.27
|
$14,957.71
|
$143.86
|
$14,816.68
|
|
Cumulative
|
|
$6,005.82
|
|
$1,212.99
|
|
|
FEDERATED HERMES INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES FUND - R6 CLASS
|
|||||
|
ANNUAL EXPENSE RATIO: 0.94%
|
|||||
|
MAXIMUM FRONT-END SALES CHARGE: NONE
|
|||||
|
Year
|
Hypothetical
Beginning
Investment
|
Hypothetical
Performance
Earnings
|
Investment
After
Returns
|
Hypothetical
Expenses
|
Hypothetical
Ending
Investment
|
|
1
|
$10,000.00
|
$500.00
|
$10,500.00
|
$95.91
|
$10,406.00
|
|
2
|
$10,406.00
|
$520.30
|
$10,926.30
|
$99.80
|
$10,828.48
|
|
3
|
$10,828.48
|
$541.42
|
$11,369.90
|
$103.85
|
$11,268.12
|
|
4
|
$11,268.12
|
$563.41
|
$11,831.53
|
$108.07
|
$11,725.61
|
|
5
|
$11,725.61
|
$586.28
|
$12,311.89
|
$112.46
|
$12,201.67
|
|
6
|
$12,201.67
|
$610.08
|
$12,811.75
|
$117.02
|
$12,697.06
|
|
7
|
$12,697.06
|
$634.85
|
$13,331.91
|
$121.78
|
$13,212.56
|
|
8
|
$13,212.56
|
$660.63
|
$13,873.19
|
$126.72
|
$13,748.99
|
|
9
|
$13,748.99
|
$687.45
|
$14,436.44
|
$131.86
|
$14,307.20
|
|
10
|
$14,307.20
|
$715.36
|
$15,022.56
|
$137.22
|
$14,888.07
|
|
Cumulative
|
|
$6,019.78
|
|
$1,154.69
|
|
40
Appendix B: Sales Charge Waivers and Exchange Features for Shareholders Purchasing Through Certain Financial Intermediaries
The term “fund family,” used herein, shall refer to the Federated Hermes mutual funds.
The following Appendix applies to certain share classes offered by the Fund.
Ameriprise Financial
CLASS A SHARES FRONT-END SALES CHARGE WAIVERS AVAILABLE AT AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL:
The following information applies to Class A shares purchases if you have an account with or otherwise purchase Fund shares through Ameriprise Financial:
Effective January 15, 2021, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial retail brokerage account are eligible for the following front-end sales charge waivers, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in
this Fund’s prospectus or SAI:
■ Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the same fund family).
■ Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 7-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares or conversion of Class C shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply.
■ Employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members.
■ Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor’s spouse, advisor’s lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor’s lineal descendant (son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant.
■ Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement).
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
Effective June 15, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investors A-shares Available at Baird
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing share of the same fund;
■ Share purchase by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliate and their family members as designated by Baird;
■ Shares purchase from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided: (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption; (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same accounts; and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement);
■ Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a CDSC and are exchanged to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the same fund pursuant to Baird’s intra-fund share class policies and procedures;
■ Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.
41
CDSC Waivers on Investor A and C Shares Available at Baird
■ Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder;
■ Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus;
■ Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account;
■ Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code;
■ Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird;
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulations
■ Breakpoints as described in this prospectus;
■ Rights of accumulations which entitles shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible fund family assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulations calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets;
■ Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family through Baird, over a 13-month period of time.
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (EDWARD JONES)
Policies Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
The following information has been provided by Edward Jones
Effective on or after March 1, 2021, the following information supersedes prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares through an Edward Jones system. Shareholders purchasing Fund shares on the Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms are eligible only for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or statement of additional information (SAI). In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to inform Edward Jones at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings of fund family, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for waivers or discounts. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Edward Jones if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.
Front-End Sales Load Waivers on Class A and F Shares Available at Edward Jones
Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:
■ Associates of Edward Jones and its affiliates and their family members who are in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate’s life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing and remains in good standing pursuant to Edward Jones’ policies and procedures.
■ Shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment.
■ Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the following conditions are met: 1) the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, and 2) the sale and purchase are made in the same share class and the same account or the purchase is made in an individual retirement account with proceeds from liquidations in a non-retirement account.
■ Shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share Class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus.
■ Exchanges from Class C shares to Class A shares of the same fund, generally, in the 84th month following the anniversary of the purchase date or earlier at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones will be responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable.
CDSC Waivers on A, B, C and F Shares Available at Edward Jones
If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder will be responsible to pay the CDSC except in the following conditions:
■ Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
■ Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan (limited to up to 10% per year of the account value).
42
■ Return of excess contributions from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
■ Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.
■ Shares sold to pay Edward Jones fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones.
■ Shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable.
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
■ Shares redeemed at the discretion of Edward Jones for Minimum Balances, as described below.
Front-End Load Discounts Available at Edward Jones:
Rights of Accumulation (ROA)
■ The applicable sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares is determined by taking into account all share classes (except certain money market funds and any assets held in group retirement plans) of the fund family held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations (“pricing groups”). If grouping assets as a shareholder, this includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the ROA calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Money market funds are included only if such shares were sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase or acquired in exchange for shares purchased with a sales charge.
■ The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.
■ ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or market value (current shares x NAV).
Letter of Intent (LOI)
■ Through a LOI, shareholders can receive the sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases shareholders intend to make over a 13-month period from the date Edward Jones receives the LOI. The LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at LOI initiation in combination with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the
shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not adjusted under the LOI and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if LOI is not met.
■ If the employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer.
Other Important Information REGARDING TRANSACTIONS THROUGH EDWARD JONES
Minimum Purchase Amounts
■ Initial purchase minimum: $250
■ Subsequent purchase minimum: none
Minimum Balances
■ Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy:
■ A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform
■ A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform
■ An account with an active systematic investment plan or LOI
Exchanging Share Classes
■ At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to exchange at NAV a shareholder’s holdings in a fund to Class A shares of the same fund.
43
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Effective May 1, 2020, if you purchase or redeem Fund shares through a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”) brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.
Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A Shares available at Janney
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
■ Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney.
■ Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided: (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption; (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account; and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement).
■ Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
■ Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are exchanged to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the same fund pursuant to Janney’s intra-fund share class policies and procedures.
CDSC Waivers on Class A and C Shares available at Janney
■ Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
■ Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
■ Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
■ Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.
■ Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney.
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
■ Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different Federated Hermes fund, if the shares were held for the applicable CDSC holding period (the holding period on the shares purchased in the exchange will include the holding period of the shares sold in the exchange).
Front-end sales charge discounts available at Janney: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation, and/or Letters of Intent
■ Breakpoints as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
■ Rights of accumulation (“ROA”), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
■ Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
Merrill Lynch
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch
■ Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan;
■ Shares purchased by a 529 Plan (does not include 529 Plan units or 529-specific share classes or equivalents);
■ Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program or exchanged due to the holdings moving from the program;
44
■ Shares exchanged due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers;
■ Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform;
■ Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (if applicable);
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family);
■ Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e., level-load) shares of the same fund pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers;
■ Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members;
■ Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in the prospectus;
■ Eligible shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided: (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption; (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account; and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e., systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill Lynch’s account maintenance fees are not eligible for reinstatement.
CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch
■ Death or disability of the shareholder;
■ Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus;
■ Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account;
■ Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code;
■ Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch;
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement;
■ Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to A and C shares only);
■ Class A Shares received through an exchange due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers.
Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch:
Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
■ Breakpoints as described in this prospectus;
■ Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the Fund’s prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets;
■ Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable).
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
■ Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans;
■ Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules;
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund;
45
■ Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account;
■ Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are exchanged to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s intra-fund share class exchange program;
■ Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge.
OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC.
Effective May 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (OPCO) platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at OPCO
■ Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
■ Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan
■ Shares purchased through an OPCO affiliated investment advisory program
■ Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)
■ Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided: (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption; (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account; and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).
■ A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares automatically exchanged at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the automatic exchange is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO
■ Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members
■ Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus
CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares available at OPCO
■ Death or disability of the shareholder
■ Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus
■ Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
■ Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code
■ Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
Front-end load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
■ Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
■ Rights of Accumulation (ROA), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”)
Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing and redeeming Fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end
sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
46
Front-End Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Raymond James
■ Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.
■ Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.
■ Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.
■ Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided: (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption; (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account; and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).
■ A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares automatically exchanged at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the automatic exchange is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.
CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares Available at Raymond James
■ Death or disability of the shareholder.
■ Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus.
■ Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
■ Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s prospectus.
■ Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.
■ Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
Front-End Load Discounts Available at Raymond James: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation, and/or Letters of Intent
■ Breakpoints as described in this prospectus;
■ Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
■ Letters of Intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
Effective July 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”) platform or account or who own shares for which Stifel or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record are eligible for the following additional sales charge waiver.
Front-End Sales Load Waiver on Class A Shares
■ Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years will be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures
All other sales charge waivers and reductions described elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus or SAI still apply.
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
Effective November 1, 2021, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. (“USBI”) platform or who own shares for which USBI is the broker-dealer, where the shares are held in an omnibus account, will be eligible for the following front-end sales charge waivers and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the Funds’ Prospectus or SAI. All other sales charge waivers and reductions described elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus or SAI still apply.
USBI Conversion of Class C Shares
Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge are systematically converted to the Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to USBI’s intra-fund share class policy. No front-end sales charge will apply to such conversions.
47
An SAI dated December 29, 2021, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund and its investments is contained in the Fund’s SAI and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders as they become available. The Annual Report’s Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance discusses market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI contains a description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities. To obtain the SAI, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report and other information without charge, and to make inquiries, call your financial intermediary or the Fund at 1-800-341-7400.
As of January 1, 2021, paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail. Instead, the reports will be made available on FederatedInvestors.com/FundInformation, and you will be notified and provided with a link each time a report is posted to the website. You may request to receive paper reports from the Fund or from your financial
intermediary, free of charge, at any time. You may also request to receive documents through e-delivery.
These documents, as well as additional information about the Fund (including portfolio holdings, performance and distributions), are also available on FederatedInvestors.com.
You can obtain information about the Fund (including the SAI) by accessing Fund information from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. You can purchase copies of this information by contacting the SEC by email at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
Contact us at FederatedInvestors.com
or call 1-800-341-7400.
or call 1-800-341-7400.
Federated Securities Corp., Distributor
Investment Company Act File No. 811-4577
CUSIP 31420C779
CUSIP 31420C761
CUSIP 31420C753
CUSIP TBD
CUSIP 31420C761
CUSIP 31420C753
CUSIP TBD
35386 (12/21)
© 2021 Federated Hermes, Inc.
Statement of Additional Information
December 29, 2021
|
Share Class | Ticker
|
A | RRFAX
|
C | RRFCX
|
Institutional | RRFIX
|
R6 TBD
|
Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund
(formerly, Federated Hermes Real Return Bond Fund)
A Portfolio of Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a Prospectus. Read this SAI in conjunction with the Prospectus for Federated
Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund (the “Fund”), dated December 29, 2021.
This SAI incorporates by reference the Fund’s Annual Report. Obtain the Prospectus or the Annual Report without charge by calling 1-800-341-7400.
|
|
Contents
|
|
1
|
How is the Fund Organized?
|
Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
Contact us at FederatedInvestors.com
or call 1-800-341-7400.
or call 1-800-341-7400.
Federated Securities Corp., Distributor
35387 (12/21)
© 2021 Federated Hermes, Inc.
How is the Fund Organized?
The Fund is a diversified portfolio of Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust (“Trust”). The Trust is an open-end, management investment company that was established under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on January 24, 1986. The Trust may offer separate series of shares representing interests in separate portfolios of securities.
The Board of Trustees (“Board”) has established four classes of shares of the Fund, known as Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares and R6 Shares (“Shares”). This SAI relates to all classes of Shares. The Fund’s investment adviser is Federated Investment Management Company (“Adviser”). The Adviser is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to its operation of the Fund.
Effective June 26, 2020, the Trust changed its name from Federated Income Securities Trust to Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust and the Fund changed its name from Federated Real Return Bond Fund to Federated Hermes Real Return Bond Fund.
Securities in Which the Fund Invests
The principal securities or other investments in which the Fund invests are described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The Fund also may invest in securities or other investments as non-principal investments for any purpose that is consistent with its investment
objective. The following information is either additional information in respect of a principal security or other investment
referenced in the Prospectus or information in respect of a non-principal security or other investment (in which case there
is no related disclosure in the Prospectus).
Securities Descriptions And Techniques
Government Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)
Government securities are issued or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality acting under federal authority. Some
government securities, including those issued by Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States and are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal.
Other government securities receive support through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits but are not backed by the full
faith and credit of the United States. For example, the U.S. Treasury is authorized to purchase specified amounts of securities
issued by (or otherwise make funds available to) the Federal Home Loan Bank System, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), and Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) in support of such obligations.
Some government agency securities have no explicit financial support, and are supported only by the credit of the applicable
agency, instrumentality or corporation. The U.S. government has provided financial support to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae,
but there is no assurance that it will support these or other agencies in the future.
Investors generally regard government securities as having minimal credit risks, but not as low as Treasury securities.
The Fund treats mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality as government securities. Although such a guarantee helps protect against credit risk, it does not eliminate it entirely or reduce other risks.
Additional Information Related to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption that impacted the capital and credit markets beginning in 2008 led to market concerns regarding the ability of Freddie Mac
and Fannie Mae to withstand future credit losses associated with securities held in their investment portfolios, and on which
they provide guarantees, without the direct support of the federal government. On September 7, 2008, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae
were placed under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Under the plan of conservatorship, the
FHFA assumed control of, and generally has the power to direct, the operations of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and is empowered to exercise all powers collectively held by their respective shareholders, directors and officers, including the
power to: (1) take over the assets of and operate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors
and the officers of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and conduct all business of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (2) collect all obligations
and money due to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (3) perform all functions of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which are consistent
with the conservator’s appointment; (4) preserve and conserve the assets and property of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; and (5) contract for assistance in fulfilling any function, activity, action or duty of the conservator.
In connection with the actions taken by the FHFA, the Treasury has entered into certain preferred stock purchase agreements
(SPAs) with each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which establish the Treasury as the holder of a new class of senior preferred
stock in each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The senior preferred stock was issued in connection with financial contributions
from the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Although the SPAs are subject to amendment from time to time, currently the
Treasury is obligated to provide such financial contributions up to an aggregate maximum amount determined by a formula set
forth in the SPAs, and until such aggregate maximum amount is reached, there is not a specific end date to the Treasury’s obligations.
1
The future status and role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Freddie
Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s operations and activities under the SPAs, market responses to developments at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, downgrades or upgrades in the credit ratings assigned to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by nationally recognized statistical
rating organizations (NRSROs) or ratings services, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations,
ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows
on, any securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In addition, the future of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and other U.S. government-sponsored enterprises that are not backed
by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (GSEs), remains in question as the U.S. government continues to consider
options ranging from structural reform, nationalization, privatization, or consolidation, to outright elimination. The issues
that have led to significant U.S. government support for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have sparked serious debate regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing mortgage loan liquidity.
Mortgage-Backed Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)
Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in pools of mortgages. The mortgages that comprise a pool normally have similar interest rates, maturities and other terms. Mortgages may have fixed or adjustable interest rates. Interests in pools
of adjustable-rate mortgages are known as ARMs.
Mortgage-backed securities come in a variety of forms. The simplest forms of mortgage-backed securities are pass-through certificates. Holders of pass-through certificates receive a pro rata share of all net interest and principal payments and
prepayments from the underlying mortgages. As a result, the holders assume all interest rate and prepayment risks of the underlying mortgages. Other mortgage-backed securities may have more complicated financial structures.
The Fund may invest in both agency mortgage-backed securities and in mortgage-backed securities that are issued by private
entities. The ability to invest in securities issued by private entity creates additional credit risk.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) (A Type of Mortgage-Backed Security)
CMOs, including interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), allocate payments and prepayments from an
underlying pass-through certificate among holders of different classes of mortgage-backed securities. This creates different
prepayment and interest rate risks for each CMO class. The degree of increased or decreased prepayment risks depends upon
the structure of the CMOs. However, the actual returns on any type of mortgage-backed security depend upon the performance of
the underlying pool of mortgages, which no one can predict and will vary among pools.
Loan Instruments (A Fixed-Income Security)
The Fund may invest in loans and loan-related instruments, which are generally interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or groups of lenders known as lending syndicates (loans and loan participations).
Such instruments include, but are not limited to, interests in trade finance loan transactions, pre-export/import finance
transactions, factoring, syndicated loan transactions and forfaiting transactions.
Trade finance refers generally to loans made to producers, sellers, importers and/or exporters in relation to commodities,
goods, or services. Such loans typically have short-to-medium term maturities and will generally be self-liquidating (i.e.,
as the goods or commodities are sold, proceeds from payments for such goods or commodities are used to pay the principal on the loan
prior to being distributed to the borrower). Types of trade finance related loans include, but are not limited to structured
finance transactions, pre-export/import finance transactions, project financing and forfaiting transactions.
Investments in certain loans have additional risks that result from the use of agents and other interposed financial institutions.
Such loans are structured and administered by a financial institution (e.g., a commercial bank) that acts as the agent of
the lending syndicate. The agent bank, which may or may not also be a lender, typically administers and enforces the loan on behalf
of the lenders in the lending syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the agent bank, holds the collateral,
if any, on behalf of the lenders. A financial institution’s employment as an agent bank might be terminated for a number of reasons, for example, 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 likely
would 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 government agency) similar risks may arise.
2
Loan instruments may be secured or unsecured. If secured, then the lenders have been granted rights to specific property,
which is commonly referred to as collateral. The purpose of securing loans is to allow the lenders to exercise rights over
the collateral if a loan is not repaid as required by the terms of the loan agreement. Collateral may include security interests
in receivables, goods, commodities, or real property. With regard to trade finance loan transactions the collateral itself may
be the source of proceeds to repay the loan (i.e., the borrower’s ability to repay the loan will be dependent on the borrower’s ability to sell, and the purchaser’s ability to buy, the goods or commodities that are collateral for the loan).Interests in loan instruments may also be tranched or tiered with respect to collateral rights. Unsecured loans expose the lenders to increased credit risk.
The loan instruments in which the Fund may invest may involve borrowers, agent banks, co-lenders and collateral located both
in the United States and outside of the United States (in both developed and emerging markets).
The Fund treats loan instruments as a type of fixed-income security. Investments in loan instruments may expose the Fund to
interest rate risk, risks of investing in foreign securities, credit risk, liquidity risk, risks of non-investment grade securities,
risks of emerging markets, and leverage risk. (For purposes of the descriptions in this SAI of these various risks, references to “issuer,” include borrowers under loan instruments.) Many loan instruments incorporate risk mitigation, credit enhancement (e.g., standby
letters of credit) and insurance products into their structures, in order to manage these risks. There is no guarantee that
these risk management techniques will work as intended.
Loans and loan-related instruments are generally considered to be illiquid due to the length of time required to transfer
an interest in a loan or a related instrument. Additionally, in the case of some loans, such as those related to trade finance,
there is a limited secondary market. The liquidity of a particular loan will be determined by the Adviser under guidelines adopted by
the Fund’s board.
Loan Assignments (A Type of Loan Instrument)
The Fund may purchase a loan assignment from the agent bank or other member of the lending syndicate. Investments in loans
through an assignment may involve additional risks to the Funds. 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, a 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, the Funds rely on the Adviser’s research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Fund.
Loan Participations (A Type of Loan Instrument)
The Fund may purchase a funded participation interest in a loan, by which the Fund has the right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees from an intermediary (typically a bank, financial institution or lending syndicate) that has
a direct contractual relationship with a borrower. In loan participations, the Fund does not have a direct contractual relationship
with the borrower.
The Fund may also purchase a type of a participation interest, known as risk participation interest. In this case, the Fund
will receive a fee in exchange for the promise to make a payment to a lender if a borrower fails to make a payment of principal,
interest or fees, as required by the loan agreement.
When purchasing loan participations, the Fund will be exposed to credit risk of the borrower and, in some cases, the intermediary offering the participation. A participation agreement also may limit the rights of the Fund to vote on changes
that may be made to the underlying loan agreement, such as waiving a breach of a covenant. The participation interests in which
a Fund intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service or, if rated, may be below investment
grade and expose the Fund to the risks of noninvestment-grade securities.
Commercial Paper (A Type of Corporate Debt Security)
Commercial paper is an issuer’s obligation with a maturity of less than nine months. Companies typically issue commercial paper to pay for current expenditures. Most issuers constantly reissue their commercial paper and use the proceeds (or bank
loans) to repay maturing paper. If the issuer cannot continue to obtain liquidity in this fashion, its commercial paper may
default. The short maturity of commercial paper generally reduces both the market and credit risks as compared to other debt securities
of the same issuer.
Demand Instruments (A Type of Tax-Exempt Security)
Demand instruments are corporate debt securities that the issuer must repay upon demand. Other demand instruments require
a third party, such as a dealer or bank, to repurchase the security for its face value upon demand. The Fund treats demand instruments as short-term securities, even though their stated maturity may extend beyond one year.
3
Sequential CMOs (A Type of CMO)
In a sequential pay CMO, one class of CMOs receives all principal payments and prepayments. The next class of CMOs receives all principal payments after the first class is paid off. This process repeats for each sequential class of CMO.
