The Allian Variable Insurance Products Trust ¨ SAI ¨ _________________, 2016
The Trust is an open‑end investment management company organized in July 1999 as a Delaware business trust comprised of 36 separate investment portfolios, which are classified as "diversified" within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Trust currently offers 35 variable net asset value funds and one money market fund.
The Trust is established exclusively for the purpose of providing an investment vehicle for variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered by the separate accounts of various life insurance companies (the "Participating Insurance Companies"). Shares of the Trust are not offered to the general public but solely to such separate accounts (the "Separate Accounts").
Much of the information contained in this Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") expands upon subjects discussed in the Prospectus of the Trust described above. Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Prospectus. No investment in shares of a Fund should be made without first reading the Trust's Prospectus.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
THE FUNDS
AZL Government Money Market Fund
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
Temporary, Defensive Investments
As described in the Prospectus, each Fund, except the Government Money Market Fund, may hold uninvested cash reserves or invest without limit in money market instruments (i.e., short term debt instruments) for temporary defensive purposes when the Subadviser has determined that market or economic conditions so warrant.
These debt obligations may include U.S. Government securities; certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and other short-term debt obligations of banks with total assets of at least $100,000,000; debt obligations of corporations (corporate bonds, debentures, notes and other similar corporate debt instruments); variable and floating rate demand and master demand notes; commercial paper; and repurchase agreements with respect to securities in which the Fund is authorized to invest. (See "Additional Information on Portfolio Instruments and Investment Policies – Bank Obligations," "– Commercial Paper," "– Variable and Floating Rate Demand and Master Demand Notes," "– U.S. Government Obligations," "– Corporate Debt Securities" and "– Repurchase Agreements").
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PORTFOLIO INSTRUMENTS AND
INVESTMENT POLICIES
The Funds invest in a variety of securities and employ a number of investment techniques that involve certain risks. The Prospectus for the Funds highlights the principal investment strategies, investment techniques, and risks for each Fund. As noted in the Prospectus, the Funds may also employ other investment practices and may be subject to other risks, which are described below. Because the following is a combined description of the investment strategies of all of the Funds, certain matters described in this section may not apply to your Fund or Funds. Unless a strategy or policy described below is specifically prohibited or limited by the investment restrictions discussed in the Prospectus or in this SAI, or by applicable law, the Fund may engage in each of the practices described below without limit.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES
Asset-backed securities are securities backed by home equity loans, installment sale contracts, credit card receivables or other assets. Asset-backed securities are "pass-through" securities, meaning that principal and interest payments — net of expenses — made by the borrower on the underlying assets (such as credit card receivables) are passed through to a Fund. The value of asset-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, asset-backed securities differ from traditional fixed income securities because of their potential for prepayment. The price paid by a Fund for its asset-backed securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities and the average life of the securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying assets. In a period of declining interest
rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying assets more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the asset-backed securities. Moreover, when a Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. To the extent that a Fund
purchases asset-backed securities at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If a Fund buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and unscheduled prepayments will also accelerate the recognition of income which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying assets may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was considered short or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer term security. Since the value of longer-term securities generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter term securities, maturity extension risk could increase the volatility of the Fund. When interest rates decline, the value of
an asset-backed security with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income securities, and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or retard prepayments and thus affect maturities.
ASSET-BASED SECURITIES
Certain Funds may invest in debt, preferred or convertible securities, the principal amount, redemption terms or conversion terms of which are related to the market price of some natural resource asset such as gold bullion. These securities are referred to as "asset-based securities." Generally, a Fund will purchase asset-based securities that are rated, or are issued by issuers that have outstanding debt obligations rated, investment grade (for example, AAA, AA, A or BBB by Standard & Poor's ("S&P") or Fitch Ratings ("Fitch"), or Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or commercial paper rated A-1 by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody's) or by issuers that the subadviser has determined to be of similar creditworthiness. Fund may purchase asset-based securities that are below investment grade. Obligations ranked in the fourth highest rating category, while considered "investment grade," may have certain
speculative characteristics and may be more likely to be downgraded than securities rated in the three highest rating categories. If an asset-based security is backed by a bank letter of credit or other similar facility, the subadviser may take such backing into account in determining the creditworthiness of the issuer. While the market prices for an asset-based security and the related natural resource asset generally are expected to move in the same direction, there may not be perfect correlation in the two price movements. Asset-based securities may not be secured by a security interest in or claim on the underlying natural resource asset. The asset-based securities in which a Fund may invest may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Certain asset-based securities may be payable at maturity in cash at the stated principal amount or, at the option of the holder, directly in a stated amount of the asset to which
it is related. In such instance, a Fund generally would sell the asset-based security in the secondary market, to the extent one exists, prior to maturity if the value of the stated amount of the asset exceeds the stated principal amount and thereby realize the appreciation in the underlying asset.
Precious Metal-Related Securities – A Fund may invest in the securities of companies that explore for, extract, process or deal in precious metals (e.g., gold, silver and platinum), and in asset-based securities indexed to the value of such metals. Such securities may be purchased when they are believed to be attractively priced in relation to the value of a company's precious metal-related assets or when the values of precious metals are expected to benefit from inflationary pressure or other economic, political or financial uncertainty or instability. Based on historical experience, during periods of economic or financial instability the securities of companies involved in precious metals may be subject to extreme price fluctuations, reflecting the high volatility of precious metal prices during such periods. In addition, the instability of precious metal prices may result in volatile earnings of precious metal-related companies, which may, in turn,
adversely affect the financial condition of such companies. The major producers of gold include the Republic of South Africa, Russia, Canada, the United States, Brazil and Australia. Sales of gold by Russia are largely unpredictable and often relate to political and economic considerations rather than to market forces. Economic, financial, social and political factors within South Africa may significantly affect South African gold production.
BANK LOANS
A Fund may invest in bank loans. Bank loans are generally non-investment grade floating rate instruments. Usually, they are freely callable at the issuer's option. Certain Funds may invest in fixed and floating rate loans ("Loans") arranged through private negotiations between a corporate borrower or a foreign sovereign entity and one or more financial institutions ("Lenders"). A Fund may invest in such Loans in the form of participations in Loans ("Participations") and assignments of all or a portion of Loans from third parties ("Assignments"). A Fund considers these investments to be investments in debt securities for purposes of its investment policies. Participations typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with the Lender, not with the borrower. The Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Lender selling the Participation
and only upon receipt by the Lender of the payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing Participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the
Loans, nor any rights of setoff against the borrower, and the Fund may not benefit directly from any collateral supporting the Loan in which it has purchased the Participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the Lender that is selling the Participation. In the event of the insolvency of the Lender selling the Participation, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the Lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the Lender and the borrower. The Fund will acquire Participations only if the Lender interpositioned between the Fund and the borrower is determined by the Fund's manager to be creditworthy. When the Fund purchases Assignments from Lenders, the Fund will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the Loan, and will not have exposure to a counterparty's credit risk. The Funds may enter into Participations and Assignments on a forward commitment or "when-issued" basis, whereby
a Fund would agree to purchase a Participation or Assignment at set terms in the future.
A Fund may have difficulty disposing of Assignments and Participations. In certain cases, the market for such instruments is not highly liquid, and therefore the Fund anticipates that in such cases such instruments could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. The lack of a highly liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such instruments and on the Fund's ability to dispose of particular Assignments or Participations in response to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. Assignments and Participations will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Funds' manager that an adequate trading market exists for these securities. To the extent that liquid Assignments and Participations that a Fund holds become illiquid, due to the lack of sufficient buyers or market or other conditions, the percentage of the Fund's assets invested in illiquid assets
would increase.
Leading financial institutions often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a syndicate. The syndicate's agent arranges the loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems, a Fund may not recover its investment or recovery may be delayed.
The Loans in which the Fund may invest are subject to the risk of loss of principal and income. Although borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations they do not always do so. If they do provide collateral, the value of the collateral may not completely cover the borrower's obligations at the time of a default. If a borrower files for protection from its creditors under the U.S. bankruptcy laws, these laws may limit a Fund's rights to its collateral. In addition, the value of collateral may erode during a bankruptcy case. In the event of a bankruptcy, the holder of a Loan may not recover its principal, may experience a long delay in recovering its investment and may not receive interest during the delay.
Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of an adverse movement in the underlying index or interest rate, a Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position. The Funds may invest in leveraged inverse floating rate debt instruments ("inverse floaters").
BANK OBLIGATIONS
Funds may invest in bank obligations consisting of bankers' acceptances, certificates of deposit and time deposits.
Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange typically drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise which are "accepted" by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Bankers' acceptances invested in by the Funds will be those guaranteed by domestic and foreign banks having, at the time of investment, capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100,000,000 (as of the date of their most recently published financial statements).
Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank or a savings and loan association for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Certificates of deposit and time deposits will be those of domestic and foreign banks and savings and loan associations if (a) at the time of investment, the depository or institution has capital, surplus, and undivided profits in excess of $100,000,000 (as of the date of its most recently published financial statements), or (b) the principal amount of the instrument is insured in full by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Certain Funds may also invest in Eurodollar certificates of deposit ("Euro CDs"), which are U.S. dollar‑denominated certificates of deposit issued by offices of foreign and domestic banks located outside the United States; Yankee certificates of deposit ("Yankee CDs") which are certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank denominated in U.S. dollars and held in the United States; Eurodollar time deposits ("ETDs") which are U.S. dollar‑denominated deposits in a foreign branch of a U.S. bank or foreign bank; and Canadian time deposits, which are basically the same as ETDs, except they are issued by Canadian offices of major Canadian banks.
Eurodollar and Yankee bank obligations are subject to the same risks that pertain to domestic issues, notably credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. Additionally, Eurodollar (and to a limited extent, Yankee) bank obligations are subject to certain sovereign risks. One such risk is the possibility that a sovereign country might prevent capital, in the form of dollars, from flowing across their borders. Other risks include: adverse political and economic developments; the extent and quality of government regulation of financial markets and institutions; the imposition of foreign withholding taxes, and the expropriation or nationalization of foreign issues.
COMMERCIAL PAPER
Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Except as noted below with respect to variable amount master demand notes, issues of commercial paper normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return.
Certain Funds may invest in commercial paper rated in any rating category or not rated by an NRSRO. In general, investment in lower‑rated instruments is more risky than investment in instruments in higher‑rated categories. For a description of the rating symbols of each NRSRO, see Appendix A. The Funds may also invest in U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper, including U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper issued by a foreign corporation.
COMMON STOCKS
Certain Funds may invest in equity securities including common stocks. Common stocks are the most prevalent type of equity security. Common stockholders receive the residual value of the issuer's earnings and assets after the issuer pays its creditors and any preferred stockholders. As a result, changes in an issuer's earnings directly influence the value of its common stock.
CONTRACTS FOR DIFFERENCE ("CFDS")
A Fund may invest in CFDs. A CFD is a privately negotiated contract between two parties, buyer and seller, stipulating that the seller will pay to or receive from the buyer the difference between the nominal value of the underlying instrument at the opening of the contract and that instrument's value at the end of the contract. The underlying instrument may be a single security, stock basket or index. A CFD can be set up to take either a short or long position on the underlying instrument. The buyer and seller are both required to post margin, which is adjusted daily. The buyer will also pay to the seller a financing rate on the notional amount of the capital employed by the seller less the margin deposit. A CFD is usually terminated at the buyer's initiative. The seller of the CFD will simply match the exposure of the underlying instrument in the open market and the parties will exchange whatever payment is due.
As is the case with owning any financial instrument, there is the risk of loss associated with buying a CFD. For example, if the Fund buys a long CFD and the underlying security is worth less at the end of the contract, the Fund would be required to make a payment to the seller and would suffer a loss. Also, there may be liquidity risk if the underlying instrument is illiquid because the liquidity of a CFD is based on the liquidity of the underlying instrument. A further risk is that adverse movements in the underlying security will require the buyer to post additional margin. CFDs also carry counterparty risk, i.e., the risk that the counterparty to the CFD transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract. If the counterparty were to do so, the value of the contract, and of the Fund's shares, may be reduced. The Fund will not enter into a CFD transaction that is inconsistent
with its investment objective, policies and strategies.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
Certain Funds may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities give the holder the right to exchange the security for a specific number of shares of common stock, the cash value of common stock or some other equity security. Convertible securities include convertible preferred stocks, convertible bonds, notes and debentures, and other securities. Convertible securities typically involve less credit risk than common stock of the same issuer because convertible securities are "senior" to common stock – i.e., they have a prior claim against the issuer's assets. Convertible securities generally pay lower dividends or interest than non‑convertible securities of similar quality. They may also reflect changes in the value of the underlying common stock.
Certain Funds may invest in synthetic convertible securities, which are derivative positions composed of two or more different securities whose investment characteristics, taken together, resemble those of convertible securities. For example, a Fund may purchase a non-convertible debt security and a warrant or option, which enables the Fund to have a convertible-like position with respect to a company, group of companies or stock index. Synthetic convertible securities are typically offered by financial institutions and investment banks in private placement transactions. Upon conversion,
the Fund generally receives an amount in cash equal to the difference between the conversion price and the then current value of the underlying security. Unlike a true convertible security, a synthetic convertible comprises two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the market value of a synthetic convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertible component. For this reason, the values of a synthetic convertible and a true convertible security may respond differently to market fluctuations. A Fund's investments in synthetic convertible securities will be consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and investment strategies, including any limitations imposed on the credit quality of the Fund's permissible investments, and upon the Fund's investments in illiquid securities.
CORPORATE DEBT SECURITIES
Depending upon the prevailing market conditions, the Subadviser may purchase debt securities at a discount from face value, which produces a yield greater than the coupon rate. Conversely, if debt securities are purchased at a premium over face value the yield will be lower than the coupon rate. Such obligations, in the case of debentures will represent unsecured promises to pay, and in the case of notes and bonds, may be secured by mortgages on real property or security interests in personal property and will in most cases differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance.
Certain Funds may invest in securities which are rated in the fourth highest rating group assigned by an NRSRO (e.g., securities rated BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody's) or lower, or, if not rated, are of comparable quality as determined by the Subadviser. After purchase by a Fund, a security may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event will require a sale of such security by the Fund. A split rated security, i.e., rated in the fourth highest category by one NRSRO and also rated below the fourth highest category by another NRSRO,may be considered to fall in the higher category.
As with other fixed‑income securities, debt securties are subject to credit risk and market risk. Market risk relates to changes in a security's value as a result of changes in interest rates. Credit risk relates to the ability of an issuer to make payments of principal and interest. Fixed income securities with ratings below Baa (Moody's) or BBB (S&P) are considered below investment grade and are commonly referred to as high yield or "junk" bonds and are considered by Moody's to have speculative characteristics.
Lower rated securities ("junk" bonds) generally offer higher interest payments because the company that issues the bond – the issuer – is at greater risk of default (failure to repay the bond). This may be because the issuer is small or new to the market, the issuer has financial difficulties, or the issuer has a greater amount of debt.
Some risks of investing in lower rated securities include:
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Greater credit risk – Because of their more precarious financial position, issuers of high yield bonds may be more vulnerable to changes in the economy or to interest rate changes that might affect their ability to repay debt. |
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Reduced liquidity – There may be fewer investors willing to buy high yield bonds than there are for higher rated, investment grade securities. Therefore, it may be more difficult to sell these securities or to receive a fair market price for them. |
Particular types of lower rated securities may present special concerns. The prices of payment‑in‑kind or zero‑coupon securities react more strongly to changes in interest rates than the prices of other debt securities. Some lower rated securities in which a Fund may invest may be subject to redemption or call provisions that may limit increases in market value that might otherwise result from lower interest rates while increasing the risk that such Fund may be required to reinvest redemption or call proceeds during a period of relatively low interest rates.
The credit ratings issued by Moody's and S&P are subject to various limitations. For example, while such ratings evaluate credit risk, they ordinarily do not evaluate the market risk of debt securities. In certain circumstances, the ratings may not reflect in a timely fashion adverse developments affecting an issuer. For these reasons, Subadvisers typically conduct their own independent credit analysis of such securities.
Collateralized Debt Obligations – The Funds may invest in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which includes collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pools of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses. Collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") are another type of CDO in
which some Funds may invest. For more information on CMOs, see the discussion under "Mortgage-Related Securities" later in this section.
For both CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.
The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Funds as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information, CDOs carry additional risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Funds may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the
security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
DELAYED FUNDING LOANS AND REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES
Certain Funds may enter into, or acquire participations in, delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are borrowing arrangements in which the lender agrees to make loans up to a maximum amount upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. A revolving credit facility differs from a delayed funding loan in that as the borrower repays the loan, an amount equal to the repayment may be borrowed again during the term of the revolving credit facility. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities usually provide for floating or variable rates of interest. These commitments may have the effect of requiring a Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a Fund is committed to advance additional funds,
it will at all times segregate or "earmark" assets, determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.
Certain Funds may invest in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may be subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to resell such instruments. As a result, a Fund may be unable to sell such investments at an opportune time or may have to resell them at less than fair market value. The Funds currently intend to treat delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities for which there is no readily available market as illiquid for purposes of the Funds' limitation on illiquid investments. For a further discussion of the risks involved in investing in Loan Participations and other forms of direct indebtedness see "Loan Participations and Assignments." Participation interests in revolving credit facilities will be subject to the limitations discussed in "Loan
Participations and Assignments." Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are considered to be debt obligations for purposes of the Trust's investment restriction relating to the lending of funds or assets by a Fund.
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
Certain Funds may use a variety of derivative instruments, including options, futures contracts (sometimes referred to as "futures"), options on futures contracts, stock index options, forward currency contracts and swaps, to hedge a Fund's portfolio or for risk management or for any other permissible purposes consistent with that Fund's investment objective. Derivative instruments are securities or agreements whose value is based on the value of some underlying asset (e.g., a security, currency or index) or the level of a reference index.
Derivatives generally have investment characteristics that are based upon either forward contracts (under which one party is obligated to buy and the other party is obligated to sell an underlying asset at a specific price on a specified date) or option contracts (under which the holder of the option has the right but not the obligation to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price on or before a specified date). Consequently, the change in value of a forward‑based derivative generally is roughly proportional to the change in value of the underlying asset. In contrast, the buyer of an option‑based
derivative generally will benefit from favorable movements in the price of the underlying asset but is not exposed to the corresponding losses that result from adverse movements in the value of the underlying asset. The seller (writer) of an option‑based derivative generally will receive fees or premiums but generally is exposed to losses resulting from changes in the value of the underlying asset. Derivative transactions may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, the fluctuation of the value of the derivative transaction in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified.
Generally, any Fund that invests in derivative instruments is required to segregate cash and/or liquid securities to the extent that its obligations under the instrument are not otherwise "covered" through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument, or currency. As an investment company registered with the SEC, the Trust is subject to the federal securities laws, the 1940 Act, related regulations, and published positions of the SEC and the staff of the SEC. Further, in accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of derivatives, the Trust must "set aside" (sometimes referred to as "asset segregation") liquid assets or engage in other SEC or SEC staff approved measures while the derivative contracts are still open. For example, with respect to forward contracts and futures that are not legally required to "cash settle," the Trust must cover the open position by setting aside liquid assets
in an amount equal to the contract's full notional value. With respect to forward contracts and futures that are required to "cash settle," however, the Trust is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Trust's daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the Trust's daily net liability, if any) rather than the notional value.
Hybrid instruments: A hybrid instrument is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a "benchmark"). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid could be a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call
option on oil.
Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes a Fund to the credit risk of
the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund.
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. Certain Funds will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds' investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.
DISTRESSED SECURITIES
A Fund may invest in securities, including loans purchased in the secondary market, that are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default or in risk of being in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Fund or that are rated in the lower rating categories by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (for example, Ca or lower by Moody's and CC or lower by S&P or Fitch) or, if unrated, are in the judgment of the subadviser of equivalent quality ("Distressed Securities"). Investment in Distressed Securities is speculative and involves significant risks. A Fund may make such investments when the subadviser believes it is reasonably likely that the issuer of the Distressed Securities will make an exchange offer or will be the subject of a plan of
reorganization pursuant to which the Fund will receive new securities in return for the Distressed Securities. However, there can be no assurance that such an exchange offer will be made or that such a plan of reorganization will be adopted. In addition, a significant period of time may pass between the time at which a Fund makes its investment in Distressed Securities and the time that any such exchange offer or plan of reorganization is completed. During this period, it is unlikely that a Fund will receive any interest payments on the Distressed Securities, the Fund will be subject to significant uncertainty as to whether or not the exchange offer or plan of reorganization will be completed and the Fund may be required to bear certain extraordinary expenses to protect and recover its investment. Therefore, to the extent the Fund seeks capital appreciation through investment in distressed securities, the Fund's ability to achieve current income for its
shareholders may be diminished. The Fund also will be subject to significant uncertainty as to when and in what manner and for what value the obligations evidenced by the distressed securities will eventually be satisfied (e.g., through a liquidation of the obligor's assets, an exchange offer or plan of reorganization involving the distressed securities or a payment of some amount in satisfaction of the obligation). Even if an exchange offer is made or plan of reorganization is adopted with respect to Distressed Securities held by a Fund, there can be no assurance that the securities or other assets received by a Fund in connection with such exchange offer or plan of reorganization will not have a lower value or income potential than may have been anticipated when the investment was made or no value. Moreover, any securities received by a Fund upon completion of an exchange offer or plan of reorganization may be restricted as to resale. Similarly, if a Fund participates
in negotiations with respect to any exchange offer or plan of reorganization with respect to an issuer of Distressed Securities, the Fund may be restricted from disposing of such securities. To the extent that a Fund becomes involved in such proceedings, the Fund may have a more active participation in the affairs of the issuer than that assumed generally by an investor. Except to the extent otherwise permitted by a Fund's prospectus or SAI, a Fund will not make investments for the purpose of exercising day-to-day management of any issuer's affairs.
EVENT-LINKED EXPOSURE
Certain Funds may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in "event-linked bonds" or "event-linked swaps," or implement "event-linked strategies." Event-linked exposure results in gains that typically are contingent on the nonoccurrence of a specific "trigger" event, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or other physical or weather-related phenomena. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as "catastrophe bonds." They may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities (such special purpose entities are created to accomplish a narrow and well-defined objective, such as the issuance of a note in connection with a reinsurance transaction). If a trigger event causes losses exceeding a specific amount in the geographic region and time period specified in a bond, a Fund investing in the bond may lose a portion or all of its principal
invested in the bond. If no trigger event occurs, the Fund will recover its principal plus interest. For some event-linked bonds, the trigger event or losses may be based on company-wide losses, index-portfolio losses, industry indices, or readings of scientific instruments rather than specified actual losses. Often the event-linked bonds provide for extensions of maturity that are mandatory, or optional at the discretion of the issuer, in order to process and audit loss claims in those cases where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. In addition to the specified trigger events, event-linked bonds may also expose the Fund to certain unanticipated risks including but not limited to issuer risk, credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds are a relatively new type of financial instrument. As such, there is no significant
trading history of these securities, and there can be no assurance that a liquid market in these instruments will develop. Lack of a liquid market may impose the risk of higher transaction costs and the possibility that a Fund may be forced to liquidate positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. Event-linked bonds are typically rated, and a Fund will only invest in catastrophe bonds that meet the credit quality requirements for the Fund.
EXCHANGE TRADED NOTES ("ETNS")
Certain Funds may invest in ETNs. ETNs are generally notes representing debt of the issuer, usually a financial institution. ETNs combine both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of one or more underlying assets, reference rates or indexes, minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the specific asset, index or rate ("reference instrument") to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments, and principal is not protected.
The value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuer's credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect
the reference instrument. An ETN that is tied to a reference instrument may not replicate the performance of the reference instrument. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable reference instrument. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Levered ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. While leverage allows for greater potential return, the potential for loss is also greater. Finally, additional losses may be incurred if the investment loses value because, in addition to the money lost on the investment, the loan still needs to be repaid.
Because the return on the ETN is dependent on the issuer's ability or willingness to meet its obligations, the value of the ETN may change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating, despite no change in the underlying reference instrument. The market value of ETN shares may differ from the value of the reference instrument. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the assets underlying the reference instrument that the ETN seeks to track. There may be restrictions on the Fund's right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which are generally meant to be held until maturity. The Fund's decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. An investor in an ETN could lose some or all of the amount invested.
FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
Certain Funds may invest in foreign currency options. A foreign currency option provides the option buyer with the right to buy or sell a stated amount of foreign currency at the exercise price at a specified date or during the option period. A call option gives its owner the right, but not the obligation, to buy the currency while a put option gives its owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell the currency. The option seller (writer) is obligated to fulfill the terms of an option sold if it is exercised. However, either seller or buyer may close its position during the option period in the secondary market for such options at any time prior to expiration.
A call rises in value if the underlying currency appreciates. Conversely, a put rises in value if the underlying currency depreciates. While purchasing a foreign currency option can protect the Fund against an adverse movement in the value of a foreign currency, it does not limit the gain which might result from a favorable movement in the value of such currency. For example, if a Fund were holding securities denominated in an appreciating foreign currency and had purchased a foreign currency put to hedge against the decline of the value of the currency, it would not have to exercise its put. Similarly, if a Fund has entered into a contract to purchase a security denominated in a foreign currency and had purchased a foreign currency call to hedge against a rise in the value of the currency but instead the currency had depreciated in value between the date of the purchase and the settlement date, the Fund would not have to exercise its call, but could
acquire in the spot market the amount of foreign currency needed for settlement.
Certain Funds may invest in foreign currency futures transactions. As part of its financial futures transactions, the Fund may use foreign currency futures contracts and options on such futures contracts. Through the purchase or sale of such contracts, the Fund may be able to achieve many of the same objectives it may achieve through forward foreign currency exchange contracts more effectively and possibly at a lower cost. Unlike forward foreign currency exchange contracts, foreign currency futures contracts and options on foreign currency futures contracts are standardized as to amount and delivery, and may be traded on boards of trade and commodities exchanges or directly with a dealer which makes a market in such contracts and options. It is anticipated that such contracts may provide greater liquidity and lower cost than forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
FOREIGN SECURITIES
Certain Funds may invest in securities of foreign issuers. Investing in foreign securities (including through the use of depository receipts) involves certain special considerations which are not typically associated with investing in United States securities. Since investments in foreign companies will frequently involve currencies of foreign countries, and since a Fund may hold securities and funds in foreign currencies, a Fund may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, if any, and may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. Most foreign stock markets, while growing in volume of trading activity, have less volume than the New York Stock Exchange, and securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United
States and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the United States. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on United States exchanges, although each Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies in foreign countries than in the United States. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of exchange control restrictions,
expropriation or confiscatory taxation, and political, economic or social instability, which could affect investments in those countries. Foreign securities, such as those purchased by a Fund, may be subject to foreign government taxes, higher custodian fees, higher brokerage costs and dividend collection fees which could reduce the yield on such securities.
Foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in various respects, including growth of gross domestic product, rates of inflation, currency depreciation, capital reinvestment, resource self‑sufficiency, and balance of payments positions. Many foreign securities are less liquid and their prices more volatile than comparable U.S. securities. From time to time, foreign securities may be difficult to liquidate rapidly without adverse price effects.
Many European countries have adopted a single European currency, commonly referred to as the "euro." The long‑term consequences of the euro conversion on foreign exchange rates, interest rates and the value of European securities, all of which may adversely affect the Fund(s), are still uncertain.
Securities of companies with a foreign jurisdiction of legal organization may be deemed domestic securities if they are either headquartered in the U.S., their equity securities (or ADRs) trade primarily in the U.S., or their total revenues are derived primarily from the U.S.
Investment in Companies in Developing Countries/Emerging Markets
Certain Funds may invest from time to time in companies in developing countries as well as in developed countries. Although there is no universally accepted definition, a developing country is generally considered to be a country which is in the initial stages of industrialization.
Shareholders should be aware that investing in the equity and fixed income markets of developing countries involves exposure to unstable governments, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets which trade a small number of securities. Securities markets of developing countries tend to be more volatile than the markets of developed countries; however, such markets have in the past provided the opportunity for higher rates of return to investors.
The value and liquidity of investments in developing countries may be affected favorably or unfavorably by political, economic, fiscal, regulatory or other developments in the particular countries or neighboring regions. The extent of economic development, political stability and market depth of different countries varies widely. For example, certain countries, including, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are either comparatively underdeveloped or are in the process of becoming developed. Such investments typically involve greater potential for gain or loss than investments in securities of issuers in developed countries.
The securities markets in developing countries are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States. A high proportion of the shares of many issuers may be held by a limited number of persons and financial institutions, which may limit the number of shares available for investment by a Fund. Similarly, volume and liquidity in the bond markets in developing countries are less than in the United States and, at times, price volatility can be greater than in the United States. A limited number of issuers in developing countries' securities markets may represent a disproportionately large percentage of market capitalization and trading volume. The limited liquidity of securities markets in developing countries may also affect the Fund's ability to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so. Accordingly, during periods of rising securities prices in the more illiquid securities
markets, the Fund's ability to participate fully in such price increases may be limited by its investment policy of investing not more than 15% (10% for certain Funds) of its net assets in illiquid securities. Conversely, the Fund's inability to dispose fully and promptly of positions in declining markets will cause the Fund's net asset value to decline as the value of the unsold positions is marked to lower prices. In addition, securities markets in developing countries are susceptible to being influenced by large investors trading significant blocks of securities.
Political and economic structures in many such countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of the United States. Certain of such countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized or expropriated the assets of private companies. As a result, the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, may be heightened. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of the Fund's investments in those countries and the availability to the Fund of additional investments in those countries. In addition, developing countries may have or enact restrictions on the right of foreign investors to repatriate their capital and to remit profits abroad.
Economies of developing countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the United States' economy in such respects as rate of growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self‑sufficiency and balance of payments position.
Certain developing countries do not have comprehensive systems of laws, although substantial changes have occurred in many such countries in this regard in recent years. Laws regarding fiduciary duties of officers and directors and the protection of shareholders may not be well developed. Even where adequate law exists in such developing countries, it may be impossible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of such law, or to obtain enforcement of the judgment by a court of another jurisdiction.
Trading in futures contracts on foreign commodity exchanges may be subject to the same or similar risks as trading in foreign securities.
Depositary Receipts
For many foreign securities, U.S. dollar‑denominated ADRs, which are traded in the United States on exchanges or over‑the‑counter, are issued by domestic banks. ADRs represent an interest in the securities of a foreign issuer deposited in a domestic bank or a correspondent bank. ADRs do not eliminate all of the risk inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. However, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in foreign issuers' stock, a Fund can avoid currency risks during the settlement period for either purchases or sales. In general, there is a large liquid market in the United States for many ADRs. Certain Funds may also invest in EDRs and GDRs which are receipts evidencing an arrangement with European and other banks similar to that for ADRs and are designed for use in European and other securities markets. EDRs and GDRs are not necessarily denominated in the currency of the underlying security.
Certain depositary receipts, typically those categorized as unsponsored, require the holders to bear most of the costs of such facilities while issuers of sponsored facilities normally pay more of the costs. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited securities or to pass through the voting rights to facility holders with respect to the deposited securities, whereas the depository of a sponsored facility typically distributes shareholder communications and passes through the voting rights.
Foreign Sovereign Debt
Certain Funds may invest in sovereign debt obligations issued by foreign governments. To the extent that a Fund invests in obligations issued by developing or emerging markets, these investments involve additional risks. Sovereign obligors in developing and emerging market countries are among the world's largest debtors to commercial banks, other governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. These obligors have in the past experienced substantial difficulties in servicing their external debt obligations, which led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things, reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiation, new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to Brady Bonds, and obtaining new credit for finance interest payments. Holders of certain foreign
sovereign debt securities may be requested to participate in the restructuring of such obligations and to extend further loans to their issuers. There can be no assurance that the foreign sovereign debt securities in which a Fund may invest will not be subject to similar restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit which may adversely affect the Fund's holdings. Furthermore, certain participants in the secondary market for such debt may be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may therefore have access to information not available to other market participants.
FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS
Certain Funds may invest in forward foreign currency exchange contracts. A Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.
The Funds may enter into forward currency contracts in order to hedge against adverse movements in exchange rates between currencies. For example, when a Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, it may want to establish the United States dollar cost or proceeds, as the case may be. By entering into a forward currency contract in United States dollars for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction, such Fund is able to protect itself against a possible loss between trade and settlement dates resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the United States dollar and such foreign currency. Additionally, for example, when a Fund believes that a foreign currency may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, it may enter into a forward currency sale contract to sell an amount of that foreign currency approximating
the
value of some or all of that Fund's portfolio securities or other assets denominated in such foreign currency. Alternatively, when a Fund believes a foreign currency will increase in value relative to the U.S. dollar, it may enter into a forward currency purchase contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount; however, this tends to limit potential gains which might result from a positive change in such currency relationships.
The Subadvisers believe that it is important to have the flexibility to enter into such forward contracts when they determine that to do so is in the best interests of a Fund. They may use foreign currency options and forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. A Fund may use currency exchange contracts in the normal course of business to lock in an exchange rate in connection with purchases and sales of securities denominated in foreign currencies (transaction hedge) or to lock in the U.S. dollar value of portfolio positions (position hedge). In addition, the Funds may cross hedge currencies by entering into a transaction to purchase or sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value relative to other currencies to which a Fund has or expects to have portfolio exposure. The Funds may also engage in proxy hedging which is defined as entering
into positions in one currency to hedge investments denominated in another currency, where the two currencies are economically linked. A Fund's entry into forward foreign currency exchange contract, as well as any use of cross or proxy hedging techniques will generally require the Fund to earmark or hold liquid securities or cash equal to the Fund's obligations in a segregated account throughout the duration of the contract. To the extent that the currency is not being used for hedging purposes, the Fund will segregate or "earmark" cash or assets determined to be liquid in an amount not less than the value of the Fund's total assets committed to forward foreign currency exchange contracts entered into for the purchase of a foreign security. If the value of the segregated securities declines, the Fund will add additional assets so that the amount is not less than the Fund's commitments under the Contracts.
