Lazard Retirement Series Prospectus
Equity Lazard Retirement Developing Markets Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio Lazard Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio Lazard Retirement Global Strategic Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Equity Advantage Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Equity Select Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Equity Value Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Small Cap Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement International Strategic Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement Managed Equity Volatility Portfolio Lazard Retirement US Equity Concentrated Portfolio Lazard Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio Lazard Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio | Multi-Asset Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio Lazard Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio Alternatives Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio Service Shares and Investor Shares |
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved the shares described in this Prospectus or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
Lazard Retirement Series Table of Contents
1
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
|
$ |
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US companies of any market capitalization. The Portfolio has a concentrated portfolio of investments, typically investing in 15 to 35 companies with market capitalizations generally greater than $350 million. The Portfolio seeks to outperform broad-based securities market indices, such as the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 1000® Index and the Russell 3000® Index. The philosophy of Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) employed for the Portfolio is based on value creation through its process of bottom-up stock selection, and the Investment Manager implements a
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disciplined portfolio construction process. The Investment Manager’s fundamental research seeks to identify investments typically featuring robust organic cash flow, balance sheet strength and operational flexibility.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of US companies. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities of non-US companies.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund. In addition, implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
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Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity. In addition, investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Emerging market countries can generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as information technology companies, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in that sector. Information technology companies generally operate in intensely competitive markets on a worldwide basis. Also, because technological development in many areas increases at a rapid rate, these companies often produce products with very short life cycles and face the risk of product obsolescence.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Concentration Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to concentrate its investments may be limited by applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for qualification as a regulated investment company.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Christopher H. Blake, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Equity Concentrated team, will serve from inception.
Martin Flood, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Jay Levy, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Equity Concentrated team, will serve from inception.
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Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
5
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares |
$ |
$ |
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
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The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US companies selected using the Investment Manager’s process employed in implementing the Portfolio’s investment strategy, described below. The market capitalization of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions, but typically the Portfolio invests in companies with market capitalizations over $1 billion.
The Investment Manager’s process first identifies companies within the investable universe, which are companies that the Investment Manager believes are capable of (1) generating and maintaining high financial productivity (i.e., the return a company generates) for periods in excess of market expectations, or (2) capable of improving financial productivity to a greater extent or more expeditiously than the market expects (i.e., are undervalued) and which exhibit good expectations for future cash flows and profitability. Next, the Investment Manager reduces the investable universe using fundamental analysis and research on the companies identified.
In further narrowing the investable universe to select companies for investment by the Portfolio, the Investment Manager considers both (a) the financial sustainability of the company as a business—a company whose financial productivity is likely to be supported or enhanced in the future as a result of the move toward a more sustainable world (such as by considering the nature of the products and/or services that the company provides, from the perspective of environmental and social factors that impact financial productivity)—and (b) how the company counters potential risks arising as a result of environmental and social concerns that may be material to the particular companies or the industries or sectors in which they operate (collectively, “Sustainable Companies”). The Investment Manager uses its proprietary sustainability analysis methodology to assess each company considered for investment, to the extent relevant to the company or its industry or sector, against the specific sustainability factors listed below (and other factors that may be considered relevant to the company or its industry), divided into the three categories of Human Capital, Natural Capital and Corporate Governance.
Human Capital: the extent to which the company
· follows best practices in managing its workforce in a responsible manner, such as health and safety considerations and diversity and inclusion policies;
· acts responsibly in terms of the impact its business operations, products and services have on the broader community;
· aims to ensure its suppliers act responsibly; and
· endeavors to treat its customers fairly and responsibly, for example by having appropriate product safety and data privacy and security standards.
Natural Capital: the extent to which the company, and its supply chains,
· are reliant on using resources which generate significant environmental impact; and
· actively seek to reduce the impact they have on the environment.
Corporate Governance: the extent to which the company’s board composition and policies, executive management composition and compensation, and the exercise of shareholder rights and voting powers are in line with current best practices.
Companies considered by the Investment Manager to be significantly involved in the manufacture of products or the provision of services that are broadly recognized as unsustainable by society (e.g., the production of tobacco, the generation, extraction and/or refining of certain fossil fuels or the production of unconventional weapons) generally will not fall within the investable universe for the Portfolio. However, it is possible that the Investment Manager may determine, after a combined consideration of its assessment of such a company’s financial productivity potential as described above and the results of the Investment Manager’s sustainability analysis
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methodology, that such a company is an appropriate investment for the Portfolio. The Portfolio may, however, invest in companies that provide equipment and services to the energy and mining sectors.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of US Sustainable Companies. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities of non-US companies, including those in emerging markets.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
8
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Sustainable Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s performance is dependent upon, among other things, the success of its investment strategy as implemented by the Investment Manager (i.e., the performance of the investments purchased pursuant to the investment strategy). The Portfolio’s investment strategy focuses on investing in companies that satisfy the criteria for being considered a Sustainable Company (as described above), which may cause the Investment Manager to forgo investments for the Portfolio that the Investment Manager otherwise believes may be attractive but that are not considered to be Sustainable Companies.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Andrew D. Lacey, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams, will serve from inception.
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H. Ross Seiden, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Martin Flood, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Jessica Kittay, a member of various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Ronald Temple, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
10
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares |
| Investor Shares | |
Management Fees |
|
| ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
|
| ||
Other Expenses |
|
| ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
|
| ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 |
|
| ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
|
|
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
| 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
$ |
$ | |||
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ | |||
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher
transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in
the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s
portfolio turnover rate was
11
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of small to mid cap US companies. The Investment Manager considers “small-mid cap companies” to be those companies that, at the time of initial purchase by the Portfolio, have market capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell 2500® Index (ranging from approximately $11.2 million to $38.0 billion as of March 31, 2022).
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small-mid cap US companies. The Investment Manager focuses on relative value in seeking to construct a diversified portfolio of investments for the Portfolio that maintains sector and industry balance, using investment opportunities identified through bottom-up fundamental research conducted by the Investment Manager’s small cap, mid cap and global research analysts.
The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in the securities of larger or smaller US or non-US companies.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
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Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity. In addition, investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Emerging market countries can generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Calendar Years ended December 31
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The Russell 2000/2500 Linked Index shown in the table is an unmanaged index created by the Investment Manager, which links the performance of the Russell 2000® Index for all periods through May 31, 2009 (when the Portfolio’s investment focus was changed from small cap companies to small-mid cap companies) and the Russell 2500 Index for all periods thereafter.
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Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Daniel Breslin, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Small-Mid Cap Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since May 2007.
Janice Davies, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Small-Mid Cap Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since April 2021.
Michael DeBernardis, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Small-Mid Cap Equity and Global Small Cap Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since October 2010.
Martin Flood, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since December 2014.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
14
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
Service Shares |
$ |
$ |
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of small capitalization US companies. The Investment Manager considers “small cap companies” to be those companies that, at the time of initial purchase by the Portfolio, have market capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell 2000 Index (ranging from approximately $11.2 million to $14.1 billion as of March 31, 2022). The Portfolio typically invests in 300 to 500 companies.
15
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small cap US companies. Equity securities also may include depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in other securities which need not be equity securities of small cap US companies, including investments in larger US companies and in non-US companies, including securities of emerging markets companies traded on a US exchange.
The Investment Manager will manage the Portfolio using its proprietary investment strategy that creates and applies what the Investment Manager refers to as “Insights” and employs its “Insight-driven” process to identify investments with fundamental traits the Investment Manager believes are undervalued by the market. The Investment Manager’s strategy combines fundamental and quantitative techniques into a fully systematic process—that is, the Investment Manager converts subjective criteria used to evaluate potential investments into quantitative formulas based on, among other things, market observations and testing of resulting hypotheses. The Investment Manager considers an “Insight” to be a fundamental opportunity that the Investment Manager believes can be quantified, validated and implemented systematically by the Investment Manager:
· a fundamental opportunity is a recurring market inefficiency where the Investment Manager believes that investors are not fully incorporating the impact of a company’s changing operating fundamentals and/or attractive valuations;
· the Investment Manager converts its market observation into quantified conditions utilizing proprietary process knowledge and techniques;
· a potential Insight is validated through extensive proprietary testing that includes historical data, minimum targeted return objectives and persistence hurdles;
· through each Insight, a number of securities are identified; and
· the securities selection process is implemented systematically into automated daily operations.
The Investment Manager selects investments for the Portfolio by applying its securities selection process to an investable universe of all publicly-traded equity securities, with a focus on small cap companies. However, Insights, which may change over time, may be related to the broad market or specific to a particular sector or industry. In addition, the selection process described above is not sequential, and certain criteria may be given more importance than others. Target position sizes are determined at the time of investment based on one or more Insights and subsequently monitored on an ongoing basis. To improve tax efficiency, the Portfolio may limit investments that have undesirable tax characteristics and may employ other tax-management techniques, such as adjusting the timing of trades, by relying in part on fundamental research and analytical judgements of the Investment Manager.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other
16
businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Small Cap Companies Risk. Small cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Quantitative Model Risk. The success of the Portfolio’s investment strategy depends largely upon the effectiveness of the Investment Manager’s quantitative model. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity. In addition, investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Emerging market countries can generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Portfolio’s investment strategy may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Portfolio buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high transaction costs.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
17
appropriate
index indicates how the Portfolio’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of
market performance. After the Portfolio commences investment operations, performance information will
be available at
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Oren Shiran, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Systematic Equity team, will serve from inception.
Stefan T. Tang, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Systematic Equity team, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
18
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares |
| Investor Shares | |
Management Fees |
|
| ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
|
| ||
Other Expenses | ||||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
|
| ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 |
|
| ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
|
|
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
| 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |
Service Shares | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ | ||||
Investor Shares | $ | $ | $ |
$ | ||||
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher
transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in
the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s
portfolio turnover rate was
19
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of relatively large non-US companies with market capitalizations in the range of companies included in the MSCI® Europe, Australasia and Far East (“EAFE®”) Index (ranging from approximately $1.2 billion to $367.7 billion as of March 31, 2022) that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values.
In choosing stocks for the Portfolio, the Investment Manager looks for established companies in economically developed countries and may invest up to 15% of the Portfolio’s assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
20
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
21
Calendar Years ended December 31
|
|
- |
| Inception | 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | Life
of |
|
Service Shares |
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Michael G. Fry, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since November 2005.
Michael A. Bennett, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since May 2003.
Kevin J. Matthews, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since May 2013.
Michael Powers, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since May 2003.
Giles Edwards, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International teams, has been with the Portfolio since May 2019.
Paul Selvey-Clinton, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s European Equity, International Equity and International Equity Select teams, has been with the Portfolio since February 2022.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since September 1998.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
22
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
Service Shares |
$ |
$ |
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, of relatively large non-US companies with market capitalizations in the range of companies included in the MSCI All Country World Index ex-US (ranging from approximately $126.8 million to $513.3 billion as of March 31, 2022) that Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values.
23
In choosing stocks for the Portfolio, the Investment Manager looks for established companies in economically developed countries, although the Portfolio may invest in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries in an amount up to the current emerging markets component of the MSCI All Country World Index ex-US plus 15%. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
24
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Michael G. Fry, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Michael A. Bennett, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
James M. Donald, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team and Head of the Emerging Markets Group, will serve from inception.
25
Kevin J. Matthews, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Michael Powers, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Giles Edwards, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International teams, will serve from inception.
Paul Selvey-Clinton, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s European Equity, International Equity and International Equity Select teams, will serve from inception.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
26
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
Service Shares |
$ |
$ |
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US and non-US companies. In managing the Portfolio, Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom up stock selection process. The Portfolio management team selects investments for the Portfolio from a broad investment universe of non-US stocks and depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), warrants and rights. The active, quantitative approach utilized by the Portfolio management team
27
involves initial screening, risk assessment and evaluation of each company relative to its global peers. The Portfolio will typically invest the majority of its assets in securities of non-US developed market companies, using an objective, systematic investment process that blends both risk and stock ranking assessments designed to capture attractive risk-to-return characteristics. In addition to a multidimensional assessment of risk, each company is evaluated daily according to four independent measures: growth, value, sentiment and quality. The Portfolio may invest across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among countries and regions will vary from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country.
The Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies, as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign
28
currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Quantitative Model Risk. The success of the Portfolio’s investment strategy depends largely upon the effectiveness of the Investment Manager’s quantitative model. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
REIT Risk. REITs are subject to similar risks as an investment in a realty-related company. Consequently, investments in REITs could lead to investment results that may be significantly different from investments in the broader securities markets. The risks related to investments in realty-related companies include, but are not limited to: adverse changes in general economic and local market conditions; adverse developments in employment; changes in supply or demand for similar or competing properties; unfavorable changes in applicable taxes, governmental regulations and interest rates; operating or development expenses; and lack of available financing. Due to certain special considerations that apply to REITs, investments in REITs may carry additional risks not necessarily present in investments in other securities. REIT securities (including those trading on national exchanges) typically have trading volumes that are less than those of securities of other types of companies, which may affect the Portfolio’s ability to trade or liquidate those securities. An investment in a REIT may be adversely affected if the REIT fails to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including failing to quality as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Failure to qualify with any of these requirements could jeopardize a company’s status as a REIT. The Portfolio generally will have no control over the operations and policies of a REIT, including qualification as a REIT.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their net asset values, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of the ETFs’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) limits the
29
amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in one or more ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Other Equity Securities Risk. Investments in rights and warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale, price fluctuations and the failure of the price of the underlying security to reach a level at which the right or warrant can be prudently exercised, in which case the right or warrant may expire without being exercised and result in a loss of the Portfolio’s entire investment.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Portfolio’s investment strategy may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Portfolio buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high transaction costs.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Paul Moghtader, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Taras Ivanenko, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Ciprian Marin, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Craig Scholl, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Susanne Willumsen, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Alex Lai, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
30
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
31
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
32
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of non-US companies, including those whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries.
The Investment Manager seeks to realize the Portfolio’s investment objective primarily by investing in companies that the Investment Manager considers to be quality growth businesses. By “quality” the Investment Manager means businesses that it believes can generate, and sustain, high levels of financial productivity (i.e., return on equity, return on capital and cash flow return on investment). The Investment Manager considers, among other factors deemed appropriate and relevant to a particular company, whether the company has a competitive advantage in its industry and if the Investment Manager believes the company can sustain its competitive advantage. The Investment Manager also looks for “growth” businesses that it believes can grow profits and cash flows by investing back into their business at similarly high rates of financial productivity.
The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum, but generally focuses on companies with a market capitalization of $3 billion or more.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
33
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Growth Investing Risk. Growth investments are believed by the Investment Manager to have the potential for growth, but may not realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential. Such securities may be more volatile than other securities because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
34
available
at
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Louis Florentin-Lee, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity Select team, will serve from inception.
Barnaby Wilson, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity team, will serve from inception.
Mark Little, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Robin O. Jones, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Robert Failla, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International Quality Growth team, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
35
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
36
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of non-US companies. The Portfolio has a concentrated portfolio of investments, typically investing in 20 to 30 securities of non-US companies, including those whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries.
The Investment Manager seeks to realize the Portfolio’s investment objective primarily by investing in companies that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued and whose valuations will benefit from potential company-specific catalysts identified by the Investment Manager. For example, the Investment Manager may seek to invest in companies engaging in activities that the Investment Manager believes will improve the companies’ fundamentals, resolve circumstances that may be negatively affecting valuation and/or improve market and investor perceptions of the companies. The Investment Manager divides these catalysts into three main categories: self-help, positive changes in capital allocation and business simplifications.
· Self-Help – Many companies undertake self-directed initiatives intended to drive improvement in fundamentals regardless of macroeconomic conditions. These initiatives may range from large-scale corporate restructurings to smaller-scale cost-cutting programs. In many cases, new corporate management teams, changes to the board of directors and/or shifts in a company’s ownership structure are the impetus for self-help plans.
· Positive Changes in Capital Allocation – The Investment Manager believes companies seeking to address inefficient balance sheets often offer opportunities to add value to shareholders. The Portfolio seeks to invest in companies undertaking special capital returns, deleveraging programs and/or value-enhancing reinvestment or mergers and acquisitions. In-depth analysis of balance sheet and cash flow potential, as well as interviews with corporate management teams, helps the Investment Manager identify potential positive capital allocation change opportunities before they are reflected in equity prices.
· Business Simplifications – The simplification of organizational and ownership structures often enables corporate management to increase returns through more effective resource allocation and less operational distraction. Furthermore, monetization of hidden value within a company may occur as a result of asset sales, spin-offs or wind-downs.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum. At times, the Portfolio may engage in active and frequent trading, which will increase portfolio turnover.
The Investment Manager may seek to hedge some or all foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, but the Investment Manager may determine not to hedge some or all of the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure from time-to-time or at any time.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio.
37
Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Forward Currency Contracts and Currency Hedging Risk. Forward currency contracts, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since forward currency contracts, like most derivative instruments, have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Forward currency contracts are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all of a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Forward currency contracts also may be illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the value of such contracts. Forward currency contracts are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related currencies. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. Forward currency contracts incur costs, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of forward currency contracts, whether for hedging or for other
38
investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to accurately predict movements in currency exchange rates and, for hedging transactions, there may be imperfect correlations between movements in exchange rates that could cause the Portfolio to incur significant losses. Use of forward currency contracts, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as companies in the financials sector, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in that sector. Companies in the financials sector can be significantly affected by, among other things: government regulation; changes in interest rates and/or monetary policy and general economic conditions; the availability and cost of capital; capital requirements; decreased liquidity in credit markets; and the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Concentration Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to concentrate its investments may be limited by applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for qualification as a regulated investment company.
39
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Erik Van Der Sande, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International Equity Value team, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
40
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in countries represented by the MSCI EAFE Index that Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Portfolio also may invest up to 15% of its assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries, although the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time.
41
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities.
The countries represented by the MSCI EAFE Index currently include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
42
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Mark Little, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
43
Robin O. Jones, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Michael A. Bennett, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Jimmie Bork, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity Income, International Strategic Equity and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
44
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of relatively small non-US companies that Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Investment Manager considers “small non-US companies” to be those non-US companies with market capitalizations, at the time of initial purchase by the Portfolio, below $5 billion and above $300 million or in the range of companies included in the MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index (based on
45
market capitalization of the Index as a whole, which ranged from approximately $58.8 million to $9.3 billion as of March 31, 2022).
In choosing stocks for the Portfolio, the Investment Manager looks for smaller, well-managed non-US companies that the Investment Manager believes have the potential for growth. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small cap companies.
The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries, although the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries
46
with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Edward Rosenfeld, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global, International and European Small Cap Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Alex Ingham, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets, International and Global Small Cap Equity teams, will serve from inception.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
47
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
|
| |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
48
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US and non-US companies. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom up stock selection process. A principal component of the Investment Manager’s investment process for the Portfolio is volatility management. Volatility, a risk measurement, measures the magnitude of fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index over time. The Investment Manager seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted equity returns (returns after accounting for the risk taken to achieve those returns) while lowering portfolio volatility (up and down movements in the fund’s returns). The Investment Manager’s investment process is benchmark-unaware, which means that the Portfolio’s assets are not managed by reference to a benchmark index. The Investment Manager examines fundamental company information (such as financial statements) and seeks to identify high quality companies with sustainable operating performance in order to build a well-diversified global portfolio of common stocks. The Investment Manager performs an independent assessment of stock risk and also seeks to manage risk through diversification.
The Portfolio management team selects investments for the Portfolio from a broad investment universe of stocks and depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), warrants and rights. The active, quantitative approach utilized by the Portfolio management team involves initial screening, risk assessment and evaluation of each company relative to its global peers. The Portfolio will typically focus on securities of developed market companies, using an objective, systematic investment process that blends both risk and stock ranking assessments designed to capture attractive risk-to-return characteristics and create a low volatility portfolio. In addition to a multidimensional assessment of risk, each company is evaluated daily according to four independent measures: growth, value, sentiment and quality. The Portfolio may invest across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities.
The Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
49
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies, as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Quantitative Model Risk. The success of the Portfolio’s investment strategy depends largely upon the effectiveness of the Investment Manager’s quantitative model. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Volatility Management Risk. While the Investment Manager generally will seek to achieve, over a full market cycle, the level of volatility in the Portfolio’s performance as described above, there can be no guarantee that this will be achieved; actual or realized volatility for any particular period may be materially higher or lower depending on market conditions. In addition, the Investment Manager’s efforts to manage the Portfolio’s volatility can be expected, in a period of generally positive equity market returns, to reduce the Portfolio’s performance below what could be achieved without seeking to manage volatility and, thus, the Portfolio would generally be expected to underperform market indices that do not seek to achieve a specified level of volatility.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
50
REIT Risk. REITs are subject to similar risks as an investment in a realty-related company. Consequently, investments in REITs could lead to investment results that may be significantly different from investments in the broader securities markets. The risks related to investments in realty-related companies include, but are not limited to: adverse changes in general economic and local market conditions; adverse developments in employment; changes in supply or demand for similar or competing properties; unfavorable changes in applicable taxes, governmental regulations and interest rates; operating or development expenses; and lack of available financing. Due to certain special considerations that apply to REITs, investments in REITs may carry additional risks not necessarily present in investments in other securities. REIT securities (including those trading on national exchanges) typically have trading volumes that are less than those of securities of other types of companies, which may affect the Portfolio’s ability to trade or liquidate those securities. An investment in a REIT may be adversely affected if the REIT fails to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including failing to quality as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Failure to qualify with any of these requirements could jeopardize a company’s status as a REIT. The Portfolio generally will have no control over the operations and policies of a REIT, including qualification as a REIT.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their net asset values, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of the ETFs’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) limits the amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in one or more ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Other Equity Securities Risk. Investments in rights and warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale, price fluctuations and the failure of the price of the underlying security to reach a level at which the right or warrant can be prudently exercised, in which case the right or warrant may expire without being exercised and result in a loss of the Portfolio’s entire investment.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Portfolio’s investment strategy may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Portfolio buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high transaction costs.
51
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Paul Moghtader, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Taras Ivanenko, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Ciprian Marin, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Craig Scholl, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Susanne Willumsen, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Alex Lai, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
52
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of companies that Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Investment Manager seeks to realize the Portfolio’s investment objective primarily through stock selection, investing in companies believed to have sustainably high or improving returns and trading at attractive valuations. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in
53
emerging market countries, and the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. In addition, under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%—unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in non-US companies. The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolio’s assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries). The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may
54
be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as information technology companies, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in that sector. Information technology companies generally operate in intensely competitive markets on a worldwide basis. Also, because technological development in many areas increases at a rapid rate, these companies often produce products with very short life cycles and face the risk of product obsolescence.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
55
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Robin O. Jones, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Mark Little, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Jimmie Bork, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity Income, International Strategic Equity and Global Strategic Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
56
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks total return consisting of appreciation and income.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses2 |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US and non-US companies, including those in emerging markets. The Portfolio normally invests in equity securities listed on a national or other recognized securities exchange of companies that Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment
57
Manager”) considers to have an “economic franchise,” meaning companies that have historically shown an ability to generate unleveraged returns, at or above their cost of capital, for long periods of time. The Investment Manager considers that strong business franchises are often able to accomplish this performance and status because of competitive advantages such as an established or recognized brand, proprietary intellectual property or other intangible assets or industry economics such as relatively high customer switching costs. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The Portfolio may invest in the equity securities of any size company.
