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BlackRock Advantage Global Fund, Inc. BlackRock Advantage SMID Cap Fund, Inc. BlackRock Allocation Target Shares BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. BlackRock Bond Fund, Inc. BlackRock California Municipal Series Trust BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund, Inc. BlackRock Emerging Markets Fund, Inc. BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund BlackRock Financial Institutions Series Trust BlackRock Funds SM BlackRock Funds II BlackRock Funds III BlackRock Funds IV BlackRock Funds V BlackRock Funds VI BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc. BlackRock Index Funds, Inc.
BlackRock International Select Equity Fund BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth Fund, Inc. BlackRock Large Cap Focus Value Fund, Inc. BlackRock Large Cap Series Funds, Inc. BlackRock Liquidity Funds BlackRock Mid-Cap Value Series, Inc. BlackRock Multi-State Municipal Series Trust BlackRock Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. BlackRock Municipal Series Trust BlackRock Natural Resources Trust BlackRock Series Fund, Inc. BlackRock Series Fund II, Inc. BlackRock Series, Inc. BlackRock Strategic Global Bond Fund, Inc. BlackRock Unconstrained Equity Fund BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc. BlackRock Variable Series Funds II, Inc.
Supplement dated October 16, 2026 to the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) of each of the funds listed in Appendix A (each, a “Fund”), as amended from time to time.
Each Fund’s SAI is amended as follows:
The list in the section entitled “Purchase of Shares - Additional Payments by BlackRock - D. Service Organizations Receiving Additional Payments” in Part II, or in the section entitled “Miscellaneous Additional Payments by BlackRock - D. Service Organizations Receiving Additional Payments,” “Investment Advisory Arrangements - Additional Payments by BlackRock - D. Service Organizations Receiving Additional Payments” or “Investment Adviser and Other Service Providers - Additional Payments by BlackRock - D. Service Organizations Receiving Additional Payments,” as applicable, of each Fund’s current SAI, is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
&Partners AccuTech Systems Corporation ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc. Advisor Credit Exchange, LLC Advisor Group, Inc. AE Wealth Management, LLC Alight Solutions LLC Allianz Life Financial Services, LLC Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America Altruist Financial LLC American Enterprise Investment Services, Inc. American General Life Insurance Company American United Life Insurance Company Annuity Investors Life Insurance Company Anthem Securities LLC Argent Institutional Trust Company Ascensus Broker Dealer Services, Inc. Ascensus, Inc. Atomic Brokerage LLC Avantax Investment Services, LLC Bancroft Capital LLC
Bank of America, N.A. Bank of New York Mellon Barclays Capital Inc. Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc. Benefit Trust Company Beta Capital Securities LLC bfinance US Ltd. BlackRock Advisors, LLC BMO Capital Markets Corp. BNP Paribas BNP Paribas Investment Partners UK Limited BNY Mellon, N.A. BofA Securities, Inc. BOKF, N.A. Brighthouse Life Insurance Company Brighthouse Life Insurance Company of NY Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Cabrera Capital Markets, LLC Capital One, N.A. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC Cetera Advisors LLC
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Cetera Financial Group Cetera Financial Specialists LLC Cetera Investment Services LLC CF Secured, LLC Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Charles Schwab Trust Bank Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. CIM Investment Management, Inc. Citco Securities, LLC CitiBank, National Association Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. Citizens Bank Citizens Business Bank CME Shareholder Servicing LLC CMFG Life Insurance Company Comerica Bank Commonwealth Financial Network Computershare Trust Company Conduent HR Services, LLC Delaware Life Insurance Company Delaware Trust Company Deutsche Bank AG Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas Digital Retirement Solutions, Inc. Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. Dynasty Financial Partners LLC Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America Empower Financial Services, Inc. Empower Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York Empower Plan Services, LLC Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. Equitable Advisors, LLC Equitable Life Insurance Company E*trade Savings Bank Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company Fifth Third Securities, Inc. First Allied Securities, Inc. First Command Financial Planning, Inc. First Hawaiian Bank First Republic Bank First Security Benefit Life Insurance and Annuity Company of New York First Symetra National Life Insurance Company of New York First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company FIS Brokerage & Securities Services LLC
FNEX Capital, LLC Forethought Life Insurance Company FSC Securities Corporation Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York Global Atlantic Distributors, LLC Goldman Sachs & Co. Great Pacific Securities, LLC Guardian Insurance & Annuity Co., Inc. Hancock Whitney Bank Hartford Funds Management Company Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc. Hazeltree Fund Services, Inc. Hightower Securities, Inc. Hilltop Securities Inc. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Huntington Securities, Inc. Institutional Cash Distributors, LLC Integrity Life Insurance Company Interactive Brokers, LLC Investment Trust of California J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Jefferies LLC Jefferson National Life Insurance Company Jefferson National Life Insurance Company of New York John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York John Hancock Trust Company JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Kestra Investment Services, LLC Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York Lincoln National Life Insurance Company Lincoln Retirement Services LLC Lombard International Life Assurance Company LPL Financial LLC M&T Securities Inc. Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company Members Life Insurance Company Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Metavante Corporation Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Mid Atlantic Clearing & Settlement Corporation Midland Life Insurance Company Minnesota Life Insurance Company Mischler Financial Group Mizuho Securities USA Inc. MML Distributors, LLC MML Investors Services, LLC Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
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Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC MUFG Union Bank, National Association Nassau Life Insurance Company National Financial Services LLC National Integrity Life Insurance Company National Life Insurance Company Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC Nationwide Retirement Solutions NCB Federal Savings Bank New England Pension Plan Systems, LLC New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation Newport Retirement Services, Inc. Northbrook Bank & Trust Company Northern Trust Company Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company NYLife Distributors LLC Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. Orion Advisor Services, LLC Osaic Wealth, Inc. Pacific Life & Annuity Company Pacific Life Insurance Company Pacific Select Distributors, LLC Park Avenue Securities LLC Penserra Securities LLC Pershing LLC PFPC Inc. Piper Jaffray & Co. PNC Bank, National Association PNC Capital Markets LLC PNC Investments LLC Principal Bank Principal Life Insurance Company Protective Life and Annuity Insurance Company Protective Life Insurance Company Pruco Life Insurance Company Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. Prudential Insurance Company of America Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. RBC Capital Markets, LLC Regions Bank Reliance Trust Company Reliastar Life Insurance Company Reliastar Life Insurance Company of New York RiverSource Distributors, Inc. RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York RiverSource Life Insurance Company SagePoint Financial, Inc. Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc. Sanctuary Wealth Group, LLC
Santander Bank, N.A. Saturna Trust Company Securities America, Inc. Securities Finance Trust Company Security Benefit Life Insurance Company Security Financial Resources, Inc. Security Life of Denver Insurance Company SEI Private Trust Company SG Americas Securities, LLC Silicon Valley Bank Standard Insurance Company Standard Retirement Services, Inc. State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company State Farm Life Insurance Company State Farm VP Management Corp. State Street Bank and Trust Company State Street Global Markets, LLC Stern Brothers & Co. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated Summit Brokerage Services, Inc. SVB Asset Management Symetra Life Insurance Company Syntal Capital Partners, LLC T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. Talcott Resolution Life and Annuity Insurance Company Talcott Resolution Life Insurance Company TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. TD Ameritrade, Inc. TD Prime Services (US) LLC Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America Tigress Financial Partners, LLC Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company Transamerica Life Insurance Company Treasury Brokerage Triad Advisors, LLC Truist Bank U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. U.S. Bank, National Association UBATCO & Co. UBS Financial Services, Inc. UBS Securities LLC Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC UMB Bank, National Association United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York VALIC Retirement Services Company Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard Marketing Corporation Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Voya Financial Partners, LLC Voya Institutional Plan Services, LLC Voya Insurance and Annuity Company
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Voya Investments Distributor, LLC Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company Waddell & Reed, Inc. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC Wells Fargo Investments, LLC Wells Fargo Securities, LLC Wilmington Trust, National Association Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. ZB, National Association
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Appendix A
BlackRock Advantage Global Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Advantage SMID Cap Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Allocation Target Shares BATS: Securitized Total Return Series BATS: Corporate Credit Total Return Series BATS: High Income Municipal Series BATS: High Income Taxable Series BATS: Mortgage Total Return Series BATS: Interest Rate Hedge Series BATS: Short Duration Taxable Total Return Series BATS: Short Term Municipal Income Series
BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Bond Fund, Inc. BlackRock Total Return Fund
BlackRock California Municipal Series Trust BlackRock California Municipal Opportunities Fund
BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Emerging Markets Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund
BlackRock Financial Institutions Series Trust BlackRock Summit Cash Reserves Fund
BlackRock Funds SM BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund BlackRock Advantage International Fund BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Growth Fund BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund BlackRock China A Opportunities Fund BlackRock Commodity Strategies Fund BlackRock Daily Reinvestment Stablecoin Reserve Vehicle BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund BlackRock Emerging Markets ex-China Fund BlackRock Energy Opportunities Fund BlackRock Exchange Portfolio BlackRock Global Equity Market Neutral Fund BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio BlackRock High Equity Income Fund
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio BlackRock Real Estate Securities Fund BlackRock Short Obligations Fund BlackRock Sustainable Aware Advantage Emerging Markets Equity Fund BlackRock Sustainable Aware Advantage Large Cap Core Fund BlackRock Tactical Opportunities Fund BlackRock Technology Opportunities Fund BlackRock Wealth Liquid Environmentally Aware Fund Circle Reserve Fund iShares Developed Real Estate Index Fund iShares Enhanced Roll Yield Index Fund iShares FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT Index Fund iShares Municipal Bond Index Fund iShares Russell Mid-Cap Index Fund iShares Russell Small/Mid-Cap Index Fund iShares Short-Term TIPS Bond Index Fund iShares Total U.S. Stock Market Index Fund iShares U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index Fund iShares U.S. Intermediate Government Bond Index Fund iShares U.S. Long Credit Bond Index Fund iShares U.S. Long Government Bond Index Fund iShares U.S. Securitized Bond Index Fund
BlackRock Funds II BlackRock 20/80 Target Allocation Fund BlackRock 40/60 Target Allocation Fund BlackRock 60/40 Target Allocation Fund BlackRock 80/20 Target Allocation Fund BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio BlackRock Global Dividend Portfolio BlackRock Managed Income Fund BlackRock Multi-Asset Income Portfolio BlackRock Retirement Income 2030 Fund
BlackRock Funds III BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury BlackRock Diversified Equity Alpha Fund BlackRock Diversified Fixed Income Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic Retirement Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2030 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2035 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2040 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2045 Fund
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BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2050 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2055 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2060 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2065 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Dynamic 2070 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index Retirement Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2030 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2035 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2040 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2045 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2050 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2055 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2060 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2065 Fund BlackRock LifePath ® Index 2070 Fund iShares MSCI Total International Index Fund iShares Russell 1000 Large-Cap Index Fund iShares S&P 500 Index Fund iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index Fund
BlackRock Funds IV BlackRock Credit Relative Value Fund BlackRock Systematic Multi-Strategy Fund
BlackRock Funds V BlackRock Core Bond Portfolio BlackRock Floating Rate Income Portfolio BlackRock High Yield Portfolio BlackRock Income Fund BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio BlackRock Low Duration Bond Portfolio BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio
BlackRock Funds VI BlackRock Advantage CoreAlpha Bond Fund
BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Index Funds, Inc. iShares MSCI EAFE International Index Fund iShares Russell 2000 Small-Cap Index Fund
BlackRock International Select Equity Fund
BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Large Cap Focus Value Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Large Cap Series Funds, Inc. BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core Fund BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Value Fund BlackRock Event Driven Equity Fund
BlackRock Liquidity Funds FedFund MuniCash TempCash BlackRock Select Treasury Based Liquidity Fund T-Fund Treasury Trust Fund
BlackRock Mid-Cap Value Series, Inc. BlackRock Mid-Cap Value Fund
BlackRock Multi-State Municipal Series Trust BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund BlackRock New York Municipal Opportunities Fund BlackRock Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund
BlackRock Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. BlackRock National Municipal Fund BlackRock Short Duration Muni Fund
BlackRock Municipal Series Trust BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund
BlackRock Natural Resources Trust
BlackRock Series Fund, Inc. BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core Portfolio BlackRock Balanced Portfolio BlackRock Capital Appreciation Portfolio BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio BlackRock Government Money Market Portfolio
BlackRock Series Fund II, Inc. BlackRock High Yield Portfolio
BlackRock Series, Inc. BlackRock International Fund
BlackRock Strategic Global Bond Fund, Inc.
BlackRock Unconstrained Equity Fund
BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc. BlackRock 60/40 Target Allocation ETF V.I. Fund BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core V.I. Fund BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Value V.I. Fund BlackRock Advantage SMID Cap V.I. Fund
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BlackRock Basic Value V.I. Fund BlackRock Capital Appreciation V.I. Fund BlackRock Equity Dividend V.I. Fund BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund BlackRock Government Money Market V.I. Fund BlackRock International Index V.I. Fund BlackRock International V.I. Fund
BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth V.I. Fund BlackRock Managed Volatility V.I. Fund BlackRock S&P 500 Index V.I. Fund BlackRock Small Cap Index V.I. Fund
BlackRock Variable Series Funds II, Inc. BlackRock High Yield V.I. Fund BlackRock Total Return V.I. Fund
Shareholders should retain this Supplement for future reference.
SAI-GLOBAL-1026SUP
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BLACKROCK MUNICIPAL SERIES TRUST BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”)
Supplement dated September 29, 2026 to the Summary Prospectuses, Prospectuses and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) of the Fund, each dated September 28, 2026, as supplemented to date
The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of BlackRock Municipal Series Trust (the “Trust”) has approved a proposal, pursuant to which the following changes will be effective on or about April 6, 2027:
• The Fund will convert to a unitary administration fee structure by entering into a new administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with the Fund’s administrator, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”), pursuant to which BlackRock will provide administration services and pay for all expenses incurred by the Fund, excluding certain expenses described in the Administration Agreement. Under the Administration Agreement, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, will pay BlackRock the following fee with respect to each share class: 0.14% for Institutional Shares, 0.09% for Investor A Shares, 0.10% for Investor A1 Shares, 0.12% for Investor C Shares and 0.05% for Class K Shares.
• The Fund’s existing investment management agreement will be amended and restated to remove the provision of administrative services and reduce each breakpoint to the contractual management fee rate as follows: 0.48% of the average daily Net Assets of the Fund not exceeding $1 billion; 0.45% of the average daily Net Assets of the Fund exceeding $1 billion but not exceeding $3 billion; 0.43% of the average daily Net Assets of the Fund exceeding $3 billion but not exceeding $5 billion; 0.41% of the average daily Net Assets of the Fund exceeding $5 billion but not exceeding $10 billion; and 0.40% of the average daily Net Assets of the Fund exceeding $10 billion.
• The Fund’s existing contractual management fee waiver of five basis points (0.05%) will be terminated.
Shareholders should retain this Supplement for future reference.
PR2SAI-SMO-0926SUP
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STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund of
BlackRock Municipal Series Trust
100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809 • Phone No. (800) 441-7762
This Statement of Additional Information of BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) of BlackRock Municipal Series Trust (the “Trust”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectuses of the Fund, dated September 28, 2026, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time, which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” or the “SEC”) and can be obtained, without charge, by calling (800) 441-7762 or by writing to the Fund at the above address. The Fund’s Prospectuses are Part I of this Statement of Additional Information and the portions of Part II of this Statement of Additional Information that relate to the Fund have been incorporated by reference into the Fund’s Prospectuses. The portions of Part II of this Statement of Additional Information that do not relate to the Fund do not form a part of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, have not been incorporated by reference into the Fund’s Prospectuses and should not be relied upon by investors in the Fund. The audited financial statements of the Fund are incorporated into this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the Fund’s Annual Financial Statements and Additional Information for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR (the “2026 Annual Financial Statements”). You may request a copy of the 2026 Annual Financial Statements at no charge by calling (800) 441-7762 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time on any business day.
References to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act” or the “1940 Act”), or other applicable law, will include any rules promulgated thereunder and any guidance, interpretations or modifications by the Commission, Commission staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, including court interpretations, and exemptive, no-action or other relief or permission from the Commission, Commission staff or other authority.
Class Ticker Symbol Investor A Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MEMTX Investor C Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MFMTX Institutional Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MAMTX Investor A1 Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MDMTX Class K Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MKMTX
BlackRock Advisors, LLC — Manager
BlackRock Investments, LLC — Distributor
The date of this Statement of Additional Information is September 28, 2026.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page PART I Investment Objective and Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1 Investment Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-6 Information on Trustees and Officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-7 Management, Advisory and Other Service Arrangements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-19 Information on Sales Charges and Distribution Related Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-23 Computation of Offering Price Per Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-24 Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-24 Additional Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-26 Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-27
PART II Investment Risks and Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-1 Management and Other Service Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-82 Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-84 Purchase of Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-97 Redemption of Shares . . ........................................................................... I I-114 Shareholder Services . . ............................................................................ I I-118 Pricing of Shares .................................................................................. I I-122 Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage . . .............................................................. I I-124 Dividends and Taxes . . ............................................................................. I I-129 Performance Data ................................................................................. I I-137 Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................................... I I-139 General Information ............................................................................... I I-139 Appendix A — Description of Bond Ratings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 Appendix B — Proxy Voting Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
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PART I: INFORMATION ABOUT BLACKROCK STRATEGIC MUNICIPAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND OF BLACKROCK MUNICIPAL SERIES TRUST
Part I of this Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) sets forth information about BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock Municipal Series Trust (the “Trust”). It includes information about the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Board of Trustees”), the management services provided to and the management fees paid by the Fund and information about other fees applicable to and services provided to the Fund. This Part I of this SAI should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectuses and those portions of Part II of this SAI that pertain to the Fund.
I. Investment Objective and Policies
In implementing the Fund’s investment strategy, from time to time, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock” or the “Manager”), the Fund’s investment manager, may consider and employ techniques and strategies designed to minimize and defer the U.S. federal income taxes which may be incurred by shareholders in connection with their investment in the Fund.
Set forth below is a listing of some of the types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use, and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please see Part II of this SAI for further information on these investments and investment strategies. Information contained in Part II about the risks and considerations associated with investments and/or investment strategies applies only to the extent the Fund makes each type of investment or uses each investment strategy. Also set forth below is a listing of the proxy voting policy and related guidelines applicable to the Fund. Please see “Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures” in Part II of this SAI for further information about these policies. A copy of each policy is included in Appendix B.
Information that does not apply to a Fund does not form a part of that Fund’s SAI and should not be relied on by investors in that Fund. Only information that is clearly identified as applicable to the Fund is considered to form a part of the Fund’s SAI.
BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund Asset-Backed Securities Asset-Based Securities Precious Metal-Related Securities Borrowing and Leverage X Cash Management X Collateralized Debt Obligations Collateralized Bond Obligations Collateralized Loan Obligations Commercial Paper X Commodity-Linked Derivative Instruments and Hybrid Instruments Qualifying Hybrid Instruments
Hybrid Instruments Without Principal Protection Limitations on Leverage Counterparty Risk Convertible Securities Corporate Loans
Direct Lending Credit Linked Securities Debt Securities X Floating and Variable Rate Securities X Inflation-Indexed Bonds X
I-1
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BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund Investment Grade Debt Obligations X High Yield Investments (“Junk Bonds”) X Mezzanine Investments
Pay-in-kind Bonds X Supranational Entities Depositary Receipts (ADRs, EDRs and GDRs) Derivatives X Hedging X Speculation X Risk Factors in Derivatives X
Correlation Risk X Counterparty Risk X Credit Risk X Currency Risk Illiquidity Risk X Index Risk X
Legal Risk X Leverage Risk X Market Risk X Operational Risk X Valuation Risk X Volatility Risk X
Futures X Swap Agreements X Credit Default Swaps and Similar Instruments X Interest Rate Swaps, Floors and Caps X Total Return Swaps X Options X Options on Securities and Securities Indices X Call Options X Put Options X Options on Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) Certificates Options on Swaps (“Swaptions”) X FLEX Options
Foreign Exchange Transactions Spot Transactions and FX Forwards Currency Futures Currency Options Currency Swaps Distressed Securities X Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Integration X Equity Securities X
I-2
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BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund Real Estate-Related Securities Securities of Smaller or Emerging Growth Companies Tracking Stocks
Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”) Foreign Investments Foreign Investment Risks Foreign Market Risk Foreign Economy Risk Currency Risk and Exchange Risk Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States
Publicly Available Information Settlement Risk Sovereign Debt Withholding Tax Reclaims Risk U.S. Economic Trading Partners Risk Funding Agreements
Guarantees X Illiquid Investments X Index Funds Cash Flows; Expenses Tracking Error Risk S&P 500 Index
Russell Indexes MSCI Indexes FTSE Indexes Bloomberg Indexes ICE BofA Indexes Indexed and Inverse Securities X Inflation Risk X Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk Investment in Emerging Markets Brady Bonds China Investments Risk Investment in Other Investment Companies X
Exchange-Traded Funds X Issuer Insolvency Risk X Lease Obligations X Life Settlement Investments Liquidity Risk Management X Market Risks/Recent Market Events X Master Limited Partnerships
I-3
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BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund Merger Transaction Risk Money Market Obligations of Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks and Foreign Branches of U.S. Banks X Money Market Securities X Mortgage-Related Securities X Mortgage-Backed Securities X Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) X Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities X CMO Residuals Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Tiered Index Bonds TBA Commitments X
Mortgage Dollar Rolls Net Interest Margin (NIM) Securities Municipal Investments X Risk Factors and Special Considerations Relating to Municipal Bonds X Description of Municipal Bonds X General Obligation Bonds X
Revenue Bonds X Private Activity Bonds (“PABs”) X Moral Obligation Bonds X Municipal Notes X Municipal Commercial Paper X Municipal Lease Obligations X Tender Option Bonds X Yields X Variable Rate Demand Obligations (“VRDOs”) X Transactions in Financial Futures Contracts on Municipal Indexes X Call Rights X Municipal Interest Rate Swap Transactions X Insured Municipal Bonds X
Build America Bonds X Tax-Exempt Municipal Investments X Operational and Technology Risks X Participation Notes Portfolio Turnover Rates X Preferred Stock Tax-Exempt Preferred Shares X Trust Preferred Securities
Proxy Voting Policies Open-End Active and Fixed Income Index Fund Proxy Voting Policy X BlackRock Active Investment Stewardship Climate and Decarbonization Stewardship Guidelines
I-4
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BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund Index Equity Fund Proxy Voting Policy BlackRock Investment Stewardship Climate and Decarbonization Stewardship Guidelines
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) Reference Rate Replacement Risk X Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts X Restricted Securities X Reverse Repurchase Agreements X Rights Offerings and Warrants to Purchase X
Rule 144A Securities X Securities Lending X Short Sales See note 1 below Special Purpose Acquisition Companies Standby Commitment Agreements X Stripped Securities Structured Notes
Taxability Risk X Temporary Defensive Measures X U.S. Government Obligations X U.S. Treasury Obligations X U.S. Treasury Rolls Utility Industries X When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments X Yields and Ratings X Zero Coupon Securities X
1 The Fund may only make short sales “against-the-box.”
Regulation Regarding Derivatives. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) subjects advisers to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if a fund that is advised by the investment adviser either (i) invests, directly or indirectly, more than a prescribed level of its liquidation value in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps (“CFTC Derivatives”), or (ii) markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. To the extent the Fund uses CFTC Derivatives, it intends to do so below such prescribed levels and will not market itself as a “commodity pool” or a vehicle for trading such instruments. Accordingly, BlackRock has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA. BlackRock is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of the Fund.