If the Fund retains the portfolio security and engages in an offsetting transaction, such Fund will incur a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a movement in forward currency contract prices. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction it may subsequently enter into a new forward currency contract to sell the foreign currency. If forward prices decline during the period between which a Fund enters into a forward currency contract for the sale of foreign currency and the date it enters into an offsetting contract for the purchase of the foreign currency, such Fund would realize a gain to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to sell exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase. The Funds will have to convert their holdings of foreign currencies into United States dollars from time to time. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference
(the "spread") between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies.
FUTURES
Certain Funds may enter into futures contracts. This investment technique is designed primarily to hedge against anticipated future changes in market conditions or foreign exchange rates which otherwise might adversely affect the value of securities which a Fund holds or intends to purchase. The technique may also be used for risk management or other permissible purposes. For example, when interest rates are expected to rise or market values of portfolio securities are expected to fall, a Fund can seek through the sale of futures contracts to offset a decline in the value of its portfolio securities. When interest rates are expected to fall or market values are expected to rise, a Fund, through the purchase of such contract, can attempt to secure better rates or prices for the Fund than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases.
The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will, respectively, give a Fund the right (but not the obligation), for a specified price to sell or to purchase the underlying futures contract, upon exercising the option any time during the option period.
Futures transactions involve broker costs and require a Fund to segregate liquid assets, such as cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid high‑grade debt obligations to cover its performance under such contracts. A Fund may lose the expected benefit of futures contracts if interest rates, securities or foreign exchange rates move in an unanticipated manner. Such unanticipated changes may also result in poorer overall performance than if the Fund had not entered into any futures transactions. In addition, the value of a Fund's futures positions may not prove to be perfectly or even highly correlated with its portfolio securities and foreign currencies, limiting the Fund's ability to hedge effectively against interest rate, foreign exchange rate and/or market risk and giving rise to additional risks. There is no assurance of liquidity in the secondary market for purposes of closing out futures positions.
FUTURES AND OPTIONS INVESTMENT RISKS
A Fund will incur brokerage fees in connection with its futures and options transactions, and it will be required to segregate funds for the benefit of brokers as margin to guarantee performance of its futures and options contracts. In
addition, while such contracts will be entered into to reduce certain risks, trading in these contracts entails certain other risks. Thus, while a Fund may benefit from the use of futures contracts and related options, unanticipated changes in interest rates may result in a poorer overall performance for that Fund than if it had not entered into any such contracts. Additionally, the skills required to invest successfully in futures and options may differ from skills required for managing other assets in the Fund's portfolio.
GUARANTEED INVESTMENT CONTRACTS
A Guaranteed Investment Contract ("GIC") is a pure investment product in which a life insurance company agrees, for a single premium, to pay the principal amount of a predetermined annual crediting (interest) rate over the life of the investment, all of which is paid at the maturity date. GICs typically guarantee the interest rate paid but not the principal.
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AND LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY INTERESTS
A limited partnership interest entitles a Fund to participate in the investment return of the partnership's assets as defined by the agreement among the partners. As a limited partner, a Fund generally is not permitted to participate in the management of the partnership. However, unlike a general partner whose liability is not limited, a limited partner's liability generally is limited to the amount of its commitment to the partnership. Certain Funds may invest in limited liability company interests to the same extent they invest in limited partnership interests. Limited liability company interests have similar characteristics as limited partnership interests.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES
Subject to the limitations in a Fund's prospectus or this SAI, the Funds may acquire investments that are illiquid or of limited liquidity, such as private placements or investments that are not registered under the 1933 Act. An illiquid investment is any investment that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the normal course of business at approximately the amount at which it is valued by a Fund. The price a Fund pays for illiquid securities or receives upon resale may be lower than the price paid or received for similar securities with a more liquid market. Accordingly, the valuation of these securities will reflect any limitations on their liquidity. A Fund may not invest in illiquid securities if, as a result, more than 15% (10% in the case of certain Funds, and 5% in the case of the Government Money Market Fund) of the market value of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. If for any reason this limitation is exceeded, the
Fund will take appropriate steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid securities below 15% (or such lower limit as may be applicable) as soon as reasonably practicable; however, the Fund will not liquidate any illiquid securities if the Subadviser determines that doing so would not be in the best interests of the Fund.
Securities in which each of the Funds may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), in reliance on the so‑called "private placement" exemption from registration which is afforded by Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act ("Section 4(2) Securities"). Section 4(2) Securities are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as the Funds, who agree that they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with a view to public distribution. Any resale must also generally be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(2) Securities are normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in such Section 4(2) Securities, thus providing liquidity. The Trust's Board of Trustees has delegated to the
Subadvisers the day‑to‑day authority to determine whether a particular issue of Section 4(2) Securities that are eligible for resale under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act should be treated as liquid. Rule 144A provides a safe‑harbor exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for resales to "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in the Rule. With the exception of registered broker‑dealers, a qualified institutional buyer must generally own and invest on a discretionary basis at least $100 million in securities.
The Subadvisers may deem Section 4(2) Securities liquid if they believe that, based on the trading markets for such security, such security can be disposed of within seven (7) days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which a Fund has valued the security. In making such determination, the Subadvisers generally consider any and all factors that they deem relevant, which may include: (i) the credit quality of the issuer; (ii) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (iii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (iv) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (v) the nature of the security and the nature of market‑place trades.
Treatment of Section 4(2) Securities as liquid could have the effect of decreasing the level of a Fund's liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities.
INFLATION-INDEXED BONDS
Certain Funds may invest in inflation-indexed bonds, which are fixed income securities or other instruments whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index ("CPI") accruals as part of a semi-annual coupon.
Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. The U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount.
If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and, consequently, the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. Certain Funds may also invest in other inflation related bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal. In addition, if the Fund purchases inflation-indexed bonds offered by foreign issuers, the rate of inflation measured by the foreign inflation index may not be correlated
to the rate of inflation in the United States. The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates, in turn, are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. There can be no assurance, however, that the value of inflation-indexed bonds will be directly correlated to changes in interest rates. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example,
due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond's inflation measure.
In general, the measure used to determine the periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers ("CPI-U"), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy.
Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.
INFLATION-INDEXED SECURITIES
Inflation-indexed securities are debt securities, the value of which is periodically adjusted to reflect a measure of inflation. Two structures are common for inflation-indexed securities. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that reflects inflation as it accrues by increasing the U.S. dollar amount of the principal originally invested. Other issuers pay out the inflation as it accrues as part of a semiannual coupon. Any amount accrued on an inflation-indexed security, regardless whether paid out as a coupon or added to the principal, is generally considered taxable income to the Fund. Where the accrued amount is added to the principal and no cash income is received until maturity, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make distributions to shareholders required for U.S. tax purposes.
An investor could experience a loss of principal and income on investments in inflation-indexed securities. In a deflationary environment, the value of the principal invested in an inflation-indexed security will be adjusted downward, just as it would be adjusted upward in an inflationary environment. Because the interest on an inflation-indexed security is calculated with respect to the amount of principal which is smaller following a deflationary period, interest payments will also be reduced, just as they would be increased following an inflationary period.
In the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed securities, the return of at least the original U.S. dollar amount of principal invested is guaranteed, so an investor receives the greater of its original principal or the inflation-adjusted principal. If the
return of principal is not guaranteed, the investor may receive less than the amount it originally invested in an inflation-indexed security following a period of deflation. Any guarantee of principal provided by a party other than the U.S. government will increase the Fund's exposure to the credit risk of that party.
The value of inflation-indexed securities is generally expected to change in response to changes in "real" interest rates. The real interest rate is the rate of interest that would be paid in the absence of inflation. The actual rate of interest, referred to as the nominal interest rate, is equal to the real interest rate plus the rate of inflation. If inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed securities.
While inflation-indexed securities are designed to provide some protection from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in their value. For example, if interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation, investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security's inflation measure. The reasons that interest rates may rise without a corresponding increase in inflation include changes in currency exchange rates and temporary shortages of credit or liquidity. When interest rates rise without a corresponding increase in inflation, the Fund's investment in inflation-indexed securities will forego the additional return that could have been earned on a floating rate debt security.
The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-protected debt securities is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is an index of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-protected debt securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable consumer inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the actual rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. To the extent that the Fund invests in inflation-indexed securities as a hedge against inflation, an imperfect hedge will result if the cost of living (as
represented in the CPI-U) has a different inflation rate than the Fund's interests in industries and sectors minimally affected by changes in the cost of living.
INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS
A Fund may invest in initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stock or other primary or secondary syndicated offerings of equity or debt securities issued by a corporate issuer. A purchase of IPO securities often involves higher transaction costs than those associated with the purchase of securities already traded on exchanges or markets. IPO securities are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. The market value of recently issued IPO securities may fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading and speculation, a potentially small number of securities available for trading, and limited information about the issuer. A Fund may hold IPO securities for a period of time or may sell them soon after the purchase. Investments in IPOs could have an increased impact, either positive or negative, on a Fund's performance if the Fund's assets are relatively small. The impact of an IPO on a Fund's
performance may tend to diminish as the Fund grows. In circumstances where investments in IPOs make a significant contribution to a Fund's performance, there can be no assurance that similar contributions from IPOs will continue in the future.
INVESTMENT COMPANY SECURITIES
The Funds may not invest in shares of other mutual funds in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act. However, as permitted by the 1940 Act, a Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies, so that, as determined immediately after a securities purchase is made: (a) not more than 5% of the value of a Fund's total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (b) not more than 10% of the value of a Fund's total assets will be invested in the securities of investment companies as a group; and (c) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by a Fund. The foregoing restrictions do not apply to investments by the Funds in investment companies that are money market funds, including the Government Money Market Fund or another money market fund that has an affiliate of the Manager as an investment adviser. As a shareholder of another investment
company, a Fund would indirectly bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of that company's expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. Investment companies in which a Fund may invest may also impose a sales or distribution charge in connection with the purchase or redemption of their shares
and other types of commissions or charges. Such charges will be payable by the Fund and, therefore, will be borne indirectly by shareholders.
Exchange Traded Funds
The Funds may invest in investment companies in the form of various exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), subject to the Fund's investment objectives, policies, and strategies as described in the Prospectus. ETFs are baskets of securities that, like stocks, trade on exchanges such as the American Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. ETFs are priced continuously and trade throughout the day. ETFs may track a securities index, a particular market sector, or a particular segment of a securities index or market sector. Some types of ETFs include:
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"SPDRs" (S&P's Depositary Receipts), which are securities that represent ownership in a long-term unit investment trust that holds a portfolio of common stocks designed to track the performance of an S&P Index. Holders of SPDRs are entitled to receive proportionate quarterly cash distributions corresponding to the dividends that accrue to the stocks in the S&P Index's underlying investment portfolio, less any trust expenses. |
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"Qubes" (QQQ), which invest in the stocks of the Nasdaq 100 Index, a modified capitalization weighted index that includes the stocks of 100 of the largest and most actively traded non-financial companies quoted through Nasdaq. Qubes use a unit investment trust structure that allows immediate reinvestment of dividends. |
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"iShares" which are securities that represent ownership in a long-term unit investment trust that holds a portfolio of common stocks designed to track the performance of specific indexes. |
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"HOLDRs" (Holding Company Depositary Receipts), which are trust-issued receipts that represent beneficial ownership in a specified group of 20 or more stocks. Unlike other ETFs, a Fund can hold the group of stocks as one asset or unbundle the stocks and trade them separately, according to the Fund's investment strategies. |
ETFs can experience many of the same risks associated with individual stocks. ETFs are subject to market risk where the market as a whole, or that specific sector, may decline. ETFs that invest in volatile stock sectors, such as foreign issuers, smaller companies, or technology, are subject to the additional risks to which those sectors are subject. ETFs may trade at a discount to the aggregate value of the underlying securities. The underlying securities in an ETF may not follow the price movements of an entire industry, sector or index. Trading in an ETF may be halted if the trading in one or more of the ETF's underlying securities is halted. Although expense ratios for ETFs are generally low, frequent trading of ETFs by a Fund can generate brokerage expenses.
LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
In order to generate additional income, the Funds may, from time to time, lend up to 33 1/3% of their portfolio securities to broker‑dealers, banks or institutional borrowers of securities. A Fund must receive cash collateral equal to 102% of the market value of domestic securities (105% for foreign securities). This collateral must be valued daily by the Fund and, should the market value of the loaned securities increase, the borrower must furnish additional collateral to the Fund. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower pays the Fund any dividends or interest paid on such securities. Loans are subject to termination by the Fund or the borrower at any time. While the Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, it intends to terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if that is considered important with respect to the investment. In the event the borrower defaults in its obligation to a Fund, the Fund bears
the risk of delay in the recovery of its portfolio securities and the risk of loss of rights in the collateral. The Fund will only enter into loan arrangements with broker‑dealers, banks or other institutions determined to be creditworthy by the Manager.
LOAN PARTICIPATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Loans, loan participations and interests in securitized loan pools are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental or other borrower to a lender or consortium of lenders (typically banks, insurance companies, investment banks, government agencies or international agencies). Loans involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to an investor in the event of fraud or misrepresentation.
Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the financial institution's interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks. 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 Fund relies on its Subadviser's research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Fund.
MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES
Certain Funds may, consistent with their investment objective and policies, invest in mortgage‑related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. In addition, certain Funds may invest in mortgage‑related securities issued by non‑governmental entities, including collateralized mortgage obligations structured as pools of mortgage pass‑through certificates or mortgage loans, subject to the rating limitations described in the Prospectus.
Mortgage‑related securities, for purposes of the Prospectus and this SAI, represent pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by various governmental agencies such as GNMA and government‑related organizations such as FNMA and the FHLMC, as well as by non‑governmental issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers and private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain mortgage‑related securities are guaranteed by a third party or are otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured. Accelerated prepayments have an adverse impact on yields for pass‑through securities purchased at a premium (i.e., a price in excess of principal amount) and may involve additional risk of loss of principal because the premium may not have been fully amortized at the time the obligation is prepaid. The opposite is true for pass‑through
securities purchased at a discount. The Funds may purchase mortgage‑related securities at a premium or at a discount. If a Fund purchases a mortgage‑related security at a premium, that portion may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying mortgage collateral. As with other interest‑bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. However, though the value of a mortgage‑related security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages underlying the securities are prone to prepayment, thereby shortening the life of the security and shortening the period of time over which income at the higher rate is received. When interest rates are rising, though, the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening
the period of time over which income at the lower rate is received. For these and other reasons, a mortgage‑related security's average maturity may be shortened or lengthened as a result of interest rate fluctuations and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the security's return to the Funds. In addition, regular payments received in respect of mortgage‑related securities include both interest and principal. No assurance can be given as to the return the Funds will receive when these amounts are reinvested.
If a Fund purchases mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities that are subordinated to other interests in the same mortgage pool, the Fund may receive payments only after the pool's obligations to other investors have been satisfied. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may limit substantially the pool's ability to make payments of principal or interest to the Fund as a holder of such subordinated securities, reducing the values of those securities or in some cases rendering them worthless. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include so-called "subprime" mortgages. An unexpectedly high or low rate of prepayments on a pool's underlying mortgages may have a similar effect on subordinated securities. A mortgage pool may issue securities subject to various levels of subordination. The risk of non-payment affects securities at each level, although the risk is
greater in the case of more highly subordinated securities.
In addition to bonds with customary settlement periods, the Fund may purchase or sell mortgage-backed securities on a delayed delivery or forward commitment basis through the "to-be-announced" (TBA) market. With TBA transactions, the particular securities to be delivered are not identified at the trade date but the delivered securities must meet specified terms and standards. Although the particular TBA securities must meet industry-accepted "good delivery" standards, there can be no assurance that a security purchased on a forward commitment basis will ultimately be issued or delivered by the counterparty. During the settlement period, the Fund will still bear the risk of any decline in the value of the security to be delivered. Whether or not the Fund takes delivery of the securities at the termination date of a TBA transaction, it will nonetheless be exposed to changes in the value of the underlying investments during the term of the
agreement.
There are a number of important differences among the agencies and the instrumentalities of the U.S. government that issue mortgage‑related securities and among the securities that they issue. Mortgage‑related securities issued by GNMA include GNMA Mortgage Pass‑Through Certificates (also known as "Ginnie Maes") which are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such guaranty is backed by the full‑faith and credit of the United States. GNMA is a wholly‑owned U.S. government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA certificates are also supported by the authority of the GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage‑related securities issued by FNMA include FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass‑Through Certificates (also known as "Fannie Maes") which are solely the obligations of FNMA and are
not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States. FNMA is a government‑sponsored organization owned entirely by private stockholders. Fannie Maes are guaranteed as to timely payment of the principal and interest by FNMA. Mortgage‑related securities issued by FHLMC include FHLMC mortgage participation certificates (also known as "Freddie Macs" or "PCs"). FHLMC is a corporate instrumentality of the United States, organized pursuant to an Act of Congress, which is owned entirely by the Federal Home Loan banks. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States or by any Federal Home Loan banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan bank. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans.
When FHLMC does not guarantee timely payment of principal, FHLMC may remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations
Mortgage‑related securities in which the Funds may invest may also include collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs"). CMOs are debt obligations issued generally by finance subsidiaries or trusts that are secured by mortgage‑backed certificates, including, in many cases, certificates issued by government‑related guarantors, including GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC, together with certain funds and other collateral. Although payment of the principal of and interest on the mortgage‑backed certificates pledged to secure the CMOs may be guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC, the CMOs represent obligations solely of the issuer and are not insured or guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, FNMA or any other governmental agency, or by any other person or entity. The issuers of the CMOs typically have no significant assets other than those pledged as collateral for the obligations.
CMOs are issued in multiple classes. Each class of CMOs, often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Principal prepayments on the mortgage loans or the mortgage assets underlying the CMOs may cause some or all of the classes of CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their final distribution dates. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs on a monthly basis.
The principal of and interest on the mortgage assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs in various ways. In certain structures (known as "sequential pay" CMOs), payments of principal, including any principal prepayments, on the mortgage assets generally are applied to the classes of CMOs in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made on any class of sequential pay CMOs until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full.
Additional structures of CMOs include, among others, "parallel pay" CMOs. Parallel pay CMOs are those which are structured to apply principal payments and prepayments of the mortgage assets to two or more classes concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class.
Stripped Mortgage Securities
Certain Funds may invest in stripped mortgage securities. Stripped mortgage securities are derivative multiclass mortgage securities. Stripped mortgage securities may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. Stripped mortgage securities have greater volatility than other types of mortgage securities. Although stripped mortgage securities are purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers, the market for such securities has not yet been fully developed. Accordingly, stripped mortgage securities are generally illiquid.
Stripped mortgage securities are structured with two or more classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of stripped mortgage security will have at least one class receiving only a small portion of the interest and a larger portion of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive primarily interest and only a small portion of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest ("IO" or interest‑only), while the other class will receive all of the principal ("PO" or principal‑only class). The yield to maturity on IOs, POs and other mortgage‑backed securities that are purchased at a substantial premium or discount generally are extremely sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on
the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on such securities' yield to maturity. If the underlying mortgage
assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities even if the securities have received the highest rating by an NRSRO.
In addition to the stripped mortgage securities described above, certain Funds may invest in similar securities such as Super POs and Levered IOs which are more volatile than POs, IOs and IOettes. Risks associated with instruments such as Super POs are similar in nature to those risks related to investments in POs. IOettes represent the right to receive interest payments on an underlying pool of mortgages with similar risks as those associated with IOs. Unlike IOs, the owner also has the right to receive a very small portion of the principal. Risks connected with Levered IOs and IOettes are similar in nature to those associated with IOs. Such Funds may also invest in other similar instruments developed in the future that are deemed consistent with its investment objective, policies and restrictions. POs may generate taxable income from the current accrual of original issue discount, without a corresponding distribution of cash to the Fund.
Certain Funds may also purchase stripped mortgage‑backed securities for hedging purposes to protect the Fund against interest rate fluctuations. For example, since an IO will tend to increase in value as interest rates rise, it may be utilized to hedge against a decrease in value of other fixed‑income securities in a rising interest rate environment. With respect to IOs, if the underlying mortgage securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities even if the securities are rated in the highest rating category by an NRSRO. Stripped mortgage‑backed securities may exhibit greater price volatility than ordinary debt securities because of the manner in which their principal and interest are returned to investors. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments can be extremely volatile in response to changes in interest
rates. The yields on stripped mortgage‑backed securities that receive all or most of the interest are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other mortgage‑backed obligations because their cash flow patterns are also volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. The market for CMOs and other stripped mortgage‑backed securities may be less liquid if these securities lose their value as a result of changes in interest rates; in that case, a Fund may have difficulty in selling such securities.
OPTIONS
Certain Funds may write (or sell) put and call options on the securities that the Fund is authorized to buy or already holds in its portfolio. These option contracts may be listed for trading on a national securities exchange or traded over‑the‑counter. Certain Funds may also purchase put and call options.
A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer has the obligation to sell, the underlying security or foreign currency at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price or exchange rate of the security or foreign currency, as the case may be. The premium paid to the writer is consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract. A put option gives the purchaser the right to sell the underlying security or foreign currency at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price or exchange rate of the security or foreign currency, as the case may be.
When a Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the net premium (the premium less the commission) received by the Fund is included in the liability section of the Fund's statement of assets and liabilities as a deferred credit. The amount of the deferred credit will be subsequently marked‑to‑market to reflect the current value of the option written. If an option expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or a loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold) and the deferred credit related to such option will be eliminated. If an option is exercised, the Fund may deliver the underlying security in the open market. In either event, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
In order to close out a call option it has written, the Fund will enter into a "closing purchase transaction" (the purchase of a call option on the same security or currency with the same exercise price and expiration date as the call option which such Fund previously has written). When the portfolio security or currency subject to a call option is sold, the Fund will effect a closing purchase transaction to close out an existing call option on that security or currency. If such Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to sell the underlying security or currency until the option expires or that Fund delivers the underlying security or currency upon exercise. In addition, upon the exercise of a call option by the option holder, the Fund will forego the potential benefit represented by market depreciation over the exercise price.
A Fund may sell "covered" put and call options as a means of hedging the price risk of securities in the Fund's portfolio, or for risk management or other permissible purposes. The sale of a call option against an amount of cash equal to the put's potential liability constitutes a "covered put."
Over‑the‑counter options ("OTC options") differ from exchange‑traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and there is a risk of non‑performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange‑traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is normally done by reference to information from a market marker. This information is carefully monitored by the Subadviser and verified in appropriate cases. OTC options which are illiquid or not readily marketable will be subject to a Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid securities. OTC option transactions by a Fund with a primary U.S. Government securities dealer which has given the Fund an absolute right to repurchase according to a "repurchase formula" will not
be subject to such 15% limit.
Certain Funds may also purchase or sell index options. Index options (or options on securities indices) are similar in many respects to options on securities except that an index option gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise, cash instead of securities, if the closing level of the securities index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option.
Because index options are settled in cash, a call writer cannot determine the amount of its settlement obligations in advance and, unlike call writing on specific securities, cannot provide in advance for, or cover, its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. A Fund may be required to segregate assets or provide an initial margin to cover index options that would require it to pay cash upon exercise.
PREFERRED STOCKS
Shareholders of preferred stocks normally have the right to receive dividends at a fixed rate, when and as declared by the issuer's board of directors, but do not participate in other amounts available for distribution by the issuing corporation. Dividends on the preferred stock may be cumulative, and all cumulative dividends usually must be paid prior to common shareholders receiving any dividends. Because preferred stock dividends must be paid before common stock dividends, preferred stocks generally entail less risk than common stocks. Upon liquidation, preferred stocks are entitled to a specified liquidation preference, which is generally the same as the par or stated value, and are senior in right of payment to common stock. Preferred stocks are, however, equity securities in the sense that they do not represent a liability of the issuer and, therefore, do not offer as great a degree of protection of capital or assurance of continued income as investments
in corporate debt securities. Preferred stocks are generally subordinated in right of payment to all debt obligations and creditors of the issuer, and convertible preferred stocks may be subordinated to other preferred stock of the same issuer.
PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC EQUITY
A Fund may purchase equity securities in a private placement that are issued by issuers who have outstanding, publicly-traded equity securities of the same class ("private investments in public equity" or "PIPES"). Shares in PIPES generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain time period from the date the private sale is completed. This restricted period can last many months. Until the public registration process is completed, PIPES are restricted as to resale and the Fund cannot freely trade the securities. Generally, such restrictions cause the PIPES to be illiquid during this time, and subject to a Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid securities. PIPES may contain provisions that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if the issuer does not publicly register the restricted equity securities within a specified period of time, but there is no assurance that the restricted equity securities
will be publicly registered, or that the registration will remain in effect.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS) AND FOREIGN REAL ESTATE COMPANIES
Investing in REITs and foreign real estate companies exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs and foreign real estate companies are organized and operated. REITs and foreign real estate companies generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Operating REITs and foreign real estate companies requires specialized management skills and a the strategy may indirectly bear management expenses along with the direct expenses of the strategy. Individual REITs and foreign real estate companies may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. REITs may also be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation.
REITs also must satisfy specific requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in order to qualify for the tax-free pass through of income. Foreign real estate companies may be subject to laws, rules and regulations
governing those entities and their failure to comply with those laws, rules and regulations could negatively impact the performance of those entities. In addition, REITs and foreign real estate companies, like mutual funds, have expenses, including management and administration fees, that are paid by their shareholders. As a result, shareholder will absorb their proportional share of duplicate levels of fees when the Fund invests in REITs and foreign real estate companies.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
Securities held by certain Funds may be subject to repurchase agreements. Under the terms of a repurchase agreement, a Fund would acquire securities from member banks of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and registered broker‑dealers which a Subadviser deems creditworthy, subject to the seller's agreement to repurchase such securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The repurchase price would generally equal the price paid by a Fund plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short‑term rates, which may be more or less than the rate on the underlying portfolio securities. The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain at all times the value of collateral held pursuant to the agreement at not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). If the seller were to default on its repurchase obligations or become insolvent, the Fund holding such obligation would suffer a loss to the extent
that the proceeds from the sale of the underlying portfolio securities were less than the repurchase price under the agreement, or to the extent that the disposition of such securities by the Fund were delayed pending court action. Additionally, there is no controlling legal precedent confirming that a Fund would be entitled, as against the claim by such seller or its receiver or trustee in bankruptcy, to retain the underlying securities, although the Board of Trustees believes that, under the regular procedures normally in effect for the custody of a Fund's securities subject to repurchase agreements, and under federal laws, a court of competent jurisdiction would rule in favor of the Trust if presented with the question. Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be held by the Trust's Custodian or another qualified custodian or in the Federal Reserve/Treasury book‑entry system. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans by a Fund under the 1940 Act.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND DOLLAR ROLL AGREEMENTS
Certain Funds may borrow money by entering into reverse repurchase agreements or dollar roll agreements in accordance with that Fund's investment restrictions. Pursuant to such agreements, a Fund would sell portfolio securities to financial institutions, such as banks and broker‑dealers, and agree to repurchase the securities, or substantially similar securities in the case of a dollar roll agreement, at a mutually agreed‑upon date and price. A dollar roll agreement is identical to a reverse repurchase agreement except for the fact that substantially similar securities may be repurchased under a dollar roll agreement. The Funds do not consider a TBA (to be announced) trade, which is a forward mortgage-backed securities trade, to be a dollar roll since a TBA is a commitment to make a future purchase and does not involve deliverable securities. At the time a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement or a dollar roll agreement, it will
segregate assets such as U.S. government securities or other liquid high-grade debt securities consistent with the Fund's investment restrictions having a value equal to the Fund's obligation. Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price at which a Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities. Although reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll agreements are excluded from the Funds' fundamental restriction against borrowing, they may, to some extent, involve the risk of leverage. See "Risks of Techniques Involving Leverage" below. A Fund may experience a negative impact on its net asset value if interest rates rise during the term of a reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll agreement. A Fund generally will invest the proceeds of such borrowings only when such borrowings will enhance a Fund's liquidity or when the Fund reasonably expects that
the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds is greater than the interest expense of the transaction.
RISKS OF TECHNIQUES INVOLVING LEVERAGE
Use of leveraging involves special risks and may involve speculative investment techniques. Certain Funds may borrow for other than temporary or emergency purposes, lend their securities, enter into reverse repurchase agreements or dollar roll agreements, and purchase securities on a when issued or forward commitment basis. In addition, certain Funds may engage in dollar roll transactions. Each of these transactions involve the use of "leverage" when cash made available to the Fund through the investment technique is used to make additional portfolio investments. The Funds use these investment techniques only when the Subadvisers, as applicable, believe that the leveraging and the returns available to the Fund from investing the cash will provide shareholders a potentially higher return.
Leverage exists when a Fund achieves the right to a return on a capital base that exceeds the investment the Fund has invested. Leverage creates the risk of magnified capital losses which occur when losses affect an asset base, enlarged by borrowings or the creation of liabilities, that exceeds the equity base of the Fund. Leverage may involve the creation of a
liability that requires the Fund to pay interest (for instance, reverse repurchase agreements) or the creation of a liability that does not entail any interest costs (for instance, forward commitment transactions).
The risks of leverage include a higher volatility of the net asset value of a Fund's shares and the relatively greater effect on the net asset value of the shares caused by favorable or adverse market movements or changes in the cost of cash obtained by leveraging and the yield obtained from investing the cash. So long as a Fund is able to realize a net return on its investment portfolio that is higher than interest expense incurred, if any, leverage will result in higher current net investment income being realized by such Fund than if the Fund were not leveraged. On the other hand, interest rates change from time to time as does their relationship to each other depending upon such factors as supply and demand, monetary and tax policies and investor expectations. Changes in such factors could cause the relationship between the cost of leveraging and the yield to change so that rates involved in the leveraging arrangement may substantially increase relative
to the yield on the obligations in which the proceeds of the leveraging have been invested. To the extent that the interest expense involved in leveraging approaches the net return on a Fund's investment portfolio, the benefit of leveraging will be reduced, and, if the interest expense on borrowings were to exceed the net return to shareholders, such Fund's use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return than if the Fund were not leveraged. Similarly, the effect of leverage in a declining market could be a greater decrease in net asset value per share than if a Fund were not leveraged. In an extreme case, if a Fund's current investment income were not sufficient to meet the interest expense of leveraging, it could be necessary for such Fund to liquidate certain of its investments at an inappropriate time. The use of leverage may be considered speculative.
SHORT SALES AGAINST THE BOX
Certain Funds may engage in short sales against the box. In a short sale, the Fund sells a borrowed security and has a corresponding obligation to the lender to return the identical security. The seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. A Fund may engage in a short sale if at the time of the short sale the Fund owns or has the right to obtain without additional cost an equal amount of the security being sold short. This investment technique is known as a short sale "against the box." It may be entered into by a Fund to, for example, lock in a sale price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell immediately. If a Fund engages in a short sale, the proceeds of the short sale are retained by the broker pursuant to applicable margin rules. Additionally, the Fund will segregate or "earmark" cash or assets determined to be liquid equal to the amount
of the commitment. The segregated assets are pledged to the selling broker pursuant to applicable margin rules. If the broker were to become bankrupt, a Fund could experience losses or delays in recovering gains on short sales. To minimize this risk, a Fund will enter into short sales against the box only with brokers deemed by the Subadviser to be creditworthy. No more than 10% of the Fund's net assets (taken at current value) may be held as collateral for short sales against the box at any one time.
The Fund may make a short sale as a hedge, when it believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund (or a security convertible or exchangeable for such security). In such case, any future losses in the Fund's long position should be offset by a gain in the short position and, conversely, any gain in the long position should be reduced by a loss in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses are reduced will depend upon the amount of the security sold short relative to the amount the Fund owns. There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales against the box, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with the income from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.
If the Fund effects a short sale of securities at a time when it has an unrealized gain on the securities, it may be required to recognize that gain as if it had actually sold the securities (as a "constructive sale") on the date it effects the short sale. However, such constructive sale treatment may not apply if the Fund closes out the short sale with securities other than the appreciated securities held at the time of the short sale and if certain other conditions are satisfied. Uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of effecting short sales may limit the extent to which the Fund may effect short sales.
SMALL COMPANY STOCKS
Funds that invest significantly in securities issued by small-cap companies are subject to capitalization risk. These securities may present additional risk because they have less predictable earnings or no earnings, more volatile share prices and are less liquid than securities issued by large-cap companies. These securities may also fluctuate in value more than those of larger, more established companies and, as a group, may suffer more severe price declines during periods of generally declining stock prices.
SPECIAL SITUATION COMPANIES
Certain Funds may invest in "special situation companies." Special situation companies include those involved in an actual or prospective acquisition or consolidation; reorganization; recapitalization; merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a tender or exchange offer; a breakup or workout of a holding company; or litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company's stock. If the actual or prospective situation does not materialize as anticipated, the market price of the securities of a "special situation company" may decline significantly. Therefore, an investment in a Fund that invests a significant portion of its assets in these securities may involve a greater degree of risk than an investment in other mutual funds that seek long‑term growth of capital by investing in better‑known, larger companies. The Subadviser of such a Fund believes, however, that if it analyzes
"special situation companies" carefully and invests in the securities of these companies at the appropriate time, the Fund may achieve capital growth. There can be no assurance however, that a special situation that exists at the time the Fund makes its investment will be consummated under the terms and within the time period contemplated, if it is consummated at all.