The Investment Manager may seek to hedge some or all foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, but the Investment Manager may determine not to hedge some or all of the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure from time-to-time or at any time.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Franchise Companies Risk. Changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, government regulation and economic conditions may adversely affect franchise companies individually or across an industry and may negatively impact the Portfolio to a greater extent than if the Portfolio’s assets were invested more broadly in a number of types of companies.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information,
58
differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity. In addition, investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Forward Currency Contracts and Currency Hedging Risk. Forward currency contracts, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since forward currency contracts, like most derivative instruments, have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Forward currency contracts are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all of a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Forward currency contracts also may be illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the value of such contracts. Forward currency contracts are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related currencies. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. Forward currency contracts incur costs, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of forward currency contracts, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to accurately predict movements in currency exchange rates and, for hedging transactions, there may be imperfect correlations between movements in exchange rates that could cause the Portfolio to incur significant losses. Use of forward currency contracts, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions.
Growth Investing Risk. Growth investments are believed by the Investment Manager to have the potential for growth, but may not realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential. Such securities may be more volatile than other securities because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
59
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as companies in the health care sector, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in that sector. Companies in the health care sector can be significantly affected by the adverse impact of legislative actions and government regulations. These actions and regulations can affect the approval process for patents, medical devices and drugs, the funding of research and medical care programs, and the operation and licensing of facilities and personnel.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Bertrand Cliquet, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
Matthew Landy, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
John Mulquiney, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
Warryn Robertson, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
60
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
61
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
|
| Service Shares |
| Investor Shares |
Management Fees |
|
| ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
|
| ||
Other Expenses |
|
| ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
|
|
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
| 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
$ |
$ | |||
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ | |||
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher
transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in
the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s
portfolio turnover rate was
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries and that Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values.
Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia,
62
Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts. In addition, implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
63
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as companies in the financials sector, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in that sector. Companies in the financials sector can be significantly affected by, among other things: government regulation; changes in interest rates and/or monetary policy and general economic conditions; the availability and cost of capital; capital requirements; decreased liquidity in credit markets; and the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
64
is
available at
Calendar Years ended December 31
|
|
- |
| Inception | 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | Life
of |
|
Service Shares |
| |||||
Investor Shares | ||||||
-2.54% | ||||||
(Service) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| (Investor) |
|
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
James M. Donald, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team and Head of the Emerging Markets Group, has been with the Portfolio since November 2001.
Rohit Chopra, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since May 2007.
Monika Shrestha, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since December 2014.
Ganesh Ramachandran, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Income and Emerging Markets Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since July 2020.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since November 1997.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
65
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service | Investor | |
| Shares | Shares |
Management Fees1 | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement3 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
3
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
66
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of emerging markets companies. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom up stock selection process. The Portfolio management team selects investments for the Portfolio from a broad investment universe of emerging market stocks and depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), warrants and rights. The active, quantitative approach utilized by the Portfolio management team involves initial screening, risk assessment and evaluation of each company relative to its global peers. The Investment Manager uses an objective, systematic investment process that blends both risk and stock ranking assessments designed to capture attractive risk-to-return characteristics. In addition to a multidimensional assessment of risk, each company is evaluated daily according to four independent measures: growth, value, sentiment and quality. The Portfolio may invest across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among countries and regions will vary from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country.
The Portfolio considers a company to be “economically tied to emerging markets countries” if: (i) the company is organized under the laws of or domiciled in an emerging markets country or maintains its principal place of business in an emerging markets country; (ii) the securities of such company are traded principally in emerging markets countries; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company, the company derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in emerging markets countries or that has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets countries. The Portfolio considers emerging markets countries to be all countries: (i) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index; or (ii) not included in the MSCI World Index.
The Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
67
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Quantitative Model Risk. The success of the Portfolio’s investment strategy depends largely upon the effectiveness of the Investment Manager’s quantitative model. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive
68
challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
REIT Risk. REITs are subject to similar risks as an investment in a realty-related company. Consequently, investments in REITs could lead to investment results that may be significantly different from investments in the broader securities markets. The risks related to investments in realty-related companies include, but are not limited to: adverse changes in general economic and local market conditions; adverse developments in employment; changes in supply or demand for similar or competing properties; unfavorable changes in applicable taxes, governmental regulations and interest rates; operating or development expenses; and lack of available financing. Due to certain special considerations that apply to REITs, investments in REITs may carry additional risks not necessarily present in investments in other securities. REIT securities (including those trading on national exchanges) typically have trading volumes that are less than those of securities of other types of companies, which may affect the Portfolio’s ability to trade or liquidate those securities. An investment in a REIT may be adversely affected if the REIT fails to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including failing to quality as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Failure to qualify with any of these requirements could jeopardize a company’s status as a REIT. The Portfolio generally will have no control over the operations and policies of a REIT, including qualification as a REIT.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their net asset values, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of the ETFs’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) limits the amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in one or more ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Other Equity Securities Risk. Investments in rights and warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale, price fluctuations and the failure of the price of the underlying security to reach a level at which the right or warrant can be prudently exercised, in which case the right or warrant may expire without being exercised and result in a loss of the Portfolio’s entire investment.
Country Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country, such as China, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by political, regulatory, market, economic and social developments affecting that country. Specific risks associated with investments in China include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, exchange control regulations (including currency blockage), trading halts, imposition of tariffs, limitations on repatriation and differing legal standards.
The Portfolio may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in China by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). Instead of directly owning the equity securities of a Chinese company, a VIE enters into service and other contracts with the Chinese company. Although the VIE has no equity ownership of the Chinese company, the contractual arrangements permit the VIE to consolidate the Chinese company into its financial statements. VIE investments are subject to the risk that any breach of these contractual arrangements will be subject to Chinese law and jurisdiction, that Chinese law may be interpreted or change in a way that affects the enforceability of the VIE’s arrangements, or that contracts between the Chinese company and the VIE may otherwise not be enforceable under Chinese law. VIE structures also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or other United States regulators. If these risks materialize, the value of
69
investments in VIEs could be adversely affected and the Portfolios could incur significant losses with no recourse available.
The Portfolio may invest in eligible renminbi-denominated class A shares of equity securities that are listed and traded on certain Chinese stock exchanges (“China A-Shares”) through Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (“Stock Connect”). While Stock Connect is not subject to individual investment quotas, daily and aggregate investment quotas apply to all Stock Connect participants, which may restrict or preclude the Portfolio’s ability to invest in China A-Shares (although the Portfolio would be permitted to sell China A-Shares regardless of the quota balance). Stock Connect is also subject to trading, clearance, settlement and operational risks.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Paul Moghtader, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Taras Ivanenko, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Ciprian Marin, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Craig Scholl, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Susanne Willumsen, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Alex Lai, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
70
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
71
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries (also known as “developing markets”).
Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The Investment Manager employs a relative growth investment philosophy that is based on value creation through the process of bottom-up stock selection. The Investment Manager’s approach consists of an analytical framework, accounting validation, fundamental analysis and portfolio construction parameters. The Investment Manager’s selection process focuses on growth and considers the sustainability of growth and the trade off between valuation and growth. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector and/or a particular country.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks,
72
such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Growth Investing Risk. Growth investments are believed by the Investment Manager to have the potential for growth, but may not realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential. Such securities may be more volatile than other securities because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as companies in the financials sector and information technology companies, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in those sectors. Companies in the financials sector can be significantly affected by, among other things: government regulation; changes in interest rates and/or monetary policy and general economic conditions; the availability and cost of capital; capital requirements; decreased liquidity in credit markets; and the
73
rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt. Information technology companies generally operate in intensely competitive markets on a worldwide basis. Also, because technological development in many areas increases at a rapid rate, these companies often produce products with very short life cycles and face the risk of product obsolescence.
Country Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country, such as China, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by political, regulatory, market, economic and social developments affecting that country. Specific risks associated with investments in China include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, exchange control regulations (including currency blockage), trading halts, imposition of tariffs, limitations on repatriation and differing legal standards.
The Portfolio may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in China by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). Instead of directly owning the equity securities of a Chinese company, a VIE enters into service and other contracts with the Chinese company. Although the VIE has no equity ownership of the Chinese company, the contractual arrangements permit the VIE to consolidate the Chinese company into its financial statements. VIE investments are subject to the risk that any breach of these contractual arrangements will be subject to Chinese law and jurisdiction, that Chinese law may be interpreted or change in a way that affects the enforceability of the VIE’s arrangements, or that contracts between the Chinese company and the VIE may otherwise not be enforceable under Chinese law. VIE structures also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or other United States regulators. If these risks materialize, the value of investments in VIEs could be adversely affected and the Portfolios could incur significant losses with no recourse available.
The Portfolio may invest in eligible renminbi-denominated class A shares of equity securities that are listed and traded on certain Chinese stock exchanges (“China A-Shares”) through Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (“Stock Connect”). While Stock Connect is not subject to individual investment quotas, daily and aggregate investment quotas apply to all Stock Connect participants, which may restrict or preclude the Portfolio’s ability to invest in China A-Shares (although the Portfolio would be permitted to sell China A-Shares regardless of the quota balance). Stock Connect is also subject to trading, clearance, settlement and operational risks.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
74
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Kevin O’Hare, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Developing Markets Equity team, will serve from inception.
Peter Gillespie, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Developing Markets Equity team, will serve from inception.
James M. Donald, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team and Head of the Emerging Markets Group, will serve from inception.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
75
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares | Investor Shares |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
76
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries and that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies of any size, and the market capitalizations of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions. The Investment Manager seeks to opportunistically invest in companies with strong and/or improving financial productivity at attractive valuations. The Investment Manager focuses on a company’s ability to sustain “value creation” against current and future valuations. Criteria includes return on invested capital and return on equity as well as valuation relative to history, peer group, country, sector and economic potential. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts.
Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
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Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Country Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country, such as China, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by political, regulatory, market, economic and social developments affecting that country. Specific risks associated with investments in China include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, exchange control regulations (including currency blockage), trading halts, imposition of tariffs, limitations on repatriation and differing legal standards.
78
The Portfolio may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in China by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). Instead of directly owning the equity securities of a Chinese company, a VIE enters into service and other contracts with the Chinese company. Although the VIE has no equity ownership of the Chinese company, the contractual arrangements permit the VIE to consolidate the Chinese company into its financial statements. VIE investments are subject to the risk that any breach of these contractual arrangements will be subject to Chinese law and jurisdiction, that Chinese law may be interpreted or change in a way that affects the enforceability of the VIE’s arrangements, or that contracts between the Chinese company and the VIE may otherwise not be enforceable under Chinese law. VIE structures also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or other United States regulators. If these risks materialize, the value of investments in VIEs could be adversely affected and the Portfolios could incur significant losses with no recourse available.
The Portfolio may invest in eligible renminbi-denominated class A shares of equity securities that are listed and traded on certain Chinese stock exchanges (“China A-Shares”) through Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (“Stock Connect”). While Stock Connect is not subject to individual investment quotas, daily and aggregate investment quotas apply to all Stock Connect participants, which may restrict or preclude the Portfolio’s ability to invest in China A-Shares (although the Portfolio would be permitted to sell China A-Shares regardless of the quota balance). Stock Connect is also subject to trading, clearance, settlement and operational risks.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Rohit Chopra, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team, will serve from inception.
Ganesh Ramachandran, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Income and Emerging Markets Equity teams, will serve from inception.
John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, will serve from inception.
79
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
80
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks total return.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses2 |
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of infrastructure companies and concentrates its investments in industries represented by infrastructure companies. Lazard Asset Management
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LLC (the “Investment Manager”) focuses on companies with a minimum market capitalization of $250 million that own physical infrastructure and which the Investment Manager believes are undervalued.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of infrastructure companies, which consist of utilities, pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads, ports, telecommunications and other infrastructure companies, with securities listed on a national or other recognized securities exchange.
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%—unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in infrastructure companies organized or located outside the US or doing a substantial amount of business outside the US. The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolio’s assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries). The Portfolio may invest in equity securities of companies with some business activities located in emerging market countries.
The Investment Manager generally seeks to substantially hedge foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, although the Portfolio’s total foreign currency exposure may not be fully hedged at all times.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Infrastructure Companies Risk. Securities and instruments of infrastructure companies, which consist of utilities, pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads, ports, telecommunications and other infrastructure companies, are more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting their industries. Infrastructure companies may be subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high
82
interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high leverage, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of economic slowdown, surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Infrastructure companies also may be affected by or subject to, among other factors, regulation by various government authorities, including rate regulation, and service interruption due to environmental, operational or other mishaps.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Forward Currency Contracts and Currency Hedging Risk. Forward currency contracts, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since forward currency contracts, like most derivative instruments, have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Forward currency contracts are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all of a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Forward currency contracts also may be illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the value of such contracts. Forward currency contracts are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related currencies. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. Forward currency contracts incur costs, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of forward currency contracts, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to accurately predict movements in currency exchange rates and, for hedging transactions, there may be imperfect correlations between movements in exchange rates that could cause the Portfolio to incur significant losses. Use of forward currency contracts, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
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Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Bertrand Cliquet, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
Matthew Landy, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
John Mulquiney, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
Warryn Robertson, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
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Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks total return consisting of appreciation and income.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc., but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees1 | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses (including expenses of the Portfolio’s subsidiary)2 | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement3 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4 |
1
2
3
4
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $
| $
|
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
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The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in real assets investments, including instruments providing exposure to such investments (such as derivative instruments).
“Real assets” are considered by the Portfolio to be:
(i) assets that have physical properties, such as:
· natural resources, such as energy and materials (e.g., metals and mining, paper and forestry and chemicals)
· real estate, such as real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and real estate operating companies (“Real Estate Investments”)
· equipment and industrials, such as tools, hardware, machinery and other industrial components
· infrastructure, such as utilities, transport, communications, pipelines, seaports, airports and toll roads
· commodities, such as physical commodities with tangible properties such as gas, oil, metals, livestock or agricultural products; and
(ii) companies that typically derive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from, or have at least 50% of their assets committed to, real assets.
Allocation of the Portfolio’s assets by the Investment Manager among these real assets categories will vary, and over time exposures to new categories may be added or exposures to existing categories may be eliminated.
The Portfolio may invest in equity securities of US and non-US companies, including emerging markets companies, as well as commodity-linked and other derivative instruments. In addition, the Portfolio may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity or credit quality, typically government securities, in connection with the Portfolio’s derivatives exposures (i.e., as a type of margin or collateral). The Portfolio also may invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy. The Portfolio may invest in companies of any market capitalization.
The Portfolio may gain exposure to the commodity markets by investing up to 25% of the Portfolio’s total assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary formed under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”), which invests mainly in commodity-linked derivative instruments (including, but not limited to, futures contracts, options and total return swaps) and fixed income securities, typically government securities, in connection with the Subsidiary’s derivatives exposures (i.e., as a type of margin or collateral).
The Investment Manager’s process for selecting investments for the Portfolio may include a variety of approaches, such a fundamental, bottom-up analysis, qualitative evaluations and quantitative models or a combination of these or other approaches. The process used will usually vary for different types of real assets categories, or category subsets.
In addition, the Portfolio may, but is not required to (1) enter into futures contracts; forward currency contracts; equity, total return, interest rate, credit default and currency swap agreements; (2) write put and call options on
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securities (including shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies; and (3) invest in structured notes, in each case for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns, including as a substitute for a direct investment in securities.
Allocation Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends in part on the Investment Manager’s skill in determining the Portfolio’s allocation among real assets categories. The Investment Manager’s evaluations and assumptions underlying its allocation decisions may differ from actual market conditions.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Natural Resources Risk. Investments related to natural resources may be affected by numerous factors, including events occurring in nature, inflationary pressures and domestic and international politics. For example, events occurring in nature (such as earthquakes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as coups or military confrontations) can affect the overall supply of a natural resource and the value of companies involved in such natural resource. Political risks and other risks to which non-US companies are subject also may affect US companies if they have significant operations or investments in non-US countries. In addition, interest rates, prices of raw materials and other commodities, international economic developments, energy conservation, tax and other government regulations (both US and non-US) may affect the supply of and demand for natural resources, which can affect the profitability and value of securities issued by companies in the natural resources category. Securities of companies within specific natural resources sub-categories can perform differently than the overall market. This may be due to changes in such things as the regulatory or competitive environment or to changes in investor perceptions.
Real Estate Investments Risk. The Portfolio’s investments in Real Estate Investments, including REITs, could lose money due to the performance of real estate-related securities even if securities markets generally are experiencing positive results. The performance of Real Estate Investments may be determined to a great extent by the current status of the real estate industry in general, or by other factors that may affect the real estate industry, even if other industries would not be so affected. Consequently, Real Estate Investments could lead to investment
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results that may be significantly different from investments in other real assets categories or investments in the broader securities markets. The risks related to investments in Real Estate Investments include, but are not limited to: adverse changes in general economic and local market conditions; adverse developments in employment; changes in supply or demand for similar or competing properties; unfavorable changes in applicable taxes, governmental regulations and interest rates; operating or development expenses; and lack of available financing.
Due to certain special considerations that apply to REITs, investments in REITs may carry additional risks not necessarily present in investments in other securities. REIT securities (including those trading on national exchanges) typically have trading volumes that are less than those of securities of other types of companies, which may affect the Portfolio’s ability to trade or liquidate those securities. An investment in a REIT may be adversely affected if the REIT fails to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including failing to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Failure to qualify with any of these requirements could jeopardize a company’s status as a REIT. The Portfolio generally will have no control over the operations and policies of a REIT, including qualification as a REIT.
Infrastructure Companies Risk. Securities and instruments of infrastructure companies, which consist of utilities, pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads, ports, telecommunications and other infrastructure companies, are more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting their industries. Infrastructure companies may be subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high leverage, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of economic slowdown, surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Infrastructure companies also may be affected by or subject to, among other factors, regulation by various government authorities, including rate regulation, and service interruption due to environmental, operational or other mishaps.
Commodities-Related Investments Risk. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than other types of investments. The values of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments are affected by events that may have less impact on the values of equity and fixed income securities. Investments linked to the prices of commodities are considered speculative. Because the value of a commodity-linked derivative instrument, such as a futures contract on a physical commodity, typically is based upon the price movements of the underlying reference asset, index or rate, the value of these instruments will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying reference asset, index or rate. Prices of commodities and commodity-linked investments may fluctuate significantly over short periods for a variety of factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; agricultural or livestock markets; agricultural or livestock disease or pestilence; trade relationships; fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs; and embargoes, tariffs, terrorism and international economic, political, military and regulatory developments.
Fixed-Income and Debt Securities Risk. The market value of a debt security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The debt securities market can be susceptible to increases in volatility and decreases in liquidity. Liquidity can decline unpredictably in response to overall economic conditions or credit tightening.
Prices of bonds and other debt securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is usually greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. A rise in interest rates (or the expectation of a rise in interest rates) may result in periods of volatility, decreased liquidity and increased redemptions, and, as a result, the Portfolio may have to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices.
The Portfolio’s investments in lower-rated, higher-yielding securities (“junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit risk than its higher rated investments. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal
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payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. Non-investment grade securities tend to be more volatile, less liquid and are considered speculative. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit quality of a debt security (or any guarantor of payment on such security), the security’s value could fall, potentially lowering the Portfolio’s share price. The prices of non-investment grade securities, unlike investment grade debt securities, may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates. The market for these securities may be less liquid and therefore these securities may be harder to value or sell at an acceptable price, especially during times of market volatility or decline.
Some debt securities may give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity, and, during a time of declining interest rates, the Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds of called or redeemed securities in an investment offering a lower yield (and the Portfolio may not fully benefit from any increase in the value of its portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates).
Structured notes are privately negotiated debt instruments where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to a specified asset, market or rate, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. Structured notes can have risks of both debt securities and derivatives transactions.
Government Securities Risk. Not all obligations of the US government, its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the US Treasury. Some obligations are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and in some cases there may be some risk of default by the issuer. Any guarantee by the US government or its agencies or instrumentalities of a security held by the Portfolio does not apply to the market value of such security or to shares of the Portfolio itself. A security backed by the US Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Quantitative Model Risk. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these
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changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Liquidity Risk. The lack of a readily available market may limit the ability of the Portfolio to sell certain securities and other investments at the time and price it would like. The size of certain securities offerings of emerging markets issuers may be relatively smaller in size than offerings in more developed markets and, in some cases, the Portfolio, by itself or together with other Portfolios or other accounts managed by the Investment Manager, may hold a position in a security that is large relative to the typical trading volume for that security; these factors can make it difficult for the Portfolio to dispose of the position at the desired time or price.