As a result, each class of sequential pay CMOs reduces the prepayment risks of subsequent classes.
PACs, TACs and Companion Classes (Types of CMOs)
More sophisticated CMOs include planned amortization classes (PACs) and targeted amortization classes (TACs). PACs and TACs are issued with companion classes. PACs and TACs receive principal payments and prepayments at a specified rate. The
companion classes receive principal payments and prepayments in excess of the specified rate. In addition, PACs will receive
the companion classes’ share of principal payments, if necessary, to cover a shortfall in the prepayment rate. This helps PACs and TACs to control prepayment risks by increasing the risks to their companion classes.
IOs and POs (Types of CMOs)
CMOs may allocate interest payments to one class (“Interest Only” or IOs) and principal payments to another class (“Principal Only” or POs). POs increase in value when prepayment rates increase. In contrast, IOs decrease in value when prepayments increase, because the underlying mortgages generate less interest payments. However, IOs tend to increase in value when interest
rates rise (and prepayments decrease), making IOs a useful hedge against interest rate risks.
Floaters and Inverse Floaters (Types of CMOs)
Another variant allocates interest payments between two classes of CMOs. One class (“Floaters”) receives a share of interest payments based upon a market index such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The other class (“Inverse Floaters”) receives any remaining interest payments from the underlying mortgages. Floater classes receive more interest (and Inverse
Floater classes receive correspondingly less interest) as interest rates rise. This shifts prepayment and interest rate risks
from the Floater to the Inverse Floater class, reducing the price volatility of the Floater class and increasing the price volatility
of the Inverse Floater class.
Z Classes and Residual Classes (Types of CMOs)
CMOs must allocate all payments received from the underlying mortgages to some class. To capture any unallocated payments, CMOs generally have an accrual (Z) class. Z classes do not receive any payments from the underlying mortgages until
all other CMO classes have been paid off. Once this happens, holders of Z class CMOs receive all payments and prepayments.
Similarly, REMICs have residual interests that receive any mortgage payments not allocated to another REMIC class.
Asset-Backed Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)
Asset-backed securities are payable from pools of obligations other than mortgages. Most asset-backed securities involve consumer or commercial debts with maturities of less than ten years. However, almost any type of fixed-income assets (including
other fixed-income securities) may be used to create an asset-backed security. Asset-backed securities may take the form of
commercial paper, notes or pass through certificates. Asset-backed securities have prepayment risks. Like CMOs, asset-backed
securities may be structured like Floaters, Inverse Floaters, IOs and POs.
Bank Instruments (A Fixed-Income Security)
Bank instruments are unsecured interest-bearing deposits with banks. Bank instruments include, but are not limited to, bank
accounts, time deposits, certificates of deposit and banker’s acceptances. Yankee instruments are denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by U.S. branches of foreign banks. Eurodollar instruments are denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by non-U.S. branches of U.S. or foreign banks.
Derivative Contracts
Derivative contracts are financial instruments that require payments based upon changes in the values of designated securities,
commodities, currencies, indices, or other assets or instruments including other derivative contracts, (each a “Reference Instrument” and collectively, “Reference Instruments”). Each party to a derivative contract may sometimes be referred to as a counterparty. Some derivative contracts require payments relating to an actual, future trade involving the Reference Instrument.
These types of derivatives are frequently referred to as “physically settled” derivatives. Other derivative contracts require payments relating to the income or returns from, or changes in the market value of, a Reference Instrument. These types of
derivatives are known as “cash-settled” derivatives, since they require cash payments in lieu of delivery of the Reference Instrument.
4
Many derivative contracts are traded on securities or commodities exchanges. In this case, the exchange sets all the terms
of the contract except for the price. Investors make payments due under their contracts through the exchange. Most exchanges
require investors to maintain margin accounts through their brokers to cover their potential obligations to the exchange.
Parties to the contract make (or collect) daily payments to the margin accounts to reflect losses (or gains) in the value of their contracts.
This protects investors against potential defaults by the other party to the contract. Trading contracts on an exchange also
allows investors to close out their contracts by entering into offsetting contracts.
For example, the Fund could close out an open contract to buy an asset at a future date by entering into an offsetting contract
to sell the same asset on the same date. If the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes
a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss. Exchanges may limit the amount of open contracts permitted at any one time.
Such limits may prevent the Fund from closing out a position. If this happens, the Fund will be required to keep the contract open
(even if it is losing money on the contract), and to make any payments required under the contract (even if it has to sell
portfolio securities at unfavorable prices to do so). Inability to close out a contract could also harm the Fund by preventing it from
disposing of or trading any assets it has been using to secure its obligations under the contract.
The Fund may also trade derivative contracts over-the-counter (OTC) in transactions negotiated directly between the Fund and
a financial institution. OTC contracts do not necessarily have standard terms, so they may be less liquid and more difficult
to close-out than exchange-traded contracts. In addition, OTC contracts with more specialized terms may be more difficult to
value than exchange-traded contracts, especially in times of financial stress.
The market for swaps and other OTC derivatives was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known
as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”). Regulations enacted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC) under the Dodd-Frank Act require the Fund to clear certain swap contracts
through a clearing house or central counterparty (a CCP).
To clear a swap through the CCP, the Fund will submit the contract to, and post margin with, a futures commission merchant
(FCM) that is a clearinghouse member. The Fund may enter into the swap with a financial institution other than the FCM and
arrange for the contract to be transferred to the FCM for clearing, or enter into the contract with the FCM itself. If the
Fund must centrally clear a transaction, the CFTC’s regulations also generally require that the swap be executed on a registered exchange or through a market facility that is known as a swap execution facility or “SEF.” Central clearing is presently required only for certain swaps, and the CFTC is expected to impose a mandatory central clearing requirement for additional derivative instruments over time.
The CCP, SEF and FCM are all subject to regulatory oversight by the CFTC. In addition, most derivative market participants
are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants and are subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. Similar regulatory requirements are expected to apply to derivative contracts
that are subject to the jurisdiction of the SEC, although the SEC has not yet finalized its regulations. In addition, uncleared
OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to
be received under such instruments at an inopportune time.
Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete
impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund.
Depending on how the Fund uses derivative contracts and the relationships between the market value of a derivative contract
and the Reference Instrument, derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the Reference Instrument, and may also expose the Fund to liquidity and leverage risks. OTC contracts also expose the Fund to credit risks
in the event that a counterparty defaults on the contract, although this risk may be mitigated by submitting the contract for
clearing through a CCP.
5
The Fund may invest in a derivative contract if it is permitted to own, invest in, or otherwise have economic exposure to
the Reference Instrument. The Fund is not required to own a Reference Instrument in order to buy or sell a derivative contract
relating to that Reference Instrument. The Fund may trade in the following specific types and/or combinations of derivative contracts:
Futures Contracts (A Type of Derivative)
Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a Reference
Instrument at a specified price, date and time. Entering into a contract to buy a Reference Instrument is commonly referred
to as buying a contract or holding a long position in the asset. Entering into a contract to sell a Reference Instrument is commonly
referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position in the Reference Instrument. Futures contracts are considered
to be commodity contracts. Futures contracts traded OTC are frequently referred to as forward contracts. The Fund can buy or sell
financial futures (such as currency futures, interest rate futures, index futures and security futures), as well as currency
futures and currency forward contracts.
Interest Rate Futures
An interest rate futures contract is an exchange-traded contract for which the Reference Instrument is an interest-bearing,
fixed-income security or an inter-bank deposit. Two examples of common interest rate futures contracts are U.S. Treasury futures
contracts and Eurodollar futures contracts. The Reference Instrument for a U.S. Treasury futures contract is a U.S. Treasury
security. The Reference Instrument for a Eurodollar futures contract is the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly referred
to as LIBOR); Eurodollar futures contracts enable the purchaser to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds over a stated
period of time and the seller to obtain a fixed rate for a borrowing of funds over that same period.
Index Futures
An index futures contract is an exchange-traded contract to make or receive a payment based upon changes in the value of an
index. An index is a statistical composite that measures changes in the value of designated Reference Instruments within the index.
Security Futures
A security futures contract is an exchange-traded contract to purchase or sell in the future a specific quantity of a security
(other than a Treasury security) or a narrow-based securities index at a certain price. Presently, the only available security
futures contracts use shares of a single equity security as the Reference Instrument. However, it is possible that in the future security
futures contracts will be developed that use a single fixed-income security as the Reference Instrument.
Currency Futures and Currency Forward Contracts (Types of Futures Contracts)
A currency futures contract is an exchange-traded contract to buy or sell a particular currency at a specific price at some
time in the future (commonly three months or more). A currency forward contract is not an exchange-traded contract and represents
an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, at a price set at the time of the contract and for a
period agreed upon by the parties which may be either a window of time or a fixed number of days from the date of the contract. Currency
futures and forward contracts are highly volatile, with a relatively small price movement potentially resulting in substantial
gains or losses to the Fund. Additionally, the Fund may lose money on currency futures and forward contracts if changes in currency
rates do not occur as anticipated or if the Fund’s counterparty to the contract were to default.
Option Contracts (A Type of Derivative)
Option contracts (also called “options”) are rights to buy or sell a Reference Instrument for a specified price (the “exercise price”) during, or at the end of, a specified period. The seller (or “writer”) of the option receives a payment, or premium, from the buyer, which the writer keeps regardless of whether the buyer uses (or “exercises”) the option. Options may be bought or sold on a wide variety of Reference Instruments. Options that are written on futures contracts will be subject to margin requirements
similar to those applied to futures contracts.
The Fund may buy and/or sell the following types of options:
Call Options
A call option gives the holder (buyer) the right to buy the Reference Instrument from the seller (writer) of the option. The
Fund may use call options in the following ways:
■ Buy call options on a Reference Instrument in anticipation of an increase in the value of the Reference Instrument; and
6
■ Write call options on a Reference Instrument to generate income from premiums, and in anticipation of a decrease or only limited increase in the value of the Reference Instrument. If the Fund writes a call option on a Reference Instrument that
it owns and that call option is exercised, the Fund foregoes any possible profit from an increase in the market price of the
Reference Instrument over the exercise price plus the premium received.
Put Options
A put option gives the holder the right to sell the Reference Instrument to the writer of the option. The Fund may use put
options in the following ways:
■ Buy put options on a Reference Instrument in anticipation of a decrease in the value of the Reference Instrument; and
■ Write put options on a Reference Instrument to generate income from premiums, and in anticipation of an increase or only limited decrease in the value of the Reference Instrument. In writing puts, there is a risk that the Fund may be required
to take delivery of the Reference Instrument when its current market price is lower than the exercise price.
The Fund may also buy or write options, as needed, to close out existing option positions.
Finally, the Fund may enter into combinations of options contracts in an attempt to benefit from changes in the prices of
those options contracts (without regard to changes in the value of the Reference Instrument).
Swap Contracts (A Type of Derivative)
A swap contract (also known as a “swap”) is a type of derivative contract in which two parties agree to pay each other (swap) the returns derived from Reference Instruments. Most swaps do not involve the delivery of the underlying assets by either
party, and the parties might not own the Reference Instruments. The payments are usually made on a net basis so that, on any given
day, the Fund would receive (or pay) only the amount by which its payment under the contract is less than (or exceeds) the
amount of the other party’s payment. Swap agreements are sophisticated instruments that can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names. Common swap agreements that the Fund may use include:
Interest Rate Swaps
Interest rate swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a fixed or floating interest
rate times a stated principal amount (commonly referred to as a “notional principal amount”) in return for payments equal to a different fixed or floating rate times the same principal amount, for a specific period. For example, a $10 million London
Interbank Offered Rate (commonly referred to as LIBOR) swap would require one party to pay the equivalent of the London Interbank Offered Rate of interest (which fluctuates) on $10 million principal amount in exchange for the right to receive
the equivalent of a stated fixed rate of interest on $10 million principal amount.
Caps and Floors (A Type of Swap Contract)
Caps and Floors are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments only if an interest rate or index goes above (Cap)
or below (Floor) a certain level in return for a fee from the other party.
Total Return Swaps
A total return swap is an agreement between two parties whereby one party agrees to make payments of the total return from
a Reference Instrument (or a basket of such instruments) during the specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed
or floating rate of interest or the total return from another Reference Instrument. Alternately, a total return swap can be structured
so that one party will make payments to the other party if the value of a Reference Instrument increases, but receive payments
from the other party if the value of that instrument decreases.
Credit Default Swaps
A credit default swap (CDS) is an agreement between two parties whereby one party (the “Protection Buyer”) agrees to make payments over the term of the CDS to the other party (the “Protection Seller”), provided that no designated event of default, restructuring or other credit related event (each a “Credit Event”) occurs with respect to Reference Instrument that is usually a particular bond, loan or the unsecured credit of an issuer, in general (the “Reference Obligation”). Many CDS are physically settled, which means that if a Credit Event occurs, the Protection Seller must pay the Protection Buyer the full notional
value, or “par value,” of the Reference Obligation in exchange for delivery by the Protection Buyer of the Reference Obligation or another similar obligation issued by the issuer of the Reference Obligation (the “Deliverable Obligation”). The Counterparties agree to the characteristics of the Deliverable Obligation at the time that they enter into the CDS. Alternately, a CDS can be “cash-settled,” which means that upon the occurrence of a Credit Event, the Protection Buyer will receive a payment from the Protection Seller equal to the difference between the par amount of the Reference Obligation and its market value at the time
of the Credit Event. The Fund may be either the Protection Buyer or the Protection Seller in a CDS. If the Fund is a Protection
Buyer and no Credit Event occurs, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the CDS (i.e., an amount equal to the payments
made to the Protection Seller over the term of the CDS). However, if a Credit Event occurs, the Fund (as Protection Buyer)
will
7
deliver the Deliverable Obligation and receive a payment equal to the full notional value of the Reference Obligation, even
though the Reference Obligation may have little or no value. If the Fund is the Protection Seller and no Credit Event occurs,
the Fund will receive a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the CDS. However, if a Credit Event occurs, the Fund (as Protection Seller) will pay the Protection Buyer the full notional value of the Reference Obligation and receive the Deliverable
Obligation from the Protection Buyer. A CDS may involve greater risks than if the Fund invested directly in the Reference
Obligation. For example, a CDS may increase credit risk since the Fund has exposure to both the issuer of the Reference Obligation and the Counterparty to the CDS.
Currency Swaps
Currency swaps are contracts which provide for interest payments in different currencies. The parties might agree to exchange
the notional principal amounts of the currencies as well (commonly called a “foreign exchange swap”).
Volatility Swaps
A volatility swap is an agreement between two parties to make payments based on changes in the volatility of a Reference Instrument over a stated period of time. Specifically, one party will be required to make a payment to the other party if
the volatility of a Reference Instrument increases over an agreed upon period of time, but will be entitled to receive a payment
from the other party if the volatility decreases over that time period. A volatility swap that requires a single payment on a stated
future date will be treated as a forward contract. Payments on a volatility swap will be greater if they are based upon the mathematical
square of volatility (i.e., the measured volatility multiplied by itself, which is referred to as “variance”). This type of a volatility swap is frequently referred to as a variance swap.
Other Investments, Transactions, Techniques
Hybrid Instruments
Hybrid instruments combine elements of two different kinds of securities or financial instruments (such as a derivative contract). Frequently, the value of a hybrid instrument is determined by reference to changes in the value of a Reference
Instrument (that is a designated security, commodity, currency, index or other asset or instrument including a derivative
contract). Hybrid instruments can take on many forms including, but not limited to, the following forms. First, a common form
of a hybrid instrument combines elements of a derivative contract with those of another security (typically a fixed-income security).
In this case all or a portion of the interest or principal payable on a hybrid security is determined by reference to changes
in the price of a Reference Instrument. Second, hybrid instruments may include convertible securities with conversion terms related
to a Reference Instrument.
Depending on the type and terms of the hybrid instrument, its risks may reflect a combination of the risks of investing in
the Reference Instrument with the risks of investing in other securities, currencies and derivative contracts. Thus, an investment
in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks in addition to those associated with traditional securities or the Reference
Instrument. Hybrid instruments are also potentially more volatile than traditional securities or the Reference Instrument.
Moreover, depending on the structure of the particular hybrid, it may expose the Fund to leverage risks or carry liquidity
risks.
Credit Linked Note (A Type of Hybrid Instrument)
A credit linked note (CLN) is a type of hybrid instrument in which a special purpose entity issues a structured note (the “Note Issuer”) with respect to which the Reference Instrument is a single bond, a portfolio of bonds, or the unsecured credit of an issuer, in general (each a “Reference Credit”). The purchaser of the CLN (the “Note Purchaser”) invests a par amount and receives a payment during the term of the CLN that equals a fixed or floating rate of interest equivalent to a high rated
funded asset (such as a bank certificate of deposit) plus an additional premium that relates to taking on the credit risk of the
Reference Credit. Upon maturity of the CLN, the Note Purchaser will receive a payment equal to: (i) the original par amount paid to
the Note Issuer, if there is no occurrence of a designated event of default, restructuring or other credit event (each a “Credit Event”) with respect to the issuer of the Reference Credit; or (ii) the market value of the Reference Credit, if a Credit Event has
occurred. Depending upon the terms of the CLN, it is also possible that the Note Purchaser may be required to take physical delivery
of the Reference Credit in the event of a Credit Event. Most credit linked notes use a corporate bond (or a portfolio of corporate
bonds) as the Reference Credit. However, almost any type of fixed-income security (including foreign government securities), index
or derivative contract (such as a credit default swap) can be used as the Reference Credit.
Asset Segregation
In accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and SEC staff positions regarding the interpretation of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), with respect to derivatives that create a future payment obligation of the Fund, the Fund must “set aside” (referred to sometimes as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, while the derivative contracts are open. For example, with respect to forwards and futures contracts that are not
8
contractually required to “cash-settle,” the Fund must cover its open positions by setting aside cash or readily marketable securities equal to the contracts’ full, notional value. With respect to forwards and futures that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” however, the Fund is permitted to set aside cash or readily marketable securities in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the notional value.
The Fund will employ another approach to segregating assets to cover options that it sells. If the Fund sells a call option,
the Fund will set aside either the Reference Instrument subject to the option, cash or readily marketable securities with a value
that equals or exceeds the current market value of the Reference Instrument. In no event, will the value of the cash or readily
marketable securities set aside by the Fund be less than the exercise price of the call option. If the Fund sells a put option,
the Fund will set aside cash or readily marketable securities with a value that equals or exceeds the exercise price of the put
option.
The Fund’s asset segregation approach for swap agreements varies among different types of swaps. For example, if the Fund enters into a credit default swap as the Protection Buyer, then it will set aside cash or readily marketable securities necessary
to meet any accrued payment obligations under the swap. By comparison, if the Fund enters into a credit default swap as the Protection Seller, then the Fund will set aside cash or readily marketable securities equal to the full notional amount of
the swap that must be paid upon the occurrence of a Credit Event. For some other types of swaps, such as interest rate swaps, the Fund
will calculate the obligations of the counterparties to the swap on a net basis. Consequently, the Fund’s current obligation (or rights) under this type of swap will equal only the net amount to be paid or received based on the relative values of the positions
held by each counterparty to the swap (the “net amount”). The net amount currently owed by or to the Fund will be accrued daily and the Fund will set aside cash or readily marketable securities equal to any accrued but unpaid net amount owed by the Fund under
the swap.
The Fund may reduce the liquid assets segregated to cover obligations under a derivative contract by entering into an offsetting
derivative contract. For example, if the Fund sells a put option for the same Reference Instrument as a call option the Fund
has sold, and the exercise price of the call option is the same as or higher than the exercise price of the put option, then the
Fund may net its obligations under the options and set aside cash or readily marketable securities (including any margin deposited
for the options) with a value equal to the greater of: (a) the current market value of the Reference Instrument deliverable under
the call option; or (b) the exercise price of the put option.
By setting aside cash or readily marketable securities equal to only its net obligations under swaps and certain cash-settled
derivative contracts, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required
to segregate cash or readily marketable securities equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The use of leverage involves
certain risks. See “Risk Factors.” Unless the Fund has other cash or readily marketable securities to set aside, it cannot trade assets set aside in connection with derivative contracts or special transactions without entering into an offsetting derivative
contract or terminating a special transaction. This may cause the Fund to miss favorable trading opportunities or to realize
losses on derivative contracts or special transactions. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the
future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by the SEC and its staff.
Generally, special transactions do not cash-settle on a net basis. Consequently, with respect to special transactions, the
Fund will set aside cash or readily marketable securities with a value that equals or exceeds the Fund’s obligations.
