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Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc., et al. – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/10/16

On:  Thursday, 11/10/16, at 1:41pm ET   ·   Effective:  11/10/16   ·   Accession #:  930413-16-8677   ·   File #s:  2-62797, 811-02871

Previous ‘485BPOS’:  ‘485BPOS’ on 12/18/15   ·   Next:  ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/16   ·   Latest:  ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/23   ·   13 References:   By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485BPOS’ on 4/4/24 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485BPOS’ on 4/4/24 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485APOS’ on 1/25/24 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485APOS’ on 1/24/24 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/23 By:  Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. – Latest ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/23 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485BPOS’ on 4/28/23 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485APOS’ on 2/2/23 By:  Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/22 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/22 By:  Lord Abbett Trust I – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/21 By:  Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/22/21 By:  Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. – ‘485BPOS’ on 11/23/20 

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  As Of                Filer                Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size              Issuer               Agent

11/10/16  Lord Abbett Developing Growt… Inc 485BPOS    11/10/16   12:1.7M                                   Command Financial
          → Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund Inc. ⇒ 11 Classes/Contracts

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 485BPOS     Post-Effective Amendmnet (Rule 485B)                HTML    911K 
 2: EX-99.28(A)(VII)  Articles Supplementary to Articles of         HTML     15K 
                          Incorporation Dated February 13, 2015                  
 3: EX-99.28(A)(VIII)  Articles Supplementary to Articles of        HTML     15K 
                          Incorporation Dated March 3, 2016                      
 4: EX-99.28(G)(II)  Amended Exhibit A Dated as of October 11,      HTML     18K 
                          2016 to the Custodian Agreement                        
 5: EX-99.28(H)(II)  Amended Schedule A Dated as of October 11,     HTML     14K 
                          2016 to the Agency Agreement                           
 6: EX-99.28(H)(IV)  Amended and Restated Administrative Services   HTML     39K 
                          Agreement Dated as of May 1, 2016                      
 7: EX-99.28(H)(V)  Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated     HTML     18K 
                          Administrative Services Agreement Dated                
                          as of October 11, 2016                                 
 8: EX-99.28(I)  Opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr   HTML     13K 
                          LLP                                                    
 9: EX-99.28(J)  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP                   HTML      8K 
10: EX-99.28(M)  Amended and Restated Joint Rule 12B-1              HTML     48K 
                          Distribution Plan and Agreement for Lord               
                          Abbett Family of Funds Dated June 16,                  
                          2016 With Updated Schedule A Dated as of               
                          October 11, 2016 and Schedule B Dated as               
                          of June 16, 2016                                       
11: EX-99.28(N)  Amended and Restated Rule 18F-3 Plan With          HTML     40K 
                          Schedule A as of June 16, 2016 Pursuant                
                          to Rule 18F-3(D) Under the Investment                  
                          Company Act of 1940 With Updated                       
                          Schedule A Dated as of October 11, 2016                
12: EX-99.28(P)  Code of Ethics Dated as of July, 2016              HTML    101K 

1933 Act File No. 002-62797

1940 Act File No. 811-02871

 UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

LORD ABBETT DEVELOPING GROWTH FUND, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code:  (800) 201-6984

Brooke A. Fapohunda, Esq.

Vice President and Assistant Secretary

90 Hudson Street, Jersey City, New Jersey  07302-3973

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

If appropriate, check the following box:

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital through a diversified and actively managed portfolio consisting of developing growth companies, many of which are traded over the counter.

FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and certain members of your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Lord Abbett Family of Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers” on page 29 of the prospectus and “Purchases, Redemptions, Pricing, and Payments to Dealers” on page 8-1 of the statement of additional information (“SAI”).

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Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 204.35% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

To pursue its objective, the Fund invests primarily in the common stocks of companies demonstrating above-average, long-term growth potential. The Fund seeks to identify companies that it believes are strongly positioned in the developing growth phase, which it defines as the period of swift development after a company’s start-up phase when growth occurs at a rate generally not equaled by established companies in their mature years.

Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 65% of its net assets in equity securities of small companies. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in foreign companies, including emerging market companies and American

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Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). The Fund defines foreign companies as those whose securities are traded primarily on non-U.S. securities exchanges. Because ADRs represent exposure to foreign companies, the Fund deems them to be foreign investments even through they trade on U.S. exchanges. Foreign securities may be denominated in the U.S. dollar or other currencies. Although the Fund is diversified across many industries and sectors, its assets may, from time to time, be overweighted or underweighted to certain industries and sectors relative to its benchmark index. The Fund’s principal investments include the following types of securities and other financial instruments:

The Fund engages in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities in seeking to achieve its investment objective.

The Fund generally will sell a security when the Fund believes the security is less likely to benefit from the current market and economic environment, shows signs of deteriorating fundamentals, or has reached its valuation target, among other reasons. The Fund seeks to remain fully invested in accordance with its investment objective. The Fund may, however, deviate entirely from the investment strategy described above for temporary defensive purposes. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if defensive strategies are used and thus may not achieve its investment objective.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

As with any investment in a mutual fund, investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment. When you redeem your shares, they may be worth more or less than what you

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paid for them, which means that you may lose a portion or all of the money you invested in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its performance, include:

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An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. For more information on the principal risks of the Fund, please see the “More Information About the Fund – Principal Risks” section in the prospectus.

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PERFORMANCE

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by illustrating the variability of the Fund’s returns. Each assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Furthermore, high double-digit returns were achieved primarily during favorable market conditions and may not be repeated in the future. No performance is shown for Class R4, R5, and R6 shares because these classes have not completed a full calendar year of operations.

The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares from calendar year to calendar year. This chart does not reflect the sales charge applicable to Class A shares. If the sales charge were reflected, returns would be lower. Performance for the Fund’s other share classes will vary due to the different expenses each class bears. Updated performance information is available at www.lordabbett.com or by calling 888-522-2388.

The table below shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare to the returns of a securities market index with investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. The Fund’s average annual total returns include applicable sales charges.

The after-tax returns of Class A shares included in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to a tax benefit resulting from realized losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end

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of the period that is used to offset other gains. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRAs”). After-tax returns for other share classes are not shown in the table and will vary from those shown for Class A shares.

MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC.

Portfolio Managers.

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PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

The minimum initial and additional amounts shown below vary depending on the class of shares you buy and the type of account. Certain financial intermediaries may impose different restrictions than those described below. Class B shares no longer are available for purchase by new or existing investors and only will be issued in connection with (i) an exchange of Class B shares from another Lord Abbett Fund or (ii) a reinvestment of a dividend and/or capital gain distribution. For Class I shares, the minimum investment shown below applies to certain types of institutional investors, but does not apply to registered investment advisers or retirement and benefit plans otherwise eligible to invest in Class I shares. Class P shares are closed to substantially all new investors. There is no minimum initial investment for Invest-A-Matic accounts held directly with the Fund, including IRAs. See “Choosing a Share Class – Investment Minimums” in the prospectus for more information.

You may sell (redeem) shares through your securities broker, financial professional or financial intermediary. If you have direct account access privileges, you may redeem your shares by contacting the Fund in writing at P.O. Box 219336, Kansas City, MO 64121, by calling 888-522-2388 or by accessing your account online at www.lordabbett.com.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund’s distributions, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains or a combination of the two. Certain taxes on distributions may not apply to tax-exempt investors or tax deferred accounts, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund’s distributor or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These

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payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial professional or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital through a diversified and actively managed portfolio consisting of developing growth companies, many of which are traded over the counter.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

To pursue its objective, the Fund invests primarily in the common stocks of companies demonstrating above-average, long-term growth potential. The Fund seeks to identify companies that it believes are strongly positioned in the developing growth phase, which it defines as the period of swift development after a company’s start-up phase when growth occurs at a rate generally not equaled by established companies in their mature years.

Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 65% of its net assets in equity securities of small companies. For the purpose of this 65% policy, the Fund may invest any security that represents equity ownership in a company. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, equity interests in trusts (including REITs and privately offered trusts), partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and vehicles with similar legal structures, and other instruments with similar economic characteristics. The Fund considers equity securities to include rights offerings and investments that convert into the equity securities described above. A small company is defined as a company having a market capitalization at the time of purchase that falls within the market capitalization range of companies in the Russell 2000^® Index, a widely-used benchmark for small-cap stock performance. The Russell 2000^® Index also includes mid-sized companies, in which the Fund may invest. The market capitalization range of the Russell 2000^® Index as of June 30, 2016, following its annual reconstitution, was $56 million to $4.2 billion. This range varies daily. Small company securities may be traded in over-the-counter markets (which the Fund considers to include the Nasdaq Stock Market).