Investments in Puerto Rico Municipal Securities. The Fund may invest in municipal securities issued in Puerto Rico, subject to market, economic and political conditions. Like many other U.S. states and municipalities, Puerto Rico experienced a significant downturn during the last recession. Puerto Rico continues to face significant fiscal challenges, including persistent government deficits, underfunded government retirement systems, sizable debt service obligations and a high unemployment rate. Puerto Rico has been defaulting on various debt payments since 2015. In 2016, President Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (“PROMESA”) into law. PROMESA established a seven-member federal oversight board and a bankruptcy restructuring mechanism for Puerto Rico to adjust its debts in the event voluntary agreements with creditors cannot be reached. On August 31, 2016, President Obama appointed the seven-member board from various lists provided by congressional leadership. Several of Puerto Rico’s debt-issuing entities have been placed into the PROMESA bankruptcy, restructuring mechanism by the oversight board following failed voluntary negotiation talks. A restructuring of some or all of Puerto Rico’s debt, or a further decline in market prices of Puerto Rico debt
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obligations, may affect a Fund investment in these securities. If the economic situation in Puerto Rico persists or worsens, the volatility, credit quality and performance of the Fund could be adversely affected.
II. Investment Restrictions
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted a number of investment restrictions and policies relating to the investment of the Fund’s assets and its activities. Certain restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the Investment Company Act means the lesser of (i) 67% of the Fund’s shares present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding shares). The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has also adopted certain non-fundamental investment restrictions, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Set forth below are the Fund’s fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions. Unless otherwise provided, all references below to the assets of the Fund are in terms of current market value.
Under its fundamental investment restrictions, the Fund may not:
(1) Make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Investment Company Act.
(2) Invest more than 25% of its assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of issuers in any particular industry (excluding the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities).
(3) Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management.
(4) Purchase or sell real estate, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may invest in securities directly or indirectly secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein.
(5) Make loans to other persons, except that the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other corporate debt securities and investment in government obligations, commercial paper, pass-through instruments, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, repurchase agreements or any similar instruments shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan, and except further that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities, provided that the lending of portfolio securities may be made only in accordance with applicable law and the guidelines set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as they may be amended from time to time.
(6) Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.
(7) Borrow money, except that (i) the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Investment Company Act) in amounts up to 33 1⁄ 1⁄3 ⁄3 % of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (ii) the Fund may borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (iii) the Fund may obtain such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities and (iv) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Fund may not pledge its assets other than to secure such borrowings or, to the extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies as set forth in its Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as they may be amended from time to time, in connection with hedging transactions, short sales, when-issued and forward commitment transactions and similar investment strategies.
(8) Underwrite securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund technically may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in selling portfolio securities.
(9) Purchase or sell commodities or contracts on commodities, except to the extent that the Fund may do so in accordance with applicable law and the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as they may be amended from time to time, and without registering as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.
Under its non-fundamental investment restrictions, the Fund may not:
(a) Purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act. As a matter of policy, however, the Fund will not purchase shares of any registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust, in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) (the “fund of funds” provisions) of the Investment Company Act, at any time the Fund has knowledge that its shares are purchased by another investment company investor in reliance on the provisions of subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1).
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(b) Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except to the extent permitted by the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, as amended from time to time, and applicable law.
For the purpose of restriction (2), tax-exempt securities issued by states, municipalities and their political subdivisions are not considered part of any industry.
Notations Regarding the Funds’ Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The following notations are not considered to be part of the Funds’ fundamental investment restrictions and are subject to change without shareholder approval.
For purposes of applying the fundamental policy relating to concentration set forth in (1) above, municipal securities issued to finance a specific project, such as industrial development bonds and private activity bonds, are not excluded from a Fund’s 25% industry concentration limit, as they are considered to be in the industry of the relevant project. There also will be no limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country. 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. Each foreign government will be considered to be a member of a separate industry. With respect to each Fund’s industry classifications, a Fund currently utilizes any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to each Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing set forth in (6) above, the policy does not restrict each Fund from obtaining leverage through tender option bond trust transactions, provided that the Fund either (i) complies with the 300% asset coverage ratio with respect to such transactions and any other borrowings in the aggregate, or (ii) treats such transactions as Derivatives Transactions under Rule 18f-4. See “Investment Risks and Considerations -- Derivatives -- Regulation of Derivatives -- Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act” below.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (7) above, the Investment Company Act does not prohibit a Fund from engaging in the underwriting business or from underwriting the securities of other issuers; in fact, in the case of diversified funds, the Investment Company Act permits each Fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances. Those circumstances currently are that the amount of a Fund’s underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the Fund’s investments in issuers where the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act. Although it is not believed that the application of the Securities Act provisions described above would cause a Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (7) above will be interpreted not to prevent a Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act or is otherwise engaged in the underwriting business to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Unless otherwise indicated, all limitations under each Fund’s fundamental or non-fundamental investment restrictions apply only at the time that a transaction is undertaken. Any change in the percentage of a Fund’s assets invested in certain securities or other instruments resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in a Fund’s total assets will not require the Fund to dispose of an investment until BlackRock determines that it is practicable to sell or close out the investment without undue market or tax consequences.
Except with respect to restriction (7), if a percentage restriction on the investment or use of assets set forth above is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation.
III. Information on Trustees and Officers
The Board of Trustees of the Trust consists of ten individuals (each a “Trustee”), eight of whom are not “interested persons” of the Trust as defined in the Investment Company Act (the “Independent Trustees”). The registered investment companies advised by the Manager or its affiliates (the “BlackRock-advised Funds”) are organized into the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex, the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex, and the iShares Complex (each, a “BlackRock Fund Complex”). The Fund is included in the BlackRock Fund Complex referred to as the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex. The Trustees also oversee as board members the operations of the other open-end and closed-end registered investment companies included in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.
The Board has overall responsibility for the oversight of the Trust and the Fund. The Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer are different people. Not only is the Chair of the Board an Independent Trustee, but also the
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Chair of each Board committee (each, a “Committee”) is an Independent Trustee. The Board has seven standing Committees: an Audit Committee, a Governance and Nominating Committee, a Compliance Committee, a Performance Oversight Committee, a Securities Lending Committee, an Executive Committee and a Private Assets Committee. The role of the Chair of the Board is to preside over all meetings of the Board and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Trustees between meetings. The Chair of each Committee performs a similar role with respect to the Committee. The Chair of the Board or a Committee may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board or the Committee from time to time. The Independent Trustees meet regularly outside the presence of the Fund’s management, in executive sessions or with other service providers to the Fund. The Board has regular meetings five times a year, including a meeting to consider the approval of the Fund’s investment management agreement, and, if necessary, may hold special meetings before its next regular meeting. The Audit Committee, the Governance and Nominating Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Performance Oversight Committee, the Securities Lending Committee, and the Private Assets Committee each meets regularly and the Executive Committee meets on an ad hoc basis to conduct the oversight functions delegated to that Committee by the Board and reports its findings to the Board. The Board and each standing Committee conduct annual assessments of their oversight function and structure. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise independent judgment over management and to allocate areas of responsibility among Committees and the Board to enhance oversight.
The Board decided to separate the roles of Chief Executive Officer from the Chair because it believes that having an independent Chair:
• increases the independent oversight of the Fund and enhances the Board’s objective evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer;
• allows the Chief Executive Officer to focus on the Fund’s operations instead of Board administration;
• provides greater opportunities for direct and independent communication between shareholders and the Board; and
• provides an independent spokesman for the Fund.
The Board has engaged the Manager to manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Manager, sub-advisers other service providers, the operations of the Fund and associated risks in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, state law, other applicable laws, the Fund’s charter, and the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. The Board reviews, on an ongoing basis, the Fund’s performance, operations, and investment strategies and techniques. The Board also conducts reviews of the Manager and its role in running the operations of the Fund.
Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Fund is the responsibility of the Manager, sub-advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), subject to the supervision of the Manager. The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational and valuation risks, among others. While there are a number of risk management functions performed by the Manager, sub-advisers or other service providers, as applicable, it is not possible to eliminate all of the risks applicable to the Fund. Risk oversight is part of the Board’s general oversight of the Fund and is addressed as part of various Board and Committee activities. The Board, directly or through Committees, also reviews reports from, among others, management, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, the Manager, sub-advisers and internal auditors for the Manager or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Fund and management’s or the service provider’s risk functions. The Committee system facilitates the timely and efficient consideration of matters by the Trustees and facilitates effective oversight of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and of the Fund’s activities and associated risks. The Board has approved the appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund’s compliance program and reports regularly to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Fund and its service providers. The Independent Trustees have engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight responsibilities.
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee composed of Lorenzo A. Flores (Chair), J. Phillip Holloman, Francis C. Mahoney and Arthur P. Steinmetz, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the accounting and financial reporting policies and practices of the Fund. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation: (i) approving, and recommending to the full Board for approval, the selection, retention, termination and compensation of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm (the “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm”) and evaluating the independence and objectivity of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm; (ii) approving all audit engagement terms and fees for the Fund; (iii) reviewing the conduct and results of each audit; (iv) reviewing any issues raised by the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm or management
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regarding the accounting or financial reporting policies and practices of the Fund, its internal controls, and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers and management’s response to any such issues; (v) reviewing and discussing the Fund’s audited and unaudited financial statements and disclosure in the Fund’s shareholder reports relating to the Fund’s performance; (vi) assisting the Board’s responsibilities with respect to the internal controls of the Fund and its service providers with respect to accounting and financial matters; and (vii) resolving any disagreements between the Fund’s management and the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm regarding financial reporting. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Audit Committee met three times.
Governance and Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Governance and Nominating Committee composed of W. Carl Kester (Chair), Cynthia L. Egan, J. Phillip Holloman and R. Glenn Hubbard, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The principal responsibilities of the Governance and Nominating Committee are: (i) identifying individuals qualified to serve as Independent Trustees and recommending Board nominees that are not “interested persons” of the Fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act) for election by shareholders or appointment by the Board; (ii) advising the Board with respect to Board composition, procedures and Committees of the Board (other than the Audit Committee); (iii) overseeing periodic self-assessments of the Board and Committees of the Board (other than the Audit Committee); (iv) reviewing and making recommendations in respect to Independent Trustee compensation; (v) monitoring corporate governance matters and making recommendations in respect thereof to the Board; (vi) acting as the administrative committee with respect to Board policies and procedures, committee policies and procedures (other than the Audit Committee) and codes of ethics as they relate to the Independent Trustees; and (vii) reviewing and making recommendations to the Board in respect of Fund share ownership by the Independent Trustees. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Governance and Nominating Committee. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Governance and Nominating Committee met four times.
The Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board seeks to identify individuals to serve on the Board who have a diverse range of viewpoints, qualifications, experiences, backgrounds and skill sets so that the Board will be better suited to fulfill its responsibility of overseeing the Fund’s activities. In so doing, the Governance and Nominating Committee reviews the size of the Board, the ages of the current Trustees and their tenure on the Board, and the skills, background and experiences of the Trustees in light of the issues facing the Fund in determining whether one or more new trustees should be added to the Board. The Board as a group strives to achieve diversity in terms of gender, race and geographic location. The Governance and Nominating Committee believes that the Trustees as a group possess the array of skills, experiences and backgrounds necessary to guide the Fund. The Trustees’ biographies included herein highlight the diversity and breadth of skills, qualifications and expertise that the Trustees bring to the Fund.
The Governance and Nominating Committee may consider nominations for Trustees made by the Fund’s shareholders as it deems appropriate. Under the Trust’s Bylaws, shareholders must follow certain procedures to nominate a person for election as a Trustee at a shareholder meeting at which Trustees are to be elected. Under these advance notice procedures, shareholders must submit the proposed nominee by delivering a notice to the Secretary of the Fund at its principal executive offices no later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) day following the day on which notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the meeting was made, whichever first occurs.
The Trust’s Bylaws provide that notice of a proposed nomination must include certain information about the shareholder and the nominee, as well as certain other information, including a written consent of the proposed nominee to serve if elected. Reference is made to the Trust’s Bylaws for more details.
Compliance Committee. The Board has a Compliance Committee composed of Cynthia L. Egan (Chair), Stayce D. Harris, R. Glenn Hubbard, W. Carl Kester and Francis C. Mahoney, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The Compliance Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility with respect to the oversight of regulatory and fiduciary compliance matters involving the Fund, the fund-related activities of BlackRock, and any sub advisers and the Fund’s other third party service providers. The Compliance Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation: (i) overseeing the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund and its service providers and recommending changes or additions to such policies and procedures; (ii) reviewing information on and, where appropriate, recommending policies concerning the Fund’s compliance with applicable law; (iii) reviewing information on any significant correspondence with or other actions by regulators or governmental agencies with respect to the Fund and any employee complaints or published reports that raise concerns regarding compliance matters; and (iv) reviewing reports from, overseeing the annual performance review of, and making certain recommendations in respect of, the Fund’s CCO, including, without limitation, determining the amount and structure of the CCO’s
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compensation. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Compliance Committee. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Compliance Committee met three times.
Per formance Oversight Committee. The Board has a Performance Oversight Committee composed of Arthur P. Steinmetz (Chair), Cynthia L. Egan, Lorenzo A. Flores, Stayce D. Harris, J. Phillip Holloman, R. Glenn Hubbard and W. Carl Kester, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The Performance Oversight Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee the Fund’s investment performance relative to the Fund’s investment objective, policies and practices. The Performance Oversight Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation: (i) reviewing the Fund’s investment objective, policies and practices; (ii) recommending to the Board any required action in respect of changes in fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions; (iii) reviewing information on appropriate benchmarks and competitive universes; (iv) reviewing the Fund’s investment performance relative to such benchmarks; (v) reviewing information on unusual or exceptional investment matters; (vi) reviewing whether the Fund has complied with its investment policies and restrictions; and (vii) overseeing policies, procedures and controls regarding valuation of the Fund’s investments. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Performance Oversight Committee. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Performance Oversight Committee met four times.
Securities Lending Committee. The Board has a Securities Lending Committee composed of Arthur P. Steinmetz (Chair), Cynthia L. Egan and W. Carl Kester, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The principal responsibilities of the Securities Lending Committee include, without limitation: (i) supporting, overseeing and organizing on behalf of the Board the process for oversight of the Fund’s securities lending activities; and (ii) providing a recommendation to the Board regarding the annual approval of the Fund’s Securities Lending Guidelines and the Fund’s agreement with the lending agent. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Securities Lending Committee. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Securities Lending Committee met two times.
Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee composed of R. Glenn Hubbard (Chair) and W. Carl Kester, both of whom are Independent Trustees, and John M. Perlowski, who serves as an interested Trustee. The principal responsibilities of the Executive Committee include, without limitation: (i) acting on routine matters between meetings of the Board; (ii) acting on such matters as may require urgent action between meetings of the Board; and (iii) exercising such other authority as may from time to time be delegated to the Executive Committee by the Board. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Executive Committee. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Executive Committee did not meet.
Private Assets Committee . The Board has a Private Assets Committee composed of W. Carl Kester (Chair), Cynthia L. Egan and Arthur P. Steinmetz, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The principal responsibilities of the Private Assets Committee include, without limitation: (i) monitoring, on behalf of the Board, through reviews of periodic reports from BlackRock, certain categories or types of private assets held by the Fund that have been identified by the Committee (“subject private assets”); (ii) assisting the Board and its other Committees to oversee the actions of the Fund’s valuation designee and liquidity risk manager in respect of the valuation and liquidity, respectively, of subject private assets held by the Fund; (iii) engaging with BlackRock on the oversight of subject private assets; (iv) reviewing and making recommendations to the Board and/or its Committees regarding the Board’s oversight of subject private assets; and (v) addressing such other matters relating to subject private assets held by the Fund as the Committee deems appropriate, including assisting the Board’s consideration of subject private assets in conjunction with the annual consideration of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Private Assets Committee. As the Private Assets Committee was established in July 2026, during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, the Private Assets Committee did not meet.
The Independent Trustees have adopted a statement of policy that describes the experiences, qualifications, skills and attributes that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (the “Statement of Policy”). The Board believes that each Independent Trustee satisfied, at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy as well as the standards set forth in the Trust’s Bylaws. Furthermore, in determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experiences, skills, attributes and qualifications, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the Fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Among the attributes common to all Trustees is their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Manager, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees. Each Trustee’s ability to perform his or her duties effectively is evidenced by his or her educational background or professional training; business, consulting, public service or academic
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positions; experience from service as a board member of the Trust or the other funds in the BlackRock Fund Complexes (and any predecessor funds), other investment funds, public companies, or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; ongoing commitment and participation in Board and Committee meetings, as well as his or her leadership of standing and other committees throughout the years; or other relevant life experiences.
The table below discusses some of the experiences, qualifications and skills of each Trustee that support the conclusion that he or she should serve on the Board.
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The table below discusses some of the experiences, qualifications and skills of each of the Trustees that support the conclusion that each board member should serve (or continue to serve) on the Board.
Trustees Experience, Qualifications and Skills Independent Trustees R. Glenn Hubbard R. Glenn Hubbard has served in numerous roles in the field of economics, including as the Chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers of the President of the United States. Dr. Hubbard has served as the Dean of Columbia Business School, as a member of the Columbia Faculty and as a Visiting Professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Harvard Business School and the University of Chicago. Dr. Hubbard’s experience as an adviser to the President of the United States adds a dimension of balance to the Fund’s governance and provides perspective on economic issues. Dr. Hubbard’s service on the boards of ADP and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company provides the Board with the benefit of his experience with the management practices of other financial companies. Dr. Hubbard’s long-standing service on the boards of directors/trustees of the closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed Income Complex also provides him with a specific understanding of the Fund, its operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Fund. Dr. Hubbard’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances his service as Chair of the Board, Chair of the Executive Committee and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee, the Compliance Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
W. Carl Kester The Board benefits from W. Carl Kester’s experiences as a professor and author in finance, and his experience as the George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and as Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs at Harvard Business School from 2006 through 2010 adds to the Board a wealth of expertise in corporate finance and corporate governance. Dr. Kester has authored and edited numerous books and research papers on both subject matters, including co-editing a leading volume of finance case studies used worldwide. Dr. Kester’s long-standing service on the boards of directors/trustees of the closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex also provides him with a specific understanding of the Fund, its operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Fund. Dr. Kester’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances his service as Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee, Chair of the Private Assets Committee and a member of the Executive Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Performance Oversight Committee and the Securities Lending Committee.
Cynthia L. Egan Cynthia L. Egan brings to the Board a broad and diverse knowledge of investment companies and the retirement industry as a result of her many years of experience as President, Retirement Plan Services, for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and her various senior operating officer positions at Fidelity Investments, including her service as Executive Vice President of FMR Co., President of Fidelity Institutional Services Company and President of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. Ms. Egan has also served as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Treasury as an expert in domestic retirement security. Ms. Egan began her professional career at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Ms. Egan is also a director of UNUM Corporation, a publicly traded insurance company providing personal risk reinsurance, and a director and Chair of the Board of The Hanover Group, a public property casualty insurance company. Ms. Egan is also the lead independent director and non-executive Vice Chair of the Board of Huntsman Corporation, a publicly traded manufacturer and marketer of chemical products. Ms. Egan’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances her service as Chair of the Compliance Committee and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee, the Performance Oversight Committee, the Securities Lending Committee and the Private Assets Committee.
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Trustees Experience, Qualifications and Skills Lorenzo A. Flores The Board benefits from Lorenzo A. Flores’s many years of business, leadership and financial experience in his roles at various public and private companies. In particular, Mr. Flores’s service as Chief Financial Officer of Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, a semiconductor company that designs, develops, and markets programmable logic products and related software, Chief Financial Officer of Intel Foundry, a semiconductor manufacturing unit of Intel Corporation, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller of Xilinx, Inc., a technology and semiconductor company that supplies programmable logic devices, and Vice Chairman of Kioxia, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of flash memory and solid state drives, and his long experience in the technology industry allow him to provide insight into financial, business and technology trends. Mr. Flores’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Flores’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances his service as a member of the Performance Oversight Committee. Mr. Flores has been determined by the Audit Committee to be an audit committee financial expert, as such term is defined in the applicable Commission rules.
Stayce D. Harris The Board benefits from Stayce D. Harris’s leadership and governance experience gained during her extensive military career, including as a three-star Lieutenant General of the United States Air Force. In her most recent role, Ms. Harris reported to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force on matters concerning Air Force effectiveness, efficiency and the military discipline of active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces. Ms. Harris’s experience on governance matters includes oversight of inspection policy and the inspection and evaluation system for all Air Force nuclear and conventional forces; oversight of Air Force counterintelligence operations and service on the Air Force Intelligence Oversight Panel; investigation of fraud, waste and abuse; and oversight of criminal investigations and complaints resolution programs. Ms. Harris is also a director of The Boeing Company. Ms. Harris’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances her service as a member of the Compliance Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
J. Phillip Holloman The Board benefits from J. Phillip Holloman’s many years of business and leadership experience as an executive, director and advisory board member of various public and private companies. In particular, Mr. Holloman’s service as Board Chairman, Vestis Corporation since 2023; Interim Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vestis Corporation from April 2025 to July 2025; President and Chief Operating Officer of Cintas Corporation allows him to provide insight into business trends and conditions. Mr. Holloman’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Holloman’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances his service as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
Francis C. Mahoney The Board benefits from Francis C. Mahoney’s 39 years of financial expertise as a former Vice Chair at Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”). Mr. Mahoney’s experience includes financial accounting and reporting, business strategy, P&L management, human capital, and governance. Mr. Mahoney’s leadership experience at EY included large-scale transformations, development of high performing teams and serving as a valued advisor to the board. Mr. Mahoney’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances his service as a member of the Audit Committee and the Compliance Committee. Mr. Mahoney has been determined by the Audit Committee to be an audit committee financial expert, as such term is defined in the applicable Commission rules.
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Trustees Experience, Qualifications and Skills Arthur P. Steinmetz The Board benefits from Arthur P. Steinmetz’s many years of business and leadership experience as an executive, chairman and director of various companies in the financial industry. Mr. Steinmetz’s service as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of the OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and as Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer of certain OppenheimerFunds funds provides insight into the asset management industry. He has also served as a Director of ScotiaBank (U.S.). Mr. Steinmetz’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Steinmetz’s independence from the Fund and the Manager enhances his service as Chair of the Performance Oversight Committee, Chair of the Securities Lending Committee and a member of the Private Assets Committee. Mr. Steinmetz has been determined by the Audit Committee to be an audit committee financial expert, as such term is defined in the applicable Commission rules.