STRUCTURED NOTES
Structured notes are derivative debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of the structured and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and therefore, may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the reference may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the
reference; therefore, the value of such security may be very volatile. Structured and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference. Structured or indexed securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. To the extent a Fund invests in these securities, they will be analyzed in the overall assessment of the effective duration of the Fund's portfolio in an effort to monitor the Fund's interest rate risk.
SWAP AGREEMENTS
Certain Funds may enter into swap agreements for the purpose of attempting to obtain a particular desired return at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in a security that yielded or produced that desired return. These instruments also may be used for tax and/or cash management purposes. Swap agreements are two‑party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a particular security, or at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign
currency, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. The "notional amount" of the swap agreement is only a fictitious basis on which to calculate the obligations which the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Fund's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement. The Fund's obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the maintenance of a segregated account consisting of cash or cash equivalents (such as U.S government securities, or high grade debt obligations), to limit any potential leveraging of the Fund's portfolio.
Credit Default Swaps: Certain Funds may also enter into credit default swap agreements. The credit default swap agreement may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection "buyer" in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection "seller" an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the "par value" (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. A Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover
nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose
value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, a Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
Credit default swap agreements involve greater risks than if a Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, credit default swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. A Fund will enter into credit default swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. A buyer generally also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller. The Fund's obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund). In connection with credit default swaps in
which a Fund is the buyer, the Fund will segregate or "earmark" cash or assets determined to be liquid, or enter into certain offsetting positions, with a value at least equal to the Fund's exposure (any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed by the Fund to any counterparty), on a marked-to-market basis. In connection with credit default swaps in which a Fund is the seller, the Fund will segregate or "earmark" cash or assets determined to be liquid, or enter into offsetting positions, with a value at least equal to the full notional amount of the swap (minus any amounts owed to the Fund). Such segregation or "earmarking" will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction and will limit any potential leveraging of the Fund's portfolio. Such segregation or "earmarking" will not limit the Fund's exposure to loss.
Whether a Fund's use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the ability of the Subadviser correctly to predict whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two‑party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid, and thus subject to a Fund's limitation on illiquid investments. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. The Subadviser will cause the Fund to enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that would be eligible for consideration as repurchase agreement counterparties under the Fund's repurchase agreement guidelines. Certain positions adopted by the Internal Revenue Service may limit the Fund's ability to use swap
agreements in a desired tax strategy. The swap market is a relatively new market and is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swap market and the laws relating to swaps, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to terminate existing swap agreements, to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, or to enter into swap agreements, or could have adverse tax consequences.
TAXABLE AND TAX EXEMPT MUNICIPAL SECURITIES
Certain Funds may invest in municipal securities. Municipal securities include debt obligations issued by governmental entities to obtain funds for various public purposes, such as the construction of a wide range of public facilities, the refunding of outstanding obligations, the payment of general operating expenses, and the extension of loans to other public institutions and facilities. Private activity bonds that are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately‑operated facilities are included within the term municipal securities, only if the interest paid thereon is exempt from federal taxes.
Other types of municipal securities include short‑term General Obligation Notes, Tax Anticipation Notes, Bond Anticipation Notes, Revenue Anticipation Notes, Project Notes, Tax‑Exempt Commercial Paper, Construction Loan Notes and other forms of short‑term tax‑exempt loans. Such instruments are issued with a short‑term maturity in anticipation of the receipt of tax funds, the proceeds of bond placements or other revenues.
Project Notes are issued by a state or local housing agency and are sold by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. While the issuing agency has the primary obligation with respect to its Project Notes, they are also secured by the full faith and credit of the United States through agreements with the issuing authority which provide that, if required, the federal government will lend the issuer an amount equal to the principal of and interest on the Project Notes.
The two principal classifications of municipal securities consist of "general obligation" and "revenue" issues. There are, of course, variations in the quality of municipal securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, and the yields on municipal securities depend upon a variety of factors, including the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Ratings represent the opinions of an NRSRO as to the quality of municipal
securities. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and municipal securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields, while municipal securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same yield. Subsequent to purchase, an issue of municipal securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase. The Subadviser will consider such an event in determining whether the Fund should continue to hold the obligation.
An issuer's obligations under its municipal securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal bankruptcy code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon the enforcement of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on and principal of its municipal securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions.
U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS
Certain Funds may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
Obligations of certain agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government, such as the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of Fannie Mae ("FNMA"), are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; still others, such as those of the Federal Farm Credit Banks or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government‑sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, such as FNMA, or the FHLMC, since it is not obligated to do so by law. These agencies or instrumentalities are supported by the issuer's right to borrow specific amounts from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations from such agencies or
instrumentalities, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality.
VARIABLE AND FLOATING RATE DEMAND AND MASTER DEMAND NOTES
Certain Funds may, from time to time, buy variable rate demand notes issued by corporations, bank holding companies and financial institutions and similar taxable and tax‑exempt instruments issued by government agencies and instrumentalities. These securities will typically have a maturity in the 5 to 20 year range but carry with them the right of the holder to put the securities to a remarketing agent or other entity on short notice, typically seven days or less. The obligation of the issuer of the put to repurchase the securities is backed up by a letter of credit or other obligation issued by a financial institution. The purchase price is ordinarily par plus accrued and unpaid interest. Ordinarily, the remarketing agent will adjust the interest rate every seven days (or at other intervals corresponding to the notice period for the put), in order to maintain the interest rate at the prevailing rate for securities with a seven‑day maturity.
Variable amount master demand notes in which certain Funds may invest are unsecured demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the terms of the instrument. Because master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between a Fund and the issuer, they are not normally traded. Although there is no secondary market in the notes, a Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest at any time. While the notes are not rated by credit rating agencies, issuers of variable amount master demand notes (which are normally manufacturing, retail, financial and other business concerns) must satisfy the same criteria set forth above for commercial paper. The Subadviser will consider the earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of such notes and will continuously monitor the financial status and ability to make payment on demand. In determining dollar weighted
average maturity, a variable amount master demand note will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the longer of the period of time remaining until the next interest rate adjustment or the period of time remaining until the principal amount can be recovered from the issuer through demand.
WARRANTS AND RIGHTS
Certain Funds may, from time to time, invest in warrants. Warrants are, in effect, longer‑term call options. They give the holder the right to purchase a given number of shares of a particular company at specified prices within certain periods of time. The purchaser of a warrant expects that the market price of the security will exceed the purchase price of the warrant plus the exercise price of the warrant, thus giving him a profit. Of course, since the market price may never exceed the exercise price before the expiration date of the warrant, the purchaser of the warrant risks the loss of the entire purchase price of the warrant. Warrants generally trade in the open market and may be sold rather than exercised. Warrants are sometimes sold in unit form with other securities of an issuer. Units of warrants and common stock may be
employed in financing young, unseasoned companies. The purchase price of a warrant varies with the exercise price of a warrant, the current market value of the underlying security, the life of the warrant and various other investment factors.
Rights are similar to warrants in they represent the right to buy common shares, however, in contrast, rights have a subscription price lower than the current market of the common stock and a life of two to four weeks.
WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES
Certain Funds may purchase securities on a "when‑issued" or "delayed delivery" basis. A Fund will engage in when‑issued and delayed delivery transactions only for the purpose of acquiring portfolio securities consistent with its investment objectives and policies, not for investment leverage, although such transactions represent a form of leveraging. When‑issued securities are securities purchased for delivery beyond the normal settlement date at a stated price and yield and thereby involve risk that the yield obtained in the transaction will be less than that available in the market when the delivery takes place. A Fund will not pay for such securities or start earning interest on them until they are received. When a Fund agrees to purchase securities on a "when‑issued" or "delayed delivery" basis, the Fund will segregate or "earmark" cash or assets determined to be liquid equal to the amount
of the commitment.
Securities purchased on a when‑issued basis are recorded as an asset and are subject to changes in the value based upon changes in the general level of interest rates. In when‑issued and delayed delivery transactions, a Fund relies on the seller to complete the transaction; the seller's failure to do so may cause such Fund to miss a price or yield considered to be advantageous. If a Fund sells a "when‑issued" or "delayed delivery" security before a delivery, any gain would be taxable.
ZERO COUPON AND PAY-IN-KIND SECURITIES
Certain Funds may invest in zero coupon bonds and pay‑in‑kind securities. Zero coupon bonds (which do not pay interest until maturity) and pay‑in‑kind securities (which pay interest in the form of additional securities) may be more speculative and may fluctuate more in value than securities which pay income periodically and in cash. In addition, although a Fund receives no periodic cash payments from such investments, applicable tax rules require the Fund to accrue and pay out its income from such securities annually as income dividends.
Fundamental Restrictions
The investment objective of any Fund, except the AZL Government Money Market Fund, may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. The investment objective of the Government Money Market Fund may not be changed without a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding shares. In addition, the following fundamental investment restrictions may be changed with respect to a particular Fund only by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of that Fund (as defined under "Additional Information – Vote of a Majority of the Outstanding Shares" in this Statement of Additional Information). All other investment restrictions described in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information may be changed by the Board of Trustees. No Fund may:
| 1. |
Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon the disposition of portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of illiquid securities and except to the extent that the purchase of obligations directly from the issuer thereof in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations may be deemed to be underwriting. |
| 2. |
Invest in commodities, including commodity contracts, except that as consistent with its investment objective and policies the Fund may: (a) purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including without limitation those relating to indices; (b) purchase and sell options on futures contracts or indices; and (c) purchase publicly traded securities of companies engaging in whole or in part in such activities. This restriction shall not prohibit the funds, subject to restrictions described in the Prospectuses and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information, from purchasing, selling or entering into foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency options, or any interest rate, securities-related or foreign currency-related hedging instrument, including swap agreements and other derivative instruments, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities or commodities laws. 3.Purchase or sell real
estate, except that it may purchase securities of issuers which deal in real estate and may purchase securities which are secured by interests in real estate (including REITs). |
| 4. |
Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, and with respect to all other Funds: |
|
a) |
there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and repurchase agreements secured by such instruments; |
|
b) |
wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; |
|
c) |
utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric, and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; and |
|
d) |
personal credit and business credit businesses will be considered separate industries. |
| 5. |
Purchase securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities and securities issued by other investment companies, if, immediately after such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets would be invested in such issuer, except as permitted by Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, or the Fund would hold more than 10% of any class of securities of the issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations. |
| 6. |
Make loans, except that a Fund may purchase and hold debt instruments and enter into repurchase agreements in accordance with its investment objective and polices and may lend portfolio securities in an amount not exceeding one-third of its assets. |
| 7. |
Issue senior securities except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or any rule, order or interpretation thereunder. |
| 8. |
a) |
Borrow money (not including reverse repurchase agreements or dollar roll agreements), except that a Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency purposes, and then only up to 30% of its total assets at the time of borrowing, and provided that such bank borrowings and reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll agreements do not exceed in the aggregate one-third of the Fund's total assets less liabilities other than the obligations represented by the bank borrowings, reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll agreements at the time of borrowing. |
|
b) |
Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, or remove any assets except in connection with a bank borrowing in amounts not to exceed 30% of the Fund's net assets. |
As a non-fundamental policy, the following funds have more restrictive limits as follows:
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund |
10% (with respect to 8a only) |
NOTE: As a non‑fundamental policy which may be changed without the vote of shareholders, no Fund will purchase securities while its outstanding borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements) are in excess of 5% of its total assets. Securities which are segregated, held in escrow, or in separate accounts in connection with a Fund's investment practices described in the Funds' Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information are not deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation.
For purposes of the above investment restrictions, the Funds treat all supranational organizations as a single industry and each foreign government (all of its agencies) as a separate industry. In addition, a security is considered to be issued by the government entity (or entities) whose assets and revenues back the security.
Non-Fundamental Restrictions
In addition, the Funds are subject to the following non‑fundamental limitations, which may be changed without the vote of shareholders. No Fund may:
| 1. |
Write or sell put options, call options, straddles, spreads, or any combination thereof, except as consistent with a Fund's investment objective and policies for transactions in options on securities or indices of securities, futures contracts and options on futures contracts and in similar investments. |
| 2. |
Purchase securities on margin, make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except that, as consistent with a Fund's investment objective and policies, (a) this investment limitation shall not apply to the Fund's transactions in futures contracts and related options, options on securities or indices of securities and similar instruments, (b) it may obtain short‑term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities and (c) the Funds may engage in short sales against the box. |
| 3. |
Purchase securities of companies for the purpose of exercising control. |
| 4. |
Except as noted otherwise elsewhere in this SAI, invest more than 15% (5% with respect to the AZL Government Money Market Fund) of its net assets in illiquid securities. |
| 5. |
Invest in shares of other mutual funds in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act. |
Except for the Funds' policy on illiquid securities and borrowing, if a percentage limitation is satisfied at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in such percentage resulting from a change in the value of a Fund's portfolio securities will not constitute a violation of such limitation for purposes of the 1940 Act.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The portfolio turnover rate for each of the Funds is calculated by dividing the lesser of a Fund's purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the year by the monthly average value of the securities. The SEC requires that the calculation exclude all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition are one year or less. The portfolio turnover rates for the Funds of the Trust may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may also be affected by cash requirements for redemption of shares. High portfolio turnover rates will generally result in higher transaction costs to a Fund, including brokerage commissions. Portfolio turnover rates are set forth in the Financial Highlights of the Prospectus.
If a particular Fund changes subadvisers in any given year, the fund may experience a significant variation in the turnover rate due to the replacement of existing holdings by the new subadviser.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has adopted policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings in order to assist the Funds in preventing the misuse of material nonpublic information and to ensure that shareholders and other interested parties continue to receive portfolio information on a uniform basis. The chief compliance officer of the Trust oversees application of the policies and provides the Board with periodic reports regarding the Funds' compliance with the policies.
In general, the Trust has instructed all third-party service providers and Allianz Investment Management LLC its investment adviser, that no information regarding portfolio holdings may be disclosed to any unaffiliated third party except as follows.
Complete portfolio holdings will be included in the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports. The annual and semi-annual reports are mailed to all shareholders, and are filed with the SEC. The Funds file their complete portfolio holdings with the SEC within 60 days after the end of their first and third quarters on Form N-Q. Copies of the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports and Forms N-Q are available: 1) free on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov; 2) for review or copying, copies subject to a duplication fee, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.; 3) by e-mailing your request to
publicinfo@sec.gov; or 4) by writing the SEC's Public Reference Section, 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the SEC's
Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-
202-551-8090.
Approximately 21 to 45 days after the end of each quarter, the Funds' distributor posts on the Funds' website (
www.allianzlife.com) and publishes a fact sheet on each of the Funds which lists the Fund's top holdings (generally, the top 10 to 15 holdings) at quarter-end. On or before the fifth business day of each month, a schedule of investments for the AZL Government Money Market Fund, as of the last business day of the prior month, will be posted on the Funds' website in accordance with Rule 2a-7. Information concerning the Funds' portfolio holdings that is more current than that in reports or other filings filed electronically with the SEC may be disclosed in certain printed materials, provided that the information is posted on the Funds' website one day prior to the use of such printed materials.
The Funds may disclose their portfolio holdings to mutual fund databases and rating services (such as Lipper and Morningstar) on a quarterly basis, but no sooner than 30 days after the end of the relevant quarter. The disclosure of portfolio holdings to databases and rating services is generally made for the purpose of obtaining ratings for the Funds and making available to the public the same portfolio holdings information as is typically provided for other rated mutual funds. Any disclosure to mutual fund databases and rating services shall be made subject to a confidentiality agreement or provisions limiting the use of such information to the approved purposes.
In order to assure that any disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of shareholders, and to prevent any conflicts of interest between the Funds' shareholders, investment adviser, principal underwriter, or any affiliated person of the Funds, the Funds' policies regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings include the provision that the Funds' investment adviser (Allianz Investment Management LLC), subadvisers, and affiliates have access to portfolio composition and performance on a real-time basis, but only for legitimate business purposes. Any recipient of such
information is subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the non-public information Any recipient of such information is subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the non-public information portfolio holdings also may be provided to the Participating Insurance Companies, or to their parent companies, affiliates or service providers, on a quarterly, monthly or more frequent basis, for purposes of financial reporting, risk management, regulatory compliance, or for other legitimate business purposes.
The Funds' administrator, fund accountant, transfer agent, custodian, proxy voting service, and certain consultants and providers of software used to analyze portfolio performance may be given access to portfolio information, on a current basis, in connection with services provided by them. All of these latter entities are subject to confidentiality and non-use agreements and may not disclose (or use information on) portfolio holdings without the express written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust. The Fund's independent registered public accountant, KPMG LLP, also has access from time to time to the Fund's portfolio holdings in connection with performing the audit and related functions. In addition, the President of the Trust, in consultation with the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust, may authorize the release of information regarding portfolio holdings upon a determination that such release is in the best interests of the shareholders
of the relevant Fund or Funds.
Set forth below is a list of those parties with whom the Funds have authorized ongoing arrangements that include the release of portfolio holdings information, as well as the frequency of the release under such arrangements, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed.
|
Recipient (holdings)
|
Frequency
|
Delay before dissemination
|
|
Abel Noser Corp.
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Bank of New York Mellon (Fund Custodian), The
|
Daily
|
No delay
|
|
Barclays Point
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Barra Argis System
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
BBH
|
Daily
|
No delay
|
|
Bloomberg
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Broadridge Investor Communications Solutions, Inc. (proxy voting services)
|
As necessary
|
None
|
|
ByAllAccounts, Inc.
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Charles River
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (Fund Accountant and Administrator)
|
Daily
|
None
|
|
Cogent Consulting
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Electra
|
Monthly
|
Ten days
|
|
EVARA/SS&C
|
Daily
|
No delay
|
|
Factset
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Glass Lewis & Co., LLC (proxy voting services)
|
Weekly
|
1 Day
|
|
Global Trading Analytics, LLC
|
Monthly
|
Sent second business day for the prior month's activity
|
|
Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") (proxy voting services)
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Hedgemark
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
ITG, Inc.
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Lipper
|
Quarterly
|
31 Calendar days after quarter end
|
|
Markit ClearPar
|
Monthly
|
Ten days
|
|
Morningstar Inc.
|
Quarterly
|
31 Calendar days after quarter end
|
|
Omego
|
Daily
|
No delay
|
|
Performance Attribution System
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
RiskMetrics
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
S&P
|
Quarterly
|
31 Calendar days after quarter end
|
|
SmartStream Technologies LTD.
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street)
|
Daily
|
No delay
|
|
Style Research
|
Monthly
|
25th calendar day
|
|
SunGard Data Systems Inc.
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
|
Thomson/Vestek
|
Quarterly
|
31 Calendar days after quarter end
|
|
Trade Informatics
|
Daily
|
1 Day
|
No compensation or any other consideration is received by the Funds, the Manager, or any other party in connection with disclosure of portfolio holdings.
On a quarterly basis, the Board will receive a report of portfolio holdings disclosures and will monitor such disclosures to ascertain that no conflicts exist and that any disclosures of information about portfolio holdings are in the best interests of Fund shareholders.
There is no assurance that the Funds' policies on holdings information will protect the fund from the potential misuse of holdings by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
The shares of the Trust's Funds are sold on a continuous basis by the Trust's distributor, Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC (the "Distributor "or "ALFS"), an affiliate of the Manager, and the Distributor has agreed to use appropriate efforts to solicit all purchase orders.
NET ASSET VALUE
As indicated in the Prospectus, the net asset value of each class of each Fund is determined and the shares of each Fund are priced as of the valuation times defined in the Prospectus (see "Shareholder Information – Pricing of Fund Shares") on each Business Day of the Trust. A "Business Day" is a day on which the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for trading. Currently, the NYSE will not be open in observance of the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
VALUATION OF THE GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET FUND
The AZL Government Money Market Fund has elected to use the amortized cost method of valuation pursuant to Rule 2a‑7 under the 1940 Act. This involves valuing an instrument at its cost initially and thereafter assuming a constant amortization to maturity of any discount or premium, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the instrument. This method may result in periods during which value, as determined by amortized cost, is higher or lower than the price a Fund would receive if it sold the instrument. The value of securities in the AZL Government Money Market Fund can be expected to vary inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates.
Pursuant to Rule 2a-7, the AZL Government Money Market Fund will maintain a dollar weighted average maturity appropriate to the Fund's objective of maintaining a stable net asset value per share, provided that the Fund will not purchase any security with a remaining maturity of more than 397 days (thirteen months) or less from the date of purchase in the case of securities in the NRSROs' highest short-term rating categories, and that mature in 45 calendar days or less from the date of purchase in the case of securities in the NRSROs' second highest short-term rating categories. The AZL Government Money Market Fund must maintain an average weighted maturity of 60 days or less and a weighted average life of 120 days or less.
The AZL Government Money Market Fund must also hold at least 10% of its total assets in "daily liquid assets" and at least 30% of its total assets in "weekly liquid assets." Daily liquid assets are limited to cash, direct obligations of the U.S. Government, and other securities payable within one business day. Weekly liquid assets are limited to cash, direct obligations of the U.S. Government, direct discount obligations of federal government agencies and government-sponsored enterprises with a remaining maturity date of 60 days or less from the date of purchase, and other securities payable within five business days. In addition, the AZL Government Money Market Fund is required to hold securities that are sufficiently liquid to meet reasonably foreseeable shareholder redemptions. This general liquidity obligation may require the AZL Government Money Market Fund to maintain greater liquidity than would be required by the daily and weekly
minimum liquidity requirements described above.
The AZL Government Money Market Fund's board of trustees has also undertaken to establish procedures reasonably designed, taking into account current market conditions and the investment objective of the Fund, to stabilize the net asset value per share of the Fund for purposes of sales and redemptions at $1.00. These procedures include review by the trustees, at such intervals as they deem appropriate, to determine the extent, if any, to which the net asset value per share of the Fund calculated by using available market quotations deviates from $1.00 per share. In the event such deviation exceeds 0.5%, Rule 2a-7 requires that the board of trustees promptly consider what action, if any, should be initiated. If the trustees believe that the extent of any deviation from the AZL Government Money Market Fund's $1.00 amortized cost price per share may result in material dilution or other unfair results to new or existing investors, they will take such steps
as they consider appropriate to eliminate or reduce, to the extent reasonably practicable, any such dilution or unfair results. These steps may include selling portfolio instruments prior to maturity, shortening the dollar weighted average maturity, withholding or reducing dividends, reducing the number of the Fund's outstanding shares without monetary consideration, or utilizing a net asset value per share determined by using available market quotations.
VALUATION OF THE NON‑MONEY MARKET FUNDS
Portfolio securities, the principal market for which is a securities exchange, will be valued at the closing sales price on that exchange on the day of computation or, if there have been no sales during such day, at the latest bid quotation. Portfolio securities, the principal market for which is not a securities exchange, will be valued at their latest bid quotation in such principal market. In either case, if no such bid price is available then such securities will be valued in good faith at their respective fair market values using methods by or under the supervision of the Board of Trustees. Portfolio securities of sufficient credit quality with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less will be valued either at amortized cost or original cost plus accrued interest, which approximates current value.
Options purchased and held by the Funds generally are valued at the average of the closing bid and ask quotations on the principal exchange on which the option is traded, as of the close of the NYSE. The close of trading for some options exchanges may occur later than the closing of the NYSE. If market quotations are not available, the value of an option may be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by or at the direction of the Funds' Trustees.
Portfolio securities which are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are generally valued with the assistance of a pricing service and are generally valued at the preceding closing values of such securities on their respective exchanges, except that when an occurrence subsequent to the time a foreign security is valued is likely to have changed such value, then the fair value of those securities may be determined by consideration of other factors by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees. Over‑the‑counter securities are valued on the basis of the bid price at the close of business on each business day; however securities that are traded on NASDAQ are valued at the official closing price reported by NASDAQ. Notwithstanding the above, bonds and other fixed‑income securities are valued by using market quotations and may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees. All assets
and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the mean between the bid and asked prices of such currencies against U.S. dollars as last quoted by any major bank.
All other assets and securities, including securities for which market quotations are not readily available, will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees.
REDEMPTION IN KIND
Although the Funds intend to pay share redemptions in cash, the Funds reserve the right to make payment in whole or in part in securities rather than cash, known as "redemption in kind." This could occur under extraordinary circumstances, such as a very large redemption that could affect Fund operations (for example, more than $250,000 or 1% of a Fund's net assets). If the Fund deems it advisable for the benefit of all shareholders, redemption in kind will consist of securities equal in market value to the accumulation unit value allocated under your variable contract to the subaccount that invests in the Fund. When these securities are converted to cash, the associated brokerage charges will be deducted from the assets of the subaccount.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
Overall responsibility for management of the Trust rests with its Board of Trustees, who are elected by the shareholders of the Trust. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees of the Trust, each Trustee serves on the Board of the Allianz Variable Insurance Products Fund of Funds Trust ("FOF Trust"). The Trustees elect the officers of the Trust to supervise its day‑to‑day operations. Subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees manages the business of the Trust and the Trustees have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out this responsibility including the power to engage in transactions of all kinds on behalf of the Trust. The Board of Trustees is responsible for oversight of the officers and may elect and remove, with or without cause, such officers as they consider appropriate.
The chair of the Board of Trustees is
Brian Muench who is an
"interested person" of the Trust, as defined under the 1940 Act, by virtue of his employment with Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (
"Allianz") and the Manager. The Lead Independent (non-
"interested") Trustee, of the Trust is Peggy Ettestad. The Lead Independent Trustee was established to enable the independent members of the Board of Trustees to have a single point of contact with Fund management and the Manager, to coordinate the independent trustees' control and influence over fund governance. The Lead Independent Trustee is a member of the Board, who plays an active role in setting agendas, facilitating discussions, and serving as an interface between the Board and Fund management. The Lead Independent Trustee's responsibilities include (i) serving as leader of the independent trustees
(keeping members focused on the objectives at hand, helping to shape meeting agendas, leading discussions, serving as spokesperson for the independent trustees, overseeing the quality, quantity, and timeliness of information received from Fund management, and seeking to improve the governance process); (ii) communicating regularly with other members of the Board of Trustees and with the Chairman; and (iii) conducting evaluations of the members of the Board of Trustees. The independent trustees believe that they have adequate control and influence over the governance of the Board and the Trust.
The Board of Trustees presently is composed of nine members, seven of whom are independent. As described further below, each of the independent trustees is sophisticated and experienced in business matters. Each has prior senior management or board experience. Many of the independent trustees have significant prior experience in the financial
services industry. All of the independent trustees have served on the Board of Trustees for at least nine years; two independent trustees have served for over fifteen years.
As reflected below, the chairs and membership of the Audit, Investment and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are composed entirely of independent trustees. Through these committees, the independent trustees have direct oversight of accounting, auditing and financial matters affecting the Trust, the evaluation and supervision of the Trust's Manager and subadvisers and the selection and nomination of candidates to the Board of Trustees.
The independent trustees, through the Lead Independent Trustee, regularly communicate with
Brian Muench, President and Chair of the Trust, regarding matters of interest or concern to them, and the independent trustees, through the Lead Independent Trustee, participate in developing agenda items for Board meetings. The Board of Trustees meets in person approximately five times each year and by telephone at other times. At each in-person meeting, the Board holds one or more executive sessions at which the independent trustees are free to discuss any matter of interest or concern to them and obtain information directly from officers, employees and other agents of the Trust.
The Board of Trustees is actively involved in the risk oversight of the Trust. The Board, as a whole and through its Audit and Investment committees, supervises the Trust's accounting and audit functions, as well as other financial matters affecting the Trust, and evaluates and supervises the Trust's Manager and subadvisers. The Board of Trustees regularly receives detailed reports from, and has opportunity to question representatives of, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, the Trust's independent audit firm, and the Trust's administrator. The Chief Compliance Officer's reports include a quarterly risk assessment outlining all identified compliance risks, all identified exceptions and their resolution. The Board of Trustees also periodically receives reports, in person or by telephone, from various subadvisers.
The Board of Trustees has established certain standing committees to assist in the oversight of the Trust.
| · |
The Audit Committee, made up of Mr. Burnim, Ms. Ettestad, Mr. Gelfenbien, Ms. Leonardi, Mr. Lewis, Mr. McClean and Mr. Reeds, met two times during the last fiscal year. Mr. Reeds serves as chair of the Audit Committee. The functions of the Audit Committee include advising the full Board of Trustees with respect to accounting, auditing and financial matters affecting the Trust. |
| · |
The Investment Committee, made up of Mr. Burnim, Ms. Ettestad, Mr. Gelfenbien, Ms. Leonardi, Mr. Lewis, Mr. McClean and Mr. Reeds, met four times during the last fiscal year. Mr. Gelfenbien and Mr. McClean serve as co-chair of the Investment Committee. The functions of the Investment Committee include evaluating and supervising the Manager and Subadvisers to the various investment portfolios of the Trust. |
| · |
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, made up of Mr. Burnim, Ms. Ettestad, Mr. Gelfenbien, Ms. Leonardi, Mr. Lewis, Mr. McClean and Mr. Reeds, met one time during the last fiscal year. Ms. Leonardi serves as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee advises the Board of Trustees with respect to the selection and nomination of candidates for election to the Board of Trustees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not consider nominees recommended by shareholders of the Trust. |
| · |
The Investment Policy Committee consists of Darin Egbert, Brian Muench, Michael J. Tanski, Brian Mong, and Timothy Meyer. The Investment Policy Committee monitors the Trust's investment policies and advisory issues, including commission recapture, securities lending, proxy voting and subadviser compliance, and provides recommendations to the Board. This committee met 12 times during the last fiscal year. |
| · |
The Valuation Policy Committee consists of Brian Muench, Darin Egbert, Neil C. Gonzales, Morris Engel, Jeremy German, Stacy Jenniges, Charlie W. Schaub, Gregory Walter, Brian Mong, Timothy Meyer, and Collin Engebretson. The Valuation Policy Committee monitors the assets of the Trust and, when necessary, determines the fair value of securities held by the Funds of the Trust. This committee met 12 times during the last fiscal year. |
The Trust is managed by the Trustees in accordance with the laws of the state of Delaware governing business trusts. There are currently nine Trustees, two of whom are an "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of that term under the 1940 Act. The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, their addresses, ages, their positions held with the Trust, their terms of office with the Trust and length of time served, their principal occupation(s) during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Trust they oversee, and their other directorships held during the past five years are as follows:
|
Name, Address, and Age
|
Positions
Held with
Allianz VIP and VIP FOF Trust
|
Term of Office(2)/ Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
|
Number of Portfolios Overseen for
Allianz VIP and
VIP FOF Trust
|
Other Directorships Held Outside the
AZL Fund Complex During Past 5 Years
|
|
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES(1)
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 2/07
|
Consultant/Chair, various companies: Chairman, LDN Risk Management and subsidiaries, July 2015 to present; Chairman, Argus Investment Strategies Fund Ltd., February 2013 to present; Managing Director, iQ Venture Advisors, LLC. 2005 to present; Chairman, Northstar Group Holdings Ltd. Bermuda, 2011 to present; and Expert Witness, Massachusetts Department of Revenue, 2011 to present.
|
49
|
Argus Group Holdings and Subsidiaries; Northstar Group Holdings, NRIL, Sterling Centrecorp Inc.; Highland Financial Holdings; Bank of Bermuda NY; Sterling Trust (Cayman) Ltd.; and LDN Risk Management and Subsidiaries.
|
|
|
Lead Independent Trustee
|
Since 10/14 (Trustee since 2/07)
|
Managing Director, Red Canoe Management Consulting LLC, 2008 to present
|
49
|
Luther College
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 10/99
|
Retired; Partner of Accenture 1983 to 1999
|
49
|
Virtus Funds
(8 Funds)
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 2/04
|
Chief Executive Officer, Health eSense Inc., 2015 to Present; CEO, Connecticut Innovations, Inc., 2012 to 2015; General Partner, Fairview Capital, L.P., 1994 to 2012
|
49
|
reSet Social Enterprise Investment Fund; Connecticut Technology Council; and Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 2/04
|
Retired; Vice President/General Manager, Yearbooks & Canada-Lifetouch National School Studios, 2006 to 2013; Vice President/General Manager of Jostens, Inc., 2002 to 2006; Senior Vice President of Fortis Group, 1997 to 2002
|
49
|
None
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 2/04
|
Retired; President and CEO of Measurisk, LLC, 2001 to 2003; Chief Risk Management Officer at Bank of Bermuda Ltd., 1996 to 2001
|
49
|
PNMAC Opportunity Fund and Northeast Bank
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 10/99
|
Retired; Senior Investment Officer, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, 2000 to 2003; Chairman, Chief Executive and President of Conning Corp., 1999 to 2000
|
49
|
Connecticut Water Service, Inc.
|
|
INTERESTED TRUSTEES(3)
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 3/08
|
President and CEO, Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC, 2007 to present
|
49
|
None
|
|
Name, Address, and Age
|
Positions
Held with
Allianz VIP and VIP FOF Trust
|
Term of Office(2)/ Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
|
Number of Portfolios Overseen for
Allianz VIP and
VIP FOF Trust
|
Other Directorships Held Outside the
AZL Fund Complex During Past 5 Years
|
|
|
Trustee
|
Since 6/11
|
President, Allianz Investment Management LLC, November 2010 to present; Vice President, Allianz Life, April 2011 to present; Vice President, Advisory Management, Allianz Investment Management LLC from December 2005 to November 2010
|
49
|
None
|
The following briefly describes specific experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills each trustee brings to his or her service on the Board of Trustees of the Trust:
Mr. Burnim – Brings to the Board of Trustees over 40 years of experience in management and director positions in the financial services industry. Mr. Burnim's management experience includes over 25 years in various senior management positions for Citibank/Citicorp's Corporate and Investment banking sectors and approximately ten years as Managing Director or Executive Vice President at various privately owned investment firms. Mr. Burnim also has substantial prior board experience, including service on the boards of The Bank of Bermuda and various hedge funds and insurance companies, as well as various nonprofits. Mr. Burnim offers the Board of Trustees his considerable knowledge of the securities and insurance industries in which the Trust functions and in Board governance matters.