Derivatives and Hedging Risk. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since most derivatives have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Swap agreements; forward currency contracts; over-the-counter options on securities (including options on shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies; structured notes; and other over-the-counter derivatives transactions are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all or a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Over-the-counter derivatives frequently may be illiquid and difficult to value. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. These derivatives transactions, as well as the exchange-traded futures and options in which the Portfolio may invest, are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of the related reference asset, index or rate. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. In fact, many derivatives may be subject to greater risks than those associated with investing directly in the underlying or other reference asset. Derivatives transactions incur costs, either explicitly or implicitly, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of derivatives, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant reference asset or market and, for hedging activities, correlation of the derivative instruments used with the investments seeking to be hedged. Use of derivatives transactions, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions. When the Portfolio enters into derivatives transactions, it may be required to segregate liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions or otherwise cover its obligations, in accordance with applicable regulations while the positions are open. New Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with which investment companies must comply beginning in August 2022, relates to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions by registered investment companies, and will rescind and withdraw applicable guidance and relief regarding these asset segregation and coverage practices. Rule 18f-4 will regulate and, in some cases limit, the use of derivatives for certain funds and may require the Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives. The same risks, as applicable, apply to derivatives transactions by the Subsidiary.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their net asset values, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of the ETFs’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) limits the
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amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in one or more ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Subsidiary and Tax Status Risk. The Portfolio invests in the Subsidiary, which is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act. A regulatory change in the US or the Cayman Islands, under which the Portfolio and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, that impacts the Subsidiary or how the Portfolio invests in the Subsidiary, such as a change in tax law, could adversely affect the Portfolio. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Portfolio is exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments, which generally include the risks of investing in commodity-related derivative instruments (described elsewhere in this Prospectus). Income and gains from commodities or certain commodity-linked derivative instruments do not constitute “qualifying income” to the Portfolio for purposes of qualification as a “regulated investment company” for federal income tax purposes. Without such qualification, the Portfolio could be subject to tax. The tax treatment of the Portfolio’s investments in the Subsidiary and commodity-linked derivative instruments could affect whether income derived from such investment is “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Portfolio’s taxable income or any gains and distributions made by the Portfolio.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Jai Jacob, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Terence P. Brennan, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Stephen Marra, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Dan McGoey, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Kim Tilley, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
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Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks current income and long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Dividend Expenses on Securities Sold Short2 | ||
Borrowing Expenses on Securities Sold Short3 | ||
Remainder of Other Expenses | ||
Total Other Expenses | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement5 |
1
2
3
4
5
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective over a full market cycle through a hedged strategy investing primarily in convertible fixed income and preferred securities (including those rated below investment grade (“junk”)). The strategy utilizes a relative value approach, focusing on convertible securities that are considered to have low volatility. It is expected that the Portfolio will invest primarily in small and mid cap companies. The Portfolio also will utilize selective strategy level and position level hedges, primarily through short selling and derivatives, seeking to minimize macro risk (equity and credit) and interest rate risk. The Portfolio may invest in convertible debt and preferred securities of any maturity and any quality. Convertible securities held in the Portfolio generally are expected to have maturities between three and seven years at the time of investment, or between five and seven years if invested at issuance. Preferred securities generally are of perpetual maturities, callable at various points determined by the issuer. The Portfolio management team utilizes bottom up fundamental credit, equity and quantitative analysis in conjunction with top down macroeconomic analysis to identify individual securities believed to offer compelling value versus comparable risk return.
The Portfolio will generally have short positions through selling securities “short” and through investments in derivative instruments, principally swap agreements on individual securities, and may use short positions to seek to increase returns or to reduce risk. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Portfolio does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefor) at a later date and at a lower price and profiting from the price decline. Similarly, when taking short positions with respect to securities through investments in derivative instruments, the Investment Manager is expecting the value of such securities to fall during the period of the Portfolio’s investment exposure.
Although the Portfolio’s investment focus is US companies, the Portfolio also may invest in non-US companies, including depositary receipts and shares. At certain times, based on the currently existing market environment, the Investment Manager may not believe it is able to find sufficient opportunities to invest in convertible fixed income and preferred securities and/or take short positions and may determine to tactically shift the Portfolio to invest substantially in money market instruments, such as short-term US Treasury securities and certificates of deposit.
The Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
In addition, the Portfolio may, but is not required to (1) enter into futures and forward currency contracts and equity, interest rate, credit default and currency swap agreements; and (2) write put and call options on securities (including shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies, in each case for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns.
It is expected that the Portfolio will buy and sell securities, and take short positions in securities, frequently in connection with implementing its investment strategy.
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The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Convertible Securities Risk. The market value of convertible securities may perform like that of non-convertible fixed income securities; that is, their prices move inversely with changes in interest rates (i.e., as interest rates go up, prices go down). In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security also is subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock.
Fixed-Income and Debt Securities Risk. The market value of a debt security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The debt securities market can be susceptible to increases in volatility and decreases in liquidity. Liquidity can decline unpredictably in response to overall economic conditions or credit tightening.
Prices of bonds and other debt securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is usually greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. A rise in interest rates (or the expectation of a rise in interest rates) may result in periods of volatility, decreased liquidity and increased redemptions, and, as a result, the Portfolio may have to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices.
The Portfolio’s investments in lower-rated, higher-yielding securities (“junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit risk than its higher rated investments. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal
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payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. Non-investment grade securities tend to be more volatile, less liquid and are considered speculative. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit quality of a debt security (or any guarantor of payment on such security), the security’s value could fall, potentially lowering the Portfolio’s share price. The prices of non-investment grade securities, unlike investment grade debt securities, may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates. The market for these securities may be less liquid and therefore these securities may be harder to value or sell at an acceptable price, especially during times of market volatility or decline.
Some debt securities may give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity, and, during a time of declining interest rates, the Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds of called or redeemed securities in an investment offering a lower yield (and the Portfolio may not fully benefit from any increase in the value of its portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates).
Adjustable rate securities provide the Portfolio with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, although adjustable rate securities will participate in any declines in interest rates. Certain adjustable rate securities, such as those with interest rates that fluctuate directly or indirectly based on multiples of a stated index, are designed to be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders thereof to extreme reductions of yield and possibly loss of principal. Certain fixed-income securities may be issued at a discount from their face value (such as zero coupon securities) or purchased at a price less than their stated face amount or at a price less than their issue price plus the portion of “original issue discount” previously accrued thereon, i.e., purchased at a “market discount.” The amount of original issue discount and/or market discount on certain obligations may be significant, and accretion of market discount together with original issue discount will cause the Portfolio to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities.
Preferred Securities Risk. There are various risks associated with investing in preferred securities. In addition, unlike common stock, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited.
· Credit risk is the risk that a security held by the Portfolio will decline in price or the issuer of the security will fail to make dividend, interest or principal payments when due because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status.
· Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. When market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall.
· Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer or omit distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer.
· Preferred securities are generally subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in an issuer’s capital structure in terms of having priority to corporate income, claims to corporate assets and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than more senior debt instruments.
· During periods of declining interest rates, an issuer may be able to exercise an option to call, or redeem its issue at par earlier than the scheduled maturity. If this occurs during a time of lower or declining interest rates, the Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities (and the Portfolio may not benefit from any increase in the value of its portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates).
· Certain preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks or US government securities. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Portfolio or at prices approximating the value at which the Portfolio is carrying the securities on its books.
Short Position Risk. Short positions may involve substantial risks. If a short position appreciates in value during the period of the Portfolio’s investment, there will be a loss to the Portfolio that could be substantial. Short positions involve more risk than long positions because the maximum sustainable loss on a security purchased is
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limited to the amount paid for the security plus the transaction costs. However, the Portfolio’s potential loss on a short position is unlimited because, theoretically, there is no limit to the potential price increase of a security. In addition, the Portfolio’s short sales transactions are dependent on counterparties to its securities borrowing transactions and are subject to the risk of default by a counterparty, which could result in a loss of Portfolio assets used as collateral or the loss of monies owed to the Portfolio by a counterparty.
Derivatives and Hedging Risk. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since most derivatives have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Swap agreements; forward currency contracts; over-the-counter options on securities (including options on shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies; and other over-the-counter derivatives transactions are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all or a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Over-the-counter derivatives frequently may be illiquid and difficult to value. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. These derivatives transactions, as well as the exchange-traded futures and options in which the Portfolio may invest, are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of the related reference asset, index or rate. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. In fact, many derivatives may be subject to greater risks than those associated with investing directly in the underlying or other reference asset. Derivatives transactions incur costs, either explicitly or implicitly, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of derivatives, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant reference asset or market and, for hedging activities, correlation of the derivative instruments used with the investments seeking to be hedged. Use of derivatives transactions, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions. When the Portfolio enters into derivatives transactions, it may be required to segregate liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions or otherwise cover its obligations, in accordance with applicable regulations while the positions are open. New Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with which investment companies must comply beginning in August 2022, relates to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions by registered investment companies, and will rescind and withdraw applicable guidance and relief regarding these asset segregation and coverage practices. Rule 18f-4 will regulate and, in some cases limit, the use of derivatives for certain funds and may require the Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Leverage Risk. The use of leverage, which the Portfolio’s strategy entails, may magnify the Portfolio’s gains or losses.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Market Direction Risk. Since the Portfolio will typically hold both long and short positions, an investment in the Portfolio will involve market risks associated with different types of investment decisions than those made for a typical “long only” fund. The Portfolio’s results will suffer both when there is a general market advance and the Portfolio holds significant “short” positions, or when there is a general market decline and the Portfolio holds
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significant “long” positions. In recent years, the markets have shown considerable volatility from day to day and even in intra-day trading.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies, as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their net asset values, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of the ETFs’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the 1940 Act limits the amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in one or more ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Portfolio’s investment strategy may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Portfolio buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high transaction costs.
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Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Sean Reynolds, a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s capital structure and convertibles-based teams, will serve from inception.
Frank Bianco, a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s capital structure and convertibles-based teams, will serve from inception.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
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Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
Service Shares | Investor Shares | |
Management Fees | ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||
Other Expenses1 | ||
Dividend Expenses on Securities Sold Short2 | ||
Borrowing Expenses on Securities Sold Short3 | ||
Remainder of Other Expenses | ||
Total Other Expenses | ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Funds)1 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4 | ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement5 |
1
2
3
4
5
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement in year one only. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
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Investor Shares | $
| $
|
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. Because the Portfolio had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, no portfolio turnover information is presented.
The Portfolio utilizes an asset allocation strategy to invest in a global portfolio of uncorrelated assets that can include exposure, through underlying vehicles, to stocks, bonds, commodities and other investments.
The Portfolio invests primarily in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy, as well as actively managed closed-end management investment companies (“closed-end funds”, and, together with ETFs, “Underlying Funds”). ETFs in which the Portfolio may invest include both ETFs designed to correlate directly with an index and ETFs designed to correlate inversely with an index and may include actively-managed ETFs. The Portfolio, through Underlying Funds in which it invests, may invest in non-US companies (including those in emerging markets), and the Portfolio also may invest directly in equity and debt securities in addition to its investments in Underlying Funds. The Portfolio’s investment portfolio is concentrated in a relatively small number of holdings (generally 10 to 30). Investors can invest directly in Underlying Funds and do not need to invest in Underlying Funds through mutual funds or separately managed accounts.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to (1) enter into equity, total return and currency swap agreements; futures contracts and options on futures contracts (including with respect to index and commodities); and forward currency contracts; and (2) write put and covered call options on securities (including shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies, in each case for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns, including as a substitute for purchasing an Underlying Fund.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, effect short sales of securities. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Portfolio does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefor) at a later date and at a lower price and profiting from the price decline. Similarly, when taking short positions with respect to securities through investments in derivative instruments, the Investment Manager is expecting the value of such securities to fall during the period of the Portfolio’s investment exposure.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global
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events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Underlying Funds Risk. Shares of closed-end funds and ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. Shares of closed-end funds, in particular, frequently trade at persistent discounts to their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in Underlying Funds are subject to the risks of the Underlying Funds’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in Underlying Funds. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the Underlying Funds in which the Portfolio invests. Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including an Underlying Fund, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Short Position Risk. Short positions may involve substantial risks. If a short position appreciates in value during the period of the Portfolio’s investment, there will be a loss to the Portfolio that could be substantial. Short positions involve more risk than long positions because the maximum sustainable loss on a security purchased is limited to the amount paid for the security plus the transaction costs. However, the Portfolio’s potential loss on a short position is unlimited because, theoretically, there is no limit to the potential price increase of a security. In addition, the Portfolio’s short sales transactions are dependent on counterparties to its securities borrowing transactions and are subject to the risk of default by a counterparty, which could result in a loss of Portfolio assets used as collateral or the loss of monies owed to the Portfolio by a counterparty.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments
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denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Fixed-Income and Debt Securities Risk. The market value of a debt security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The debt securities market can be susceptible to increases in volatility and decreases in liquidity. Liquidity can decline unpredictably in response to overall economic conditions or credit tightening.
Prices of bonds and other debt securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is usually greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. A rise in interest rates (or the expectation of a rise in interest rates) may result in periods of volatility, decreased liquidity and increased redemptions, and, as a result, the Portfolio may have to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices.
The Portfolio’s investments in lower-rated, higher-yielding securities (“junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit risk than its higher rated investments. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. Non-investment grade securities tend to be more volatile, less liquid and are considered speculative. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit quality of a debt security (or any guarantor of payment on such security), the security’s value could fall, potentially lowering the Portfolio’s share price. The prices of non-investment grade securities, unlike investment grade debt securities, may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates. The market for these securities may be less liquid and therefore these securities may be harder to value or sell at an acceptable price, especially during times of market volatility or decline.
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Derivatives and Hedging Risk. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since most derivatives have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Swap agreements; forward currency contracts; over-the-counter options on securities (including options on shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies; and other over-the-counter derivatives transactions are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all or a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Over-the-counter derivatives frequently may be illiquid and difficult to value. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. These derivatives transactions, as well as the exchange-traded futures and options in which the Portfolio may invest, are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of the related reference asset, index or rate. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. In fact, many derivatives may be subject to greater risks than those associated with investing directly in the underlying or other reference asset. Derivatives transactions incur costs, either explicitly or implicitly, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of derivatives, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant reference asset or market and, for hedging activities, correlation of the derivative instruments used with the investments seeking to be hedged. Use
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of derivatives transactions, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions. When the Portfolio enters into derivatives transactions, it may be required to segregate liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions or otherwise cover its obligations, in accordance with applicable regulations while the positions are open. New Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with which investment companies must comply beginning in August 2022, relates to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions by registered investment companies, and will rescind and withdraw applicable guidance and relief regarding these asset segregation and coverage practices. Rule 18f-4 will regulate and, in some cases limit, the use of derivatives for certain funds and may require the Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives.
Commodities-Related Investments Risk. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than other types of investments. The values of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments are affected by events that may have less impact on the values of equity and fixed income securities. Investments linked to the prices of commodities are considered speculative. Because the value of a commodity-linked derivative instrument, such as a futures contract on a physical commodity, typically is based upon the price movements of the underlying reference asset, index or rate, the value of these instruments will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying reference asset, index or rate. Prices of commodities and commodity-linked investments may fluctuate significantly over short periods for a variety of factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; agricultural or livestock markets; agricultural or livestock disease or pestilence; trade relationships; fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs; and embargoes, tariffs, terrorism and international economic, political, military and regulatory developments.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Stephen Marra, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Jai Jacob, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Thomas McManus, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
Kim Tilley, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, will serve from inception.
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Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
104
Lazard Retirement Series Summary Section
The Portfolio seeks total return.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio, a series of Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”), but does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies (the “Participating Insurance Companies”) under variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”). If such fees and charges were reflected, the figures in the table would be higher.
| Service Shares |
| Investor Shares | |
Management Fees |
|
| ||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
|
| ||
Other Expenses |
|
| ||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses | ||||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses |
|
| ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement1 |
|
| ||
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 |
|
|
1
2
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the expense limitation agreement described above. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
|
|
| 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
Service Shares | $ | $ |
$ |
$ | |||
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ | |||
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher
transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in
the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s
portfolio turnover rate was
105
The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolio’s assets among various US and non-US equity and fixed-income strategies managed by the Investment Manager in proportions consistent with the Investment Manager’s evaluation of various economic and other factors designed to estimate probabilities, including volatility. The Investment Manager makes allocation decisions among the strategies based on quantitative and qualitative analysis using a number of different tools, including proprietary software models and input from the Investment Manager’s research analysts. At any given time the Portfolio’s assets may not be allocated to all strategies.
A principal component of the Investment Manager’s investment process for the Portfolio is volatility management. The Investment Manager generally will seek to achieve, over a full market cycle, a level of volatility in the Portfolio’s performance of approximately 10%. Volatility, a risk measurement, measures the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index over time.
As a consequence of allocating its assets among various of the Investment Manager’s investment strategies, the Portfolio may:
· invest in US and non-US equity and debt securities (including those of companies with business activities located in emerging market countries and securities issued by governments of such countries), depositary receipts and shares, currencies and related instruments, and structured notes
· invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy
· invest in securities of companies of any size or market capitalization
· invest in debt securities of any maturity or duration
· invest in securities of any particular quality or investment grade and, as a result, the Portfolio may invest significantly in securities rated below investment grade (e.g., lower than Baa by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or lower than BBB by S&P Global Ratings) (“junk bonds”) or securities that are unrated
· enter into swap agreements (including credit default swap agreements) and forward contracts, and may purchase and write put and covered call options, on securities, indexes and currencies, for hedging purposes (although it is not required to do so) or to seek to increase returns
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%—unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in issuers organized or located outside the US or doing a substantial amount of business outside the US, securities denominated in a foreign currency or foreign currency forward contracts.
Allocation Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends in part on the Investment Manager’s skill in determining the Portfolio’s allocation among the investment strategies. The Investment Manager’s evaluations and assumptions underlying its allocation decisions may differ from actual market conditions.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity,
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credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Volatility Management Risk. While the Investment Manager generally will seek to achieve, over a full market cycle, the level of volatility in the Portfolio’s performance as described above, there can be no guarantee that this will be achieved; actual or realized volatility for any particular period may be materially higher or lower depending on market conditions. In addition, the Investment Manager’s efforts to manage the Portfolio’s volatility can be expected, in a period of generally positive equity market returns, to reduce the Portfolio’s performance below what could be achieved without seeking to manage volatility and, thus, the Portfolio would generally be expected to underperform market indices that do not seek to achieve a specified level of volatility.
Value Investing and Growth Investing Risks. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. Growth investments are believed by the Investment Manager to have the potential for growth, but may not realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential. Such securities may be more volatile than other securities because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. These securities may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Quantitative Model Risk. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may
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be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Fixed-Income and Debt Securities Risk. The market value of a debt security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The debt securities market can be susceptible to increases in volatility and decreases in liquidity. Liquidity can decline unpredictably in response to overall economic conditions or credit tightening.
Prices of bonds and other debt securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is usually greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. A rise in interest rates (or the expectation of a rise in interest rates) may result in periods of volatility, decreased liquidity and increased redemptions, and, as a result, the Portfolio may have to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices.
The Portfolio’s investments in lower-rated, higher-yielding securities (“junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit risk than its higher rated investments. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. Non-investment grade securities tend to be more volatile, less liquid and are considered speculative. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit quality of a debt security (or any guarantor of payment on such security), the security’s value could fall, potentially lowering the Portfolio’s share price. The prices of non-investment grade securities, unlike investment grade debt securities, may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates. The market for these securities may be less liquid and therefore these securities may be harder to value or sell at an acceptable price, especially during times of market volatility or decline.
Some debt securities may give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity, and, during a time of declining interest rates, the Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds of called or redeemed securities in an investment offering a lower yield (and the Portfolio may not fully benefit from any increase in the value of its portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates).
Structured notes are privately negotiated debt instruments where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to a specified asset, market or rate, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. Structured notes can have risks of both debt securities and derivatives transactions.
Sovereign Debt Risk. Investments in non-US sovereign debt obligations create exposure to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social or economic conditions and events in the countries that issue the obligations and involve special risks not present in investments in US government debt or debt of corporate issuers. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt may be more volatile than prices of US government debt or debt of corporate issuers and there may be limited secondary market liquidity. The issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Portfolio may have limited recourse in the event of a default. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers, and certain emerging market countries have
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experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis, which has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debt.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their net asset values, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their net asset value. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of the ETFs’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) limits the amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in one or more ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Liquidity Risk. The lack of a readily available market may limit the ability of the Portfolio to sell certain securities and other investments at the time and price it would like. The size of certain securities offerings of emerging markets issuers may be relatively smaller in size than offerings in more developed markets and, in some cases, the Portfolio, by itself or together with other Portfolios or other accounts managed by the Investment Manager, may hold a position in a security that is large relative to the typical trading volume for that security; these factors can make it difficult for the Portfolio to dispose of the position at the desired time or price.
Derivatives and Hedging Risk. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since most derivatives have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Swap agreements; forward currency contracts; over-the-counter options on securities, indexes and currencies; structured notes; and other over-the-counter derivatives transactions are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all or a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Over-the-counter derivatives frequently may be illiquid and difficult to value. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. These derivatives transactions, as well as the exchange-traded futures and options in which the Portfolio may invest, are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of the related reference asset, index or rate. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. In fact, many derivatives may be subject to greater risks than those associated with investing directly in the underlying or other reference asset. Derivatives transactions incur costs, either explicitly or implicitly, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of derivatives, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant reference asset or market and, for hedging activities, correlation of the derivative instruments used with the investments seeking to be hedged. Use of derivatives transactions, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions. When the Portfolio enters into derivatives transactions, it may be required to segregate liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions or otherwise cover its obligations, in accordance with applicable regulations while the positions are open. New Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with which investment companies must comply beginning in August 2022, relates to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions by registered investment companies, and will rescind and withdraw
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applicable guidance and relief regarding these asset segregation and coverage practices. Rule 18f-4 will regulate and, in some cases limit, the use of derivatives for certain funds and may require the Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Calendar Years ended December 31
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The GDMA Index shown in the table is an unmanaged index created by the Investment Manager and is a 50/50 blend of the MSCI World Index and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate® Index.
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Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Stephen Marra, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, has been with the Portfolio since May 2013.
Jai Jacob, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, has been with the Portfolio since April 2012.
Kim Tilley, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, has been with the Portfolio since May 2020.
Additional Information
For important information about the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares, tax information and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to “Additional Information about the Portfolios” on page 112.
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Lazard Retirement Series Additional Information about the Portfolios
Purchase and Sale of Portfolio Shares
Portfolio shares are currently offered only to Participating Insurance Companies. Portfolio shares may be sold each business day by the separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies.
Tax Information
Owners of the Policies offered by the separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies should consult the prospectuses or other disclosure documents of the separate accounts regarding the federal tax consequences of investing in a Portfolio through a separate account.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
Payments
to Participating Insurance Companies and Financial Intermediaries
The Portfolios and the Investment Manager and its affiliates may pay Participating Insurance Companies, or their affiliates, for the sale of Portfolio shares and related services. Participating Insurance Companies, or their affiliates, may pay broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries that sell Policies for the sale of shares of a Portfolio and related services. When received by a Participating Insurance Company, such payments may be a factor that the Participating Insurance Company considers in including a Portfolio as an investment option in its Policies. The prospectus or other disclosure document for the Policies may contain additional information about these payments. When received by a financial intermediary, such payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and salespersons to recommend a Portfolio over other mutual funds available as investment options under a Policy. Ask the salesperson or visit the financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Lazard Retirement Series Investment Strategies and Investment Risks
Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the “Fund”) consists of twenty-three separate Portfolios. Only Lazard Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement International Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio are currently in operation. Shares of the other Portfolios may be offered upon request.
Each Portfolio has its own investment objective, strategies, and risk/return and expense profile. There is no guarantee that any Portfolio will achieve its investment objective. Because you could lose money by investing in a Portfolio, be sure to read all risk disclosures carefully before investing.
Each Portfolio other than Lazard Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio has adopted a policy to invest at least 80% of its assets in specified securities appropriate to its name and to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any change with respect to this policy.