Interested Trustees Robert Fairbairn Robert Fairbairn has more than 25 years of experience with BlackRock, Inc. and over 30 years of experience in finance and asset management. In particular, Mr. Fairbairn’s positions as Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc., Member of BlackRock’s Global Operating Committee and Co-Chair of BlackRock’s Human Capital Committee provide the Board with a wealth of practical business knowledge and leadership. In addition, Mr. Fairbairn has global investment management and oversight experience through his former positions as Member of BlackRock’s Global Executive Committee, Global Head of BlackRock’s Retail and iShares ® businesses, Head of BlackRock’s Global Client Group, Chairman of BlackRock’s international businesses and his previous oversight over BlackRock’s Strategic Partner Program and Strategic Product Management Group. Mr. Fairbairn also serves as a board member for the funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex.
John M. Perlowski John M. Perlowski’s experience as Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2026, as Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2025, as the Head of BlackRock Global Business Operations Services since 2009, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund provides him with a strong understanding of the Fund, its operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Fund. Mr. Perlowski’s prior position as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Product Group at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and his former service as Treasurer and Senior Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Mutual Funds and as Director of the Goldman Sachs Offshore Funds provides the Board with the benefit of his experience with the management practices of other financial companies. Mr. Perlowski also serves as a board member for the funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex. Mr. Perlowski is a member of BlackRock’s Global Executive Committee. Mr. Perlowski’s experience with BlackRock enhances his service as a member of the Executive Committee.
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Biographical Information
Certain biographical and other information relating to the Trustees is set forth below, including their address and year of birth, principal occupations for at least the last five years, length of time served, total number of registered investment companies and investment portfolios overseen in the BlackRock-advised Funds and any currently held public company and other investment company directorships.
Name and Year of Birth 1,2
Position(s) Held (Length of Service) 3 Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of BlackRock Advised Registered Investment Companies (“RICs”) Consisting of Investment Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen
Public Company and Other Investment Company Directorships Held During Past Five Years Independent Trustees R. Glenn Hubbard 1958
Chair of the Board (Since 2022) and Trustee (Since 2019)
Dean, Columbia Business School from 2004 to 2019; Faculty member, Columbia Business School since 1988.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
ADP (data and information services) from 2004 to 2020; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (insurance); TotalEnergies SE (multi-energy) W. Carl Kester4 r4 1951
Vice Chair of the Board (Since 2022) and Trustee (Since 2019)
Baker Foundation Professor and George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, Harvard Business School since 2022; George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School from 2008 to 2022; Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs from 2006 to 2010; Chairman of the Finance Unit, from 2005 to 2006; Senior Associate Dean and Chairman of the MBA Program from 1999 to 2005; Member of the faculty of Harvard Business School since 1981.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
None
Cynthia L. Egan 4 1955
Trustee (Since 2019)
Advisor, U.S. Department of the Treasury from 2014 to 2015; President, Retirement Plan Services, for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. from 2007 to 2012; executive positions within Fidelity Investments from 1989 to 2007.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
Unum (insurance); The Hanover Insurance Group (Board Chair); Huntsman Corporation (Lead Independent Director and non Executive Vice Chair of the Board) (chemical products) Lorenzo A. Flores 1964
Trustee (Since 2021)
Chief Financial Officer, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (LSCC) since 2025; Chief Financial Officer, Intel Foundry from 2024 to 2025; Vice Chairman, Kioxia, Inc. from 2019 to 2024; Chief Financial Officer, Xilinx, Inc. from 2016 to 2019; Corporate Controller, Xilinx, Inc. from 2008 to 2016.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
None
Stayce D. Harris 1959
Trustee (Since 2021)
Lieutenant General, Inspector General of the United States Air Force from 2017 to 2019; Lieutenant General, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Staff, United States Air Force from 2016 to 2017; Major General, Commander, 22nd Air Force, AFRC, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia from 2014 to 2016; Pilot, United Airlines from 1990 to 2020.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
KULR Technology Group, Inc. in 2021; The Boeing Company (airplane manufacturer)
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Name and Year of Birth 1,2
Position(s) Held (Length of Service) 3 Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of BlackRock Advised Registered Investment Companies (“RICs”) Consisting of Investment Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen
Public Company and Other Investment Company Directorships Held During Past Five Years J. Phillip Holloman 1955
Trustee (Since 2021)
Board Chairman, Vestis Corporation since 2023; Interim Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vestis Corporation from April 2025 to July 2025; President and Chief Operating Officer, Cintas Corporation from 2008 to 2018.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
Vestis Corporation (uniforms and facilities services)
Francis C. Mahoney4 y4 1968
(Trustee Since September 2026)
Vice Chair of Ernst & Young LLP from 2014 to 2024.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
None
Arthur P. Steinmetz 4 1958
Trustee (Since 2023)
Trustee of Denison University since 2020; Consultant, Posit PBC (enterprise data science) since 2020; Director, ScotiaBank (U.S.) from 2020 to 2023; Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. from 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively to 2019; Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer of 104 OppenheimerFunds funds from 2014 to 2019; Portfolio manager of various OppenheimerFunds fixed income mutual funds from 1986 to 2014.
52 RICs consisting of 85 Portfolios
None
Interested Trustees 5 Robert Fairbairn 1965
Trustee (Since 2015)
Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019; Member of BlackRock’s Global Operating Committee; Co-Chair of BlackRock’s Human Capital Committee; Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2010 to 2019; oversaw BlackRock’s Strategic Partner Program and Strategic Product Management Group from 2012 to 2019; Member of the Board of Managers of BlackRock Investments, LLC from 2011 to 2018; Global Head of BlackRock’s Retail and iShares ® businesses from 2012 to 2016.
78 RICs consisting of 255 Portfolios
None
John M. Perlowski 5 1964
Trustee and President (Since 2015) and Chief Executive Officer (Since 2010)
Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2026; Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2025; Member of BlackRock’s Global Executive Committee since 2025; Head of BlackRock Global Business Operations Services since 2009; Advisory Director of Family Resource Network (charitable foundation) since 2009.
78 RICs consisting of 255 Portfolios
None
1 The address of each Trustee is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001. 2 Each Independent Trustee holds office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal as provided by the Trust’s by-laws or charter or statute, or until December 31 of the year in which he or she turns 75. Trustees who are “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act (each, an “Interested Trustee”), serve until their successor is duly elected and qualifies or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal as provided by the Trust’s by-laws or statute, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. The Board may determine to extend the terms of Independent Trustees on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate. 3 Following the combination of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (“MLIM”) and BlackRock, Inc. in September 2006, the various legacy MLIM and legacy BlackRock fund boards were realigned and consolidated into three new fund boards in 2007. Certain Independent Trustees first became members of the boards of other legacy MLIM or legacy BlackRock funds as follows: R. Glenn Hubbard, 2004; and W. Carl Kester, 1995. Certain other Independent Trustees first became members of the boards of the closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex as follows: Michael J. Castellano, 2011; Cynthia L. Egan, 2016 and Catherine A. Lynch, 2016. 4 Mr. Mahoney was appointed as a Trustee of the Trust effective September 8, 2026. 5 Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are both “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act, of the Trust based on their positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates. Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are also board members of the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex.
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Certain biographical and other information relating to the officers of the Fund who are not Trustees is set forth below, including their address and year of birth, principal occupations for at least the last five years and length of time served.
Name and Year of Birth 1,2 Position(s) Held (Length of Service) Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years Officers Who Are Not Trustees Jennifer McGovern 1977
Vice President (Since 2014)
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2016.
Trent Walker 1974
Chief Financial Officer (Since 2021)
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019.
Jay M. Fife 1970
Treasurer (Since 2007)
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007.
Charles Park 1967
Chief Compliance Officer (Since 2026; and 20142023)
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC (since 2014) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (since 2006); Chief Compliance Officer of the iShares Complex (since 2026 and 2006-2023); Chief Compliance Officer of the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex and the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex (since 2026 and 2014-2023). Lisa Belle 1968
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer (Since 2019)
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019.
Janey Ahn 1975
Secretary (Since 2019)
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2018.
1 The address of each Officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001. 2 Officers of the Trust serve at the pleasure of the Board. 3 Effective August 1, 2026, Charles Park succeeded Aaron Wasserman as Chief Compliance Officer.
Share Ownership
Information relating to each Trustee’s share ownership in the Fund and in all BlackRock-advised Funds that are currently overseen by the respective Trustee (“Supervised Funds”) as of December 31, 2025, except as otherwise noted, is set forth in the chart below. Amounts shown may include shares as to which a Trustee has indirect beneficial ownership, such as through participation in certain family accounts, 529 college savings plan interests, or similar arrangements where the Trustee has beneficial economic interest but not a direct ownership interest.
Name of Trustee Dollar Range in the Fund Aggregate Dollar Range in Supervised Funds* Independent Trustees: Cynthia L. Egan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 Lorenzo A. Flores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 Stayce D. Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 J. Phillip Holloman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 R. Glenn Hubbard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 W. Carl Kester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 Francis C. Mahoney** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None None Arthur P. Steinmetz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 Interested Trustees: Robert Fairbairn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000 John M. Perlowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None Over $100,000
* Includes share equivalents owned under the deferred compensation plan in the Supervised Funds by certain Independent Trustees who have participated in the deferred compensation plan of the Supervised Funds. ** Appointed as a Trustee of the Trust effective September 8, 2026.
As of September 3, 2026, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group directly or indirectly beneficially owned an aggregate of less than 1% of any class of the outstanding shares of the Fund. As of December 31, 2025(and, with respect to Mr. Mahoney, as of September 8, 2026), none of the Independent Trustees of the Trust or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of the Fund’s
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investment adviser, principal underwriter, or any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such entities.
Compensation of Trustees
Each Independent Trustee is paid an annual retainer of $370,000 per year for his or her services as a Board member of the BlackRock-advised Funds, including the Fund, together with out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with a Board policy on travel and other business expenses relating to attendance at meetings. In addition, the Chair of the Board and the Vice Chair of the Board are paid an additional annual retainer of $140,000 and $84,000, respectively. The Chairs of the Audit Committee, Private Assets Committee, Performance Oversight Committee, Compliance Committee, Governance and Nominating Committee, and Securities Lending Committee are paid an additional annual retainer of $55,000, $55,000, $42,500, $50,000, $42,500 and $5,000, respectively, in addition to the retainers that they each receive as a member of such committee. Each member (including the Chair) of the Audit Committee, Private Assets Committee, Compliance Committee, Governance and Nominating Committee, and Securities Lending Committee are paid an additional annual retainer of $30,000, $30,000, $25,000, $25,000 and $15,000, respectively, for his or her service on such committee. An Independent Trustee may receive additional compensation for his or her service as a member or Chair, as applicable, of one or more ad hoc committees of the Board. The Fund will pay a pro rata portion quarterly (based on relative net assets) of the foregoing Trustee fees paid by the funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.
The Independent Trustees have agreed that a maximum of 50% of each Independent Trustee’s total compensation paid by funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex may be deferred pursuant to the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex’s deferred compensation plan. Under the deferred compensation plan, deferred amounts earn a return for the Independent Trustees as though equivalent dollar amounts had been invested in shares of certain funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex selected by the Independent Trustees. This has approximately the same economic effect for the Independent Trustees as if they had invested the deferred amounts in such funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex. The deferred compensation plan is not funded and obligations thereunder represent general unsecured claims against the general assets of a fund and are recorded as a liability for accounting purposes.
The following table sets forth the compensation paid to the Trustees by the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026 and the aggregate compensation, including deferred compensation amounts, paid to them by all BlackRock-advised Funds for the calendar year ended December 31, 2025.
Name 1
Aggregate Compensation from the Fund
Estimated Annual Benefits upon Retirement
Aggregate Compensation from the Fund and Other BlackRock Advised Funds 2,3 Independent Trustees: Cynthia L. Egan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,243 None $580,000 Lorenzo A. Flores 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,340 None $400,000 Stayce D. Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,262 None $395,000 J. Phillip Holloman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,587 None $425,000 R. Glenn Hubbard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,967 None $560,000 W. Carl Kester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,062 None $671,500 Catherine A. Lynch 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,589 None $610,000 Francis C. Mahoney 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A None None Arthur P. Steinmetz 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,852 None $537,500 Interested Trustees: Robert Fairbairn .............................................. None None None John M. Perlowski ............................................ None None None
1 For the number of BlackRock-advised Funds from which each Trustee receives compensation see “Biographical Information” beginning on page I-15. 2 For the Independent Trustees, this amount represents the aggregate compensation earned from the funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex during the calendar year ended December 31, 2025. Of this amount, Mr. Flores, Ms. Harris, Mr. Holloman, Dr. Hubbard, Dr. Kester, Ms. Lynch, and Mr. Steinmetz deferred $200,000, $197,500, $212,500, $280,000, $546,859, $603,900 and $268,750, respectively, pursuant to the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex’s deferred compensation plan. 3 Total amount of deferred compensation payable by the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex to Mr. Flores, Ms. Harris, Mr. Holloman, Dr. Hubbard, Dr. Kester, Ms. Lynch and Mr. Steinmetz is $1,055,218, $1,032,387, $1,101,752, $5,907,215, $2,544,830, $720,927 and $603,379, respectively, as of December 31, 2025. Ms. Egan did not participate in the deferred compensation plan as of December 31, 2025. 4 Mr. Flores became Chair of the Audit Committee effective as of March 9, 2026. 5 Ms. Lynch resigned as Trustee of the Trust effective as of March 9, 2026.
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6 Mr. Mahoney was appointed as a Trustee of the Trust effective September 8, 2026. 7 Mr. Steinmetz became Chair of the Securities Lending Committee effective as of May 20, 2026.
IV. Management, Advisory and Other Service Arrangements
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has entered into an investment advisory agreement with the Manager (the “Management Agreement”), pursuant to which the Manager receives as compensation for its services to the Fund, a fee with respect to the Fund at the end of each month.
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive 0.05% of the management fee through June 30, 2028.
BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2028. BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock indirectly through its investment in money market funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates, through June 30, 2028. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the Independent Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
The table below sets forth information about the total management fees paid by the Fund to the Manager, and the amounts waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager, for the past three fiscal years:
Fees Paid to Manager
Fees Waived by the Manager 1 Fees Reimbursed by the Manager Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2026 . . . . . . . ....... $18,013,507 $1,822,296 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2025 . . . . . . . ....... $20,177,530 $2,052,250 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2024 . . . . . . . ....... $22,750,028 $2,377,884 $0
1 In addition to the contractual waiver discussed above, the Manager may reimburse a portion of the Fund’s management fee in connection with the Fund’s investment in an affiliated money market fund.
Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Manager may from time to time, in its sole discretion to the extent permitted by applicable law, appoint one or more sub-advisers, including, without limitation, affiliates of the Manager, to perform investment advisory services with respect to the Fund. In addition, the Manager may delegate certain of its investment advisory functions under the Management Agreement to one or more of its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Manager may terminate any or all sub-advisers or such delegation arrangements in its sole discretion at any time to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Information Regarding the Portfolio Managers
The Fund is managed by a team of financial professionals comprised of Michael Kalinoski, CFA, Director at BlackRock, Kevin Maloney, CFA, Managing Director at BlackRock, Ryan McDonald, CFA, Managing Director at BlackRock, Phillip Soccio, CFA, Director at BlackRock, and Sean Carney, Managing Director at BlackRock. Each is a member of BlackRock’s municipal tax-exempt management group. Messrs. Kalinoski, Maloney, McDonald, Soccio and Carney are jointly and primarily responsible for managing the Fund.
Other Funds and Accounts Managed
The following table sets forth information about the funds and accounts other than the Fund for which the Fund’s portfolio managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management as of May 31, 2026.
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Number of Other Accounts Managed and Assets by Account Type Number of Other Accounts and Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based
Name of Portfolio Manager
Other Registered Investment Companies
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts
Other Registered Investment Companies
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Sean Carney 3 0 0 0 0 0 $9.28 Billion $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Michael Kalinoski, CFA 20 0 0 0 0 0 $28.23 Billion $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Kevin Maloney, CFA 29 0 0 0 0 0 $38.99 Billion $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Ryan McDonald, CFA 7 0 0 0 0 0 $7.90 Billion $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Phillip Soccio, CFA 21 0 0 0 0 0 $23.22 Billion $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Por tfolio Manager Compensation Overview
The discussion below describes the portfolio managers’ compensation as of May 31, 2026.
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
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 Fund 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 Michael Kalinoski, CFA Kevin Maloney, CFA Ryan McDonald, CFA Phillip Soccio, CFA
A combination of market-based indices (e.g., Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups.
Sean Carney A combination of market-based indices (e.g., Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups. Due to Portfolio Manager Sean Carney’s unique position (Portfolio Manager and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Tax Exempt Fixed Income) his compensation does not solely reflect his role as PM of the funds managed by him. The performance of his fund(s) are included in consideration of his incentive compensation but given his unique role it is not the sole driver of compensation.
Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation. Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash, deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards, and/or deferred cash awards that notionally track the return of certain BlackRock investment products.
Portfolio managers receive their annual discretionary incentive compensation in the form of cash. Portfolio managers whose total compensation is above a specified threshold also receive deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock
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awards annually as part of their discretionary incentive compensation. Paying a portion of discretionary incentive compensation in the form of deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year “at risk” based on BlackRock’s ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. In some cases, additional deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock may be granted to certain key employees as part of a long-term incentive award to aid in retention, align interests with long-term shareholders and motivate performance. Deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that vest pursuant to the terms of the applicable plan and, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. The portfolio managers of this Fund have deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards.
For certain portfolio managers, a portion of the discretionary incentive compensation is also distributed in the form of deferred cash awards that notionally track the returns of select BlackRock investment products they manage, which provides direct alignment of portfolio manager discretionary incentive compensation with investment product results. Deferred cash awards vest ratably over a number of years and, once vested, settle in the form of cash. Only portfolio managers who manage specified products and whose total compensation is above a specified threshold are eligible to participate in the deferred cash award program.
Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base salary and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:
Incentive Savings Plans — BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the Internal Revenue Service limit ($360,000 for 2026). 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.
Por tfolio Manager Beneficial Holdings
As of May 31, 2026, the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year end, the dollar range of securities beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Fund is shown below:
Portfolio Manager Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned Kevin Maloney, CFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1 - $10,000 Ryan McDonald, CFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1 - $10,000 Michael Kalinoski, CFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1 - $10,000 Phillip Soccio, CFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1 - $10,000 Sean Carney . . . ................................................................ $10,001 - $50,000
Por tfolio 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
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securities. Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRock’s (or its affiliates’ or significant shareholders’) officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non public information. Certain portfolio managers also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for the Fund. It should also be noted that a portfolio manager may be managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, or may be part of a team managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, subject to incentive fees. Such portfolio managers may therefore be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such accounts. Currently, the portfolio managers of this Fund are not entitled to receive a portion of incentive fees of other accounts.
As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock has adopted policies that are intended to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base, as appropriate.
Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) has been retained to act as custodian for the Fund and is located at One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2016. The custodian, among other things, maintains a custody account or accounts in the name of the Fund, receives and delivers all assets for the Fund upon purchase and upon sale or maturity, and collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the assets of the Fund.
Accounting Services
State Street serves as the accounting services provider for the Fund. State Street maintains the books of account and other financial records; records general ledger entries; calculates daily net income; reconciles activity to the trial balance; calculates and publishes daily net asset value; prepares account balances; and provides such other accounting services as may be required. In connection with its accounting services, State Street also provides certain administration services.
Prior to May 31, 2021, the Fund also paid the Manager for certain accounting services. Amounts shown as paid to the Manager for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2022 were for accounting services provided prior to the termination of such agreement.
The table below shows the amounts paid by the Fund to State Street and the Manager for accounting services for the periods shown:
Fees Paid to State Street Fees Paid to the Manager Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2026. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................... $292,885 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2025. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................... $326,939 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2024. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................... $394,652 $0
Transfer Agency and Shareholders’ Administrative Services
BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (“BNY Mellon”), which has its principal place of business at 118 Flanders Road Westborough, Massachusetts 01581, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursement agent for the Fund.
Pursuant to a Shareholders’ Administrative Services Agreement, the Manager provides certain shareholder liaison services in connection with the Fund’s investor service center. The Fund reimburses the Manager for its costs in maintaining the service center, which costs include, among other things, employee salaries, leasehold expenses, and other out-of-pocket expenses which are a component of the transfer agency fees in the Fund’s annual report.
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Set forth below are the amounts the Fund reimbursed the Manager pursuant to such agreement in the amounts set forth below:
Fees Paid to the Manager Fees Waived by the Manager Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,896 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,219 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,588 $0
Credit Agreement
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, along with certain other funds managed by the Manager and its affiliates (“Participating Funds”), is a party to a 364-day, $2.4 billion credit agreement with a group of lenders, which facility terminates on April 8, 2027, unless otherwise extended or renewed (the “Credit Agreement”). Excluding commitments designated for certain Participating Funds, the Participating Funds, including the Fund, can borrow up to an aggregate commitment amount of $1.75 billion at any time outstanding, subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Credit Agreement. The Fund may borrow under the Credit Agreement to meet shareholder redemptions and for other lawful purposes. However, the Fund may not borrow under the Credit Agreement for leverage. The Fund may borrow up to the maximum amount allowable under its current Prospectuses and SAI, subject to various other legal, regulatory or contractual limits. Borrowing results in interest expense and other fees and expenses for the Fund which may impact the Fund’s net expenses. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. The Fund is charged its pro rata share of upfront fees and commitment fees on the aggregate commitment amount based on its net assets. If the Fund borrows pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Fund will be charged interest at a variable rate.
V. Information on Sales Charges and Distribution Related Expenses
Set forth below is information on sales charges (including any contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSCs”)) received by the Fund, including the amounts paid to affiliates of the Manager (“Affiliates”) for each of the Fund’s last three fiscal years. BlackRock Investments, LLC (previously defined as “BRIL” or the “Distributor”), an affiliate of the Manager, acts as the Fund’s sole distributor.
Investor A and Investor A1 Sales Charge Information
Investor A Shares
For the Fiscal Year Ended May 31,
Gross Sales Charges Collected
Sales Charges Retained By BRIL
Sales Charges Paid To Affiliates
CDSCs Received on Redemption of Load-Waived Shares 2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,240 $ 863 $ 863 $18,857 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28,495 $2,039 $2,039 $14,738 2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,220 $1,082 $1,082 $61,409
Investor A1 Shares
For the Fiscal Year Ended May 31,
Gross Sales Charges Collected
Sales Charges Retained By BRIL
Sales Charges Paid To Affiliates
CDSCs Received on Redemption of Load-Waived Shares 2026. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0 $0 $0 $0 2025. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0 $0 $0 $0 2024. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0 $0 $0 $0
Investor C Sales Charge Information
Investor C Shares
For the Fiscal Year Ended May 31,
CDSCs Received by BRIL
CDSCs Paid to Affiliates 2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 667 $ 667 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 783 $ 783 2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,207 $3,207
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The table below provides information for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026 about the 12b-1 fees the Fund paid to BRIL under the Fund’s 12b-1 plans. A significant amount of the fees collected by BRIL were paid to affiliates, for providing shareholder servicing activities for Investor A Shares and Investor A1 Shares and for providing shareholder servicing and distribution-related activities and services for Investor C Shares.