Ms. Ettestad – Brings to the Board of Trustees over 20 years of senior management experience, including over ten years of experience in senior management positions specifically at insurance providers and other financial service firms. Ms. Ettestad's subject matter expertise includes creation and analysis of financial systems and design and implementation of Sarbanes Oxley compliance and control processes, both directly applicable to the Board's supervision of the Trust's finance and compliance functions.
Mr. Gelfenbien – Brings to the Board of Trustees nearly 20 years of experience as partner and managing partner at Anderson Consulting (now Accenture), where his clients included governments, insurance companies and banks. Mr. Gelfenbien also has substantial board experience, including service on the boards of the Virtus Funds, Phoenix Companies, Edge Series Mutual Funds, and Webster Bank, as well as on the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees. Mr. Gelfenbien therefore brings to the Board of Trustees his considerable knowledgeable of the mutual fund and insurance industries in which the Trust functions and his knowledge of Board governance matters.
Ms. Leonardi – Brings to the Board of Trustees more than 30 years of senior management experience, including approximately 20 years of experience as senior vice president, managing director or general partner of two private equity fund-of-funds managers and experience launching a new insurance subsidiary of Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Co. Ms. Leonardi has substantial prior board experience, including service on the boards of the University of Connecticut Health Center (14 years), the University of Connecticut (10 years) and the Connecticut Children's Medical Center (3 years). Ms. Leonardi therefore brings considerable knowledgeable of the securities and insurance industries in which the Trust functions and in Board governance matters.
Mr. Lewis – Brings to the Board of Trustees over 35 years of management experience at various companies, including nearly 10 years in senior management positions at Fortis Financial Group and IDS Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Lewis brings to the Board of Trustees considerable experience in a variety of business functions, including sales and marketing, strategic planning, new product development and financial management. Mr. Lewis also has significant prior board experience with for profit and nonprofit organizations, including nearly 20 years on the Orono, Minnesota Board of Education. Mr. Lewis therefore also brings considerable knowledgeable of Board governance matters.
Mr. McClean – Brings to the Board of Trustees approximately 30 years of experience in senior management positions at various companies, including, most recently, as Managing Director at a private firm providing risk management and strategic planning advice to clients, including major financial services firms. Mr. McClean also has significant prior board experience with a variety of companies, including Cyrus Reinsurance, PNMAC Mortgage Opportunity Fund LLC and Energy Capital, LLC. Mr. McClean therefore brings considerable knowledgeable of Board governance matters.
Mr. Reeds – Brings to the Board of Trustees over 30 years of experience in the investment department of CIGNA (and its predecessors), including nine years as Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Reeds also served as Chief Executive Officer of Conning Corporation (an investment bank) for the six months before its sale to Metropolitan Life. Mr. Reeds' prior board
service includes Conning Corporation, Connecticut Water Service and Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. Mr. Reeds therefore brings to the Board, and to his role as the Board's audit committee financial expert, considerable experience in the securities industry and Board governance matters and considerable knowledge in investments.
Mr. DeChellis – Employed as President of the Trust's distributor, which is also the distributor of the Allianz Life variable insurance products through which the Trust is offered and sold. Mr. DeChellis brings to the Board of Trustees not only his significant expertise in variable insurance product and mutual fund distribution, but also his day-to-day working knowledge of the strategic direction of Allianz Life and its variable insurance products.
Mr. Muench – As President of the Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day functions of the investment advisor, including management of the investment research process and the investment analytical group which monitors and makes recommendations regarding the retention of existing subadvisers and addition of new subadvisers within the investment option line-up. Mr. Muench brings to the Board of Trustees not only his expertise in investment management, but also his day-to-day working knowledge of the strategic direction of the Trust and the performance of the various funds of the Trust.
|
OFFICERS
|
|
Name, Address, and Age
|
Positions Held with
Allianz VIP and
VIP FOF Trust
|
Term of Office(2)/ Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
|
|
|
President
|
Since 11/10
|
President, Allianz Investment Management LLC, November 2010 to present; Vice President, Allianz Life, April 2011 to present.
|
|
|
Secretary
|
Since 02/02
|
Senior Counsel (previously, Partner), Dorsey and Whitney LLP since 1976.
|
|
|
Treasurer, Principal Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer
|
Since 06/15
|
Senior Vice President, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc.
|
|
Chris R. Pheiffer,
|
Chief Compliance Officer(4) and Anti-MoneyLaundering Compliance Officer
|
Since 02/14
|
Chief Compliance Officer of the VIP Trust and the FOF Trust, February 2014 to present; Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of the VIP Trust and the FOF Trust and Compliance Director, Allianz Life, February 2007 to February 2014.
|
| (1) |
Member of the Audit Committee. |
| (3) |
Is an "interested person", as defined by the 1940 Act, due to employment by Allianz. |
| (4) |
The Manager and the Trust are parties to a Chief Compliance Officer Agreement under which the Manager is compensated by the Trust for providing an employee of the Manager or one of its affiliates to act as the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer is not considered a corporate officer or executive employee of the Trust. |
The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee as of
December 31, 2015. [To be updated]
|
Name of Director
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in each Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
[AZL Boston Company Research Growth Fund - $50,001 - $100,000
AZL JPMorgan International Opportunities Fund - $50,001 - $100,000
AZL MFS Value Fund - $50,001 - $100,000
AZL Morgan Stanley Mid Cap Growth Fund - $50,001 - $100,000
AZL Oppenheimer Discovery Fund - $10,001 - $50,000]
|
[Over $100,000]
|
|
|
None
|
None
|
The following table sets forth any ownership by a non-interested Trustee or their immediate family members as to each class of securities of an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Trust, or a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Trust as of
December 31, 2015.
|
Name
|
Name of Owners and Relationships to Director
|
Company
|
Title of Class
|
Value of Securities
|
Percent of Class
|
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Roger A. Gelfenbien
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
None
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
The following table sets forth total compensation paid to Trustees for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2015. No executive officer or person affiliated with the Trust, other than the Trustees, received compensation from any Fund for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2015, in excess of $60,000. Trustees who are affiliated with the Distributor or the Manager do not receive compensation from the Trust but all Trustees are reimbursed for all out‑of‑pocket expenses relating to attendance at meetings. [To be updated]
COMPENSATION TABLE 1/1/2015 THROUGH 12/31/2015
|
Name of Trustee
|
Aggregate Compensation from the Trust
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of the Trust's Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement
|
Total Compensation from the Trusts
|
|
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
|
|
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
Roger A. Gelfenbien
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
|
$-
|
N/A
|
|
|
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
|
|
|
$-
|
$-
|
N/A
|
$-
|
|
|
$-
|
$-
|
N/A
|
$-
|
TRUSTEE HOLDINGS
As of
March 31, 2016, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust, individually and as a group, owned none of the shares of any Fund of the Trust.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of
March 31, 2016, the following persons were known by the Trust to own beneficially, 5% or more shares of the Funds: [To be updated]
|
Fund/Shareholder
|
Percent of the Class Total Assets Held by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America*
|
Percent of the Class Total Assets Held by Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York**
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
|
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
|
|
| * |
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life Variable Accounts A and B), 5701 Golden Hills Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55440 |
| ** |
Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York (Allianz Life of NY Variable Account C), One Chase Manhattan Plaza, 37th Floor, New York, NY 10005‑1423 |
The Manager may be presumed to control both the Trust and each of the Funds because it and its affiliates possess or share investment or voting power with respect to more than 25% of the total shares outstanding of the Trust and the Funds. All of the outstanding shares of the Funds are owned, directly or indirectly, by Allianz Life Variable Account A, Allianz Life Variable Account B, and Allianz Life of NY Variable Account C (the "Separate Accounts") or otherwise by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America or Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York. As a result, the Manager may have the ability to elect the Trustees, approve the investment management agreement and the distribution agreement for each of the Funds and to control any other matters submitted to the shareholders of the Funds for their approval or ratification, subject to any pass-through voting rights of owners of variable insurance Contracts with an investment in a Fund.
THE MANAGER
Subject to the general supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees and in accordance with each Fund's investment objectives and restrictions, investment advisory services are provided to the Funds by the Manager. The Manager manages each Fund pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement (the "Management Agreement") with the Trust in respect of each such Fund, and subject to the investment policies described herein and in the Prospectus for the Funds.
The Manager is a registered investment adviser and a Minnesota limited liability company located at 5701 Golden Hills Drive,
Minneapolis,
MN 55416. Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (
"Allianz Life") is the sole owner of the Manager.
For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to the Management Agreement each of the Trust's Funds pays a fee, computed daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of that Fund according to the following schedule:
|
Name of Fund
|
Gross Management Fee
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
0.35%
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
(1)
|
|
(1)
|
Average Net Assets in Millions (M)
|
| |
Up to $100M
|
$100M to $250M
|
$250M to $500M
|
$500M and More
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
0.850%
|
0.800%
|
0.775%
|
0.750%
|
The Manager may periodically elect to voluntarily reduce all or a portion of its fee with respect to any Fund in order to increase the net income of one or more of the Funds available for distribution as dividends.
The Manager separately has entered into an expense limitation agreement with certain of the Funds (each an "Expense Limitation Agreement"). Pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreements, the Manager has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses to the extent necessary to limit the total annual operating expenses of each Fund to the limits described below. The operating expenses covered by the Expense Limitation Agreement includes fees deducted from Fund assets such as audit fees and payments to independent trustees but does not include the operating expenses of other investment companies in which the Funds may invest ("acquired fund fees and expenses"). Please note that the waiver of such fees will cause the total return and yield of a fund to be higher than they would otherwise be in the absence of such a waiver.
The Manager may request and receive reimbursement ("recoupment") from the Fund for expenses previously paid by the Manager under the Expense Limitation Agreement, which may include waived management fees, provided that such reimbursement will not cause the Fund to exceed any limits in effect at the time of such reimbursement. The Fund's ability to reimburse the Manager in this manner only applies to expenses paid by the Manager within the three fiscal years prior to the date of such reimbursement. Except as provided for in the Expense Limitation Agreement, reimbursement of amounts previously waived or assumed by the Manager is not permitted.
The Manager has contractually agreed to pay fund expenses, which may include waiving management fees, through
April 30, 2017, in order to limit annual fund operating expenses for certain of the Funds of the Trust as follows:
| |
Expense Limitation for Fund
|
|
Name of Fund
|
Class 1
|
Class 2
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
N/A
|
0.87%
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
N/A
|
1.30%
|
Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Funds will pay all expenses not assumed by the Manager. Among other expenses, each Fund pays its taxes (if any), brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions, interest, the cost of transfer and dividend disbursement, administration of shareholder accounts, custodial fees, expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale after the initial registration, auditing and legal expenses, fees and expenses of unaffiliated trustees, and costs of shareholder meetings.
Unless sooner terminated, the Management Agreement continues in effect as to a particular Fund for an initial period of two years and thereafter for successive one‑year periods if such continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Trust's Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Management Agreement, or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. The Management Agreement is terminable as to a particular Fund at any time on 60 days' prior written notice without penalty by the Trustees, by vote of a majority of outstanding shares of that Fund, or by the Manager as applicable. The Agreement also terminates automatically in the event of any assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.
The Management Agreement provides that the Manager shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the performance of its duties, except a loss suffered by a Fund resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to its receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Manager as applicable in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder.
The Funds' management fees for the last 3 fiscal years that were earned, recouped, and waived were as follows: [To be updated]
| |
|
|
|
|
Fund
|
Management Fees Earned
|
Recoupment*
|
Management Fees Waived
|
Management Fees Earned
|
Recoupment*
|
Management Fees Waived
|
Management Fees Earned
|
Recoupment*
|
Management Fees Waived
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund**
|
|
|
|
2,608,403
|
-
|
2,608,403
|
3,067,357
|
-
|
3,067,357
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
|
|
|
3,970,942
|
-
|
-
|
3,766,620
|
-
|
-
|
| * |
Recoupment of prior expenses reimbursed by the Manager is included in the amount shown under Management Fees Earned. |
| ** |
For the last three fiscal years, the amounts of Management Fee Waived do not reflect the following amounts reimbursed to the Fund: For the period ended December 31, 2015 - $[ ]; for the period ended December 31, 2014 - $715,364; and for the period ended December 31, 2013 - $708,871. |
Pursuant to separate agreements effective
July 1, 2014 between the Funds and the Manager, the Manager provides a Chief Compliance Officer (
"CCO") and certain compliance oversight and filing services to the Trust. Under these agreements, the Manager is entitled to an amount equal to a portion of the compensation and certain other expenses related to the individuals performing the CCO and compliance oversight services, as well as $100.00 per hour for time incurred in connection with the preparation and filing of certain documents with the SEC. The fees are paid to the Operations as
"Administrative and compliance service fees" in the Funds' annual and semiannual reports.
THE SUBADVISERS
The Manager has entered into agreements (the "Subadvisory Agreements") with various Subadvisers with respect to each Fund managed by the Manager.
Subadvisers are selected through a rigorous portfolio manager selection process which includes researching each potential Subadviser's asset class, track record, organizational structure, management team, compliance philosophy and operational structure, consistency of performance, and assets under management. The Manager chooses a small group of potential Subadvisers it considers to be most qualified based on its evaluation, including a quantitative and qualitative analysis. Out of the small group of potential Subadvisers, the Manager then selects the firm it determines to be the most qualified. The Manager's selection is then subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust.
Each Subadviser's performance on behalf of a Fund is monitored by the Manager, taking into consideration investment objectives and policies and level of risk. The Manager brings comprehensive monitoring and control to the investment management process.
The Trust and the Manager were issued an exemptive order from the Securities and Exchange Commission in September 2002 which permits the Funds to obtain the services of one or more subadvisers without investor or shareholder approval. The exemptive order also permits the terms of Subadvisory Agreements to be changed and the employment of subadvisers to be continued after events that would otherwise cause an automatic termination of a Subadvisory Agreement, in each case without shareholder approval if those changes or continuation are approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees. If a subadviser were added or changed without shareholder approval, the Prospectus would be revised and shareholders notified.
Highly disciplined manager evaluation on both a quantitative and qualitative basis is an ongoing process. The Manager's investment committee gathers and analyzes performance data. Performance attribution, risk/return ratios and purchase/sale assessments are prepared monthly and, each quarter, a more comprehensive review is completed which consists of subadviser visits, fundamental analysis and statistical analysis. Extensive quarterly analysis is conducted to ensure that the Fund is being managed in line with the stated objectives. Semiannually, the investment committee reviews the back‑up subadviser selection, regression analysis and universe comparisons. In addition to ongoing compliance monitoring, the Manager's compliance team performs quarterly compliance reviews and a more extensive annual compliance examination, including an on-site compliance visit. A number of "red flags" signal a more extensive and frequent manager review. These
red flags consist of returns inconsistent with the investment objective, changes in leadership, ownership or portfolio managers, large changes in assets under management, changes to or deficiencies in compliance policies, practices or procedures, and changes in philosophy or discipline. The immediate response to any red flag is to assess the potential impact on the Subadviser's ability to meet investment objectives. The Manager monitors
"back‑up" subadvisers for each investment class so that, should a subadviser change be warranted, the transition can be effected on a timely basis.
Under the Subadvisory Agreements, each Subadviser agrees to assume the obligations of the Manager to provide day‑to‑day investment decisions and other advisory services for a specific Fund or a portion of the assets of a specific Fund, as allocated by the Manager, if there is more than one Subadviser.
The following table shows each Fund, its Subadviser and the rate paid based on average daily net assets of each Fund for such subadvisory services during the last fiscal period ended
December 31, 2015. [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
Subadviser
|
Subadvisory Fee*
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
BlackRock Advisors, LLC
|
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc.
|
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.
|
**
|
| * |
The Subadvisory Fee represents the annual fee based on the net asset value of the Fund and is accrued daily and payable monthly. |
| ** |
J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. was added as a subadviser to this Fund on November 23, 2015. |
The Subadvisory Fee rates for the Funds are listed below. For those Funds with multiple rates, when average daily net assets exceed the first breakpoint, multiple rates will apply, resulting in a blended rate. For example, if a rate of 0.50% applies to the first $500 million, and a rate of 0.45% applies thereafter, and a fund had $600 million in average daily net assets, then 0.50% would apply to the first $500 million and 0.45% would apply to the remaining $100 million in assets. [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
Rate
|
|
Average Daily Net Assets (for Breakpoints)
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
First $500 million
|
Next $500 million
|
Thereafter
|
|
0.090%
|
0.070%
|
0.060%
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund (JP Morgan Strategy)
|
First $100 million
|
Thereafter
|
|
0.42%
|
0.40%
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund (Morgan Stanley Strategy)+
|
First $100 million
|
Thereafter
|
|
0.42%
|
0.40%
|
| + |
The minimum fee payable per Fund is $100,000 per calendar year. |
The table below presents the subadvisory fees earned by the subadvisers of each of the funds for the last 3 fiscal years. [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
Subadvisory Fees Earned for the fiscal year or period ended:
|
|
|
|
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
|
621,341
|
713,347
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund (JP Morgan Strategy)
|
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund (Morgan Stanley Strategy)
|
|
2,227,297
|
2,117,526
|
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
BlackRock Advisors, LLC (
"BlackRock Advisors") was organized in 1994 to perform advisory services for investment companies. BlackRock Advisors, which has its principal offices at 100 Bellevue Parkway,
Wilmington,
Delaware 19809 has served as the Portfolio's investment adviser since
July 1, 2011. Prior thereto, BlackRock Institutional Management Corporation (
"BIMC"), an affiliate of BlackRock Advisors, served as the Portfolio's investment adviser. BlackRock Advisors is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (
"BlackRock"). BlackRock and its affiliates had approximately $[ ] trillion in assets under
management as of
December 31, 2015. BlackRock is an affiliate of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
J.P. MORGAN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.
J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (
"JPMIM") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Asset Management Holdings Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co., a bank holding company. JPMIM is located at 270 Park Avenue,
New York,
NY 10017. As of
December 31, 2015, JPMIM and its affiliates had $1.72 trillion in assets under management.
MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (
"MSIM") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. MSIM, together with its affiliated asset management companies, had approximately $406 billion under management or supervision as of
December 31, 2015. The offices of MSIM are located at 522 Fifth Avenue,
New York,
NY 10036. The following affiliates of MSIM serve as sub-subadvisers to the AZL Morgan Stanley Global Real Estate Fund, and are responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund's assets: (i) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited, with headquarters located at 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London E144QA, England, and
(ii) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company, with headquarters located at 23 Church Street, #16-01 Capital Square, Singapore 049481.
OTHER MANAGED ACCOUNTS
Brian Muench, President of the Manager, is primarily responsible for evaluating and selecting the subadvisers of the Trust, and for the day-to-day management of the Allianz Variable Insurance Products Fund of Funds Trust (the
"FOF Trust"). As of
December 31, 2015, aggregate assets under management in the FOF Trust was $[ ] billion.
The following chart reflects information at
December 31, 2015 regarding accounts other than the listed Fund for which each portfolio manager employed by the Fund's subadviser has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) registered investment companies, (ii) other pooled investment vehicles, and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (
"performance-based fees"), information on those accounts is specifically broken out. In addition, any assets denominated in foreign currencies have been converted into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate as of the applicable date. [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Other Registered Investment Company Accounts/
Assets Under Management
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles/
Assets Under Management
|
Other Accounts/
Assets Under Management
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
Dennis P. Lynch
|
|
|
|
|
David S. Cohen
|
|
|
|
|
Sam G. Chainani
|
|
|
|
|
Alexander T. Norton
|
|
|
|
|
Jason C. Yeung
|
|
|
|
|
Armistead B. Nash
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Wilson
|
|
|
|
|
Timothy Parton
|
9 / $15.2 billion
|
2 / $1.4 billion
|
9 / $ 556 million
|
|
Felise Agranoff
|
|
|
|
POTENTIAL MATERIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one Fund or other account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple Funds and/or other accounts may be presented with one or more of the following potential conflicts:
| • |
Time and attention – The management of multiple Funds and/or other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each Fund and/or other account. The Subadvisers seek to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having most portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same investment models that are used in connection with the management of the Funds. |
| • |
Limited investment opportunities – If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one Fund or other account, a Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible Funds and other accounts. To deal with these situations, the Subadvisers have adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts. |
| • |
Brokerage allocation – With respect to securities transactions for the Funds, the Subadvisers determine which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with their duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts (such as mutual funds for which a Subadviser or an affiliate of a Subadviser acts as Subadviser, other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the Subadvisers may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or |
may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, trades for a Fund in a particular security may be placed separately from, rather than aggregated with, such other accounts. Having separate transactions with respect to a security may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the possible detriment of the Fund or other account(s) involved.
| • |
Pursuit of differing strategies – At times, a portfolio manager may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some of the funds and/or accounts for which he or she exercises investment responsibility, or may decide that certain of the funds and/or accounts should take differing, including potentially opposite, positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the portfolio manager may place separate transactions for one or more funds and/or accounts which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment or benefit of one or more other funds and/or accounts. |
| • |
Variation in compensation – Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where a Subadviser has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of one Fund or account but not all Funds and accounts with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. |
The Subadvisers have adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER COMPENSATION
The following section includes portfolio manager compensation information as of
December 31, 2015, for the Manager and each of the Subadvisers.
THE MANAGER
Allianz Investment Management LLC ("AIM LLC")
The portfolio manager's cash compensation consists of a fixed, market-based salary, an annual incentive bonus and compensation under a long-term performance incentive plan (known as ALT-PUP). The salary, and any annual salary increase, is determined based on relevant market considerations and the employee's individual performance. The amount of any annual incentive bonus is determined based on the overall financial performance relative to business goals of the Manager and its parent, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, and on the employee's individual performance. Eligibility for compensation under the ALT-PUP is based on the employee's level in the organization and individual performance. The employee may be awarded ALT-PUP units based on the overall financial performance relative to business goals of the Manager and its parent, and on the employee's individual performance. ALT-PUP units are valued and paid out over the three years following
the award, with one-third of the award valued and paid each year. The actual value of the ALT-PUP units in any year is based primarily on the overall financial performance relative to business goals of the Manager and its parent.
Portfolio managers also may be eligible to participate in (i) a 401(k) retirement plan, (ii) a non-qualified employee stock purchase plan, which offers participants the opportunity to invest at a discount in shares of the publicly-traded stock of the Manager's ultimate parent, Allianz SE, and (iii) a non-qualified deferred compensation plan, which offers participants the tax benefits of deferring the receipt of a portion of their cash compensation until such time as designated under the plan.
Portfolio manager compensation is not based on the value of the assets held in the Funds' portfolios and is not based directly on the performance of the Funds; the performance of the Funds is a factor in the evaluation of the portfolio managers' performance, and the portfolio manager's individual performance is a factor in the determination of cash compensation, as described above.
THE SUBADVISERS
BlackRock Advisors, LLC
Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview
The discussion below describes the portfolio managers' compensation as of
December 31, 2015.
BlackRock's financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock.
Base compensation – Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.
Discretionary Incentive Compensation – Messrs. Antonelli and Dickstein
Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio manager's group within BlackRock, the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firm's assets under management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined benchmarks, and the individual's performance and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. Among other things, BlackRock's Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to each portfolio manager's compensation based on the performance of the Funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks. Performance of fixed income funds is measured
on a pre-tax and/or after-tax basis over various time periods including 1-, 3- and 5- year periods, as applicable. With respect to these portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the Fund and other accounts are:
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Benchmarks
|
|
David Antonelli
|
A combination of market-based indices (e.g., Standard & Poor's Municipal Bond Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups.
|
|
Akiva Dickstein
|
A combination of market-based indices (e.g. Citigroup Mortgage Index, Barclays GNMA MBS Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups.
|
Discretionary Incentive Compensation – Messrs. Bliss, Mason and Savage
Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio manager's group within BlackRock, the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firm's assets under management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined benchmarks, and the individual's performance and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. Among other things, BlackRock's Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to each portfolio manager's compensation based on the performance of the Funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks. Performance of fixed income and multi-asset
class funds is measured on a pre-tax and/or after-tax basis over various time periods including 1-, 3- and 5- year periods, as applicable. Performance of index funds is based on the performance of such funds relative to pre-determined tolerance bands around a benchmark, as applicable. The performance of Messrs. Bliss, Mason and Savage is not measured against a specific benchmark.
Discretionary Incentive Compensation – Messrs. Chamby, Roldan and Stattman
Generally, discretionary incentive compensation for Global Allocation portfolio managers is based on a formulaic compensation program. The team's formulaic portfolio manager compensation program is based on team revenue with a measure of operational efficiency, and pre-tax investment performance relative to benchmark over 1 and 5-year performance periods. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. BlackRock's Chief Investment Officers determine the benchmarks or rankings against which the performance of funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio management team is compared and the period of time over which performance is evaluated. With respect to these portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the Fund and other accounts are a combination of S&P 500 Index, FTSE World ex-US Index, Bank of America Merrill
Lynch Current 5-Year US Treasury Index and Citigroup Non-US Dollar World Government Bond Index.
A smaller element of portfolio manager discretionary compensation may include consideration of: financial results, expense control, profit margins, strategic planning and implementation, quality of client service, market share, corporate reputation, capital allocation, compliance and risk control, leadership, technology and innovation. These factors are considered collectively by BlackRock management.
Discretionary Incentive Compensation – Mr. Kemp
Generally, discretionary incentive compensation for Active Equity portfolio managers is based on a formulaic compensation program. BlackRock's formulaic portfolio manager compensation program is based on team revenue and pre-tax investment performance relative to appropriate competitors or benchmarks over 1-, 3- and 5-year performance periods, as applicable. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. BlackRock's Chief Investment Officers determine the benchmarks or rankings against which the performance of funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio management team is compared and the period of time over which performance is
evaluated. With respect to the portfolio manager, such benchmarks for the Fund and other accounts are: Lipper Large Cap Growth fund classification and eVestment Alliance US Large Cap Growth Equity category.
A smaller element of portfolio manager discretionary compensation may include consideration of: financial results, expense control, profit margins, strategic planning and implementation, quality of client service, market share, corporate reputation, capital allocation, compliance and risk control, leadership, technology and innovation. These factors are considered collectively by BlackRock management and the relevant Chief Investment Officers.
Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation – Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash and BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units which vest ratably over a number of years. For some portfolio managers, discretionary incentive compensation is also distributed in deferred cash awards that notionally track the returns of select BlackRock investment products they manage and that vest ratably over a number of years. The BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units, upon vesting, will be settled in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Typically, the cash portion of the discretionary incentive compensation, when combined with base salary, represents more than 60% of total compensation for the portfolio managers. Paying a portion of discretionary incentive compensation in BlackRock, Inc. stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year "at risk" based on BlackRock's ability
to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. Providing a portion of discretionary incentive compensation in deferred cash awards that notionally track the BlackRock investment products they manage provides direct alignment with investment product results.
Long-Term Incentive Plan Awards – From time to time long-term incentive equity awards are granted to certain key employees to aid in retention, align their interests with long-term shareholder interests and motivate performance. Equity awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Messrs. Bliss, Dickstein, Mason and Savage have unvested long-term incentive awards.
Deferred Compensation Program – A portion of the compensation paid to eligible United States-based BlackRock employees may be voluntarily deferred at their election for defined periods of time into an account that tracks the performance of certain of the firm's investment products. Any portfolio manager who is either a managing director or director at BlackRock with compensation above a specified threshold is eligible to participate in the deferred compensation program.
Other Compensation Benefits – In addition to base salary and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:
Incentive Savings Plans – BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the Internal Revenue Service limit ($260,000 for 2014). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into a target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which
the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the purchase date. All of the eligible portfolio managers are eligible to participate in these plans.
Portfolio Manager Potential Material Conflicts of Interest
BlackRock has built a professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different
from those made to the Fund. In addition, BlackRock, its affiliates and significant shareholders and any officer, director, shareholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and
sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders, or any officer, director, shareholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities. Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRock's (or its affiliates' or significant shareholders') officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Certain portfolio managers also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for a fund. It should also be noted that Messrs. Antonelli and Dickstein
may be managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, or may be part of a team managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, subject to incentive fees. Messrs. Antonelli and Dickstein may therefore be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such accounts.
As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock has adopted policies that are intended to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base, as appropriate.
J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.
JPMorgan's portfolio managers participate in a competitive compensation program that is designed to attract, retain and motivate talented people and closely link the performance of investment professionals to client investment objectives. JPMorgan manages compensation on a total compensation basis, the components being base salary fixed from year to year and a variable discretionary incentive award. Base salaries are reviewed annually and awarded based on individual performance and business results taking into account level and scope of position, experience and market competitiveness. The variable discretionary performance based incentive award consists of cash incentives and deferred compensation which includes mandatory notional investments (as described below) in selected mutual funds advised by JPMorgan or its affiliates ("Mandatory Investment Plan"). These elements reflect individual performance and the performance of JPMorgan's business as
a whole. Each portfolio manager's performance is formally evaluated annually based on a variety of factors including the aggregate size and blended performance of the portfolios such portfolio manager manages, individual contribution relative to client risk and return objectives, and adherence with JPMorgan's compliance, risk and regulatory procedures. In evaluating each portfolio manager's performance with respect to the mutual funds he or she manages, the pre-tax performance of the funds (or the portion of the funds managed by the portfolio manager) is compared to the appropriate market peer group and to the competitive indices JPMorgan has identified for the investment strategy over one, three and five year periods (or such shorter time as the portfolio manager has managed the funds). Investment performance is generally more heavily weighted to the long-term.
Deferred compensation granted as part of an employee's annual incentive compensation comprises from 0% to 60% of a portfolio manager's total performance based incentive. As the level of incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in deferred incentives also increases. JPMorgan's portfolio managers are required to notionally invest a certain percentage of their deferred compensation (typically 20% to 50% depending on the level of compensation) into the selected funds they manage. The remaining portion of the non-cash incentive is elective and may be notionally invested in any of the other mutual funds available in the Mandatory Investment Plan or can be placed in restricted stock. When these awards vest over time, the portfolio manager receives cash equal to the market value of the notional investment in the selected mutual funds.
Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. [To be updated]
Portfolio Manager Compensation Structure
[Morgan Stanley's compensation structure is based on a total reward system of base salary and Incentive Compensation which is paid partially as a cash bonus and partially as mandatory deferred compensation. Deferred compensation may be granted as deferred cash under the subadviser's Investment Management Alignment Plan ("IMAP"), as an equity-based awards or it may be granted under other plans as determined annually by Morgan Stanley's Compensation, Management Development and Succession Committee subject to vesting and other conditions.
Base salary compensation – Generally, portfolio managers receive base salary compensation based on the level of their position with the subadviser.
Incentive compensation – In addition to base compensation, portfolio managers may receive discretionary year-end compensation.
Incentive compensation may include:
|
• |
A mandatory program that defers a portion of incentive compensation into restricted stock units or other awards based on Morgan Stanley common stock or other plans that are subject to vesting and other conditions. |
|
• |
IMAP is a mandatory program that defers a portion of incentive compensation and notionally invests it in designated funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. The award is subject to vesting and other conditions. Portfolio managers must notionally invest a minimum of 25% to a maximum of 100% of their IMAP deferral account into a combination of the designated funds they manage that are included in the IMAP fund menu, which may or may not include one of the Portfolios. |
All deferred compensation awards are subject to clawback provisions where awards can be cancelled, in whole or in part, if an employee takes any action, or omits to take any action which; causes a restatement of Morgan Stanley's consolidated financial results; constitutes a violation by the portfolio manager of Morgan Stanley's Global Risk Management Principles, Policies and Standards; or constitutes violation of internal risk and control policies involving a subsequent loss.
Several factors determine incentive compensation, which can vary by portfolio management team and circumstances. These factors include:
| • |
Revenues generated by the investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. |
| • |
The pre-tax investment performance of the funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager (which is measured against the applicable benchmark(s) over one, three, and five year periods). |
| • |
Contribution to the business objectives of the subadviser. |
| • |
The dollar amount of assets managed by the portfolio manager. |
| • |
Market compensation survey research by independent third parties. |
| • |
Other qualitative factors, such as contributions to client objectives. |
| • |
Performance of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, and the overall performance of the investment team(s) of which the portfolio manager is a member.] |
PORTFOLIO MANAGER OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES IN THE FUNDS
At
December 31, 2015, none of the Portfolio Managers for any of the Funds beneficially owned shares of any Fund.
AFFILIATED PERSONS
The following table lists persons who are affiliated with the Trust and who are also affiliated persons of the Manager.
|
Name
|
Position with Trust
|
Position with the Manager
|
|
Brian J. Muench
|
Chairman, Trustee, and President
|
Governor and President
|
|
Christopher Pheiffer
|
Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
|
Corporate Compliance Director
|
|
Michael J. Tanski
|
Vice President, Operations
|
Assistant Vice President, Operations
|
|
Darin Egbert
|
Vice President, Investments
|
Assistant Vice President
|
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities which are debt securities usually are principal transactions in which portfolio securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Purchases from underwriters of portfolio securities generally include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers may include the spread between the bid and asked prices. Transactions on stock exchanges involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions. Transactions in the over‑the‑counter market are generally principal transactions with dealers. With respect to the over‑the‑counter market, the Trust, where possible will deal directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved except under those circumstances where better price and execution are available elsewhere.