Hedging
Hedging transactions are intended to reduce specific risks. For example, to protect the Fund against circumstances that would
normally cause the Fund’s portfolio securities to decline in value, the Fund may buy or sell a derivative contract that would normally increase in value under the same circumstances. The Fund may also attempt to hedge by using combinations of different derivative contracts, or derivative contracts and securities. The Fund’s ability to hedge may be limited by the costs of the derivative contracts. The Fund may attempt to lower the cost of hedging by entering into transactions that provide only
limited protection, including transactions that: (1) hedge only a portion of its portfolio; (2) use derivative contracts that
cover a narrow range of circumstances; or (3) involve the sale of derivative contracts with different terms. Consequently, hedging
transactions will not eliminate risk even if they work as intended. In addition, hedging strategies are not always successful,
and could result in increased expenses and losses to the Fund.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Reverse repurchase agreements (which are considered a type of special transaction for asset segregation or asset coverage
purposes) are repurchase agreements in which the Fund is the seller (rather than the buyer) of the securities, and agrees
to repurchase them at an agreed upon time and price. A reverse repurchase agreement may be viewed as a type of borrowing by the
Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to credit risks. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements create leverage
risks because the Fund must repurchase the underlying security at a higher price, regardless of the market value of the security
at the time of repurchase.
9
Delayed Delivery Transactions
Delayed delivery transactions, including when-issued transactions, are arrangements in which the Fund buys securities for
a set price, with payment and delivery of the securities scheduled for a future time. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to the Fund. The Fund records the transaction
when it agrees to buy the securities and reflects their value in determining the price of its Shares. Settlement dates may
be a month or more after entering into these transactions so that the market values of the securities bought may vary from the
purchase prices. Therefore, delayed delivery transactions create interest rate risks for the Fund. Delayed delivery transactions
also involve credit risks in the event of a counterparty default. These transactions create leverage risks.
To Be Announced Securities (TBAs) (A Type of Delayed Delivery Transaction)
As with other delayed delivery transactions, a seller agrees to deliver a TBA security at a future date. However, the seller
does not specify the particular securities to be delivered. Instead, the Fund agrees to accept any security that meets specified
terms. For example, in a TBA mortgage-backed transaction, the Fund and the seller would agree upon the issuer, interest rate and terms
of the underlying mortgages. The seller would not identify the specific underlying mortgages until it delivers the security.
TBA mortgage-backed securities increase interest rate risks because the underlying mortgages may be less favorable than anticipated
by the Fund.
Dollar Rolls (A Type of Delayed Delivery Transaction)
Dollar rolls are transactions where the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities with a commitment to buy similar, but not identical, mortgage-backed securities on a future date at a lower price. Normally, one or both securities involved are TBA
mortgage-backed securities. Dollar rolls are subject to interest rate risks and credit risks. These transactions create leverage
risks.
INTER-FUND BORROWING AND THIRD-PARTY LENDING ARRANGEMENTS
Inter-Fund Borrowing
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted an exemption that permits the Fund and all other funds (“Federated Hermes funds”) advised by subsidiaries of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes,” formerly, Federated Investors, Inc.) to lend and borrow money for certain temporary purposes directly to and from other Federated Hermes
funds. Participation in this inter-fund lending program is voluntary for both borrowing and lending Federated Hermes funds,
and an inter-fund loan is only made if it benefits each participating Federated Hermes fund. Federated Hermes administers the
program according to procedures approved by the Fund’s Board, and the Board monitors the operation of the program. Any inter-fund loan must comply with certain conditions set out in the exemption, which are designed to assure fairness and protect
all participating Federated Hermes funds.
For example, inter-fund lending is permitted only: (a) to meet shareholder redemption requests; (b) to meet commitments arising from “failed” trades; and (c) for other temporary purposes. All inter-fund loans must be repaid in seven days or less. The Fund’s participation in this program must be consistent with its investment policies and limitations, and must meet certain percentage tests. Inter-fund loans may be made only when the rate of interest to be charged is more attractive to the lending
Federated Hermes fund than market-competitive rates on overnight repurchase agreements (“Repo Rate”) and more attractive to the borrowing Federated Hermes fund than the rate of interest that would be charged by an unaffiliated bank for short-term
borrowings (“Bank Loan Rate”), as determined by the Board. The interest rate imposed on inter-fund loans is the average of the Repo Rate and the Bank Loan Rate.
Third-Party Line of Credit
The Fund participates with certain other Federated Hermes funds, on a several basis, in an up to $500,000,000 unsecured, 364-day, committed, revolving line of credit (LOC) agreement. The LOC was made available to temporarily finance the repurchase or redemption of shares of the Fund, failed trades, payment of dividends, settlement of trades and for other short-term,
temporary or emergency general business purposes. The Fund cannot borrow under the LOC if an inter-fund loan is outstanding.
The Fund’s ability to borrow under the LOC also is subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act and various conditions precedent that must be satisfied before the Fund can borrow. Loans under the LOC are charged interest at a fluctuating rate per annum
equal to the highest, on any day, of: (a) (i) the federal funds effective rate; (ii) the one month London Interbank Offered
Rate (LIBOR), or a replacement rate as appropriate; and (iii) 0.0%; plus (b) a margin. Any fund eligible to borrow under the LOC
pays its pro rata share of a commitment fee based on the amount of the lenders’ commitment that has not been utilized, quarterly in arrears and at maturity. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, there were no outstanding loans. During
the most recently ended fiscal year, the Fund did not utilize the LOC.
10
TO BE UPDATED BY AMENDMENT
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund’s portfolio turnover increased from [ ]% for the Fund’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 to [ ]% for the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 due to _____________________________.
LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
The Fund has adopted and implemented a written liquidity risk management program (LRMP) and related procedures to assess and manage the liquidity risk of the Fund in accordance with Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act and Rule 22e-4 thereunder.
The Board has designated the Adviser, together with Federated Hermes, Inc.’s (“Federated Hermes,” formerly, Federated Investors, Inc.) other affiliated registered investment advisory subsidiaries that serve as investment advisers
to other Federated Hermes funds, to collectively serve as the administrator of the LRMP and the related procedures (the “Administrator”). Rule 22e-4 defines “liquidity risk” as the risk that the Fund will be unable to meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Fund without significant dilution of the remaining investors’ interests in the Fund. As a part of the LRMP, the Administrator is responsible for classifying the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments in accordance with Rule 22e-4. As part of the LRMP, the Administrator is also responsible for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing the Fund’s liquidity risk, for making periodic reports to the Board and the SEC regarding the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, and for notifying the Board and the SEC of certain liquidity events specified in Rule 22e-4. The liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments is determined based on relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations under the LRMP.
Investment Risks
There are many risk factors which may affect an investment in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks are described in its Prospectus. The following information is either additional information in respect of a principal risk factor referenced in
the Prospectus or information in respect of a non-principal risk factor applicable to the Fund (in which case there is no related
disclosure in the Prospectus).
Risks of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments
The Fund’s exposure to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (either directly or through its investment in another investment company) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly
in securities and other traditional investments. First, changes in the value of the derivative contracts and hybrid instruments
in which the Fund invests may not be correlated with changes in the value of the underlying Reference Instruments or, if they
are correlated, may move in the opposite direction than originally anticipated. Second, while some strategies involving derivatives
may reduce the risk of loss, they may also reduce potential gains or, in some cases, result in losses by offsetting favorable
price movements in portfolio holdings. Third, there is a risk that derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may be erroneously
priced or improperly valued and, as a result, the Fund may need to make increased cash payments to the counterparty. Fourth, exposure
to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may have tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders. For example, derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may cause the Fund to realize increased ordinary income or short-term capital
gains (which are treated as ordinary income for Federal income tax purposes) and, as a result, may increase taxable distributions
to shareholders. In addition, under certain circumstances certain derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may cause the Fund
to: (a) incur an excise tax on a portion of the income related to those contracts and instruments; and/or (b) reclassify, as a
return of capital, some or all of the distributions previously made to shareholders during the fiscal year as dividend income. Fifth,
a common provision in OTC derivative contracts permits the counterparty to terminate any such contract between it and the Fund,
if the value of the Fund’s total net assets declines below a specified level over a given time period. Factors that may contribute to such a decline (which usually must be substantial) include significant shareholder redemptions and/or a marked decrease in
the market value of the Fund’s investments. Any such termination of the Fund’s OTC derivative contracts may adversely affect the Fund (for example, by increasing losses and/or costs, and/or preventing the Fund from fully implementing its investment strategies). Sixth, the Fund may use a derivative contract to benefit from a decline in the value of a Reference Instrument.
If the value of the Reference Instrument declines during the term of the contract, the Fund makes a profit on the difference (less
any payments the Fund is required to pay under the terms of the contract). Any such strategy involves risk. There is no assurance
that the Reference Instrument will decline in value during the term of the contract and make a profit for the Fund. The Reference
Instrument may instead appreciate in value creating a loss for the Fund. Seventh, a default or failure by a CCP or an FCM
(also sometimes called a “futures broker”), or the failure of a contract to be transferred from an Executing Dealer to the FCM for clearing, may expose the Fund to losses, increase its costs, or prevent the Fund from entering or exiting derivative positions,
11
accessing margin or fully implementing its investment strategies. The central clearing of a derivative and trading of a contract
over a SEF could reduce the liquidity in, or increase costs of entering into or holding, any contracts. Finally, derivative
contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described herein or in the Fund’s prospectus, such as interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.
European Union and Eurozone Related Risk
A number of countries in the European Union (EU), including certain countries within the EU that have adopted the euro (Eurozone), have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional countries
within the EU may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant
exposure to EU issuers or countries. If the euro is dissolved entirely, the legal and contractual consequences for holders
of euro-denominated obligations and derivative contracts would be determined by laws in effect at such time. Such investments may continue to be held, or purchased, to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective(s) and permitted under applicable law. These potential developments, or market perceptions concerning these and related issues, could adversely affect the value
of the Shares.
Certain countries in the EU have had to accept assistance from supra-governmental agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Stability Mechanism (the “ESM”) or other supra-governmental agencies. The European Central Bank has also been intervening to purchase Eurozone debt in an attempt to stabilize markets and reduce borrowing costs. There
can be no assurance that these agencies will continue to intervene or provide further assistance and markets may react adversely
to any expected reduction in the financial support provided by these agencies. Responses to the financial problems by European
governments, central banks and others including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest
and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences.
In addition, one or more countries may withdraw from the EU, and one or more countries within the Eurozone may abandon the euro. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, could be significant and far-reaching.
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) left the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” and there commenced a transition period during which the EU and UK negotiated and agreed on the nature of their future relationship, with such agreements becoming effective on December 31, 2020. There is significant market uncertainty regarding Brexit’s ramifications, and the range and potential implications of possible political, regulatory, economic and market outcomes are difficult to predict. This long-term uncertainty may affect other countries in the EU and elsewhere and may cause volatility within the EU, triggering
prolonged economic downturns in certain countries within the EU. In addition, Brexit may create additional and substantial
economic stresses for the UK, including a contraction of the UK economy and price volatility in UK stocks, decreased trade,
capital outflows, devaluation of the British pound, wider corporate bond spreads due to uncertainty and declines in business
and consumer spending as well as foreign direct investment. Brexit may also adversely affect UK-based financial firms, including
certain subadvisers to the Federated Hermes Funds, that have counterparties in the EU or participate in market infrastructure
(trading venues, clearing houses, settlement facilities) based in the EU. These events and the resulting market volatility
may have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Countries
Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. For example, their prices may be significantly more volatile than prices in developed countries. Emerging markets economies may also experience more severe downturns (with corresponding currency devaluations) than developed economies.
Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and may present the risk of nationalization of businesses, expropriation, confiscatory taxation or, in certain instances, reversion to closed market, centrally planned economies.
Risks Associated with the Investment Activities of Other Accounts
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other accounts managed by the Adviser and accounts
managed by affiliates of the Adviser. Therefore, it is possible that investment-related actions taken by such other accounts
could adversely impact the Fund with respect to, for example, the value of Fund portfolio holdings, and/or prices paid to or received
by the Fund on its portfolio transactions, and/or the Fund’s ability to obtain or dispose of portfolio securities. Related considerations are discussed elsewhere in this SAI under “Brokerage Transactions and Investment Allocation.”
12
Risk of Investing in Loans
In addition to the risks generally associated with debt instruments, such as credit, market, interest rate, liquidity and
derivatives risks, bank loans are also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral securing a loan may decline, be insufficient
to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. The Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited by bankruptcy, other insolvency laws or by the type of loan the Fund has purchased. For example, if the Fund purchases a participation instead
of an assignment, it would not have direct access to collateral of the borrower. As a result, a floating rate loan may not be fully
collateralized and can decline significantly in value. Additionally, collateral on loan instruments may consist of assets
that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets will satisfy a borrower’s obligations under the instrument. Loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale.
Loans and other forms of indebtedness may be structured such that they are not securities under securities laws. As such,
it is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections, such as those against fraud
and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, while there can be no assurance that fraud or misrepresentation will not occur with respect to the loans and other investments in which the Fund invests, the Fund relies
on the Adviser’s research in an attempt to seek to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk
Unlike traditional fixed-income securities, which pay a fixed rate of interest until maturity (when the entire principal amount
is due) payments on mortgage-backed securities include both interest and a partial payment of principal. Partial payment of principal may be comprised of scheduled principal payments as well as unscheduled payments from the voluntary prepayment,
refinancing or foreclosure of the underlying loans. These unscheduled prepayments of principal create risks that can adversely
affect a Fund holding mortgage-backed securities.
For example, when interest rates decline, the values of mortgage-backed securities generally rise. However, when interest
rates decline, unscheduled prepayments can be expected to accelerate, and the Fund would be required to reinvest the proceeds of
the prepayments at the lower interest rates then available. Unscheduled prepayments would also limit the potential for capital
appreciation on mortgage-backed securities.
Conversely, when interest rates rise, the values of mortgage-backed securities generally fall. Since rising interest rates
typically result in decreased prepayments, this could lengthen the average lives of mortgage-backed securities, and cause their value
to decline more than traditional fixed-income securities.
Generally, mortgage-backed securities compensate for the increased risk associated with prepayments by paying a higher yield. The additional interest paid for risk is measured by the difference between the yield of a mortgage-backed security
and the yield of a U.S. Treasury security with a comparable maturity (the “spread”). An increase in the spread will cause the price of the mortgage-backed security to decline. Spreads generally increase in response to adverse economic or market conditions. Spreads
may also increase if the security is perceived to have an increased prepayment risk or is perceived to have less market demand.
Risk Associated with Complex CMOS
CMOs with complex or highly variable prepayment terms, such as companion classes, IOs, POs, Inverse Floaters and residuals, generally entail greater market, prepayment and liquidity risks than other mortgage-backed securities. For example,
their prices are more volatile and their trading market may be more limited.
Large Shareholder Risk
A significant percentage of the Fund’s shares may be owned or controlled by a large shareholder, such as other funds or accounts, including those of which the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser may have investment discretion. Accordingly,
the Fund can be subject to the potential for large scale inflows and outflows as a result of purchases and redemptions made by
significant shareholders. These inflows and outflows could be significant and, if frequently occurring, could negatively affect
the Fund’s net asset value and performance and could cause the Fund to sell securities at inopportune times in order to meet redemption requests. Investments in the Fund by other investment companies also can create conflicts of interests for the
Adviser to the Fund and the investment adviser to the acquiring fund. For example, a conflict of interest can arise due to the possibility
that the investment adviser to the acquiring fund could make a decision to redeem the acquiring fund’s investment in the Fund. In the case of an investment by an affiliated fund, a conflict of interest can arise if, because of the acquiring fund’s investment in the Fund, the Fund is able to garner more assets from third-party investors, thereby growing the Fund and increasing the management fees received by the Adviser, which could also be the investment adviser to the acquiring fund.
13
LIBOR Risk
Certain derivatives or debt securities, or other financial instruments in which the Fund may invest, as well as the Fund’s committed, revolving line of credit agreement, utilize or may utilize in the future the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR’’) as the reference or benchmark rate for interest rate calculations. LIBOR is a measure of the average interest rate at which
major global banks can borrow from one another. It is quoted in multiple currencies and tenors using data reported by a panel of
private-sector banks. Following allegations of rate manipulation in 2012 and concerns regarding its thin liquidity, the use
of LIBOR came under increasing pressure, and in July 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it will stop encouraging banks to provide the quotations needed to sustain LIBOR after 2021. This may cause
LIBOR to cease to be published. LIBOR panel banks have agreed to submit quotations to LIBOR through the end of 2021. Before then, it is expected that market participants will transition to the use of different reference or benchmark rates.
However, there is currently no definitive information regarding the future utilization of LIBOR or of any particular replacement rate.
Regulators have suggested alternative reference rates, but global consensus is lacking and the process for amending existing
contracts or instruments to transition away from LIBOR remains unclear.
While it is expected that market participants will amend financial instruments referencing LIBOR to include fallback provisions and other measures that contemplate the discontinuation of LIBOR or other similar market disruption events, neither
the effect of the transition process nor the viability of such measures is known. While market participants have begun transitioning away from LIBOR, there are obstacles to converting certain longer term securities and transactions to a new
benchmark or benchmarks. The effectiveness of multiple alternative reference rates as opposed to one primary reference rate
has not been determined. The effectiveness of alternative reference rates used in new or existing financial instruments and products
has also not yet been determined. As market participants transition away from LIBOR, LIBOR’s usefulness may deteriorate, which could occur prior to the end of 2021. The transition process may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets
that currently rely on LIBOR to determine interest rates. LIBOR’s deterioration may adversely affect the liquidity and/or market value of securities that use LIBOR as a benchmark interest rate, including securities and other financial instruments held
by the Fund. Further, the utilization of an alternative reference rate, or the transition process to an alternative reference rate,
may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
Like other funds and business enterprises, Federated Hermes’ business relies on the security and reliability of information and communications technology, systems and networks. Federated Hermes uses digital technology, including, for example, networked systems, email and the Internet, as well as mobile devices and “cloud”-based service offerings, to conduct business operations and engage clients, customers, employees, products, accounts, shareholders, and relevant service providers, among
others. Federated Hermes, as well as its funds and certain service providers, also generate, compile and process information
for purposes of preparing and making filings or reports to governmental agencies, or providing reports or statements to customers, and a cybersecurity attack or incident that impacts that information, or the generation and filing processes, can prevent required regulatory filings and reports from being made, or reports or statements from being delivered, or cause the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws). The use of the Internet and other electronic media and technology exposes the Fund, the Fund’s shareholders, and the Fund’s service providers, and their respective operations, to potential risks from cybersecurity attacks or incidents (collectively, “cyber-events”). The work-from-home environment necessitated by COVID-19 has increased the risk of cyber incidents given the increase in cyber attack surface
stemming from the use of personal devices and non-office or personal technology.
Cyber-events can result from intentional (or deliberate) attacks or unintentional events by insiders (e.g., employees) or third parties, including cybercriminals, competitors, nation-states and “hacktivists,” among others. Cyber-events can include, for example, phishing, credential harvesting or use of stolen access credentials, unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (such as, for example, through “hacking” activity), structured query language attacks, infection from or spread of malware, ransomware, computer viruses or other malicious software code, corruption of data, exfiltration of data to malicious sites, the dark web or other locations or threat actors, and attacks (including, but not limited to, denial of service attacks on websites) which shut down, disable, slow, impair or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, technology, connectivity or website
or internet access, functionality or performance. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund and its service providers
have experienced, and will continue to experience, cyber-events on a daily basis. In addition to intentional cyber-events,
unintentional cyber-events can occur, such as, for example, the inadvertent release of confidential information. Cyber-events can also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks
on the service providers’ systems or websites rendering them unavailable to intended users or via “ransomware” that renders the systems inoperable until appropriate actions are taken. To date, cyber-events have not had a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business operations or performance.
14
Cyber-events can affect, potentially in a material way, Federated Hermes’ relationships with its customers, employees, products, accounts, shareholders and relevant service providers. Any cyber-event could adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders and cause the Fund to incur financial loss and expense, as well as face exposure to regulatory penalties, reputational
damage, damage to employee perceptions of the company, and additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and credit monitoring for impacted individuals. A cyber-event can cause the Fund, or its service providers, to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, lose operational capacity (such as, for example, the loss of the ability to process transactions,
generate or make filings or deliver reports or statements, calculate the Fund’s NAV, or allow shareholders to transact business or other disruptions to operations), and/or fail to comply with applicable privacy and other laws. Among other potentially harmful
effects, cyber-events also can result in theft, unauthorized monitoring and failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Fund and its service providers. In addition, cyber-events affecting issuers in which the Fund invests
could cause the Fund’s investments to lose value.
The Fund’s Adviser and its relevant affiliates have established risk management systems reasonably designed to seek to reduce the risks associated with cyber-events. The Fund’s Adviser employs various measures aimed at mitigating cybersecurity risk, including, among others, use of firewalls, system segmentation, system monitoring, virus scanning, periodic penetration testing,
employee phishing training and an employee cybersecurity awareness campaign. Among other service provider management efforts, Federated Hermes also conducts due diligence on key service providers relating to cybersecurity. Federated Hermes has established a committee to oversee Federated Hermes’ information security and data governance efforts, and updates on cyber-events and risks are reviewed with relevant committees, as well as Federated Hermes’ and the Fund’s Boards of Directors or Trustees (or a committee thereof), on a periodic (generally quarterly) basis (and more frequently when circumstances warrant)
as part of risk management oversight responsibilities. However, there is no guarantee that the efforts of Federated Hermes, the
Fund’s Adviser or its affiliates, or other service providers, will succeed, either entirely or partially as there are limits on Federated Hermes’ and the Fund’s ability to prevent, detect or mitigate cyber-events. Among other reasons, the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, the nature of malicious cyber-events is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the Fund’s Adviser, and its relevant affiliates, cannot control the cyber systems and cybersecurity systems of issuers or third-party
service providers.