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities of foreign companies, including emerging market companies and ADRs. The Fund defines foreign companies as those whose securities are traded primarily on non-U.S. securities exchanges. Because ADRs represent exposure to foreign companies, the Fund deems them to be foreign investments even though they trade on U.S. exchanges. ADRs typically are issued by a financial institution (such as a U.S. bank) acting as a depositary and represent the depositary’s holdings of a specified number of shares of a foreign company. An ADR entitles the holder to all

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dividends and capital gains earned by the underlying foreign securities. The Fund may invest without limitation in equity securities of companies that do not meet these criteria but represent economic exposure to foreign markets, including securities of companies that are organized or operated in a foreign country but primarily trade on a U.S. securities exchange.

The Fund’s portfolio managers use a “bottom-up” investment approach, meaning that they identify and select securities for investment by the Fund based on in-depth company, industry, and market research and analysis. In selecting investments for the Fund, the portfolio managers follow a growth style of investing, which means that they look for companies that exhibit faster-than-average gains in earnings and that they believe have the potential to continue profit growth at a high level. Although the Fund is diversified across many industries and sectors, its assets may, from time to time, be focused on certain industries and sectors.

The Fund engages in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities in seeking to achieve its investment objective, and typically will have a portfolio turnover rate of over 100% annually.

The Fund may sell a security if it no longer meets the Fund’s investment criteria or for a variety of other reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, redeploy assets into opportunities believed to be more promising, or satisfy redemption requests, among others. In considering whether to sell a security, the Fund may evaluate factors including, but not limited to, the condition of the economy, changes in the issuer’s competitive position or financial condition, changes in the outlook for the issuer’s industry, and the Fund’s valuation target for the security.

Temporary Defensive Strategies. The Fund seeks to remain fully invested in accordance with its investment objective. However, in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions, the Fund may take a temporary defensive position that may be inconsistent with its principal investment strategies by holding some or all of its assets in short-term investments. These investments include cash, commercial paper, money market instruments, repurchase agreements, and U.S. Government securities. The Fund also may hold these types of investments while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. Taking a temporary defensive position could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

As with any investment in a mutual fund, investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment. When you redeem your shares, they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you may lose a portion or all of the money you invested in the Fund. Before you invest in the Fund, you should carefully

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evaluate the risks in light of your investment goals. An investment in the Fund held for longer periods over full market cycles typically provides the best potential for favorable results.

The principal risks you assume when investing in the Fund are described below. The Fund attempts to manage these risks through careful security selection, portfolio diversification, and continual portfolio review and analysis, but there can be no assurance or guarantee that these strategies will be successful in reducing risk. Please see the SAI for a further discussion of strategies employed by the Fund and the risks associated with an investment in the Fund.

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ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL RISKS

In addition to the principal investment risks described above, the Fund also may be subject to certain operational risks, including:

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DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the SAI. Further information is available at www.lordabbett.com.

MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND

Board of Directors. The Board oversees the management of the business and affairs of the Fund. The Board meets regularly to review the Fund’s portfolio investments, performance, expenses, and operations. The Board appoints officers who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fund and who execute policies authorized by the Board. At least 75 percent of the Board members are independent of Lord Abbett.

Investment Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is Lord Abbett, which is located at 90 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302-3973. Founded in 1929, Lord Abbett manages one of the nation’s oldest mutual fund complexes and manages approximately $135.8 billion in assets across a full range of mutual funds,

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institutional accounts, and separately managed accounts, including $1.2 billion for which Lord Abbett provides investment models to managed account sponsors as of September 30, 2016.

Portfolio Managers. The Fund is managed by experienced portfolio managers responsible for investment decisions together with a team of investment professionals who provide issuer, industry, sector and macroeconomic research and analysis. The SAI contains additional information about portfolio manager compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Fund shares.

The team is headed by F. Thomas O’Halloran, Partner and Portfolio Manager, who joined Lord Abbett in, and has been a member of the team since 2001. Assisting Mr. O’Halloran is Arthur K. Weise, Partner and Portfolio Manager, who joined the team and Lord Abbett in 2007. Messrs. O’Halloran and Weise are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

Management Fee. Lord Abbett is entitled to a management fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. The management fee is accrued daily and payable monthly as calculated at the following annual rates:

0.75% on the first $100 million of average daily net assets; and
0.50% on the Fund’s average daily net assets over $100 million.