In distributing brokerage business arising out of the placement of orders for the purchase and sale of securities for any Fund, the objective of the Fund's Manager or Subadviser is to obtain the best overall terms. Allocation of transactions, including their frequency, to various brokers and dealers is determined by the Manager or Subadviser, in its best judgment
and in the manner deemed fair and reasonable to shareholders. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders in an effective manner at the most favorable price. Subject to this consideration, brokers and dealers who provide supplemental investment research to the Manager or Subadviser may receive orders for transactions on behalf of the Trust. The types of research services the Manager or Subadviser may receive includes economic analysis and forecasts, financial market analysis and forecasts, industry and company specific analysis, performance monitoring, interest rate forecasts, arbitrage relative valuation analysis of various debt securities, analyses of U.S. Treasury securities, research-dedicated computer hardware and software and related consulting services and other services that assist in the investment decision-making process. Research services are received primarily in the form of written reports, computer-generated services, telephone
contacts and personal meetings with security analysts. Research services may also be provided in the form of meetings arranged with corporate and industry spokespersons or may be generated by third parties but are provided to the Manager or Subadvisers by, or through, broker-dealers. Research so received is in addition to and not in lieu of services required to be performed by the Manager or Subadviser and does not reduce the fees payable to such adviser by the Trust. Such information may be useful to the Manager or Subadviser in serving both the Trust and other clients and, conversely supplemental information obtained by the placement of business of other clients may be useful to the Manager or Subadviser in carrying out its obligations to the Trust.
Consistent with achieving best execution, a Fund may participate in so-called "commission recapture" programs, under which brokers or dealers used by the Fund remit a portion of brokerage commissions to the particular Fund from which they were generated. Subject to oversight by the Fund's Board of Directors, either the Fund's Manager or Subadviser, is responsible for the selection of brokers or dealers and for ensuring that a Fund receives best execution in connection with its portfolio brokerage transactions. Participation in such programs may have the effect of reducing overall expenses and increasing overall returns for certain Funds.
While the Manager or Subadviser generally seeks competitive commissions, the Trust may not necessarily pay the lowest commission available on each brokerage transaction for the reasons discussed above. Thus, a Fund may pay a higher brokerage commission in connection with a given portfolio transaction than it would have paid another broker for the same transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage or research services provided by the executing broker. The total brokerage commissions paid by each Fund for the last 3 fiscal years are listed in the following table. [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
|
|
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
|
272,503
|
291,042
|
Brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may vary significantly from year to year as a result of a variety of factors, including changing asset levels through the year, changes in portfolio turnover rates, varying market conditions, and changes in investment strategies and processes.
AFFILIATED BROKERS
The following table lists the amount of brokerage commissions paid during the last three years to any broker that is affiliated with the Trust, the Manager, or any Subadviser. All of the brokers listed are affiliates of the Manager or a Subadvisor. [To be updated]
|
Name of Affiliated Broker
|
Aggregate Dollar Amount of Brokerage Commissions Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 |
Aggregate Dollar Amount of Brokerage Commissions Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014 |
Aggregate Dollar Amount of Brokerage Commissions Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013 |
|
BNY Mellon Securities LLC
|
|
$16,031
|
$37,760
|
|
Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC
|
|
5,031
|
-
|
|
JPMorgan Securities, Inc.
|
|
380,734
|
-
|
|
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.
|
|
533,618
|
34
|
|
Oppenheimer & Co.
|
|
28,113
|
6,048
|
|
Pershing LLC
|
|
204
|
4,054
|
|
Wells Fargo Funds Distrubutor, LLC
|
|
42,500
|
-
|
The following table shows the percentage of aggregate brokerage commissions paid to the affiliated broker and the percentage of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions effected through the affiliated broker during the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2015. [To be updated]
|
Name of Affiliated Broker
|
Percentage of Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 |
Percentage of Aggregate Dollar Amount of Transactions Involving the Payout of Commissions for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 |
|
BNY Mellon Securities LLC
|
|
|
|
Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC
|
|
|
|
JPMorgan Securities, Inc.
|
|
|
|
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.
|
|
|
|
Oppenheimer & Co.
|
|
|
|
Pershing LLC
|
|
|
|
Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC
|
|
|
Except as permitted by applicable rules under the 1940 Act, the Trust will not acquire portfolio securities issued by, make savings deposits in, or enter into repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements with the Manager or Subadviser or the Distributor, or their affiliates. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act and the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Funds may borrow from the Manager or Subadviser for temporary or emergency purposes in order to meet unanticipated redemptions or to meet payment obligations when a portfolio transaction "fails" due to circumstances beyond a Fund's control.
At
December 31, 2015, the Funds listed below held the following securities of issuers, each of which derived more than 15% of its gross revenues from the business of a broker, dealer, underwriter, or an investment adviser: [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
Name of Broker or Dealer
|
Approximate Aggregate Value of Issuer Securities Owned by the Fund at 12/31/15
|
|
AZL Government Money Market
|
Citigroup, Inc.
|
|
Investment decisions for each Fund of the Trust are made independently from those made for the other Funds or any other portfolio investment company or account managed by the Manager or Subadviser. Any such other portfolio, investment company or account may also invest in the same securities as the Trust. When a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of a Fund and another Fund, portfolio, investment company or account, the transaction will be averaged as to price, and available investments will be allocated as to amount, in a manner which the Manager or Subadviser believes to be equitable to the Fund(s) and such other portfolio, investment company, or account. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by a Fund or the size of the position obtained by the Fund. To the extent permitted by law, the Manager or Subadviser may aggregate the securities to be sold
or purchased for a Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other Funds or for other portfolios, investment companies, or accounts in order to obtain best execution. In making investment recommendations for the Trust, the Manager or Subadviser will not inquire or take into consideration whether an issuer of securities proposed for purchase or sale by the Trust is a customer of the Manager, its parent, affiliates, or a Subadviser and, in dealing with its customers, the Manager, its parent and affiliates or a Subadviser will not inquire or take into consideration whether securities of such customers are held by the Trust.
ADMINISTRATOR AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (
"CFSO"), whose principal location of business is 3435 Stelzer Road,
Columbus,
Ohio 43219, serves as the administrator (the
"Administrator") and fund accountant (the
"Fund Accountant") to the Trust pursuant to an Amended Services Agreement dated
January 1, 2015 (the
"Services Agreement"), as amended.
As Administrator, CFSO has agreed to maintain office facilities for the Trust; furnish statistical and research data, clerical and certain bookkeeping services and stationery and office supplies; prepare the periodic reports to the SEC on Form N‑SAR and N-CSR or any comparable or replacement forms thereof; compile data for, prepare for execution by the Funds and file certain federal and state tax returns and required tax filings; prepare compliance filings pursuant to state securities laws with the advice of the Trust's counsel; keep and maintain the financial accounts and records of the Funds, including calculation of daily expense accruals; and generally assist in all aspects of the Trust's operations other than those performed by the Manager under the Investment Management Agreement, the Subadvisers under the Subadvisory Agreements, or by the Custodian under the Custody Agreement. Under the Services Agreement, the Administrator may delegate all
or any part of its responsibilities thereunder.
As Fund Accountant, CFSO maintains the accounting books and records for the Funds, including journals containing an itemized daily record of all purchases and sales of portfolio securities, all receipts and disbursements of cash and all other
debits and credits, general and auxiliary ledgers reflecting all asset, liability, reserve, capital, income and expense accounts, including interest accrued and interest received and other required separate ledger accounts; maintains a monthly trial balance of all ledger accounts; performs certain accounting services for the Funds, including calculation of the net asset value per share, calculation of the dividend and capital gain distributions, if any, and of yield, reconciliation of cash movements with Trust's custodian, affirmation to the Trust's custodian of all portfolio trades and cash settlements, verification and reconciliation with the Trust's custodian of all daily trade activities; provides certain reports; obtains dealer quotations, prices from a pricing service matrix prices, or where necessary, fair value pricing information or adjustment factors from independent fair value pricing sources on all portfolio securities in order to mark the
portfolio to the market; and prepares an interim balance sheet, statement of income and expense, and statement of changes in net assets for the Funds.
Under the terms of the Services Agreement CFSO also provides a variety of compliance services utilized by the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust.
CFSO receives a fee from each Fund for its services as Administrator and Fund Accountant and is reimbursed for certain expenses assumed pursuant to the Services Agreement, aggregated and paid monthly, including (a) an asset-based fee, calculated daily and paid monthly, at the annual rate of 0.05% of the combined average daily net assets of the Funds up to $4 billion; 0.04% of the combined average daily net assets of the Funds from $4 billion to $6 billion; 0.02% of the combined average daily net assets of the Funds from $6 billion to $8 billion; and 0.01% of the combined average daily net assets of the Funds over $8 billion; and (b) a fee of either $5,000 or $7,500 per Fund (depending on the number of securities held by the Fund) for fair value support services. The fees under (a) above are subject to a minimum fee of $60,000 per year for each Fund. From time to time, CFSO may waive all or a portion of the administration fee payable to it by the Funds,
either voluntarily or pursuant to applicable statutory expense limitations. In addition, CFSO receives an annual fee of $85,000 from the Trust for compliance services provided under the terms of the Services Agreement.
For the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2015, CFSO was entitled to receive and waived administration fees from the Funds as follows: [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
Service Fees Earned
|
Service Fees Waived
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
|
-
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
|
-
|
The Services Agreement shall continue in effect until
December 31, 2018, and thereafter renew for successive one‑year terms unless terminated by either party not less than 60 days prior to the expiration of such term, provided that any such renewal is approved at least annually (i) by the Trust's Board of Trustees and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to the Services Agreement cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. The Services Agreement is terminable for cause with respect to a particular Fund at any time on 60 days' written notice without penalty by the Trust or by CFSO. The Services Agreement provides that CFSO shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Services Agreement relates, except a loss from willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or from the reckless disregard by CFSO of its obligations and duties thereunder.
DISTRIBUTOR
Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC (
"ALFS"), an affiliate of the Manager, whose principal location of business is 5701 Golden Hills Drive,
Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55416, serves as distributor to the Trust pursuant to a Distribution Agreement dated as of
August 28, 2007 (the
"Distribution Agreement"). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor will use appropriate efforts to solicit orders for the sale of the Funds' shares from bona fide investors and may enter into selling group agreements with responsible dealers and dealer managers as well as sell the Funds' shares to individual investors. The Distributor
is not obligated to sell any specific amount of shares.
The Distribution Agreement was last approved by the Trust's Board of Trustee's (including a majority of such Trustee's who are not interested persons of the Trust or any party to such agreement within the meaning of the 1940 Act) on
December 2, 2015. Unless otherwise terminated, the Distribution Agreement will continue in effect for successive one‑year periods from the date of such Agreement if approved at least annually (i) by the Trust's Board of Trustees or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to the Distribution Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable at any time on 60 days' written notice without penalty by the
Trustees, by a vote of a majority of the
shareholders of the Trust, or by ALFS on 90 days' written notice. The Distribution Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of any assignment as defined in the 1940 Act.
Distribution Plan – A Distribution Plan (the "Plan") has been adopted by each of the Funds pursuant to Rule 12b‑1 of the Act. Pursuant to the Plan, the Funds may pay directly or reimburse the Distributor monthly in amounts described in the Prospectus for costs and expenses of marketing the shares of the Funds.
The Plan provides for payments by each Fund to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of the Fund's average net assets.
For the fiscal year or period ended
December 31, 2015, the following 12b‑1 fees shown as earned and waived for the Funds were: [To be updated]
|
Fund
|
12b‑1 Fees Earned
|
12b‑1 Fees Waived
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
|
–
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
|
–
|
Under the Plan, each Fund pays the Distributor and other securities dealers and other financial institutions and organizations for certain distribution activities. The above amounts represent payments to securities dealers and other financial institutions and organizations for certain distribution services. Amounts received by the Distributor may, additionally, subject to the Plan's maximums, be used to cover certain other costs and expenses related to the distribution of Fund shares and provision of service to Fund shareholders, including: (a) advertising by radio, television, newspapers, magazines, brochures, sales literature, direct mail or any other form of advertising; (b) expenses of sales employees or agents of the Distributor, including salary, commissions, travel and related expenses; (c) costs of printing prospectuses and other materials to be given or sent to prospective investors; and (d) such other similar services as the Trustees determine
to be reasonably calculated to result in the sale of shares of the Funds. Each Fund will pay all costs and expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and distribution of the Prospectus to current shareholders and the operation of its Plan(s), including related legal and accounting fees. A Fund will not be liable for distribution expenditures made by the Distributor in any given year in excess of the maximum amount payable under a Plan for that Fund in that year.
The Plan provides that it may not be amended to increase materially the costs which the Funds may bear pursuant to the Plan without shareholder approval and that other material amendments to the Plan must be approved by the Board of Trustees, and by the Trustees who are neither
"interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust nor have any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the particular Plan or any related agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. The selection and nomination of the Trustees have been committed to the discretion of the Trustees who are not
"interested persons" of the Trust. The continuance of the Plan is subject to similar annual approval by the Trustees and the Plan Trustees. The Plan's continuance was most recently approved by the Board of Trustees on
October 14, 2015.
The Plan is terminable at any time by a vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has concluded that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Funds and their shareholders.
The Plan was initially approved by the Board of Trustees, as described above, for each Fund on the dates shown in the table below:
|
Fund
|
Date
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund
|
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
|
*Approved by the sole shareholder of each class of shares of each of the Fund on
October 26, 1999.
CUSTODIAN
The Bank of New York Mellon (
"BNY Mellon"), One Wall Street,
New York,
New York 10286, serves as custodian of the Fund. BNY Mellon is paid certain fees and reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses for its services. Fees paid by the Fund for these services are included under
"Other Expenses" in the Fees and Expenses table for each Fund. BNY Mellon is affiliated with The Dreyfus Corporation.
TRANSFER AGENT
As of
April 1, 2015, SunGard Investor Services LLC, whose principal location of business is 3435 Stelzer Road, Suite 1000,
Columbus,
OH 43219, serves as the transfer agent to the Trust pursuant to a Transfer Agency Services Agreement
with the Trust. SunGard also serves as the Transfer Agent to the FOF Trust. As Transfer Agent, SunGard performs the following services in connection with each Fund's shareholders of record: maintains shareholder records, processes shareholder purchase and redemption orders, processes transfers and exchanges of shares of the Funds on the shareholder files and records, and processes dividend payments and reinvestments. Prior to
April 1, 2015, CFSO served as transfer agent to the Trust and to the FOF Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
KPMG LLP (
"KPMG"), 191 West Nationwide Boulevard, Suite 500,
Columbus,
OH 43215, is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust. KPMG provides financial auditing services as well as certain tax return preparation services for the Trust.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Dorsey & Whitney LLP, 50 South Sixth Street, Suite 1500,
Minneapolis MN 55402, is the legal counsel to the Trust. Perkins Coie LLP, 700 Thirteenth Street N.W.,
Washington,
D.C. 20005, is legal counsel to the Independent Trustees.
CODES OF ETHICS
Federal law requires the Trust, its investment advisers and its principal underwriter to adopt codes of ethics which govern the personal securities transactions of their respective personnel. Accordingly, each such entity has adopted a code of ethics pursuant to which their respective personnel may invest in securities for their personal accounts (including securities that may be purchased or held by the Trust). Each code of ethics is included as an exhibit to the Trust's registration statement which is on file with, and available from, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each Code has been adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Trust is a Delaware business trust organized on
July 13, 1999. The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of series and classes of shares. The shares are offered on a continuous basis. Pursuant to such authority, the Board of Trustees has established 36 series, each previously named and defined collectively as the
"Funds." Each share of each Fund represents an equal proportionate interest with each other share of that series. Upon liquidation, shares are entitled to a pro rata share of the Trust based on the relative net assets of each series. Shareholders have no preemptive or conversion rights. Shares are redeemable and transferable. No commissions are paid for distributing the Funds' shares.
Under the terms of the Declaration of Trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings. Shareholder meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees will be held when required by law, when or at such time as less than a majority of Trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, or at such other time as the Trustees then in office deem it appropriate to call a shareholders' meeting for the election of Trustees. At meetings of shareholders, each share is entitled to one vote for each dollar of net asset value applicable to such share. Shares have non‑cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the votes applicable to shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect all of the Trustees to be elected at a meeting. The rights of shareholders cannot be modified other than by a vote of the majority of the outstanding shares.
The shareholders of the Trust are the Participating Insurance Companies, the Separate Accounts, and the FOF Trust, which hold the right to vote upon matters at any meeting of the shareholders of the Trust. However, the Trust understands that the Participating Insurance Companies generally will solicit voting instructions from Contract owners regarding matters submitted to shareholder vote and the Participating Insurance Companies will vote all outstanding shares of any Fund of the Trust in accordance with instructions timely given by the owners of the Contracts for which the Fund serves as a funding vehicle. Fund shares held by a Separate Account as to which no instructions have been received or that are not attributable to a Contract owner, Fund shares held by a Participating Insurance Company for its own account, and Fund shares held by the FOF Trust also will be voted for or against any proposition, or in abstention, in the same proportion as the shares
as to which instructions have been received. Because most Contract owners do not provide instructions, the effect of this proportional voting is that a small number of Contract owners can determine the outcome of the voting. If, in the future, a Participating Insurance Company determines that it is permitted to vote any shares of the Funds in its own right, it may elect to do so, subject to the then current interpretation of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, but nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against any liability to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duties involved in the conduct of his office.
Certain VIP Funds have been renamed since their inception. The following table includes each VIP Fund's date of inception and any previous names:
|
Investment Options
|
Fund Inception
|
Previous Name
|
Dates
|
Previous Name
|
Dates
|
|
AZL Government Money Market Fund(1)
|
2/1/00
|
AZL Money Market Fund
|
4/30/02 to 5/1/16
|
AZOA Money Market Fund
|
11/5/01 to 4/30/02
|
|
AZL Multi-Manager Mid Cap Growth Fund(2)
|
5/1/01
|
AZL Morgan Stanley Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
6/1/10 to 11/23/15
|
AZL Van Kampen Mid Cap Growth Fund
|
4/28/05 to 6/1/10
|
| (1) |
Previous Name: USAllianz VIP Money Market Fund 2/1/00 to 11/4/01 |
| (2) |
Previous Names: USAZ VanKampen Growth Fund 11/5/01 to 4/28/05; USAllianz Capital Growth Fund 5/1/01 to 11/4/01. |
VOTE OF A MAJORITY OF THE OUTSTANDING SHARES
As used in the Funds' Prospectus and in this Statement of Additional Information, "vote of a majority of the outstanding shares" of the Trust or any Fund means the affirmative vote, at an annual or special meeting of shareholders duly called, of the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of the votes of shareholders of the Trust or the Fund, present at such meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the votes attributable to the shareholders of record of the Trust or the Fund are represented in person or by proxy, or (b) the holders of more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding votes of shareholders of the Trust or the Fund.
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
Each Fund intends to qualify as a "regulated investment company" (a "RIC" under the Code). Such qualification generally will relieve the Funds of liability for federal income taxes to the extent their earnings are distributed in accordance with the Code. However, taxes may be imposed on the Funds by foreign countries with respect to income received on foreign securities. Depending on the extent of each Fund's activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located, or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, each Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities. In addition, if for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to a federal tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders).
In such event, dividend distributions would be taxable to shareholders to the extent of earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the dividends‑received deduction for corporations.
A non‑deductible excise tax is also imposed on regulated investment companies that do not make distributions to shareholders on a timely basis in accordance with calendar‑year distribution requirements (regardless of whether they otherwise have a non‑calendar taxable year). These rules require annual distributions equal to 98% of ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98% of their capital gain net income for the one‑year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year. The balance of such income must be distributed during the next calendar year. For the foregoing purposes, a Fund is treated as having distributed any amount on which it is subject to income tax for any taxable year ending in such calendar year. If distributions during a calendar year were less than the required amount, a particular Fund would be subject to a non‑deductible excise tax equal to 4% of the deficiency.
As of the end of its tax year ended
December 31, 2015, the Fund has capital loss carry forwards (
"CLCFs") as summarized in the table below. Under the provisions of the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, CLCFs that originated in a tax year that began before
December 23, 2010 (pre-effective CLCFs) may be carried forward, subject to certain limitations, and applied to offset future capital gains, and thus reduce the amount of distributable capital gains, for up to eight succeeding tax years, after which any unutilized CLCFs expire. Pre-effective CLCFs are applied as short-term capital loss regardless of whether the originating capital loss was short term or long term. CLCFs that originate in tax years beginning after
December 22, 2010 (post-effective CLCFs), are applied consistent
with the character in which they originated as a new loss on the first day of the immediately succeeding tax year, and thus take precedent over the application of pre-effective CLCFs. Post-effective CLCFs can be carried forward indefinitely.
Each of the Funds will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the United States Treasury 31% of taxable distributions paid to a shareholder who has provided either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, or
who is subject to withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to report properly payments of interest or dividends.
Dividends of investment company taxable income (including net short‑term capital gains) are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of investment company taxable income may be eligible for the corporate dividends‑received deduction to the extent attributable to a Fund's dividend income from U.S. corporations, and if other applicable requirements are met. Distributions of net capital gains (the excess of net long‑term capital gains over net short‑term capital losses) designated by a Fund as capital gain dividends are not eligible for the dividends‑received deduction and will generally be taxable to shareholders as long‑term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the Fund's shares have been held by a shareholder. Capital gains from assets held for one year or less will be taxed as ordinary income. Generally, dividends are taxable to shareholders, whether received in cash or reinvested in shares
of a Fund. Any distributions that are not from a Fund's investment company taxable income or net capital gain may be characterized as a return of capital to shareholders or, in some cases, as capital gain. Shareholders will be notified annually as to the federal tax status of dividends and distributions they receive and any tax withheld thereon. Dividends, including capital gain dividends, declared in October, November, or December with a record date of such month and paid during the following January will be treated as having been paid by a Fund and received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared, rather than the calendar year in which the dividends are actually received.
Upon the taxable disposition (including a sale or redemption) of shares of a Fund, a shareholder may realize a gain or loss depending upon his basis in his shares. Such gain or loss generally will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder's hands. Such gain or loss will be long‑term or short‑term, generally depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the shares. However, a loss realized by a shareholder on the disposition of Fund shares with respect to which capital gain dividends have been paid will, to the extent of such capital gain dividends, be treated as long‑term capital loss if such shares have been held by the shareholder for six months or less. Further, a loss realized on a disposition will be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced (whether by reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30
days after the shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for Federal income tax purposes in each share received equal to the net asset value of a share of the Funds on the reinvestment date.
A portion of the difference between the issue price and the face amount of zero coupon securities ("Original Issue Discount") will be treated as income to any Fund holding securities with Original Issue Discount each year although no current payments will be received by such Fund with respect to such income. This original issue discount will comprise a part of the investment company taxable income of such Fund which must be distributed to shareholders in order to maintain its qualification as a RIC and to avoid federal income tax at the level of the relevant Fund. Taxable shareholders of such a Fund will be subject to income tax on such original issue discount, whether or not they elect to receive their distributions in cash. In the event that a Fund acquires a debt instrument at a market discount, it is possible that a portion of any gain recognized on the disposition of such instrument may be treated as ordinary income.
A Fund's investment in options, futures contracts and forward contracts, options on futures contracts and stock indices and certain other securities, including transactions involving actual or deemed short sales or foreign exchange gains or losses are subject to many complex and special tax rules. For example, over‑the‑counter options on debt securities and certain equity options, including options on stock and on narrow‑based stock indexes, will be subject to tax under Section 1234 of the Code, generally producing, a long‑term or short‑term capital gain or loss upon lapse of the option or sale of the underlying stock or security.
By contrast, a Fund's treatment of certain other options, futures and forward contracts entered into by the Fund is generally governed by Section 1256 of the Code. These "Section 1256" positions generally include regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, non‑equity options and dealer equity options. Each such Section 1256 position held by a Fund will be marked‑to‑market (i.e., treated as if it were sold for fair market value) on the last business day of that Fund's fiscal year, and all gain or loss associated with fiscal year transactions and marked‑to‑market positions at fiscal year-end (except certain currency gain or loss covered by Section 988 of the Code) will generally be treated as 60% long‑term capital gain or loss and 40% short‑term capital gain or loss. The effect of Section 1256 mark‑to‑market may be to accelerate income or to convert what otherwise would have been
long‑term capital gains into short‑term capital gains or short‑term capital losses into long‑term capital losses within such Fund. The acceleration of income on Section 1256 positions may require the Fund to accrue taxable income without the corresponding receipt of cash. In order to generate cash to satisfy the distribution requirements of the Code, a Fund may be required to dispose of portfolio securities that it otherwise would have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources, such as the sale of the Fund's shares. In
these ways, any or all of these rules may affect the amount, character and timing of income earned and in turn distributed to shareholders by the Funds.
When a Fund holds options or contracts which substantially diminish its risk of loss with respect to other positions (as might occur in some hedging transactions), this combination of positions could be treated as a straddle for tax purposes, resulting in possible deferral of losses, adjustments in the holding periods of securities owned by a Fund and conversion of short‑term capital losses into long‑term capital losses. Certain tax elections exist for mixed straddles, i.e., straddles comprised of at least one Section 1256 position and at least one non‑Section 1256 position, which may reduce or eliminate the operation of these straddle rules.
Each Fund will monitor its transactions in such options and contracts and may make certain other tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of the above rules and to prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.
In order for a Fund to qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, at least 90% of the Fund's annual gross income must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities, including gains from foreign currencies, and other income derived with respect to the business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. Future Treasury regulations may provide that foreign exchange gains may not qualify for purposes of the 90% limitation if such gains are not directly related to a Fund's principal business of investing in stock or securities, or options or futures with respect to such stock or securities. Currency speculation or the use of currency forward contracts or other currency instruments for non‑hedging purposes may generate gains deemed to be not directly related to the Fund's principal business of investing in stock or securities and related options or futures.
Each Fund will limit its activities involving foreign exchange gains to the extent necessary to comply with the above requirements.
The federal income tax treatment of interest rate and currency swaps is unclear in certain respects and may in some circumstances result in the realization of income not qualifying under the 90% limitation described above. Each Fund will limit its interest rate and currency swaps to the extent necessary to comply with this requirement.
Under Code Section 817(h), a segregated asset account upon which a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy is based must be "adequately diversified." A segregated asset account will be adequately diversified if it complies with certain diversification tests set forth in Treasury regulations. If a RIC satisfies certain conditions relating to the ownership of its shares, a segregated asset account investing in such investment company will be entitled to treat its pro rata portion of each asset of the investment company as an asset for purposes of these diversification tests. The Funds intend to meet these ownership conditions and to comply with the diversification tests noted above. Accordingly, a segregated asset account investing solely in shares of a Fund will be adequately diversified if the Funds meet the foregoing requirements.
However, the failure of a Fund to meet such conditions and to comply with such tests could cause the owners of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies based on such account to recognize ordinary income each year in the amount of any net appreciation of such contract or policy during the year.
Provided that a Fund and a segregated asset account investing in the Fund satisfy the above requirements, any distributions from the Fund to such account will be exempt from current federal income taxation to the extent that such distributions accumulate in a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy.
Persons investing in a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy offered by a segregated asset account investing in a Fund should refer to the Prospectus with respect to such contract or policy for further tax information.
Information set forth in the prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information which relates to federal taxation is only a summary of some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting purchasers of shares of the Funds. No attempt has been made to present a detailed explanation of the federal income tax treatment of a Fund or its shareholders and this description is not intended as a substitute for federal tax planning. Accordingly, potential purchasers of shares of a Fund are urged to consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situation, including any application of foreign, state or local tax laws. In addition, the tax discussion in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information is based on tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information. Such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative or administrative action.
The Funds may invest in non‑U.S. corporations, which may be treated as "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs") under the Code. This could result in adverse tax consequences upon the disposition of, or the receipt of "excess distributions" with respect to, such equity investments. To the extent that each Fund invests in PFICs, it may adopt certain
tax strategies to reduce or eliminate the adverse effects of certain federal tax provisions governing PFIC investments. Many non‑U.S. banks and insurance companies may be excluded from PFIC treatment if they satisfy certain technical requirements under the Code. To the extent that each Fund invests in foreign securities which are determined to be PFIC securities and is required to pay a tax on such investments, a credit for this tax would not be allowed to be passed through to such Fund's shareholders. Therefore, the payment of this tax would reduce such Fund's economic return from its PFIC investments. Gains from dispositions of PFIC shares and excess distributions received with respect to such shares are treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
From time to time performance information for the Funds showing their standardized average annual total return, non-standardized return and/or yield may be presented in advertisements, sales literature and shareholder reports. Such performance figures are based on historical earnings and are not intended to indicate future performance. Standardized average annual total return of a Fund will be calculated for the period since the establishment of the Fund and will reflect the imposition of the maximum sales charge, if any. Standardized average annual total return is measured by comparing the value of an investment in a Fund at the beginning of the relevant period to the redemption value of the investment at the end of the period (assuming immediate reinvestment of any dividends or capital gains distributions) and annualizing the result. Yield of a Fund will be computed by dividing a Fund's net investment income per share earned during a recent one‑month
period by that Fund's per share maximum offering price (reduced by any undeclared earned income expected to be paid shortly as a dividend) on the last day of the period and annualizing the result.
In addition, from time to time the Funds may present their respective distribution rates in shareholder reports and in supplemental sales literature which is accompanied or preceded by a Prospectus and in shareholder reports. Distribution rates will be computed by dividing the distribution per share over a twelve‑month period by the maximum offering price per share. The calculation of income in the distribution rate includes both income and capital gains dividends and does not reflect unrealized gains or losses, although a Fund may also present a distribution rate excluding the effect of capital gains. The distribution rate differs from the yield, because it includes capital gains which are often non‑recurring in nature, whereas yield does not include such items. Distribution rates may also be presented excluding the effect of a sales charge, if any.
Total return, whether standardized or non-standardized, and yield are functions of the type and quality of instruments held in the portfolio, levels of operation expenses and changes in market conditions. Consequently, total return and yield will fluctuate and are not necessarily representative of future results. Any fees charged by Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America or any of its affiliates with respect to customer accounts for investing in shares of the Funds will not be included in performance calculations. Such fees, if charged, will reduce the actual performance from that quoted. In addition, if the Manager or the Distributor voluntarily reduce all or a part of their respective fees, as further discussed in the Prospectus, the total return of such Fund will be higher than it would otherwise be in the absence of such voluntary fee reductions.
Yields and total returns quoted for the Funds include the effect of deducting the Funds' expenses, but may not include charges and expenses attributable to a particular variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy. Since shares of the Funds may be purchased only through a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, you should carefully review the prospectus of the variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy you have chosen for information on relevant charges and expenses. Including these charges in the quotations of the Funds' yield and total return would have the effect of decreasing performance. Performance information for the Funds must always be accompanied by, and reviewed with, performance information for the insurance product which invests in the Funds.
YIELDS OF THE GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET FUND
The standardized seven‑day yield for the AZL Government Money Market Fund is computed: (1) by determining the net change, exclusive of capital changes and income other than investment income, in the value of a hypothetical pre‑existing account in that Fund having a balance of one share at the beginning of the seven‑day base period, subtracting a hypothetical charge reflecting deductions from shareholder accounts; (2) dividing the difference by the value of the account at the beginning of the base period to obtain the base period return; and (3) annualizing the results (i.e., multiplying the base period return by (365/7)). The net change in the account value of the AZL Government Money Market Fund includes the value of additional shares purchased with dividends from the original share, dividends declared on both the original share and any additional shares, and all fees, other than non‑recurring account charges charged to all shareholder
accounts in proportion to the length of the base period and assuming that Fund's average account size. The capital changes to be excluded from the calculation of the net change in account value are net realized gains and losses from the sale of securities and unrealized appreciation and depreciation.
At any time in the future, yields may be higher or lower than past yields and there can be no assurance that any historical results will continue.
YIELDS OF THE NON‑MONEY MARKET FUNDS
Yields of each of the Non‑Money Market Funds will be computed by analyzing net investment income per share for a recent thirty‑day period and dividing that amount by a Fund share's maximum offering price (reduced by any undeclared earned income expected to be paid shortly as a dividend) on the last trading day of that period. Net investment income will reflect amortization of any market value premium or discount of fixed income securities (except for obligations backed by mortgages or other assets) and may include recognition of a pro rata portion of the stated dividend rate of dividend paying portfolio securities. The yield of each of the Non‑Money Market Funds will vary from time to time depending upon market conditions, the composition of a Fund's portfolio and operating expenses of the Trust allocated to each Fund. These factors and possible differences in the methods used in calculating yield should be considered when comparing
a Fund's yield to yields published for other investment companies and other investment vehicles. Yield should also be considered relative to changes in the value of the Fund's shares and to the relative risks associated with the investment objectives and policies of each of the Funds.
CALCULATION OF TOTAL RETURN
Standardized average annual total return is a measure of the change in value of the investment in a Fund over the period covered, which assumes any dividends or capital gains distributions are reinvested in the Fund immediately rather than paid to the investor in cash. Standardized average annual total return will be calculated by: (1) adding to the total number of shares purchased by a hypothetical $1,000 investment in the Fund and all additional shares which would have been purchased if all dividends and distributions paid or distributed during the period had immediately been reinvested, (2) calculating the value of the hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 as of the end of the period by multiplying the total number of shares owned at the end of the period by the net asset value per share on the last trading day of the period, (3) assuming redemption at the end of the period, and (4) dividing this account value for the hypothetical investor by the
initial $1,000 investment and annualizing the result for periods of less than one year.
MISCELLANEOUS
Individual Trustees are elected by the shareholders and, subject to removal by a vote of two‑thirds of the Board of Trustees, serve until their successors are elected and qualified. Meetings of shareholders are not required to be held at any specific intervals. Individual Trustees may be removed by vote of the shareholders voting not less than two‑thirds of the shares then outstanding.
The Trust is registered with the SEC as a management investment company. Such registration does not involve supervision of the management policies of the Trust.
The Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information omit certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of such information may be obtained from the SEC by payment of the prescribed duplicating fee.
Holders of variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies issued by Participating Insurance Companies for which shares of the Funds are the investment vehicle will receive from the Participating Insurance Companies the Trust's unaudited semi‑annual financial statements and year‑end financial statements audited by the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm. Each report will show the investments owned by the Funds and the market values of the investments and will provide other information about the Funds and their operations.
The Trust currently does not foresee any disadvantages to the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies of affiliated and unaffiliated Participating Insurance Companies arising from the fact that the interests of the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies may differ due to differences of tax treatment or other considerations or due to conflict between the affiliated or unaffiliated Participating Insurance Companies. Nevertheless, the Trustees intend to monitor events in order to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may possibly arise and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to such conflicts. The variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies are described in the separate prospectuses issued by the Participating Insurance Companies. The Trust assumes no responsibility for such prospectuses.
The portfolio managers of the Funds and other investment professionals may from time to time discuss in advertising, sales literature or other material, including periodic publications, various topics of interest to shareholders and prospective investors. The topics may include, but are not limited to, the advantages and disadvantages of investing in tax‑deferred
and taxable investments; Fund performance and how such performance may compare to various market indices; shareholder profiles and hypothetical investor scenarios; the economy; the financial and capital markets; investment strategies and techniques; investment products and tax, retirement and investment planning.
The Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information are not an offering of the securities herein described in any state in which such offering may not lawfully be made. No salesman, dealer or other person is authorized to give any information or make any representation other than those contained in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Audited financial statements as of
December 31, 2015, are
incorporated by reference to the Annual Report to shareholders, which has been previously sent to shareholders of each Fund pursuant to the 1940 Act and
previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A copy of the Annual Report and the Funds' latest Semi-Annual Report may be obtained without charge on the internet by accessing the Allianz Life website at
https://www.allianzlife.com or upon written request from Allianz VIP Funds at 3435 Stelzer Road,
Columbus,
Ohio
43219, or by calling toll free 1-
800-624-0197.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The proxy voting policies and procedures of the Trust, Allianz Investment Management LLC, and all of the Subadvisers are located in Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information.
Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12 month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by accessing the Fund's website at
https://www.allianzlife.com or by accessing the SEC's EDGAR database via the Internet at
www.sec.gov.
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
A Standard & Poor's ("S&P") commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Standard and Poor's for commercial paper:
"A‑1" – Obligations are rated in the highest category indicating that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment 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" – Obligations are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations rated "A‑1". However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
"A‑3" – Obligations exhibit 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" – Obligations are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
"C" – Obligations are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and are dependent on favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial obligation.
"D" – Obligations are in payment default. The "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes such payments will be made during such grace period. The "D" rating will also 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 commercial paper ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually debt obligations not having an original maturity in excess of one year, unless explicitly noted. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Moody's for commercial paper:
"Prime‑1" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short‑term debt obligations. Prime‑1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics: leading market positions in well‑established industries; high rates of return on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well‑established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
"Prime‑2" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short‑term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
"Prime‑3" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short‑term debt obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
"Not Prime" – Issuers do not fall within any of the rating categories.
The three rating categories of Duff & Phelps for investment grade commercial paper and short‑term debt are "D‑1," "D‑2" and "D‑3." Duff & Phelps employs three designations, "D‑1+," "D‑1" and "D‑1‑," within the highest rating category. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Duff & Phelps for commercial paper:
"D‑1+" – Debt possesses the highest certainty of timely payment. Short‑term liquidity, including internal operating factors and/or access to alternative sources of funds, is outstanding, and safety is just below risk‑free U.S. Treasury short‑term obligations.
"D‑1" – Debt possesses very high certainty of timely payment. Liquidity factors are excellent and supported by good fundamental protection factors. Risk factors are minor.
"D‑1" – Debt possesses high certainty of timely payment. Liquidity factors are strong and supported by good fundamental protection factors. Risk factors are very small.
"D‑2" – Debt possesses good certainty of timely payment. Liquidity factors and company fundamentals are sound. Although ongoing funding needs may enlarge total financing requirements, access to capital markets is good. Risk factors are small.
"D‑3" – Debt possesses satisfactory liquidity and other protection factors qualify issues as investment grade. Risk factors are larger and subject to more variation. Nevertheless, timely payment is expected.
"D‑4" – Debt possesses speculative investment characteristics. Liquidity is not sufficient to ensure against disruption in debt service. Operating factors and market access may be subject to a high degree of variation.
"D‑5" – Issuer has failed to meet scheduled principal and/or interest payments.
Fitch IBCA short‑term ratings apply to debt obligations that have time horizons of less than 12 months for most obligations, or up to three years for U.S. public finance securities. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch IBCA for short‑term obligations:
"F1" – Securities possess the highest credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments and may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
"F2" – Securities possess good credit quality. This designation indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of securities rated "F1."
"F3" – Securities possess fair credit quality. This designation indicates that the capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near‑term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non‑investment grade.
"B" – Securities possess speculative credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near‑term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
"C" – Securities possess high default risk. This designation indicates that the capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
"D" – Securities are in actual or imminent payment default.
Thomson BankWatch short‑term ratings assess the likelihood of an untimely payment of principal and interest of debt instruments with original maturities of one year or less. The following summarizes the ratings used by Thomson BankWatch:
"TBW‑1" – This designation represents Thomson BankWatch's highest category and indicates a very high likelihood that principal and interest will be paid on a timely basis.
"TBW‑2" – This designation represents Thomson BankWatch's second‑highest category and indicates that while the degree of safety regarding timely repayment of principal and interest is strong, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues rated "TBW‑1."
"TBW‑3" – This designation represents Thomson BankWatch's lowest investment‑grade category and indicates that while the obligation is more susceptible to adverse developments (both internal and external) than those with higher ratings, the capacity to service principal and interest in a timely fashion is considered adequate.
"TBW‑4" – This designation represents Thomson BankWatch's lowest rating category and indicates that the obligation is regarded as non‑investment grade and therefore speculative.
CORPORATE AND LONG‑TERM DEBT RATINGS
The following summarizes the ratings used by Standard & Poor's for corporate and municipal debt:
"AAA" – An obligation rated "AAA" has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
"AA" –An obligation rated "AA" differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
"A" – An obligation rated "A" is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
"BBB" – An obligation rated "BBB" exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
"BB," "B," "CCC," "CC" and "C" – Debt is 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" – Debt is less vulnerable to non‑payment 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" – Debt is more vulnerable to non‑payment 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" – Debt is currently vulnerable to non‑payment, 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 non‑payment.
"C" – The "C" rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.
"D" – An obligation rated "D" is in payment default. This rating is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S & P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. "D" rating is also used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
PLUS (+) OR MINUS (‑)– The ratings from "AA" through "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
"r" – This rating is attached to highlight derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that S & P believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns due to non‑credit risks. Examples of such obligations are: securities whose principal or interest return is indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest‑only and principal‑only mortgage securities. The absence of an "r" symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.
The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody's for corporate and municipal long‑term debt:
"Aaa" – Bonds are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
"Aa" – Bonds are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the "Aaa" group they comprise what are generally known as high‑grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in "Aaa" securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long‑term risks appear somewhat larger than in "Aaa" securities.
"A" – Bonds possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium‑grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
"Baa" – Bonds are considered as medium‑grade obligations, (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
"Ba," "B," "Caa," "Ca" and "C" – Bonds that possess one of these ratings provide questionable protection of interest and principal ("Ba" indicates speculative elements; "B" indicates a general lack of characteristics of desirable investment; "Caa" are of poor standing; "Ca" represents obligations which are speculative in a high degree; and "C" represents the lowest rated class of bonds). "Caa," "Ca" and "C" bonds may be in default.
Con. (-) – Bonds for which the security depends upon the completion of some act or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These are bonds secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects unseasoned in operation experience, (c) rentals which begin when facilities are completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting condition attaches. Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of construction or elimination of basis of condition.
Note: Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups which Moody's believes possess the strongest investment attributes are designated by the symbols, Aa1, A1, Baa1, Ba1 and B1.
The following summarizes the long‑term debt ratings used by Duff & Phelps for corporate and municipal long‑term debt:
"AAA" – Debt is considered to be of the highest credit quality. The risk factors are negligible, being only slightly more than for risk‑free U.S. Treasury debt.
"AA" – Debt is considered of high credit quality. Protection factors are strong. Risk is modest but may vary slightly from time to time because of economic conditions.
"A" – Debt possesses protection factors which are average but adequate. However, risk factors are more variable and greater in periods of economic stress.
"BBB" – Debt possesses below‑average protection factors but such protection factors are still considered sufficient for prudent investment. Considerable variability in risk is present during economic cycles.
"BB," "B," "CCC," "DD" and "DP" – Debt that possesses one of these ratings is considered to be below investment grade. Although below investment grade, debt rated "BB" is deemed likely to meet obligations when due. Debt rated "B" possesses the risk that obligations will not be met when due. Debt rated "CCC" is well below investment grade and has considerable uncertainty as to timely payment of principal, interest or preferred dividends. Debt rated "DD" is a defaulted debt obligation, and the rating "DP" represents preferred stock with dividend arrearages.
To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the "AA," "A," "BBB," "BB" and "B" ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (‑) sign to show relative standing within these major categories.
The following summarizes the ratings used by Fitch IBCA for corporate and municipal bonds:
"AAA" – Bonds considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. These ratings denote the lowest expectation of investment risk and are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is very unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
"AA" – Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. These ratings denote a very low expectation of investment risk and indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
"A" – Bonds considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. These ratings denote a low expectation of investment risk and indicate strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than bonds with higher ratings.
"BBB" – Bonds considered to be investment grade and of good credit quality. These ratings denote that there is currently a low expectation of investment risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this category.
"BB" – Bonds considered to be speculative. These ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic changes over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
"B" – Bonds are considered highly speculative. These ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
"CCC," "CC" and "C" – Bonds have high default risk. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. "CC" ratings indicate that default of some kind appears probable, and "C" ratings signal imminent default.
"DDD," "DD" and "D" – Bonds are in default. Securities are not meeting obligations and are extremely speculative. "DDD" designates the highest potential for recovery on these securities, and "D" represents the lowest potential for recovery.
To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the Fitch IBCA ratings from and including "AA" to "B" may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (‑) sign to show relative standing within these major rating categories.
Thomson BankWatch assesses the likelihood of an untimely repayment of principal or interest over the term to maturity of long term debt and preferred stock which are issued by United States commercial banks, thrifts and non‑bank banks; non‑United States banks; and broker‑dealers. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Thomson BankWatch for long‑term debt ratings:
"AAA" – This designation represents the highest category assigned by Thomson BankWatch to long‑term debt and indicates that the ability to repay principal and interest on a timely basis is extremely high.
"AA" – This designation indicates a very strong ability to repay principal and interest on a timely basis with limited incremental risk compared to issues rated in the highest category.
"A" –This designation indicates that the ability to repay principal and interest is strong. Issues rated "A" could be more vulnerable to adverse developments (both internal and external) than obligations with higher ratings.
"BBB" – This designation represents Thomson BankWatch's lowest investment‑grade category and indicates an acceptable capacity to repay principal and interest. Issues rated "BBB" are, however, more vulnerable to adverse developments (both internal and external) than obligations with higher ratings.
"BB," "B," "CCC" and "CC" – These designations are assigned by Thomson BankWatch to non‑investment grade long‑term debt. Such issues are regarded as having speculative characteristics regarding the likelihood of timely payment of principal and interest. "BB" indicates the lowest degree of speculation and "CC" the highest degree of speculation.
"D" – This designation indicates that the long‑term debt is in default.
PLUS (+) OR MINUS (‑) – The ratings from "AAA" through "CC" may include a plus or minus sign designation which indicates where within the respective category the issue is placed.
APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES
ALLIANZ VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS TRUST
|
A. |
Basis for Proxy Voting. The Allianz Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "VIP Trust") and the Allianz Variable Insurance Products Fund of Funds Trust (the "FOF Trust," and together with the VIP Trust, the "Trusts") seek to vote proxies received with respect to the securities held by one or more of their outstanding series (each, a "Fund") in a manner that is most likely to maximize the monetary value of the holdings of the relevant Fund and to maximize the likelihood of a favorable investment return. |
|
B. |
Delegation of Proxy Voting. The Board of Trustees (the "Board") of the Trusts recognizes that the right to vote a proxy with respect to the securities that each Fund holds is an asset of that Fund and that the oversight of the effective management of this asset is a part of the Board's oversight responsibility and the obligations of the Trusts' officers. The Board further recognizes that the voting of proxies is an integral part of the services provided by Allianz Investment Management LLC ("AZIM") and by those investment advisers retained by AZIM to provide day-to-day investment management services to the Funds of the VIP Trust (each, a "Subadviser"). Accordingly, the Board hereby delegates to AZIM or to each Subadviser of a Fund of the VIP Trust, as the case may be, the responsibility for voting proxies on securities held by any Fund, the purchase and holding of which is a result of one or more investment decisions made by AZIM or
such Subadviser, subject to the continuing oversight of the Board(1). In the remainder of this document, AZIM and the Subadvisers may, as appropriate, be referred to individually as a "Manager" or collectively as the "Managers." |
| (1) |
This policy is adopted for the purpose of the disclosure requirements adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Releases No. 33-8188, 34-47304, IC-25922. |
|
C. |
Monitoring of Proxy Voting by Subadvisers. The Board further delegates to AZIM, as an integral part of those services provided by AZIM to the VIP Trust pursuant to its agreement with the VIP Trust dated April 27, 2001, the responsibility for receiving appropriate representations that each Subadviser votes proxies received with respect to Fund securities in a manner that is consistent with such Subadviser's fiduciary obligation to the VIP Trust and the proxy voting policies, procedures, and guidelines ("Proxy Voting Policies") adopted by such Subadviser. |
|
A. |
Subadviser Voting Procedures; Board Oversight. The officers of the VIP Trust (or other designated agents of the VIP Trust) shall obtain from each Subadviser the Proxy Voting Policies adopted by such Subadviser. Generally, such Proxy Voting Policies shall be presented to the Board not later than the Board meeting at which the subadvisory agreement dealing with the services to be provided by the Subadviser is submitted for the Board's review and approval. The proxy voting policies and procedures of the Managers are incorporated by reference herein. Proxy Voting Policies or a summary thereof shall be presented to the Board thereafter at least annually for its review and approval, and the officers of the VIP Trust shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that the Board is notified promptly of any material changes in the Proxy Voting Policies of each Subadviser. |
|
1. |
Conflict of Interest. The Trusts recognize that there may be instances in which a Manager (or affiliated persons of a Manager) has a financial interest in a matter presented by a proxy. In reviewing the adequacy of Proxy Voting Procedures provided to the Trusts by Managers, the Trusts' officers will evaluate the extent to which conflicts of interest have been addressed; including the extent to which the existence of pre-determined voting policies have been established such that the Manager has limited discretion in making a proxy voting decision in the event of a conflict of interest, or existence of other specific decision-making mechanisms to ensure that any decision with respect to a proposal representing a conflict between the interests of the Manager and the Trust would be effectively insulated from the conflict and the basis for such decision fully documented. In limited circumstances, a Manager may be unable to make a decision with regard to a particular
proxy vote in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, due to the existence of a conflict. In these circumstances, and where the Manager advises the Trust of such a conflict and its inability to vote, the Trust |
may direct the Manager how to vote. In directing a Manager how to vote, the Trust may rely on one or more of the following considerations: the advice of counsel, or an independent third party; any voting decisions being made by other Managers to the Trust on the same proxy voting decision, where a conflict does not exist; the policies and procedures of the Manager that is unable to vote due to the conflict; or any other consideration affecting the Trust.
|
2. |
Differences Among Proxy Voting Policies. The Trusts recognize that there may be instances where the responsibility for voting proxies with respect to a single security is vested in two or more Managers (such as, when more than one Fund, or two or more subportfolios of the same Fund that are managed by different Managers, hold voting securities of a single issuer). Under these circumstances, there is the possibility that the application of relevant Proxy Voting Policies will result in proxies being voted inconsistently. It is the position of the Trusts that such circumstance will not be deemed to suggest improper action on the part of any Manager. |
|
3. |
Proxy Voting for Loaned Securities. Portfolio securities of the Funds may, from time to time, be on loan through a securities lending program or securities lending arrangement with a third party ("Loaned Securities"). Voting rights that accompany Loaned Securities generally pass to the borrower of the securities. The Trusts will not attempt, or require Managers to attempt, to seek recalls of Loaned Securities solely for the purpose of voting routine proxies since such a practice could impact the returns received from a Fund's securities lending activity and make the Fund a less desirable lender. However, when a Trust or the relevant Manager has knowledge that a proxy involves a "Material Event" (defined below) affecting Loaned Securities, the Trusts shall use or require the Managers to use reasonable efforts to recall the Loaned Security. For purposes of this provision, the term "Material Event" means a merger, acquisition, spin-off,
or other similar corporate action. The Trusts' Valuation and Investment Policy Committee (the "VIP Committee") will review from time to time what constitutes a Material Event and shall adjust the standard as deemed necessary. The VIP Committee shall communicate its standard for what constitutes a Material Event, and any subsequent changes thereto, to the Funds' Managers and to the Board. The Trusts, the Manager and/or the VIP Committee, as applicable, may utilize third-party service providers from time to time to assist in identifying and evaluating whether an event constitutes a Material Event, or may adopt standards found in the proxy voting policies of one or more Managers. |
The Trusts recognize that the ability to timely recall shares for proxy voting purposes is not within the sole control of the Managers and requires the cooperation of the Trusts and other service providers. Under certain circumstances, the recall of shares in time to be voted may not be possible due to applicable proxy voting record dates, the timing of receipt of information and administrative considerations. Accordingly, efforts to recall loaned securities are not always effective and there can be no guarantee that any such securities can be retrieved in a timely manner for purposes of voting securities.
|
4. |
Cost-Benefit Analysis Involving Voting Proxies. The Trusts recognize that there may be circumstances in which refraining from voting a proxy may be in a Fund's best interest, such as when the Manager determines that the cost of voting a proxy exceeds any expected benefit to the Fund. For example, a Manager may refrain from voting a proxy on behalf of a Fund due to de-minimis holdings, immaterial impact on the portfolio, items relating to foreign issues (such as those described below) and timing issues related to the opening/closing of accounts. A Manager may refrain from voting a proxy of a foreign issue due to logistical considerations that may have a detrimental effect on the Manager's ability to vote the proxy. These issues may include, but are not limited to: (i) proxy statements and ballots being written in a foreign language; (ii) untimely notice of a shareholder meeting; (iii) requirements to vote proxies in person; (iv) restrictions on a foreigner's
ability to exercise votes; (v) restrictions on the sale of securities for a period of time in proximity to the shareholder meeting; or (vi) requirements to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate the voting instructions. Managers are expected, however, to vote all such proxies on a best-efforts basis. |
|
5. |
Proxy Voting for Affiliated Underlying Funds. Certain Funds of the Trusts may invest in shares of other investment companies ("Underlying Funds") which may be advised by the Fund's Manager or its affiliates. In particular, the Funds of the FOF Trust, each of which is advised by AZIM, are expected to invest primarily in the shares of Underlying Funds which are advised by AZIM or its affiliates. It is the policy of the Trusts that any proxy solicited by such an affiliated Underlying Fund shall be voted by the Trusts in the same ratio as shares are voted by the investors of such Underlying Fund who are not affiliated with the Manager or the Trusts. In the event that the affiliated Underlying Fund has no investors who are not affiliated with the Manager or the Trusts, any proxy solicited by such an affiliated Underlying Fund shall be voted by the Trusts in accordance with the recommendation of the Underlying Fund's board. |
|
C. |
Voting Record Reporting. |
|
1. |
Maintenance of Manager Voting Records. No less than annually, the Trusts shall obtain from each Manager a record of each proxy voted with respect to portfolio securities of each Fund of the Trusts managed, in whole or in part, by that Manager during the year. This record may be provided directly by the Manager or accessed via an appropriate electronic means in the manner contemplated under relevant regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
|
2. |
Annual Filing on Form N-PX. Each of the Trusts shall file an annual report of each proxy voted with respect to securities of the Trust's Funds during the 12-month period ended June 30 on Form N-PX not later than August 31 of each year. |
The delegation of the authority to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of any Fund is entirely voluntary and may be revoked by either or both of the Trusts, acting by resolution of the Board, in whole or in part, at any time.
|
A. |
Each of the Trusts shall include in its registration statement: |
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1. |
A description of this policy and of the Proxy Voting Procedures, or summaries thereof, of each Manager; and |
|
2. |
A statement disclosing that information regarding how the Trust voted proxies relating to Fund securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; or through a specified Internet address; or both; and on the SEC website. |
|
B. |
Each of the Trusts shall include in its Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders: |
|
1. |
A statement disclosing that a description of the policies and procedures used by or on behalf of the Trust to determine how to vote proxies relating to securities of the Trust's Funds is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; or through a specified Internet address; and on the SEC website. |
|
2. |
A statement disclosing that information regarding how the Trust voted proxies relating to Fund securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; or through a specified Internet address; or both; and on the SEC website. |
ALLIANZ INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC
The following are general proxy voting policies and procedures ("Policies and Procedures") adopted by Allianz Investment Management LLC ("AZIM"), an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("Advisers Act")(1). AZIM serves as the investment adviser to various clients, including investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("1940 Act")(2). These Policies and Procedures are adopted to ensure compliance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act, other applicable fiduciary obligations of AZIM and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and interpretations of its staff.
| (1) |
These Policies and Procedures are adopted by AZIM pursuant to Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act. See Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, IA Release No. 2106 (January 31, 2003). |
| (2) |
These Policies and Procedures address proxy voting considerations under U.S. law and regulations and do not address the laws or requirements of other jurisdictions. |
AZIM will implement these Policies and Procedures for each of its clients as required under applicable law, unless expressly directed by a client in writing to refrain from voting that client's proxies. AZIM's authority to vote proxies on behalf of its clients is established by its advisory contracts, comparable documents or by an overall delegation of discretionary authority over its client's assets. These Policies and Procedures also apply to any voting rights and/or consent rights of AZIM, on behalf of its clients, with respect to debt securities, including but not limited to, plans of reorganization, and waivers and consents under applicable indentures(3).
| (3) |
For purposes of these Policies and Procedures, proxy voting includes any voting rights, consent rights or other voting authority of AZIM on behalf of its clients. For purposes of these Policies and Procedures, voting or consent rights shall not include matters which are primarily investment decisions, including tender offers, exchange offers, conversions, put options, redemptions, and dutch auctions. |
Set forth below are AZIM's Policies and Procedures with respect to any voting or consent rights of advisory clients over which AZIM has discretionary voting authority. These Policies and Procedures may be revised from time to time.
General Statements of Policy
These Policies and Procedures are designed and implemented in a manner reasonably expected to ensure that voting and consent rights are exercised in the best interests of AZIM's clients. Each proxy is voted on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration any relevant contractual obligations as well as other relevant facts and circumstances.
AZIM may abstain from voting a client proxy under the following circumstances: (1) when the economic effect on shareholders' interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant; or (2) when the cost of voting the proxies outweighs the benefits.
Conflicts of Interest
AZIM seeks to resolve any material conflicts of interest by voting in good faith in the best interest of its clients. If a material conflict of interest should arise, AZIM will seek to resolve such conflict in the client's best interest by pursuing any one of the following courses of action:
| 1. |
convening an ad-hoc committee to assess and resolve the conflict(4) |
| (4) |
Any committee must be comprised of personnel who have no direct interest in the outcome of the potential conflict. |
| 2. |
voting in accordance with the policies of the client or with the instructions or consent of the client after providing notice of and disclosing the conflict to that client; |
| 3. |
voting the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third-party service provider; |
| 4. |
suggesting that the client engage another party to determine how the proxies should be voted; |
| 5. |
delegating the vote to an independent third-party service provider; or |
| 6. |
voting in accordance with the factors discussed in these Policies and Procedures. |
AZIM will document the process of resolving any identified material conflict of interest.
Reporting Requirements and the Availability of Proxy Voting Records
Except to the extent required by applicable law or otherwise approved by AZIM, AZIM will not disclose to third parties how it voted a proxy on behalf of a client. However, upon request from an appropriately authorized individual, AZIM will disclose to its clients or the entity delegating the voting authority to AZIM for such clients (for example, trustees or consultants retained by the client), how AZIM voted such client's proxy. In addition, AZIM provides its clients with a copy of these Policies and Procedures or a concise summary of these Policies and Procedures: (i) in Part II of Form ADV; (ii) together with a periodic account statement in a separate mailing; or (iii) any other means as determined by AZIM. The summary will state that these Policies and Procedures are available upon request and will inform clients that information about how AZIM voted that client's proxies is available upon request.
Record Keeping
AZIM or its agent maintains proxy voting records as required by Rule 204-2(c) of the Advisers Act. These records include: (1) a copy of all proxy voting policies and procedures; (2) proxy statements (or other disclosures accompanying requests for client consent) received regarding client securities (which may be satisfied by relying on obtaining a copy of a proxy statement from the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system or a third party provided that the third party undertakes to provide a copy promptly upon request); (3) a record of each vote cast by AZIM on behalf of a client; (4) a copy of any document created by AZIM that was material to making a decision on how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for that decision; and (5) a copy of each written client request for proxy voting records and any written response from AZIM to any (written or oral) client request for such records. Additionally,
AZIM or its agent maintains any documentation related to an identified material conflict of interest.
Proxy voting books and records are maintained by AZIM or its agent in an easily accessible place for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in the offices of AZIM or its agent.
Review and Oversight
AZIM's proxy voting procedures are described below. AZIM's compliance group will provide for the supervision and periodic review, no less than on an annual basis, of its proxy voting activities and the implementation of these Policies and Procedures.
| 1. |
Receipt of Proxies by AZIM. AZIM's operations group generally will receive notice of any proxy from registered owners of record (for example, custodian bank or other third-party service providers). |
| 2. |
Conflicts of Interest. AZIM's operations group will engage the compliance group to review each proxy to determine whether there may be a material conflict between AZIM and its client. As part of this review, the compliance group will determine whether the issuer of the security or proponent of the proposal is a client or affiliate of AZIM, or if a client or affiliate has actively solicited AZIM to support a particular position. If no conflict exists, the operations group will forward each proxy to AZIM's Valuation and Investment Policy Committee (the "VIP Committee"). However, if a conflict does exist, AZIM's compliance group will seek to resolve any such conflict in accordance with these Policies and Procedures. |
| 3. |
Vote. The VIP Committee will review the information, will vote the proxy in accordance with these Policies and Procedures, and will return the voted proxy to AZIM's operations group. |
| 4. |
Transmittal to Third Parties. AZIM will document the VIP Committee's decision for each proxy received in a format designated by the custodian bank or other third party service provider. AZIM will maintain a log of all corporate actions, including proxy voting, that indicates, among other things, the date the notice was received and verified, AZIM's response, the date and time the custodian bank or other third party service provider was notified, the expiration date, and any action taken. |
| 5. |
Information Barriers. Certain entities controlling, controlled by, or under common control with AZIM ("Affiliates") may be engaged in banking, investment advisory, broker-dealer, and investment banking activities. AZIM personnel and AZIM's agents are prohibited from disclosing information regarding AZIM's voting intentions to any Affiliate. Any AZIM personnel involved in the proxy voting process who are contacted by an Affiliate regarding the manner in which AZIM or its delegate intend to vote on a specific issue must terminate the contact and notify the compliance group immediately. |
Certain personnel performing duties for AZIM also are employed by and perform duties for Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America ("AZL"), which owns AZIM. In certain circumstances, AZIM personnel involved in the process of voting proxies on behalf of AZIM's client may also be involved in the process of voting the same proxies on behalf of AZL or other Affiliates. Any such circumstances should be reported to AZIM's compliance group, which will be responsible to ensure that the interests of AZIM's clients are protected and that any conflicts of interest are identified and resolved.
Categories of Proxy Voting Issues
In general, AZIM reviews and considers corporate governance issues related to proxy matters and generally supports proposals that foster good corporate governance practices. AZIM considers each proposal on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration various factors and all relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote. AZIM may vote proxies as recommended by management on routine matters related to the operation of the issuer and on matters not expected to have a significant economic impact on the issuer and/or shareholders, because AZIM believes the recommendations by the issuer generally are in shareholders' best interests, and therefore in the best economic interest of AZIM's clients. The following is a non-exhaustive list of issues that may be included in proxy materials submitted to clients of AZIM, and a non-exhaustive list of factors that AZIM may consider in determining how to vote the client's proxies.
Board of Directors
| 1. |
Independence. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on director independence issues: (i) majority requirements for the board and the audit, nominating, compensation, and/or other board committees; and (ii) whether the issuer adheres to and/or is subject to legal and regulatory requirements. |
| 2. |
Director Tenure and Retirement. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on limiting the term of outside directors: (i) the introduction of new viewpoints on the board; (ii) a reasonable retirement age for the outside directors; and (iii) the impact on the board's stability and continuity. |
| 3. |
Nominations in Elections. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on uncontested elections: (i) composition of the board; (ii) nominee availability and attendance at meetings; (iii) any investment made by the nominee in the issuer; and (iv) long-term corporate performance and the price of the issuer's securities. |
| 4. |
Separation of Chairman and CEO Positions. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on proposals requiring that the positions of chairman of the board and the chief executive officer not be filled by the same person: (i) any potential conflict of interest with respect to the board's ability to review and oversee management's actions; and (ii) any potential effect on the issuer's productivity and efficiency. |
| 5. |
D&O Indemnification and Liability Protection. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on proposals that include director and officer indemnification and liability protection: (i) indemnifying directors for conduct in the normal course of business; (ii) limiting liability for monetary damages for violating the duty of care; (iii) expanding |
coverage beyond legal expenses to acts that represent more serious violations of fiduciary obligation than carelessness (for example, negligence); and (iv) providing expanded coverage in cases where a director's legal defense was unsuccessful if the director was found to have acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed was in the best interests of the company.
| 6. |
Stock Ownership. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on proposals on mandatory share ownership requirements for directors: (i) the benefits of additional vested interest in the issuer's stock; (ii) the ability of a director to fulfill his/her duties to the issuer regardless of the extent of his stock ownership; and (iii) the impact of limiting the number of persons qualified to be directors. |
Proxy Contests and Proxy Contest Defenses
| 1. |
Contested Director Nominations. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on proposals for director nominees in a contested election: (i) background and reason for the proxy contest; (ii) qualifications of the director nominees; (iii) management's track record; (iv) the issuer's long-term financial performance within its industry; (v) assessment of what each side is offering shareholders; (vi) the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met; and (vii) stock ownership positions of the director nominees. |
| 2. |
Reimbursement for Proxy Solicitation Expenses. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on reimbursement for proxy solicitation expenses: (i) identity of the persons who will pay the expenses; (ii) estimated total cost of solicitation; (iii) total expenditures to date; (iv) fees to be paid to proxy solicitation firms; and (v) when applicable, terms of a proxy contest settlement. |
| 3. |
Ability to Alter the Size of the Board by Shareholders. AZIM may consider whether the proposal seeks to fix the size of the board and/or require shareholder approval to alter the size of the board. |
| 4. |
Ability to Remove Directors by Shareholders. AZIM may consider whether the proposal allows shareholders to remove directors with or without cause and/or allow shareholders to elect directors and fill board vacancies |
| 5. |
Cumulative Voting. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on cumulative voting proposals: (i) the ability of significant stockholders to elect a director of their choosing; (ii) the ability of minority shareholders to concentrate their support in favor of a director(s) of their choosing; and (iii) any potential limitation placed on the director's ability to work for all shareholders. |
| 6. |
Supermajority Shareholder Requirements. AZIM may consider all relevant factors, including but not limited to, limiting the ability of shareholders to effect change when voting on supermajority requirements to approve an issuer's charter or bylaws, or to approve a merger or other significant business combination that would require a level of voting approval in excess of a simple majority. |
Tender Offer Defenses
| 1. |
Classified Boards. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on classified boards: (i) providing continuity to the issuer; (ii) promoting long-term planning for the issuer; and (iii) guarding against unsolicited takeovers. |
| 2. |
Poison Pills. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on poison pills: (i) supporting proposals to require a shareholder vote on other shareholder rights plans; (ii) ratifying or redeeming a poison pill in the interest of protecting the value of the issuer; and (iii) other alternatives to prevent a takeover at a price clearly below the true value of the issuer. |
| 3. |
Fair Price Provisions. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on proposals with respect to fair price provisions: (i) the vote required to approve the proposed acquisition; (ii) the vote required to repeal the fair price provision; (iii) the mechanism for determining fair price; and (iv) whether these provisions are bundled with other anti-takeover measures (for example, supermajority voting requirements) that may entrench management and discourage attractive tender offers. |
Capital Structure
| 1. |
Stock Authorizations. AZIM may consider the following factors to help distinguish between legitimate proposals to authorize increases in common stock for expansion and other corporate purchases and those proposals designed primarily as an anti-takeover device: (i) the purpose and need for the stock increase; (ii) the percentage increase with respect to the authorization currently in place; (iii) voting rights of the stock; and (iv) overall capitalization structure of the issuer. |
| 2. |
Issuance of Preferred Stock. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on the issuance of preferred stock: (i) whether the new class of preferred stock has unspecified voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights; (ii) whether the issuer expressly states that the stock will not be used as a takeover defense or carry superior voting |
rights; (iii) whether the issuer specifies the voting, dividend, conversion, and other rights of such stock and the terms of the preferred stock appear reasonable; and (iv) whether the stated purpose is to raise capital or make acquisitions in the normal course of business.
| 3. |
Stock Splits. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on stock splits: (i) the percentage increase in the number of shares with respect to the issuer's existing authorized shares; and (ii) the industry that the issuer is in and the issuer's performance in that industry. |
| 4. |
Reverse Stock Splits. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on reverse stock splits: (i) the percentage increase in the shares with respect to the issuer's existing authorized stock; and (ii) issues related to delisting the issuer's stock. |
Executive and Director Compensation
| 1. |
Stock Option Plans. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on stock option plans: (i) whether the stock option plan expressly permits the repricing of options; (ii) whether the plan could result in earnings dilution of greater than a specified percentage of shares outstanding; (iii) whether the plan has an option exercise price below the market price on the day of the grant; (iv) whether the proposal relates to an amendment to extend the term of options for persons leaving the firm voluntarily or for cause; and (v) whether the stock option plan has certain other embedded features. |
| 2. |
Director Compensation. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on director compensation: (i) whether director shares are at the same market risk as those of the issuer's shareholders; and (ii) how stock option programs for outside directors compare with the standards of internal stock option programs. |
| 3. |
Golden and Tin Parachutes. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on golden and/or tin parachutes: (i) whether they will be submitted for shareholder approval; and (ii) the employees covered by the plan and the quality of management. |
State of Incorporation
State Takeover Statutes. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on proposals to opt out of a state takeover statute: (i) the power the statute vests with the issuer's board; (ii) the potential of the statute to stifle bids; and (iii) the potential for the statute to empower the board to negotiate a better deal for shareholders.