The Fund can be 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. In addition, other disruptive events, including, but not limited to,
natural disasters and public health crises (such as the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic), can adversely affect the Fund’s ability to conduct business, in particular if the Fund’s employees or the employees of its service providers are unable or unwilling to perform their responsibilities as a result of any such event. Even if the Fund’s employees and the employees of its service providers are able to work remotely, those remote work arrangements could result in the Fund’s business operations being less efficient than under normal circumstances, could lead to delays in its processing of transactions, and could increase the
risk of cyber-events.
Investment Objective and Investment Limitations
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide current income and real total returns. The reference to “real” means a total return in excess of the rate of inflation as measured by year-to-year changes in the consumer price index. The investment
objective may not be changed by the Fund’s Trustees without shareholder approval.
Diversification
With respect to securities comprising 75% of the value of its total assets, the Fund will not purchase securities of any one
issuer (other than cash; cash items; securities issued or guaranteed by the government of the United States or its agencies
or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements collateralized by such U.S. government securities; and securities of other investment
companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer,
or the Fund would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
Concentration
The Fund will not make investments that will result in the concentration of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily
engaged in the same industry. For purposes of this restriction, the term concentration has the meaning set forth in the Investment
Company Act of 1940 Act (“1940 Act”), any rule or order thereunder or any SEC staff interpretation thereof. Government securities, and municipal securities and bank instruments will not be deemed to constitute an industry.
15
Underwriting
The Fund may not underwrite the securities of other issuers, except that the Fund may engage in transactions involving the
acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities, under circumstances where it may be considered to be an underwriter
under the Securities Act of 1933.
Investing in Commodities
The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities, provided that the Fund may purchase securities of companies that deal in commodities. For purposes of this restriction, investments in transactions involving futures contracts and options,
forward currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts that settle by payment of cash are not deemed to be investments in commodities.
Investing in Real Estate
The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from investing in
issuers which invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that
are secured by real estate or interests therein. The Fund may exercise its rights under agreements relating to such securities, including
the right to enforce security interests and to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until that real estate
can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
Borrowing Money and Issuing Senior Securities
The Fund may borrow money, directly or indirectly, and issue senior securities to the maximum extent permitted under the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or any SEC staff interpretation thereof.
Lending
The Fund may not make loans, provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from purchasing debt obligations, entering into repurchase agreements, lending its assets to broker/dealers or institutional investors and investing in loans,
including assignments and participation interests.
The above limitations cannot be changed unless authorized by the Board and by the “vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities,” as defined by the 1940 Act. The following limitations, however, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified before any material change in these limitations becomes effective.
Illiquid Investments
The Fund will not make investments in holdings for which there is no readily available market, or enter into repurchase agreements or purchase time deposits that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment, if immediately after and as a result, the value of such investments would exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Fund’s net assets.
Purchases on Margin
The Fund will not purchase securities on margin, provided that the Fund may obtain short-term credits necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities, and further provided that the Fund may make margin deposits in connection
with its use of financial options and futures, forward and spot currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts
or derivative instruments.
Pledging Assets
The Fund will not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any of its assets, provided that this shall not apply to the transfer of
securities in connection with any permissible borrowing or to collateral arrangements in connection with permissible activities.
Non-Fundamental Names Rule Policy
The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested
in inflation protected investments. For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy, the Adviser considers “inflation protected investments” to include inflation-indexed debt obligations of varying maturities issued by the United States and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities (such as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or “TIPs”), corporations and other issuers. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policy that would enable the Fund to invest, under normal circumstances, less than 80% of its net assets in inflation protected investments.
16
Additional Information
As a matter of non-fundamental investment policy regarding certain of the Fund’s investment restrictions, please note the following additional information.
In applying the concentration restriction, the Fund will adhere to the requirements of the 1940 Act which limits investments
in a particular industry or group of industries to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets. Further, in applying the concentration restriction: (a) utility companies will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission,
electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; (b) financial service companies will be classified according
to the end users of their services, for example, automobile finance, bank finance and diversified finance will each be considered
a separate industry; and (c) asset-backed securities will be classified according to the underlying assets securing such securities.
For purposes of the above limitations, the Fund considers certificates of deposit and demand and time deposits issued by a
U.S. branch of a domestic bank or savings association having capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100,000,000
at the time of investment to be “cash items” and “bank instruments.”
Except with respect to borrowing money, if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase
or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such limitation. In applying the borrowing limitation, in accordance with Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act and current SEC rules and guidance, the Fund is permitted to borrow money, directly or indirectly, provided that immediately after any such borrowing, the Fund has asset coverage of at least 300% for all of the Fund’s borrowings, and provided further that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% the Fund shall, within three business days, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent
that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.
What Do Shares Cost?
Determining Market Value of Securities
A Share’s net asset value (NAV) is determined as of the end of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open. The Fund calculates the NAV of each class by valuing the assets
allocated to the Share’s class, subtracting the liabilities allocated to each class and dividing the balance by the number of Shares of the class outstanding. The NAV for each class of Shares may differ due to the level of expenses allocated to each class
as well as a result of the variance between the amount of accrued investment income and capital gains or losses allocated to each
class and the amount actually distributed to shareholders of each class. The NAV is calculated to the nearest whole cent per Share.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values investments as follows:
■ Equity securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange or traded through the U.S. national market system are valued at their
last reported sale price or official closing price in their principal exchange or market. If a price is not readily available,
such equity securities are valued based upon the mean of closing bid and asked quotations from one or more dealers.
■ Other equity securities traded primarily in the United States are valued based upon the mean of closing bid-and-asked quotations from one or more dealers.
■ Equity securities traded primarily through securities exchanges and regulated market systems outside the United States are
valued at their last reported sale price or official closing price in their principal exchange or market. These prices may
be adjusted for significant events occurring after the closing of such exchanges or market systems as described below. If a price
is not readily available, such equity securities are valued based upon the mean of closing bid and asked quotations from one
or more dealers.
■ Fixed-income securities are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Board. The methods used by pricing services to determine such price evaluations are described below.
■ Futures contracts listed on exchanges are valued at their reported settlement price. Option contracts listed on exchanges
are valued based upon the mean of closing bid and asked quotations reported by the exchange or from one or more futures commission merchants.
■ OTC derivative contracts are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Board. The
methods used by pricing services to determine such price evaluations are described below. If a price evaluation from a pricing
service is not readily available, such derivative contracts may be fair valued based upon price evaluations from one or more
dealers or using a recognized pricing model for the contract.
■ Shares of other mutual funds or non-exchange-traded investment companies are valued based upon their reported NAVs. The prospectuses for these mutual funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects
of using fair value pricing.
17
If any price, quotation, price evaluation or other pricing source is not readily available when the NAV is calculated, if
the Fund cannot obtain price evaluations from a pricing service or from more than one dealer for an investment within a reasonable
period of time as set forth in the Fund’s valuation policies and procedures, or if information furnished by a pricing service, in the opinion of the Valuation Committee, is deemed not representative of the fair value of such security, the Fund will use the
fair value of the investment determined in accordance with the procedures described below. There can be no assurance that the Fund
could purchase or sell an investment at the price used to calculate the Fund’s NAV. The Fund will not use a pricing service or dealer who is an affiliated person of the Adviser to value investments.
Noninvestment assets and liabilities are valued in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The NAV calculation includes expenses, dividend income, interest income, other income and realized and unrealized investment
gains and losses through the date of the calculation. Changes in holdings of investments and in the number of outstanding
Shares are included in the calculation not later than the first business day following such change. Any assets or liabilities denominated
in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from one or more currency dealers.
The Fund follows procedures that are common in the mutual fund industry regarding errors made in the calculation of its NAV. This means that, generally, the Fund will not correct errors of less than one cent per Share or errors that did not result
in net dilution to the Fund.
Fair Valuation and Significant Events Procedures
The Board has ultimate responsibility for determining the fair value of investments for which market quotations are not readily
available. The Board has appointed a Valuation Committee comprised of officers of the Fund, the Adviser and certain of the
Adviser’s affiliated companies to assist in determining fair value and in overseeing the calculation of the NAV. The Board has also authorized the use of pricing services recommended by the Valuation Committee to provide price evaluations of the current
fair value of certain investments for purposes of calculating the NAV.
Pricing Service Valuations. Based on the recommendations of the Valuation Committee, the Board has authorized the Fund, subject to Board oversight, to use pricing services that provide daily fair value evaluations of the current value of certain
investments, primarily fixed-income securities and OTC derivatives contracts. Different pricing services may provide different
price evaluations for the same security because of differences in their methods of evaluating market values. Factors considered
by pricing services in evaluating an investment include the yields or prices of investments of comparable quality, coupon, maturity,
call rights and other potential prepayments, terms and type, reported transactions, indications as to values from dealers
and general market conditions. A pricing service may find it more difficult to apply these and other factors to relatively illiquid
or volatile investments, which may result in less frequent or more significant changes in the price evaluations of these investments.
If a pricing service determines that it does not have sufficient information to use its standard methodology, it may evaluate
an investment based on the present value of what investors can reasonably expect to receive from the issuer’s operations or liquidation.
Special valuation considerations may apply with respect to the Fund’s “odd-lot” positions, if any, as the Fund may receive lower prices when it sells such positions than it would receive for sales of institutional round lot positions. Typically,
these securities are valued assuming orderly transactions of institutional round lot sizes, but the Fund may hold or, from time
to time, transact in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes.
The Valuation Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the Fund’s pricing services, which includes, among other things, monitoring significant or unusual price fluctuations above predetermined tolerance levels from the prior day,
back-testing of pricing services’ prices against actual sale transactions, conducting periodic due diligence meetings and reviews, and periodically reviewing the inputs, assumptions and methodologies used by these pricing services. If information furnished
by a pricing service is not readily available or, in the opinion of the Valuation Committee, is deemed not representative of
the fair value of such security, the security will be fair valued by the Valuation Committee in accordance with procedures established
by the Trustees as discussed below in “Fair Valuation Procedures.”
Some pricing services provide a single price evaluation reflecting the bid-side of the market for an investment (a “bid” evaluation). Other pricing services offer both bid evaluations and price evaluations indicative of a price between the prices
bid and asked for the investment (a “mid” evaluation). The Fund normally uses bid evaluations for any U.S. Treasury and Agency securities, mortgage-backed securities and municipal securities. The Fund normally uses mid evaluations for any other types
of fixed-income securities and any OTC derivative contracts.
Fair Valuation Procedures. The Board has established procedures for determining the fair value of investments for which price evaluations from pricing services or dealers and market quotations are not readily available. The procedures define
an investment’s “fair value” as the price that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon its current sale. The procedures assume that any sale would be made to a willing buyer in the ordinary course of trading. The procedures require consideration
of factors that vary based on the type of investment and the information available. Factors that may be considered in determining
an
18
investment’s fair value include: (1) the last reported price at which the investment was traded; (2) information provided by dealers or investment analysts regarding the investment or the issuer; (3) changes in financial conditions and business prospects
disclosed in the issuer’s financial statements and other reports; (4) publicly announced transactions (such as tender offers and mergers) involving the issuer; (5) comparisons to other investments or to financial indices that are correlated to the investment;
(6) with respect to fixed-income investments, changes in market yields and spreads; (7) with respect to investments that have
been suspended from trading, the circumstances leading to the suspension; and (8) other factors that might affect the investment’s value.
The Valuation Committee is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of these procedures subject to Board oversight. The Valuation Committee may also authorize the use of a financial valuation model to determine the fair value of a specific
type of investment. The Board periodically reviews and approves the fair valuations made by the Valuation Committee and any changes made to the procedures.
Using fair value to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent closing price and from the prices used by other mutual funds to calculate their NAVs. The application of the fair value procedures to an investment
represent a good faith determination of an investment’s fair value. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it sold the investment at approximately the time at which the Fund determines its NAV per
share, and the actual value could be materially different.
Significant Events. The Board has adopted procedures requiring an investment to be priced at its fair value whenever the Adviser determines that a significant event affecting the value of the investment has occurred between the time as of which
the price of the investment would otherwise be determined and the time as of which the NAV is computed. An event is considered
significant if there is both an affirmative expectation that the investment’s value will change in response to the event and a reasonable basis for quantifying the resulting change in value. Examples of significant events that may occur after the close
of the principal market on which a security is traded, or the time of a price evaluation provided by a pricing service or a dealer, include:
■ With respect to securities traded principally in foreign markets, significant trends in U.S. equity markets or in the trading
of foreign securities index futures contracts;
■ Political or other developments affecting the economy or markets in which an issuer conducts its operations or its securities
are traded; and
■ Announcements concerning matters such as acquisitions, recapitalizations or litigation developments, or a natural disaster
affecting the issuer’s operations or regulatory changes or market developments affecting the issuer’s industry.
The Board has adopted procedures whereby the Valuation Committee uses a pricing service to provide factors to update the fair value of equity securities traded principally in foreign markets from the time of the close of their respective foreign
stock exchanges to the pricing time of the Fund. The pricing service uses models that correlate changes between the closing and
opening price of equity securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets to changes in prices in U.S.-traded securities and
derivative contracts. The pricing service seeks to employ the model that provides the most significant correlation based on
a periodic review of the results. The model uses the correlation to adjust the reported closing price of a foreign equity security
based on information available up to the close of the NYSE.
For other significant events, the Fund may seek to obtain more current quotations or price evaluations from alternative pricing
sources. If a reliable alternative pricing source is not available, the fair value of the investment is determined using the
methods discussed above in “Fair Valuation Procedures.” The Board has ultimate responsibility for any fair valuations made in response to a significant event.
How is the Fund Sold?
Under the Distributor’s Contract with the Fund, the Distributor (“Federated Securities Corp.”) offers Shares on a continuous, best-efforts basis.
Rule 12b-1 Plan (A & C Classes)
As a compensation-type plan, the Rule 12b-1 Plan is designed to pay the Distributor for activities principally intended to
result in the sale of Shares such as advertising and marketing of Shares (including printing and distributing prospectuses and sales
literature to prospective shareholders and financial intermediaries) and providing incentives to financial intermediaries
to sell Shares. The Plan is also designed to cover the cost of administrative services performed in conjunction with the sale of Shares,
including, but not limited to, shareholder services, recordkeeping services and educational services, as well as the costs
of
19
implementing and operating the Plan. The Rule 12b-1 Plan allows the Distributor to contract with financial intermediaries
to perform activities covered by the Plan. The Rule 12b-1 Plan is expected to benefit the Fund in a number of ways. For example,
it is anticipated that the Plan will help the Fund attract and retain assets, thus providing cash for orderly portfolio management
and Share redemptions and possibly helping to stabilize or reduce other operating expenses.
In addition, the Plan is integral to the multiple class structure of the Fund, which promotes the sale of Shares by providing
a range of options to investors. The Fund’s service providers that receive asset-based fees also benefit from stable or increasing Fund assets.
The Fund may compensate the Distributor more or less than its actual marketing expenses. In no event will the Fund pay for
any expenses of the Distributor that exceed the maximum Rule 12b-1 Plan fee.
The maximum Rule 12b-1 Plan fee that can be paid in any one year may not be sufficient to cover the marketing-related expenses the Distributor has incurred. Therefore, it may take the Distributor a number of years to recoup these expenses.
In addition, in connection with the sale of Class C Shares, Federated Hermes and its subsidiaries make advance commission
payments to financial intermediaries and in return may receive Rule 12b-1 fees and contingent deferred sales loads from the
Class C Shares. Federated Hermes and its subsidiaries may benefit or sustain losses from such arrangements.
Regarding the Fund’s Class A Shares, the Class A Shares of the Fund currently do not accrue, pay or incur any Rule 12b-1 Plan fee, although the Board of Trustees has adopted a Plan that permits the Class A Shares of the Fund to accrue, pay and
incur a Rule 12b-1 Plan fee of up to a maximum amount of 0.05% , or some lesser amount as the Board of Trustees shall approve from
time to time. The Class A Shares of the Fund will not accrue, pay or incur such Rule 12b-1 Plan fees until such time as approved
by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
Additional Payments To Financial Intermediaries
A, C & IS Classes
The Distributor may pay out of its own resources amounts to certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealers, banks,
registered investment advisers, independent financial planners and retirement plan administrators. In some cases, such payments
may be made by, or funded from the resources of, companies affiliated with the Distributor (including the Adviser). While
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) regulations limit the sales charges that you may bear, there are no
limits with regard to the amounts that the Distributor may pay out of its own resources. In addition to the payments which are generally
described herein and in the Prospectus, the financial intermediary also may receive payments under the Rule 12b-1 Plan and/or
Service Fees. In connection with these payments, the financial intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund
and/or other Federated Hermes funds within the financial intermediary’s organization by, for example, placement on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the funds
in various ways within the financial intermediary’s organization. The same financial intermediaries may receive payments under more than one or all categories. These payments assist in the Distributor’s efforts to support the sale of Shares. These payments are negotiated and may be based on such factors as: the number or value of Shares that the financial intermediary sells or
may sell; the value of client assets invested; the level and types of services or support furnished by the financial intermediary;
or the Fund’s and/or other Federated Hermes funds’ relationship with the financial intermediary. Not all financial intermediaries receive such payments and the amount of compensation may vary by intermediary. You should ask your financial intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Distributor or the Federated Hermes funds and any services it provides,
as well as the fees and/or commissions it charges.
Regarding the Fund’s Institutional Shares, the Institutional Shares of the Fund currently do not accrue, pay or incur any shareholder services/account administration fees, although the Board of Trustees has approved the Institutional Shares of
the Fund to accrue, pay and incur such fees in amounts up to a maximum amount of 0.25%, or some lesser amount as the Board of
Trustees shall approve from time to time. The Institutional Shares of the Fund will not accrue, pay or incur such fees until
such time as approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
The categories of additional payments are described below.
Supplemental Payments
The Distributor may make supplemental payments to certain financial intermediaries that are holders or dealers of record for
accounts in one or more of the Federated Hermes funds. These payments may be based on such factors as: the number or value
of Shares the financial intermediary sells or may sell; the value of client assets invested; or the type and nature of services
or support furnished by the financial intermediary.
20
Processing Support Payments
The Distributor may make payments to certain financial intermediaries that sell Federated Hermes fund shares to help offset
their costs associated with client account maintenance support, statement processing and transaction processing. The types
of payments that the Distributor may make under this category include: payment of ticket charges on a per-transaction basis;
payment of networking fees; and payment for ancillary services such as setting up funds on the financial intermediary’s mutual fund trading system.
Retirement Plan Program Servicing Payments
The Distributor may make payments to certain financial intermediaries who sell Federated Hermes fund shares through retirement plan programs. A financial intermediary may perform retirement plan program services itself or may arrange with
a third party to perform retirement plan program services. In addition to participant recordkeeping, reporting or transaction
processing, retirement plan program services may include: services rendered to a plan in connection with fund/investment selection and monitoring; employee enrollment and education; plan balance rollover or separation; or other similar services.
Marketing Support Payments
From time to time, the Distributor, at its expense, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries that sell
or arrange for the sale of Shares. Such compensation, provided by the Distributor, may include financial assistance to financial
intermediaries that enable the Distributor to participate in or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs
for invited registered representatives and other employees, client entertainment, client and investor events and other financial
intermediary-sponsored events. The Distributor may also provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries for services
rendered in connection with technology and programming set-up, platform development and maintenance or similar services and
for the provision of sales-related data to the Adviser and/or its affiliates.
The Distributor also may hold or sponsor, at its expense, sales events, conferences and programs for employees or associated
persons of financial intermediaries and may pay the travel and lodging expenses of attendees. The Distributor also may provide,
at its expense, meals and entertainment in conjunction with meetings with financial intermediaries. Other compensation may
be offered to the extent not prohibited by applicable federal or state law or regulations, or the rules of any self-regulatory
agency, such as FINRA. These payments may vary depending on the nature of the event or the relationship.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the following is a list of FINRA member firms that received additional payments from the Distributor or an affiliate. Additional payments may also be made to certain other financial intermediaries that are not
FINRA member firms that sell Federated Hermes fund shares or provide services to the Federated Hermes funds and shareholders. These
firms are not included in this list. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the member firms identified in this list
that have occurred since December 31, 2020, are not reflected. You should ask your financial intermediary for information about any additional payments it receives from the Distributor.
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
Aegis Financial
Altair Management Partners, Inc.
American Enterprise Investment Services Inc.
American Portfolios Advisors Inc.
Apex Clearing Corporation
Associated Investment Services, Inc.
Avantax Advisory Services Inc.
BB&T Securities, LLC
BBVA Securities Inc.