Class Name Fees Paid to BRIL Investor A Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1, 337,431 Investor A1 Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 12,560 Investor C Shares . . . .................................................................... $ 249,511
VI. Computation of Offering Price Per Share
An illustration of the computation of the public offering price of the Investor A Shares and Investor A1 Shares of the Fund, based on the value of the Fund’s Investor A Shares’ and Investor A1 Shares’ net assets and number of Investor A Shares and Investor A1 Shares outstanding on May 31, 2026 is set forth below.
Investor A Shares Investor A1 Shares Net Assets ............................................................. $495,717,939 $12,065,818 Number of Shares Outstanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47, 669,532 1,159,919 Net Asset Value Per Share (net assets divided by number of shares outstanding). .......................................................... $10.40 $10.40 Sales Charge (for Investor A and Investor A1 Shares: 4.25% and 1.00% of offering price; 4.44% and 1.01% of net asset value per share, respectively) 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.46 $0.11 Offering Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.86 $10.51
1 Assumes maximum sales charge applicable.
The offering price for the Fund’s other share classes is equal to the share class’s net asset value computed as set forth above for Investor A Shares. Though not subject to a sales charge, certain share classes may be subject to a CDSC on redemption. For more information on the purchasing and valuation of shares, please see “Purchase of Shares” and “Pricing of Shares” in Part II of this SAI.
VII. Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
See “Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage” in Part II of this SAI for more information.
Information about the brokerage commissions paid by the Fund, including commissions paid to Affiliates, is set forth in the following table:
Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid Brokerage Commissions Paid to Affiliates Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2026. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 15,161 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2025. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 44,549 $0 Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2024. . . . . . . . ........................... $179,626 $0
The decrease in brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026 when compared to the prior fiscal year was due to reduced trading activity in certain derivative instruments and a reduction in Fund assets.
The following table shows the dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid to brokers for providing third-party research services, and the approximate dollar amount of the transactions involved for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026. The provision of third-party research services was not necessarily a factor in the placement of all brokerage business with such brokers.
Amount of Commissions Paid to Brokers for Providing 28(e) Eligible Research Services Amount of Brokerage Transactions Involved $0 $0
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As of May 31, 2026, the Fund held no securities of its regular brokers or dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the Investment Company Act) whose shares were purchased during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026.
Securities Lending
To the extent that the Fund engages in securities lending, the Fund conducts its securities lending pursuant to an exemptive order from the Commission permitting it to lend portfolio securities to borrowers affiliated with the Fund and to retain an affiliate of the Fund as securities lending agent. To the extent that the Fund engages in securities lending, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (“BIM”) acts as securities lending agent for the Fund, subject to the overall supervision of the Manager, pursuant to a written agreement (the “Securities Lending Agency Agreement”). BIM administers the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board.
To the extent the Fund engages in securities lending, the Fund retains a portion of the securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BIM as compensation for its services as securities lending agent. Securities lending income is generally equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral (and excludes collateral investment fees as defined below), and any fees or other payments to and from borrowers of securities. As securities lending agent, BIM bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending. The Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan in a money market fund managed by the Manager (the “collateral investment fees”); however, the securities lending agent has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees a Fund’s bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. Such money market fund shares will not be subject to a sales load, redemption fee, distribution fee or service fee.
To the extent that the Fund invests cash collateral in a non-government money market fund, the Fund may be subject to a discretionary liquidity fee of up to 2% on all redemptions. Discretionary liquidity fees may be imposed or terminated at any time at the discretion of the board of directors of the money market fund, or its delegate, if it is determined that such fee would be, or would not be, respectively, in the best interest of the money market fund. Additionally, the Fund will be subject to a mandatory liquidity fee if the money market fund’s total net redemptions on a single day exceed 5% of the money market fund’s net assets, unless the liquidity costs are de minimis (i.e., less than one basis point (0.01%)). The money market fund will determine the size of the mandatory liquidity fee by making a good faith estimate of certain costs the money market fund would incur if it were to sell a pro rata amount of each security in the portfolio to satisfy the amount of net redemptions on that day. There is no limit to the size of a mandatory liquidity fee. If the money market fund cannot estimate the costs of selling a pro rata amount of each portfolio security in good faith and supported by data, it is required to apply a default liquidity fee of 1% on the value of shares redeemed on that day. The imposition of any such discretionary or mandatory liquidity fee would reduce the Fund’s returns on securities lending.
Under the securities lending program, the Fund is categorized into one of several specific asset classes. The determination of the Fund’s asset class category (fixed income, domestic equity, international equity, or fund of funds), each of which may be subject to a different fee arrangement, is based on a methodology agreed to by the Trust and BIM.
Pursuant to the securities lending agreement: (i) if the Fund were to engage in securities lending, the Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and (ii) this amount can never be less than 70% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.
In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income earned across the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex in a calendar year exceeds specified thresholds, the Fund, pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, will receive for the remainder of that calendar year securities lending income as follows: (i) if the Fund were to engage in securities lending, 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees); and (ii) this amount can never be less than 70% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.
The Fund had no income and fees/compensation related to its securities lending activities during its most recent fiscal year ended May 31, 2026.
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VIII. Additional Information
Description of Shares
The Trust is a business trust organized on August 14, 1986 under the laws of Massachusetts. Effective September 29, 2006, the Trust changed its name from Merrill Lynch Municipal Series Trust to BlackRock Municipal Series Trust and the Fund changed its name from Merrill Lynch Municipal Intermediate Term Fund to BlackRock Intermediate Municipal Fund. Effective January 27, 2014, the Fund changed its name from BlackRock Intermediate Municipal Fund to BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund. The Trust is an open-end management investment company currently comprised of one series. The Trustees are authorized to create an unlimited number of series, and, with respect to the series, to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest, $.10 par value per share, of different classes and to divide or combine the shares into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the series. The Fund is currently the only series of the Trust. Shareholder approval is not required for the authorization of additional series or classes of a series of the Trust.
Counsel. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019 serves as the Trust’s counsel.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Deloitte & Touche LLP, with offices at 115 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Principal Shareholders
To the knowledge of the Trust, the following entities owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of a class of the Fund’s shares as of September 1, 2026:
Name Address % Class Pershing LLC 1 Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001
5.99% Investor A Shares
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd 5 th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010
8.44% Investor A Shares
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
1 New York Plaza Floor 12 New York, NY 10004-1901
10.77% Investor A Shares
Wells Fargo Clearing Services
2801 Market Street Saint Louis, MO 63103
14.35% Investor A Shares
Edward D. Jones and Co. 12555 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 63131-3710
18.29% Investor A Shares
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated
4800 East Deer Lake Drive 3 rd Floor Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
23.59% Investor A Shares
Charles Schwab & Co Inc. 101 Montgomery St. San Francisco, CA 94104-4122
7.14% Investor A1 Shares
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
1 New York Plaza Floor 12 New York, NY 10004-1901
7.39% Investor A1 Shares
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd 5 th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010
8.11% Investor A1 Shares
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated
4800 East Deer Lake Drive 3 rd Floor Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
64.26% Investor A1 Shares
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Name Address % Class Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC
1 New York Plaza Floor 12 New York, NY 10004-1901
5.73% Investor C Shares
Raymond James 880 Carillon ParkwaySt. Petersburg FL 33716-1102 7.84% Investor C Shares
LPL Financial 4707 Executive Drive San Diego, CA 92121-3091
8.09% Investor C Shares
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd 5 th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010
8.41% Investor C Shares
American Enterprise Investment Service
707 2 nd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405
9.06% Investor C Shares
Pershing LLC 1 Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001
9.25% Investor C Shares
Wells Fargo Clearing Services
2801 Market Street Saint Louis, MO 63103
33.22% Investor C Shares
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC
1 New York Plaza Floor 12 New York, NY 10004-1901
7.80% Institutional Class
Charles Schwab & Co Inc. 101 Montgomery St. San Francisco, CA 94104-4122
10.20% Institutional Class
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd Jersey City, NJ 07310 12.39% Institutional Class
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated
4800 East Deer Lake Drive 3 rd Floor Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
13.45% Institutional Class
Pershing LLC 1 Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001
40.82% Institutional Class
Charles Schwab & Co Inc. 211 Main St. San Francisco, CA 94105
8.14% Class K Shares
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd Jersey City, NJ 07310 36.79% Class K Shares
Edward D. Jones and Co. 12555 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 63131-3710
42.68% Class K Shares
IX. Financial Statements
The audited financial statements, financial highlights and notes thereto in the Fund’s Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR (the “2026 Annual Financial Statements”), are incorporated in this SAI by reference. No other parts of the 2026 Annual Financial Statements are incorporated by reference herein. The 2026 Annual Financial Statements have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP. The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP is incorporated herein by reference. Such 2026 Annual Financial Statements have been incorporated herein in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. Additional copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Financial Statements and Additional Information may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the Distributor at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.
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PART II
Throughout this Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), each BlackRock-advised fund may be referred to as a “Fund” or collectively with others as the “Funds.” Certain Funds may also be referred to as “Municipal Funds” if they invest certain of their assets in municipal investments described below.
Each Fund is organized either as a Maryland corporation, a Massachusetts business trust or a Delaware statutory trust. In each jurisdiction, nomenclature varies. For ease and clarity of presentation, shares of common stock and shares of beneficial interest are referred to herein as “shares” or “Common Stock,” holders of shares of Common Stock are referred to as “shareholders,” the trustees or directors of each Fund are referred to as “Directors,” the boards of trustees/directors of each Fund are referred to as the “Board of Directors” or the “Board,” BlackRock Advisors, LLC, BlackRock Fund Advisors or their respective affiliates is the investment adviser or manager of each Fund and is referred to herein as the “Manager” or “BlackRock,” and the investment advisory agreement or management agreement applicable to each Fund is referred to as the “Management Agreement.” Each Fund’s Articles of Incorporation or Declaration of Trust, together with all amendments thereto, is referred to as its “charter.” The Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, is referred to herein as the “Investment Company Act.” The Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is referred to herein as the “Securities Act.” The Securities and Exchange Commission is referred to herein as the “Commission” or the “SEC.”
Certain Funds are “feeder” funds (each, a “Feeder Fund”) that invest all or a portion of their assets in a corresponding “master” portfolio (each, a “Master Portfolio”) of a master limited liability company (each, a “Master LLC”), a mutual fund that has the same objective and strategies as the Feeder Fund. All investments are generally made at the level of the Master Portfolio. This structure is sometimes called a “master/feeder” structure. A Feeder Fund’s investment results will correspond directly to the investment results of the underlying Master Portfolio in which it invests. For simplicity, this SAI uses the term “Fund” to include both a Feeder Fund and its Master Portfolio.
In addition to containing information about the Funds, Part II of this SAI contains general information about all funds in the BlackRock-advised fund complex. Certain information contained herein may not be relevant to a particular Fund.
INVESTMENT RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Set forth below are descriptions of some of the types of investments and investment strategies that one or more of the Funds may use, and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please see each Fund’s prospectuses (the “Prospectus”) and the “Investment Objective and Policies,” “Investment Objectives and Policies” or “Investment Strategies and Risks of the Fund” section, as applicable, of Part I of this SAI for further information on each Fund’s investment policies and risks. Information contained in this section about the risks and considerations associated with a Fund’s investments and/or investment strategies applies only to those Funds specifically identified in Part I of this SAI as making each type of investment or using each investment strategy (each, a “Covered Fund”). Information that does not apply to a Covered Fund does not form a part of that Covered Fund’s SAI and should not be relied on by investors in that Covered Fund. Only information that is clearly identified as applicable to a Covered Fund is considered to form a part of that Covered Fund’s SAI.
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.
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Since the value of longer-term securities generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of 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.” A Fund will purchase only 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 S&P Global Ratings (“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 Manager has determined to be of similar creditworthiness. 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 Manager 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, because no Fund presently intends to invest directly in natural resource assets, a Fund 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 equity and other 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.
Borrowing and Leverage. Each Fund may borrow as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including to meet redemptions or to settle securities transactions. Certain Funds will not purchase securities at any time when borrowings exceed 5% of their total assets, except (a) to honor prior commitments or (b) to exercise subscription rights when outstanding borrowings have been obtained exclusively for settlements of other securities transactions.
Certain Funds may also borrow in order to make investments, to the extent disclosed in such Fund’s Prospectus. The purchase of securities while borrowings are outstanding will have the effect of leveraging the Fund. Such leveraging increases the Fund’s exposure to capital risk, and borrowed funds are subject to interest costs that will reduce net income. The use of leverage by a Fund creates an opportunity for greater total return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. For example, leveraging may exaggerate changes in the net asset value (“NAV”) of Fund shares and in the yield on the Fund’s portfolio. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowings are outstanding. Borrowings will create interest expenses for the Fund that can exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowings. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay on the borrowings, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of borrowing, the return to the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used and, therefore, the amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends will be reduced. In the latter case, the Manager in its best judgment
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nevertheless may determine to maintain the Fund’s leveraged position if it expects that the benefits to the Fund’s shareholders of maintaining the leveraged position will outweigh the current reduced return.
Certain types of borrowings by a Fund may result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements relating to asset coverage, portfolio composition requirements and other matters. It is not anticipated that observance of such covenants would impede the Manager from managing a Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. However, a breach of any such covenants not cured within the specified cure period may result in acceleration of outstanding indebtedness and require the Fund to dispose of portfolio investments at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Each Fund may at times borrow from affiliates of the Manager, provided that the terms of such borrowings are no less favorable than those available from comparable sources of funds in the marketplace.
Cash Management. Generally, the Manager will employ futures and options on futures to provide liquidity necessary to meet anticipated redemptions or for day-to-day operating purposes. However, if considered appropriate in the opinion of the Manager, a portion of a Fund’s assets may be invested in certain types of instruments with remaining maturities of 397 days or less for liquidity purposes. Such instruments would consist of: (i) obligations of the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities, authorities or political subdivisions (“U.S. Government Securities”); (ii) other fixed-income securities rated Aa or higher by Moody’s or AA or higher by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Manager; (iii) commercial paper; (iv) bank obligations, including negotiable certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances; and (v) repurchase agreements. At the time the Fund invests in commercial paper, bank obligations or repurchase agreements, the issuer or the issuer’s parent must have outstanding debt rated Aa or higher by Moody’s or AA or higher by S&P or outstanding commercial paper, bank obligations or other short-term obligations rated Prime-1 by Moody’s or A-1 by S&P; or, if no such ratings are available, the instrument must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Manager. For more information on money market instruments, see “Money Market Securities” below.
Collateralized Debt Obligations. Certain Funds may invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), which include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. CDOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is ordinarily issued by a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) and is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed-income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities) held by such issuer. A CLO is ordinarily issued by a trust or other SPE and is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans, held by such issuer. Investments in a CLO organized outside of the United States may not be deemed to be foreign securities if the CLO is collateralized by a pool of loans, a substantial portion of which are U.S. loans. Although certain CDOs may benefit from credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present, and may fail to protect a Fund against the risk of loss on default of the collateral. Certain CDO issuers may use derivatives contracts to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAI. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of a Fund.
For both CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows from the SPE are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the bonds or loans in the SPE and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not complete). Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO or CLO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, downgrades of the underlying collateral by rating agencies, forced liquidation of the collateral pool due to a failure of coverage tests, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults as well as investor aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class. Interest on certain tranches of a CDO may be paid in kind or deferred and capitalized (paid in the form of obligations of the same type rather than cash), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments.
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. 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 and asset-backed securities generally discussed elsewhere in this SAI, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the
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risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”); (iii) a Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) the risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.
Commercial Paper. Certain Funds may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper purchasable by each Fund includes “Section 4(a)(2) paper,” a term that includes debt obligations issued in reliance on the “private placement” exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Section 4(a)(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the Federal securities laws, and is frequently sold (and resold) to institutional investors such as the Fund through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in the Section 4(a)(2) paper, thereby providing liquidity. Certain transactions in Section 4(a)(2) paper may qualify for the registration exemption provided in Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Most Funds can purchase commercial paper rated (at the time of purchase) “A-1” by S&P or “Prime-1” by Moody’s or when deemed advisable by a Fund’s Manager or sub adviser, “high quality” issues rated “A-2”, “Prime-2” or “F-2” by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch, respectively.
Commercial paper is generally considered to be short-term unsecured debt of corporations. Like all fixed income securities, commercial paper prices are susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates. If interest rates rise, commercial paper prices will decline and vice versa. However, the short-term nature of a commercial paper investment generally makes it less susceptible to volatility than many other fixed income securities because interest rate risk typically increases as maturity lengths increase. Commercial paper tends to yield smaller returns than longer-term corporate debt because securities with shorter maturities typically have lower effective yields than those with longer maturities.
Commodity-Linked Derivative Instruments and Hybrid Instruments. Certain Funds seek to gain exposure to the commodities markets primarily through investments in hybrid instruments. Hybrid instruments are either equity or debt derivative securities with one or more commodity-dependent components that have payment features similar to a commodity futures contract, a commodity option contract, or a combination of both. Therefore, these instruments are “commodity-linked.” They are considered “hybrid” instruments because they have both commodity-like and security-like characteristics. Hybrid instruments are derivative instruments because at least part of their value is derived from the value of an underlying commodity, futures contract, index or other readily measurable economic variable.
The prices of commodity-linked derivative instruments may move in different directions than investments in traditional equity and debt securities when the value of those traditional securities is declining due to adverse economic conditions. As an example, during periods of rising inflation, debt securities have historically tended to decline in value due to the general increase in prevailing interest rates. Conversely, during those same periods of rising inflation, the prices of certain commodities, such as oil and metals, have historically tended to increase. Of course, there cannot be any guarantee that these investments will perform in that manner in the future, and at certain times the price movements of commodity-linked instruments have been parallel to those of debt and equity securities. Commodities have historically tended to increase and decrease in value during different parts of the business cycle than financial assets. Nevertheless, at various times, commodities prices may move in tandem with the prices of financial assets and thus may not provide overall portfolio diversification benefits. Under favorable economic conditions, the Fund’s investments may be expected to under-perform an investment in traditional securities. Over the long term, the returns on the Fund’s investments are expected to exhibit low or negative correlation with stocks and bonds.
Qualifying Hybrid Instruments. Certain Funds may invest in hybrid instruments that qualify for exclusion from regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and the regulations adopted thereunder. A hybrid instrument that qualifies for this exclusion from regulation must be “predominantly a security.” A hybrid instrument is considered to be predominantly a security if (a) the issuer of the hybrid instrument receives payment in full of the purchase price of the hybrid instrument, substantially contemporaneously with delivery of the hybrid instrument; (b) the purchaser or holder of the hybrid instrument is not required to make any payment to the issuer in addition to the purchase price paid under subparagraph (a), whether as margin, settlement payment, or otherwise, during the life of the hybrid instrument or at maturity; (c) the issuer of the hybrid instrument is not subject by the terms of the instrument to mark-to-market margining requirements; and (d) the hybrid instrument is not marketed as a contract of sale of a commodity for future delivery (or option on such a contract) subject to applicable provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act. Hybrid instruments may be principal protected, partially protected, or offer no principal protection. A principal protected hybrid instrument means that the issuer will pay, at a minimum, the par value of the note at
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maturity. Therefore, if the commodity value to which the hybrid instrument is linked declines over the life of the note, the Fund will receive at maturity the face or stated value of the note. With a principal protected hybrid instrument, the Fund will receive at maturity the greater of the par value of the note or the increase in its value based on the underlying commodity or index. This protection is, in effect, an option whose value is subject to the volatility and price level of the underlying commodity. The Manager’s decision whether to use principal protection depends in part on the cost of the protection. In addition, the protection feature depends upon the ability of the issuer to meet its obligation to buy back the security, and, therefore, depends on the creditworthiness of the issuer. With full principal protection, the Fund will receive at maturity of the hybrid instrument either the stated par value of the hybrid instrument, or potentially, an amount greater than the stated par value if the underlying commodity, index, futures contract or economic variable to which the hybrid instrument is linked has increased in value. Partially protected hybrid instruments may suffer some loss of principal if the underlying commodity, index, futures contract or economic variable to which the hybrid instrument is linked declines in value during the term of the hybrid instrument. However, partially protected hybrid instruments have a specified limit as to the amount of principal that they may lose.
Hybrid Instruments Without Principal Protection. Certain Funds may invest in hybrid instruments that offer no principal protection. At maturity, there is a risk that the underlying commodity price, futures contract, index or other economic variable may have declined sufficiently in value such that some or all of the face value of the hybrid instrument might not be returned. The Manager, at its discretion, may invest in a partially protected principal structured note or a note without principal protection. In deciding to purchase a note without principal protection, the Manager may consider, among other things, the expected performance of the underlying commodity futures contract, index or other economic variable over the term of the note, the cost of the note, and any other economic factors that the Manager believes are relevant.
Limitations on Leverage. Some of the hybrid instruments in which a Fund may invest may involve leverage. To avoid being subject to undue leverage risk, a Fund will seek to limit the amount of economic leverage it has under any one hybrid instrument that it buys and the leverage of the Fund’s overall portfolio. A Fund will not invest in a hybrid instrument if, at the time of purchase: (i) that instrument’s “leverage ratio” exceeds 300% of the price increase in the underlying commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable or (ii) the Fund’s “portfolio leverage ratio” exceeds 150%, measured at the time of purchase. “Leverage ratio” is the expected increase in the value of a hybrid instrument, assuming a one percent price increase in the underlying commodity, futures contract, index or other economic factor. In other words, for a hybrid instrument with a leverage factor of 150%, a 1% gain in the underlying economic variable would be expected to result in a 1.5% gain in value for the hybrid instrument. Conversely, a hybrid instrument with a leverage factor of 150% would suffer a 1.5% loss if the underlying economic variable lost 1% of its value. “Portfolio leverage ratio” is defined as the average (mean) leverage ratio of all instruments in a Fund’s portfolio, weighted by the market values of such instruments or, in the case of futures contracts, their notional values. A Fund may at times or from time to time decide not to use leverage in its investments or use less leverage than may otherwise be allowable.
Counterpar ty Risk. A significant risk of hybrid instruments is counterparty risk. Unlike exchange-traded futures and options, which are standard contracts, hybrid instruments are customized securities, tailor-made by a specific issuer. With a listed futures or options contract, an investor’s counterparty is the exchange clearinghouse. Exchange clearinghouses are capitalized by the exchange members and typically have high investment grade ratings ( e.g. , ratings of AAA or AA by S&P). Therefore, the risk is small that an exchange clearinghouse might be unable to meet its obligations at maturity. However, with a hybrid instrument, a Fund will take on the counterparty credit risk of the issuer. That is, at maturity of the hybrid instrument, there is a risk that the issuer may be unable to perform its obligations under the structured note.
Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument.