For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016, the effective annual rate of the fee paid to Lord Abbett was at 0.51% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

In addition, Lord Abbett provides certain administrative services to the Fund pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement in return for a fee at an annual rate of 0.04% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Fund pays all of its expenses not expressly assumed by Lord Abbett.

Each year the Board considers whether to approve the continuation of the existing management and administrative services agreements between the Fund and Lord Abbett. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval generally is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the six-month period ended January 31^st.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF THE FUND

The Fund is not available for purchase by new investors, except as stated below. The Fund is available for purchase only by the following categories of investors:

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Investors should note, however, that the Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase order that Lord Abbett believes might disrupt the efficient management of the Fund and reserves the right to further limit the availability of the Fund. Any investor seeking to purchase more than $10 million of shares of the Fund should contact Lord Abbett for approval prior to submitting the purchase order for Fund shares. Please contact Lord Abbett Distributor with any questions about the eligibility of a plan to invest in the Fund.

CHOOSING A SHARE CLASS

Each class of shares represents an investment in the same portfolio of securities, but each has different availability and eligibility criteria, sales charges, expenses, and dividends, allowing you to choose the available class that best meets your needs. You should read this section carefully to determine which class of shares is best for you and discuss your selection with your financial intermediary. Factors you should consider in choosing a share class include:

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If you plan to invest a large amount and your investment horizon is five years or more, Class A shares may be more advantageous than Class C shares. The higher ongoing annual expenses of Class C shares may cost you more over the long term than the front-end sales charge you would pay on larger purchases of Class A shares.

Key Features of Share Classes. The following table compares key features of each share class. You should review the fee table and example at the front of this prospectus carefully before choosing your share class. As a general matter, share classes with relatively lower expenses tend to have relatively higher dividends. Your financial intermediary can help you decide which class meets your goals. Not all share classes may be available through your financial intermediary. Your financial intermediary may receive different compensation depending upon which class you choose.

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Investment Minimums. The minimum initial and additional amounts shown below vary depending on the class of shares you buy and the type of account. Certain financial intermediaries may impose different restrictions than those described below. Consult your financial intermediary for more information. Class B shares no longer are available for purchase by new or existing investors and only will be issued in connection with (i) an exchange of Class B shares from another Lord Abbett Fund or (ii) a reinvestment of a dividend and/or capital gain distribution. For Class I shares, the minimum investment shown below applies to certain types of institutional investors, but does not apply to registered investment advisers or retirement and benefit plans otherwise eligible to invest in Class I shares. Class P shares are closed to substantially all new investors. There is no minimum initial investment for Invest-A-Matic accounts held directly with the Fund, including IRAs.

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Class I Share Minimum Investment. Unless otherwise provided, the minimum amount of an initial investment in Class I shares is $1 million. There is no minimum initial investment for (i) purchases through or by registered investment advisers, bank trust departments, and other financial intermediaries otherwise eligible to purchase Class I shares that charge a fee for services that include investment advisory or management services or (ii) purchases by retirement and benefit plans meeting the Class I eligibility requirements described below. These investment minimums may be suspended, changed, or withdrawn by Lord Abbett Distributor.

Additional Information about the Availability of Share Classes.

Class A Shares. Effective as of the close of business on December 31, 2015, Class A shares are closed to substantially all new retirement and benefit plans, except that (i) retirement and benefit plans that have invested in Class A shares of the Fund as of the close of business on December 31, 2015 may continue to hold Class A shares of that Fund and may make additional purchases of Class A shares, including purchases by new plan participants; and (ii) retirement and benefit plans that did not hold Class A shares of the Fund as of the close of business on December 31, 2015 may invest in Class A shares if such shares are subject to a front-end sales charge and, with respect to retirement or benefit plans serviced by a recordkeeping platform, such recordkeeping platform is able to apply properly a sales charge on such investments by the plan and has entered into special arrangements with the Fund and/or Lord Abbett Distributor specifically for such purchases. Class A shares remain available to retail non-retirement accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, individual 403(b) plans, and 529 college savings plans.