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Inc.
BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC
BofA Securities, Inc.
Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC
Brown Brothers Harriman & Company
Brown Investment Advisory & Trust Company
Cambridge Financial Group, Inc.
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
Cetera Advisors LLC
Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
Aegis Financial
Altair Management Partners, Inc.
American Enterprise Investment Services Inc.
American Portfolios Advisors Inc.
Apex Clearing Corporation
Associated Investment Services, Inc.
Avantax Advisory Services Inc.
BB&T Securities, LLC
BBVA Securities Inc.
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Inc.
BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC
BofA Securities, Inc.
Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC
Brown Brothers Harriman & Company
Brown Investment Advisory & Trust Company
Cambridge Financial Group, Inc.
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
Cetera Advisors LLC
Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
Cetera Investment Advisers LLC
Cetera Investment Services LLC
Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.
CIBC World Markets Corp.
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Comerica Securities, Inc.
Commonwealth Financial Network
COR Clearing LLC
Davenport & Company LLC
David Lerner Associates, Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
E*Trade Capital Inc.
Edward D. Jones & Co., LP
Equitable Advisors LLC
FBL Marketing Services, LLC
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. (FIIOC)
Fiducia Group
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
First Financial Equity Corporation
First Horizon Advisors Inc.
Cetera Investment Services LLC
Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.
CIBC World Markets Corp.
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Comerica Securities, Inc.
Commonwealth Financial Network
COR Clearing LLC
Davenport & Company LLC
David Lerner Associates, Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
E*Trade Capital Inc.
Edward D. Jones & Co., LP
Equitable Advisors LLC
FBL Marketing Services, LLC
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. (FIIOC)
Fiducia Group
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
First Financial Equity Corporation
First Horizon Advisors Inc.
21
FIS Brokerage & Securities Services LLC
FSC Securities Corporation
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Great American Investors, Inc.
GWFS Equities, Inc.
Hancock Whitney Investment Services Inc.
Hefren-Tillotson, Inc.
HighTower Securities, LLC
Hilltop Securities, Inc.
The Huntington Investment Company
Huntington Securities, Inc.
Independent Financial Group LLC
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Financial Services LLC
Infinex Investments Inc.
Institutional Cash Distributors, LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Jefferies LLC
Kestra Investment Services LLC
Key Investment Services LLC
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation
Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC
LPL Financial LLC
M&T Securities, Inc.
Materetsky Financial Group
Mercer Global Advisors Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated
MML Investors Services Inc.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
Multi-Bank Securities
Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.
National Financial Services LLC
Nationwide Investment Services Corporation
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
NYLIFE Distributors LLC
OneAmerica Securities Inc.
Oppenheimer & Company, Inc.
Paychex Securities Corp
Pensionmark Financial Group LLC
People’s Securities, Inc.
Pershing LLC
Piper Sandler & Co.
Pitcairn Trust Company
PNC Capital Markets, LLC
PNC Investments LLC
FSC Securities Corporation
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Great American Investors, Inc.
GWFS Equities, Inc.
Hancock Whitney Investment Services Inc.
Hefren-Tillotson, Inc.
HighTower Securities, LLC
Hilltop Securities, Inc.
The Huntington Investment Company
Huntington Securities, Inc.
Independent Financial Group LLC
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Financial Services LLC
Infinex Investments Inc.
Institutional Cash Distributors, LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Jefferies LLC
Kestra Investment Services LLC
Key Investment Services LLC
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation
Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC
LPL Financial LLC
M&T Securities, Inc.
Materetsky Financial Group
Mercer Global Advisors Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated
MML Investors Services Inc.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
Multi-Bank Securities
Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.
National Financial Services LLC
Nationwide Investment Services Corporation
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
NYLIFE Distributors LLC
OneAmerica Securities Inc.
Oppenheimer & Company, Inc.
Paychex Securities Corp
Pensionmark Financial Group LLC
People’s Securities, Inc.
Pershing LLC
Piper Sandler & Co.
Pitcairn Trust Company
PNC Capital Markets, LLC
PNC Investments LLC
Prudential Investment Management Services LLC
Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Robert W Baird & Co. Incorporated
Royal Alliance Associates, Inc.
SagePoint Financial, Inc.
Sammons Financial Network, LLC
Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, LLC
Securities America Advisors Inc.
Security Distributors, LLC
Sentry Advisors, LLC
SG Americas Securities, LLC
State Street Global Markets, LLC
Stephens Inc.
Stifel Nicolaus & Company Incorporated
Summit Financial Group Inc.
StoneX Financial Inc.
SBC Wealth Management
Suntrust Investment Services, Inc.
Suntrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Private Client Wealth LLC
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
Tradition Securities and Derivatives, Inc.
Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc.
Treasury Brokerage
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
UBS Financial Services Inc.
UBS Securities LLC
UMB Financial Services, Inc.
Valor Financial Securities LLC
The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation
Vining-Sparks IBG, Limited Partnership
Vision Financial Markets, LLC
Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.
Voya Financial Partners, LLC
Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC
WCM Wealth Management LLC
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
WestPark Capital, Inc.
Wintrust Investments LLC
Woodbury Financial Services, Inc.
World Equity Group, Inc.
Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Robert W Baird & Co. Incorporated
Royal Alliance Associates, Inc.
SagePoint Financial, Inc.
Sammons Financial Network, LLC
Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, LLC
Securities America Advisors Inc.
Security Distributors, LLC
Sentry Advisors, LLC
SG Americas Securities, LLC
State Street Global Markets, LLC
Stephens Inc.
Stifel Nicolaus & Company Incorporated
Summit Financial Group Inc.
StoneX Financial Inc.
SBC Wealth Management
Suntrust Investment Services, Inc.
Suntrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.
TD Ameritrade, Inc.
TD Private Client Wealth LLC
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
Tradition Securities and Derivatives, Inc.
Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc.
Treasury Brokerage
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
UBS Financial Services Inc.
UBS Securities LLC
UMB Financial Services, Inc.
Valor Financial Securities LLC
The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation
Vining-Sparks IBG, Limited Partnership
Vision Financial Markets, LLC
Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.
Voya Financial Partners, LLC
Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC
WCM Wealth Management LLC
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
WestPark Capital, Inc.
Wintrust Investments LLC
Woodbury Financial Services, Inc.
World Equity Group, Inc.
22
TO BE UPDATED BY AMENDMENT
UNDERWRITING COMMISSIONS
The following chart reflects the total front-end sales charges and/or contingent deferred sales charges paid in connection
with the sale of Class A Shares and Class C Shares and the amount retained by the Distributor for the last three fiscal years ended
September 30:
|
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|||
|
|
Total Sales
Charges
|
Amount
Retained
|
Total Sales
Charges
|
Amount
Retained
|
Total Sales
Charges
|
Amount
Retained
|
|
Class A Shares
|
$xx
|
$xx
|
$22,339
|
$2,489
|
$7,594
|
$1,140
|
|
Class C Shares
|
$xx
|
$xx
|
$188
|
$188
|
$462
|
$462
|
Purchases In-Kind
You may contact the Distributor to request a purchase of Shares using securities you own. The Fund reserves the right to determine whether to accept your securities and the minimum market value to accept. The Fund will value your securities in
the same manner as it values its assets. An in-kind purchase may be treated as a sale of your securities for federal tax purposes;
please consult your tax adviser regarding potential tax liability.
Redemption In-Kind
Although the Fund generally intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, it reserves the right, on its own initiative or in response
to a shareholder request, to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
Because the Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is obligated to pay Share redemptions to any one shareholder in cash only up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets represented by such Share class during any 90-day period.
Any Share redemption payment greater than this amount will also be in cash unless the Fund elects to pay all or a portion
of the remainder of the redemption in portfolio securities, valued in the same way as the Fund determines its NAV.
Redemption in-kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. Shareholders receiving the portfolio securities could have difficulty
selling them, may incur related transaction costs and would be subject to risks of fluctuations in the securities’ values prior to sale.
Massachusetts Partnership Law
Under certain circumstances, shareholders may be held personally liable as partners under Massachusetts law for obligations
of the Trust. To protect its shareholders, the Trust has filed legal documents with Massachusetts that expressly disclaim
the liability of its shareholders for acts or obligations of the Trust.
In the unlikely event a shareholder is held personally liable for the Trust’s obligations, the Trust is required by the Declaration of Trust to use its property to protect or compensate the shareholder. On request, the Trust will defend any claim made and
pay any judgment against a shareholder for any act or obligation of the Trust. Therefore, financial loss resulting from liability
as a shareholder will occur only if the Trust itself cannot meet its obligations to indemnify shareholders and pay judgments against them.
Account and Share Information
Voting Rights
Each Share of the Fund gives the shareholder one vote in Trustee elections and other matters submitted to shareholders for vote.
All Shares of the Trust have equal voting rights, except that in matters affecting only a particular Fund or class, only Shares of that Fund or class are entitled to vote.
Trustees may be removed by the Board or by shareholders at a special meeting. A special meeting of shareholders will be called by the Board upon the written request of shareholders who own at least 10% of the Trust’s outstanding Shares of all series entitled to vote.
23
TO BE UPDATED BY AMENDMENT
As of December XX, 2021, the following shareholders owned of record, beneficially or both, 5% or more of outstanding Class A Shares: National Financial Services LLC, New York, NY, owned approximately 508,610 Shares (32.35%); Pershing LLC, Jersey City, NJ, owned approximately 485,905 Shares (30.90%); and Edward D. Jones & Co., Saint Louis, MO, owned approximately 168,349 Shares (10.70%).
As of December XX, 2021, the following shareholders owned of record, beneficially or both, 5% or more of outstanding Class C Shares: Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, St. Louis, MO, owned approximately 33,869 Shares (18.48%); Pershing LLC, Jersey City, NJ, owned approximately 25,170 Shares (13.73%); Raymond James, St. Petersburg, FL, owned approximately 24,680 Shares (13.46%); National Financial Services LLC, New York, NY, owned approximately 15,813 Shares (8.62%); Capital Bank & Trust Co., Greenwood Village, CO, owned approximately 15,644 Shares (8.53%); LPL Financial, San Diego, CA, owned approximately 11,991 Shares (6.54%); Charles Schwab & Co, Inc., San Francisco, CA, owned approximately 798,665 Shares (25.71%); American Enterprise Investment Services, Minneapolis, MN, owned approximately 11,116 Shares (6.06%); Edward D. Jones & Company, Saint Louis, MO, owned approximately 10,438 Shares (5.69%); and TD Ameritrade, Inc., Omaha, NE, owned approximately 10,145 Shares (5.53%).
As of December XX, 2021, the following shareholders owned of record, beneficially or both, 5% or more of outstanding Institutional Shares: PIMS/Prudential Retirement, Reno, NV, owned approximately 1,101,123 Shares (35.45%); Charles Schwab & Co, Inc., San Francisco, CA, owned approximately 798,665 Shares (25.71%); Wells Fargo Bank, Charlotte, NC, owned approximately 237,203 Shares (7.63%); and American Enterprise Investment Services, Minneapolis, MN, owned approximately 178,910 Shares (5.76%).
Shareholders owning 25% or more of outstanding Shares may be in control and be able to affect the outcome of certain matters presented for a vote of shareholders.
National Financial Services LLC is organized in the state of Delaware and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fidelity Global
Brokerage Group, Inc., which is organized in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, which is organized in Delaware. Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is organized in the state of Florida.
Pershing LLC is organized in the state of Delaware and is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation which is organized in the state of Delaware.
Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company is organized in the state of Connecticut.
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. is organized in the state of California.
Tax Information
Federal Income Tax
The Fund intends to meet requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) applicable to regulated investment companies. If these requirements are not met, it will not receive special tax treatment and will be subject to
federal corporate income tax.
The Fund will be treated as a single, separate entity for federal income tax purposes so that income earned and capital gains
and losses realized by the Trust’s other portfolios will be separate from those realized by the Fund.
The Fund is entitled to a loss carryforward, which may reduce the taxable income or gain that the Fund would realize, and
to which the shareholder would be subject, in the future.
Tax Basis Information
The Fund’s Transfer Agent is required to provide you with the cost basis information on the sale of any of your Shares in the Fund, subject to certain exceptions.
Foreign Investments
If the Fund purchases foreign securities, its investment income may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes that
could reduce the return on these securities. Tax treaties between the United States and foreign countries, however, may reduce or
eliminate the amount of foreign taxes to which the Fund would be subject. The effective rate of foreign tax cannot be predicted
since the amount of Fund assets to be invested within various countries is uncertain. However, the Fund intends to operate
so as to qualify for treaty-reduced tax rates when applicable.
24
Distributions from the Fund may be based on estimates of book income for the year. Book income generally consists solely of
the income generated by the securities in the portfolio, whereas tax-basis income includes, in addition, gains or losses attributable
to currency fluctuation. Due to differences in the book and tax treatment of fixed-income securities denominated in foreign
currencies, it is difficult to project currency effects on an interim basis. Therefore, to the extent that currency fluctuations
cannot be anticipated, a portion of distributions to shareholders could later be designated as a return of capital, rather than income,
for income tax purposes, which may be of particular concern to certain trusts.
Certain foreign corporations may qualify as Passive Foreign Investment Companies (PFIC). There are special rules prescribing
the tax treatment of such an investment by the Fund, which could subject the Fund to federal income tax.
If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets at the end of the tax year is represented by stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will qualify for certain Code provisions that allow its shareholders to claim a foreign tax credit
or deduction on their U.S. income tax returns. The Code may limit a shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit. Shareholders who elect to deduct their portion of the Fund’s foreign taxes rather than take the foreign tax credit must itemize deductions on their income tax returns.
Who Manages and Provides Services to the Fund?
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible for managing the Trust’s business affairs and for exercising all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following tables give information about each Trustee and the senior officers of the
Fund. Where required, the tables separately list Trustees who are “interested persons” of the Fund (i.e., “Interested” Trustees) and those who are not (i.e., “Independent” Trustees). Unless otherwise noted, the address of each person listed is 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779. The address of all Independent Trustees listed is 4000 Ericsson Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086-7561;
Attention: Mutual Fund Board. As of December 31, 2020, the Trust comprised seven portfolios, and the Federated Hermes Complex consisted of 41 investment companies (comprising 163 portfolios). Unless otherwise noted, each Officer is elected annually. Unless otherwise noted, each Trustee oversees all portfolios in the Federated Hermes Complex and serves for an indefinite term.
TO BE UPDATED BY AMENDMENT
As of December XX, 2021, the Fund’s Board and Officers as a group owned approximately 103,990 (3.34%) of the Fund’s outstanding Institutional Shares.
qualifications of Independent Trustees
Individual Trustee qualifications are noted in the “Independent Trustees Background and Compensation” chart. In addition, the following characteristics are among those that were considered for each existing Trustee and will be considered for any
Nominee Trustee.
■ Outstanding skills in disciplines deemed by the Independent Trustees to be particularly relevant to the role of Independent
Trustee and to the Federated Hermes funds, including legal, accounting, business management, the financial industry generally
and the investment industry particularly.
■ Desire and availability to serve for a substantial period of time, taking into account the Board’s current mandatory retirement age of 75 years.
■ No conflicts which would interfere with qualifying as independent.
■ Appropriate interpersonal skills to work effectively with other Independent Trustees.
■ Understanding and appreciation of the important role occupied by Independent Trustees in the regulatory structure governing
regulated investment companies.
■ Diversity of background.
25
interested Trustees Background and Compensation
|
Name
Birth Date
Positions Held with Trust
Date Service Began
|
Principal Occupation(s) for Past Five Years,
Other Directorships Held and Previous Position(s)
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From Trust
(past fiscal year)
|
Total Compensation
From Fund and
Federated Hermes Complex
(past calendar year)
|
|
J. Christopher Donahue*
Birth Date: April 11, 1949
President and Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: January 2000
|
Principal Occupations: Principal Executive Officer and President of certain
of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Director or Trustee of the
Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; President, Chief Executive
Officer and Director, Federated Hermes, Inc.; Chairman and Trustee,
Federated Investment Management Company; Trustee, Federated
Investment Counseling; Chairman and Director, Federated Global
Investment Management Corp.; Chairman and Trustee, Federated Equity
Management Company of Pennsylvania; Trustee, Federated Shareholder
Services Company; Director, Federated Services Company.
Previous Positions: President, Federated Investment Counseling; President
and Chief Executive Officer, Federated Investment Management Company,
Federated Global Investment Management Corp. and Passport
Research, Ltd.; Chairman, Passport Research, Ltd.
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
John B. Fisher*
Birth Date: May 16, 1956
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: May 2016
|
Principal Occupations: Principal Executive Officer and President of certain
of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Director or Trustee of
certain of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Vice President,
Federated Hermes, Inc.; President, Director/Trustee and CEO, Federated
Advisory Services Company, Federated Equity Management Company of
Pennsylvania, Federated Global Investment Management Corp., Federated
Investment Counseling, Federated Investment Management Company;
President of some of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex and
Director, Federated Investors Trust Company.
Previous Positions: President and Director of the Institutional Sales
Division of Federated Securities Corp.; President and Director of Federated
Investment Counseling; President and CEO of Passport Research, Ltd.;
Director, Edgewood Securities Corp.; Director, Federated Services
Company; Director, Federated Hermes, Inc.; Chairman and Director,
Southpointe Distribution Services, Inc. and President, Technology,
Federated Services Company.
|
$0
|
$0
|
*
Reasons for “interested” status: J. Christopher Donahue and John B. Fisher are interested due to their beneficial ownership of shares of Federated Hermes, Inc. and due to positions they hold with Federated Hermes, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Independent Trustees Background, Qualifications and Compensation
|
Name
Birth Date
Positions Held with Trust
Date Service Began
|
Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships Held for
Past Five Years, Previous Position(s) and Qualifications
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From Trust
(past fiscal year)
|
Total Compensation
From Trust and
Federated Hermes Complex
(past calendar year)
|
|
John T. Collins
Birth Date: January 24, 1947
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: October 2013
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee and Chair of the Board of
Directors or Trustees, of the Federated Hermes Complex; formerly,
Chairman and CEO, The Collins Group, Inc. (a private equity firm) (Retired).
Other Directorships Held: Chairman of the Board of Directors, Director,
KLX Energy Services Holdings, Inc. (oilfield services); former Director of KLX
Corp (aerospace).
Qualifications: Mr. Collins has served in several business and financial
management roles and directorship positions throughout his career.
Mr. Collins previously served as Chairman and CEO of The Collins Group,
Inc. (a private equity firm) and as a Director of KLX Corp. Mr. Collins serves
as Chairman Emeriti, Bentley University. Mr. Collins previously served as
Director and Audit Committee Member, Bank of America Corp.; Director,
FleetBoston Financial Corp.; and Director, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center (Harvard University Affiliate Hospital).
|
$208.78
|
$286,000
|
26
|
Name
Birth Date
Positions Held with Trust
Date Service Began
|
Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships Held for
Past Five Years, Previous Position(s) and Qualifications
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From Trust
(past fiscal year)
|
Total Compensation
From Trust and
Federated Hermes Complex
(past calendar year)
|
|
G. Thomas Hough
Birth Date: February 28, 1955
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: August 2015
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee, Chair of the Audit Committee
of the Federated Hermes Complex; formerly, Vice Chair, Ernst & Young LLP
(public accounting firm) (Retired).
Other Directorships Held: Director, Chair of the Audit Committee,
Equifax, Inc.; Director, Member of the Audit Committee, Haverty Furniture
Companies, Inc.; formerly, Director, Member of Governance and
Compensation Committees, Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Qualifications: Mr. Hough has served in accounting, business management
and directorship positions throughout his career. Mr. Hough most recently
held the position of Americas Vice Chair of Assurance with Ernst &
Young LLP (public accounting firm). Mr. Hough serves on the President’s
Cabinet and Business School Board of Visitors for the University of
Alabama. Mr. Hough previously served on the Business School Board of
Visitors for Wake Forest University, and he previously served as an
Executive Committee member of the United States Golf Association.
|
$203.90
|
$321,000
|
|
Maureen Lally-Green
Birth Date: July 5, 1949
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: August 2009
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes
Complex; Adjunct Professor Emerita of Law, Duquesne University School of
Law; formerly, Dean of the Duquesne University School of Law and
Professor of Law and Interim Dean of the Duquesne University School of
Law; formerly, Associate General Secretary and Director, Office of Church
Relations, Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Other Directorships Held: Director, CNX Resources Corporation (formerly
known as CONSOL Energy Inc.).