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The characteristics of convertible securities make them potentially attractive investments for an investment company seeking a high total return from capital appreciation and investment income. These characteristics include the potential for capital appreciation as the value of the underlying common stock increases, the relatively high yield received from dividend or interest payments as compared to common stock dividends and decreased risks of decline in value relative to the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income nature. As a result of the conversion feature, however, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in nonconvertible form.
In analyzing convertible securities, the Manager will consider both the yield on the convertible security relative to its credit quality and the potential capital appreciation that is offered by the underlying common stock, among other things.
Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by a Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the security is issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. As described below, a Fund is authorized to enter into foreign currency hedging transactions in which it may seek to reduce the effect of exchange rate fluctuations.
Apart from currency considerations, the value of convertible securities is influenced by both the yield on nonconvertible securities of comparable issuers and by the value of the underlying common stock. The value of a convertible security viewed without regard to its conversion feature ( i.e. , strictly on the basis of its yield) is sometimes referred to as its “investment value.” To the extent interest rates change, the investment value of the convertible security typically will fluctuate. At the same time, however, the value of the convertible security will be influenced by its “conversion value,” which is the market value of the underlying common stock that would be obtained if the convertible security were converted. Conversion value fluctuates directly with the price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value of a convertible security is substantially below its investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the conversion value of a convertible security increases to a point that approximates or exceeds its investment value, the price of the convertible security will be influenced principally by its conversion value. A convertible security will sell at a premium over the conversion value to the extent investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income security. The yield and conversion premium of convertible securities issued in Japan and the Euromarket are frequently determined at levels that cause the conversion value to affect their market value more than the securities’ investment value.
Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in a charter provision, indenture or other governing instrument pursuant to which the convertible security was issued. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the security to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt security under certain circumstances.
A Fund may also invest in synthetic convertible securities. Synthetic convertible securities may include either Cash-Settled Convertibles or Manufactured Convertibles. “Cash-Settled Convertibles” are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a Cash-Settled Convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. “Manufactured Convertibles” are created by the Manager or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (“fixed income component”) or a right to acquire equity securities (“convertibility component”). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (“equity features”) granting the holder the right to purchase a
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specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index.
A Manufactured Convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a Manufactured Convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total “market value” of such a Manufactured Convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component.
More flexibility is possible in the creation of a Manufactured Convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the Manager may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The Manager may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the Manager believes such a Manufactured Convertible would better promote a Fund’s objective than alternative investments. For example, the Manager may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuer’s stock with a fixed income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Fund’s credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a Manufactured Convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A Manufactured Convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, “combined” to create a Manufactured Convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a Manufactured Convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions.
The value of a Manufactured Convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event a Fund created a Manufactured Convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the Manufactured Convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments.
Corporate Loans. Certain Funds may invest in corporate loans. Corporate 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 or institutional investors (“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 set off 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. For more information on forward commitments and when-issued securities, see “When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments” below.
A Fund may have difficulty disposing of Assignments and Participations. In certain cases, the market for such instruments may lack sufficient liquidity, 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 sufficiently 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.
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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. Failure by the syndicate agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund.
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.
Transactions in corporate loans may settle on a delayed basis. As a result, the proceeds from the sale of corporate loans may not be readily available to make additional investments or to meet a Fund’s redemption obligations. To the extent the extended settlement process gives rise to short-term liquidity needs, a Fund may hold additional cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow from banks and other lenders.
In certain circumstances, Loans may not be deemed to be securities under certain federal securities laws. Therefore, in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a borrower or an arranger, Lenders and purchasers of interests in Loans, such as the Funds, may not have the protection of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws as would otherwise be available for bonds or stocks. Instead, in such cases, parties generally would rely on the contractual provisions in the Loan agreement itself and common-law fraud protections under applicable state law.
Direct Lending. The Fund may act as the originator for direct loans and engage in direct lending. Direct loans between the Fund and a borrower may not be administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The Fund may provide financing to commercial borrowers directly or through companies acquired (or created) and owned by or otherwise affiliated with the Fund. The terms of the direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Furthermore, a direct loan may be secured or unsecured.
In determining whether to make a direct loan, the Fund will rely primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. The risks associated with direct loans are substantially similar to those associated with investing in corporate loans. In making a direct loan, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the borrower may default or become insolvent and, consequently, that the Fund will lose money on the loan. Furthermore, direct loans may subject the Fund to liquidity and interest rate risk and certain direct loans may be deemed illiquid. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market. The lack of a secondary market for direct loans may have an adverse impact on the ability of the Fund to dispose of a direct loan and/or to value the direct loan.
When engaging in direct lending, the Fund’s performance may depend, in part, on the ability of the Fund to originate loans on advantageous terms. In originating loans, the Fund will compete with a broad spectrum of lenders. Increased competition for, or a diminishment in the available supply of, qualifying loans could result in lower yields on such loans, which could reduce Fund performance.
As part of its lending activities, the Fund may originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to the Fund, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high.
Credit Linked Securities. Among the income producing securities in which a Fund may invest are credit linked securities, which are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. For instance, a Fund may invest in credit linked securities as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available.
Like an investment in a bond, investments in these credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security.
However, these payments are conditioned on the issuer’s receipt of payments from, and the issuer’s potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. For instance, the issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of
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payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that a Fund would receive. A Fund’s investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is also expected that the securities will be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments.
Debt Securities. Debt securities, such as bonds, involve credit risk. This is the risk that the issuer will not make timely payments of principal and interest. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the debt securities. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of a Fund’s investment in that issuer. Credit risk is reduced to the extent a Fund limits its debt investments to U.S. Government Securities.
All debt securities, however, are subject to interest rate risk. This is the risk that the value of the security may fall when interest rates rise. If interest rates move sharply in a manner not anticipated by Fund management, a Fund’s investments in debt securities could be adversely affected and the Fund could lose money. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than will the market price of shorter-term debt securities.
During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain fixed-income securities is extended because of slower than expected principal payments. This may lock in a below-market interest rate and extend the duration of these fixed-income securities, especially mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, these securities may exhibit additional volatility and lose value. This is known as extension risk.
The value of fixed-income securities in the Funds can be expected to vary inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates. Fixed-income securities with longer maturities, which tend to produce higher yields, are subject to potentially greater capital appreciation and depreciation than securities with shorter maturities. The Funds are not restricted to any maximum or minimum time to maturity in purchasing individual portfolio securities, and the average maturity of a Fund’s assets will vary.
Floating and Variable Rate Securities . Certain Funds may invest in debt instruments that pay a variable coupon rate. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. The impact of interest rate changes on floating rate investments is typically mitigated by the periodic interest rate reset of the investments. Benchmark interest rates used for floating and variable rate securities may not accurately track market interest rates.
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. For example, if a Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1,000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and inflation over the first six months was 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in the whole year’s inflation equaling 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semi-annual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).
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,
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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.
Investment Grade Debt Obligations. Certain Funds may invest in “investment grade securities,” which are securities rated in the four highest rating categories of an NRSRO or deemed to be of equivalent quality by a Fund’s Manager. Certain Funds may invest in debt securities rated Aaa by Moody’s or AAA by S&P. It should be noted that debt obligations rated in the lowest of the top four ratings ( i.e. , “Baa” by Moody’s or “BBB” by S&P) are considered to have some speculative characteristics and are more sensitive to economic change than higher rated securities. If an investment grade security of a Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Fund’s Manager will consider such an event in determining whether the Fund should continue to hold the security. Subject to its investment strategies, there is no limit on the amount of such downgraded securities a Fund may hold.
See Appendix A to this SAI for a description of applicable securities ratings.
High Yield Investments (“Junk Bonds”).
Non-investment grade or “high yield” fixed-income or convertible securities commonly known to investors as “junk bonds” are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by the major rating agencies or are securities that Fund management believes are of comparable quality. While generally providing greater income and opportunity for gain, non-investment grade debt securities may be subject to greater risks than securities which have higher credit ratings, including a high risk of default, and their yields will fluctuate over time. High yield securities will generally be in the lower rating categories of recognized rating agencies (rated “Ba” or lower by Moody’s or “BB” or lower by S&P) or will be non-rated. The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change, positively or negatively, to reflect developments regarding the issuer’s financial condition. High yield securities are considered to be speculative with respect to the capacity of the issuer to timely repay principal and pay interest or dividends in accordance with the terms of the obligation and may have more credit risk than higher rated securities.
The major risks in junk bond investments include the following:
• Junk bonds may be issued by less creditworthy companies. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer’s industry and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing.
• The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt obligations. The issuer’s ability to pay its debt obligations also may be lessened by specific issuer developments, or the
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unavailability of additional financing. Issuers of high yield securities are often in the growth stage of their development and/or involved in a reorganization or takeover.
• Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations, which will potentially limit a Fund’s ability to fully recover principal or to receive interest payments when senior securities are in default. Thus, investors in high yield securities have a lower degree of protection with respect to principal and interest payments than do investors in higher rated securities.
• Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from a Fund before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, a Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income.
• Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on those of other higher rated fixed-income securities.
• Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities even under normal economic conditions. Under certain economic and/or market conditions, a Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield securities due to the limited number of investors in that sector of the market. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers, and such quotations may not be the actual prices available for a purchase or sale. Because junk bonds are less liquid than higher rated bonds, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of a Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid market.
• The secondary markets for high yield securities are not as liquid as the secondary markets for higher rated securities. The secondary markets for high yield securities are concentrated in relatively few market makers and participants in the markets are mostly institutional investors, including insurance companies, banks, other financial institutions and mutual funds. In addition, the trading volume for high yield securities is generally lower than that for higher rated securities and the secondary markets could contract under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. Under certain economic and/or market conditions, a Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield securities due to the limited number of investors in that sector of the market. An illiquid secondary market may adversely affect the market price of the high yield security, which may result in increased difficulty selling the particular issue and obtaining accurate market quotations on the issue when valuing a Fund’s assets. Market quotations on high yield securities are available only from a limited number of dealers, and such quotations may not be the actual prices available for a purchase or sale. When the secondary market for high yield securities becomes more illiquid, or in the absence of readily available market quotations for such securities, the relative lack of reliable objective data makes it more difficult to value a Fund’s securities, and judgment plays a more important role in determining such valuations.
• A Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.
• The junk bond markets may react strongly to adverse news about an issuer or the economy, or to the perception or expectation of adverse news, whether or not it is based on fundamental analysis. Additionally, prices for high yield securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. These developments could adversely affect a Fund’s NAV and investment practices, the secondary market for high yield securities, the financial condition of issuers of these securities and the value and liquidity of outstanding high yield securities, especially in a thinly traded market. For example, federal legislation requiring the divestiture by federally insured savings and loan associations of their investments in high yield bonds and limiting the deductibility of interest by certain corporate issuers of high yield bonds adversely affected the market in the past.
• The rating assigned by a rating agency evaluates the issuing agency’s assessment of the safety of a non investment grade security’s principal and interest payments, but does not address market value risk. Because such ratings of the ratings agencies may not always reflect current conditions and events, in addition to using recognized rating agencies and other sources, the Manager or sub-adviser performs its own analysis of the issuers whose non-investment grade securities a Fund holds. Because of this, the Fund’s performance may depend more on the Manager’s or sub-adviser’s own credit analysis than in the case of mutual funds investing in higher-rated securities.
In selecting non-investment grade securities, the Manager or sub-adviser considers factors such as those relating to the creditworthiness of issuers, the ratings and performance of the securities, the protections afforded the securities and the diversity of the Fund. The Manager or sub-adviser continuously monitors the issuers of non investment grade securities held by the Fund for their ability to make required principal and interest payments, as
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well as in an effort to control the liquidity of the Fund so that it can meet redemption requests. If a security’s rating is reduced below the minimum credit rating that is permitted for a Fund, the Fund’s adviser or sub-adviser will consider whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.
In the event that a Fund investing in high yield securities experiences an unexpected level of net redemptions, the Fund could be forced to sell its holdings without regard to the investment merits, thereby decreasing the assets upon which the Fund’s rate of return is based.
The costs attributable to investing in the junk bond markets are usually higher for several reasons, such as higher investment research costs and higher commission costs.
Mezzanine Investments. Certain Funds, consistent with their restrictions on investing in securities of a specific credit quality, may invest in certain high yield securities known as mezzanine investments, which are subordinated debt securities which are generally issued in private placements in connection with an equity security ( e.g. , with attached warrants). Such mezzanine investments may be issued with or without registration rights. Similar to other high yield securities, maturities of mezzanine investments are typically seven to ten years, but the expected average life is significantly shorter at three to five years. Mezzanine investments are usually unsecured and subordinate to other obligations of the issuer.
Pay-in-kind Bonds. Certain Funds may invest in pay-in-kind, or PIK, bonds. PIK bonds are bonds which pay interest through the issuance of additional debt or equity securities. Similar to zero coupon obligations, pay-in-kind bonds also carry additional risk as holders of these types of securities realize no cash until the cash payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer defaults, a Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. The market price of pay-in-kind bonds is affected by interest rate changes to a greater extent, and therefore tends to be more volatile, than that of securities which pay interest in cash. Additionally, current U.S. federal tax law requires the holder of pay-in-kind bonds to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. To maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid liability for U.S. federal income and excise taxes, each Fund may be required to distribute income accrued with respect to these securities and may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements.
Supranational Entities. A Fund may invest in debt securities of supranational entities. Examples of such entities include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Steel and Coal Community, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. The government members, or “stockholders,” usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and in many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings. There is no guarantee that one or more stockholders of a supranational entity will continue to make any necessary additional capital contributions. If such contributions are not made, the entity may be unable to pay interest or repay principal on its debt securities, and a Fund may lose money on such investments.
Depositary Receipts (ADRs, EDRs and GDRs). Certain Funds may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. The Fund may invest in both sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and other similar global instruments. ADRs typically are issued by an American bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts, are receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic underlying securities. GDRs are depositary receipts structured like global debt issues to facilitate trading on an international basis. In addition to investment risks associated with the underlying issuer, Depositary Receipts expose a Fund to additional risks associated with the non-uniform terms that apply to Depositary Receipt programs, credit exposure to the depository bank and to the sponsors and other parties with whom the depository bank establishes the programs, currency risk and the risk of an illiquid market for Depositary Receipts. Unsponsored ADR, EDR and GDR programs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the issuer of the underlying securities. Unsponsored programs generally expose investors to greater risks than sponsored programs and do not provide holders with many of the shareholder benefits that come from investing in a sponsored Depositary Receipt. Available information concerning the issuer may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, and the prices of unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. Investments in ADRs, EDRs and GDRs present additional investment considerations as described under “Foreign Investment Risks.”
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Derivatives.
General. Each Fund may use instruments referred to as derivatives, which are financial instruments that derive their value from one or more securities, commodities (such as gold or oil), currencies, interest rates, credit events or indices (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate) or other reference asset. Derivatives may allow a Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than with other transactions. Certain Funds may use derivatives to maintain a portion of their long and short positions. Unless otherwise permitted, no Fund may use derivatives to gain exposure to an asset or asset class it is prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly. As described below, derivatives can be used for hedging or speculative purposes. Funds will engage in transaction-level payment netting, i.e. , the payment obligations of derivatives contracts are netted against one another with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payment streams.
Hedging. Each Fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes, in which a derivative is used to offset the risks associated with other Fund holdings. Losses on other investments may be substantially reduced by gains on a derivative that reacts in an opposite manner to market movements. Although hedging may reduce losses, it may also reduce or eliminate gains. In addition, hedging may cause losses if the market moves in an unanticipated manner, or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. The effectiveness of hedging may be reduced by correlation risk, i.e. , the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged as expected by a Fund, which may result in additional losses to the Fund. The inability to close or offset derivatives could also reduce the effectiveness of a Fund’s hedging. There is no assurance that a Fund’s hedging will be effective. No Fund is required to use derivatives to hedge.
Speculation. Certain Funds may also use derivatives for speculative purposes to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions. To the extent a Fund invests in a derivative for speculative purposes, the Fund will be fully exposed to the risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative’s cost, and the potential for loss in certain cases may be unlimited.
Regulation of Derivatives.
Rule 18f-4 Under the Investment Company Act. Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act permits a Fund to enter into Derivatives Transactions (as defined below) and certain other transactions notwithstanding the restrictions on the issuance of “senior securities” under Section 18 of the Investment Company Act. Section 18 of the Investment Company Act, among other things, prohibits open-end funds, including the Funds, from issuing or selling any “senior security,” other than borrowing from a bank (subject to a requirement to maintain 300% “asset coverage”).
Under Rule 18f-4, “Derivatives Transactions” include the following: (1) any swap, security-based swap (including a contract for differences), futures contract, forward contract, option (excluding purchased options), any combination of the foregoing, or any similar instrument, under which a Fund is or may be required to make any payment or delivery of cash or other assets during the life of the instrument or at maturity or early termination, whether as margin or settlement payment or otherwise; (2) any short sale borrowing; (3) reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions ( e.g. , recourse and non-recourse tender option bonds, and borrowed bonds), if a Fund elects to treat all of these transactions as Derivatives Transactions under Rule 18f-4; and (4) when-issued or forward-settling securities ( e.g. , firm and standby commitments, including to-be-announced (“TBA”) commitments, and dollar rolls) and non-standard settlement cycle securities, unless such transactions meet the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision (as defined below under “—When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments”).
Unless a Fund is relying on the Limited Derivatives User Exception (as defined below), the Fund must comply with Rule 18f-4 with respect to its Derivatives Transactions. Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires a Fund to adopt and implement a comprehensive written derivatives risk management program (“DRMP”) and comply with a relative or absolute limit on Fund leverage risk calculated based on value-at-risk (“VaR”). The DRMP is administered by a “derivatives risk manager,” who is appointed by the Fund’s Board, including a majority of the independent Directors, and periodically reviews the DRMP and reports to the Fund’s Board.
Rule 18f-4 provides an exception from the DRMP, VaR limit and certain other requirements if a Fund’s “derivatives exposure” is limited to 10% of its net assets (as calculated in accordance with Rule 18f-4) and the Fund adopts and implements written policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage its derivatives risks (the “Limited Derivatives User Exception”).
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Dodd-Frank Regulations. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”), enacted in July 2010, includes provisions that comprehensively regulate the over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives markets for the first time. While the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and other U.S. regulators have adopted many of the required Dodd-Frank regulations, certain regulations have only recently become effective and other regulations remain to be adopted. The full impact of Dodd-Frank on the Funds remains uncertain.
Many OTC derivatives dealers are required to register with the CFTC as “swap dealers” and/or with the SEC as “security-based swap dealers”. Registered swap dealers and security-based swap dealers are subject to various regulatory requirements, including, but not limited to, margin, recordkeeping, reporting, transparency, position limits, limitations on conflicts of interest, business conduct standards, minimum capital requirements and other regulatory requirements, which indirectly impact the Funds that enter into transactions with them.
The CFTC requires that certain interest rate swaps and certain credit default swaps must be executed in regulated markets and be submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. The SEC is also expected to impose similar requirements on certain security-based derivatives in the future. OTC derivatives trades submitted for clearing are subject to minimum initial and variation margin requirements set by the relevant clearinghouse, as well as margin requirements mandated by the CFTC, SEC and/or federal prudential regulators. In addition, futures commission merchants (“FCMs”), who act as clearing members on behalf of customers for cleared OTC derivatives and futures contracts, also have discretion to increase a Fund’s margin requirements for these transactions beyond any regulatory and clearinghouse minimums subject to any restrictions on such discretion in the documentation between the FCM and the customer. These regulatory requirements may make it more difficult and costly for the Funds to enter into highly tailored or customized transactions, potentially rendering certain investment strategies impossible or not economically feasible. If a Fund decides to execute and clear cleared OTC derivatives and/or futures contracts through execution facilities, exchanges or clearinghouses, either indirectly through an executing broker, clearing member FCM or as a direct member, a Fund would be required to comply with the rules of the execution facility, exchange or clearinghouse and other applicable law.
With respect to cleared OTC derivatives and futures contracts and options on futures, a Fund will not face a clearinghouse directly but rather will do so through a FCM that is registered with the CFTC and/or SEC and that acts as a clearing member. A Fund may face the indirect risk of the failure of another clearing member customer to meet its obligations to its clearing member. Such scenario could arise due to a default by the clearing member on its obligations to the clearinghouse simultaneously with a customer’s failure to meet its obligations to the clearing member.
Clearing member FCMs are required to post initial margin to the clearinghouses through which they clear their customers’ cleared OTC derivatives and futures contracts, instead of using such initial margin in their businesses, as was widely permitted for OTC derivatives before Dodd-Frank. While an FCM may require its customer to post initial margin in excess of clearinghouse requirements, and certain clearinghouses may share a portion of their earnings on initial margin with their clearing members, some portion of the initial margin that is passed through to the clearinghouse does not generate earnings for the FCM. The inability of FCMs to earn the same levels of returns on initial margin for cleared OTC derivatives as they could earn with respect to non-cleared OTC derivatives may cause FCMs to charge higher fees, or provide less favorable pricing on cleared OTC derivatives than swap dealers will provide for non-cleared OTC derivatives. Furthermore, customers, including the Funds, are subject to additional fees payable to FCMs with respect to cleared OTC derivatives, which may raise the cost to Funds of clearing as compared to trading non-cleared OTC derivatives bilaterally.
With respect to uncleared swaps, registered swap dealers and security-based swap dealers are required to exchange variation margin with a Fund and may be required by applicable regulations to collect (and in some cases exchange) initial margin with a Fund. Both initial and variation margin may be comprised of cash and/or securities, subject to applicable regulatory haircuts and other restrictions. Shares of investment companies (other than certain money market funds) may not be posted as collateral under applicable regulations.
The CFTC, certain foreign regulators, and many futures exchanges have established (and continue to evaluate and monitor) speculative position limits (“position limits”) on the maximum speculative position which any person, or group of persons acting in concert, may hold or control in particular contracts. In addition, U.S. federal position limits apply to swaps that are economically equivalent to futures contracts on certain agricultural, metals and energy commodities. All positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, must be aggregated for purposes of complying with the speculative limits. Thus, even if a Fund does not intend to exceed applicable position limits, it is possible that different clients managed by the Manager and its affiliates may be aggregated for this purpose. Therefore, the trading decisions of the Manager may have to be modified and positions held by a Fund liquidated in order to avoid exceeding such limits. The modification of investment decisions or the
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elimination of open positions, if it occurs, may adversely affect the profitability of a Fund. A violation of position limits could also lead to regulatory action materially adverse to a Fund’s investment strategy. A Fund may also be affected by other regimes, including those of the European Union and United Kingdom, and trading venues that impose position limits on commodity derivative contracts.