The investment objective for Lazard Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio is total return consisting of appreciation and income. The Investment objective for Lazard Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio is total return. The investment objective for Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio is current income and long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective for each of the other Portfolios is long-term capital appreciation. For Lazard Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement International Equity Advantage Portfolio, Lazard Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio, Lazard Retirement International Equity Value Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Managed Equity Volatility Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Global Strategic Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio, each Portfolio’s investment objective may be changed without the approval of the Portfolio’s shareholders upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders; for the other Portfolios, each Portfolio’s investment objective may only be changed with the approval of the Portfolio’s shareholders.
Information on the recent strategies and holdings of each Portfolio that has commenced operations can be found in the current annual/semi-annual report (see back cover).
The Portfolios are intended to be funding vehicles for variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (the “Policies” and each, a “Policy”) offered by the separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies. Not all Portfolios or share classes may be available through a particular Policy. Individuals may not purchase Portfolio shares directly from the Fund. The Policies are described in the separate account prospectuses, over which the Fund assumes no responsibility. The investment objective and policies of a Portfolio may be similar to other funds/portfolios managed or advised by the Investment Manager. However, the investment results of a Portfolio may be higher or lower than, and there is no guarantee that the investment results of a Portfolio will be comparable to, any other funds/portfolios managed or advised by the Investment Manager. Portfolio shares may also be offered to certain qualified pension and retirement plans and to accounts permitting accumulation of assets on a tax-deferred basis (“Eligible Plans”). Differences in tax treatment or other considerations may cause the interests of Policy owners and Eligible Plan participants investing in a Portfolio to conflict. The Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) monitors each Portfolio for any material conflicts and determines what action, if any, should be taken. For information about Eligible Plan investing, call (800) 823-6300.
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Lazard Retirement US Equity Concentrated Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US companies of any market capitalization. The Portfolio has a concentrated portfolio of investments, typically investing in 15 to 35 companies with market capitalizations generally greater than $350 million. The Portfolio seeks to outperform broad-based securities market indices, such as the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 1000® Index and the Russell 3000® Index. The philosophy employed by Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) for the Portfolio is based on value creation through its process of bottom-up stock selection, and the Investment Manager implements a disciplined portfolio construction process. The Investment Manager’s fundamental research seeks to identify investments typically featuring robust organic cash flow, balance sheet strength and operational flexibility.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of US companies. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities of non-US companies.
The Portfolio considers a company or issuer to be a “US company” if: (i) the company/issuer is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in the US or maintains its principal place of business in the US; (ii) the security, or security of such company/issuer, is traded principally in the US; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company/issuer, the company/issuer derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in the US.
The Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded open-end management investment companies (“ETFs”), generally those which pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund. In addition, implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of US companies selected using the Investment Manager’s process employed in implementing the Portfolio’s investment strategy, described
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below. The market capitalization of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions, but typically the Portfolio invests in companies with market capitalizations over $1 billion.
The Investment Manager’s process first identifies companies within the investable universe, which are companies that the Investment Manager believes are capable of (1) generating and maintaining high financial productivity (i.e., the return a company generates) for periods in excess of market expectations, or (2) capable of improving financial productivity to a greater extent or more expeditiously than the market expects (i.e., are undervalued) and which exhibit good expectations for future cash flows and profitability. Next, the Investment Manager reduces the investable universe using fundamental analysis and research on the companies identified.
In further narrowing the investable universe to select companies for investment by the Portfolio, the Investment Manager considers both (a) the financial sustainability of the company as a business—a company whose financial productivity is likely to be supported or enhanced in the future as a result of the move toward a more sustainable world (such as by considering the nature of the products and/or services that the company provides, from the perspective of environmental and social factors that impact financial productivity) and (b) how the company counters potential risks arising as a result of environmental and social concerns that may be material to the particular companies or the industries or sectors in which they operate (collectively, “Sustainable Companies”). The Investment Manager uses its proprietary sustainability analysis methodology to assess each company considered for investment, to the extent relevant to the company or its industry or sector, against the specific sustainability factors listed below (and other factors that may be considered relevant to the company or its industry), divided into the three categories of Human Capital, Natural Capital and Corporate Governance.
Human Capital: the extent to which the company
· follows best practices in managing its workforce in a responsible manner, such as health and safety considerations and diversity and inclusion policies;
· acts responsibly in terms of the impact its business operations, products and services have on the broader community;
· aims to ensure its suppliers act responsibly; and
· endeavors to treat its customers fairly and responsibly, for example by having appropriate product safety and data privacy and security standards.
Natural Capital: the extent to which the company, and its supply chains,
· are reliant on using resources which generate significant environmental impact; and
· actively seek to reduce the impact they have on the environment.
Corporate Governance: the extent to which the company’s board composition and policies, executive management composition and compensation, and the exercise of shareholder rights and voting powers are in line with current best practices.
Companies considered by the Investment Manager to be significantly involved in the manufacture of products or the provision of services that are broadly recognized as unsustainable by society (e.g., the production of tobacco, the generation, extraction and/or refining of certain fossil fuels or the production of unconventional weapons) generally will not fall within the investable universe for the Portfolio. However, it is possible that the Investment Manager may determine, after a combined consideration of its assessment of such a company’s financial productivity potential as described above and the results of the Investment Manager’s sustainability analysis methodology, that such a company is an appropriate investment for the Portfolio. The Portfolio may, however, invest in companies that provide equipment and services to the energy and mining sectors.
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Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of US Sustainable Companies. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities of non-US companies, including those in emerging markets.
The Portfolio considers a company or issuer to be a “US company” if: (i) the company/issuer is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in the US or maintains its principal place of business in the US; (ii) the security, or security of such company/issuer, is traded principally in the US; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company/issuer, the company/issuer derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, services performed in the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in the US.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of small to mid capitalization US companies. The Investment Manager considers “small-mid cap companies” to be those companies that, at the time of initial purchase by the Portfolio, have market capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell 2500 Index (ranging from approximately $11.2 million to $38.0 billion as of March 31, 2022). Because “small-mid cap companies” are defined in part by reference to an index, the market capitalization of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions. The Investment Manager is not required to sell a company’s securities from the Portfolio’s holdings when the capitalization of that company increases such that the company no longer meets the definition of a “small-mid cap company.”
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small-mid cap US companies. The Investment Manager focuses on relative value in seeking to construct a diversified portfolio of investments for the Portfolio that maintains sector and industry balance, using investment opportunities identified through bottom-up fundamental research conducted by the Investment Manager’s small cap, mid cap and global research analysts.
The Investment Manager believes that contribution of ideas from multiple sources within the firm benefits the generation of investment ideas for consideration by the Portfolio’s portfolio management team. Companies
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selected for investment in the Portfolio generally have, in the Investment Manager’s opinion, one or more of the following characteristics:
· sustainable returns
· strong free cash flow with balance sheet flexibility
· attractive valuation, utilizing peer group and historical comparisons
The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in the securities of larger or smaller US or non-US companies.
The Portfolio considers a company or issuer to be a “US company” if: (i) the company/issuer is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in the US or maintains its principal place of business in the US; (ii) the security, or security of such company/issuer, is traded principally in the US; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company/issuer, the company/issuer derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in the US.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and rights, of small capitalization US companies. The Investment Manager considers “small cap companies” to be those companies that, at the time of initial purchase by the Portfolio, have market capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell 2000 Index (ranging from approximately $11.2 million to $14.1 billion as of March 31, 2022).The Portfolio typically invests in 300 to 500 companies. Because “small cap companies” are defined in part by reference to an index, the market capitalization of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions. The Investment Manager is not required to sell a company’s securities from the Portfolio’s holdings when the capitalization of that company increases such that the company no longer meets the definition of a “small cap company.”
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small cap US companies. Equity securities also may include depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”). The Portfolio considers a company or issuer to be a “US company” if: (i) the company/issuer is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in the US or maintains its principal place of business in the US; (ii) the security, or the securities of
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such company/issuer, is traded principally in the US; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company/issuer, the company/issuer derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in the US. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in other securities which need not be equity securities of small cap US companies, including investments in larger US companies and in non-US companies, including securities of emerging markets companies traded on a US exchange.
The Investment Manager will manage the Portfolio using its proprietary investment strategy that creates and applies what the Investment Manager refers to as “Insights” and employs its “Insight-driven” process to identify investments with fundamental traits the Investment Manager believes are undervalued by the market. The Investment Manager’s strategy combines fundamental and quantitative techniques into a fully systematic process—that is, the Investment Manager converts subjective criteria used to evaluate potential investments into quantitative formulas based on, among other things, market observations and testing of resulting hypotheses. The Investment Manager considers an “Insight” to be a fundamental opportunity that the Investment Manager believes can be quantified, validated and implemented systematically by the Investment Manager:
· a fundamental opportunity is a recurring market inefficiency where the Investment Manager believes that investors are not fully incorporating the impact of a company’s changing operating fundamentals and/or attractive valuations;
· the Investment Manager converts its market observation into quantified conditions utilizing proprietary process knowledge and techniques;
· a potential Insight is validated through extensive proprietary testing that includes historical data, minimum targeted return objectives and persistence hurdles;
· through each Insight, a number of securities are identified; and
· the securities selection process is implemented systematically into automated daily operations.
The Investment Manager selects investments for the Portfolio by applying its securities selection process to an investable universe of all publicly-traded equity securities, with a focus on small cap companies. However, Insights, which may change over time, may be related to the broad market or specific to a particular sector or industry. In addition, the selection process described above is not sequential, and certain criteria may be given more importance than others. Target position sizes are determined at the time of investment based on one or more Insights and subsequently monitored on an ongoing basis. To improve tax efficiency, the Portfolio may limit investments that have undesirable tax characteristics and may employ other tax-management techniques, such as adjusting the timing of trades, by relying in part on fundamental research and analytical judgements of the Investment Manager.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
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Lazard Retirement International Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of relatively large non-US companies with market capitalizations in the range of companies included in the MSCI EAFE Index (ranging from approximately $1.2 billion to $367.7 billion as of March 31, 2022) that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors, and between developed and emerging market countries, may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
In choosing stocks for the Portfolio, the Investment Manager looks for established companies in economically developed countries and may invest up to 15% of the Portfolio’s assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement International Equity Select Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of relatively large non-US companies with market capitalizations in the range of companies included in the MSCI All Country World Index ex-US (ranging from approximately $126.8 million to $513.3 billion as of March 31, 2022) that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
In choosing stocks for the Portfolio, the Investment Manager looks for established companies in economically developed countries, although the Portfolio may invest in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries in an amount up to the current emerging markets component of the MSCI All Country World Index ex-US plus 15%. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
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The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement International Equity Advantage Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of US and non-US companies, including those in emerging markets. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom up stock selection process. The Portfolio management team selects stocks for the Portfolio from a broad investment universe of non-US stocks and depositary receipts, including ADRs, GDRs and EDRs, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), warrants and rights. The active, quantitative approach utilized by the Portfolio management team involves initial screening, risk assessment and evaluation of each company relative to its global peers. The Portfolio will typically invest the majority of its assets in securities of non-US developed market companies, using an objective, systematic investment process that blends both risk and stock ranking assessments designed to capture attractive risk-to-return characteristics. In addition to a multidimensional assessment of risk, each company is evaluated daily according to four independent measures: growth, value, sentiment and quality. The Portfolio may invest across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among countries and regions will vary from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio considers a company to be a non-US company if: (i) the company is organized under the laws of or domiciled in a country other than the US or maintains its principal place of business in a country other than the US; (ii) the securities of such company are traded principally on a non-US market; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company, the company derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in countries other than the US or the company has at least 50% of its assets in countries other than the US.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur
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following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of non-US companies, including those whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. The fund principally invests in common stocks, but its investments in equity securities also may include preferred stocks and convertible securities.
The Investment Manager seeks to realize the Portfolio’s investment objective primarily by investing in companies that the Investment Manager considers to be quality growth businesses. By “quality” the Investment Manager means businesses that it believes can generate, and sustain, high levels of financial productivity (i.e., return on equity, return on capital and cash flow return on investment). The Investment Manager considers, among other factors deemed appropriate and relevant to a particular company, whether the company has a competitive advantage in its industry and if the Investment Manager believes the company can sustain its competitive advantage. The Investment Manager also looks for “growth” businesses that it believes can grow profits and cash flows by investing back into their business at similarly high rates of financial productivity.
Equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum, but generally focuses on companies with a market capitalization of $3 billion or more.
The Portfolio considers a company to be a non-US company if: (i) the company is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in a country other than the US or maintains its principal place of business in a country other than the US; (ii) the securities of such company are traded principally on a non-US market; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company, the company derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in countries other than the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in countries other than the US. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographical sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is
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anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement International Equity Value Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of non-US companies. The Portfolio has a concentrated portfolio of investments, typically investing in 20 to 30 securities of non-US companies, including those whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. The Investment Manager seeks to realize the Portfolio’s investment objective primarily by investing in companies that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued and whose valuations will benefit from potential company-specific catalysts identified by the Investment Manager. For example, the Investment Manager may seek to invest in companies engaging in activities that the Investment Manager believes will improve the companies’ fundamentals, resolve circumstances that may be negatively affecting valuation and/or improve market and investor perceptions of the companies. The Investment Manager divides these catalysts into three main categories: self-help, positive changes in capital allocation and business simplifications.
· Self-Help – Many companies undertake self-directed initiatives intended to drive improvement in fundamentals regardless of macroeconomic conditions. These initiatives may range from large-scale corporate restructurings to smaller-scale cost-cutting programs. In many cases, new corporate management teams, changes to the board of directors and/or shifts in a company’s ownership structure are the impetus for self-help plans.
· Positive Changes in Capital Allocation – The Investment Manager believes companies seeking to address inefficient balance sheets often offer opportunities to add value to shareholders. The Portfolio seeks to invest in companies undertaking special capital returns, deleveraging programs, and/or value-enhancing reinvestment or mergers and acquisitions. In-depth analysis of balance sheet and cash flow potential, as well as interviews with corporate management teams, helps the Investment Manager identify potential positive capital allocation change opportunities before they are reflected in equity prices.
· Business Simplifications – The simplification of organizational and ownership structures often enables corporate management to increase returns through more effective resource allocation and less operational distraction. Furthermore, monetization of hidden value within a company may occur as a result of asset sales, spin-offs or wind-downs.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. Equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum. In addition, implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector. At times, the Portfolio may engage in active and frequent trading, which will increase portfolio turnover.
The Portfolio considers a company to be a non-US company if: (i) the company is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in a country other than the US or maintains its principal place of business in a country other than the US; (ii) the securities of such company are traded principally on a non-US market; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company, the company derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or
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sold, investments made, or services performed in countries other than the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in countries other than the US. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographical sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Investment Manager may seek to hedge some or all foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, but the Investment Manager may determine not to hedge some or all of the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure from time-to-time or at any time.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act, which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement International Strategic Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in countries represented by the MSCI EAFE Index that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Portfolio may invest in companies of any size, and the market capitalizations of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions. The Portfolio also may invest up to 15% of its assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries, although the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs.
The countries represented by the MSCI EAFE Index currently include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
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The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement International Small Cap Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of relatively small non-US companies that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Investment Manager considers “small non-US companies” to be those non-US companies with market capitalizations, at the time of initial purchase by the Portfolio, below $5 billion and above $300 million or in the range of companies included in the MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index (based on market capitalization of the Index as a whole, which ranged from approximately $58.8 million to $9.3 billion as of March 31, 2022). Because “small non-US companies” are defined in part by reference to an index, the market capitalization of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions. The Investment Manager is not required to sell a company’s securities from the Portfolio’s holdings when the capitalization of the company increases so that the company no longer meets the definition of a “small non-US company.”
Securities selected for investment in the Portfolio generally have, in the Investment Manager’s opinion, one or more of the following characteristics:
· the potential to become a larger factor in the company’s business sector
· significant debt but high levels of free cash flow
· a relatively short corporate history with the expectation that the business may grow
In choosing stocks for the Portfolio, the Investment Manager looks for smaller, well-managed non-US companies that the Investment Manager believes have the potential for growth. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small cap companies. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in equity securities of larger companies.
The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries, although the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country.
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The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Managed Equity Volatility Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of US and non-US companies, including those in emerging markets. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom up stock selection process. A principal component of the Investment Manager’s investment process for the Portfolio is volatility management. Volatility, a risk measurement, measures the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index over time. The Investment Manager seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted equity returns (returns after accounting for the risk taken to achieve those returns) while lowering portfolio volatility (up and down movements in the fund’s returns). The Investment Manager’s investment process is benchmark-unaware, which means that the Portfolio’s assets are not managed by reference to a benchmark index. The Investment Manager examines fundamental company information (such as financial statements) and seeks to identify high quality companies with sustainable operating performance in order to build a well-diversified global portfolio of common stocks. The Investment Manager performs an independent assessment of stock risk and also seeks to manage risk through diversification.
The Portfolio management team selects stocks for the Portfolio from a broad investment universe of stocks and depositary receipts, including ADRs, GDRs and EDRs, REITs, warrants and rights. The active, quantitative approach utilized by the Portfolio management team involves initial screening, risk assessment and evaluation of each company relative to its global peers. The Portfolio will typically focus on securities of developed market companies, using an objective, systematic investment process that blends both risk and stock ranking assessments designed to capture attractive risk-to-return characteristics and create a low volatility portfolio. In addition to a multidimensional assessment of risk, each company is evaluated daily according to four independent measures: growth, value, sentiment and quality. The Portfolio may invest across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
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The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Global Strategic Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of companies that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Investment Manager seeks to realize the Portfolio’s investment objective primarily through stock selection, investing in companies believed to have sustainably high or improving returns and trading at attractive valuations. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries, and the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to emerging market countries may vary from time to time. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum, and the market capitalizations of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. In addition, under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%—unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in non-US companies. The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolio’s assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries). The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
The Portfolio considers a company to be a non-US company if: (i) the company is organized under the laws of or is domiciled in a country other than the US or maintains its principal place of business in a country other than the US; (ii) the securities of such company are traded principally on a non-US market; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company, the company derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in countries other than the US or that has at least 50% of its assets in countries other than the US.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio
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shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of US and non-US companies, including those in emerging markets. The Portfolio normally invests in equity securities listed on a national or other recognized securities exchange of companies that the Investment Manager considers to have an “economic franchise,” meaning companies that have historically shown an ability to generate unleveraged returns, at or above their cost of capital, for long periods of time. The Investment Manager considers that strong business franchises are often able to accomplish this performance and status because of competitive advantages such as an established or recognized brand, proprietary intellectual property or other intangible assets or industry economics such as relatively high customer switching costs. These companies may have such a strong association with a product or service that their names and their industries are intertwined in the minds of the public. Such companies may not, however, necessarily be in the business of selling “franchises”—an authorization granted by the company to an individual or group enabling it to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., acting as an agent for delivering a company’s products or services. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The Portfolio may invest in the equity securities of any size company and also may invest in IPOs.
The Investment Manager may seek to hedge some or all foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, but the Investment Manager may determine not to hedge some or all of the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure from time-to-time or at any time.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy. The Portfolio also may invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”)
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act, which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund.
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A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries and that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among emerging market countries may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies across the capitalization spectrum, and the market capitalizations of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions.
Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs. In addition, implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of emerging markets companies. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom up stock selection process. The Portfolio management team selects stocks for the Portfolio from a broad investment universe of emerging market stocks and depositary receipts, including ADRs,
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GDRs and EDRs, REITs, warrants and rights. The active, quantitative approach utilized by the Portfolio management team involves initial screening, risk assessment and evaluation of each company relative to its global peers. The Investment Manager uses an objective, systematic investment process that blends both risk and stock ranking assessments designed to capture attractive risk-to-return characteristics. In addition to a multidimensional assessment of risk, each company is evaluated daily according to four independent measures: growth, value, sentiment and quality. The Portfolio may invest across the capitalization spectrum.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among countries and regions will vary from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country.
The Portfolio considers a company to be “economically tied to emerging markets countries” if: (i) the company is organized under the laws of or domiciled in an emerging markets country or maintains its principal place of business in an emerging markets country; (ii) the securities of such company are traded principally in emerging markets countries; or (iii) during the most recent fiscal year of the company, the company derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in emerging markets countries or that has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets countries. The Portfolio considers emerging markets countries to be all countries: (i) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index; or (ii) not included in the MSCI World Index.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Developing Markets Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries (also known as “developing markets”). The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among emerging market countries may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
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The Investment Manager employs a relative growth investment philosophy that is based on value creation through the process of bottom-up stock selection. The Investment Manager’s approach consists of an analytical framework, accounting validation, fundamental analysis and portfolio construction parameters. The Investment Manager’s selection process focuses on growth and considers the sustainability of growth and the trade off between valuation and growth. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector and/or a particular country.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries and that the Investment Manager believes are undervalued based on their earnings, cash flow or asset values. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies of any size, and the market capitalizations of companies in which the Portfolio invests may vary with market conditions. The Investment Manager seeks to opportunistically invest in companies with strong and/or improving financial productivity at attractive valuations. The Investment Manager focuses on a company’s ability to sustain “value creation” against current and future valuations. Criteria includes return on invested capital and return on equity as well as valuation relative to history, peer group, country, sector and economic potential. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among emerging markets countries may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector and/or a particular country.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries. In addition to common stocks, such equity securities also may include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs.
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Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, including common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities, of infrastructure companies and concentrates its investments in industries represented by infrastructure companies.
Infrastructure companies typically derive at least 50% of their revenues from, or have at least 50% of their assets committed to, the generation, production, transmission, sale or distribution of energy or natural resources used to produce energy; distribution, purification and treatment of water; provision of communications services and media; management, ownership and/or operation of infrastructure assets or construction, development or financing of infrastructure assets, such as pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads or ports. Infrastructure companies also include energy-related companies organized as master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) and their affiliates, and the Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its net assets in these energy-related MLPs and their affiliates. The Investment Manager focuses on companies with a minimum market capitalization of $250 million that own physical infrastructure and which the Investment Manager believes are undervalued.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of infrastructure companies, which consist of utilities, pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads, ports, telecommunications and other infrastructure companies, with securities listed on a national or other recognized securities exchange.
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%—unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in infrastructure companies organized or located outside the US or doing a substantial amount of business outside the US. The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolio’s assets among various regions and countries, including
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the United States (but in no less than three different countries). The Portfolio may invest in equity securities of companies with some business activities located in emerging market countries.
The Portfolio seeks to focus its investments in a subset of infrastructure securities that are considered “preferred infrastructure” securities by the Investment Manager. Generally, the Investment Manager considers securities that are more likely to exhibit certain desirable characteristics, such as longevity of the issuer, lower risk of capital loss and revenues linked to inflation, to be “preferred infrastructure” securities.