Mergers and Restructurings
| 1. |
Mergers and Acquisitions. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on a merger and/or acquisition: (i) anticipated financial and operating benefits as a result of the merger or acquisition; (ii) offer price; (iii) prospects of the combined companies; (iv) how the deal was negotiated; and (v) changes in corporate governance and the potential impact on shareholder rights. AZIM may also consider what impact the merger or acquisition may have on groups/organizations other than the issuer's shareholders. |
| 2. |
Corporate Restructurings. With respect to a proxy proposal that includes a spin-off, AZIM may consider the tax and regulatory advantages, planned use of sale proceeds, market focus, and managerial incentives. With respect to a proxy proposal that includes an asset sale, AZIM may consider the impact on the balance sheet or working capital and the value received for the asset. With respect to a proxy proposal that includes a liquidation, AZIM may consider management's efforts to pursue alternatives, the appraisal value of assets, and the compensation plan for executives managing the liquidation. |
Investment Company Proxies
Except as otherwise provided in the following paragraph, for a client that is invested in an investment company, AZIM votes each proxy of the investment company on a case-by-case basis and takes all reasonable steps to ensure that proxies are voted consistent with all applicable investment policies of the client and in accordance with any resolutions or other instructions approved by authorized persons of the client.
For a client that is invested in an investment company that is advised by AZIM or its affiliates, if there is a conflict of interest that may be presented when voting for the client (for example, a proposal to approve a contract between AZIM and the investment company), AZIM will resolve the conflict by doing any one of the following: (i) voting in accordance with the written policies of the client or with the instructions or consent of the client after providing notice of and disclosing the conflict to that client; (ii) voting the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third-party service provider; or (iii) delegating the vote to an independent third-party service provider.
| 1. |
Election of Directors or Trustees. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on the director or trustee nominees of a mutual fund: (i) board structure, director independence and qualifications, and compensation paid by |
the fund and the family of funds; (ii) availability and attendance at board and committee meetings; (iii) investments made by the nominees in the fund; and (iv) the fund's performance.
| 2. |
Converting Closed-End Fund to Open-End Fund. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on converting a closed-end fund to an open-end fund: (i) past performance as a closed-end fund; (ii) the market in which the fund invests; (iii) measures taken by the board to address any discount of the fund's shares; (iv) past shareholder activism; (v) board activity; and (vi) votes on related proposals. |
| 3. |
Proxy Contests. AZIM may consider the following factors related to a proxy contest: (i) past performance of the fund; (ii) the market in which the fund invests; (iii) measures taken by the board to address past shareholder activism; (iv) board activity; and (v) votes on related proposals. |
| 4. |
Investment Advisory Agreements. AZIM may consider the following factors related to approval of an investment advisory agreement: (i) proposed and current fee arrangements/schedules; (ii) fund category/investment objective; (iii) performance benchmarks; (iv) total return performance as compared with peers; and (v) the magnitude of any fee increase and the reasons for such fee increase. |
| 5. |
Policies Established in Accordance with the 1940 Act. AZIM may consider the following factors: (i) the extent to which the proposed changes fundamentally alter the investment focus of the fund and comply with SEC interpretation; (ii) potential competitiveness; (iii) regulatory developments; and (iv) current and potential returns and risks. |
| 6. |
Changing a Fundamental Restriction to a Non-Fundamental Restriction. AZIM may consider the following when voting on a proposal to change a fundamental restriction to a non-fundamental restriction: (i) reasons given by the board and management for the change; and (ii) the projected impact of the change on the fund's portfolio. |
| 7. |
Rule 12b-1 Plans. AZIM may consider the following when voting on a proposal to approve a Rule 12b-1 Plan: (i) fees charged to comparably sized funds with similar investment objectives; (ii) the distributor's reputation and past performance; and (iii) competitiveness of the fund among other similar funds in the industry. |
| 8. |
Names Rule Proposals. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on a proposal to change a fund name, consistent with Rule 35d-1 of the 1940 Act: (i) whether the fund invests a minimum of 80% of its assets in the type of investments suggested by the proposed name; (ii) the political and economic changes in the target market; and (iii) current asset composition. |
| 9. |
Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation. AZIM may consider the following when voting on a proposal to dispose of fund assets, terminate, or liquidate the fund: (i) strategies employed to salvage the fund; (ii) the fund's past performance; and (iii) the terms of the liquidation. |
| 10. |
Changes to Charter Documents. AZIM may consider the following when voting on a proposal to change a fund's charter documents: (i) degree of change implied by the proposal; (ii) efficiencies that could result; (iii) state of incorporation; and (iv) regulatory standards and implications. |
| 11. |
Changing the Domicile of a Fund. AZIM may consider the following when voting on a proposal to change the domicile of a fund: (i) regulations of both states; (ii) required fundamental policies of both states; and (iii) the increased flexibility available. |
| 12. |
Change in Fund's Subclassification. AZIM may consider the following when voting on a change in a fund's subclassification from diversified to non-diversified or to permit concentration in an industry: (i) potential competitiveness; (ii) current and potential returns; (iii) risk of concentration; and (iv) consolidation in the target industry. |
Distressed and Defaulted Securities
| 1. |
Waivers and Consents. AZIM may consider the following when determining whether to support a waiver or consent to changes in provisions of indentures governing debt securities that are held on behalf of clients: (i) likelihood that the granting of such waiver or consent will potentially increase recovery to clients; (ii) potential for avoiding cross-defaults under other agreements; and (iii) likelihood that deferral of default will give the obligor an opportunity to improve its business operations. |
| 2. |
Voting on Chapter 11 Plans of Liquidation or Reorganization. AZIM may consider the following when determining whether to vote for or against a Chapter 11 plan in a case pending with respect to an obligor under debt securities which are held on behalf of clients: (i) other alternatives to the proposed plan; (ii) whether clients are treated appropriately and in accordance with applicable law with respect to their distributions; (iii) whether the vote is likely to increase or decrease recoveries to clients. |
Miscellaneous Provisions
| 1. |
Other Business. Proxy ballots sometimes contain a proposal granting the board authority to "transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting." AZIM may consider the following factors when developing a position on proxy ballots that contain a proposal granting the board authority to "transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting": (i) whether the board is limited in what actions it may legally take within such authority; and (ii) AZIM's responsibility to consider actions before supporting them. |
| 2. |
Equal Access. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on equal access: (i) the opportunity for significant company shareholders to evaluate and propose voting recommendations on proxy proposals and director nominees, and to nominate candidates to the board; and (ii) the added complexity and burden of providing shareholders with access to proxy materials. |
| 3. |
Charitable Contributions. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on charitable contributions: (i) the potential benefits to shareholders; and (ii) the potential impact on the issuer's resources that could have been used to increase shareholder value. |
| 4. |
Special Interest Issues. AZIM may consider the following factors when voting on special interest issues: (i) the long-term benefit to shareholders of promoting corporate accountability and responsibility on social issues; (ii) management's responsibility with respect to special interest issues; (iii) any economic costs and restrictions on management; (iv) a client's instruction to vote proxies in a specific manner and/or in a manner different from these Policies and Procedures; and (v) the responsibility to vote proxies for the greatest long-term shareholder value. |
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
Introduction to BlackRock
BlackRock is the world's preeminent asset management firm and a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services to institutional and individual clients around the world. BlackRock offers a wide range of investment strategies and product structures to meet clients' needs, including individual and institutional separate accounts, mutual funds, closed-end funds, and other pooled investment vehicles and the industry-leading iShares exchange traded funds. Through BlackRock Solutions®, we offer risk management, strategic advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of clients.
Philosophy on corporate governance
BlackRock's corporate governance program is focused on protecting and enhancing the economic value of the companies in which it invests on behalf of clients. We do this through engagement with boards and management of investee companies and, for those clients who have given us authority, through voting at shareholder meetings.
We believe that there are certain fundamental rights attached to share ownership. Companies and their boards should be accountable to shareholders and structured with appropriate checks and balances to ensure that they operate in shareholders' interests. Effective voting rights are central to the rights of ownership and there should be one vote for one share. Shareholders should have the right to elect, remove and nominate directors, approve the appointment of the auditor and to amend the corporate charter or by-laws. Shareholders should be able to vote on matters that are material to the protection of their investment including but not limited to changes to the purpose of the business, dilution levels and pre-emptive rights, the distribution of income and the capital structure. In order to exercise these rights effectively, we believe shareholders have the right to sufficient and timely information to be able to take an informed view of the proposals,
and of the performance of the company and management.
Our focus is on the board of directors, as the agent of shareholders, which should set the company's strategic aims within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed. The board should provide direction and leadership to the management and oversee management's performance. Our starting position is to be supportive of boards in their oversight efforts on our behalf and we would generally expect to support the items of business they put to a vote at shareholder meetings. Votes cast against or withheld from resolutions proposed by the board are a signal that we are concerned that the directors or management have either not acted in the interests of shareholders or have not responded adequately to shareholder concerns regarding strategy or performance.
These principles set out our approach to engaging with companies, provide guidance on our position on corporate governance and outline how our views might be reflected in our voting decisions. Corporate governance practices vary internationally and our expectations in relation to individual companies are based on the legal and regulatory framework of each market. However, as noted above, we do believe that there are some overarching principles of corporate
governance that apply globally. We assess voting matters on a case-by-case basis and in light of each company's unique circumstances. We are interested to understand from the company's reporting its approach to corporate governance, particularly where it is different from the usual market practice, and how it benefits shareholders.
BlackRock also believes that shareholders have responsibilities in relation to monitoring and providing feedback to companies, sometimes known as stewardship. These ownership responsibilities include, in our view, engaging with management or board members on corporate governance matters, voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of shareholders and engaging with regulatory bodies to ensure a sound policy framework consistent with promoting long-term shareholder value creation. Institutional shareholders also have responsibilities to their clients to have appropriate resources and oversight structures. Our own approach to oversight in relation to our corporate governance activities is set out in the section below titled "BlackRock's oversight of its corporate governance activities".
Corporate governance, engagement and voting
We recognize that accepted standards of corporate governance differ between markets but we believe that there are sufficient common threads globally to identify an overarching set of principles. The primary objective of our corporate governance activities is the protection and enhancement of the value of our clients' investments in public corporations. Thus, these principles focus on practices and structures that we consider to be supportive of long-term value creation. We discuss below the principles under six key themes. In our regional and market-specific voting guidelines we explain how these principles inform our voting decisions in relation to specific resolutions that may appear on the agenda of a shareholder meeting in the relevant market.
The six key themes are:
Boards and directors
Auditors and audit-related issues
Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions
Remuneration and benefits
Social, ethical and environmental issues
General corporate governance matters
At a minimum we would expect companies to observe the accepted corporate governance standard in their domestic market or to explain why doing so is not in the interests of shareholders. Where company reporting and disclosure is inadequate or the approach taken is inconsistent with our view of what is in the best interests of shareholders, we will engage with the company and/or use our vote to encourage a change in practice. In making voting decisions, we take into account research from proxy advisors, other internal and external research, information published by the company or provided through engagement and the views of our equity portfolio managers.
BlackRock views engagement as an important activity; engagement provides BlackRock with the opportunity to improve our understanding of investee companies and their governance structures, so that our voting decisions may be better informed. Engagement also allows us to share our philosophy and approach to investment and corporate governance with companies to enhance their understanding of our objectives. There are a range of approaches we may take in engaging companies depending on the nature of the issue under consideration, the company and the market.
Boards and directors
The performance of the board is critical to the economic success of the company and to the protection of shareholders' interests. Board members serve as agents of shareholders in overseeing the strategic direction and operation of the company. For this reason, BlackRock focuses on directors in many of its engagements and sees the election of directors as one of its most important responsibilities in the proxy voting context.
We expect the board of directors to promote and protect shareholder interests by: establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure; supporting and overseeing management in setting strategy; ensuring the integrity of financial statements; making decisions regarding mergers, acquisitions and disposals; establishing appropriate executive compensation structures; and addressing business issues including social, ethical and environmental issues when they have the potential to materially impact company reputation and performance.
There should be clear definitions of the role of the board, the sub-committees of the board and the senior management such that the responsibilities of each are well understood and accepted. Companies should report publicly the approach taken to governance (including in relation to board structure) and why this approach is in the interest of shareholders. We will engage with the appropriate directors where we have concerns about the performance of the board or the company,
the broad strategy of the company or the performance of individual board members. Concerns about directors may include their role on the board of a different company where that board has performed poorly and failed to protect shareholder interests.
BlackRock believes that directors should stand for re-election on a regular basis. We assess directors nominated for election or re-election in the context of the composition of the board as a whole. There should be detailed disclosure of the relevant credentials of the individual directors in order that shareholders can assess the caliber of an individual nominee. We expect there to be a sufficient number of independent directors on the board to ensure the protection of the interests of all shareholders. Common impediments to independence may include but are not limited to: current employment at the company or a subsidiary; former employment within the past several years as an executive of the company; providing substantial professional services to the company and/or members of the company's management; having had a substantial business relationship in the past three years; having, or representing a shareholder with, a substantial shareholding in the
company; being an immediate family member of any of the aforementioned; and interlocking directorships.
BlackRock believes that the operation of the board is enhanced when there is a clearly independent, senior non-executive director to lead it. Where the chairman is also the CEO or is otherwise not independent the company should have an independent lead director. The role of this director is to enhance the effectiveness of the independent members of the board through shaping the agenda, ensuring adequate information is provided to the board and encouraging independent participation in board deliberations. The lead independent board director should be available to shareholders if they have concerns that they wish to discuss.
To ensure that the board remains effective, regular reviews of board performance should be carried out and assessments made of gaps in skills or experience amongst the members. BlackRock believes it is beneficial for new directors to be brought onto the board periodically to refresh the group's thinking and to ensure both continuity and adequate succession planning. In identifying potential candidates, boards should take into consideration the diversity of experience and expertise of the current directors and how that might be augmented by incoming directors. We believe that directors are in the best position to assess the optimal size for the board, but we would be concerned if a board seemed too small to have an appropriate balance of directors or too large to be effective.
There are matters for which the board has responsibility that may involve a conflict of interest for executives or for affiliated directors. BlackRock believes that shareholders' interests are best served when the independent members of the board form a sub-committee to deal with such matters. In many markets, these sub-committees of the board specialize in audit, director nominations and compensation matters. An ad hoc committee might also be formed to decide on a special transaction, particularly one with a related party.
Auditors and audit-related issues
BlackRock recognizes the critical importance of financial statements which should provide a complete and accurate picture of a company's financial condition. We will hold the members of the audit committee or equivalent responsible for overseeing the management of the audit function. We take particular note of cases involving significant financial restatements or ad hoc notifications of material financial weakness.
The integrity of financial statements depends on the auditor being free of any impediments to being an effective check on management. To that end, we believe it is important that auditors are, and are seen to be, independent. Where the audit firm provides services to the company in addition to the audit, the fees earned should be disclosed and explained. Audit committees should also have in place a procedure for assuring annually the independence of the auditor.
Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions
The capital structure of a company is critical to its owners, the shareholders, as it impacts the value of their investment and the priority of their interest in the company relative to that of other equity or debt investors. Pre-emption rights are a key protection for shareholders against the dilution of their interests.
In assessing mergers, asset sales or other special transactions, BlackRock's primary consideration is the long-term economic interests of shareholders. Boards proposing a transaction need to clearly explain the economic and strategic rationale behind it. We will review a proposed transaction to determine the degree to which it enhances long-term shareholder value. We would prefer that proposed transactions have the unanimous support of the board and have been negotiated at arm's length. We may seek reassurance from the board that executive and/or board members' financial interests in a given transaction have not affected their ability to place shareholders' interests before their own. Where the
transaction involves related parties, we would expect the recommendation to support it to come from the independent directors and would prefer only non-conflicted shareholders to vote on the proposal.
BlackRock believes that shareholders have a right to dispose of company shares in the open market without unnecessary restriction. In our view, corporate mechanisms designed to limit shareholders' ability to sell their shares are contrary to basic property rights. Such mechanisms can serve to protect and entrench interests other than those of the shareholders. We believe that shareholders are broadly capable of making decisions in their own best interests. We would expect any so-called 'shareholder rights plans' being proposed by a board to be subject to shareholder approval on introduction and periodically thereafter for continuation.
Remuneration and benefits
BlackRock expects a company's board of directors to put in place a compensation structure that incentivizes and rewards executives appropriately and is aligned with shareholder interests, particularly long-term shareholder returns. We would expect the compensation committee to take into account the specific circumstances of the company and the key individuals the board is trying to incentivize. We encourage companies to ensure that their compensation packages incorporate appropriate and challenging performance conditions consistent with corporate strategy and market practice. We use third party research, in addition to our own analysis, to evaluate existing and proposed compensation structures. We hold members of the compensation committee or equivalent accountable for poor compensation practices or structures.
BlackRock believes that there should be a clear link between variable pay and company performance as reflected in returns to shareholders. We are not supportive of one-off or special bonuses unrelated to company or individual performance. We support incentive plans that pay out rewards earned over multiple and extended time periods. We believe consideration should be given to building claw back provisions into incentive plans such that executives would be required to repay rewards where they were not justified by actual performance. Compensation committees should guard against contractual arrangements that would entitle executives to material compensation for early termination of their contract. Finally, pension contributions should be reasonable in light of market practice.
Outside directors should be compensated in a manner that does not risk compromising their independence or aligning their interests too closely with those of the management, whom they are charged with overseeing.
Social, ethical, and environmental issues
Our fiduciary duty to clients is to protect and enhance their economic interest in the companies in which we invest on their behalf. It is within this context that we undertake our corporate governance activities. We believe that well-managed companies will deal effectively with the social, ethical and environmental ("SEE") aspects of their businesses.
BlackRock expects companies to identify and report on the material, business-specific SEE risks and opportunities and to explain how these are managed. This explanation should make clear how the approach taken by the company best serves the interests of shareholders and protects and enhances the long-term economic value of the company. The key performance indicators in relation to SEE matters should also be disclosed and performance against them discussed, along with any peer group benchmarking and verification processes in place. This helps shareholders assess how well management is dealing with the SEE aspects of the business. Any global standards adopted should also be disclosed and discussed in this context.
We may vote against the election of directors where we have concerns that a company might not be dealing with SEE issues appropriately. Sometimes we may reflect such concerns by supporting a shareholder proposal on the issue, where there seems to be either a significant potential threat or realized harm to shareholders' interests caused by poor management of SEE matters. In deciding our course of action, we will assess whether the company has already taken sufficient steps to address the concern and whether there is a clear and material economic disadvantage to the company if the issue is not addressed.
More commonly, given that these are often not voting issues, we will engage directly with the board or management. The trigger for engagement on a particular SEE concern is our assessment that there is potential for material economic ramifications for shareholders.
We do not see it as our role to make social, ethical or political judgments on behalf of clients. We expect investee companies to comply, at a minimum, with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they operate. They should explain how they manage situations where such laws or regulations are contradictory or ambiguous.
General corporate governance matters
BlackRock believes that shareholders have a right to timely and detailed information on the financial performance and viability of the companies in which they invest. In addition, companies should also publish information on the governance structures in place and the rights of shareholders to influence these. The reporting and disclosure provided by companies helps shareholders assess whether the economic interests of shareholders have been protected and the quality of the board's oversight of management. BlackRock believes shareholders should have the right to vote on key corporate governance matters, including on changes to governance mechanisms, to submit proposals to the shareholders' meeting and to call special meetings of shareholders. BlackRock's oversight of its corporate governance activities
Oversight
BlackRock holds itself to a very high standard in its corporate governance activities, including in relation to executing proxy votes. This function is executed by a team of dedicated BlackRock employees without sales responsibilities (the "Corporate Governance Group"), and which is considered an investment function. BlackRock maintains three regional oversight committees ("Corporate Governance Committees") for the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific, consisting of senior BlackRock investment professionals. All of the regional Corporate Governance Committees report to a Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee, which is a risk-focused committee composed of senior representatives of the active and index equity investment businesses, the Deputy General Counsel, the Global Executive Committee member to whom the Corporate Governance Group reports and the head of the Corporate Governance Group. The Corporate
Governance Committees review and approve amendments to their respective proxy voting guidelines ("Guidelines") and grant authority to the Global Head of Corporate Governance ("Global Head"), a dedicated BlackRock employee without sales responsibilities, to vote in accordance with the Guidelines. The Global Head leads the Corporate Governance Group to carry out engagement, voting and vote operations in a manner consistent with the relevant Corporate Governance Committee's mandate. The Corporate Governance Group engages companies in conjunction with the portfolio managers in discussions of significant governance issues, conducts research on corporate governance issues and participates in industry discussions to keep abreast of the field of corporate governance. The Corporate Governance Group, or vendors overseen by the Corporate Governance Group, also monitor upcoming proxy votes, execute proxy votes and maintain records of votes cast. The Corporate Governance
Group may refer complicated or particularly controversial matters or discussions to the appropriate investors and/or regional Corporate Governance Committees for their review, discussion and guidance prior to making a voting decision. BlackRock's Equity Policy Oversight Committee (EPOC) is informed of certain aspects of the work of the Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee and the Corporate Governance Group.
Vote execution
BlackRock carefully considers proxies submitted to funds and other fiduciary accounts ("Funds") for which it has voting authority. BlackRock votes (or refrains from voting) proxies for each Fund for which it has voting authority based on BlackRock's evaluation of the best long-term economic interests of shareholders, in the exercise of its independent business judgment, and without regard to the relationship of the issuer of the proxy (or any dissident shareholder) to the Fund, the Fund's affiliates (if any), BlackRock or BlackRock's affiliates.
When exercising voting rights, BlackRock will normally vote on specific proxy issues in accordance with its Guidelines for the relevant market. The Guidelines are reviewed regularly and are amended consistent with changes in the local market practice, as developments in corporate governance occur, or as otherwise deemed advisable by BlackRock's Corporate Governance Committees. The Corporate Governance Committees may, in the exercise of their business judgment, conclude that the Guidelines do not cover the specific matter upon which a proxy vote is requested or that an exception to the Guidelines would be in the best long-term economic interests of BlackRock's clients.
In the uncommon circumstance of there being a vote with respect to fixed income securities or the securities of privately held issuers the decision generally will be made by a Fund's portfolio managers and/or the Corporate Governance Group based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.
In certain markets, proxy voting involves logistical issues which can affect BlackRock's ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. These issues include but are not limited to: (i) untimely notice of shareholder meetings; (ii) restrictions on a foreigner's ability to exercise votes; (iii) requirements to vote proxies in person; (iv) "share-blocking" (requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the shareholder meeting); (v) potential difficulties in translating the proxy; and (vi) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate
voting instructions. We are not supportive of impediments to the exercise of voting rights such as shareblocking or overly burdensome administrative requirements.
As a consequence, BlackRock votes proxies in these markets only on a "best-efforts" basis. In addition, the Corporate Governance Committees may determine that it is generally in the best interests of BlackRock clients not to vote proxies of companies in certain countries if the committee determines that the costs (including but not limited to opportunity costs associated with shareblocking constraints) associated with exercising a vote are expected to outweigh the benefit the client would derive by voting on the issuer's proposal.
While it is expected that BlackRock, as a fiduciary, will generally seek to vote proxies over which BlackRock exercises voting authority in a uniform manner for all BlackRock clients, the relevant Corporate Governance Committee, in conjunction with the portfolio manager of an account, may determine that the specific circumstances of such an account require that such account's proxies be voted differently due to such account's investment objective or other factors that differentiate it from other accounts. In addition, BlackRock believes portfolio managers may from time to time legitimately reach differing but equally valid views, as fiduciaries for their funds and the client assets in those Funds, on how best to maximize economic value in respect of a particular investment. Accordingly, portfolio managers retain full discretion to vote the shares in the Funds they manage based on their analysis of the economic impact of a particular ballot item.
Conflicts management
BlackRock maintains policies and procedures that are designed to prevent undue influence on BlackRock's proxy voting activity that might stem from any relationship between the issuer of a proxy (or any dissident shareholder) and BlackRock, BlackRock's affiliates, a Fund or a Fund's affiliates. Some of the steps BlackRock has taken to prevent conflicts include, but are not limited to:
BlackRock has adopted a proxy voting oversight structure whereby the Corporate Governance Committees oversee the voting decisions and other activities of the Corporate Governance Group, and particularly its activities with respect to voting in the relevant region of each Corporate Governance Committee's jurisdiction.
The Corporate Governance Committees have adopted Guidelines for each region, which set forth the firm's views with respect to certain corporate governance and other issues that typically arise in the proxy voting context. The Corporate Governance Committees receive periodic reports regarding the specific votes cast by the Corporate Governance Group and regular updates on material process issues, procedural changes and other matters of concern to the Corporate Governance Committees.
BlackRock's Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee oversees the Global Head, the Corporate Governance Group and the Corporate Governance Committees. The Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee conducts a review, at least annually, of the proxy voting process to ensure compliance with BlackRock's risk policies and procedures.
BlackRock maintains a reporting structure that separates the Global Head and Corporate Governance Group from employees with sales responsibilities. In addition, BlackRock maintains procedures intended to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock's relationship with the issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder. Within the normal course of business, the Global Head or Corporate Governance Group may engage directly with BlackRock clients, and with employees with sales responsibilities, in discussions regarding general corporate governance policy matters, and to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met. The Global Head or Corporate Governance Group does not discuss any specific voting matter with a client prior to the disclosure of the vote decision to all applicable clients after the shareholder meeting has taken place, except if the client
is acting in the capacity as issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder and is engaging through the established procedures independent of the client relationship.
In certain instances, BlackRock may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. The independent fiduciary may either vote such proxies or provide BlackRock with instructions as to how to vote such proxies. In the latter case, BlackRock votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary's determination. Use of an independent fiduciary has been adopted for voting the proxies related to any company that is affiliated with BlackRock or any company that includes BlackRock employees on its board of directors.
With regard to the relationship between securities lending and proxy voting, BlackRock's approach is driven by our clients' economic interests. The evaluation of the economic desirability of recalling loans involves balancing the revenue
producing value of loans against the likely economic value of casting votes. Based on our evaluation of this relationship, we believe that generally the likely economic value of casting most votes is less than the securities lending income, either because the votes will not have significant economic consequences or because the outcome of the vote would not be affected by BlackRock recalling loaned securities in order to ensure they are voted. Periodically, BlackRock analyzes the process and benefits of voting proxies for securities on loan, and will consider whether any modification of its proxy voting policies or procedures is necessary in light of future conditions. In addition, BlackRock may in its discretion determine that the value of voting outweighs the cost of recalling shares, and thus recall shares to vote in that instance.
Voting guidelines
The issue-specific voting Guidelines published for each region/country in which we vote are intended to summarize BlackRock's general philosophy and approach to issues that may commonly arise in the proxy voting context in each market where we invest. These Guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. BlackRock applies the Guidelines on a case-by-case basis, in the context of the individual circumstances of each company and the specific issue under review. As such, these Guidelines do not provide a guide to how BlackRock will vote in every instance. Rather, they share our view about corporate governance issues generally, and provide insight into how we typically approach issues that commonly arise on corporate ballots.
Reporting
We report our proxy voting activity directly to clients and publically as required. In addition, we publish for clients a more detailed discussion of our corporate governance activities, including engagement with companies and with other relevant parties.
June 2014
J.P. MORGAN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.
Global Proxy Voting
Procedures and Guidelines for North America
Global Proxy Voting
Procedures and Guidelines
for North America
2012 Edition
April 1, 2012Part I: JPMorgan Asset Management Global
Proxy Voting Guidelines.
The Board of Trustees has delegated to JPMIM and its affiliated advisers, proxy voting authority with respect to the fund's portfolio securities. To ensure that the proxies of portfolio companies are voted in the best interests of the fund, the fund's Board of Trustees has adopted JPMIM's detailed proxy voting procedures (the "Procedures") that incorporate guidelines ("Guidelines") for voting proxies on specific types of issues.
JPMIM and its affiliated advisers are part of a global asset management organization with the capability to invest in securities of issuers located around the globe. Because the regulatory framework and the business cultures and practices vary from region to region, the Guidelines are customized for each region to take into account such variations. Separate Guidelines cover the regions of (1) North America, (2) Europe, Middle East, Africa, Central America and South America, (3) Asia (ex-Japan) and (4) Japan, respectively.
Notwithstanding the variations among the Guidelines, all of the Guidelines have been designed with the uniform objective of encouraging corporate action that enhances shareholder value. As a general rule, in voting proxies of a particular security, JPMIM and its affiliated advisers will apply the Guidelines of the region in which the issuer of such security is organized. Except as noted below, proxy voting decisions will be made in accordance with the Guidelines covering a multitude of both routine and non-routine matters that JPMIM and its affiliated adviser have encountered globally, based on many years of collective investment management experience.
To oversee and monitor the proxy-voting process, JPMIM has established a proxy committee and appointed a proxy administrator in each global location where proxies are voted. The primary function of each proxy committee is to review
periodically general proxy-voting matters, review and approve the Guidelines annually, and provide advice and recommendations on general proxy-voting matters as well as on specific voting issues. The procedures permit an independent voting service, to perform certain services otherwise carried out or coordinated by the proxy administrator.
Although for many matters the Guidelines specify the votes to be cast, for many others, the Guidelines contemplate case-by-case determinations. In addition, there will undoubtedly be proxy matters that are not contemplated by the Guidelines. For both of these categories of matters and to override the Guidelines, the Procedures require a certification and review process to be completed before the vote is cast. That process is designed to identify actual or potential material conflicts of interest (between the fund on the one hand, and JPMIM and its affiliates on the other hand) and ensure that the proxy vote is cast in the best interests of the fund. A conflict is deemed to exist when the proxy is for JPMorgan Chase & Co. stock or for J.P. Morgan Funds, or when the proxy administrator has actual knowledge indicating that a JPMorgan affiliate is an investment banker or rendered a fairness opinion with respect to the matter that is the subject of the
proxy vote. When such conflicts are identified, the proxy will be voted by an independent third party either in accordance with JPMorgan proxy voting guidelines or by the third party using its own guidelines.
When other types of potential material conflicts of interest are identified, the proxy administrator and, as necessary, JPMorgan Asset Management's Chief Fiduciary Officer will evaluate the potential conflict of interest and determine whether such conflict actually exists, and if so, will recommend how JPMIM will vote the proxy. In addressing any material conflict, JPMIM may take one or more of the following measures (or other appropriate action): removing or "walling off" from the proxy voting process certain JPMIM personnel with knowledge of the conflict, voting in accordance with any applicable Guideline if the application of the Guideline would objectively result in the casting of a proxy vote in a predetermined manner, or deferring the vote to or obtaining a recommendation from a third independent party, in which case the proxy will be voted by, or in accordance with the recommendation of, the independent third party.