Qualifications: Judge Lally-Green has served in various legal and business
roles and directorship positions throughout her career. Judge Lally-Green
previously held the position of Dean of the School of Law of Duquesne
University (as well as Interim Dean). Judge Lally-Green previously served as
a member of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and as a Professor of Law,
Duquesne University School of Law. Judge Lally-Green was appointed by
the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to serve on the Supreme Court’s Board
of Continuing Judicial Education and the Supreme Court’s Appellate Court
Procedural Rules Committee. Judge Lally-Green also currently holds the
positions on not for profit or for profit boards of directors as follows:
Director and Chair, UPMC Mercy Hospital; Regent, Saint Vincent Seminary;
Member, Pennsylvania State Board of Education (public); Director, Catholic
Charities, Pittsburgh; and Director, CNX Resources Corporation (formerly
known as CONSOL Energy Inc.). Judge Lally-Green has held the positions
of: Director, Auberle; Director, Epilepsy Foundation of Western and Central
Pennsylvania; Director, Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh; Director, Saint
Thomas More Society; Director and Chair, Catholic High Schools of the
Diocese of Pittsburgh, Inc.; Director, Pennsylvania Bar Institute; Director,
Saint Vincent College; Director and Chair, North Catholic High School, Inc.;
and Director and Vice Chair, Our Campaign for the Church Alive!, Inc.
|
$182.74
|
$286,000
|
|
Thomas M. O’Neill
Birth Date: June 14, 1951
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: October 2006
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes
Complex; Sole Proprietor, Navigator Management Company (investment
and strategic consulting).
Other Directorships Held: None.
Qualifications: Mr. O’Neill has served in several business, mutual fund and
financial management roles and directorship positions throughout his
career. Mr. O’Neill serves as Director, Medicines for Humanity and Director,
The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, Florida. Mr. O’Neill previously
served as Chief Executive Officer and President, Managing Director and
Chief Investment Officer, Fleet Investment Advisors; President and Chief
Executive Officer, Aeltus Investment Management, Inc.; General Partner,
Hellman, Jordan Management Co., Boston, MA; Chief Investment Officer,
The Putnam Companies, Boston, MA; Credit Analyst and Lending Officer,
Fleet Bank; Director and Consultant, EZE Castle Software (investment order
management software); and Director, Midway Pacific (lumber).
|
$182.74
|
$286,000
|
27
|
Name
Birth Date
Positions Held with Trust
Date Service Began
|
Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships Held for
Past Five Years, Previous Position(s) and Qualifications
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From Trust
(past fiscal year)
|
Total Compensation
From Trust and
Federated Hermes Complex
(past calendar year)
|
|
Madelyn A. Reilly
Birth Date: February 2, 1956
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: November 2020
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes
Complex; Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs, General Counsel and
Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Duquesne University.
Other Directorships Held: None.
Qualifications: Ms. Reilly has served in various business and legal
management roles throughout her career. Ms. Reilly previously served as
Director of Risk Management and Associate General Counsel, Duquesne
University. Prior to her work at Duquesne University, Ms. Reilly served as
Assistant General Counsel of Compliance and Enterprise Risk as well as
Senior Counsel of Environment, Health and Safety, PPG Industries.
|
$157.12
|
$49,668.48
|
|
P. Jerome Richey
Birth Date: February 23, 1949
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: October 2013
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes
Complex; Management Consultant; Retired; formerly, Senior Vice
Chancellor and Chief Legal Officer, University of Pittsburgh and Executive
Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, CONSOL Energy Inc. (split into two
separate publicly traded companies known as CONSOL Energy Inc. and
CNX Resources Corp.).
Other Directorships Held: None.
Qualifications: Mr. Richey has served in several business and legal
management roles and directorship positions throughout his career.
Mr. Richey most recently held the positions of Senior Vice Chancellor and
Chief Legal Officer, University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Richey previously served as
Chairman of the Board, Epilepsy Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and
Chairman of the Board, World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. Mr. Richey
previously served as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President,
CONSOL Energy Inc. and CNX Gas Company; and Board Member, Ethics
Counsel and Shareholder, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC (a law firm).
|
$178.93
|
$260,000
|
|
John S. Walsh
Birth Date: November 28, 1957
Trustee
Indefinite Term
Began serving: January 2000
|
Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes
Complex; President and Director, Heat Wagon, Inc. (manufacturer of
construction temporary heaters); President and Director, Manufacturers
Products, Inc. (distributor of portable construction heaters); President,
Portable Heater Parts, a division of Manufacturers Products, Inc.
Other Directorships Held: None.
Qualifications: Mr. Walsh has served in several business management roles
and directorship positions throughout his career. Mr. Walsh previously
served as Vice President, Walsh & Kelly, Inc. (paving contractors).
|
$178.64
|
$345,000
|
OFFICERS*
|
Name
Birth Date
Address
Positions Held with Trust
Date Service Began
|
Principal Occupation(s) and Previous Position(s)
|
|
Lori A. Hensler
Birth Date: January 6, 1967
Treasurer
Officer since: April 2013
|
Principal Occupations: Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Federated Hermes Complex; Senior Vice President,
Federated Administrative Services; Financial and Operations Principal for Federated Securities Corp.; and Assistant Treasurer,
Federated Investors Trust Company. Ms. Hensler has received the Certified Public Accountant designation.
Previous Positions: Controller of Federated Hermes, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, Federated Investors
Management Company; Treasurer, Federated Investors Trust Company; Assistant Treasurer, Federated Administrative Services,
Federated Administrative Services, Inc., Federated Securities Corp., Edgewood Services, Inc., Federated Advisory Services
Company, Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania, Federated Global Investment Management Corp.,
Federated Investment Counseling, Federated Investment Management Company, Passport Research, Ltd. and Federated MDTA,
LLC; Financial and Operations Principal for Federated Securities Corp., Edgewood Services, Inc. and Southpointe Distribution
Services, Inc.
|
28
|
Name
Birth Date
Address
Positions Held with Trust
Date Service Began
|
Principal Occupation(s) and Previous Position(s)
|
|
Stephen Van Meter
Birth Date: June 5, 1975
CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Officer since: July 2015
|
Principal Occupations: Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Federated Hermes Complex; Vice President
and Chief Compliance Officer of Federated Hermes, Inc. and Chief Compliance Officer of certain of its subsidiaries.
Mr. Van Meter joined Federated Hermes, Inc. in October 2011. He holds FINRA licenses under Series 3, 7, 24 and 66.
Previous Positions: Mr. Van Meter previously held the position of Compliance Operating Officer, Federated Hermes, Inc. Prior to
joining Federated Hermes, Inc., Mr. Van Meter served at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in the positions
of Senior Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Division of Investment Management and Senior Counsel, Division of Enforcement.
|
|
Robert J. Ostrowski
Birth Date: April 26, 1963
Chief Investment Officer
Officer since: May 2004
|
Principal Occupations: Robert J. Ostrowski joined Federated Hermes, Inc. in 1987 as an Investment Analyst and became a
Portfolio Manager in 1990. He was named Chief Investment Officer of Federated Hermes, Inc. taxable fixed-income products in
2004 and also serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Ostrowski became an Executive Vice President of the Fund’s Adviser in
2009 and served as a Senior Vice President of the Fund’s Adviser from 1997 to 2009. Mr. Ostrowski has received the Chartered
Financial Analyst designation. He received his M.S. in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.
|
|
Peter J. Germain
Birth Date: September 3, 1959
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER,
SECRETARY and EXECUTIVE
VICE PRESIDENT
Officer since: January 2005
|
Principal Occupations: Mr. Germain is Chief Legal Officer, Secretary and Executive Vice President of the Federated Hermes
Complex. He is General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, Secretary and Executive Vice President, Federated Hermes, Inc.; Trustee
and Senior Vice President, Federated Investors Management Company; Trustee and President, Federated Administrative
Services; Director and President, Federated Administrative Services, Inc.; Director and Vice President, Federated Securities
Corp.; Director and Secretary, Federated Private Asset Management, Inc.; Secretary, Federated Shareholder Services Company;
and Secretary, Retirement Plan Service Company of America. Mr. Germain joined Federated Hermes, Inc. in 1984 and is a
member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Previous Positions: Deputy General Counsel, Special Counsel, Managing Director of Mutual Fund Services, Federated Hermes,
Inc.; Senior Vice President, Federated Services Company; and Senior Corporate Counsel, Federated Hermes, Inc.
|
*
Officers do not receive any compensation from the Fund.
In addition, the Fund has appointed an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.
DIRECTOR/TRUSTEE EMERITUS PROGRAM
The Board has created a position of Director/Trustee Emeritus, whereby an incumbent Director/Trustee who has attained the
age of 75 and completed a minimum of five years of service as a director/trustee, may, in the sole discretion of the Committee
of Independent Directors/Trustees (“Committee”), be recommended to the full Board of Directors/Trustees of the Fund to serve as Director/Trustee Emeritus.
A Director/Trustee Emeritus that has been approved as such receives an annual fee in an amount equal to a percent of the annual base compensation paid to a Director/Trustee. In the case of a Director/Trustee Emeritus who had previously served
at least five years but less than 10 years as a Director/Trustee, the percent will be 10%. In the case of a Director/Trustee
Emeritus who had previously served at least 10 years as a Director/Trustee, the percent will be 20%. The Director/Trustee Emeritus
will be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in connection with their service, including expenses of travel and lodging incurred in
attendance at Board meetings. Director/Trustee Emeritus will continue to receive relevant materials concerning the Funds,
will be expected to attend at least one regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors/Trustees each year and will
be available to consult with the Committees or its representatives at reasonable times as requested by the Chairman; however,
a Director/Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders
of the Funds.
The Director/Trustee Emeritus will be permitted to serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Committee, but the annual
fee will cease to be paid at the end of the calendar year during which he or she has attained the age of 80 years, thereafter
the position will be honorary.
The following table shows the fees paid to each Director/Trustee Emeritus for the Fund’s most recently ended fiscal year and the portion of that fee paid by the Fund or Corporation/Trust.1
29
EMERITUS Trustees and Compensation
|
Director/Trustee Emeritus
|
Compensation
From Trust
(past fiscal year)
|
Total
Compensation
Paid to
Director/Trustee
Emeritus1
|
|
Peter E. Madden
|
$8.59
|
$52,000.00
|
|
Charles F. Mansfield, Jr.2
|
$7.15
|
$0.00
|
1
The fees paid to a Director/Trustee are allocated among the funds that were in existence at the time the Director/Trustee
elected Emeritus status, based on each fund’s net assets at that time.
2
Charles F. Mansfield, Jr. retired from the Federated Hermes Fund Board of Directors/Trustees on December 31, 2020. Until December
31, 2020, Mr. Mansfield was compensated as a Director/Trustee of the Fund.
BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
As required under the terms of certain regulatory settlements, the Chairman of the Board is not an interested person of the
Fund and neither the Chairman, nor any firm with which the Chairman is affiliated, has a prior relationship with Federated
Hermes or its affiliates or (other than his position as a Trustee) with the Fund.
Committees of the Board
|
Board
Committee
|
Committee
Members
|
Committee Functions
|
Meetings Held
During Last
Fiscal Year
|
|
Executive
|
J. Christopher Donahue
John T. Collins
John S. Walsh
|
In between meetings of the full Board, the Executive Committee generally may
exercise all the powers of the full Board in the management and direction of the
business and conduct of the affairs of the Trust in such manner as the Executive
Committee shall deem to be in the best interests of the Trust. However, the
Executive Committee cannot elect or remove Board members, increase or decrease
the number of Trustees, elect or remove any Officer, declare dividends, issue shares
or recommend to shareholders any action requiring shareholder approval.
|
One
|
|
Audit
|
G. Thomas Hough
Maureen Lally-Green
Thomas M. O’Neill
P. Jerome Richey
|
The purposes of the Audit Committee are to oversee the accounting and financial
reporting process of the Fund, the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting
and the quality, integrity and independent audit of the Fund’s financial statements.
The Committee also oversees or assists the Board with the oversight of compliance
with legal requirements relating to those matters, approves the engagement and
reviews the qualifications, independence and performance of the Fund’s
independent registered public accounting firm, acts as a liaison between the
independent registered public accounting firm and the Board and reviews the Fund’s
internal audit function.
|
Seven
|
|
Nominating
|
John T. Collins
G. Thomas Hough
Maureen Lally-Green
Thomas M. O’Neill
Madelyn A. Reilly
P. Jerome Richey
John S. Walsh
|
The Nominating Committee, whose members consist of all Independent Trustees,
selects and nominates persons for election to the Fund’s Board when vacancies
occur. The Committee will consider candidates recommended by shareholders,
Independent Trustees, officers or employees of any of the Fund’s agents or service
providers and counsel to the Fund. Any shareholder who desires to have an
individual considered for nomination by the Committee must submit a
recommendation in writing to the Secretary of the Fund, at the Fund’s address
appearing on the back cover of this SAI. The recommendation should include the
name and address of both the shareholder and the candidate and detailed
information concerning the candidate’s qualifications and experience. In identifying
and evaluating candidates for consideration, the Committee shall consider such
factors as it deems appropriate. Those factors will ordinarily include: integrity,
intelligence, collegiality, judgment, diversity, skill, business and other experience,
qualification as an “Independent Trustee,” the existence of material relationships
which may create the appearance of a lack of independence, financial or accounting
knowledge and experience and dedication and willingness to devote the time and
attention necessary to fulfill Board responsibilities.
|
One
|
30
BOARD’S ROLE IN RISK OVERSIGHT
The Board’s role in overseeing the Fund’s general risks includes receiving performance reports for the Fund and risk management reports from Federated Hermes’ Chief Risk Officer at each regular Board meeting. The Chief Risk Officer is responsible for enterprise risk management at Federated Hermes, which includes risk management committees for investment management and for investor services. The Board also receives regular reports from the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer regarding significant compliance risks.
On behalf of the Board, the Audit Committee plays a key role overseeing the Fund’s financial reporting and valuation risks. The Audit Committee meets regularly with the Fund’s Principal Financial Officer and outside auditors, as well as with Federated Hermes’ Chief Audit Executive to discuss financial reporting and audit issues, including risks relating to financial controls.
Board Ownership Of Shares In The Fund And In The Federated Hermes Family Of Investment Companies As Of December 31, 2020
|
Interested Board
Member Name
|
Dollar Range of
Shares Owned in
Federated Hermes Inflation
Protected Securities Fund
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Shares Owned in
Federated Hermes Family of
Investment Companies
|
|
J. Christopher Donahue
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
|
John B. Fisher
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
|
Independent Board
Member Name
|
|
|
|
John T. Collins
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
|
G. Thomas Hough
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
|
Maureen Lally-Green
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
|
Thomas M. O’Neill
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
|
Madelyn A. Reilly
|
None
|
None
|
|
P. Jerome Richey
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
|
John S. Walsh
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Investment Adviser
The Adviser conducts investment research and makes investment decisions for the Fund.
The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated Hermes.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any Fund shareholder for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase,
holding or sale of any security or for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its contract with the Trust.
In December 2017, Federated Investors, Inc., now Federated Hermes, Inc., (“Federated Hermes”) became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is an investor initiative in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact. Commitments made as a signatory to the PRI are not legally binding, but are voluntary and aspirational. They include efforts, where consistent with our fiduciary
responsibilities, to incorporate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues into investment analysis and
investment decision making, to be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices, to seek
appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest, to promote acceptance and implementation of the PRI
within the investment industry, to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the PRI, and to report on our activities and
progress towards implementing the PRI. Being a signatory to the PRI does not obligate Federated Hermes to take, or not take, any particular action as it relates to investment decisions or other activities.
In July 2018, Federated Investors, Inc., now Federated Hermes, Inc., acquired a majority interest in Hermes Fund Managers Limited (HFML), which operates as Hermes Investment Management, a pioneer of integrated ESG investing. HFML’s experience with ESG issues contributes to Federated Hermes’ understanding of material risks and opportunities these issues may present.
On August 31, 2021, Federated Hermes acquired an additional 29.5% interest in HFML that was held by another shareholder of HFML. Federated Hermes currently owns approximately a 90% interest in HFML. An employee benefit trust continues to hold approximately a 10% interest in HFML for the benefit of certain members of HFML’s management and key employees.
31
EOS at Federated Hermes, which was established as Hermes Equity Ownership Services Limited (EOS) in 2004 as an affiliate of Hermes Investment Management Limited, is our in-house engagement and stewardship team. The 50+ member team conducts long-term, objectives-driven dialogue with board and senior executive level representatives of more than 1,200 unique issuers annually. It seeks to address the most material ESG risks and opportunities through constructive and continuous discussions with the goal of improving long-term results for investors. Engagers’ deep understanding across sectors, themes and regional markets, along with language and cultural expertise, allows EOS to provide insights to companies on the merits of addressing ESG risks
and the positive benefits of capturing opportunities. Federated Hermes investment management teams have access to the insights
gained from understanding a company’s approach to these long-term strategic matters as an additional input to improve portfolio risk/return characteristics.
TO BE UPDATED BY AMENDMENT
Portfolio Manager Information
As a general matter, certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager’s management of a fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of other funds/pooled investment vehicles or accounts (collectively, including
the Fund, as applicable, “accounts”) for which the portfolio manager is responsible, on the other. For example, it is possible that the various accounts managed could have different investment strategies that, at times, might conflict with one another to
the possible detriment of the Fund. Alternatively, to the extent that the same investment opportunities might be desirable for
more than one account, possible conflicts could arise in determining how to allocate them. Other potential conflicts can include,
for example, conflicts created by specific portfolio manager compensation arrangements (including, for example, the allocation
or weighting given to the performance of the Fund or other accounts or activities for which the portfolio manager is responsible
in calculating the portfolio manager’s compensation), and conflicts relating to selection of brokers or dealers to execute Fund portfolio trades and/or specific uses of commissions from Fund portfolio trades (for example, research or “soft dollars”). The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures and has structured the portfolio managers’ compensation in a manner reasonably designed to safeguard the Fund from being negatively affected as a result of any such potential conflicts.
The following information about the Fund’s Portfolio Manager is provided as of the end of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year unless otherwise indicated.
Andrew Kirschler, Portfolio Manager
*
None of the Accounts has an advisory fee that is based on the performance of the account.
Dollar value range of shares owned in the Fund: None.
Andrew Kirschler is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive, position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager’s experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based primarily on Investment Product Performance (IPP) and may also include a discretionary component
based on a variety of factors deemed relevant, such as financial measures and performance, and may be paid entirely in cash,
or in a combination of cash and restricted stock of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes”). The total combined annual incentive opportunity is intended to be competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role.
IPP is measured on a rolling one, three and five calendar year pre-tax gross total return basis versus the Fund’s benchmark (i.e., Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS Index) and versus the Fund’s designated peer group of comparable accounts. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than
one year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded.
As noted above, Mr. Kirschler is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts
may have different benchmarks and performance measures. The allocation or weighting given to the performance of the Fund or
other accounts or activities for which Mr. Kirschler is responsible when his compensation is calculated may be equal or can
vary.
In addition, Mr. Kirschler serves on one or more Investment Teams that establish guidelines on various performance drivers
(e.g., currency, duration, sector, volatility and/or yield curve) for taxable, fixed-income accounts. A portion of the IPP
score is based on Federated Hermes’ senior management’s assessment of team contributions.
32
For purposes of calculating the annual incentive amount, each account managed by the portfolio manager currently is categorized into one of two IPP groups (which may be adjusted periodically). Within each performance measurement period and
IPP group, IPP currently is calculated on the basis of an assigned weighting to each account managed or activity engaged in
by the portfolio manager and included in the IPP groups. At the account level, the weighting assigned to the Fund is greater
than or equal to the weighting assigned to other accounts or activities used to determine IPP (but can be adjusted periodically).
Additionally, a portion of Mr. Kirschler’s IPP score is based on the performance for which he provides research and analytic support. A portion of the bonus tied to the IPP score may be adjusted based on management’s assessment of overall contributions to account performance and any other factors as deemed relevant.
Any individual allocations from the discretionary pool may be determined, by executive management on a discretionary basis
using various factors, such as, for example, on a product, strategy or asset class basis, and considering overall contributions
and any other factors deemed relevant (and may be adjusted periodically).
Todd Abraham, Portfolio Manager
|
Types of Accounts Managed
by Todd Abraham
|
Total Number of Additional Accounts
Managed/Total Assets*
|
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
17/$4.5 billion
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
0/$0
|
|
Other Accounts
|
0/$0
|
*
None of the Accounts has an advisory fee that is based on the performance of the account.
Dollar value range of shares owned in the Fund: None.
Todd Abraham is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive, position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager’s experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based primarily on Investment Product Performance (IPP) and may also include a discretionary component
based on a variety of factors deemed relevant, such as financial measures and performance and may be paid entirely in cash,
or in a combination of cash and restricted stock of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes”). The total combined annual incentive opportunity is intended to be competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role.
IPP is measured on a rolling one, three and five calendar year pre-tax gross total return basis versus the Fund’s benchmark (i.e., Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS Index) and versus the Fund’s designated peer group of comparable accounts. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than
one year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded.
As noted above, Mr. Abraham is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts
may have different benchmarks and performance measures. The allocation or weighting given to the performance of the Fund or
other accounts or activities for which Mr. Abraham is responsible when his compensation is calculated may be equal or can
vary.
In addition, Mr. Abraham has oversight responsibility for other portfolios that he does not personally manage and serves on
one or more Investment Teams that establish guidelines on various performance drivers (e.g., currency, duration, sector, volatility
and/or yield curve) for taxable, fixed-income accounts. A portion of the IPP score is based on Federated Hermes’ senior management’s assessment of team contributions.