The Portfolio considers a company or issuer that derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the US or has at least 50% of its assets outside the US as doing a substantial amount of business outside the US. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
The Investment Manager generally seeks to substantially hedge foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, although the Portfolio’s total foreign currency exposure may not be fully hedged at all times.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in real assets investments, including instruments providing exposure to such investments (such as derivative instruments).
“Real assets” are considered by the Portfolio to be:
(i) assets that have physical properties, such as:
· natural resources, such as energy and materials (e.g., metals and mining, paper and forestry and chemicals)
· real estate, such as Real Estate Investments
· equipment and industrials, such as tools, hardware, machinery and other industrial components
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· infrastructure, such as utilities, transport, communications, pipelines, seaports, airports and toll roads
· commodities, such as physical commodities with tangible properties such as gas, oil, metals, livestock or agricultural products; and
(ii) companies that typically derive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from, or have at least 50% of their assets committed to, real assets.
Allocation of the Portfolio’s assets by the Investment Manager among these real assets categories will vary, and over time exposures to new categories may be added or exposures to existing categories may be eliminated.
The Portfolio may invest in equity securities of US and non-US companies, including emerging markets companies, as well as in commodity-linked and other derivative instruments. The Portfolio also may invest in inflation-indexed fixed income securities (which may be of any credit quality or maturity). In addition, the Portfolio may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity or credit quality, typically government securities, in connection with the Portfolio’s derivatives exposures (i.e., a type of margin or collateral). The Portfolio also may invest up to 25% of its net assets in energy-related MLPs and their affiliates. The Portfolio may invest in companies of any market capitalization.
The Portfolio may gain exposure to the commodity markets by investing up to 25% of the Portfolio’s total assets in the Subsidiary, Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio, Ltd., which invests mainly in commodity-linked derivative instruments (including, but not limited to, futures contracts, options, and total return swaps) and fixed income securities, typically government securities, in connection with the Subsidiary’s derivatives exposures (i.e., a type of margin or collateral). With respect to its investments, the Subsidiary is subject to the same principal investment restrictions and limitations as the Portfolio, except that the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-related instruments.
The Subsidiary also is subject to the Portfolio’s compliance program, to the extent the Portfolio’s policies and procedures apply to its investments and operations. The Portfolio and the Subsidiary test for compliance with applicable investment restrictions, such as capital structure and leverage requirements, on a consolidated basis and comply with investment policy disclosure requirements under the 1940 Act on a similar basis. Investments in the Subsidiary are intended to provide the Portfolio with exposure to the returns of commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements that apply to the Portfolio.
The Portfolio may invest in common stock of ETFs and similar products, such as exchange-traded products that hold portfolios of commodities futures and/or physical commodities (“Commodity ETPs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy. The Portfolio also may invest in ETNs.
The Investment Manager’s process for selecting investments for the Portfolio may include a variety of approaches, such a fundamental, bottom-up analysis, qualitative evaluations and quantitative models or a combination of these or other approaches. The process used will usually vary for different types of real assets categories, or category subsets.
In addition, the Portfolio may, but is not required to (1) enter into futures contracts; forward currency contracts, equity, total return, interest rate, credit default and currency swap agreements; (2) write put and call options on securities (including shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies; and (3) invest in structured notes, in each case for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns, including as a substitute for a direct investment in securities. Derivatives transactions may be entered into on established exchanges or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter derivatives. A derivatives contract will obligate or entitle the Portfolio or the Subsidiary to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment based on the change in value of the reference asset, index or rate.
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Futures contracts generally are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of a specified reference asset, index or rate at a future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right (and the writer of the option the obligation) to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. Futures transactions by be entered into on both US and foreign exchanges. A forward currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract.
A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer (seller) of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying asset during the option period at a specified price. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying asset during the option period at a specified price. Options may be traded on either US or foreign exchanges or over-the-counter.
Swap agreements 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, and can be used to transfer the interest rate or credit risk of a security without actually transferring ownership of the security or to customize exposure to particular securities. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets.
Structured notes are privately negotiated debt instruments where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to a specified asset, market or rate, or the differential performance of two assets or markets.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio
The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective over a full market cycle through a hedged strategy investing primarily in convertible fixed income and preferred securities (including those rated below investment grade (“junk”)). The strategy utilizes a relative value approach, focusing on convertible securities that are considered to have low volatility. It is expected that the Portfolio will invest primarily in small and mid cap companies, but may invest in companies across the capitalization spectrum. The Portfolio also will utilize selective strategy level and position level hedges, primarily through short selling and derivatives, seeking to minimize macro risk (equity and credit) and interest rate risk. The Portfolio may invest in convertible debt and preferred
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securities of any maturity and any quality. Convertible securities held in the Portfolio generally are expected to have maturities between three and seven years at the time of investment, or between five and seven years if invested at issuance. Preferred securities generally are of perpetual maturities, callable at various points determined by the issuer. The Portfolio management team utilizes bottom up fundamental credit, equity and quantitative analysis in conjunction with top down macroeconomic analysis to identify individual securities believed to offer compelling value versus comparable risk return.
The Portfolio will generally have short positions through selling securities “short” and through investments in derivative instruments, principally swap agreements on individual securities, and may use short positions to seek to increase returns or to reduce risk. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Portfolio does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefor) at a later date and at a lower price and profiting from the price decline. Similarly, when taking short positions with respect to securities through investments in derivative instruments, the Investment Manager is expecting the value of such securities to fall during the period of the Portfolio’s investment exposure.
The Portfolio’s net exposure to long and short positions may be net short, meaning that the exposure to short positions is greater than the exposure to long positions. In taking a short position in securities through total return swap agreements (which generally entitle the Portfolio to the economic equivalent of gains or losses and dividends on the subject securities during the period of the swap agreements), the Portfolio will incur transaction costs similar to interest or financing charges that will reduce any gains or increase any losses. Short sales of securities also may involve additional transaction-related costs such as those in connection with borrowing the securities sold short.
Although the Portfolio’s investment focus is US companies, the Portfolio also may invest in non-US companies (including those in emerging markets), including depositary receipts and shares. The Portfolio also may invest in cash and cash equivalents. At certain times, based on the currently existing market environment, the Investment Manager may not believe it is able to find sufficient opportunities to invest in convertible fixed income and preferred securities and/or take short positions and may determine to tactically shift the Portfolio to invest substantially in money market instruments, such as short-term US Treasury securities and certificates of deposit.
In addition, the Portfolio may, but is not required to (1) enter into futures and forward currency contracts and equity, interest rate, credit default and currency swap agreements; and (2) write put and call options on securities (including shares of ETFs), indexes and currencies, in each case for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns.
It is expected that the Portfolio will buy and sell securities, and take short positions in securities, frequently in connection with implementing its investment strategy.
The Portfolio may invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
The Portfolio is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act, which means that it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, when compared to a diversified fund.
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A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio
The Portfolio utilizes an asset allocation strategy to invest in a global portfolio of uncorrelated assets that can include exposure, through underlying vehicles, to stocks, bonds, commodities and other investments. The Portfolio may invest in securities of companies with any market capitalization and fixed-income securities of any credit quality or maturity.
The Portfolio invests primarily in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy, as well as actively managed closed-end management investment companies (“closed-end funds,” and, together with ETFs, “Underlying Funds”). ETFs in which the Portfolio may invest include both ETFs designed to correlate directly with an index and ETFs designed to correlate inversely with an index and may include actively-managed ETFs. The Portfolio, through Underlying Funds in which it invests, may invest in non-US companies (including those in emerging markets), and the Portfolio also may invest directly in equity and debt securities in addition to its investments in Underlying Funds. The Portfolio’s investment portfolio is concentrated in a relatively small number of holdings (generally 10 to 30). Investors can invest directly in Underlying Funds and do not need to invest in Underlying Funds through mutual funds or separately managed accounts. The Portfolio also may invest in exchange-traded products that hold portfolios of commodities futures and/or physical commodities (“Commodity ETPs”), generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy, and ETNs.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to (1) enter into equity, total return and currency swap agreements; futures contracts and options on futures contracts (including with respect to index and commodities); and forward currency contracts; and (2) write put and covered call options on securities (including interests in ETFs and ETNs), indexes and currencies, for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns, including as a substitute for purchasing an Underlying Fund.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, effect short sales of securities. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Portfolio does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefor) at a later date and at a lower price and profiting from the price decline. Similarly, when taking short positions with respect to securities through investments in derivative instruments, the Investment Manager is expecting the value of such securities to fall during the period of the Portfolio’s investment exposure. Securities will not be sold short if, after effect is given to any such short sale, the total market value of all securities sold short would exceed 25% of the value of the Portfolio’s net assets. The Portfolio may not make a short-sale which results in the Portfolio having sold short in the aggregate more than 5% of the outstanding securities of any class of an issuer.
The Investment Manager believes that over the long term, and on a risk-adjusted basis, there is no one size fits all approach to asset allocation and that historical relationships coupled with market insights can help develop a global view to identify and anticipate certain secular and cyclical changes. The Investment Manager employs a multi-variable investment strategy incorporating both quantitative and qualitative factors to generate the Portfolio’s asset allocation decisions.
The Portfolio’s investments generally are categorized by the Investment Manager as falling within the following three categories: trending, diversifying assets and contrarian/opportunistic. The Investment Manager makes allocation changes in the Portfolio’s investments based on a forward looking assessment of capital markets using a risk/reward and probability methodology.
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The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio
The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolio’s assets among various US and non-US equity and fixed-income strategies managed by the Investment Manager in proportions consistent with the Investment Manager’s evaluation of various economic and other factors designed to estimate probabilities, including volatility. The Investment Manager makes allocation decisions among the strategies based on quantitative and qualitative analysis using a number of different tools, including proprietary software models and input from the Investment Manager’s research analysts. At any given time the Portfolio’s assets may not be allocated to all strategies. Quantitative analysis includes statistical analysis of portfolio risks and performance characteristics, factor dependencies and trading tendencies. Qualitative analysis includes analysis of the global economic environment as well as internal and external research on individual securities, portfolio holdings, attribution factors, behavioral patterns and overall market views and scenarios.
A principal component of the Investment Manager’s investment process for the Portfolio is volatility management. The Investment Manager generally will seek to achieve, over a full market cycle, a level of volatility in the Portfolio’s performance of approximately 10%. Volatility, a risk measurement, measures the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index over time.
The Investment Manager engages in fundamental analysis (including credit analysis) while taking into account macroeconomic and other considerations in selecting investment opportunities. The allocation among the Investment Manager’s strategies may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions, and at any given time the Portfolio’s assets may not be allocated to all strategies. The investment philosophy employed for the Portfolio is based on an understanding that the current economic environment can be coupled with research into the drivers of (and risks to) outperformance in the strategies in which the Portfolio invests to create a blend of strategies aligned with the economic cycle.
As a consequence of allocating its assets among various of the Investment Manager’s investment strategies, the Portfolio may:
· invest in US and non-US equity and debt securities (including those of companies with business activities located in emerging market countries and securities issued by governments of such countries), depositary receipts and shares, currencies and related instruments, and structured notes
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· invest in ETFs, generally those that pursue a passive index-based strategy
· invest in securities of companies of any size or market capitalization
· invest in debt securities of any maturity or duration
· invest in securities of any particular quality or investment grade and, as a result, the Portfolio may invest significantly in securities rated below investment grade (e.g., lower than Baa by Moody’s or lower than BBB by S&P) (“junk bonds”) or securities that are unrated
· enter into swap agreements (including credit default swap agreements) and forward contracts, and may purchase and write put and covered call options, on securities, indexes and currencies, for hedging purposes (although it is not required to do so) or to seek to increase returns
Debt securities in which the Portfolio may invest (as a consequence of allocating its assets among various of the Investment Manager’s investment strategies) include debt securities issued or guaranteed by governments, government agencies or supranational bodies or US and non-US companies or other private-sector entities, including fixed and/or floating rate investment grade and non-investment grade bonds (“junk bonds”), convertible securities, commercial paper, collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), short- and medium-term obligations and other fixed-income obligations.
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%—unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in issuers organized or located outside the US or doing a substantial amount of business outside the US, securities denominated in a foreign currency or foreign currency forward contracts.
The Portfolio considers a company or issuer that derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the US or has at least 50% of its assets outside the US as doing a substantial amount of business outside the US. The allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among geographic sectors may shift from time to time based on the Investment Manager’s judgment and its analysis of market conditions.
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, enter into futures contracts and/or swap agreements in an effort to protect the Portfolio’s investments against a decline in the value of Portfolio investments that could occur following the effective date of a large redemption order and while the Portfolio is selling securities to meet the redemption request. Since, in this event, the redemption order is priced at the (higher) value of the Portfolio’s investments at the effective date of redemption, these transactions would seek to protect the value of Portfolio shares remaining outstanding from dilution or magnified losses resulting from the Portfolio selling securities to meet the redemption request while the value of such securities is declining. For the most part, this approach is anticipated to be utilized, if at all, if a significant percentage of Portfolio shares is redeemed on a single day, or other similar circumstances.
A certain portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in reserves, typically invested in shares of a money market mutual fund. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into the Portfolio. In addition, when the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market mutual funds and/or money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.
You should be aware that the Portfolios:
· are not bank deposits
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· are not guaranteed, endorsed or insured by any bank, financial institution or government entity, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
· are not guaranteed to achieve their stated goals
The Portfolios also are subject to the investment risks listed in the tables below. Principal risks of each Portfolio are those risks indicated in the Portfolio’s summary section. For a description of the risks listed in the tables, please see “Glossary—Investment Risks” immediately following the tables. See also the Portfolios’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) for information on certain other investments in which the Portfolios may invest and other investment techniques in which the Portfolios may engage from time to time and related risks.
Retirement | Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio | Retirement | Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio | ||||
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Securities Selection Risk | | | | | |||
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Retirement | Retirement | Retirement | Retirement | |||||||||
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Retirement | Retirement | Retirement | Retirement | Retirement | |||||||
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Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure | Retirement | Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio | ||||
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Focused Investing Risk | | | ||||
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Government Securities Risk | | |||||
High Portfolio Turnover Risk | | | ||||
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Natural Resources Risk | | | ||||
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Value Investing Risk | | | |
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Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity | Retirement Opportunistic | Retirement | ||||
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Convertible Securities Risk | | |||||
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Cybersecurity Risk | | | | |||
Depositary Receipts Risk | | | | |||
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Emerging Market Risk | | | | |||
ETF Risk | | | | |||
ETN Risk | | |||||
Fixed-Income and Debt Securities Risk | | | ||||
Focused Investing Risk | | | ||||
Foreign Currency Risk | | | | |||
Growth Investing Risk | | |||||
High Portfolio Turnover Risk | | | | |||
IPO Shares Risk | | | | |||
Issuer Risk | | | | |||
Large Cap Companies Risk | | | | |||
Liquidity Risk | | | ||||
Market Risk | | | | |||
Non-US Securities Risk | | | | |||
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Securities Selection Risk | | | | |||
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Underlying Funds Risk | | |||||
Value Investing Risk | | | ||||
Volatility Management Risk | |
Allocation Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends in part on the Investment Manager’s skill in determining the Portfolio’s allocation among the investment strategies. The Investment Manager’s evaluations and assumptions underlying its allocation decisions may differ from actual market conditions.
CDO Risk. CDOs are securitized interests in pools of—generally non-mortgage—assets. Assets called collateral usually are comprised of loans or other debt instruments. A CDO may be called a collateralized loan obligation or collateralized bond obligation if it holds only loans or bonds, respectively. Investors bear the credit risk of the collateral. Multiple tranches of securities are issued by the CDO, offering investors various maturity and credit risk
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characteristics. Tranches are categorized as senior, mezzanine and subordinated/equity, according to their degree of credit risk. If there are defaults or the CDO’s collateral otherwise underperforms, scheduled payments to senior tranches take precedence over those of mezzanine tranches, and scheduled payments to mezzanine tranches take precedence over those to subordinated/equity tranches. Senior and mezzanine tranches are typically rated, with the former receiving ratings of A to AAA/Aaa and the latter receiving ratings of B to BBB/Baa. The ratings reflect both the credit quality of underlying collateral as well as how much protection a given tranche is afforded by tranches that are subordinate to it.
Commercial Paper Risk. Commercial paper represents short-term, unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding companies, corporations and finance companies used to finance short-term credit needs and may consist of US dollar-denominated obligations of domestic issuers and foreign currency-denominated obligations of domestic or foreign issuers. Commercial paper may be backed only by the credit of the issuer or may be backed by some form of credit enhancement, typically in the form of a guarantee by a commercial bank. Commercial paper backed by guarantees of foreign banks may involve additional risk due to the difficulty of obtaining and enforcing judgments against such banks and the generally less restrictive regulations to which such banks are subject.
Commodity ETP Risk. Investments in Commodity ETPs involve the same types of risks of investing in an ETF except that the investments made by a Commodity ETP are commodities futures or physical commodities included in the index the Commodity ETP is designed to replicate or invest in and Commodity ETPs are not registered investment companies and are not regulated under the 1940 Act. Interests in Commodity ETPs may trade at prices that vary from their NAVs, sometimes significantly. In addition, the performance of a Commodity ETP may diverge from the performance of the relevant index. The Portfolio’s investments in Commodity ETPs are subject to the risks of the investments made by the Commodity ETPs, as well as to the general risks of investing in Commodity ETPs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the fees and operating expenses of the Commodity ETPs in which the Portfolio invests.
Commodity-Related Investments Risk. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than other types of investments. The values of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments are affected by events that may have less impact on the values of equity and fixed income securities. Investments linked to the prices of commodities are considered speculative. Because the value of a commodity-linked derivative instrument, such as a futures contract on a physical commodity, typically is based upon the price movements of the underlying reference asset, index or rate, the value of these instruments will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying reference asset, index or rate. Prices of commodities and commodity-linked investments may fluctuate significantly over short periods for a variety of factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; agricultural or livestock markets; agricultural or livestock disease or pestilence; trade relationships; fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs; and embargoes, tariffs, terrorism and international economic, political, military and regulatory developments. The commodity markets are subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to a variety of factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets, the participation of speculators and government regulation and intervention. United States futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges have regulations that limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices, which may occur during a single business day. These limits are generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits” and the maximum or minimum price of a contract on any given day as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” Once the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made at a different price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices. These circumstances could adversely affect the value of the commodity-linked investments.
Concentration Risk. The Portfolio’s ability to concentrate its investments may be limited by applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for qualification as a regulated investment company.
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Contrarian/Opportunistic Strategy Risk. A contrarian/opportunistic strategy is susceptible to the risk that the Investment Manager’s determinations of opportunities in market anomalies do not materialize as expected so that investments using this strategy do not increase in value (and may lose value).
Convertible Securities Risk. The market value of convertible securities generally performs like that of nonconvertible fixed income securities; that is, their prices move inversely with changes in interest rates (i.e., as interest rates go up, prices go down). In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit quality of a convertible security, the security’s value could fall, potentially lowering the Portfolio’s share price. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security also is subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock.
Country Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular country, such as Japan or China, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by political, regulatory, market, economic and social developments affecting that country.
Over the last few decades, Japan’s economic growth rate had remained relatively low compared to that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies mainly due to deflation. The economy is characterized by an aging demographic, a declining population, a large government debt and a highly regulated labor market. Monetary and fiscal policies designed to stimulate economic growth in Japan have had limited success in the past prior to the current government. Overseas trade is important to Japan’s economy, although exports as a percentage of global domestic product is lower than other Asian countries and most developed countries. Japan has few natural resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its commodity needs. Fluctuations or shortages in relevant commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy also can be adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies, and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan has a growing economic relationship with China and other Southeast Asian countries, and economic, political or social instability in those countries, whether resulting from country, regional or global events, could have an adverse effect on Japan’s economy. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times, and any increase in the yen’s value may cause a decline in Japan’s exports. The Japanese government has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen, and such intervention could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably. The specific risks of investing in Japan, certain of which are summarized in this section, could, individually or in the aggregate, adversely impact investments in Japan.
Specific risks associated with investments in China include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, exchange control regulations (including currency blockage), trading halts, imposition of tariffs, limitations on repatriation and differing legal standards. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China. Reduced spending on Chinese products and services, which may result in substantial price reductions of goods and services and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry; institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the US or other countries; or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners, may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations, and China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including
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purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers of securities.
The Portfolio may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in China by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). Instead of directly owning the equity securities of a Chinese company, a VIE enters into service and other contracts with the Chinese company. Although the VIE has no equity ownership of the Chinese company, the contractual arrangements permit the VIE to consolidate the Chinese company into its financial statements. VIE investments are subject to the risk that any breach of these contractual arrangements will be subject to Chinese law and jurisdiction, that Chinese law may be interpreted or change in a way that affects the enforceability of the VIE’s arrangements, or that contracts between the Chinese company and the VIE may otherwise not be enforceable under Chinese law. Thus, the remedies and rights of investors such as the Portfolio may be limited in such circumstances. VIE structures also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or other United States regulators. If these risks materialize, the value of investments in VIEs could be adversely affected and the Portfolios could incur significant losses with no recourse available. If these risks materialize, the value of investments in VIEs could be adversely affected and the Portfolio could incur significant losses with no recourse available.
The Portfolio may invest in eligible renminbi-denominated class A shares of equity securities that are listed and traded on certain Chinese stock exchanges (“China A-Shares”) through Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (“Stock Connect”). While Stock Connect is not subject to individual investment quotas, daily and aggregate investment quotas apply to all Stock Connect participants, which may restrict or preclude the Portfolio’s ability to invest in China A-Shares (although the Portfolio would be permitted to sell China A-Shares regardless of the quota balance). Stock Connect is also subject to trading, clearance, settlement and operational risks. Stock Connect also is generally available only on business days when both the exchange on which China A-Shares are offered and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong are open and when banks in both markets are open on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in China A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Portfolio to a risk of price fluctuations on days where the Chinese stock markets are open, but Stock Connect is not operating. The risks of Stock Connect could, among other things, lead to greater market execution risk and costs for the Portfolio with respect to purchasing and/or selling affected securities.
On November 12, 2020, the President of the United States issued an Executive Order (the “Order”) to prohibit, beginning January 11, 2021, US persons (which includes the Portfolio) from transacting in certain securities and derivatives of publicly traded securities of 31 companies designated as a “Communist Chinese military company” (a “CCMC” and such securities collectively with securities of certain subsidiaries of such companies and related depositary receipts that may be covered by the Order, “CCMC Securities”) by the US Department of Defense (the “DOD”) or the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). In the weeks following the issuance of the Order, the DOD designated additional companies as CCMCs. Also subsequent to issuance of the Order, OFAC extended the effective date of the trading ban several times from the initial date of January 11, 2021 to the most recent date of June 11, 2021 for publicly-traded securities of companies with a name that “closely matches the name” of a designated CCMC but that have not been designated as CCMC Securities. In addition, US persons also are prohibited from transacting in newly designated CCMC Securities 60 days after such designation. As clarified by an amendment to the Order dated January 13, 2021, and subsequent guidance from OFAC, US persons were able to divest their holdings in the 31 initially-designated CCMCs at any time through November 11, 2021 (and have 365 days from date of designation to divest their holdings in other CCMCs).