Additional Regulation of Derivatives. Regulatory bodies outside the U.S. have also passed, proposed, or may propose in the future, legislation similar to Dodd-Frank or other legislation that could increase the costs of participating in, or otherwise adversely impact the liquidity of, participating in the commodities markets. For example, the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 648/2012) (“EMIR”) introduced certain requirements in respect of OTC derivatives including: (i) the mandatory clearing of OTC derivative contracts declared subject to the clearing obligation; (ii) risk mitigation techniques in respect of uncleared OTC derivative contracts, including the mandatory margining of uncleared OTC derivative contracts; and (iii) reporting and recordkeeping requirements in respect of all derivatives contracts. By way of further example, the European Union Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Directive 2014/65/EU) and Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 600/2014) (together “MiFID II”), which have applied since January 3, 2018, govern the provision of investment services and activities in relation to, as well as the organized trading of, financial instruments such as shares, bonds, units in collective investment schemes and derivatives. In particular, MiFID II requires European Union Member States to apply position limits to the size of a net position a person can hold at any time in commodity derivatives traded on European Union trading venues and in “economically equivalent” OTC contracts. If the requirements of EMIR and MiFID II apply, the cost of derivatives transactions is expected to increase.
In addition, regulations adopted by global prudential regulators that are now in effect require certain prudentially regulated entities and certain of their affiliates and subsidiaries (including swap dealers) to include in their derivatives contracts and certain other financial contracts, terms that delay or restrict the rights of counterparties (such as the Funds) to terminate such contracts, foreclose upon collateral, exercise other default rights or restrict transfers of credit support in the event that the prudentially regulated entity and/or its affiliates are subject to certain types of resolution or insolvency proceedings. Similar regulations and laws have been adopted in non-U.S. jurisdictions that may apply to a Fund’s counterparties located in those jurisdictions. In particular, in the United Kingdom and the European Union, governmental authorities could reduce, eliminate or convert to equity the liabilities to a Fund of a counterparty experiencing financial difficulties (sometimes referred to as a “bail in”). It is possible that these requirements, as well as potential additional related government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to terminate existing derivatives contracts, exercise default rights or satisfy obligations owed to it with collateral received under such contracts.
Risk Factors in Derivatives.
There are significant risks that apply generally to derivatives transactions, including:
Correlation Risk — the risk that changes in the value of a derivative will not match the changes in the value of the portfolio holdings that are being hedged or of the particular market or security to which the Fund seeks exposure. There are a number of factors which may prevent a derivative instrument from achieving the desired correlation (or inverse correlation) with an underlying asset, rate or index, such as the impact of fees, expenses and transaction costs, the timing of pricing, and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for such derivative instrument.
Counterpar ty Risk — the risk that a derivatives transaction counterparty will be unable or unwilling to make payments or otherwise honor its obligations to a Fund and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to such a counterparty. In particular, derivatives traded in OTC markets often are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and often do not require payment of margin, and to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparties the Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor their obligations. A Fund will typically attempt to minimize counterparty risk by engaging in OTC derivatives transactions only with creditworthy entities that have substantial capital or that have provided the Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit support. When a Fund enters into a derivatives transaction that is centrally cleared (whether mandatorily or voluntarily), the Fund is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared position. Credit risk of market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally cleared is concentrated in a few clearing houses and increasingly fewer clearing members. It is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system. Also, a Fund will not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of a Fund’s clearing member because the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of the funds held by the clearing member on behalf of customers by account class for cleared derivatives. Although a clearing member is required to segregate assets from customers with respect to cleared derivatives positions from the clearing member’s proprietary assets, if a clearing member does not comply with the
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applicable regulations, or in the event of fraud or misappropriation of customer assets by a clearing member, a Fund could have only an unsecured creditor claim in an insolvency of the clearing member with respect to the assets held by the clearing member.
Credit Risk — the risk that the reference entity in a credit default swap or similar derivative will not be able to honor its financial obligations.
Currency Risk — the risk that changes in the exchange rate between two currencies will adversely affect the value (in U.S. dollar terms) of a derivative.
Illiquidity Risk — the risk that certain securities or instruments may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time or at the price desired by a Fund in connection with payments of margin, collateral, or settlement payments. There can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to unwind or offset a derivative at its desired price, in a secondary market or otherwise. It may, therefore, not be possible for the Fund to unwind its position in a derivative without incurring substantial losses (if at all). Certain OTC derivatives, including swaps and OTC options, involve substantial illiquidity risk. Illiquidity may also make it more difficult for a Fund to ascertain a market value for such derivatives. A Fund will, therefore, acquire illiquid OTC derivatives (i) if the agreement pursuant to which the instrument is purchased contains a formula price at which the instrument may be terminated or sold, or (ii) for which the Manager anticipates the Fund can receive on each business day at least two independent bids or offers, unless a quotation from only one dealer is available, in which case that dealer’s quotation may be used. The illiquidity of the derivatives markets may be due to various factors, including congestion, disorderly markets, limitations on deliverable supplies, the participation of speculators, government regulation and intervention, and technical and operational or system failures. In addition, the liquidity of a market in an exchange-traded derivative contract may be adversely affected by “daily price fluctuation limits” established by the exchanges which limit the amount of fluctuation in an exchange traded contract price during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus preventing the liquidation of open positions. Prices have in the past moved to the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days with little to no trading. If it is not possible to close an open derivative position entered into by the Fund, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin in the event of adverse price movements. In such a situation, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Index Risk — if the derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index. If the index changes, the Fund could receive lower interest payments or experience a reduction in the value of the derivative to below the price that the Fund paid for such derivative.
Legal Risk — the risk of insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract.
Leverage Risk — the risk that a Fund’s derivatives transactions can magnify the Fund’s gains and losses. Relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of a derivatives position and can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.
Market Risk — the risk that changes in the value of one or more markets or changes with respect to the value of the underlying asset will adversely affect the value of a derivative. In the event of an adverse movement, a Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain its position or the Fund’s returns may be adversely affected.
Operational Risk — the risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error.
Valuation Risk — the risk that valuation sources for a derivative will not be readily available in the market. This is possible especially in times of market distress, since many market participants may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them.
Volatility Risk — the risk that the value of derivatives will fluctuate significantly within a short time period.
Types of Derivatives Transactions.
A Fund may enter into derivatives transactions in accordance with its investment guidelines and restrictions, including the following:
Futures.
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A Fund may enter into futures contracts (“futures”) and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that require a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specified amount of an asset at a specified future date and price. Upon purchasing or selling a futures contract, a Fund is required to deposit initial margin equal to a percentage of the contract value. Futures contracts are marked to market daily for the duration of the contract, and the Fund will either post additional margin or be entitled to a payment, as applicable, based on the mark-to-market movement of the contract.
A Fund may sell a futures contract prior to the completion of its term to limit its risk of loss from a decline in the market value of portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract. However, in the event the market value of the portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract increases rather than decreases, a Fund will realize a loss on the futures position and a lower return on the portfolio holdings than would have been realized without the purchase of the futures contract.
The purchase of a futures contract may provide a Fund a lower cost alternative to purchasing securities or commodities directly. In the event that such securities or commodities decline in value or a Fund determines not to complete an anticipatory hedge transaction relating to a futures contract, however, the Fund may realize a loss relating to the futures position.
Futures contracts are also subject to position limits. In order to comply with position limits, a Fund may be required to liquidate positions or may not be able to fully implement trading instructions. Any such liquidation or limited implementation could result in substantial costs to a Fund. See “—Regulation of Derivatives — Dodd-Frank Regulations” above.
A Fund is also permitted to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts, including financial futures and stock indices. Generally, these strategies would be used under the same market and market sector conditions ( i.e. , conditions relating to specific types of investments) in which the Fund entered into futures transactions. A Fund may purchase put options or write call options on futures contracts and stock indices in lieu of selling the underlying futures contract in anticipation of a decrease in the market value of its securities. Similarly, a Fund can purchase call options, or write put options on futures contracts and stock indices, as a substitute for the purchase of such futures contracts to hedge against the increased cost resulting from an increase in the market value of securities which the Fund intends to purchase.
To maintain greater flexibility, a Fund may invest in instruments which have characteristics similar to futures contracts. These instruments may take a variety of forms, such as debt securities with interest or principal payments determined by reference to the value of a security, an index of securities or a commodity at a future point in time. The risks of such investments could reflect the risks of investing in futures and securities, including volatility and illiquidity.
Futures contracts and options on futures contracts are subject to significant correlation risk, leverage risk, illiquidity risk, market risk and counterparty risk with respect to a Fund’s futures broker or the clearinghouse. See “—Risk Factors in Derivatives” above.
Certain Funds may invest in futures based on carbon “allowances.” Under certain regulatory regimes, a limit is set by a regulator, such as a government entity, on the total amount of specific greenhouse gases, such as CO2, that can be emitted by regulated entities, such as manufacturers or energy producers. The regulator then may issue or sell individual “emission allowances” to regulated entities, which can then be traded on the open market. Commodity futures contracts linked to the value of emission allowances are known as “carbon futures.”
The price for carbon futures contracts is based on a number of factors, including the supply of and the demand for carbon futures contracts. Changes in law, market conditions and expectations, position limits, collateral requirements, and other factors each can impact the supply of and demand for carbon futures contracts. The market for carbon futures contracts is still developing and may be subject to periods of illiquidity. During such times it may be difficult or impossible to buy or sell a position at the desired price. Market disruptions or volatility can also make it difficult to find a counterparty willing to transact at a reasonable price and sufficient size.
Swap Agreements.
A Fund may enter into swap agreements for hedging purposes or speculative purposes. Swap agreements are OTC contracts entered into primarily by financial institutions and institutional investors which may or may not be cleared by a central clearinghouse. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns earned or realized from one or more underlying assets or rates of return, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” e.g. , the return or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular
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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 used to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. A 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. Swaps that are not cleared involve substantial counterparty risk. A Fund will typically attempt to mitigate this counterparty risk by entering into swap agreements only with creditworthy entities that have substantial capital or that have provided the Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit support. A Fund’s ability to use swap agreements may be restricted by the tax rules applicable to registered investment companies.
Credit Default Swaps and Similar Instruments. Certain Funds may enter into credit default swaps and similar instruments. Credit default swaps are standardized agreements in which the protection “buyer” pays the protection “seller” an up-front payment, or a periodic stream of payments, over the term of the contract, provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the difference between the notional amount of the contract and the value of a portfolio of securities issued by the reference entity. A Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. The Funds may enter into credit default swaps that reference the obligations of a single entity (“single-name CDS”) or the obligations of entities that make up an index (“index CDS”). References to “credit default swaps” shall collectively refer to single-name CDS and index CDS.
Credit default swaps have as reference obligations one or more securities or loans that are not currently held by a Fund. In circumstances in which a Fund does not own the securities or loans that are deliverable under a credit default swap, the Fund is exposed to the risk that deliverable securities will not be available in the market, or will be available only at unfavorable prices, as would be the case in a so-called “short squeeze.” In certain instances of issuer defaults or restructurings, it has been unclear under the standard industry documentation for credit default swaps whether or not a “credit event” triggering the seller’s payment obligation had occurred. Certain initiatives adopted by derivatives market participants, including the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”), are designed to implement uniform settlement terms into standard credit default swap documentation, as well as refine the practices for the transparent conduct of the credit default swap market generally. Among these initiatives are the ISDA Credit Derivatives Determination Committee and the implementation of market-wide cash settlement protocols applicable to all market-standard credit default swaps. These initiatives are intended to reduce both the uncertainty as to the occurrence of credit events and the risk of a “short squeeze” by providing that the ISDA Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee will make determinations as to whether a credit event has occurred, establish an auction to determine a settlement price and identify the deliverable securities for purposes of the auction, although the ISDA Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee may in certain limited circumstances refrain from doing so. In the event the ISDA Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee cannot reach a timely resolution with respect to a “credit event” or otherwise does not establish a cash settlement auction, a Fund may not be able to realize the full value of the credit default swap upon a default by the reference entity. Furthermore, a Fund may enter into certain credit default swaps or similar instruments that may not be covered by these initiatives.
If a Fund is a buyer, it will lose the payments made under the terms of the credit default swap and recover nothing should no credit event occur. If a Fund is a seller and a credit event occurs, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the Fund or the amount of cash settlement received by the Fund pursuant to the relevant cash settlement auction, together with the up-front or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the amount it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund. A Fund that sells credit default swaps incurs leveraged exposure to the credit of one or more reference entities and is subject to many of the same risks it would incur if it were holding debt securities issued by the relevant reference entity. However, a Fund will not have any legal recourse against any reference entity and will not benefit from any collateral securing the reference entity’s debt obligations. In the event the ISDA Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee does not establish a cash settlement auction and identify the relevant deliverable securities or loans, the credit default swap buyer will have broad discretion to select which of the reference entity’s debt obligations to deliver to the Fund following a credit event and will likely choose the obligations with the lowest market value in order to maximize the payment obligations of the Fund. In addition, credit default swaps generally trade on the basis of theoretical pricing and valuation models, which may not accurately value such swap positions when established or when subsequently traded or unwound under actual market conditions.
Dodd-Frank requires that certain index CDS be executed in regulated markets and submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. See “—Derivatives — Regulation of Derivatives — Dodd-Frank Regulations” above. Other single-name CDS and index CDS are permitted, although not required, to be cleared through regulated clearinghouses. The Funds clear all credit default swaps that are subject to mandatory clearing and may voluntarily clear some, but not all, of the other credit default swaps not subject to mandatory clearing. The Funds face
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counterparty risk with respect to the clearinghouse when entering into cleared single-name CDS and cleared index CDS. The Funds face significant counterparty risk with respect to their counterparties to non-cleared credit default swaps and similar instruments. A Fund typically will enter into non-cleared credit default swaps and similar instruments with swap dealers and creditworthy entities that have substantial capital or that have provided the Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit support.
In certain instances, a Fund may enter into bespoke credit default swaps or similar instruments either as protection buyer or protection seller. While these contracts are similar in their operation to the market-standard credit default swaps described above, they are less standardized and instead have bespoke or tailored features. For example, as compared to market-standard credit defaults, the range of “credit events” triggering settlement of such bespoke contracts may be narrower or broader, any such triggered contracts are settled by physical delivery of the underlying security or loan to or by the Fund rather than by way of cash settlement, and there may be a wider range of securities as the reference obligations and/or deliverable obligations.
In addition, credit default swaps and similar instruments generally involve greater risks than if a Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly and are subject to significant credit risk, correlation risk, leverage risk, illiquidity risk and market risk. See “—Risk Factors in Derivatives” above.
Interest Rate Swaps, Floors and Caps. Certain Funds may enter into OTC derivatives in the form of interest rate swaps and interest rate caps and floors. As described in further detail below, a Fund may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its holdings, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities a Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or for speculation to increase returns.
Dodd-Frank requires that certain interest rate swaps be executed in regulated markets and submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. See “—Regulation of Derivatives — Dodd-Frank Regulations” above. Other interest rate swaps are permitted, although not required, to be cleared. Most of the interest rate swaps entered into by the Funds are cleared. The Funds face counterparty risk with respect to the clearinghouse when entering into cleared interest rate swaps.
The Funds face significant counterparty risk with respect to their counterparties to non-cleared interest rate swaps and interest rate caps and floors. The typical counterparties for a Fund’s non-cleared interest rate derivatives transactions are swap dealers and other creditworthy entities that have substantial capital or that have provided the Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit support. If the Fund’s counterparty defaults on such a transaction, a Fund will have contractual remedies with respect to the transaction but there can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in enforcing such remedies. The market for interest rate swaps is relatively liquid in comparison with other similar instruments traded in the interbank market. A Fund may be limited in its ability to enter into certain interest rate derivatives due to applicable income tax requirements.
Interest rate swaps are transactions in which each party makes periodic interest payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate, index or asset in return for periodic payments from its counterparty based on a different fixed or variable interest rate, index or asset.
The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor.
The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap.
A Fund may enter into an interest rate swap to effectively exchange with another party their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g. , an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. For example, if a Fund holds a mortgage-backed security with an interest rate that is reset only once each year, it may swap the right to receive interest at this fixed rate for the right to receive interest at a rate that is reset every week. This would enable a Fund to offset a decline in the value of the mortgage-backed security due to rising interest rates but would also limit its ability to benefit from falling interest rates. Conversely, if a Fund holds a mortgage-backed security with an interest rate that is reset every week and it would like to lock in what it believes to be a high interest rate for one year, it may swap the right to receive interest at this variable weekly rate for the right to receive interest at a rate that is fixed for one year. Such a swap would protect the Fund from a reduction in yield due to falling interest rates and may permit the Fund to enhance its income through the positive differential between one week and one year interest rates, but would preclude it from taking full advantage of rising interest rates.
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Gains from transactions in interest rate swaps distributed to shareholders will be taxable as ordinary income or, in certain circumstances, as long term capital gains to shareholders.
Interest rate swaps and interest rate caps and floors may be subject to correlation risk, leverage risk, illiquidity risk and market risk. See “—Risk Factors in Derivatives” above.
Total Return Swaps. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the return of the assets underlying the contract in exchange for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from different underlying assets. The return of the assets underlying the contract includes both the income generated by the asset and the change in market value of the asset. The asset underlying the contract may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices. Total return swaps on a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices may sometimes be referred to as “contracts for difference.”
Total return swaps may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Upon entering into a total return swap, a Fund is required to deposit initial margin but the parties do not exchange the notional amount. As a result, total return swaps may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
Total return swaps are subject to significant correlation risk, leverage risk, illiquidity risk, market risk and counterparty risk. See “—Risk Factors in Derivatives” above.
Options.
Options on Securities and Securities Indices. A Fund may engage in transactions in options on individual securities, baskets of securities or securities indices, or particular measurements of value or rates, such as an index of the price of treasury securities or an index representative of short-term interest rates. Such investments may be made on exchanges and in the OTC markets. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties’ obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but are subject to greater credit risk. OTC options also involve greater illiquidity risk.
A Fund may also engage in transactions in options which have additional features that result in different payment structures and/or expirations (commonly referred to as exotic options). For example, barrier options are exotic options that can only be exercised (or automatically expire) if the price of the underlying asset reaches one or more predetermined levels on or before expiration. Binary options are another example of exotic options which have a fixed all-or-nothing payout if one or more predetermined conditions are met. Exotic options are typically traded in OTC markets.
There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities and indexes. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. In addition, a liquid market for particular options, whether traded OTC or on a national securities exchange (“Exchange”) may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an Exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an Exchange; the facilities of an Exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or one or more Exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
Each of the options exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum number of call or put options on the same asset that may be bought or written by a single investor, whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such options are written on the same or different exchanges or are held or written on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). Under these limitations, option positions of all investment companies advised by the Manager are combined for purposes of these limits. Pursuant to these limitations, an
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exchange may order the liquidation of positions and may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These position limits may restrict the number of listed options that a Fund may buy or sell.
Call Options. A Fund may purchase call options on any of the types of securities or instruments in which it may invest. A purchased call option gives a Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. A Fund also may purchase and sell call options on indices. Index options are similar to options on securities except that, rather than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the index upon which the option is based is greater than the exercise price of the option.
A written call option is covered if a Fund holds a call on the same security or index as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in assets which are not considered illiquid investments under the Funds’ Liquidity Program (as defined below) (“liquid assets”) designated on the Manager’s or the sub-adviser’s books and records to the extent required by Commission guidelines.
A Fund may write ( i.e. , sell) covered call options on the securities or instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to certain of such options. A covered call option is an option in which a Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified securities owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The principal reason for writing call options is the attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. By writing covered call options, a Fund gives up the opportunity, while the option is in effect, to profit from any price increase in the underlying security above the option exercise price. In addition, a Fund’s ability to sell the underlying security will be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out a Fund’s position as the writer of an option by means of an offsetting purchase of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has written. Covered call options also serve as a partial hedge to the extent of the premium received against the price of the underlying security declining.
A Fund may write (i.e. , sell) uncovered call options on securities or instruments in which it may invest but that are not currently held by the Fund. The principal reason for writing uncovered call options is to realize income without committing capital to the ownership of the underlying securities or instruments. When writing uncovered call options, a Fund must deposit and maintain sufficient margin with the broker-dealer through which it made the uncovered call option as collateral to ensure that the securities can be purchased for delivery if and when the option is exercised. During periods of declining securities prices or when prices are stable, writing uncovered calls can be a profitable strategy to increase a Fund’s income with minimal capital risk. Uncovered calls are riskier than covered calls because there is no underlying security held by a Fund that can act as a partial hedge. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and the potential for loss is unlimited. When an uncovered call is exercised, a Fund must purchase the underlying security to meet its call obligation. There is also a risk, especially with preferred and debt securities that lack sufficient liquidity, that the securities may not be available for purchase. If the purchase price exceeds the exercise price, a Fund will lose the difference.
Put Options. A Fund may purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, a Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying securities or instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities or instruments until the put option expires. The amount of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration, a put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received is more or less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out a Fund’s position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has purchased. A Fund also may purchase uncovered put options.
A Fund also may write ( i.e. , sell) put options on the types of securities or instruments that may be held by the Fund. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund’s return.
A Fund also may write ( i.e. , sell) uncovered put options on securities or instruments in which it may invest but with respect to which the Fund does not currently have a corresponding short position or has not deposited as collateral cash equal to the exercise value of the put option with the broker-dealer through which it made the uncovered put option. The principal reason for writing uncovered put options is to receive premium income and to acquire such securities or instruments at a net cost below the current market value. A Fund has the obligation to buy
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the securities or instruments at an agreed upon price if the price of the securities or instruments decreases below the exercise price. If the price of the securities or instruments increases during the option period, the option will expire worthless and a Fund will retain the premium and will not have to purchase the securities or instruments at the exercise price.
Options on Government National Mor tgage Association (“GNMA”) Cer tificates. The following information relates to the unique characteristics of options on GNMA Certificates. Since the remaining principal balance of GNMA Certificates declines each month as a result of mortgage payments, a Fund, as a writer of a GNMA call holding GNMA Certificates as “cover” to satisfy its delivery obligation in the event of exercise, may find that the GNMA Certificates it holds no longer have a sufficient remaining principal balance for this purpose. Should this occur, a Fund will purchase additional GNMA Certificates from the same pool (if obtainable) or other GNMA Certificates in the cash market in order to maintain its “cover.”
A GNMA Certificate held by a Fund to cover an option position in any but the nearest expiration month may cease to represent cover for the option in the event of a decline in the GNMA coupon rate at which new pools are originated under the FHA/VA loan ceiling in effect at any given time. If this should occur, a Fund will no longer be covered, and the Fund will either enter into a closing purchase transaction or replace such Certificate with a certificate that represents cover. When a Fund closes its position or replaces such Certificate, it may realize an unanticipated loss and incur transaction costs.
Options on Swaps (“Swaptions”). A swaption gives a counterparty the option (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at a designated future time on specified terms. A Fund may write ( i.e. , sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement and the potential for loss may be unlimited. Certain swaptions are permitted, although not required, to be cleared.
A Fund will likely enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. A Fund generally will use these transactions for hedging purposes, not for speculation.
Swaptions may be subject to correlation risk, leverage risk, illiquidity risk and market risk. See “—Risk Factors in Derivatives” above.