Class B Shares. The Fund no longer offers Class B shares for new or additional investments. Existing shareholders of Class B shares may reinvest dividends into Class B shares and exchange their Class B shares for Class B shares of other Lord Abbett Funds as permitted by the current exchange privileges. The 12b-1 fee, contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), and conversion features will continue to apply to Class B shares held by shareholders. Any purchase request for Class B shares will be deemed to be a purchase request for Class A shares and will be subject to any applicable sales charge.

Class C Shares. The Fund will not accept purchases of Class C shares of $500,000 or more, or in any amount that, when combined with the value of all shares of Eligible Funds (as defined below) under the terms of rights of accumulation, would result in the investor holding more than $500,000 of shares of Eligible Funds at the time of such purchase, unless an appropriate representative of the investor’s broker-dealer firm (or other financial intermediary, as applicable) provides written authorization for the transaction.

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Please contact Lord Abbett Distributor with any questions regarding eligibility to purchase Class C shares based on the prior written authorization from the investor’s broker-dealer firm or other financial intermediary.

With respect to qualified retirement plans, the Fund will not reject a purchase of Class C shares by such a plan in the event that a purchase amount, when combined with the value of all shares of Eligible Funds under the terms of rights of accumulation, would result in the plan holding more than $500,000 of shares of Eligible Funds at the time of the purchase. Any subsequent purchase orders submitted by the plan, however, would be subject to the Class C share purchase limit policy described above. Such subsequent purchases would be considered purchase orders for Class R3 shares.

Class F Shares. Class F shares generally are available to investors participating in fee-based advisory programs that have (or whose trading agents have) an agreement with Lord Abbett Distributor and to investors that are clients of certain registered investment advisers that have an agreement with Lord Abbett Distributor, if it so deems appropriate.

Class I Shares. Class I shares are available for purchase by the entities identified below. An investor that is eligible to purchase Class I shares under one of the categories below need not satisfy the requirements of any other category.

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Shareholders who do not meet the above criteria but currently hold Class I shares may continue to hold, purchase, exchange, and redeem Class I shares, provided that there has been no change in the account since purchasing Class I shares. Financial intermediaries should contact Lord Abbett Distributor to determine whether the financial intermediary may be eligible for such purchases.

Class P Shares. Class P shares are closed to substantially all new investors. Existing shareholders holding Class P shares may continue to hold their Class P shares and make additional purchases, redemptions, and exchanges. Class P shares also are available for orders made by or on behalf of a financial intermediary for clients participating in an IRA rollover program sponsored by the financial intermediary that operates the program in an omnibus recordkeeping environment and has entered into special arrangements with the Fund and/or Lord Abbett Distributor specifically for such orders.

Class R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 (collectively referred to as “Class R”) Shares. Class R shares generally are available through:

Class R shares also are available for orders made by or on behalf of a financial intermediary for clients participating in an IRA rollover program sponsored by the financial intermediary that operates the program in an omnibus recordkeeping environment and has entered into special arrangements with the Fund and/or Lord Abbett Distributor specifically for such orders.

Class R shares generally are not available to retail non-retirement accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, individual 403(b) plans, or 529 college savings plans.

SALES CHARGES

As an investor in the Fund, you may pay one of two types of sales charges: a front-end sales charge that is deducted from your investment when you buy Fund shares or a CDSC that applies when you sell Fund shares.

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Class A Share Front-End Sales Charge. Front-end sales charges are applied only to Class A shares. You buy Class A shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value (“NAV”) plus a sales charge. You pay a lower rate as the size of your investment increases to certain levels called breakpoints. You do not pay a sales charge on the Fund’s distributions or dividends you reinvest in additional Class A shares. The table below shows the rate of sales charge you pay (expressed as a percentage of the offering price and the net amount you invest), depending on the amount you purchase.

CDSC. Regardless of share class, the CDSC is not charged on shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions and is charged on the original purchase cost or the current market value of the shares at the time they are redeemed, whichever is lower. In addition, repayment of loans under certain retirement and benefit plans will constitute new sales for purposes of assessing the CDSC. To minimize the amount of any CDSC, the Fund redeems shares in the following order:

If you acquire Fund shares through an exchange from another Lord Abbett Fund that originally were purchased subject to a CDSC and you redeem before the applicable CDSC period has expired, you will be charged the CDSC (unless a CDSC waiver applies). The CDSC will be remitted to the appropriate party.