The Portfolio’s holdings in CCMC Securities may adversely impact the Portfolio’s performance. The extent of any impact will depend on future developments, including the Portfolio’s ability to sell the CCMC Securities, valuation of the CCMC Securities, modifications to the Order, the issuance of additional or different interpretive guidance regarding compliance with the Order, and the duration of the Order, all of which are highly uncertain.
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Cybersecurity Risk. The Portfolio and its service providers are susceptible to operational and information security and related risks of cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. Cybersecurity incidents affecting the Investment Manager, transfer agent or custodian or other service providers such as financial intermediaries have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, including by impediments to the Portfolio’s investment trading; the inability of Portfolio shareholders to purchase and redeem Portfolio shares; interference with the Portfolio’s ability to calculate its net asset value (“NAV”); violations of applicable privacy, data security or other laws; regulatory fines and penalties; reputational damage; reimbursement or other compensation or remediation costs; legal fees; or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity incidents affecting issuers of securities in which the Portfolio invests; counterparties with which the Portfolio engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators; and banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions and other parties. There are inherent limitations in any cybersecurity risk management systems or business continuity plans, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified.
Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs and similar depositary receipts typically will be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-US companies, because their values depend on the performance of the underlying non-US securities. However, currency fluctuations will impact investments in depositary receipts differently than direct investments in non-US dollar-denominated non-US securities, because a depositary receipt will not appreciate in value solely as a result of appreciation in the currency in which the underlying non-US dollar security is denominated. Certain countries may limit the ability to convert depositary receipts into the underlying non-US securities and vice versa, which may cause the securities of the non-US company to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the related depositary receipt. The Portfolio may invest in depositary receipts through an unsponsored facility where the depositary issues the depositary receipts without an agreement with the company that issues the underlying securities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities, and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of the depositary receipts with respect to the deposited securities. As a result, available information concerning the issuer may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer.
Derivatives and Hedging Risk. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes (i.e., seeking to protect Portfolio investments), may increase volatility, reduce returns, limit gains or magnify losses, perhaps substantially, particularly since most derivatives have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Swap agreements; forward currency contracts; writing or purchasing over-the-counter options on securities (including options on interests in ETFs and ETNs, indexes and currencies; structured notes; and other over-the-counter derivatives transactions are subject to the risks of the creditworthiness of and default by the counterparty and consequently may lose all or a portion of their value due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the counterparty. Over-the-counter derivatives frequently may be illiquid and difficult to value. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. These derivatives transactions, as well as the exchange-traded futures and options in which the Portfolio may invest, are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related reference asset, security or rate. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. Purchasing options will reduce returns by the amount of premiums paid for options that are not exercised. In fact, many derivatives may be subject to greater risks than those associated with investing directly in the underlying or other reference asset. Derivatives transactions incur costs, either explicitly or implicitly, which reduce returns, and costs of engaging in such transactions may outweigh any gains or any losses averted from hedging activities. Successful use of derivatives, whether for hedging or for other investment purposes, is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the
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relevant reference asset or market and, for hedging activities, correlation of the derivative instruments used with the investments seeking to be hedged. Use of derivatives transactions, even when entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions. When the Portfolio enters into derivatives transactions, it may be required to segregate assets or enter into offsetting positions, in accordance with applicable regulations. In the case of swaps, futures contracts, options, forward contracts and other derivative instruments that provide for full payment of the value of the underlying asset, in cash or by physical delivery, at the settlement date, for example, the Portfolio may be required to set aside liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of the instrument (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying the derivatives contract) while the positions are open, to the extent there is not an offsetting position. However, with respect to certain swaps, futures contracts, options, forward contracts and other derivative instruments for which there may be periodic cash settlement during the term of the transaction or cash payment of the gain or loss under the transaction at the settlement date, the Portfolio may segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to its daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Portfolio’s daily net liability) under the instrument, if any, rather than its full notional amount. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under the instrument, the Portfolio will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if it were required to segregate liquid assets equal to the full notional value of such instruments. If segregated assets represent a large portion of the portfolio, portfolio management may be affected as positions requiring segregation may have to be reduced in order to meet redemptions or other obligations. New Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with which investment companies must comply beginning in August 2022, relates to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions by registered investment companies, and will rescind and withdraw applicable guidance and relief regarding these asset segregation and coverage practices. Rule 18f-4 will regulate and, in some cases limit, the use of derivatives for certain funds and may require the Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives. Unless the Portfolio qualifies as a “limited derivatives user” as defined in Rule 18f-4, the rule, among other things, requires the Portfolio to establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, to appoint a derivatives risk manager and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. If the Portfolio qualifies as a limited derivatives user, Rule 18f-4 requires the Portfolio to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk. These requirements could have an impact on the Portfolio, including a potential increase in cost to enter into derivatives transactions and may require the Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives.
Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from limited reliable access to capital, extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries may be subject to manipulation and have historically been extremely volatile and less liquid than more developed markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Investments in these countries may be subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. The risks may include the lack of, or limitations on, regulatory oversight by US or even local authorities; limited corporate governance standards; limited investor protections and less protection of property rights, including the limited availability of legal recourse; uncertain political and economic policies; the imposition by a country of foreign investment limitations and/or capital controls; nationalization of businesses; and the imposition of sanctions by other countries, such as the US. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the availability of reliable information for the Investment Manager to evaluate and monitor local companies and impact the Portfolio’s performance. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.
ETF Risk. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices that vary from their NAVs, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs may trade at prices at, below or above their most recent NAV. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in ETFs are subject to the risks of investments made by the ETFs, as well as to the general risks of
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investing in ETFs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also their proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests. Although Section 12 of the 1940 Act limits the amount of the Portfolio’s assets that may be invested in ETFs, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions. If Rule 12d1-4 or another exemption is not available under the 1940 Act, the Portfolio will be limited in the amount it can invest in ETFs that are registered investment companies to: (1) 3% or less of an ETF’s voting shares, (2) an ETF’s shares in value equal to or less than 5% of the Portfolio’s assets and (3) shares of ETFs in the aggregate in value equal to or less than 10% of the Portfolio’s total assets.
ETN Risk. ETNs are debt obligations with a return linked to the performance of a reference investment (typically an index). ETNs are not registered investment companies and are not regulated under the 1940 Act. Unlike ETFs, ETNs are not investments in a dedicated pool of the issuer’s assets and instead operate more like unsecured debt of the issuer. Accordingly, investments in ETNs are subject not only to the risks of an investment in the reference investment but also to the risks of a debt investment in the issuer, including the creditworthiness of and default by the issuer. As a result, the Portfolio may lose all or a portion of the value of an investment in an ETN due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the issuer. In addition, there may be substantial differences between the value of the reference investment and the price at which the ETN may be traded, and the return on an ETN that is tied to a specific index may not replicate precisely the return of the index. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by the reference investment, and the cost of owning an ETN may exceed the cost of investing directly in the reference investment. The secondary trading market price of an ETN (if such a secondary trading market exists) may be more volatile than the value of the reference investment it is designed to track. The Portfolio may not be able to liquidate ETN holdings at the time and price desired, which may impact Portfolio performance.
Fixed-Income and Debt Securities Risk. The market value of a debt security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The debt securities market can be susceptible to increases in volatility and decreases in liquidity. Liquidity can decline unpredictably in response to overall economic conditions or credit tightening.
Prices of bonds and other debt securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect debt securities and, accordingly, will cause the value of the Portfolio’s investments in these securities to decline. Interest rate risk is usually greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. When interest rates fall, the Portfolio’s investments in new securities may be at lower yields and may reduce the Portfolio’s income. A rise in interest rates (or the expectation of a rise in interest rates) may result in periods of volatility, decreased liquidity and increased redemptions, and, as a result, the Portfolio may have to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices. Interest rate policies of governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States (the “Federal Reserve”), may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of interest paying securities in particular. During periods of very low interest rates, which occur from time to time due to market forces or actions of governments and/or their central banks, the Portfolio may be subject to a greater risk of principal decline from rising interest rates. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate risk. Interest rates in the United States currently are at or near historic lows due to market forces and actions of the Federal Reserve, primarily in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant market disruptions. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from Portfolio performance. Other market developments can adversely affect fixed-income securities markets. For example, in the US, regulations and business practices have led some financial institutions to curtail their capacity to engage in trading (i.e., “market making”) activities for certain fixed-income securities, which could have the potential to decrease liquidity and increase volatility in the fixed-income securities markets.
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During periods of reduced market liquidity, the Portfolio may not be able to readily sell debt securities at prices at or near their perceived value. An unexpected increase in Portfolio redemption requests, including a single large request for a significant percentage of the Portfolio’s shares, which may be triggered by market turmoil or an increase in interest rates, could cause the Portfolio to sell its holdings at a loss or at undesirable prices and adversely affect the Portfolio’s share price and increase the Portfolio’s liquidity risk and/or Portfolio expenses. Economic and other developments can adversely affect debt securities markets.
The Portfolio’s investments in lower-rated, higher-yielding securities (“junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit risk than its higher rated investments. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments, or will not make payments on a timely basis. Non-investment grade securities tend to be more volatile, less liquid and are considered speculative. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit quality of a debt security (or any guarantor of payment on such security), the security’s value could fall, potentially lowering the Portfolio’s share price. The prices of non-investment grade securities, unlike investment grade debt securities, may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates. The prices of high yield securities can fall in response to negative news about the issuer or its industry, or the economy in general to a greater extent than those of higher rated securities. The market for these securities may be less liquid and therefore these securities may be harder to value or sell at an acceptable price, especially during times of market volatility or decline.
Some fixed-income securities may give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity. If securities held by the Portfolio are called during a time of declining interest rates (which is typically the case when issuers exercise options to call outstanding securities), the Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield (and the Portfolio may not fully benefit from any increase in the value of its portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates).
Adjustable rate securities provide the Portfolio with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, although such securities will participate in any declines in interest rates as well. Certain adjustable rate securities, such as those with interest rates that fluctuate directly or indirectly based on multiples of a stated index, are designed to be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders thereof to extreme reductions of yield and possibly loss of principal. Certain fixed-income securities may be issued at a discount from their face value (such as zero coupon securities) or purchased at a price less than their stated face amount or at a price less than their issue price plus the portion of “original issue discount” previously accrued thereon, i.e., purchased at a “market discount.” The amount of original issue discount and/or market discount on certain obligations may be significant, and accretion of market discount together with original issue discount will cause the Portfolio to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities.
Structured notes are privately negotiated debt instruments where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to a specified asset, market or rate, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. Structured notes can have risks of both debt securities and derivative transactions.
Focused Investing Risk. The NAV of the Portfolio may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Portfolio’s investments denominated in such currencies (particularly currencies of emerging markets countries), as well as any investments in currencies themselves, could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of currencies. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in
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currency exchange rates. Except as specifically stated for a Portfolio, the Investment Manager generally does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.
Franchise Companies Risk. Changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, government regulation and economic conditions may adversely affect franchise companies individually or across an industry and may negatively impact the Portfolio to a greater extent than if the Portfolio’s assets were invested more broadly in a number of types of companies.
Government Securities Risk. Not all obligations of the US government, its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the US Treasury. Some obligations are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and in some cases there may be some risk of default by the issuer. Any guarantee by the US government or its agencies or instrumentalities of a security held by the Portfolio does not apply to the market value of such security or to shares of the Portfolio itself. A security backed by the US Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. In addition, because many types of US government securities trade actively outside the United States, their prices may rise and fall as changes in global economic conditions affect the demand for these securities.
Growth Investing Risk. Growth investments are believed by the Investment Manager to have the potential for growth, but may not realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential. Such stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. These stocks may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of stocks.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Portfolio’s investment strategies may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Portfolio buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high transaction costs, which will reduce returns to shareholders.
Inflation-Indexed Security Risk. Inflation-indexed securities are indexed to inflation so that principal and interest payments rise and fall with the rate of inflation. The US Treasury has guaranteed that, in the event of a drop in prices, its Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”) would repay the adjusted principal or the original principal, whichever is greater, so that investors will not receive less than the originally invested principal. However, the current market value of TIPS is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Inflation-indexed securities issued by corporations generally do not guarantee repayment of principal. The value of inflation-indexed securities 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 the rate of inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed securities.
While 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, investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security’s inflation measure. In addition, because inflation-indexed securities are intended to provide protection from inflation, they generally have lower expected returns.
Infrastructure Companies Risk. Securities and instruments of infrastructure companies, which consist of utilities, pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads, ports, telecommunications and other infrastructure companies, are more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting their industries. Infrastructure companies may be subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high leverage, costs associated with
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environmental and other regulations, the effects of an economic slowdown, surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Changes in law or regulations or general changes in market sentiment towards infrastructure assets may be difficult to predict or respond to, which may adversely affect the operations of infrastructure companies. Certain infrastructure companies may operate in limited areas, have few sources of revenue or face intense competition.
Infrastructure companies also may be affected by or subject to:
· regulation by various government authorities, including rate regulation;
· service interruption due to environmental, operational or other mishaps;
· the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards;
· difficulty in raising capital in adequate amounts on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets;
· inexperience with and potential losses resulting from a developing deregulatory environment; and
· technological innovations that may render existing plants, equipment or products obsolete.
Other factors that may affect the operations of infrastructure companies include significant changes to the number of ultimate end-users of a company’s products, increased susceptibility to terrorist acts or political actions, and risks of environmental damage due to a company’s operations or an accident.
IPO Shares Risk. The prices of securities purchased in IPOs can be very volatile. The effect of IPOs on the Portfolio’s performance depends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs the Portfolio invests in relative to the size of the Portfolio and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates or depreciates in value. As the Portfolio’s asset base increases, IPOs may have a diminished effect on the Portfolio’s performance.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.
Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Leverage Risk. The use of leverage may magnify the Portfolio’s gains or losses.
Liquidity Risk. The lack of a readily available market may limit the ability of the Portfolio to sell certain securities at the time and price it would like. The size of certain securities offerings of emerging markets issuers may be relatively smaller in size than offerings in more developed markets and, in some cases, the Portfolio, by itself or together with other Portfolios or other accounts managed by the Investment Manager, may hold a position in a security that is large relative to the typical trading volume for that security; these factors can make it difficult for the Portfolio to dispose of the position at the desired time or price.
Market Direction Risk. Since the Portfolio will typically hold both long and short positions, an investment in the Portfolio will involve market risks associated with different types of investment decisions than those made for a typical “long only” fund. The Portfolio’s results will suffer both when there is a general market advance and the
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Portfolio holds significant “short” positions, or when there is a general market decline and the Portfolio holds significant “long” positions. In recent years, the markets have shown considerable volatility from day to day and even in intra-day trading.
Market Risk. The Portfolio may incur losses due to declines in one or more markets in which it invests. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). To the extent that such developments impact specific industries, market sectors, countries or geographic regions, the Portfolio’s investments in such industries, market sectors, countries and/or geographic regions can be expected to be particularly affected, especially if such investments are a significant portion of its investment portfolio. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio.
Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Policies of governments and central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, may impact not only markets in a specific country but also financial markets worldwide. Policy and legislative changes worldwide are affecting many aspects of financial regulation. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long the effects of such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be long-term implications for markets and market participants worldwide, including a prolonged global economic slowdown, which may be expected to impact the Portfolio and its investments.
MLP Risk. An investment in MLP units involves some risks that differ from an investment in the common stock of a corporation. Investing in MLPs involves certain risks related to investing in the underlying assets of the MLPs and risks associated with pooled investment vehicles. MLPs holding credit-related investments are subject to interest rate risk and the risk of default on payment obligations by debt issuers.
Natural Resources Risk. Investments related to natural resources may be affected by numerous factors, including events occurring in nature, inflationary pressures and domestic and international politics. For example, events occurring in nature (such as earthquakes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as coups or military confrontations) can affect the overall supply of a natural resource and the value of companies involved in such natural resource. Political risks and other risks to which non-US companies are subject also may affect US companies if they have significant operations or investments in non-US countries. In addition, interest rates, prices of raw materials and other commodities, international economic developments, energy conservation, tax and other government regulations (both US and non-US) may affect the supply of and demand for natural resources, which can affect the profitability and value of securities issued by companies in the natural resources category. Securities of companies within specific natural resources sub-categories can perform differently than the overall market. This may be due to changes in such things as the regulatory or competitive environment or to changes in investor perceptions.
Non-Diversification Risk. The NAV of the Portfolio may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
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Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity. Additionally, certain non-US markets may rely heavily on particular industries and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. International trade barriers or economic sanctions against foreign countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals may adversely affect the Portfolio’s foreign holdings or exposures.
There are ongoing concerns regarding the economies of certain European countries and/or their sovereign debt following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (known as “Brexit”). Any additional exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on European and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth.
Other Equity Securities Risk. Preferred stock is subject to credit and interest rate risk and the risk that the dividend on the stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer and, unlike common stock, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. The market value of a convertible security tends to perform like that of a regular debt security so that, if market interest rates rise, the value of the convertible security falls. Investments in rights and warrants involve certain risks including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale, price fluctuations and the failure of the price of the underlying security to reach a level at which the right or warrant can be prudently exercised, in which case the right or warrant may expire without being exercised and result in a loss of the Portfolio’s entire investment.
Preferred Securities Risk. There are various risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including credit risk; interest rate risk; deferral and omission of distributions; subordination; call and reinvestment risk; limited liquidity; limited voting rights and special issuer redemption rights. In addition, unlike common stock, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited.
· Credit risk is the risk that a security held by the Portfolio will decline in price or the issuer of the security will fail to make dividend, interest or principal payments when due because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status.
· Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. When market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. Securities with longer periods before maturity or effective durations may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.
· Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer or omit distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer.
· Preferred securities are generally subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in an issuer’s capital structure in terms of having priority to corporate income, claims to corporate assets and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than more senior debt instruments.
· During periods of declining interest rates, an issuer may be able to exercise an option to call, or redeem, its issue at par earlier than the scheduled maturity, which is generally known as call risk. If this occurs during a time of lower or declining interest rates, the Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities (and the Portfolio may not benefit from any increase in the value of its portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates). This is known as reinvestment risk.
· Certain preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks or US government securities. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to
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be sold at the time desired by the Portfolio or at prices approximating the value at which the Portfolio is carrying the securities on its books.
· Generally, traditional preferred securities offer no voting rights with respect to the issuer unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board. Generally, once all the arrearages have been paid, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights. Hybrid-preferred security holders generally have no voting rights.
· In certain varying circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to a specified date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in US federal income tax or securities laws. As with call provisions, a redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security held by the Portfolio
Quantitative Model Risk. The success of a Portfolio’s investment strategy may depend largely upon the effectiveness of the Investment Manager’s quantitative model. A quantitative model, such as the risk and other models used by the Investment Manager requires adherence to a systematic, disciplined process. The Investment Manager’s ability to monitor and, if necessary, adjust its quantitative model could be adversely affected by various factors, including incorrect or outdated market and other data inputs. Factors that affect a security’s value can change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in the quantitative model. In addition, the factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security’s value.
Real Estate Investments and REITs Risk. The Portfolio’s investments in Real Estate Investments, including REITs, could lose money due to the performance of real estate-related securities even if securities markets generally are experiencing positive results. The performance of these investments may be determined to a great extent by the current status of the real estate industry in general, or by other factors (such as interest rates and the availability of loan capital) that may affect the real estate industry, even if other industries would not be so affected. Consequently, investments in Real Estate Investments could lead to investment results that may be significantly different from investments in other real assets categories or investments in the broader securities markets. The risks related to investments in Real Estate Investments include, but are not limited to: adverse changes in general economic and local market conditions; adverse developments in employment; changes in supply or demand for similar or competing properties; unfavorable changes in applicable taxes, governmental regulations and interest rates; operating or development expenses; and lack of available financing.
Due to certain special considerations that apply to REITs, investments in REITs may carry additional risks not necessarily present in investments in other securities. REIT securities (including those trading on national exchanges) typically have trading volumes that are less than those of securities of other types of companies, which may affect the Portfolio’s ability to trade or liquidate those securities. An investment in a REIT may be adversely affected if the REIT fails to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including failing to qualify as a REIT under the Code. Failure to qualify with any of these requirements could jeopardize a company’s status as a REIT. The Portfolio generally will have no control over the operations and policies of a REIT, and the Portfolio generally will have no ability to cause a REIT to take the actions necessary to qualify as a REIT.
Sector Risk. Implementation of the Portfolio’s investment strategy may, during certain periods, result in the investment of a significant portion of the Portfolio’s assets in a particular market sector, such as information technology companies, or companies in the health care, financials or consumer discretionary sectors, and the Portfolio would be expected to be affected by developments in that sector.
Information technology companies generally operate in intensely competitive markets on a worldwide basis. This level of competition can put pressure on the prices of their products and services which could adversely affect their profitability. Also, because technological development in many areas increases at a rapid rate, these companies often produce products with very short life cycles and face the risk of product obsolescence. Other
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risks include changes in consumer preferences, competition for qualified personnel, the effects of economic slowdowns, dependence on intellectual property rights and the impact of government regulation.
Companies in the health care sector can be significantly affected by the adverse impact of legislative actions and government regulations. These actions and regulations can affect the approval process for patents, medical devices and drugs, the funding of research and medical care programs, and the operation and licensing of facilities and personnel.
Companies in the financials sector can be significantly affected by, among other things: government regulation; changes in interest rates and/or monetary policy and general economic conditions; the availability and cost of capital; capital requirements; decreased liquidity in credit markets; and the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt. Deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including the US and international credit and interbank markets generally, which could affect a wide range of financial institutions and markets. In addition, companies in the financials sector are often more highly leveraged than other companies, making them inherently riskier.
The value of companies in the consumer discretionary sector, which manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to consumers, is tied closely to the performance of the overall US and international economies, interest rates, currency exchange rates and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. As a result, the consumer discretionary sector encompasses those companies that tend to be the most sensitive to economic cycles. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on profitability. Changes in demographics, social trends and consumer preferences also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products in the marketplace.
Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Short Position Risk. Short sales or positions may involve substantial risks. If a short position appreciates in value during a period of the Portfolio’s investment, there will be a loss to the Portfolio that could be substantial. Short positions involve more risk than long positions because the maximum sustainable loss on a security purchased is limited to the amount paid for the security plus the transaction costs. However, the Portfolio’s potential loss on a short position is unlimited because, theoretically, there is no limit to the potential price increase of a security.