FLEX Options. FLEX Options are customized option contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are listed on a U.S. national securities exchange. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize assets referenced by the options, exercise prices, exercise styles ( i.e. , American-style, exercisable any time prior to the expiration date, or European style, exercisable only on the option expiration date) and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of OTC options positions. Each option contract entitles the holder thereof to purchase (for the call options) or sell (for the put options) shares of the reference asset at the strike price. A Fund’s portfolio may include several types of FLEX Options, including both purchased and written put and call options (as further described below). The FLEX Options are all European style options, which means that they are exercisable at a predetermined specified price (the “strike price”) only on the FLEX Option’s expiration date.
The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options, becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer”, reducing counterparty risk for clearing members and options traders. Although guaranteed for settlement by the OCC, FLEX Options are still subject to counterparty risk with the OCC and subject to the risk that the OCC may fail to perform the settlement of the FLEX Options due to bankruptcy or other adverse reasons. A Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts.
Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the FLEX Options for certain events (collectively, “Corporate Actions”) specified in the OCC’s by-laws and rules: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC’s by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC’s Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the
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time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest.
Cer tain Considerations Regarding Options . The FLEX Options in which each Fund may invest will be options on an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) or the S&P 500 Index (together with such ETF, a “Reference Asset”). As such, the value of a Fund’s FLEX Options will fluctuate with changes in the value of the securities held by the ETF, and thus the ETF’s share price. In addition to the value of the ETF, the value of an option, in general, will reflect, among other things, the time remaining until expiration (the end of the Outcome Period), the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the Reference Asset, and general market conditions. Options that expire unexercised have no value.
The puts and calls on the Reference Asset entitle the purchaser of the option the right to purchase (for a call option) or sell (for a put option) the Reference Asset at a predetermined specified price (the “strike price”). When a Fund writes a call on the Reference Asset, it receives a premium and agrees that the purchaser of the call, upon exercise of the call, will receive from the Fund the delivery of a specified number of shares of the ETF in exchange for the strike price. When a Fund buys a call on the Reference Asset, it pays a premium and has the same rights to such call as indicated above. When a Fund buys a put on the Reference Asset, it pays a premium and has the right to require the seller of the put, upon the Fund’s exercise of the put, to deliver the specified number of shares of the ETF in exchange for the strike price. When a Fund writes a put on the Reference Asset, it receives a premium and the purchaser of the put has the right to require the Fund to deliver the specified number of shares of the ETF in exchange for the strike price.
Although each Fund will generally utilize FLEX Options that are physically settled, a Fund may also utilize FLEX Options that are cash-settled. Cash-settled options give the holder the right to receive an amount (or owe an amount) of cash upon the exercise of the option. Gain or loss depends on changes in the value of the ETF’s share price relative to the strike price for a given option contract. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the ETF’s share price and the exercise price of the option contract times a specified multiple (“multiplier”), which determines the total value for each point of such difference.
Risks of Options on the Reference Assets . If a Fund has purchased an option and exercises it before the closing value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the level of the Reference Asset may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out of the money, the applicable Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing Reference Asset value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.
Foreign Exchange Transactions.
A Fund may enter into spot foreign exchange transactions, forward foreign exchange transactions (“FX forwards”) and currency swaps, purchase and sell currency options, currency futures and related options thereon (collectively, “Currency Instruments”) for purposes of hedging against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the U.S. dollar or, with respect to certain Funds, to seek to enhance returns.
Such transactions could be effected to hedge with respect to foreign dollar denominated securities owned by a Fund, sold by a Fund but not yet delivered, or committed or anticipated to be purchased by a Fund. As an illustration, a Fund may use such techniques to hedge the stated value in U.S. dollars of an investment in a yen-denominated security. For example, the Fund may purchase a foreign currency put option enabling it to sell a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date. To the extent the hedge is successful, a loss in the value of the yen relative to the dollar will tend to be offset by an increase in the value of the put option. To offset, in whole or in part, the cost of acquiring such a put option, the Fund may also sell a call option which, if exercised, requires it to sell a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date (a technique called a “straddle”). By selling such a call option in this illustration, the Fund gives up the opportunity to profit without limit from increases in the relative value of the yen to the dollar. “Straddles” of the type that may be used by a Fund are considered hedging transactions. Certain Funds have a fundamental investment restriction that restricts currency option strategies.
Hedging transactions involving Currency Instruments involve substantial risks, including correlation risk. A Fund’s use of Currency Instruments to effect hedging strategies is intended to reduce the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s shares; however, the use of such hedging strategies will not prevent the NAV of the Fund’s shares from fluctuating. Moreover, although Currency Instruments will be used with the intention of hedging against adverse currency movements, transactions in Currency Instruments involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be
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accurately predicted and that the Fund’s hedging strategies will be ineffective. To the extent that a Fund hedges against anticipated currency movements that do not occur, the Fund may realize losses and decrease its total return. Furthermore, a Fund will only engage in hedging activities from time to time and may not be engaging in hedging activities when movements in currency exchange rates actually occur.
In connection with its trading in forward foreign currency contracts, a Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or dealers have refused to quote prices for such forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell. Governmental imposition of currency controls might limit any such forward contract trading. With respect to its trading of forward contracts, if any, a Fund will be subject to counterparty risk. Any such failure to perform by a counterparty would deprive the Fund of any profit potential or force the Fund to cover its commitments for resale, if any, at the then market price and could result in a loss to the Fund.
It may not be possible for a Fund to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, even if correctly anticipated, in the event that (i) the currency exchange rate movement is so generally anticipated that the Fund is not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an effective price, or (ii) the currency exchange rate movement relates to a market with respect to which Currency Instruments are not available and it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging. The cost to a Fund of engaging in foreign currency transactions varies with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Since transactions in foreign currency exchange usually are conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved.
A Fund will not hedge a currency in excess of the aggregate market value of the securities that it owns (including receivables for unsettled securities sales), or has committed to purchase or anticipates purchasing, which are denominated in such currency.
Spot Transactions and FX Forwards. FX forwards are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a specified price and specified future date. Spot foreign exchange transactions are similar but are settled in the current, or “spot”, market. A Fund will enter into foreign exchange transactions for purposes of hedging either a specific transaction or a portfolio position, or, with respect to certain Funds, to seek to enhance returns. FX forwards involve substantial currency risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. A Fund may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a specific transaction by, for example, purchasing a currency needed to settle a security transaction or selling a currency in which the Fund has received or anticipates receiving a dividend or distribution. A Fund may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a portfolio position by selling forward a currency in which a portfolio position of the Fund is denominated or by purchasing a currency in which the Fund anticipates acquiring a portfolio position in the near future. A Fund may also hedge a currency by entering into a transaction in a Currency Instrument denominated in a currency other than the currency being hedged (a “cross-hedge”). A Fund will only enter into a cross-hedge if the Manager believes that (i) there is a demonstrably high correlation between the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated and the currency being hedged, and (ii) executing a cross-hedge through the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated will be significantly more cost-effective or provide substantially greater liquidity than executing a similar hedging transaction by means of the currency being hedged.
A Fund may also engage in proxy hedging transactions to reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing or anticipated holdings of portfolio securities. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund is exposed is difficult to hedge, or to hedge against the U.S. dollar. Proxy hedging entails entering into a forward contract to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be linked to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Fund’s securities are, or are expected to be, denominated, and to buy U.S. dollars. Proxy hedging involves some of the same risks and considerations as other transactions with similar instruments. Currency transactions can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. In addition, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present, including during the particular time that a Fund is engaging in proxy hedging.
A Fund may also cross-hedge currencies by entering into forward contracts to sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value relative to other currencies to which the Fund has or in which the Fund expects to have portfolio exposure. For example, a Fund may hold both Canadian government bonds and Japanese government bonds, and the Manager or sub-adviser may believe that Canadian dollars will deteriorate against Japanese yen. The Fund would sell Canadian dollars to reduce its exposure to that currency and buy Japanese yen. This strategy would
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be a hedge against a decline in the value of Canadian dollars, although it would expose the Fund to declines in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar.
Some of the forward non-U.S. currency contracts entered into by the Funds are classified as non-deliverable forwards (“NDFs”). NDFs are cash-settled, short-term forward contracts that may be thinly traded or are denominated in non-convertible foreign currency, where the profit or loss at the time at the settlement date is calculated by taking the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at the time of settlement, for an agreed upon notional amount of funds. All NDFs have a fixing date and a settlement date. The fixing date is the date at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement date is the date by which the payment of the difference is due to the party receiving payment. NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods of one month up to two years, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars. They are often used to gain exposure to and/or hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded.
Currency Futures. A Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency through use of currency futures or options on currency futures. Currency futures are similar to forward foreign exchange transactions except that futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts while forward foreign exchange transactions are traded in the OTC market. Currency futures involve substantial currency risk as well as the risks discussed above in “—Futures.”
Currency Options. A Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency through the use of currency options. Certain Funds have fundamental investment restrictions that permit the purchase of currency options, but prohibit the writing of currency options. Currency options are similar to options on securities. For example, in consideration for an option premium the writer of a currency option is obligated to sell (in the case of a call option) or purchase (in the case of a put option) a specified amount of a specified currency on or before the expiration date for a specified amount of another currency. A Fund may engage in transactions in options on currencies either on exchanges or OTC markets. Such transactions in options may include exotic options on currencies, which are typically traded in OTC markets and have additional features that result in different payment structures and/or expirations. Where a Fund is permitted to write currency options, it may write covered call options on up to 100% of the currencies in its portfolio. See “—Options” above. Currency options involve substantial currency risk, and may also involve credit, leverage or illiquidity risk.
Currency Swaps. A Fund may enter into currency swaps in order to protect against currency fluctuations or to hedge portfolio positions. Currency swaps are transactions in which one currency is simultaneously bought for a second currency on a spot basis and sold for the second currency on a forward basis. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of a Fund and another party to make or receive payments in specified currencies, and typically require the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency. As a result, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.
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 Manager of equivalent quality (“Distressed Securities”). Investment in Distressed Securities is speculative and involves significant risks.
A Fund will generally make such investments only when the Manager 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
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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. The Fund, however, will not make investments for the purpose of exercising day-to-day management of any issuer’s affairs.
Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Integration . Although a Fund does not seek to implement a specific sustainability objective, strategy or process unless disclosed in its Prospectus, Fund management will consider ESG factors as part of the investment process for the Fund. Fund management views ESG integration as the practice of incorporating financially material ESG data or information into investment processes with the objective of enhancing risk-adjusted returns. These ESG considerations will vary depending on a Fund’s particular investment strategies and may include consideration of third-party research as well as consideration of proprietary BlackRock research across the ESG risks and opportunities regarding an issuer. The ESG characteristics utilized in a Fund’s investment process are anticipated to evolve over time and one or more characteristics may not be relevant with respect to all issuers that are eligible for investment.
Certain of these considerations may affect a Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries. While Fund management views ESG considerations as having the potential to contribute to a Fund’s long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.
Equity Securities. Certain Funds may invest in equity securities, which include common stock and, for certain Funds, preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock); bonds, stock purchase warrants and rights; equity interests in trusts; general and limited partnerships and limited liability companies; and depositary receipts. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equities. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in decline or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. They may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, they may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment.
From time to time certain of the Funds may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). IPOs have the potential to produce, and have in fact produced, substantial gains for certain Funds. There is no assurance that any Fund will have continued access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of a Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when it is able to do so. In addition, as a Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on its performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the initial public offering.
The Funds may invest in companies that have relatively small market capitalizations. These organizations will normally have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources and will be dependent upon a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. The securities of smaller capitalized companies are often traded in the OTC markets and may have fewer market makers and wider price spreads. This may result in greater price movements and less ability to sell a Fund’s investment than if the Fund held the securities of larger, more established companies.
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For a discussion of the types of equity securities in which your Fund may invest and the risks associated with investing in such equity securities, see your Fund’s Prospectus. Certain of the Funds may also invest in shares of private companies, which are subject to the risks of “Illiquid Investments” and “Restricted Securities” described below.
Real Estate-Related Securities. Although no Fund may invest directly in real estate, certain Funds may invest in equity securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry. Such investments are subject to certain risks associated with the ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage; market illiquidity; extended vacancies of properties; increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; tenant bankruptcies or other credit problems; casualty or condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents, including decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion; and changes in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying a Fund’s investments are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Fund may be subject to certain of the foregoing risks to a greater extent. Investments by a Fund in securities of companies providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancings and their impact on servicing rights.
In addition, if a Fund receives rental income or income from the disposition of real property acquired as a result of a default on securities the Fund owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to retain its tax status as a regulated investment company because of certain income source requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
Securities of Smaller or Emerging Growth Companies. Investment in smaller or emerging growth companies involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in more established companies. The securities of smaller or emerging growth companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies or the market average in general. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or they may be dependent on a limited management group.
Investments in smaller or emerging growth companies may involve greater risks and thus may be considered speculative. Full development of these companies and trends frequently takes time.
Small cap and emerging growth securities will often be traded only in the OTC market or on a regional securities exchange and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, the disposition by a Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions or otherwise may require the Fund to make many small sales over a lengthy period of time, or to sell these securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in Fund management’s judgment, such disposition is not desirable.
The process of selection and continuous supervision by Fund management does not guarantee successful investment results. Careful initial selection is particularly important in this area as many new enterprises have promise but lack certain of the fundamental factors necessary to prosper. Investing in small cap and emerging growth companies requires specialized research and analysis.
Fund management believes that relatively small companies may have the opportunity to develop into significant business enterprises. A Fund may invest in securities of small issuers in the relatively early stages of business development that have a new technology, a unique or proprietary product or service, or a favorable market position.
Equity securities of specific small cap issuers may present different opportunities for long-term capital appreciation during varying portions of economic or securities market cycles, as well as during varying stages of their business development. The market valuation of small cap issuers tends to fluctuate during economic or market cycles.
Tracking Stocks . A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.
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 aspects of both bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns
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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. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in an issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying reference instrument remaining unchanged. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN.
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 may, at times, be illiquid and 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.
ETNs are also subject to tax risks. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) may not accept, and a court may not uphold, how the Funds characterize and treat ETNs for tax purposes. The timing and character of income and gains derived by a Fund from investments in ETNs may be affected by future legislation.
Foreign Investments.
Foreign Investment Risks. Certain Funds may invest in foreign securities, including securities from issuers located in emerging market countries. These securities may be denominated in U.S. dollars or in a foreign currency. Investing in foreign securities involves risks not typically associated with investing in securities of companies organized and operated in the United States that can increase the chances that a Fund will lose money.
Securities issued by certain companies organized outside the United States may not be deemed to be foreign securities (but rather deemed to be U.S. securities) if (i) the company’s principal operations are conducted from the U.S., (ii) the company’s equity securities trade principally on a U.S. stock exchange, (iii) the company does a substantial amount of business in the U.S. or (iv) the issuer of securities is included in the Fund’s primary U.S. benchmark index.
In addition to equity securities, foreign investments of the Funds may include: (a) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign sovereign governments or their agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, including a foreign state, province or municipality; (b) debt obligations of supranational organizations; (c) debt obligations of foreign banks and bank holding companies; (d) debt obligations of domestic banks and corporations issued in foreign currencies; (e) debt obligations denominated in the Euro; and (f) foreign corporate debt securities and commercial paper. Such securities may include loan participations and assignments, convertible securities and zero-coupon securities.
Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes.
To the extent that the underlying securities or other instruments held by a Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that are closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
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underlying security ( i.e. , the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market). The impact of a closed foreign market on a Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s underlying securities or other instruments trade on that closed foreign market or when the foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations may result in premiums or discounts to certain Funds’ NAVs that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs.
Foreign Market Risk. Funds that may invest in foreign securities offer the potential for more diversification than a Fund that invests only in the United States because securities traded on foreign markets have often (though not always) performed differently from securities traded in the United States. However, such investments often involve risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that a Fund will lose money. In particular, a Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of punitive taxes or tariffs. In addition, economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to the governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, prohibiting or imposing substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investing in the capital markets or certain industries in those countries. Capital controls and/or sanctions may include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to own or transfer currency, securities, derivatives or other assets and may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Any of these actions could severely impair a Fund’s ability to purchase, sell, transfer, receive, deliver or otherwise obtain exposure to foreign securities and assets, including the ability to transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, and could negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such assets or otherwise adversely affect a Fund’s operations, causing the Fund to decline in value. Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social conditions, such as diplomatic relations, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, limitation on the removal of funds or assets, or imposition of (or change in) exchange control regulations. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries. In addition, changes in government administrations or economic or monetary policies in the United States or abroad could result in appreciation or depreciation of portfolio securities and could favorably or adversely affect a Fund’s operations.
Foreign Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources, and balance of payments position. Certain such economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures.
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk. Because foreign securities generally are denominated and pay dividends or interest in foreign currencies, the value of a Fund that invests in foreign securities as measured in U.S. dollars will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in exchange rates. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,” means that a stronger U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or buy currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.
Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less than does the United States. Some countries may not have laws to protect investors comparable to the U.S. securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company’s securities based on nonpublic information about that company. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a company’s financial condition. In addition, the U.S. Government has from time to time in the past imposed restrictions, through penalties and otherwise, on foreign investments by U.S. investors such as the Fund. If such restrictions should be reinstituted, it might become necessary for the Fund to invest all or substantially all of its
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assets in U.S. securities. Also, brokerage commissions and other costs of buying or selling securities often are higher in foreign countries than they are in the United States. This reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments.
Cer tain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States. A Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on a Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for a Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount a Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States.
Publicly Available Information. In general, less information is publicly available with respect to foreign issuers than is available with respect to U.S. companies. Most foreign companies are also not subject to the uniform accounting and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States. While the volume of transactions effected on foreign stock exchanges has increased in recent years, it remains appreciably below that of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, a Fund’s foreign investments may be less liquid than, and their prices may be more volatile than, comparable investments in securities in U.S. companies. In addition, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries than in the United States.
Settlement Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Supervisory authorities may also be unable to apply standards which are comparable with those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of U.S. investments.
Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates in markets that still rely on physical settlement. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions; these problems may make it difficult for a Fund to carry out transactions. If a Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If a Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.
Because of uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets, competing claims may arise in respect of securities held by or to be transferred to a Fund. Compensation schemes may not exist or may otherwise be limited or inadequate to meet the Fund’s claims in case of such event.
Sovereign Debt. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on the implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to timely service its debts. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt.
Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. In the event of a default by a governmental entity, there may be few or no effective legal remedies for collecting on such debt.
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Withholding Tax Reclaims Risk . A Fund may file claims to recover foreign withholding taxes on dividend and interest income (if any) received from issuers in certain countries and capital gains on the disposition of stocks or securities where such withholding tax reclaim is possible. Whether or when a Fund will receive a withholding tax refund is within the control of the tax authorities in such countries. Where a Fund expects to recover withholding taxes, the net asset value of the Fund generally includes accruals for such tax refunds. Each Fund regularly evaluates the probability of recovery. If the likelihood of recovery materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the foreign country, accruals in a Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders in a Fund at the time an accrual is written down will bear the impact of the resulting reduction in net asset value regardless of whether they were shareholders during the accrual period. Conversely, if a Fund receives a tax refund that has not been previously accrued, shareholders in the Fund at the time of the successful recovery will benefit from the resulting increase in the Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders who sold their shares prior to such time will not benefit from such increase in the Fund’s net asset value.
U.S. Economic Trading Par tners Risk. The United States is a significant, and in some cases the most significant, trading partner of, or foreign investor in, certain countries in which a Fund may invest. As a result, economic conditions of such countries may be particularly affected by changes in the U.S. economy. A decrease in U.S. imports or exports, new trade and financial regulations or tariffs, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rate or an economic slowdown in the United States may have a material adverse effect on a country’s economic conditions and, as a result, securities to which the Fund has exposure. Circumstances could arise that could prevent the timely payment of interest or principal on U.S. Government debt, such as reaching the legislative “debt ceiling.” Such non-payment would result in substantial negative consequences for the U.S. economy and the global financial system.
There are strained relations between the United States and a number of foreign countries, including traditional allies, such as certain European countries, and historical adversaries, such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia. If these relations were to worsen, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If these trends were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and many of the issuers in which a Fund may invest.
Funding Agreements. Certain Funds may invest in Guaranteed Investment Contracts and similar funding agreements. In connection with these investments, a Fund makes cash contributions to a deposit fund of an insurance company’s general account. The insurance company then credits to the Fund on a monthly basis guaranteed interest, which is based on an index. The funding agreements provide that this guaranteed interest will not be less than a certain minimum rate. The purchase price paid for a funding agreement becomes part of the general assets of the insurance company, and the contract is paid from the general assets of the insurance company. Generally, funding agreements are not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing insurance companies, and an active secondary market in some funding agreements does not currently exist.
Guarantees. A Fund may purchase securities which contain guarantees issued by an entity separate from the issuer of the security. Generally, the guarantor of a security (often an affiliate of the issuer) will fulfill an issuer’s payment obligations under a security if the issuer is unable to do so.
Illiquid Investments. Each Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, a Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by a Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There can be no assurance that a security or instrument that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by a Fund, and any security or instrument held by the Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. A Fund’s illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid investments at an advantageous time or price. In addition, if a Fund is limited in its ability to dispose of illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming or selling their shares, or the Fund’s net assets otherwise shrink, the Fund will need to dispose of liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. If illiquid investments exceed 15% of a Fund’s net assets, the Liquidity Rule (as defined below) and the Liquidity Program (as defined below) will require that certain remedial actions be taken. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable liquid investments. Investment of a Fund’s assets in illiquid investments may restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price as well as its ability to take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly acute where a Fund’s operations require
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cash, such as when the Fund redeems shares or pays dividends, and could result in the Fund borrowing to meet short-term cash requirements or incurring capital losses on the sale of illiquid investments.
Index Funds.
Cash Flows; Expenses. The ability of each Fund to satisfy its investment objective depends to some extent on the Manager’s ability to manage cash flow (primarily from purchases and redemptions and distributions from the Fund’s investments). The Manager will make investment changes to a Fund’s portfolio to accommodate cash flow while continuing to seek to replicate the total return of the Fund’s target index. Investors should also be aware that the investment performance of each index is a hypothetical number which does not take into account brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, custody and other costs of investing, and any incremental operating costs ( e.g. , transfer agency and accounting costs) that will be borne by the Funds. Finally, since each Fund seeks to replicate the total return of its target index, the Manager generally will not attempt to judge the merits of any particular security as an investment.
Tracking Error Risk . A Fund may be subject to tracking error, which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur because of differences between the securities and other instruments held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing differences (including, as applicable, differences between a security’s price at the local market close and the Fund’s valuation of a security at the time of calculation of the Fund’s net asset value), differences in transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash, differences in timing of the accrual of or the valuation of dividends or other distributions, interest, the requirements to maintain pass-through tax treatment, portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders, changes to the Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or existing regulatory requirements. These risks may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. In addition, tracking error may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying Index does not.