For purposes of calculating the annual incentive amount, each account managed by the portfolio manager currently is categorized into one of two IPP groups (which may be adjusted periodically). Within each performance measurement period and
IPP group, IPP currently is calculated on the basis of an assigned weighting to each account managed or activity engaged in
by the portfolio manager and included in the IPP groups. At the account level, the weighting assigned to the Fund is lesser than
or equal to the weighting assigned to other accounts or activities used to determine IPP (but can be adjusted periodically).
A portion of the bonus tied to the IPP score may be adjusted based on management’s assessment of overall contributions to account performance and any other factors as deemed relevant.
Any individual allocations from the discretionary pool may be determined, by executive management on a discretionary basis
using various factors, such as, for example, on a product, strategy or asset class basis, and considering overall contributions
and any other factors deemed relevant (and may be adjusted periodically).
Services Agreement
Federated Advisory Services Company, an affiliate of the Adviser, provides certain support services to the Adviser. The fee
for these services is paid by the Adviser and not by the Fund.
33
Other Related Services
Affiliates of the Adviser may, from time to time, provide certain electronic equipment and software to institutional customers
in order to facilitate the purchase of Fund Shares offered by the Distributor.
Code Of Ethics Restrictions On Personal Trading
As required by Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act (as applicable), the Fund, its Adviser and its Distributor have adopted codes of ethics. These codes govern securities trading
activities of investment personnel, Fund Trustees and certain other employees. Although they do permit these people to trade
in securities, including those that the Fund could buy, as well as Shares of the Fund, they also contain significant safeguards
designed to protect the Fund and its shareholders from abuses in this area, such as requirements to obtain prior approval
for, and to report, particular transactions.
Voting Proxies On Fund Portfolio Securities
The Board has delegated to the Adviser authority to vote proxies on the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio. The Board has also approved the Adviser’s policies and procedures for voting the proxies, which are described below.
Proxy Voting Policies
As an investment adviser with a fiduciary duty to the Fund and its shareholders, the Adviser’s general policy is to cast proxy votes in favor of management proposals and shareholder proposals that the Adviser anticipates will enhance the long-term value
of the securities being voted in a manner that is consistent with the investment objectives of the Fund. Generally, this will
mean voting for proposals that the Adviser believes will improve the management of a company, increase the rights or preferences
of the voted securities, or increase the chance that a premium offer would be made for the company or for the voted securities.
This approach to voting proxy proposals will be referred to hereafter as the “General Policy.”
The Adviser generally votes consistently on the same matter when securities of an issuer are held by multiple client portfolios.
However, the Adviser may vote differently if a client’s investment objectives differ from those of other clients or if a client explicitly instructs the Adviser to vote differently.
The following examples illustrate how the General Policy may apply to the most common management proposals and shareholder proposals. However, whether the Adviser supports or opposes a proposal will always depend on a thorough understanding of the Fund’s investment objectives and the specific circumstances described in the proxy statement and other available information.
On matters related to the board of directors, generally the Adviser will vote to elect nominees to the board in uncontested
elections except in certain circumstances, such as where the director: (1) had not attended at least 75% of the board meetings
during the previous year; (2) serves as the company’s chief financial officer, unless the company is headquartered in the UK where this is market practice; (3) has become overboarded (more than five boards for retired executives and more than two boards for CEOs); (4) is the chair of the nominating or governance committee when the roles of chairman of the board and CEO
are combined and there is no lead independent director; (5) served on the compensation committee during a period in which
compensation appears excessive relative to performance and peers; or (6) served on a board that did not implement a shareholder
proposal that the Adviser supported and received more than 50% shareholder support the previous year. In addition, the Adviser
will generally vote in favor of; (7) a full slate of directors, where the directors are elected as a group and not individually,
unless more than half of the nominees are not independent; (8) shareholder proposals to declassify the board of directors;
(9) shareholder proposals to require a majority voting standard in the election of directors; (10) shareholder proposals to
separate the roles of chairman of the board and CEO; (11) a proposal to require a company’s audit committee to be comprised entirely of independent directors; and (12) shareholder proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements in company bylaws.
On other matters of corporate governance, generally the Adviser will vote in favor of: (1) proposals to grant shareholders
the right to call a special meeting if owners of at least 15% of the outstanding stock agree; (2) a proposal to require independent tabulation of proxies and/or confidential voting of shareholders; (3) a proposal to ratify the board’s selection of auditors, unless: (a) compensation for non-audit services exceeded 50% of the total compensation received from the company; or (b) the previous
auditor was dismissed because of a disagreement with the company; (4) a proposal to repeal a shareholder rights plan (also
known as a “poison pill”) and against the adoption of such a plan, unless the plan is designed to facilitate, rather than prevent, unsolicited offers for the company; (5) shareholder proposals to eliminate supermajority requirements in company bylaws; and
(6) shareholder proposals calling for “Proxy Access,” that is, a bylaw change allowing shareholders owning at least 3% of the outstanding common stock for at least three years to nominate candidates for election to the board of directors. The Adviser
will generally withhold support from shareholder proposals to grant shareholders the right to act by written consent. Finally, the Adviser will vote on a case-by-case basis for proposals to adopt or amend shareholder rights plans.
34
On environmental and social matters, generally the Adviser will vote on a case-by-case basis. The Adviser will take into account the literal meaning of the written proposal, the financial materiality of the proposal’s objective, and the practices followed by industry peers. Above all, the Adviser will vote in a manner that would enhance the long-term value of the securities being voted within the framework of the client’s investment objectives.
On matters of capital structure, generally the Adviser will vote against a proposal to authorize or issue shares that are
senior in priority or voting rights to the voted securities, and in favor of a proposal to: (1) reduce the amount of shares authorized
for issuance (subject to adequate provisions for outstanding convertible securities, options, warrants, rights and other existing
obligations to issue shares); and (2) grant authorities to issue shares with and without pre-emptive rights unless the size
of the authorities would threaten to unreasonably dilute existing shareholders. The Adviser will decide how to vote on proposals
to authorize a stock repurchase or special dividend program on a case-by-case basis.
On matters relating to management compensation, generally the Adviser will vote in favor of stock incentive plans (including
plans for directors) that align the recipients of stock incentives with the interests of shareholders, without creating undue
dilution, and against: (1) the advisory vote on executive compensation plans (“Say On Pay”) when the plan has failed to align executive compensation with corporate performance; (2) the advisory vote on the frequency of the Say On Pay vote when the frequency
is other than annual; (3) proposals that would permit the amendment or replacement of outstanding stock incentives having more
favorable terms (e.g., lower purchase prices or easier vesting requirements); and (4) executive compensation plans that do
not disclose the maximum amounts of compensation that may be awarded or the criteria for determining awards.
On matters relating to corporate transactions, the Adviser will generally vote in favor of mergers, acquisitions and sales
of assets if the Adviser’s analysis of the proposed business strategy and the transaction price would have a positive impact on the total return for shareholders.
If a shareholders meeting is contested, that is, shareholders are presented with a set of director candidates nominated by
company management and a set of director candidates nominated by a dissident shareholder, the Adviser will study the proposed
business strategies of both groups and vote in a way that maximizes expected total return for the Fund.
In addition, the Adviser will not vote any proxy if it determines that the consequences or costs of voting outweigh the potential
benefit of voting. For example, if a foreign market requires shareholders voting proxies to retain the voted shares until
the meeting date (thereby rendering the shares “illiquid” for some period of time), the Adviser will not vote proxies for such shares. In addition, the Adviser is not obligated to incur any expense to send a representative to a shareholder meeting or to translate
proxy materials into English.
To the extent that the Adviser is permitted to loan securities, the Adviser does not have the right to vote on securities
while they are on loan. However, the Adviser will take all reasonable steps to recall shares prior to the record date when the meeting
raises issues that the Adviser believes materially affect shareholder value, including, but not limited to, excessive compensation,
mergers and acquisitions, contested elections and weak oversight by the audit committee. However, there can be no assurance
that the Adviser will have sufficient notice of such matters to be able to terminate the loan in time to vote thereon.
The Adviser will take into account feedback from issuers on the voting recommendations of the Adviser’s proxy advisory firm if the feedback is provided at least five days before the voting cut-off date. In certain circumstances, primarily those where
the Adviser’s voting policy is absolute and without exception, issuer feedback will not be part of the voting decision. For example, it is the Adviser’s policy to always support a shareholder proposal to separate the roles of chairman of the board and CEO. Thus, any comments from the issuer opposing this proposal would not be considered.
If proxies are not delivered in a timely or otherwise appropriate basis, the Adviser may not be able to vote a particular
proxy.
For an Adviser that employs a quantitative investment strategy for certain funds or accounts that does not make use of qualitative research (“Non-Qualitative Accounts”), the Adviser may not have the kind of research to make decisions about how to vote proxies for them. Therefore, the Adviser will vote the proxies of these Non-Qualitative Accounts as follows: (a) in
accordance with the Standard Voting Instructions (defined below); (b) if the Adviser is casting votes for the same proxy on
behalf of a regular qualitative account and a Non-Qualitative Account, the Non-Qualitative Account would vote in the same
manner as the regular qualitative account; (c) if neither of the first two conditions apply, as the proxy advisory firm is recommending; and (d) if none of the previous conditions apply, as recommended by the Proxy Voting Committee.
Proxy Voting Procedures
The Adviser has established a Proxy Voting Committee (“Proxy Committee”), to exercise all voting discretion granted to the Adviser by the Board in accordance with the proxy voting policies. To assist it in carrying out the day-to-day operations
related to proxy voting, the Proxy Committee has created the Proxy Voting Management Group (PVMG). The day-to-day operations related to proxy voting are carried out by the Proxy Voting Operations Team (PVOT) and overseen by the PVMG. Besides voting the proxies, this work includes engaging with investee companies on corporate governance matters, managing the proxy
35
advisory firm, soliciting voting recommendations from the Adviser’s investment professionals, bringing voting recommendations to the Proxy Committee for approval, filing with regulatory agencies any required proxy voting reports, providing proxy voting
reports to clients and investment companies as they are requested from time to time, and keeping the Proxy Committee informed
of any issues related to corporate governance and proxy voting.
The Adviser has compiled a list of specific voting instructions based on the General Policy (the “Standard Voting Instructions”). The Standard Voting Instructions and any modifications to them are approved by the Proxy Committee. The Standard Voting Instructions sometimes call for an investment professional to review the ballot question and provide a voting
recommendation to the Proxy Committee (a “case-by-case vote”). The foregoing notwithstanding, the Proxy Committee always has the authority to determine a final voting decision.
The Adviser has hired a proxy advisory firm to perform various proxy voting related administrative services such as ballot reconciliation, vote processing and recordkeeping functions. The Proxy Committee has supplied the proxy advisory firm with the Standard Voting Instructions. The Proxy Committee retains the right to modify the Standard Voting Instructions at any time
or to vote contrary to them at any time in order to cast proxy votes in a manner that the Proxy Committee believes is in accordance
with the General Policy. The proxy advisory firm may vote any proxy as directed in the Standard Voting Instructions without further direction from the Proxy Committee. However, if the Standard Voting Instructions require case-by-case handling for
a proposal, the PVOT will work with the investment professionals and the proxy advisory firm to develop a voting recommendation for the Proxy Committee and to communicate the Proxy Committee’s final voting decision to the proxy advisory firm. Further, if the Standard Voting Instructions require the PVOT to analyze a ballot question and make the final voting decision, the PVOT will report such votes to the Proxy Committee on a quarterly basis for review.
Conflicts of Interest
The Adviser has adopted procedures to address situations where a matter on which a proxy is sought may present a potential
conflict between the interests of the Fund (and its shareholders) and those of the Adviser or Distributor. This may occur
where a significant business relationship exists between the Adviser (or its affiliates) and a company involved with a proxy vote.
A company that is a proponent, opponent, or the subject of a proxy vote, and which to the knowledge of the Proxy Committee
has this type of significant business relationship, is referred to below as an “Interested Company.”
The Adviser has implemented the following procedures in order to avoid concerns that the conflicting interests of the Adviser
or its affiliates have influenced proxy votes. Any employee of the Adviser or its affiliates who is contacted by an Interested
Company regarding proxies to be voted by the Adviser must refer the Interested Company to a member of the Proxy Committee,
and must inform the Interested Company that the Proxy Committee has exclusive authority to determine how the proxy will be
voted. Any Proxy Committee member contacted by an Interested Company must report it to the full Proxy Committee and provide a written summary of the communication. This requirement includes engagement meetings with investee companies and
does not include communications with proxy solicitation firms. Under no circumstances will the Proxy Committee or any member of the Proxy Committee make a commitment to an Interested Company regarding the voting of proxies or disclose to an
Interested Company how the Proxy Committee has directed such proxies to be voted. If the Standard Voting Instructions already
provide specific direction on the proposal in question, the Proxy Committee shall not alter or amend such directions. If the
Standard Voting Instructions require the Proxy Committee to provide further direction, the Proxy Committee shall do so in
accordance with the proxy voting policies, without regard for the interests of the Adviser with respect to the Interested
Company. If the Proxy Committee provides any direction as to the voting of proxies relating to a proposal affecting an Interested Company,
it must disclose annually to the Fund’s Board information regarding: the significant business relationship; any material communication with the Interested Company; the matter(s) voted on; and how, and why, the Adviser voted as it did. In certain
circumstances it may be appropriate for the Adviser to vote in the same proportion as all other shareholders, so as to not
affect the outcome beyond helping to establish a quorum at the shareholders’ meeting. This is referred to as “proportional voting.” If the Fund owns shares of another Federated Hermes mutual fund, generally the Adviser will proportionally vote the client’s proxies for that fund or seek direction from the Board or the client on how the proposal should be voted. If the Fund owns
shares of an unaffiliated mutual fund, the Adviser may proportionally vote the Fund’s proxies for that fund depending on the size of the position. If the Fund owns shares of an unaffiliated exchange-traded fund, the Adviser will proportionally vote the Fund’s proxies for that fund.
36
Downstream Affiliates
If the Proxy Committee gives further direction, or seeks to vote contrary to the Standard Voting Instructions, for a proxy
relating to a portfolio company in which the Fund owns more than 10% of the portfolio company’s outstanding voting securities at the time of the vote (“Downstream Affiliate”), the Proxy Committee must first receive guidance from counsel to the Proxy Committee as to whether any relationship between the Adviser and the portfolio company, other than such ownership of the portfolio company’s securities, gives rise to an actual conflict of interest. If counsel determines that an actual conflict exists, the Proxy Committee must address any such conflict with the executive committee of the board of directors or trustees of any investment company client prior to taking any action on the proxy at issue.
Proxy Advisers’ Conflicts of Interest
Proxy advisory firms may have significant business relationships with the subjects of their research and voting recommendations. For example, a proxy advisory firm board member also sits on the board of a public company for which the proxy advisory firm will write a research report. This and similar situations give rise to an actual or apparent conflict of interest.
In order to avoid concerns that the conflicting interests of the engaged proxy advisory firm have influenced proxy voting recommendations, the Adviser will take the following steps:
■ A due diligence team made up of employees of the Adviser and/or its affiliates will meet with the proxy advisory firm on an annual basis and determine through a review of their policies and procedures and through inquiry that the proxy advisory firm has established a system of internal controls that provide reasonable assurance that their voting recommendations are not
influenced by the business relationships they have with the subjects of their research.
■ Whenever the standard voting guidelines call for voting a proposal in accordance with the proxy advisory firm recommendation and the proxy advisory firm has disclosed that they have a conflict of interest with respect to that issuer, the PVOT will take the following steps: (a) the PVOT will obtain a copy of the research report and recommendations published by
another proxy advisory firm for that issuer; (b) the Director of Proxy Voting, or his designee, will review both the engaged proxy advisory firm research report and the research report of the other proxy advisory firm and determine what vote will be cast. The PVOT will report all proxies voted in this manner to the Proxy Committee on a quarterly basis. Alternatively, the
PVOT may seek direction from the Committee on how the proposal shall be voted.
Proxy Voting Report
A report on “Form N-PX” of how the Fund voted any proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available via the Proxy Voting Record (Form N-PX) link associated with the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com/FundInformation. Form N-PX filings are also available at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.
Portfolio Holdings Information
Information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com/FundInformation. A complete listing of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter is posted on the website 30 days (or the next business day) after the end of the quarter and remains posted for six
months thereafter. Summary portfolio composition information as of the close of each month is posted on the website 15 days (or the
next business day) after month-end and remains posted until replaced by the information for the succeeding month. The summary
portfolio composition information may include: percentage breakdowns of the portfolio by effective maturity range type of
security and credit quality.
You may also access portfolio information as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal quarters via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com. The Fund’s Annual Shareholder Report and Semi-Annual Shareholder Report contain complete listings of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of the Fund’s second and fourth fiscal quarters. Fiscal quarter information is made available on the website within 70 days after the end of the fiscal quarter. This information is also available in
reports filed with the SEC at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.
Each fiscal quarter, the Fund will file with the SEC a complete schedule of its monthly portfolio holdings on “Form N-PORT.” The Fund’s holdings as of the end of the third month of every fiscal quarter, as reported on Form N-PORT, will be publicly available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov within 60 days of the end of the fiscal quarter upon filing. You may also access this information via the link to the Fund and share class name at FederatedInvestors.com.
The disclosure policy of the Fund and the Adviser prohibits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information to any investor
or intermediary before the same information is made available to other investors. Employees of the Adviser or its affiliates
who have access to nonpublic information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings are prohibited from trading securities on the basis of this information. Such persons must report all personal securities trades and obtain pre-clearance for all personal securities
trades other than mutual fund shares.
37
Firms that provide administrative, custody, financial, accounting, legal or other services to the Fund may receive nonpublic
information about Fund portfolio holdings for purposes relating to their services. The Fund may also provide portfolio holdings
information to publications that rate, rank or otherwise categorize investment companies. Traders or portfolio managers may
provide “interest” lists to facilitate portfolio trading if the list reflects only that subset of the portfolio for which the trader or portfolio manager is seeking market interest. A list of service providers, publications and other third parties who may receive
nonpublic portfolio holdings information appears in the Appendix to this SAI.
The furnishing of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to any third party (other than authorized governmental or regulatory personnel) requires the prior approval of the President of the Adviser and of the Chief Compliance Officer of the
Fund. The President of the Adviser and the Chief Compliance Officer will approve the furnishing of nonpublic portfolio holdings
information to a third party only if they consider the furnishing of such information to be in the best interests of the Fund
and its shareholders. In that regard, and to address possible conflicts between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the
Adviser and its affiliates, the following procedures apply. No consideration may be received by the Fund, the Adviser, any affiliate
of the Adviser or any of their employees in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. Before information
is furnished, the third party must sign a written agreement that it will safeguard the confidentiality of the information, will
use it only for the purposes for which it is furnished and will not use it in connection with the trading of any security. Persons
approved to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information will receive it as often as necessary for the purpose for which it is
provided. Such information may be furnished as frequently as daily and often with no time lag between the date of the information and
the date it is furnished. The Board receives and reviews annually a list of the persons who receive nonpublic portfolio holdings
information and the purposes for which it is furnished.
Brokerage Transactions And Investment Allocation
When selecting brokers and dealers to handle the purchase and sale of portfolio instruments, the Adviser looks for prompt
execution of the order at a favorable price. Fixed-income securities are generally traded in an over-the-counter market on
a net basis (i.e., without commission) through dealers acting as principal or in transactions directly with the issuer. Dealers
derive an undisclosed amount of compensation by offering securities at a higher price than they bid for them. Some fixed-income securities
may have only one primary market maker. The Adviser seeks to use dealers it believes to be actively and effectively trading
the security being purchased or sold, but may not always obtain the lowest purchase price or highest sale price with respect to
a security. The Adviser makes decisions on portfolio transactions and selects brokers and dealers subject to review by the Fund’s Board.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other accounts managed by the Adviser and accounts
managed by affiliates of the Adviser. When the Fund and one or more of those accounts invests in, or disposes of, the same
security, available investments or opportunities for sales will be allocated among the Fund and the account(s) in a manner
believed by the Adviser to be equitable. While the coordination and ability to participate in volume transactions may benefit
the Fund, it is possible that this procedure could adversely impact the price paid or received and/or the position obtained or
disposed of by the Fund. Investment decisions, and trading, for certain separately managed or wrap-fee accounts, and other accounts,
of the Adviser and/or certain investment adviser affiliates of the Adviser are generally made, and conducted, independently from
the Fund. It is possible that such independent trading activity could adversely impact the prices paid or received and/or positions
obtained or disposed of by the Fund.
Administrator
Federated Administrative Services (FAS), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, provides administrative personnel and services,
including certain legal, compliance and financial administrative services (“Administrative Services”), necessary for the operation of the Fund. FAS provides Administrative Services for a fee based upon the rates set forth below paid on the average daily
net assets of the Fund. For purposes of determining the appropriate rate breakpoint, “Investment Complex” is defined as all of the Federated Hermes funds subject to a fee under the Administrative Services Agreement with FAS. FAS is also entitled to reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred in providing Administrative Services to the Fund.