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Class A Share CDSC. If you buy Class A shares of the Fund under certain purchases at NAV (without a front-end sales charge) or if you acquire Class A shares of the Fund in exchange for Class A shares of another Lord Abbett Fund subject to a CDSC, and you redeem any of the Class A shares before the first day of the month in which the one-year anniversary of your purchase falls, a CDSC of 1% normally will be collected. Class F, I, P, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 shares are not subject to a CDSC.

Class B Share CDSC. The CDSC for Class B shares normally applies if you redeem your shares before the sixth anniversary of the day on which the purchase order was accepted. The CDSC will be remitted to Lord Abbett Distributor. The CDSC declines the longer you own your shares, according to the following schedule:

Class C Share CDSC. The 1% CDSC for Class C shares normally applies if you redeem your shares before the first anniversary of your purchase. The CDSC will be remitted to Lord Abbett Distributor.

SALES CHARGE REDUCTIONS AND WAIVERS

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Reducing Your Class A Share Front-End Sales Charge. You may purchase Class A shares at a discount if you qualify under the circumstances outlined below. To receive a reduced front-end sales charge, you must let the Fund or your financial intermediary know at the time of your purchase of Fund shares that you believe you qualify for a discount. If you or a related party have holdings of Eligible Funds (as defined below) in other accounts with your financial intermediary or with other financial intermediaries that may be combined with your current purchase in determining the sales charge as described below, you must let the Fund or your financial intermediary know. You may be asked to provide supporting account statements or other information to allow us or your financial intermediary to verify your eligibility for a discount. If you or your financial intermediary do not notify the Fund or provide the requested information, you may not receive the reduced sales charge for which you otherwise qualify. Class A shares may be purchased at a discount if you qualify under any of the following conditions:

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Front-End Sales Charge Waivers. Class A shares may be purchased without a front-end sales charge (at NAV) under any of the following conditions:

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CDSC Waivers. The CDSC generally will not be assessed on the redemption of Class A, B, or C shares under the circumstances listed in the table below. Certain other types of redemptions may qualify for a CDSC waiver. Documentation may be required and some limitations may apply.

Concurrent Sales. A broker-dealer may pay on behalf of an investor or reimburse an investor for a CDSC otherwise applicable in the case of transactions involving purchases through such broker-dealer where the investor concurrently is selling his or her holdings in Class B or C shares of the Fund and buying Class A shares of the Fund, provided that the purchases are related to the requirements of a settlement agreement that the broker-dealer entered into with a regulatory body relating to share class suitability.

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Sales Charge Waivers on Transfers between Accounts. Class A shares may be purchased at NAV under the following circumstances:

A CDSC will not be imposed at the time of the transaction under such circumstances; instead, the date on which such shares were initially purchased will be used to calculate any applicable CDSC when the shares are redeemed.

Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem Class A or B shares of the Fund, you may reinvest some or all of the proceeds in the same class of any Eligible Fund on or before the 60^th day after the redemption without a sales charge unless the reinvestment would be prohibited by the Fund’s frequent trading policy. Special tax rules may apply. Please see the SAI for more information. If you paid a CDSC when you redeemed your shares, you will be credited with the amount of the CDSC. All accounts involved must have the same registration. This privilege does not apply to purchases made through Invest-A-Matic or other automatic investment services.

FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION

As part of a plan for distributing shares, authorized financial intermediaries that sell the Fund’s shares and service its shareholder accounts receive sales and service compensation. Additionally, authorized financial intermediaries may charge a fee to effect transactions in Fund shares.

Sales compensation originates from sales charges that are paid directly by shareholders and 12b-1 distribution fees that are paid by the Fund out of share class assets. Service compensation originates from 12b-1 service fees. Because 12b-1 fees are paid on an ongoing basis, over time the payment of such fees will increase the cost of an investment in the Fund, which may be more than the cost of other types of sales charges. The Fund accrues 12b-1 fees daily at annual rates shown in the “Fees and Expenses” table above based upon average daily net assets. The portion of the distribution and service (12b-1) fees that Lord Abbett Distributor pays to financial intermediaries for each share class is as follows:

PROSPECTUS – DEVELOPING GROWTH FUND