In taking a short position in securities through total return swap agreements (which generally entitle the Portfolio to the economic equivalent of gains or losses and dividends on the subject securities during the period of the swap agreements), the Portfolio will incur transaction costs similar to interest or financing charges that will reduce any gains or increase any losses. Short sales of securities also may involve additional transaction-related costs such as those in connection with borrowing the securities sold short.
There is a risk that the Portfolio may be unable to fully implement its investment strategies due to a lack of available swap arrangements or securities to borrow to effect short sales or for some other reason.
When seeking to effect short sales of securities, the Portfolio may not always be able to borrow a security the Portfolio seeks to sell short at a particular time or at an acceptable price. In addition, the Portfolio may not always be able to close out a short sale position at a particular time or at an acceptable price. If the lender of a borrowed security requires the Portfolio to return the security to it on short notice, and the Portfolio is unable to borrow the security from another lender, the Portfolio may have to buy the borrowed security at an unfavorable price, resulting in a loss. In addition, the Portfolio’s short sales transactions are dependent on counterparties to its securities borrowing transactions and are subject to the risk of default by a counterparty, which could result in a loss of Portfolio assets used as collateral or the loss of monies owed to the Portfolio by a counterparty.
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It is possible that the market value of the securities the Portfolio holds in long positions will decline at the same time that the market value of the securities to which the Portfolio has short exposure increases, thereby increasing the Portfolio’s potential volatility.
Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Small Cap Companies Risk. Small cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.
Sovereign Debt Risk. Investments in non-US sovereign debt obligations create exposure to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social or economic conditions and events in the countries that issue the obligations and involve special risks not present in investments in US government debt or debt of corporate issuers. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt may be more volatile than prices of US government debt or debt of corporate issuers and there may be limited secondary market liquidity. The issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Portfolio may have limited recourse in the event of a default. For example, there may be no bankruptcy or similar proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers, and certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis, which has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Certain emerging markets countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debt.
A sovereign debt obligor’s ability or willingness to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the size of the debt service burden to its economy as a whole, the political constraints to which the debtor may be subject and other political or diplomatic considerations. Certain issuers of sovereign debt may be dependent on disbursements from governments, multilateral agencies and others to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. Such disbursements may be conditioned upon the debtor’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. A failure on the part of the debtor 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 debtor, which may impair the debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts on a timely basis.
Structured Products Risk. Structured notes and other structured products are privately negotiated debt instruments where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to a specified asset, market or rate, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. Structured products can have risks of both fixed income securities and derivatives transactions (described above).
Subsidiary and Tax Status Risk. The Portfolio invests in the Subsidiary, which is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act. A regulatory change in the US or the Cayman Islands, under which the Portfolio and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, that impacts the Subsidiary or how the Portfolio invests in the Subsidiary, such as a change in tax law, could prevent the Portfolio or the Subsidiary from operating as described in the Prospectus and could adversely affect the Portfolio. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Portfolio is exposed
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to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments, which generally include the risks of investing in commodity-related derivative instruments (described elsewhere in this Prospectus).
Income and gains from commodities or certain commodity-linked derivative instruments do not constitute “qualifying income” to the Portfolio for purposes of qualification as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. Without such qualification, the Portfolio could be subject to tax. The Portfolio intends to take the position that income and gains from its investments in the Subsidiary and certain commodity-linked derivatives will constitute “qualifying income.” The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has announced that it will no longer issue private letter rulings regarding this matter; however, the Portfolio anticipates that all income and gains earned by the Subsidiary will constitute “qualifying income,” as the Subsidiary intends to make corresponding distributions of those earnings to the Portfolio at least once during every taxable year, consistent with Section 851(b) of the Code. The tax treatment of the Portfolio’s investments in the Subsidiary and commodity-linked derivative instruments could affect whether income derived from such investment is “qualifying income” under the Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Portfolio’s taxable income or any gains and distributions made by the Portfolio. The IRS has recently adopted regulations that generally treat the Portfolio’s inclusion of income with respect to a subsidiary as “qualifying income” if there is a distribution out of the earnings and profits of the Subsidiary that are attributable to such income inclusion. If the IRS were able to successfully assert that the Portfolio’s income from such investments was not “qualifying income,” the Portfolio would fail to qualify as a RIC if over 10% of its gross income was derived from these investments. The Portfolio’s failure to qualify as a RIC would significantly adversely affect the returns to, and could cause losses for, Portfolio shareholders.
Sustainable Investing Risk. The Portfolio’s performance is dependent upon, among other things, the success of its investment strategy as implemented by the Investment Manager (i.e., the performance of the investments purchased pursuant to the investment strategy). The Portfolio’s investment strategy focuses on investing in companies that satisfy the criteria for being considered a Sustainable Company (as described above), which may cause the Investment Manager to forgo investments for the Portfolio that the Investment Manager otherwise believes may be attractive but that are not considered to be Sustainable Companies. Investments in Sustainable Companies may perform differently than investments in other companies. As a result, the Portfolio may underperform funds that pursue a different investment strategy, such as a fund that does not focus on investing in Sustainable Companies.
Underlying Funds Risk. Shares of ETFs and closed-end funds may trade at prices at, below or above their NAV. Shares of closed-end funds, in particular, frequently trade at persistent discounts to their NAV. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. The Portfolio’s investments in Underlying Funds are subject to the risks of Underlying Funds’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in Underlying Funds. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio’s proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs and closed-end funds in which the Portfolio invests. If an exemption is not available under the 1940 Act, the Portfolio will be limited in the amount it can invest in Underlying Funds that are registered investment companies to: (1) 3% or less of an Underlying Fund’s voting shares, (2) an Underlying Fund’s shares in value equal to or less than 5% of the Portfolio’s assets and (3) shares of Underlying Funds in the aggregate in value equal to or less than 10% of the Portfolio’s total assets. Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including a closed-end fund or ETF, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Value Investing Risk. Value investments are believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. These stocks may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of stocks.
Volatility Management Risk. While the Investment Manager generally will seek to achieve, over a full market cycle, the level of volatility in the Portfolio’s performance as described in the strategy section, there can be no guarantee that this will be achieved; actual or realized volatility for any particular period may be materially higher or lower
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depending on market conditions. In addition, the Investment Manager’s efforts to manage the Portfolio’s volatility can be expected, in a period of generally positive equity market returns, to reduce the Portfolio’s performance below what could be achieved without seeking to manage volatility and, thus, the Portfolio would generally be expected to underperform market indices that do not seek to achieve a specified level of volatility.
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Lazard Retirement Series Fund Management
Lazard Asset Management LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112-6300, serves as the Investment Manager of each Portfolio. The Investment Manager provides day-to-day management of each Portfolio’s investments and assists in the overall management of the Fund’s affairs. The Investment Manager and its global affiliates provide investment management services to client discretionary accounts with assets totaling approximately $240.3 billion as of December 31, 2021. Its clients are both individuals and institutions, some of whose accounts have investment policies similar to those of several of the Portfolios.
The Fund has agreed to pay the Investment Manager an investment management fee at the annual rate set forth below as a percentage of the relevant Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The investment management fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, the Investment Manager waived a portion of its management fees with respect to Lazard Retirement Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement International Equity Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio, resulting in such Portfolios paying the Investment Manager an investment management fee at the effective annual rate of .61%, .67% and .64%, respectively.
Name of Portfolio | Investment | |||
Retirement US Equity Concentrated Portfolio | .70% | |||
Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio | .60% | |||
Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio | .70% | |||
Retirement International Equity Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement International Equity Advantage Portfolio | .65% | |||
Retirement International Equity Select Portfolio | .65% | |||
Retirement International Equity Value Portfolio | .80% | |||
Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement International Strategic Equity Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement International Small Cap Equity Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement Managed Equity Volatility Portfolio | .60% | |||
Retirement Global Strategic Equity Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio | .80% | |||
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio | 1.00% | |||
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio | .75% | |||
Retirement Developing Markets Equity Portfolio | 1.00% | |||
Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio | 1.00% | |||
Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio | .90% | |||
Retirement Real Assets Portfolio | .60% | |||
Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio | .95% | |||
Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio | 1.00% | |||
Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio | .80% |
A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the management agreement between the Fund, on behalf of each Portfolio, except Lazard Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio, and the Investment Manager is available in the Fund’s semi-annual reports to shareholders for the period ended June 30, 2021.
A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the management agreement between the Fund, on behalf of Lazard Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio, and the Investment Manager is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2021.
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The Investment Manager has a contractual agreement to waive its fee and, if necessary, reimburse each Portfolio until April 29, 2023 (except as otherwise noted), to the extent Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses exceed the amounts shown below (expressed as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio’s Service Shares and Investor Shares), exclusive of taxes, brokerage, interest on borrowings, dividend, interest and borrowing expenses on securities sold short (Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio only), fees and expenses of “Acquired Funds,” fees and expenses related to filing foreign tax reclaims and extraordinary expenses. This expense limitation agreement can only be amended by agreement of the Fund, upon approval by the Board, and the Investment Manager to lower the net amount shown and will terminate automatically in the event of termination of the Management Agreement between the Investment Manager and the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios. The addition of expenses excluded from the expense limitation agreement, particularly Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and Dividend and Borrowing Expenses on Securities Sold Short, as applicable, will cause Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement to exceed, for each Class, the maximum amounts agreed to by the Investment Manager.
Name of Portfolio | Service | Investor | ||||
Retirement US Equity Concentrated Portfolio | 1.15% | .90% | ||||
Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio | 1.00% | .75% | ||||
Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio | 1.15% | 1.00% | ||||
Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio* | 1.15% | .90% | ||||
Retirement International Equity Portfolio | 1.10% | .85% | ||||
Retirement International Equity Advantage Portfolio | 1.15% | .90% | ||||
Retirement International Equity Select Portfolio | 1.15% | .90% | ||||
Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio | 1.10% | .85% | ||||
Retirement International Equity Value Portfolio | 1.20% | .95% | ||||
Retirement International Strategic Equity Portfolio | 1.30% | 1.05% | ||||
Retirement International Small Cap Equity Portfolio | 1.38% | 1.13% | ||||
Retirement Managed Equity Volatility Portfolio | 1.00% | .75% | ||||
Retirement Global Strategic Equity Portfolio | 1.20% | .95% | ||||
Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio | 1.20% | .95% | ||||
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio | 1.45% | 1.20% | ||||
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio | 1.15% | .90% | ||||
Retirement Developing Markets Equity Portfolio | 1.40% | 1.15% | ||||
Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio | 1.40% | 1.15% | ||||
Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio | 1.45% | 1.20% | ||||
Retirement Real Assets Portfolio | 1.05% | .80% | ||||
Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio | 1.50% | 1.25% | ||||
Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio | 1.27% | 1.02% | ||||
Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio** | 1.05% | .90% |
* This agreement will remain in effect until October 29, 2023.
** This agreement will remain in effect until April 29, 2032, for Investor Shares.
The Investment Manager manages the Portfolios on a team basis. The team is involved in all levels of the investment process. This team approach allows for every portfolio manager to benefit from the views of his or her peers. Each portfolio management team is comprised of multiple team members. Although their roles and the contributions they make may differ, each member of the team participates in the management of the respective Portfolio. Members of each portfolio management team discuss the portfolio, including making investment recommendations, overall portfolio composition, and the like. Research analysts perform fundamental research on issuers (based on, for example, sectors or geographic regions) in which the Portfolio may invest.
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The names of the persons on each Portfolio’s management team are as follows (along with the date they joined the Portfolio’s management team):
Retirement US Equity Concentrated Portfolio—Christopher H. Blake, Martin Flood and Jay Levy
Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio—Andrew D. Lacey, H. Ross Seiden, Martin Flood, Jessica Kittay* and Ronald Temple
Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio—Daniel Breslin (since May 2007), Janice Davies (since April 2021), Michael DeBernardis (since October 2010) and Martin Flood (since December 2014)
Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio—Oren Shiran and Stefan T. Tang
Retirement International Equity Portfolio—Michael G. Fry (since November 2005), Michael A. Bennett (since May 2003), Kevin J. Matthews (since May 2013), Michael Powers (since May 2003), Giles Edwards (since May 2019), Paul Selvey-Clinton (since February 2022) and John R. Reinsberg# (since September 1998)
Retirement International Equity Select Portfolio—Michael G. Fry, Michael A. Bennett, James M. Donald, Kevin J. Matthews, Michael Powers, Giles Edwards, Paul Selvey-Clinton and John R. Reinsberg**
Retirement International Equity Advantage Portfolio—Paul Moghtader, Taras Ivanenko, Ciprian Marin, Craig Scholl, Susanne Willumsen and Alex Lai
Retirement International Quality Growth Portfolio—Louis Florentin-Lee, Barnaby Wilson, Mark Little, Robin O. Jones and Robert Failla
Retirement International Equity Value Portfolio—Erik Van Der Sande
Retirement International Strategic Equity Portfolio—Mark Little, Robin O. Jones, Michael A. Bennett, Jimmie Bork and John R. Reinsberg**
Retirement International Small Cap Equity Portfolio—Edward Rosenfeld, Alex Ingham and John R. Reinsberg**
Retirement Managed Equity Volatility Portfolio—Paul Moghtader, Taras Ivanenko, Ciprian Marin, Craig Scholl, Susanne Willumsen and Alex Lai
Retirement Global Strategic Equity Portfolio—Robin O. Jones, Mark Little, John R. Reinsberg and Jimmie Bork
Retirement Equity Franchise Portfolio—Bertrand Cliquet, Matthew Landy, John Mulquiney and Warryn Robertson
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio—James M. Donald (since November 2001), Rohit Chopra (since May 2007), Monika Shrestha (since December 2014), Ganesh Ramachandran (since July 2020) and John R. Reinsberg** (since November 1997)
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio—Paul Moghtader, Taras Ivanenko, Ciprian Marin, Craig Scholl, Susanne Willumsen and Alex Lai
Retirement Developing Markets Equity Portfolio—Kevin O’Hare, Peter Gillespie, James M. Donald*** and John R. Reinsberg**
Retirement Emerging Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio—Rohit Chopra, Ganesh Ramachandran and John R. Reinsberg**
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Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio—Bertrand Cliquet, Matthew Landy, John Mulquiney and Warryn Robertson
Retirement Real Assets Portfolio—Jai Jacob, Terence P. Brennan, Stephen Marra, Dan McGoey and Kim Tilley
Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio—Sean Reynolds and Frank Bianco
Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio—Stephen Marra, Jai Jacob, Thomas McManus and Kim Tilley
Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio—Stephen Marra (since May 2013), Jai Jacob (since April 2012) and Kim Tilley (since May 2020)
# In addition to his oversight responsibility as described below, Mr. Donald or Mr. Reinsberg, as the case may be, is a member of the portfolio management team.
* As a client portfolio manager, Ms. Kittay participates in management of this Portfolio and has trade implementation and portfolio construction responsibilities, but is not responsible for its day-to-day management.
** As a Deputy Chairman of the Investment Manager, Mr. Reinsberg is ultimately responsible for overseeing this Portfolio but is not responsible for its day-to-day management.
*** As head of the Emerging Markets Group, Mr. Donald is ultimately responsible for overseeing this Portfolio but is not responsible for its day-to-day management.
For Portfolios that have not yet commenced operations, the listed portfolio managers are anticipated to serve upon commencement of operations.
Biographical Information of Portfolio Management Team
Michael A. Bennett, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1992, Mr. Bennett was with General Electric Investment Corporation, Keith Lippert Associates and Arthur Andersen & Company. Mr. Bennett has been working in the investment field since 1987.
Frank Bianco, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s capital structure and convertibles-based teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2009, Mr. Bianco was a portfolio manager and Head of Credit Research at Argent Funds Group LLC, where he oversaw domestic and international convertible bond, high yield and equity derivative portfolios. Previously, Mr. Bianco had analyst roles at McMahan Securities, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and AIG, where he began his career in the investment field in 1991.
Christopher H. Blake, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Equity Concentrated team. Mr. Blake joined the Investment Manager in 1995, when he began working in the investment field as a research analyst for the Investment Manager.
Jimmie Bork, a Senior Vice President of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity Income, International Strategic Equity and Global Strategic Equity teams. He joined the Investment Manager in 2016 and has been working in the investment field since 2011. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Bork was an Equity Analyst with Legal & General and Credit Suisse.
Terence P. Brennan, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2016, he was Lead Portfolio Manager of the Deutsche Asset Management Global Commodity Strategy. Previously he was an Emerging Markets Analyst for Zurich Scudder and Merrill Lynch Asset Management. He began working in the investment field in 1990.
Daniel Breslin, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Small-Mid Cap Equity team. He began working in the investment field in 1992. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2002, Mr. Breslin was with Guardian Life and New York Life.
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Rohit Chopra, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team, focusing on consumer and telecommunications research and analysis. He began working in the investment field in 1996. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1999, Mr. Chopra was with Financial Resources Group, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley.
Bertrand Cliquet is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2004, Mr. Cliquet was a utility analyst at Goldman Sachs International in London, and a merger and acquisition analyst at Deutsche Bank. He has been working in the investment field since 1999.
Janice Davies, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Small-Mid Cap Equity team. She joined the Investment Manager in 2021 and has been working in the investment field since 1999.
Michael DeBernardis, a Senior Vice President of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Small-Mid Cap Equity and Global Small Cap Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2005, Mr. DeBernardis was a Senior Equity Analyst at Systematic Financial Management L.P. and a Market Data Analyst at Salomon Smith Barney. He began working in the investment field in 1996.
James M. Donald, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team and Head of the Emerging Markets Group. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1996, Mr. Donald was a portfolio manager with Mercury Asset Management. Mr. Donald is a Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) Charterholder.
Giles Edwards, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International teams. Prior to joining the investment teams, he was a research analyst with a background in media, automotive, and services. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2008, Mr. Edwards was a Management Accountant at BSkyB.
Robert Failla, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International Quality Growth team. He joined the Investment Manager in 2003 and has been working in the investment field since 1993.
Martin Flood, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1996, Mr. Flood was a Senior Accountant with Arthur Andersen LLP. He began working in the investment field in 1993.
Louis Florentin-Lee, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity Select team. He joined the Investment Manager in 2004 and has been working in the investment field since 1996.
Michael G. Fry, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2005, Mr. Fry held several positions at UBS Global Asset Management, including Head of Global Equity Portfolio Management, Global Head of Equity Research and Head of Australian Equities. Mr. Fry began working in the investment field in 1981.
Peter Gillespie, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Developing Markets Equity team. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2007, Mr. Gillespie was a portfolio manager at Newgate Capital, LLP and GE Asset Management and an analyst at Sinta Capital Corp. Mr. Gillespie is a CFA Charterholder.
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Alex Ingham, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets, International and Global Small Cap Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2011, Mr. Ingham was with Aviva Investors (formerly Morley Fund Management), Aberdeen Asset Management, Hill Samuel Asset Management and City Financial Partners Limited. He began working in the investment field in 1996.
Taras Ivanenko, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2007, he was a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Global Active Equity group at State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”). He began working in the investment field in 1995. He is a CFA Charterholder.
Jai Jacob, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team. Mr. Jacob began working in the investment field in 1998 when he joined the Investment Manager.
Robin O. Jones, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams. Prior to rejoining the Investment Manager in 2007, Mr. Jones was a portfolio manager for Bluecrest Capital Management since 2006. Mr. Jones initially joined the Investment Manager in 2002, when he began working in the investment field.
Jessica Kittay, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a member of various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams. She joined the Investment Manager in 2010 and has been working in the investment field since 2001.
Andrew D. Lacey, a Deputy Chairman of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams. Mr. Lacey joined the Investment Manager in 1996 and has been working in the investment field since 1995.
Alex Lai, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2008, he was a Vice President and Quantitative Portfolio Manager in the Global Active Equity group at SSgA. Mr. Lai began working in the investment field in 2002 and is a CFA Charterholder.
Matthew Landy is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2005, Mr. Landy worked in the private equity industry where he was involved in early stage venture capital in Europe and management buy-out investing in Australia. Previously he was an Equity Analyst with Tyndall Investment Management.
Jay Levy, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Equity Concentrated team. He joined the Investment Manager in 2017 and has been working in the investment field since 1998.
Mark Little, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International and Global Strategic Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1997, Mr. Little was a manager with the Coopers & Lybrand corporate finance practice. He began working in the investment field in 1992.
Ciprian Marin, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2008, Mr. Marin was a Senior Portfolio Manager at SSgA, managing European, UK and Global funds. He began working in the investment field in 1997.
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Stephen Marra, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, specializing in strategy research. Prior to joining the Multi-Asset team, Mr. Marra worked in Settlements, Fixed Income Risk and Quantitative Technology. He began working in the investment field in 1999 upon joining the Investment Manager.
Kevin J. Matthews, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams. Prior to joining the International Equity teams, Mr. Matthews was a research analyst with a background in financial, automotive, aerospace and capital goods sectors. He began working in the investment field in 2001 when he joined the Investment Manager.
Dan McGoey, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2021, he was a Managing Director and Research Analyst at Citigroup in New York and Sao Paulo, where he was also Head of Brazil Research. Previously, he was an Equity Analyst with Deutsche Bank in New York and Mexico City. He has been working in the investment field since 1995.
Thomas M. McManus, a Senior Advisor of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team, specializing in macroeconomic forecasting and asset allocation. He began working in the investment field in 1980. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2010, Mr. McManus was Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Wells Fargo Advisors. Previously, he was Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist at Bank of America Securities LLC. Mr. McManus started his career at Morgan Stanley in 1980 in strategic planning and equity derivatives. From 1983 to 1991, he was a member of the Global Equity Derivatives department at Goldman Sachs.
Paul Moghtader, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2007, he was Head of the Global Active Equity Group and a Senior Portfolio Manager at SSgA. Mr. Moghtader began his career at Dain Bosworth as a research assistant when he began working in the investment field in 1992. He is a CFA Charterholder.
John Mulquiney is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in August 2005, Mr. Mulquiney worked at Tyndall Australia and in the Asset and Infrastructure Group at Macquarie Bank, where he undertook transactions and developed valuation models for airports, electricity generators, rail projects and health infrastructure. Mr. Mulquiney is a CFA Charterholder.
Kevin O’Hare, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Developing Markets Equity team, focusing on the technology, health care, telecommunications and consumer discretionary sectors. He began working in the investment field in 1991. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2001, Mr. O’Hare was with Merrill Lynch and Moore Capital Management. Mr. O’Hare is a CFA Charterholder.
Michael Powers, a Senior Advisor of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s International Equity teams. He began working in the investment field in 1990 when he joined the Investment Manager.
Ganesh Ramachandran, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Income and Emerging Markets Equity teams. Mr. Ramachandran began working in the investment field in 1997 when he joined the Investment Manager.