38
CUSTODIAN
State Street Bank and Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts, is custodian for the securities and cash of the Fund. Foreign
instruments purchased by the Fund are held by foreign banks participating in a network coordinated by State Street Bank and
Trust Company.
Transfer Agent And Dividend Disbursing Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Fund’s registered transfer agent, maintains all necessary shareholder records.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, Ernst & Young LLP, conducts its audits in accordance with
the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), which require it to plan and perform its audits to provide reasonable assurance about whether the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement.
Fees Paid by the Fund for Services
|
|
Year Ended September 30,
|
||
|
|
2021
|
2020
|
2019
|
|
Advisory Fee Earned
|
$366,153
|
$180,637
|
$164,953
|
|
Advisory Fee Waived
|
$356,653
|
$180,003
|
$164,527
|
|
Advisory Fee Reimbursed
|
$2,337
|
$634
|
$426
|
|
Net Administrative Fee
|
$197,309
|
$161,089
|
$158,426
|
|
Net 12b-1 Fee:
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Shares
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
Class C Shares
|
$19,728
|
$14,394
|
$20,027
|
|
Net Shareholder Services Fee:
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Shares
|
$57,326
|
$38,683
|
$43,506
|
|
Class C Shares
|
6,576
|
$4,798
|
$6,675
|
|
Institutional Shares
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
Fees are allocated among classes based on their pro rata share of Fund assets, except for marketing (“Rule 12b-1”) fees and shareholder services fees, which are borne only by the applicable class of Shares.
Securities Lending Activities
The services provided to the Fund by Citibank, N.A. as securities lending agent may include the following: selecting securities
previously identified by the Fund as available for loan to be loaned; locating borrowers identified in the securities lending
agency agreement; negotiating loan terms; monitoring daily the value of the loaned securities and collateral; requiring additional
collateral as necessary; marking to market non-cash collateral; instructing the Fund’s custodian with respect to the transfer of loaned securities; indemnifying the Fund in the event of a borrower default; and arranging for return of loaned securities
to the Fund at loan termination.
The Fund did not participate in any securities lending activities during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year.
|
Gross income from securities lending activities
|
$00.00
|
|
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
|
|
|
Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split
|
$00.00
|
|
Fees paid for any cash collateral management service (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle)
that are not included in
the revenue split
|
—
|
|
Administrative fees not included in revenue split
|
—
|
|
Indemnification fee not included in revenue split
|
—
|
|
Rebate (paid to borrower)
|
$00.00
|
|
Other fees not included in revenue split (specify)
|
—
|
|
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities
|
$00.00
|
|
Net income from securities lending activities
|
$00.00
|
39
The Financial Statements for the Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference to
the Annual Report to Shareholders of Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund dated September 30, 2020.
Investment Ratings
Standard & Poor’s Rating Services (S&P) LONG-TERM Issue RATINGS
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P’s analysis of the following considerations: the likelihood of payment-capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms
of the obligation; the nature of and provisions of the obligation; and the protection afforded by, and relative position of,
the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting
creditors’ rights.
AAA—An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P. 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.
Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB—An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B—An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB,” but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely
impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC—An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business,
financial or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC—An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C—A “C” rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition
or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the “C” rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased
for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.
D—An obligation rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days, irrespective of any grace
period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value
that is less than par.
The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
S&P Rating Outlook
An S&P rating outlook assesses the potential direction of a long-term credit rating over the intermediate term (typically
six months to two years). In determining a rating outlook, consideration is given to any changes in the economic and/or fundamental
business conditions.
40
Positive—Positive means that a rating may be raised.
Negative—Negative means that a rating may be lowered.
Stable—Stable means that a rating is not likely to change.
Developing—Developing means a rating may be raised or lowered.
N.M.—N.M. means not meaningful.
S&P Short-Term Issue RATINGS
Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the United States, for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days–including commercial paper.
A-1—A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This
indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2—A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3—A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B—A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead
to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C—A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D—A short-term obligation rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any
stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
MOODY’S Investor Services, Inc. (MOODY’s) LONG-TERM RATINGS
Moody’s long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of
default.
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.
Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aaa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range
ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
MOODY’S Short-Term RATINGS
Moody’s short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of 13 months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
P-1—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated P-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated P-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated P-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
41
FITCH, INC. (Fitch) LONG-TERM Debt RATINGs
Fitch long-term ratings report Fitch’s opinion on an entity’s relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The “threshold” default risk addressed by the rating is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, Fitch long-term ratings also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy,
administrative receivership or similar concepts, although the agency recognizes that issuers may also make pre-emptive and
therefore voluntary use of such mechanisms.
AAA: Highest Credit Quality—“AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected
by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality—“AA” ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality—“A” ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality—“BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair
this capacity.
BB: Speculative—“BB” ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing
of financial commitments.
B: Highly Speculative—“B” ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the
business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial Credit Risk—Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very High Levels of Credit Risk—Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Exceptionally High Levels of Credit Risk—Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a “C” category rating for an issuer include: (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 otherwise believes a condition of “RD” or “D” to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.
RD: Restricted Default—“RD” ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s 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: Default—“D” ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration
of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed
debt exchange.
“Imminent” default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period
during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed
debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.
In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.
42
FITCH SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGs
A Fitch short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated
entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing
the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: Highest Short-Term Credit Quality—Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good Short-Term Credit Quality—Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair Short-Term Credit Quality—The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality—Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High Short-Term Default Risk—Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted Default—Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default—Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
A.M. BEST Company, Inc. (a.m. best) LONG-TERM DEBT and Preferred Stock RATINGS
A Best’s long-term debt rating is Best’s independent opinion of an issuer/entity’s ability to meet its ongoing financial obligations to security holders when due.
aaa: Exceptional—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an exceptional ability to meet the terms of the obligation.
aa: Very Strong—Assigned to issues where the issuer has a very strong ability to meet the terms of the obligation.
a: Strong—Assigned to issues where the issuer has a strong ability to meet the terms of the obligation.
bbb: Adequate—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an adequate ability to meet the terms of the obligation; however, the issue is more susceptible to changes in economic or other conditions.
bb: Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has speculative credit characteristics, generally due to a modest margin or principal and interest payment protection and vulnerability to economic changes.
b: Very Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has very speculative credit characteristics, generally due to a modest margin of principal and interest payment protection and extreme vulnerability to economic changes.
ccc, cc, c: Extremely Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has extremely speculative credit characteristics, generally due to a minimal margin of principal and interest payment protection and/or limited ability to withstand adverse
changes in economic or other conditions.
d: In Default—Assigned to issues in default on payment of principal, interest or other terms and conditions, or when a bankruptcy petition or similar action has been filed.
Ratings from “aa” to “ccc” may be enhanced with a “+” (plus) or “-” (minus) to indicate whether credit quality is near the top or bottom of a category.
A.M. BEST SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGS
A Best’s short-term debt rating is Best’s opinion of an issuer/entity’s ability to meet its financial obligations having original maturities of generally less than one year, such as commercial paper.
AMB-1+ Strongest—Assigned to issues where the issuer has the strongest ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
AMB-1 Outstanding—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an outstanding ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
AMB-2 Satisfactory—Assigned to issues where the issuer has a satisfactory ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
AMB-3 Adequate—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an adequate ability to repay short-term debt obligations; however, adverse economic conditions likely will reduce the issuer’s capacity to meet its financial commitments.
AMB-4 Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has speculative credit characteristics and is vulnerable to adverse economic or other external changes, which could have a marked impact on the company’s ability to meet its financial commitments.
d: In Default—Assigned to issues in default on payment of principal, interest or other terms and conditions, or when a bankruptcy petition or similar action has been filed.
A.M. Best Rating Modifiers
Both long- and short-term credit ratings can be assigned a modifier.
43
u—Indicates the rating may change in the near term, typically within six months. Generally is event-driven, with positive, negative or developing implications.
pd—Indicates ratings assigned to a company that chose not to participate in A.M. Best’s interactive rating process. (Discontinued in 2010).
i—Indicates rating assigned is indicative.
A.M. BEST RATING OUTLOOK
A.M. Best Credit Ratings are assigned a Rating Outlook that indicates the potential direction of a credit rating over an intermediate term, generally defined as the next 12 to 36 months.
Positive—Indicates possible ratings upgrade due to favorable financial/market trends relative to the current trading level.
Negative—Indicates possible ratings downgrade due to unfavorable financial/market trends relative to the current trading level.
Stable—Indicates low likelihood of rating change due to stable financial/market trends.
Not Rated
Certain nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) may designate certain issues as NR, meaning that the
issue or obligation is not rated.
44
Addresses
Federated Hermes Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Class A Shares
Class C Shares
Institutional Shares
Class R6 Shares
Class C Shares
Institutional Shares
Class R6 Shares
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
Distributor
Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779
Investment Adviser
Federated Investment Management Company
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779
Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company
1 Iron Street
Boston, MA 02110
1 Iron Street
Boston, MA 02110
Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
TO BE FILED BY AMENDMENT
45
Appendix
The following is a list of persons, other than the Adviser and its affiliates, that have been approved to receive nonpublic
portfolio holdings information concerning the Federated Hermes Complex; however, certain persons below might not receive such information concerning the Fund:
CUSTODIAN(S)
State Street Bank and Trust Company
SECURITIES LENDING AGENT
Citibank, N.A.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Ernst & Young LLP
LEGAL COUNSEL
Goodwin Procter LLP
K&L Gates LLP
K&L Gates LLP
Financial Printer(S)
Donnelley Financial Solutions
Proxy Voting Administrator
Glass Lewis & Co., LLC
SECURITY PRICING SERVICES
Bloomberg L.P.
IHS Markit (Markit North America)
ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data, LLC
JPMorgan PricingDirect
Refinitiv US Holdings Inc.
IHS Markit (Markit North America)
ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data, LLC
JPMorgan PricingDirect
Refinitiv US Holdings Inc.
RATINGS AGENCIES
Fitch, Inc.
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC
Other SERVICE PROVIDERS
Other types of service providers that have been approved to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information include service
providers offering, for example, trade order management systems, portfolio analytics, or performance and accounting systems,
such as:
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Bloomberg L.P.
Charles River Development
Citibank, N.A.
Eagle Investment Systems LLC
Electra Information Systems
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
FISGlobal
Institutional Shareholder Services
Investortools, Inc.
MSCI ESG Research LLC
Sustainalytics U.S. Inc.
Wolters Kluwer N.V.
Bloomberg L.P.
Charles River Development
Citibank, N.A.
Eagle Investment Systems LLC
Electra Information Systems
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
FISGlobal
Institutional Shareholder Services
Investortools, Inc.
MSCI ESG Research LLC
Sustainalytics U.S. Inc.
Wolters Kluwer N.V.
46
Item 28. Exhibits
| (c) | Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders | |
| 1 | Copy of Specimen Certificate for Institutional Shares and Institutional Service Shares of Beneficial Interest for Federated Income Securities Trust, as filed via EDGAR in Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 on June 24, 1994 on Form N-1A (File Nos. 33-3164 and 811-4577) | |
| As of September 1, 1997, Federated Securities Corp. stopped issuing share certificates. |
| (f) | Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts | |
| Not applicable |
| (i) | Legal Opinion | |
| Conformed copy of Opinion and Consent of Counsel as to legality of shares being registered, as filed in Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 on June 19, 1986 on Form N-1A (File Nos. 33-3164 and 811-4577) |
| (k) | Omitted Financial Statements | |
| Not Applicable |
| (l) | Initial Capital Agreements | |
| Conformed copy of Initial Capital Agreement of the Registrant, as filed in Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 on June 19, 1986 on Form N-1A (File Nos. 33-3164 and 811-4577) |
| (n) | Rule 18f-3 Plan | |
| Conformed copy of the Multiple Class Plan and all share class Exhibits as adopted by certain Federated investment companies offering separate classes of shares | + |
| + |
Exhibit is being filed electronically with registration statement
|
Exhibit List for Inline Interactive Data File Submission. (To be filed by Amendment)
| Index No. | Description of Exhibit |
| EX-101.INS | XBRL Instance Document - Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document. |
| EX-101.SCH | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document |
| EX-101.CAL | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase |
| EX-101.DEF | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase |
| EX-101.LAB | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase |
| EX-101.PRE | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase |
|
Item 29 Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund: |
| None |
| Item 30 Indemnification |
|
Indemnification is provided to Officers and Trustees of the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant's By-Laws, as amended. This includes indemnification against: (a) any liabilities or expenses incurred in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or proceeding in which an Officer or Trustee may be or may have been involved; and (b) any liabilities and expenses incurred by an Officer or Trustee as a result of having provided personally identifiable information to a regulator or counterparty by or with whom the Registrant (or its series, as applicable) is regulated or engages in business to satisfy a legal or procedural requirement of such regulator or counterparty. The Investment Advisory Contract, and Sub-advisory Agreement as applicable, (collectively, “Advisory Contracts”) between the Registrant and the investment adviser, and sub-adviser as applicable, (collectively, “Advisers”) of its series, provide that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties under the Advisory Contracts on the part of the Advisers, Advisers shall not be liable to the Registrant or to any shareholder for any act or omission in the course of or connected in any way with rendering services or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of any security. The Registrant’s distribution contract contains provisions limiting the liability, and providing for indemnification, of the Officers and Trustees under certain circumstances. Registrant's Trustees and Officers are covered by an Investment Trust Errors and Omissions Policy. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the By-Laws, as amended, or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by Trustees), Officers, or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustees, Officers, or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities may be permitted pursuant to Section 17 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the By-Laws, as amended, or otherwise, the Registrant is aware of the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission as set forth in Investment Company Act Release No. IC-11330. Therefore, the Registrant undertakes that in addition to complying with the applicable provisions of the By-Laws, as amended, or otherwise, in the absence of a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before which the proceeding was brought, that an indemnification payment will not be made unless in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination based upon factual review has been made (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of non-party Trustees who are not interested persons of the Registrant or (ii) by independent legal counsel in a written opinion that the indemnitee was not liable for an act of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. The Registrant further undertakes that advancement of expenses incurred in the defense of a proceeding (upon undertaking for repayment unless it is ultimately determined that indemnification is appropriate) against an Officer, Trustee or controlling person of the Registrant will not be made absent the fulfillment of at least one of the following conditions: (i) the indemnitee provides security for his undertaking; (ii) the Registrant is insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or (iii) a majority of a quorum of disinterested non-party Trustees or independent legal counsel in a written opinion makes a factual determination that there is reason to believe the indemnitee will be entitled to indemnification.
|
| Item 32 Principal Underwriters: | |
| (a) | Federated Securities Corp., the Distributor for shares of the Registrant, acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies, including the Registrant: |
| Federated Hermes Adjustable Rate Securities Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Adviser Series | |
| Federated Hermes Core Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Core Trust III | |
| Federated Hermes Equity Funds | |
| Federated Hermes Equity Income Fund, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes Fixed Income Securities, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes Global Allocation Fund | |
| Federated Hermes Government Income Securities, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes Government Income Trust | |
| Federated Hermes High Income Bond Fund, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes High Yield Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Index Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Institutional Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Insurance Series | |
| Federated Hermes Intermediate Municipal Trust | |
| Federated Hermes International Series, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes Investment Series Funds, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series | |
| Federated Hermes MDT Series | |
| Federated Hermes Money Market Obligations Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes Municipal Securities Income Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund | |
| Federated Hermes Project and Trade Finance Tender Fund | |
| Federated Hermes Short-Intermediate Duration Municipal Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Short-Intermediate Government Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Short-Term Government Trust | |
| Federated Hermes Total Return Government Bond Fund | |
| Federated Hermes Total Return Series, Inc. | |
| Federated Hermes World Investment Series, Inc. | |
|
(1) Positions and Offices with Distributor |
(2) Name
|
(3) Positions and Offices With Registrant |
| Executive Vice Presidents: |
Michael Bappert Peter W. Eisenbrandt Anne H. Kruczek Solon A. Person, IV |
|
| Senior Vice Presidents: |
Irving Anderson Daniel G. Berry Jack Bohnet Edwin J. Brooks, III Bryan Burke Scott J. Charlton Steven R. Cohen James S. Conley Stephen R. Cronin Charles L. Davis, Jr. Michael T. DiMarsico Jack C. Ebenreiter James Getz, Jr. Scott A. Gunderson Dayna C. Haferkamp Vincent L. Harper, Jr. Bruce E. Hastings Jeffrey S. Jones Ryan W. Jones Scott D. Kavanagh Michael Koenig Edwin C. Koontz Jane E. Lambesis Jerry Landrum Hans W. Lange, Jr. Michael Liss Diane Marzula Amy Michaliszyn Richard C. Mihm Vincent T. Morrow John C. Mosko Alec H. Neilly Keith Nixon James E. Ostrowski Stephen Otto Richard P. Paulson Richard A. Recker Diane M. Robinson Brian S. Ronayne Timothy A. Rosewicz Eduardo G. Sanchez Tom Schinabeck Edward L. Smith John A. Staley Mark J. Strubel William C. Tustin Michael N. Vahl G. Walter Whalen Lewis C. Williams Theodore E. Williams Michael Wolff Daniel R. Wroble Erik Zettlemayer
|
|
| Vice Presidents: |
Frank Amato Catherine M. Applegate Kenneth C. Baber Raisa E. Barkaloff Robert W. Bauman Marc Benacci Christopher D. Berg Bill Boarts Zachary Bono Matthew A. Boyle Edward R. Bozek Thomas R. Brown Mark Carroll Dan Casey Stephen J. Costlow Mary Ellen Coyne David G. Dankmyer Christopher T. Davis Charles R. Ebbs Donald Edwards Mark A. Flisek Stephen Francis Heather W. Froelich David D. Gregoire Raymond J. Hanley George M. Hnaras Scott A. Holick Christopher Jackson Todd Jones Patrick Kelly Nicholas R. Kemerer Robert H. Kern Shawn E. Knutson Crystal C. Kwok David M. Larrick Justin Levy John P. Liekar Jonathan Lipinski Paul J. Magan Alexi A. Maravel Meghan McAndrew Martin J. McCaffrey Samuel McGowan Daniel McGrath Brian McInis Harry Mills Mark J. Murphy Ryan M. Newman Catherine M. Nied Ted Noethling John A. O’Neill Mark Patsy Marcus Persichetti Max E. Recker Emory Redd Matt Ryan |
|
|
John Shrewsbury Peter Siconolfi Bradley Smith John R. Stanley Jonathan Sullivan Gregory Tzanoukakis David Wasik Brian R. Willer Littell L. Wilson James J. Wojciak |
||
| Assistant Vice Presidents: |
Debbie Adams-Marshall Edward R. Costello Adina A. Davis Madison Dischinger Kristen C. Kiesling Anthony W. Lennon Stephen R. Massey Carol McEvoy McCool John K. Murray Melissa R. Ryan Carol Anne Sheppard Scott A. Vallina Laura Vickerman |
|
| Secretary: | Kary A. Moore | |
| Assistant Secretaries: | Edward C. Bartley | |
| Thomas R. Donahue | ||
| George F. Magera | ||
| Treasurer: | Richard A. Novak | |
| Assistant Treasurer: | Jeremy D. Boughton | |
| Chief Compliance Officer: | Stephen Van Meter |
| (c) | Not Applicable |
| Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records: |
| All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 promulgated thereunder and those records required to be maintained by the Adviser with respect to the Registrant in accordance with CFTC regulations are maintained at one of the following locations: |
| Registrant |
Federated Hermes Funds 4000 Ericsson Drive Warrendale, PA 15086-7561 (Notices should be sent to the Agent for Service at the address listed on the facing page of this filing.) |
|
Federated Administrative Services (Administrator) |
1001 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779
|
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company (Sub-Administrator)
|
P.O. Box 5049 Boston, MA 02206-5049 |
|
Federated Securities Corp. (Distributor) |
1001 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779
|
|
Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania (Adviser to Federated Capital Income Fund and Federated Muni and Stock Advantage Fund (“Adviser”) |
1001 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779 |
|
Federated Investment Management Company (Adviser to Federated Floating Rate Strategic Income Fund, Federated Fund for U.S. Government Securities, Federated Intermediate Corporate Bond Fund, Federated Real Return Bond Fund and Federated Short-Term Income Fund.) (“Adviser”) (Sub-Adviser to Federated Capital Income Fund and Federated Muni and Stock Advantage Fund (“Sub-Adviser”) |
1001 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779 |
|
Federated Advisory Services Company (Adviser)
|
1001 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779 |
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company (Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent)
|
P.O. Box 219318 Kansas City, MO 64121-9318 |
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company (Custodian)
|
1 Iron Street Boston, MA 02110 |
|
Bank of New York Mellon
(Custodian) |
The Bank of New York Mellon One Wall Street New York, NY 10286
|
| Item 34 Management Services: Not applicable. |
| Item 35 Undertakings: |
| Registrant hereby undertakes to comply with the provisions of Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act with respect to the removal of Trustees and the calling of special shareholder meetings by shareholders. |
|
SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Pittsburgh and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 25th day of October, 2021. |
| FEDERATED HERMES INCOME SECURITIES TRUST |
|
BY: /s/ George F. Magera George F. Magera, Assistant Secretary |
| Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacity and on the date indicated: |