When an issuer is introduced by an index provider into an index tracked by a Fund, the Manager may conduct an analysis on such issuer’s securities to identify and screen for outlier high risk behavior (such as rapid or unusual price growth that does not appear to be supported by publicly available information on the business and assets of the issuer, unusual or significant short interest or lending activity, negative sentiment, suspended trading or incorrect free-float calculations, which could be indicators of possible irregularities, miscalculations or even fraud). If it identifies such behavior, the Manager may, where appropriate, alert the index provider as to the alleged issue. The index provider has sole discretion for the determination as to whether to continue to include the issuer’s securities in the rebalancing of its index. If the securities continue to be included in the index, the Manager may underweight or exclude such securities from a Fund’s portfolio and, if it does so, such Fund will be subject to increased tracking error due to the divergence in the securities included in its portfolio from its underlying index. The application of the abovementioned analysis and screening to a Fund and its Underlying Index is in the sole discretion of the Manager and its affiliates (without any guarantees). The analysis and screening may not exclude any or all high risk securities from an Underlying Index or a Fund’s portfolio, and the inclusion of such securities will result in an adverse impact to the Fund’s net asset value if one or more such securities declines in value.
S&P 500® 0® Index (“S&P 500”). “Standard & Poor’s ® ,” “S&P ® ,” “S&P 500 ® ,” “Standard & Poor’s 500,” and “500” are trademarks of S&P Global Inc. and have been licensed for use by certain mutual funds sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates (“BlackRock Funds”). No Fund is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P, a division of S&P Global Inc. S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any Fund. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of a Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in a Fund particularly or the ability of the S&P 500 to track general stock market performance. S&P’s only relationship to certain Funds is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of S&P and of the S&P 500 which is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to the Funds. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of a Fund or the owners of shares of a Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of any Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of shares of a Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which a Fund is to be converted into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of any Fund.
S&P does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the S&P 500 Index or any data included therein, and S&P shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. S&P makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by a Fund, owners of shares of a Fund, or any other person or entity from the use of the S&P 500 Index or any data included therein. S&P makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the S&P
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500 Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall S&P have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Russell® l® Indexes. No Fund is promoted, sponsored or endorsed by, nor in any way affiliated with Russell Investments. Russell Investments is not responsible for and has not reviewed any Fund nor any associated literature or publications and Russell Investments makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, or completeness, or otherwise.
Russell Investments reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change a Russell Index. Russell Investments has no obligation to take the needs of any particular Fund or its participants or any other product or person into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Russell Index.
Russell Investments’ publication of the Russell Indexes in no way suggests or implies an opinion by Russell Investments as to the attractiveness or appropriateness of investment in any or all securities upon which the Russell Indexes is based. Russell Investments makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee as to the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or otherwise of the Russell Indexes or any data included in the Russell Indexes. Russell Investments makes no representation or warranty regarding the use, or the results of use, of the Russell Indexes or any data included therein, or any security (or combination thereof) comprising the Russell Indexes. Russell Investments makes no other express or implied warranty, and expressly disclaims any warranty, of any kind, including, without means of limitation, any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Russell Indexes or any data or any security (or combination thereof) included therein.
MSCI Indexes. The MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East (Capitalization Weighted) Index (“EAFE Index”) and the MSCI All-Country World ex-US Index (“ACWI ex-US Index” and together with the EAFE Index, the “MSCI Indexes” and individually an “MSCI Index”) are the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”). The EAFE Index and ACWI ex-US Index are service marks of MSCI and have been licensed for use by the Manager and its affiliates.
No Fund is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI. MSCI makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of a Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in a Fund particularly or the ability of an MSCI Index to track general stock market performance. MSCI is the licensor of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of MSCI and of the MSCI Indexes. MSCI has no obligation to take the needs of any Fund or the owners of shares of a Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating an MSCI Index. MSCI is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of shares of any Fund to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares of a Fund are redeemable for cash. MSCI has no obligation or liability to owners of shares of a Fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.
Although MSCI shall obtain information for inclusion in or for use in the calculation of an MSCI Index from sources which MSCI considers reliable, MSCI does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the MSCI Index or any data included therein. MSCI makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by licensee, licensee’s customers and counterparties, owners of shares of a Fund, or any other person or entity from the use of an MSCI Index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed hereunder or for any other use. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to an MSCI Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall MSCI have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Financial Times Stock Exchange (“FTSE”) Indexes. No Fund is promoted, sponsored or endorsed by, nor in any way affiliated with FTSE. FTSE is not responsible for and has not reviewed any Fund nor any associated literature or publications and FTSE makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, or completeness, or otherwise.
FTSE reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change a FTSE Index. FTSE has no obligation to take the needs of any particular Fund or its participants or any other product or person into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the FTSE Index.
Bloomberg Indexes. No Fund is promoted, sponsored or endorsed by, nor in any way affiliated with Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively, “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg is not responsible for nor has it reviewed any Fund nor any associated literature or publications, and Bloomberg makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, or completeness, or otherwise.
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Bloomberg reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change a Bloomberg Index. Bloomberg has no obligation to take the needs of any particular Fund or its participants or any other product or person into consideration in determining, composing or calculating a Bloomberg Index.
ICE BofA Indexes. No Fund is promoted, sponsored or endorsed by, nor in any way affiliated with Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, “ICE”) or Bank of America or its affiliates (collectively, “BofA”). BofA is not the issuer or producer of the ICE BofA Indices, and its name is a trademark and service mark of its owner used under license. Neither ICE nor BofA is responsible for or has reviewed any Fund nor any associated literature or publications and ICE and BofA make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, or completeness, or otherwise.
ICE reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change an ICE BofA Index. ICE has no obligation to take the needs of any particular Fund or its participants or any other product or person into consideration in determining, composing or calculating an ICE BofA Index.
Indexed and Inverse Securities. A Fund may invest in securities that provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. For example, a Fund may invest in securities that pay interest based on an index of interest rates. The principal amount payable upon maturity of certain securities also may be based on the value of the index. To the extent a Fund invests in these types of securities, the Fund’s return on such securities will be subject to risk with respect to the value of the particular index: that is, if the value of the index falls, the value of the indexed securities owned by the Fund will fall. Interest and principal payable on certain securities may also be based on relative changes among particular indices. A Fund may also invest in so-called “inverse floating obligations” or “residual interest bonds” on which the interest rates vary inversely with a floating rate (which may be reset periodically by a Dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term tax-exempt interest rate index). A Fund may purchase synthetically-created inverse floating rate bonds evidenced by custodial or trust receipts. Generally, income on inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when interest rates increase, and will increase when interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple of the rate at which fixed-rate securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities will generally be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate securities. To seek to limit the volatility of these securities, a Fund may purchase inverse floating obligations that have shorter-term maturities or that contain limitations on the extent to which the interest rate may vary. Certain investments in such obligations may be illiquid. The Manager believes that indexed and inverse floating obligations represent flexible portfolio management instruments for a Fund that allow the Fund to seek potential investment rewards, hedge other portfolio positions or vary the degree of investment leverage relatively efficiently under different market conditions. A Fund may invest in indexed and inverse securities for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns. When used for hedging purposes, indexed and inverse securities involve correlation risk. 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 up to 10% of their total assets in leveraged inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). Inverse floaters are securities the potential of which is inversely related to changes in interest rates. In general, the return on inverse floaters will decrease when short-term interest rates increase and increase when short-term rates decrease. Municipal tender option bonds, both taxable and tax-exempt, which may include inverse floating rate debt instruments, (including residual interests thereon) are excluded from this 10% limitation.
Inflation Risk. Like all funds, the Funds are subject to inflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the present value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of a Fund’s assets can decline as can the value of a Fund’s distributions. Inflation rates may change frequently and significantly due to a number of potential factors, including, among others, unexpected economic shifts or changes in fiscal or monetary policies.
Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk. The volume of IPOs and the levels at which the newly issued stocks trade in the secondary market are affected by the performance of the stock market overall. If IPOs are brought to the market, availability may be limited and a Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like. In addition, the prices of securities involved in IPOs are often subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than more established stocks. IPOs have the potential to produce substantial gains. A Fund may hold shares from an IPO for only a short period of time given possible price volatility. This may result in increased portfolio turnover and expenses, such as commissions and transaction costs, and potentially result in taxable gains that the Fund will subsequently distribute to shareholders. There is no assurance that any Fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors
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should not rely on any past gains from IPOs as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of a Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when it is able to do so. In addition, as a Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on its performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods.
Investment in Emerging Markets.
General.
Certain Funds may invest in the securities of issuers domiciled in various countries with emerging capital markets. Unless otherwise provided in a Fund’s Prospectus, a country with an emerging capital market is any country that is (i) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, such as the International Finance Corporation, or determined by the World Bank to have a low, middle or middle upper income economy; (ii) classified by the United Nations or its authorities to be developing; and/or (iii) included in a broad-based index that is generally representative of emerging markets. Countries with emerging markets can be found in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.
Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in market illiquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. Governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit a Fund’s investment opportunities such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.
Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for a Fund. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that a Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected market. 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 investments in these countries and the availability to a Fund of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in more established markets.
Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid than, and more volatile than, those of mature markets, and company shares may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the Fund’s acquisition or disposal of securities.
Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because a Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. A Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.
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Investment in non-dollar denominated securities including securities from issuers located in emerging market countries may be on either a currency hedged or unhedged basis, and the Funds may hold from time to time various foreign currencies pending investment or conversion into U.S. dollars. Some of these instruments may have the characteristics of futures contracts. In addition, certain Funds may engage in foreign currency exchange transactions to seek to protect against changes in the level of future exchange rates which would adversely affect the Fund’s performance. These investments and transactions involving foreign securities, currencies, options (including options that relate to foreign currencies), futures, hedging and cross-hedging are described under “Derivatives.”
Risks of Investing in Asia-Pacific Countries. In addition to the risks of foreign investing and the risks of investing in developing markets, the developing market Asia-Pacific countries in which a Fund may invest are subject to certain additional or specific risks. Certain Funds may make substantial investments in Asia-Pacific countries. In many of these markets, there is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many of these markets also may be affected by developments with respect to more established markets in the region such as in Japan and Hong Kong. Brokers in developing market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States. These factors, combined with the U.S. regulatory requirements for open-end investment companies and the restrictions on foreign investment discussed below, result in potentially fewer investment opportunities for a Fund and may have an adverse impact on the investment performance of the Fund.
Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision-making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries, such as Indonesia, have a substantial role in regulating and supervising the economy. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.
The legal systems in certain developing market Asia-Pacific countries also may have an adverse impact on the Fund. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market Asia-Pacific countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in developing market Asia Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.
Governments of many developing market Asia-Pacific countries have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, the government owns or controls many companies, including the largest in the country. Accordingly, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in developing market Asia-Pacific countries, which could affect private sector companies and a Fund itself, as well as the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. In addition, economic statistics of developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be less reliable than economic statistics of more developed nations.
In addition to the relative lack of publicly available information about developing market Asia-Pacific issuers and the possibility that such issuers may not be subject to the same accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards as U.S. companies, inflation accounting rules in some developing market Asia-Pacific countries require companies that keep accounting records in the local currency, for both tax and accounting purposes, to restate certain assets and liabilities on the company’s balance sheet in order to express items in terms of currency of constant purchasing power. Inflation accounting may indirectly generate losses or profits for certain developing market Asia-Pacific companies.
Satisfactory custodial services for investment securities may not be available in some developing Asia-Pacific countries, which may result in the Fund incurring additional costs and delays in providing transportation and custody services for such securities outside such countries.
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Certain developing Asia-Pacific countries, such as the Philippines, India and Turkey, are especially large debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments.
Natural disasters in Asia-Pacific countries, and the resulting damage, could have a severe and negative impact on a Fund’s investment portfolio and, in the longer term, could impair the ability of issuers in which the Fund invests to conduct their businesses in the manner normally conducted.
Fund management may determine that, notwithstanding otherwise favorable investment criteria, it may not be practicable or appropriate to invest in a particular developing Asia-Pacific country. A Fund may invest in countries in which foreign investors, including management of the Fund, have had no or limited prior experience.
Restrictions on Foreign Investments in Asia-Pacific Countries. Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. As illustrations, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company or limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of a company which may have less advantageous terms (including price and shareholder rights) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. There can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to obtain required governmental approvals in a timely manner. In addition, changes to restrictions on foreign ownership of securities subsequent to a Fund’s purchase of such securities may have an adverse effect on the value of such shares. Certain countries may restrict investment opportunities in issuers or industries deemed important to national interests.
The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain developing Asia-Pacific countries, as well as limitations on such investments, also may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund. For example, a Fund may be required in certain of such countries to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares purchased re-registered in the name of the Fund. Re-registration may in some instances not be able to occur on a timely basis, resulting in a delay during which a Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund places a purchase order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has been filled, depriving the Fund of the ability to make its desired investment at that time.
Substantial limitations may exist in certain countries with respect to a Fund’s ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. It is possible that certain countries may impose currency controls or other restrictions relating to their currencies or to securities of issuers in those countries. To the extent that such restrictions have the effect of making certain investments illiquid, securities may not be available for sale to meet redemptions. Depending on a variety of financial factors, the percentage of a Fund’s portfolio subject to currency controls may increase. In the event other countries impose similar controls, the portion of the Fund’s assets that may be used to meet redemptions may be further decreased. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operations of a Fund (for example, if funds may be withdrawn only in certain currencies and/or only at an exchange rate established by the government).
In certain countries, banks or other financial institutions may be among the leading companies or have actively traded securities available for investment. The Investment Company Act restricts a Fund’s investments in any equity securities of an issuer that, in its most recent fiscal year, derived more than 15% of its revenues from “securities related activities,” as defined by the rules thereunder. These provisions may restrict a Fund’s investments in certain foreign banks and other financial institutions.
Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Some of these countries may 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 investments in these countries and the availability to a Fund of additional investments in emerging market countries. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in Japan or most Western European countries. There may be
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little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in certain emerging market countries, and it may be difficult to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers.
The expense ratios of the Funds investing significantly in foreign securities can be expected to be higher than those of Funds investing primarily in domestic securities. The costs attributable to investing abroad are usually higher for several reasons, such as the higher cost of custody of foreign securities, higher commissions paid on comparable transactions on foreign markets and additional costs arising from delays in settlements of transactions involving foreign securities.
Risks of Investments in Russia. A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities issued by companies located in Russia. The Russian securities market suffers from a variety of problems described above in “Investment in Emerging Markets” not encountered in more developed markets. The Russian securities market is relatively new, and a substantial portion of securities transactions in Russia are privately negotiated outside of stock exchanges. The inexperience of the Russian securities market and the limited volume of trading in securities in the market may make obtaining accurate prices on portfolio securities from independent sources more difficult than in more developed markets.
Because of the underdeveloped state of Russia’s securities markets and banking and telecommunication systems, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to additional risks. Prior to 2013, there was no central registration system for equity share registration in Russia and registration was carried out either by the issuers themselves or by registrars located throughout Russia. These registrars may not have been subject to effective state supervision or licensed with any governmental entity. In 2013, Russia established the National Settlement Depository (“NSD”) as a recognized central securities depository, and title to Russian equities held through the NSD is now based on the records of the NSD and not on the records of the local registrars. Although the implementation of the NSD has enhanced the efficiency and transparency of the Russian securities market, loss still can occur. Additionally, issuers and registrars remain prominent in the validation and approval of documentation requirements for corporate action processing in Russia, and, because the documentation requirements and approval criteria vary between registrars and issuers, there remain inconsistent market standards in the Russian market with respect to the completion and submission of corporate action elections. To the extent that a Fund suffers a loss relating to title or corporate actions relating to its portfolio securities, it may be difficult for the Fund to enforce its rights or otherwise remedy the loss. Russian securities laws may not recognize foreign nominee accounts held with a custodian bank, and as a result the custodian may be considered the ultimate owner of securities held on behalf of their clients. A Fund also may experience difficulty in obtaining and/or enforcing judgments in Russia.
In addition, Russia continues to assert its influence in the region through economic and military measures, as it did with Georgia in the summer of 2008 and the Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government or Russian companies, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and may likely have collateral impacts on such sectors globally.
Governments in the United States and many other countries (collectively, the “Sanctioning Bodies”) have imposed economic sanctions, which can consist of prohibiting certain securities trades, certain private transactions in the energy sector, asset freezes and prohibition of all business, against certain Russian individuals, including politicians, and Russian corporate and banking entities. The Sanctioning Bodies, or others, could also institute broader sanctions on Russia, including banning Russia from global payments systems that facilitate cross-border payments. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions have resulted and may continue to result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities and/or funds invested in prohibited assets, impairing the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities and/or assets. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities.
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Risks of Investing in Saudi Arabia. The ability of foreign investors (such as a Fund) to invest in Saudi Arabian issuers is new and untested. Such ability could be restricted or revoked by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could materialize due to foreign ownership in such securities. In addition, the Capital Market Authority (“CMA”) places investment limitations on the ownership of Saudi Arabian issuers by foreign investors, including a limitation on a Fund’s ownership of any single issuer listed on the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange, which may prevent a Fund from investing in accordance with its strategy and contribute to tracking error against the Underlying Index. These restrictions may be changed or new restrictions, such as licensing requirements, special approvals or additional foreign taxes, may be instituted at any time. A Fund may not be able to obtain or maintain any such licenses or approvals and may not be able to buy and sell securities at full value. Major disruptions or regulatory changes could occur in the Saudi Arabian market, any of which could negatively impact a Fund. These risks may be exacerbated, compared to more developed markets, given the limited history of foreign investment in the Saudi Arabian market. Investments in Saudi Arabia may also be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on additional foreign investments and repatriation of capital. Such heightened risks may include, among others, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Saudi Arabia has privatized, or has begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Newly privatized companies may face strong competition from government-sponsored competitors that have not been privatized. In some instances, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or changing regulatory and legal standards or, in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that similar losses will not recur. Further, under income tax laws imposed by the Department of Zakat and Income Tax, dividends paid by a Saudi Arabian company to foreign stockholders are generally subject to a 5% withholding tax (different tax rates may apply pursuant to an applicable treaty). Saudi Arabia is highly reliant on income from the sale of petroleum and trade with other countries involved in the sale of petroleum, and its economy is therefore vulnerable to changes in foreign currency values and the market for petroleum. As global demand for petroleum fluctuates, Saudi Arabia may be significantly impacted.
Like most Middle Eastern governments, the government of Saudi Arabia exercises substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. Although liberalization in the wider economy is underway, in many areas it has lagged significantly: restrictions on foreign ownership persist, and the government has an ownership stake in many key industries. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Saudi Arabia is governed by an absolute monarchy. Saudi Arabia has historically experienced strained relations with economic partners worldwide, including other countries in the Middle East due to geopolitical events. Incidents involving a Middle Eastern country’s or the region’s security, including terrorism, may cause uncertainty in their markets and may adversely affect its economy and a Fund’s investments. Governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in Saudi Arabia, which could affect private sector companies and a Fund, as well as the value of securities in a Fund’s portfolio. Any economic sanctions on Saudi Arabian individuals or Saudi Arabian corporate entities, or even the threat of sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Saudi Arabian securities, a weakening of the Saudi riyal or other adverse consequences to the Saudi Arabian economy. In addition, Saudi Arabia’s economy relies heavily on cheap, foreign labor, and changes in the availability of this labor supply could have an adverse effect on the economy.
The securities markets in Saudi Arabia may not be as developed as those in other countries. As a result, securities markets in Saudi Arabia are subject to greater risks associated with market volatility, lower market capitalization, lower trading volume, illiquidity, inflation, greater price fluctuations, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets, governmental control and heavy regulation of labor and industry. Shares of certain Saudi Arabian companies tend to trade less frequently than those of companies on exchanges in more developed markets. Such infrequent trading may adversely affect the pricing of these securities and a Fund’s ability to sell these securities in the future. Current regulations in Saudi Arabian markets may require a Fund to execute trades of securities through a single broker. As a result, the Manager will have less flexibility to choose among brokers on behalf of a Fund than is typically the case for investment managers.
Although the political situation in Saudi Arabia is largely stable, Saudi Arabia has historically experienced political instability, and there remains the possibility that the stability will not hold in the future or that instability in the larger Middle East region could adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia. Instability may be caused by military developments, government interventions in the marketplace, terrorism, extremist attitudes, attempted social or political reforms, religious differences, or other factors. Additionally, anti-Western views held by certain groups in the Middle East may influence government policies regarding foreign investment. Further developments in U.S. relations
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with Saudi Arabia and other Middle-Eastern countries may affect these attitudes and policies. The U.S. is a significant, and in some cases the most significant, trading partner of, or foreign investor in, Saudi Arabia. As a result, economic conditions of Saudi Arabia may be particularly affected by changes in the U.S. economy. A decrease in U.S. imports or exports, new trade and financial regulations or tariffs, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rate or an economic slowdown in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the economic conditions of Saudi Arabia and, as a result, securities to which the Fund has exposure. Political instability in North Africa and the larger Middle East region has caused significant disruptions to many industries. Continued political and social unrest in these areas may negatively affect the value of securities in a Fund’s portfolio.
Certain issuers located in Saudi Arabia may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers will be indirectly subject to those risks.
Risks of Investing in Venezuela. Investment in Venezuela may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets and economic risk specific to Venezuela. Venezuela is extremely well endowed with natural resources, including oil and natural gas, and its economy is heavily dependent on export of natural resources to key trading partners. Any act of terrorism, an armed conflict or a breakdown of a key trading relationship that disrupts the production or export of natural resources will likely negatively affect the Venezuelan economy. The government continues to control key sectors of the economy, including upstream oil and gas production, and has sought to increase its role in key sectors, such as telecommunications and steel. Meanwhile, ambiguities in the investment environment remain, such as continued high levels of bureaucracy and corruption, large macroeconomic imbalances, and political and policy uncertainty. Friction continues between the governments of the U.S. and Venezuela. The U.S. has imposed economic sanctions, which consist of asset freezes and sectoral sanctions, on certain Venezuelan individuals and Venezuelan corporate entities, and on the Venezuelan government. The U.S. could also institute broader sanctions on Venezuela. The U.S. has also taken military action against Venezuela in an effort to effect regime change. Military action, sanctions, or even the threat of further military action and sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Venezuelan securities, a weakening of the bolivar or other adverse consequences to the Venezuelan economy. These sanctions impair the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities and/or assets. Additional sanctions against Venezuela may in the future be imposed by the U.S. or other countries. These factors, among others, can have a negative impact on a Fund’s investments.
Brady Bonds. Certain Funds may invest in Brady Bonds. A Fund’s emerging market debt securities may include emerging market governmental debt obligations commonly referred to as Brady Bonds. Brady Bonds are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with debt restructurings under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the “Brady Plan”). Brady Plan debt restructurings have been implemented in a number of countries, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam. Beginning in the early 2000s, certain countries began retiring their Brady Bonds, including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the Philippines, and Venezuela.
Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) and are actively traded in the OTC secondary market. Brady Bonds are not considered to be U.S. Government
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"text": "to the Statement of Additional Information (\u201cSAI\u201d) of each of the funds listed"
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"text": "The list in the section entitled \u201cPurchase of Shares - Additional Payments by BlackRock - D. Service"
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