The following summarizes some of the more noteworthy types of proxy voting policies of the non-U.S. Guidelines:
| · |
Corporate governance procedures differ among the countries. Because of time constraints and local customs, it is not always possible for JPMIM to receive and review all proxy materials in connection with each item submitted for a vote. Many proxy statements are in foreign languages. Proxy materials are generally mailed by the issuer to the sub-custodian which holds the securities for the client in the country where the portfolio company is organized, and there may not be sufficient time for such materials to be transmitted to JPMIM in time for a vote to be cast. In some countries, proxy statements are not mailed at all, and in some locations, the deadline for voting is two to four days after the initial announcement that a vote is to be solicited and it may not always be possible to obtain sufficient information to make an informed decision in good time to vote. |
| · |
Certain markets require that shares being tendered for voting purposes are temporarily immobilized from trading until after the shareholder meeting has taken place. Elsewhere, notably emerging markets, it may not always be possible to obtain sufficient information to make an informed decision in good time to vote. Some markets require a local representative to be hired in order to attend the meeting and vote in person on our behalf, which can result in considerable cost. JPMIM also considers the cost of voting in light of the expected benefit of the vote. In certain instances, it may sometimes be in the Fund's best interests to intentionally refrain from voting in certain overseas markets from time to time. |
| · |
Where proxy issues concern corporate governance, takeover defense measures, compensation plans, capital structure changes and so forth, JPMIM pays particular attention to management's arguments for promoting the prospective change JPMIM's sole criterion in determining its voting stance is whether such changes will be to the economic benefit of the beneficial owners of the shares. |
| · |
JPMIM is in favor of a unitary board structure of the type found in the United Kingdom as opposed to tiered board structures. Thus, JPMIM will generally vote to encourage the gradual phasing out of tiered board structures, in favor of unitary boards. However, since tiered boards are still very prevalent in markets outside of the United Kingdom, local market practice will always be taken into account. |
| · |
JPMIM will use its voting powers to encourage appropriate levels of board independence, taking into account local market practice. |
| · |
JPMIM will usually vote against discharging the board from responsibility in cases of pending litigation, or if there is evidence of wrongdoing for which the board must be held accountable. |
| · |
JPMIM will vote in favor of increases in capital which enhance a company's long-term prospects. JPMIM will also vote in favor of the partial suspension of preemptive rights if they are for purely technical reasons (e.g., rights offers which may not be legally offered to shareholders in certain jurisdictions). However, JPMIM will vote against |
increases in capital which would allow the company to adopt "poison pill" takeover defense tactics, or where the increase in authorized capital would dilute shareholder value in the long term.
| · |
JPMIM will vote in favor of proposals which will enhance a company's long-term prospects. JPMIM will vote against an increase in bank borrowing powers which would result in the company reaching an unacceptable level of financial leverage, where such borrowing is expressly intended as part of a takeover defense, or where there is a material reduction in shareholder value. |
| · |
JPMIM will generally vote against anti-takeover devices. |
| · |
Where social or environmental issues are the subject of a proxy vote, JPMIM will consider the issue on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind at all times the best economic interests of its clients. |
The following summarizes some of the more noteworthy types of proxy voting policies of the U.S. Guidelines:
| · |
JPMIM considers votes on director nominees on a case-by-case basis. Votes generally will be withheld from directors who: (a) attend less than 75% of board and committee meetings without a valid excuse; (b) implement or renew a dead-hand poison pill; (c) are affiliated directors who serve on audit, compensation or nominating committees or are affiliated directors and the full board serves on such committees or the company does not have such committees; (d) ignore a shareholder proposal that is approved by a majority of either the shares outstanding or the votes cast based on a review over a consecutive two year time frame; (e) are insiders and affiliated outsiders on boards that are not at least majority independent; or (f) are CEOs of publically-traded companies who serve on more than three public boards or serve on more than four public company boards. In addition, votes are generally withheld for directors who serve on committees in certain cases. For
example, the Adviser generally withholds votes from audit committee members in circumstances in which there is evidence that there exists material weaknesses in the company's internal controls. |
| · |
JPMIM considers vote proposals with respect to compensation plans on a case-by-case basis. The analysis of compensation plans focuses primarily on the transfer of shareholder wealth (the dollar cost of pay plans to shareholders) and includes an analysis of the structure of the plan and pay practices of other companies in the relevant industry and peer companies. Other matters included in the analysis are the amount of the company's outstanding stock to be reserved for the award of stock options, whether the exercise price of an option is less than the stock's fair market value at the date of the grant of the options, and whether the plan provides for the exchange of outstanding options for new ones at lower exercise prices. |
| · |
JPMIM votes proposals to classify boards on a case-by-case basis, but normally will vote in favor of such proposal if the issuer's governing documents contain each of eight enumerated safeguards (for example, a majority of the board is composed of independent directors and the nominating committee is composed solely of such directors). |
| · |
JPMIM also considers management poison pill proposals on a case-by-case basis, looking for shareholder-friendly provisions before voting in favor. |
| · |
JPMIM votes against proposals for a super-majority vote to approve a merger. |
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JPMIM considers proposals to increase common and/or preferred shares and to issue shares as part of a debt restructuring plan on a case-by-case basis, taking into account such factors as the extent of dilution and whether the transaction will result in a change in control. |
| · |
JPMIM also considers on a case-by-case basis proposals to change an issuer's state of incorporation, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate restructuring proposals and certain social issue proposals. |
| · |
JPMIM generally votes for management proposals which seek shareholder approval to make the state of incorporation the exclusive forum for disputes if the company is a Delaware corporation; otherwise, JPMIM votes on a case by case basis. |
| · |
JPMIM generally supports management disclosure practices for environmental issues except for those companies that have been involved in significant controversies, fines or litigation related to environmental issues. |
JPMIM reviews Say on Pay proposals on a case by case basis with additional review of proposals where the issuer's previous year's proposal received a low level of support.
MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
September 2014
| I. |
POLICY STATEMENT [To be updated] |
Morgan Stanley Investment Management's ("MSIM") policy and procedures for voting proxies ("Policy") with respect to securities held in the accounts of clients applies to those MSIM entities that provide discretionary investment management services and for which an MSIM entity has authority to vote proxies. This Policy is reviewed and updated as necessary to address new and evolving proxy voting issues and standards.
The MSIM entities covered by this Policy currently include the following: Morgan Stanley AIP GP LP, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company, Morgan Stanley Investment Management (Japan) Co., Limited, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Private Limited and Private Investment Partners Inc. (each an "MSIM Affiliate" and collectively referred to as the "MSIM Affiliates" or as "we" below).
Each MSIM Affiliate will use its best efforts to vote proxies as part of its authority to manage, acquire and dispose of account assets. With respect to the MSIM registered management investment companies ("MSIM Funds"), each MSIM Affiliate will vote proxies under this Policy pursuant to authority granted under its applicable investment advisory agreement or, in the absence of such authority, as authorized by the Board of Directors/Trustees of the MSIM Funds. An MSIM Affiliate will not vote proxies unless the investment management or investment advisory agreement explicitly authorizes the MSIM Affiliate to vote proxies.
MSIM Affiliates will vote proxies in a prudent and diligent manner and in the best interests of clients, including beneficiaries of and participants in a client's benefit plan(s) for which the MSIM Affiliates manage assets, consistent with the objective of maximizing long-term investment returns ("Client Proxy Standard"). In addition to voting proxies at portfolio companies, MSIM routinely engages with the management and may also engage with the board, of companies in which we invest on a range of governance issues. Governance is a window into or proxy for management and board quality. MSIM engages with companies where we have larger positions, voting issues are material or where we believe we can make a positive impact on the governance structure. MSIM's engagement process, through private communication with companies, allows us to understand the governance structures at investee companies and better inform our voting decisions. In certain situations,
a client or its fiduciary may provide an MSIM Affiliate with a proxy voting policy. In these situations, the MSIM Affiliate will comply with the client's policy.
Proxy Research Services - ISS and Glass Lewis (together with other proxy research providers as we may retain from time to time, the "Research Providers") are independent advisers that specialize in providing a variety of fiduciary-level proxy-related services to institutional investment managers, plan sponsors, custodians, consultants, and other institutional investors. The services provided include in-depth research, global issuer analysis, and voting recommendations. While we may review and utilize the recommendations of one or more Research Providers in making proxy voting decisions, we are in no way obligated to follow such recommendations. In addition to research, ISS provides vote execution, reporting, and recordkeeping services.
Voting Proxies for Certain Non-U.S. Companies - Voting proxies of companies located in some jurisdictions may involve several problems that can restrict or prevent the ability to vote such proxies or entail significant costs. These problems include, but are not limited to: (i) proxy statements and ballots being written in a language other than English; (ii) untimely and/or inadequate notice of shareholder meetings; (iii) restrictions on the ability of holders outside the issuer's jurisdiction of organization to exercise votes; (iv) requirements to vote proxies in person; (v) the imposition of restrictions on the sale of the securities for a period of time in proximity to the shareholder meeting; and (vi) requirements to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate our voting instructions. As a result, we vote clients' non-U.S. proxies on a best efforts basis only, after weighing the costs and benefits of voting such proxies, consistent with
the Client Proxy Standard. ISS has been retained to provide assistance in connection with voting non-U.S. proxies.
| II. |
GENERAL PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES |
To promote consistency in voting proxies on behalf of its clients, we follow this Policy (subject to any exception set forth herein). The Policy addresses a broad range of issues, and provides general voting parameters on proposals that arise most frequently. However, details of specific proposals vary, and those details affect particular voting decisions, as do factors specific to a given company. Pursuant to the procedures set forth herein, we may vote in a manner that is not in accordance with the following general guidelines, provided the vote is approved by the Proxy Review Committee (see Section III for description) and is consistent with the Client Proxy Standard. Morgan Stanley AIP GP LP will follow the procedures as described in Appendix A.
We endeavor to integrate governance and proxy voting policy with investment goals, using the vote to encourage portfolio companies to enhance long-term shareholder value and to provide a high standard of transparency such that equity markets can value corporate assets appropriately.
We seek to follow the Client Proxy Standard for each client. At times, this may result in split votes, for example when different clients have varying economic interests in the outcome of a particular voting matter (such as a case in which varied ownership interests in two companies involved in a merger result in different stakes in the outcome). We also may split votes at times based on differing views of portfolio managers.
We may abstain on matters for which disclosure is inadequate.
We generally support routine management proposals. The following are examples of routine management proposals:
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· |
Approval of financial statements and auditor reports if delivered with an unqualified auditor's opinion. |
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General updating/corrective amendments to the charter, articles of association or bylaws, unless we believe that such amendments would diminish shareholder rights. |
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Most proposals related to the conduct of the annual meeting, with the following exceptions. We generally oppose proposals that relate to "the transaction of such other business which may come before the meeting," and open-ended requests for adjournment. However, where management specifically states the reason for requesting an adjournment and the requested adjournment would facilitate passage of a proposal that would otherwise be supported under this Policy (i.e. an uncontested corporate transaction), the adjournment request will be supported. Also, we do not support proposals that allow companies to call a special meeting with a short-time frame for review. |
We generally support shareholder proposals advocating confidential voting procedures and independent tabulation of voting results.
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1. |
Election of directors: Votes on board nominees can involve balancing a variety of considerations. In vote decisions, we may take into consideration whether the company has a majority voting policy in place that we believe makes the director vote more meaningful. In the absence of a proxy contest, we generally support the board's nominees for director except as follows: |
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a. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee if we believe a direct conflict exists between the interests of the nominee and the public shareholders, including failure to meet fiduciary standards of care and/or loyalty. We may oppose directors where we conclude that actions of directors are unlawful, unethical or negligent. We consider opposing individual board members or an entire slate if we believe the board is entrenched and/or dealing inadequately with performance problems; if we believe the board is acting with insufficient independence between the board and management; or if we believe the board has not been sufficiently forthcoming with information on key governance or other material matters. |
|
b. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against interested directors if the company's board does not meet market standards for director independence, or if otherwise we believe board independence is insufficient. We refer to prevalent market standards as promulgated by a stock exchange or other authority within a given market (e.g., New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq rules for most U.S. companies, and The Combined Code on Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom). Thus, for an NYSE company with no controlling shareholder, we would expect that at a minimum a majority of directors should be independent as defined by NYSE. Where we view market standards as inadequate, we may withhold votes based on stronger independence standards. Market standards notwithstanding, we generally do not view long board tenure alone as a basis to classify a director as non-independent. |
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i. |
At a company with a shareholder or group that controls the company by virtue of a majority economic interest in the company, we have a reduced expectation for board independence, although we believe the presence of independent directors can be helpful, particularly in staffing the audit committee, and at times we may withhold support from or vote against a nominee on the view the board or its committees are not sufficiently independent. In markets where board independence is not the norm (e.g. Japan), however, we consider factors including whether a board of a controlled company includes independent members who can be expected to look out for interests of minority holders. |
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ii. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee if he or she is affiliated with a major shareholder that has representation on a board disproportionate to its economic interest. |
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c. |
Depending on market standards, we consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee who is interested and who is standing for election as a member of the company's compensation/remuneration, nominating/governance or audit committee. |
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d. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against nominees if the term for which they are nominated is excessive. We consider this issue on a market-specific basis. |
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e. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against nominees if in our view there has been insufficient board renewal (turnover), particularly in the context of extended poor company performance. |
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f. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee standing for election if the board has not taken action to implement generally accepted governance practices for which there is a "bright line" test. For example, in the context of the U.S. market, failure to eliminate a dead hand or slow hand poison pill would be seen as a basis for opposing one or more incumbent nominees. |
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g. |
In markets that encourage designated audit committee financial experts, we consider voting against members of an audit committee if no members are designated as such. We also consider voting against the audit committee members if the company has faced financial reporting issues and/or does not put the auditor up for ratification by shareholders. |
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h. |
We believe investors should have the ability to vote on individual nominees, and may abstain or vote against a slate of nominees where we are not given the opportunity to vote on individual nominees. |
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i. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee who has failed to attend at least 75% of the nominee's board and board committee meetings within a given year without a reasonable excuse. We also consider opposing nominees if the company does not meet market standards for disclosure on attendance. |
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j. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee who appears overcommitted, particularly through service on an excessive number of boards. Market expectations are incorporated into this analysis; for U.S. boards, we generally oppose election of a nominee who serves on more than six public company boards (excluding investment companies), although we also may reference National Association of Corporate Directors guidance suggesting that public company CEOs, for example, should serve on no more than two outside boards given level of time commitment required in their primary job. |
|
k. |
We consider withholding support from or voting against a nominee where we believe executive remuneration practices are poor, particularly if the company does not offer shareholders a separate "say-on-pay" advisory vote on pay. |
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2. |
Discharge of directors' duties: In markets where an annual discharge of directors' responsibility is a routine agenda item, we generally support such discharge. However, we may vote against discharge or abstain from voting where there are serious findings of fraud or other unethical behavior for which the individual bears responsibility. The annual discharge of responsibility represents shareholder approval of disclosed actions taken by the board during the year and may make future shareholder action against the board difficult to pursue. |
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3. |
Board independence: We generally support U.S. shareholder proposals requiring that a certain percentage (up to 66⅔%) of the company's board members be independent directors, and promoting all-independent audit, compensation and nominating/governance committees. |
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4. |
Board diversity: We consider on a case-by-case basis shareholder proposals urging diversity of board membership with respect to gender, race or other factors. |
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5. |
Majority voting: We generally support proposals requesting or requiring majority voting policies in election of directors, so long as there is a carve-out for plurality voting in the case of contested elections. |
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6. |
Proxy access: We consider on a case-by-case basis shareholder proposals on particular procedures for inclusion of shareholder nominees in company proxy statements. |
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7. |
Reimbursement for dissident nominees: We generally support well-crafted U.S. shareholder proposals that would provide for reimbursement of dissident nominees elected to a board, as the cost to shareholders in electing such nominees can be factored into the voting decision on those nominees. |
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8. |
Proposals to elect directors more frequently: In the U.S. public company context, we usually support shareholder and management proposals to elect all directors annually (to "declassify" the board), although we make an exception to this policy where we believe that long-term shareholder value may be harmed by this change given particular circumstances at the company at the time of the vote on such proposal. As indicated above, outside the United States we generally support greater accountability to shareholders that comes through more frequent director elections, but recognize that many markets embrace longer term lengths, sometimes for valid reasons given other aspects of the legal context in electing boards. |
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9. |
Cumulative voting: We generally support proposals to eliminate cumulative voting in the U.S. market context. (Cumulative voting provides that shareholders may concentrate their votes for one or a handful of candidates, a |
system that can enable a minority bloc to place representation on a board.) U.S. proposals to establish cumulative voting in the election of directors generally will not be supported.
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10. |
Separation of Chairman and CEO positions: We vote on shareholder proposals to separate the Chairman and CEO positions and/or to appoint an independent Chairman based in part on prevailing practice in particular markets, since the context for such a practice varies. In many non-U.S. markets, we view separation of the roles as a market standard practice, and support division of the roles in that context. In the United States, we consider such proposals on a case-by-case basis, considering, among other things, the existing board leadership structure, company performance, and any evidence of entrenchment or perceived risk that power is overly concentrated in a single individual. |
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11. |
Director retirement age and term limits: Proposals setting or recommending director retirement ages or director term limits are voted on a case-by-case basis that includes consideration of company performance, the rate of board renewal, evidence of effective individual director evaluation processes, and any indications of entrenchment. |
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12. |
Proposals to limit directors' liability and/or broaden indemnification of officers and directors: Generally, we will support such proposals provided that an individual is eligible only if he or she has not acted in bad faith, with gross negligence or with reckless disregard of their duties. |
| C. |
Statutory auditor boards. The statutory auditor board, which is separate from the main board of directors, plays a role in corporate governance in several markets. These boards are elected by shareholders to provide assurance on compliance with legal and accounting standards and the company's articles of association. We generally vote for statutory auditor nominees if they meet independence standards. In markets that require disclosure on attendance by internal statutory auditors, however, we consider voting against nominees for these positions who failed to attend at least 75% of meetings in the previous year. We also consider opposing nominees if the company does not meet market standards for disclosure on attendance. |
| D. |
Corporate transactions and proxy fights. We examine proposals relating to mergers, acquisitions and other special corporate transactions (i.e., takeovers, spin-offs, sales of assets, reorganizations, restructurings and recapitalizations) on a case-by-case basis in the interests of each fund or other account. Proposals for mergers or other significant transactions that are friendly and approved by the Research Providers usually are supported if there is no portfolio manager objection. We also analyze proxy contests on a case-by-case basis. |
| E. |
Changes in capital structure. |
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1. |
We generally support the following: |
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Management and shareholder proposals aimed at eliminating unequal voting rights, assuming fair economic treatment of classes of shares we hold. |
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U.S. management proposals to increase the authorization of existing classes of common stock (or securities convertible into common stock) if: (i) a clear business purpose is stated that we can support and the number of shares requested is reasonable in relation to the purpose for which authorization is requested; and/or (ii) the authorization does not exceed 100% of shares currently authorized and at least 30% of the total new authorization will be outstanding. (We consider proposals that do not meet these criteria on a case-by-case basis.) |
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U.S. management proposals to create a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital, unless we have concerns about use of the authority for anti-takeover purposes. |
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Proposals in non-U.S. markets that in our view appropriately limit potential dilution of existing shareholders. A major consideration is whether existing shareholders would have preemptive rights for any issuance under a proposal for standing share issuance authority. We generally consider market-specific guidance in making these decisions; for example, in the U.K. market we usually follow Association of British Insurers' ("ABI") guidance, although company-specific factors may be considered and for example, may sometimes lead us to voting against share authorization proposals even if they meet ABI guidance. |
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Management proposals to authorize share repurchase plans, except in some cases in which we believe there are insufficient protections against use of an authorization for anti-takeover purposes. |
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Management proposals to reduce the number of authorized shares of common or preferred stock, or to eliminate classes of preferred stock. |
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Management proposals to effect stock splits. |
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Management proposals to effect reverse stock splits if management proportionately reduces the authorized share amount set forth in the corporate charter. Reverse stock splits that do not adjust proportionately to the |
authorized share amount generally will be approved if the resulting increase in authorized shares coincides with the proxy guidelines set forth above for common stock increases.
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Management dividend payout proposals, except where we perceive company payouts to shareholders as inadequate. |
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2. |
We generally oppose the following (notwithstanding management support): |
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Proposals to add classes of stock that would substantially dilute the voting interests of existing shareholders. |
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Proposals to increase the authorized or issued number of shares of existing classes of stock that are unreasonably dilutive, particularly if there are no preemptive rights for existing shareholders. However, depending on market practices, we consider voting for proposals giving general authorization for issuance of shares not subject to pre-emptive rights if the authority is limited. |
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Proposals that authorize share issuance at a discount to market rates, except where authority for such issuance is de minimis, or if there is a special situation that we believe justifies such authorization (as may be the case, for example, at a company under severe stress and risk of bankruptcy). |
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Proposals relating to changes in capitalization by 100% or more. |
We consider on a case-by-case basis shareholder proposals to increase dividend payout ratios, in light of market practice and perceived market weaknesses, as well as individual company payout history and current circumstances. For example, currently we perceive low payouts to shareholders as a concern at some Japanese companies, but may deem a low payout ratio as appropriate for a growth company making good use of its cash, notwithstanding the broader market concern.
| F. |
Takeover Defenses and Shareholder Rights. |
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1. |
Shareholder rights plans: We generally support proposals to require shareholder approval or ratification of shareholder rights plans (poison pills). In voting on rights plans or similar takeover defenses, we consider on a case-by-case basis whether the company has demonstrated a need for the defense in the context of promoting long-term share value; whether provisions of the defense are in line with generally accepted governance principles in the market (and specifically the presence of an adequate qualified offer provision that would exempt offers meeting certain conditions from the pill); and the specific context if the proposal is made in the midst of a takeover bid or contest for control. |
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2. |
Supermajority voting requirements: We generally oppose requirements for supermajority votes to amend the charter or bylaws, unless the provisions protect minority shareholders where there is a large shareholder. In line with this view, in the absence of a large shareholder we support reasonable shareholder proposals to limit such supermajority voting requirements. |
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3. |
Shareholders right to call a special meeting: We consider proposals to enhance a shareholder's rights to call meetings on a case-by-case basis. At large-cap U.S. companies, we generally support efforts to establish the right of holders of 10% or more of shares to call special meetings, unless the board or state law has set a policy or law establishing such rights at a threshold that we believe to be acceptable. |
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4. |
Written consent rights: In the U.S. context, we examine proposals for shareholder written consent rights on a case-by-case basis. |
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5. |
Reincorporation: We consider management and shareholder proposals to reincorporate to a different jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis. We oppose such proposals if we believe the main purpose is to take advantage of laws or judicial precedents that reduce shareholder rights. |
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6. |
Anti-greenmail provisions: Proposals relating to the adoption of anti-greenmail provisions will be supported, provided that the proposal: (i) defines greenmail; (ii) prohibits buyback offers to large block holders (holders of at least 1% of the outstanding shares and in certain cases, a greater amount) not made to all shareholders or not approved by disinterested shareholders; and (iii) contains no anti-takeover measures or other provisions restricting the rights of shareholders. |
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7. |
Bundled proposals: We may consider opposing or abstaining on proposals if disparate issues are "bundled" and presented for a single vote. |
G. Auditors. We generally support management proposals for selection or ratification of independent auditors. However, we may consider opposing such proposals with reference to incumbent audit firms if the company has suffered from serious accounting irregularities and we believe rotation of the audit firm is appropriate, or if fees paid to the auditor for non-audit-related services are excessive. Generally, to determine if non-audit fees are excessive, a 50% test will be applied (i.e., non-audit-related fees should be less than 50% of the total fees paid to the auditor). We generally vote against proposals to indemnify auditors.
| H. |
Executive and Director Remuneration. |
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1. |
We generally support the following: |
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· |
Proposals for employee equity compensation plans and other employee ownership plans, provided that our research does not indicate that approval of the plan would be against shareholder interest. Such approval may be against shareholder interest if it authorizes excessive dilution and shareholder cost, particularly in the context of high usage ("run rate") of equity compensation in the recent past; or if there are objectionable plan design and provisions. |
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· |
Proposals relating to fees to outside directors, provided the amounts are not excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry, and provided that the structure is appropriate within the market context. While stock-based compensation to outside directors is positive if moderate and appropriately structured, we are wary of significant stock option awards or other performance-based awards for outside directors, as well as provisions that could result in significant forfeiture of value on a director's decision to resign from a board (such forfeiture can undercut director independence). |
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· |
Proposals for employee stock purchase plans that permit discounts, but only for grants that are part of a broad-based employee plan, including all non-executive employees, and only if the discounts are limited to a reasonable market standard or less. |
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· |
Proposals for the establishment of employee retirement and severance plans, provided that our research does not indicate that approval of the plan would be against shareholder interest. |
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2. |
We generally oppose retirement plans and bonuses for non-executive directors and independent statutory auditors. |
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3. |
In the U.S. context, we generally vote against shareholder proposals requiring shareholder approval of all severance agreements, but we generally support proposals that require shareholder approval for agreements in excess of three times the annual compensation (salary and bonus) or proposals that require companies to add a double-trigger change-in-control provision. We generally oppose shareholder proposals that would establish arbitrary caps on pay. We consider on a case-by-case basis shareholder proposals that seek to limit Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs), but support such shareholder proposals where we consider SERPs excessive. |
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Shareholder proposals advocating stronger and/or particular pay-for-performance models will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with consideration of the merits of the individual proposal within the context of the particular company and its labor markets, and the company's current and past practices. While we generally support emphasis on long-term components of senior executive pay and strong linkage of pay to performance, we consider factors including whether a proposal may be overly prescriptive, and the impact of the proposal, if implemented as written, on recruitment and retention. |
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5. |
We generally support proposals advocating reasonable senior executive and director stock ownership guidelines and holding requirements for shares gained in executive equity compensation programs. |
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6. |
We generally support shareholder proposals for reasonable "claw-back" provisions that provide for company recovery of senior executive bonuses to the extent they were based on achieving financial benchmarks that were not actually met in light of subsequent restatements. |
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Management proposals effectively to re-price stock options are considered on a case-by-case basis. Considerations include the company's reasons and justifications for a re-pricing, the company's competitive position, whether senior executives and outside directors are excluded, potential cost to shareholders, whether the re-pricing or share exchange is on a value-for-value basis, and whether vesting requirements are extended. |
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8. |
Say-on-Pay: We consider proposals relating to an advisory vote on remuneration on a case-by-case basis. Considerations include a review of the relationship between executive remuneration and performance based on operating trends and total shareholder return over multiple performance periods. In addition, we review remuneration structures and potential poor pay practices, including relative magnitude of pay, discretionary bonus awards, tax gross ups, change-in-control features, internal pay equity and peer group construction. As long-term investors, we support remuneration policies that align with long-term shareholder returns. |
I. Social, Political and Environmental Issues. Shareholders in the United States and certain other markets submit proposals encouraging changes in company disclosure and practices related to particular corporate social, political and environmental matters. We consider how to vote on the proposals on a case-by-case basis to determine likely impacts on shareholder value. We seek to balance concerns on reputational and other risks that lie behind a proposal against costs of implementation, while considering appropriate shareholder and management prerogatives. We may abstain from voting on proposals that do not have a readily determinable financial impact on shareholder value. We support proposals that if implemented would enhance useful disclosure, but we generally vote against proposals requesting reports
that we believe
are duplicative, related to matters not material to the business, or that would impose unnecessary or excessive costs. We believe that certain social and environmental shareholder proposals may intrude excessively on management prerogatives, which can lead us to oppose them.
J. Funds of Funds. Certain MSIM Funds advised by an MSIM Affiliate invest only in other MSIM Funds. If an underlying fund has a shareholder meeting, in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest, such proposals will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the underlying fund, unless otherwise determined by the Proxy Review Committee. Other MSIM Funds invest in unaffiliated funds. If an unaffiliated underlying fund has a shareholder meeting and the MSIM Fund owns more than 25% of the voting shares of the underlying fund, the MSIM Fund will vote its shares in the unaffiliated underlying fund in the same proportion as the votes of the other shareholders of the underlying fund to the extent possible.
| III. |
ADMINISTRATION OF POLICY |
The MSIM Proxy Review Committee (the "Committee") has overall responsibility for the Policy. The Committee, which is appointed by MSIM's Long-Only Executive Committee, consists of investment professionals who represent the different investment disciplines and geographic locations of the firm, and is chaired by the director of the Corporate Governance Team ("CGT"). Because proxy voting is an investment responsibility and impacts shareholder value, and because of their knowledge of companies and markets, portfolio managers and other members of investment staff play a key role in proxy voting, although the Committee has final authority over proxy votes.
The CGT Director is responsible for identifying issues that require Committee deliberation or ratification. The CGT, working with advice of investment teams and the Committee, is responsible for voting on routine items and on matters that can be addressed in line with these Policy guidelines. The CGT has responsibility for voting case-by-case where guidelines and precedent provide adequate guidance.
The Committee will periodically review and have the authority to amend, as necessary, the Policy and establish and direct voting positions consistent with the Client Proxy Standard.
CGT and members of the Committee may take into account Research Providers' recommendations and research as well as any other relevant information they may request or receive, including portfolio manager and/or analyst comments and research, as applicable. Generally, proxies related to securities held in accounts that are managed pursuant to quantitative, index or index-like strategies ("Index Strategies") will be voted in the same manner as those held in actively managed accounts, unless economic interests of the accounts differ. Because accounts managed using Index Strategies are passively managed accounts, research from portfolio managers and/or analysts related to securities held in these accounts may not be available. If the affected securities are held only in accounts that are managed pursuant to Index Strategies, and the proxy relates to a matter that is not described in this Policy, the CGT will consider all available information from the
Research Providers, and to the extent that the holdings are significant, from the portfolio managers and/or analysts.
The Committee meets at least quarterly, and reviews and considers changes to the Policy at least annually. Through meetings and/or written communications, the Committee is responsible for monitoring and ratifying "split votes" (i.e., allowing certain shares of the same issuer that are the subject of the same proxy solicitation and held by one or more MSIM portfolios to be voted differently than other shares) and/or "override voting" (i.e., voting all MSIM portfolio shares in a manner contrary to the Policy). The Committee will review developing issues and approve upcoming votes, as appropriate, for matters as requested by CGT.
The Committee reserves the right to review voting decisions at any time and to make voting decisions as necessary to ensure the independence and integrity of the votes.
B. Material Conflicts of Interest
In addition to the procedures discussed above, if the CGT Director determines that an issue raises a material conflict of interest, the CGT Director may request a special committee to review, and recommend a course of action with respect to, the conflict(s) in question ("Special Committee").
A potential material conflict of interest could exist in the following situations, among others:
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1. |
The issuer soliciting the vote is a client of MSIM or an affiliate of MSIM and the vote is on a matter that materially affects the issuer. |
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2. |
The proxy relates to Morgan Stanley common stock or any other security issued by Morgan Stanley or its affiliates except if echo voting is used, as with MSIM Funds, as described herein. |
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Morgan Stanley has a material pecuniary interest in the matter submitted for a vote (e.g., acting as a financial advisor to a party to a merger or acquisition for which Morgan Stanley will be paid a success fee if completed). |
If the CGT Director determines that an issue raises a potential material conflict of interest, depending on the facts and circumstances, the issue will be addressed as follows:
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1. |
If the matter relates to a topic that is discussed in this Policy, the proposal will be voted as per the Policy. |
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If the matter is not discussed in this Policy or the Policy indicates that the issue is to be decided case-by-case, the proposal will be voted in a manner consistent with the Research Providers, provided that all the Research Providers consulted have the same recommendation, no portfolio manager objects to that vote, and the vote is consistent with MSIM's Client Proxy Standard. |
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3. |
If the Research Providers' recommendations differ, the CGT Director will refer the matter to a Special Committee to vote on the proposal, as appropriate. |
Any Special Committee shall be comprised of the CGT Director, and at least two portfolio managers (preferably members of the Committee), as approved by the Committee. The CGT Director may request non-voting participation by MSIM's General Counsel or his/her designee and the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. In addition to the research provided by Research Providers, the Special Committee may request analysis from MSIM Affiliate investment professionals and outside sources to the extent it deems appropriate.
C. Proxy Voting Reporting
The CGT will document in writing all Committee and Special Committee decisions and actions, which documentation will be maintained by the CGT for a period of at least six years. To the extent these decisions relate to a security held by an MSIM Fund, the CGT will report the decisions to each applicable Board of Trustees/Directors of those Funds at each Board's next regularly scheduled Board meeting. The report will contain information concerning decisions made during the most recently ended calendar quarter immediately preceding the Board meeting.
MSIM will promptly provide a copy of this Policy to any client requesting it. MSIM will also, upon client request, promptly provide a report indicating how each proxy was voted with respect to securities held in that client's account.
MSIM's Legal Department is responsible for filing an annual Form N-PX on behalf of each MSIM Fund for which such filing is required, indicating how all proxies were voted with respect to such Fund's holdings.
APPENDIX A
Appendix A applies to the following accounts managed by Morgan Stanley AIP GP LP or Private Investment Partners Inc. ("AIP"): (i) closed-end funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (ii) discretionary separate accounts; (iii) unregistered funds; (iv) and non-discretionary accounts offered in connection with AIP's Custom Advisory Portfolio Solutions service.
Generally, AIP will follow the guidelines set forth in Section II of MSIM's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures. To the extent that such guidelines do not provide specific direction, or AIP determines that consistent with the Client Proxy Standard, the guidelines should not be followed, the Proxy Review Committee has delegated the voting authority to vote securities held by accounts managed by AIP to the Fund of Hedge Funds investment team, the Private Equity Fund of Funds investment team, the Private Equity Real Estate Fund of Funds investment team or the Hedge Funds Solutions team of AIP. A summary of decisions made by the applicable investment teams will be made available to the Proxy Review Committee for its information at the next scheduled meeting of the Proxy Review Committee.
In certain cases, AIP may determine to abstain from determining (or recommending) how a proxy should be voted (and therefore abstain from voting such proxy or recommending how such proxy should be voted), such as where the expected cost of giving due consideration to the proxy does not justify the potential benefits to the affected account(s) that might result from adopting or rejecting (as the case may be) the measure in question.
Waiver of Voting Rights
For regulatory reasons, AIP may either 1) invest in a class of securities of an underlying fund (the "Fund") that does not provide for voting rights; or 2) waive 100% of its voting rights with respect to the following:
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1. |
Any rights with respect to the removal or replacement of a director, general partner, managing member or other person acting in a similar capacity for or on behalf of the Fund (each individually a "Designated Person," and |
collectively, the "Designated Persons"), which may include, but are not limited to, voting on the election or removal of a Designated Person in the event of such Designated Person's death, disability, insolvency, bankruptcy, incapacity, or other event requiring a vote of interest holders of the Fund to remove or replace a Designated Person; and
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2. |
Any rights in connection with a determination to renew, dissolve, liquidate, or otherwise terminate or continue the Fund, which may include, but are not limited to, voting on the renewal, dissolution, liquidation, termination or continuance of the Fund upon the occurrence of an event described in the Fund's organizational documents; provided, however, that, if the Fund's organizational documents require the consent of the Fund's general partner or manager, as the case may be, for any such termination or continuation of the Fund to be effective, then AIP may exercise its voting rights with respect to such matter. |