John R. Reinsberg, a Deputy Chairman of the Investment Manager, is responsible for oversight of International and Global strategies. He also is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and
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International Equity teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1992, he served as Executive Vice President of General Electric Investment Corporation and Trustee of the General Electric Pension Trust. Mr. Reinsberg began working in the investment field in 1981.
Sean Reynolds, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s capital structure and convertibles-based teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2007, Mr. Reynolds was a portfolio manager for convertible arbitrage strategies at SAC Capital Management and a senior portfolio manager at Sailfish Capital Partners’ G2 Multistrategy Fund. In addition, he previously had portfolio management and/or trading roles with Clinton Group, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Merrill Lynch. Mr. Reynolds began working in the investment field in 1993.
Warryn Robertson is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in April 2001, Mr. Robertson spent three years with Capital Partners, an independent advisory house, where he was an associate director developing business valuations for infrastructure assets and other alternative equity investments including airports, toll roads, timber plantations, power stations and coal mines. Mr. Robertson is a member of the Securities Institute of Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Edward Rosenfeld, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global, International and European Small Cap Equity teams. He began working in the investment industry in 1996. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2001, Mr. Rosenfeld was an analyst with J.P. Morgan.
Craig Scholl, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2007, he was a Principal and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Global Active Equity group of SSgA. Mr. Scholl began working in the investment field in 1984 and is a CFA Charterholder.
H. Ross Seiden, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity teams. Mr. Seiden began working in the investment field in 2006. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2010, Mr. Seiden was an equity research associate covering the financials sector at Credit Suisse.
Paul Selvey-Clinton, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s European Equity, International Equity and International Equity Select teams. He joined the Investment Manager in 2014 and has been working in the investment field since 2006. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Selvey-Clinton was an Equity Analyst and Partner with Occitan Capital and an Equity Analyst with Brevan Howard Asset Management.
Oren Shiran, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Systematic Equity team. He began working in the investment field in 2005. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2019, Mr. Shiran was a co-founder and managing partner with Baylight Capital, LLC (“Baylight Capital”).
Monika Shrestha, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team, responsible for research coverage of companies in the financials sector. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2003, Ms. Shrestha was a principal at Waterview Advisors and a Corporate Finance Analyst with Salomon Smith Barney. Ms. Shrestha began working in the investment field in 1997.
168
Stefan T. Tang, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s US Systematic Equity team. He began working in the investment field in 2005. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2019, Mr. Tang was a co-founder and managing partner with Baylight Capital.
Ronald Temple, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is responsible for oversight of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Multi-Asset Strategies. He is also a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s US Equity and Global Equity teams. Mr. Temple joined the Investment Manager in 2001 and has been working in the investment field since 1991.
Kim Tilley, a Senior Vice President of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Multi-Asset team. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2002, Ms. Tilley worked on the Institutional Equity Sales Desk at Wachovia Securities, Inc.
Erik Van Der Sande, a Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s International Equity Value team. Mr. Van Der Sande began working in the investment field in 2002. Prior to joining Lazard in 2018, Mr. Van Der Sande was a Principal and co-founder of LRV Capital.
Susanne Willumsen, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on various of the Investment Manager’s Global Advantage portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2008, she was Managing Director, Head of Active Equities Europe with SSgA. Ms. Willumsen began working in the investment field in 1993.
Barnaby Wilson, a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, is a portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity team. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 1999, Mr. Wilson worked for Orbitex Investments. He began working in the investment field in 1998, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Additional information about the compensation and other accounts managed by members of the portfolio management team, as well as each team member’s ownership of shares of the relevant Portfolio(s), is contained in the Fund’s SAI.
State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), located at One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, serves as each Portfolio’s administrator and acts as custodian of the Portfolios’ investments.
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. (“DST”) acts as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent.
Lazard Asset Management Securities LLC (the “Distributor”) acts as distributor for the Fund’s shares.
169
Lazard Retirement Series Account Policies
Portfolio shares are currently offered only to separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies. Individuals may not purchase shares directly from the Fund. Policy owners should consult the applicable prospectus of the separate account of the Participating Insurance Company for more information about buying Portfolio shares.
Share purchase orders from separate accounts received in proper form by the Participating Insurance Company prior to the time a Portfolio calculates its NAV on a given business day are priced at the Portfolio’s NAV calculated on such day, provided that the order, and Federal Funds in the net amount of such order, are received by the Fund in proper form on the next business day. The Participating Insurance Company is responsible for properly transmitting purchase orders and Federal Funds. The Fund may refuse or restrict purchase requests for Portfolio shares if, in the judgment of the Fund’s management, a Portfolio would be unable to invest the money effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies or could otherwise be adversely affected or if the Portfolio receives or anticipates receiving simultaneous orders that may significantly affect the Portfolio (e.g., amounts equal to 1% or more of the Portfolio’s total assets). The Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio’s NAV will be disclosed daily at www.lazardassetmanagement.com or by calling (800) 823-6300.
Market Timing/Excessive Trading
Each Portfolio is intended to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not designed to provide investors with a means of speculating on short-term market movements. Excessive trading, market timing or other abusive trading practices may disrupt investment management strategies and harm performance and may create increased transaction and administrative costs that must be borne by the Portfolios and their investors, including those not engaged in such activity. In addition, such activity may dilute the value of Portfolio shares held by long-term investors. The Board has approved policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares that are intended to discourage and prevent these practices, including regular monitoring of trading activity in Portfolio shares. The Fund will not knowingly accommodate excessive trading, market timing or other abusive trading practices.
The Fund routinely reviews Portfolio share transactions and seeks to identify and deter abusive trading practices. The Fund monitors for transactions that may be harmful to a Portfolio, either on an individual basis or as part of a pattern of abusive trading practices. Each Portfolio reserves the right to refuse, with or without notice, any purchase request that could adversely affect the Portfolio, its operations or its investors, including those requests from any Participating Insurance Company with respect to any separate account or Policy owner who, in the Fund’s view, is likely to engage in excessive trading, market timing or other abusive trading practices. Where, after consultation with the Participating Insurance Company, a particular Policy owner appears to be engaged in abusive trading practices, the Fund will seek to restrict future purchases of Portfolio shares by that Policy owner. The Fund may deem a Policy owner to be engaged in abusive trading practices without advance notice and based on information unrelated to the specific trades in the account. For instance, the Fund may determine that the Policy owner’s account is linked to another account that was previously restricted or a third party intermediary may provide information to the Fund with respect to a particular Policy owner that is of concern to the Fund. Accounts under common ownership, control or perceived affiliation may be considered together for purposes of determining a pattern of excessive trading practices. Generally, a Policy owner who effects transactions that appear to coincide with a market timing strategy may be deemed to be engaged in excessive trading. In certain cases, the Fund may deem a single “roundtrip” trade or exchange (redeeming or exchanging a Portfolio’s shares followed by purchasing or exchanging into shares of that Portfolio) as a violation of the Fund’s policy against abusive trading practices. The Fund’s actions may not be subject to appeal.
To discourage attempts to arbitrage pricing of international securities (among other reasons), the Board has adopted policies and procedures providing that if events materially affecting the value of securities occur between the close of the exchange or market on which the securities are principally traded and the time when a Portfolio’s NAV is calculated, such securities will be valued at their fair value as determined by, or in accordance with procedures approved by, the Board. See “Account Policies—Calculation of Net Asset Value.” The codes of ethics
170
of the Fund, the Investment Manager and the Distributor in respect of personal trading contain limitations on trading in Portfolio shares.
The Fund may take up to seven days to pay redemption proceeds. This may occur when, among other circumstances, the redeeming account is engaged in excessive trading or if the redemption request otherwise would be disruptive to efficient portfolio management or would otherwise adversely affect the Portfolio.
All of the policies described in this section apply uniformly to all Portfolio investors. However, while the Fund and the Investment Manager will take reasonable steps to prevent trading practices deemed to be harmful to a Portfolio by monitoring Portfolio share trading activity, they may not be able to prevent or identify such trading. If the Fund is not able to prevent abusive trading practices, such trading may disrupt investment strategies, harm performance and increase costs to all Portfolio investors, including those not engaged in such activity.
Securities trading in non-US markets are particularly susceptible to time zone arbitrage. As a result, Portfolios investing in securities trading in non-US markets, including Lazard Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio, which may invest in Underlying Funds that invest in securities trading in non-US markets, may be at greater risk for market timing than funds that invest in securities trading in US markets.
Calculation of Net Asset Value
The NAV per share for each Class of each Portfolio is determined each day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for trading as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE, and will price its shares as of 4:00 p.m., if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE. The Fund values securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available at market value. Securities and other assets for which current market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures approved by the Board.
Calculation of NAV may not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of portfolio assets used in such calculation. If a significant event materially affecting the value of securities occurs between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded and the time when NAV is calculated, or when current market quotations otherwise are determined not to be readily available or reliable, such securities will be valued at their fair value as determined by, or in accordance with procedures approved by, the Board. The fair value of non-US securities may be determined with the assistance of an independent pricing service using correlations between the movement of prices of such securities and indices of US securities and other appropriate indicators, such as closing market prices of relevant ADRs and futures contracts. The effect of using fair value pricing is that the NAV will reflect the affected securities’ values as determined in the judgment of the Board or its designee instead of being determined by the market. Using a fair value pricing methodology to price securities may result in a value that is different from the most recent closing price of a security and from the prices used by other investment companies to calculate their portfolios’ NAVs. Non-US securities may trade on days when a Portfolio is not open for business, thus affecting the value of the Portfolio’s assets on days when Portfolio shareholders may not be able to buy or sell Portfolio shares.
Distribution and Servicing Arrangements
Each Portfolio offers Service and Investor Shares. Service and Investor Shares have different investment minimums and different expense ratios. The Fund has adopted a plan under rule 12b-1 (the “12b-1 plan”) that allows each Portfolio to pay the Distributor a fee, at the annual rate of .25% of the value of the average daily net assets of each Portfolio’s Service Shares, for distribution and services provided to holders of Service Shares. Because these fees are paid out of each Portfolio’s assets on an on-going basis, over time these recurring fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Investor Shares do not pay a rule 12b-1 fee.
171
Participating Insurance Companies may receive payments from the Investment Manager or the Distributor out of their own resources in connection with the Participating Insurance Companies’ offering of Portfolio shares to Policy owners and/or for providing marketing, shareholder servicing, account administration or other services. Such payments are in addition to any fees paid by the Fund pursuant to rule 12b-1.
The receipt of such payments pursuant to the 12b-1 plan or from the Investment Manager or Distributor could create an incentive for the Participating Insurance Companies to offer a Portfolio instead of other mutual funds where such payments are not received. Policy owners should consult the applicable prospectus of the separate account of the Participating Insurance Company for more information about buying and selling Portfolio shares.
Portfolio shares may be sold each business day by the separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies. Individuals may not place sell orders directly with the Fund. Redemption orders from separate accounts received in proper form by the Participating Insurance Companies on a given business day are priced at the NAV calculated on such day, provided that the order is received by the Fund in proper form on the next business day. The Participating Insurance Companies are responsible for properly transmitting redemption orders. Policy owners should consult the applicable prospectus of the separate account of the Participating Insurance Company for more information about selling Portfolio shares.
Redemption proceeds normally will be wired to the Participating Insurance Company within one business day after the request is received in proper form. Payment of redemption proceeds may take longer and may take up to seven days after the order is received in proper form, particularly for very large redemptions or during periods of stressed market conditions or high redemption volume.
The processing of redemptions may be suspended, and the delivery of redemption proceeds may be delayed beyond seven days, depending on the circumstances, for any period: (i) during which the NYSE is closed (other than on holidays or weekends), or during which trading on the NYSE is restricted; (ii) when an emergency exists that makes the disposal of securities owned by a Portfolio or the determination of the fair value of the Portfolio’s net assets not reasonably practicable; or (iii) as permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of Portfolio shareholders. For these purposes, the SEC determines the conditions under which trading shall be deemed to be restricted and an emergency is deemed to exist.
Under normal circumstances, each Portfolio expects to meet redemption requests by using cash it holds in its portfolio or selling portfolio securities to generate cash. Redemption requests also may be satisfied, in whole or in part, through a redemption-in-kind (a payment in portfolio securities instead of cash). A Portfolio may make an in-kind redemption under the following circumstances: (1) (i) the Investment Manager determines that an in-kind redemption is more advantageous to the Portfolio (e.g., due to advantageous tax consequences or lower transaction costs) than selling/purchasing portfolio securities; or the redeeming shareholder has requested an in-kind redemption, (ii) the Investment Manager determines that an in-kind redemption will not favor the redeeming shareholder to the detriment of any other shareholder or the Portfolio, and (iii) the Investment Manager determines that an in-kind redemption is in the best interests of the Portfolio; (2) to manage liquidity risk; (3) in stressed market conditions; or (4) subject to the approval of the Board of the Fund, including a majority of the Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, in other circumstances identified by the Investment Manager. Any securities distributed in-kind will remain exposed to market risk until sold, and transaction costs may be incurred when selling the securities.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Income dividends and net capital gains, if any, are normally distributed annually but may be distributed more frequently. Dividends and distributions of a Portfolio will be reinvested in additional shares of the same Class of the Portfolio at NAV unless instructed otherwise by the relevant Participating Insurance Company. Each share Class of the Portfolio will generate a different dividend because each has different expenses.
172
Since each Portfolio’s shareholders are the Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts, this Prospectus contains no discussion as to the federal income tax consequences to Policy owners. For this information, Policy owners should consult the applicable prospectus of the separate account of the Participating Insurance Company. Participating Insurance Companies should consult their tax advisers about federal, state and local tax consequences.
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Lazard Retirement Series Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables presented for Lazard Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement International Equity Portfolio, Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio are intended to help you understand each Portfolio’s financial performance for the past five years. No financial highlights are presented for the other Portfolios because they had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Portfolio share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Portfolio (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions), if any. The information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with each Portfolio’s financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request. Performance information does not reflect the fees or charges imposed by the Participating Insurance Companies under the Policies, and such fees will have the effect of reducing the Portfolio’s total return. As of the date of this Prospectus, only Lazard Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio and Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio had issued Investor Shares.
LAZARD RETIREMENT US SMALL-MID CAP EQUITY PORTFOLIO
| Selected data for a share of capital |
| Year Ended |
| ||||||||||||||
| stock outstanding throughout each period |
| 12/31/21 |
| 12/31/20 | * | 12/31/19 | * | 12/31/18 | * | 12/31/17 | * |
| |||||
Service Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net asset value, beginning of period |
| $ | 16.27 |
| $ | 16.46 |
| $ | 12.92 |
| $ | 16.66 |
| $ | 16.18 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| (0.03 | ) |
| 0.03 |
|
| 0.04 |
|
| 0.02 |
|
| 0.02 |
|
|
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
| 3.26 |
|
| 0.87 |
|
| 3.80 |
|
| (2.08 | ) |
| 2.14 |
|
|
| Total from investment operations |
|
| 3.23 |
|
| 0.90 |
|
| 3.84 |
|
| (2.06 | ) |
| 2.16 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less distribution from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income |
|
| (0.01 | ) |
| (0.03 | ) |
| — |
|
| — | (a) | (0.06 | ) |
| |
| Net realized gains |
|
| (0.02 | ) |
| (1.06 | ) |
| (0.30 | ) |
| (1.68 | ) |
| (1.62 | ) |
|
| Total distributions |
|
| (0.03 | ) |
| (1.09 | ) |
| (0.30 | ) |
| (1.68 | ) |
| (1.68 | ) |
|
Net asset value, end of period |
| $ | 19.47 |
| $ | 16.27 |
| $ | 16.46 |
| $ | 12.92 |
| $ | 16.66 |
|
| |
Total Return(b) |
|
| 19.87% |
|
| 6.76% |
|
| 29.93% |
|
| -13.24% |
|
| 13.95% |
|
| |
Ratios and Supplemental Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
| $ | 51,622 |
| $ | 51,291 |
| $ | 59,460 |
| $ | 51,793 |
| $ | 66,869 |
|
| |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net expenses |
|
| 1.15% |
|
| 1.15% |
|
| 1.15% |
|
| 1.15% |
|
| 1.19% |
|
|
| Gross expenses |
|
| 1.29% |
|
| 1.33% |
|
| 1.27% |
|
| 1.23% |
|
| 1.25% |
|
|
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| -0.17% |
|
| 0.15% |
|
| 0.27% |
|
| 0.14% |
|
| 0.09% |
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
| 61% |
|
| 71% |
|
| 60% |
|
| 81% |
|
| 79% |
|
|
* | On December 4, 2020, the Portfolio effected a 1:2 reverse share split. All per share data prior to December 4, 2020 has been adjusted to reflect the reverse share split. |
(a) | Amount is less than $0.01 per share. |
(b) | Total returns reflect reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any. Certain expenses of the Portfolio may have been waived or reimbursed by the Investment Manager, State Street or DST; without such waiver/reimbursement of expenses, the Portfolio’s returns would have been lower. Performance information does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies at the separate account level, and such charges will have the effect of reducing performance. |
174
LAZARD RETIREMENT INTERNATIONAL EQUITY PORTFOLIO
| Selected data for a share of capital |
| Year Ended |
| ||||||||||||||
| stock outstanding throughout each period |
| 12/31/21 |
| 12/31/20 |
| 12/31/19 |
| 12/31/18 |
| 12/31/17 |
|
| |||||
Service Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net asset value, beginning of period |
| $ | 10.62 |
| $ | 10.37 |
| $ | 8.60 |
| $ | 10.83 |
| $ | 11.57 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| 0.31 | * |
| 0.11 |
|
| 0.20 |
|
| 0.18 |
|
| 0.31 |
|
|
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
| 0.31 |
|
| 0.68 |
|
| 1.60 |
|
| (1.70 | ) |
| 2.24 |
|
|
| Total from investment operations |
|
| 0.62 |
|
| 0.79 |
|
| 1.80 |
|
| (1.52 | ) |
| 2.55 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less distribution from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income |
|
| (0.11 | ) |
| (0.22 | ) |
| (0.03 | ) |
| (0.17 | ) |
| (0.33 | ) |
|
| Net realized gains |
|
| (0.13 | ) |
| (0.32 | ) |
| — |
|
| (0.54 | ) |
| (2.96 | ) |
|
| Total distributions |
|
| (0.24 | ) |
| (0.54 | ) |
| (0.03 | ) |
| (0.71 | ) |
| (3.29 | ) |
|
Net asset value, end of period |
| $ | 11.00 |
| $ | 10.62 |
| $ | 10.37 |
| $ | 8.60 |
| $ | 10.83 |
|
| |
Total Return(a) |
|
| 5.83% | * |
| 8.24% |
|
| 21.00% |
|
| -13.91% | ** | 22.33% |
|
| ||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
| $ | 139,609 |
| $ | 145,576 |
| $ | 152,725 |
| $ | 169,698 |
| $ | 221,307 |
|
| |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net expenses |
|
| 1.10% |
|
| 1.17% |
|
| 1.12% |
|
| 1.12% |
|
| 1.11% |
|
|
| Gross expenses |
|
| 1.18% |
|
| 1.27% |
|
| 1.20% |
|
| 1.14% |
|
| 1.12% |
|
|
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| 2.73% | * |
| 0.88% |
|
| 1.87% |
|
| 1.62% |
|
| 1.11% |
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
| 37% |
|
| 33% |
|
| 32% |
|
| 33% |
|
| 44% |
|
|
* | Includes $0.03 of refunds received as a result of European Union dividend withholding tax reclaims filings. There was a 0.29% impact on the total return of the Portfolio. There was a 0.26% impact on the net investment income (loss) ratio of the Portfolio. Refer to Note 2b in the Notes to Financial Statements for further information. |
** | The Portfolio received settlement proceeds from a foreign exchange trading class action lawsuit. The proceeds from the settlement represented a realized gain and was recorded in the period received. There was a 0.10% impact on the total return of the Portfolio. |
(a) | Total returns reflect reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any. Certain expenses of the Portfolio may have been waived or reimbursed by the Investment Manager, State Street or DST; without such waiver/reimbursement of expenses, the Portfolio’s returns would have been lower. Performance information does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies at the separate account level, and such charges will have the effect of reducing performance. |
175
LAZARD RETIREMENT EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY PORTFOLIO
| Selected data for a share of capital |
| Year Ended |
| ||||||||||||||
| stock outstanding throughout each period |
| 12/31/21 |
| 12/31/20 |
| 12/31/19 |
| 12/31/18 |
| 12/31/17 |
|
| |||||
Service Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net asset value, beginning of period |
| $ | 21.12 |
| $ | 22.00 |
| $ | 18.80 |
| $ | 23.59 |
| $ | 18.78 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income (loss)(a) |
|
| 0.61 |
|
| 0.36 |
|
| 0.43 |
|
| 0.42 |
|
| 0.31 |
|
|
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
| 0.55 |
|
| (0.75 | ) |
| 2.95 |
|
| (4.80 | ) |
| 4.89 |
|
|
| Total from investment operations |
|
| 1.16 |
|
| (0.39 | ) |
| 3.38 |
|
| (4.38 | ) |
| 5.20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less distribution from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income |
|
| (0.42 | ) |
| (0.49 | ) |
| (0.18 | ) |
| (0.41 | ) |
| (0.39 | ) |
|
| Total distributions |
|
| (0.42 | ) |
| (0.49 | ) |
| (0.18 | ) |
| (0.41 | ) |
| (0.39 | ) |
|
Net asset value, end of period |
| $ | 21.86 |
| $ | 21.12 |
| $ | 22.00 |
| $ | 18.80 |
| $ | 23.59 |
|
| |
Total Return(b) |
|
| 5.52% |
|
| -1.32% |
|
| 18.14% |
|
| -18.56% |
|
| 27.76% |
|
| |
Ratios and Supplemental Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
| $ | 290,586 |
| $ | 364,846 |
| $ | 410,188 |
| $ | 403,949 |
| $ | 942,572 |
|
| |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net expenses |
|
| 1.38% |
|
| 1.43% |
|
| 1.42% |
|
| 1.36% |
|
| 1.38% |
|
|
| Gross expenses |
|
| 1.38% |
|
| 1.43% |
|
| 1.43% |
|
| 1.36% |
|
| 1.38% |
|
|
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| 2.72% |
|
| 1.95% |
|
| 2.10% |
|
| 1.89% |
|
| 1.45% |
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
| 35% |
|
| 27% |
|
| 19% |
|
| 16% |
|
| 10% |
|
|
176
| Selected data for a share of capital |
|
|
| ||||||||||||||
| stock outstanding throughout each period |
| 12/31/21 |
| 12/31/20 |
| 12/31/19 |
| 12/31/18 |
| 12/31/17 |
|
| |||||
Investor Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net asset value, beginning of period |
| $ | 20.91 |
| $ | 21.78 |
| $ | 18.58 |
| $ | 23.31 |
| $ | 18.56 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income (loss)(a) |
|
| 0.66 |
|
| 0.41 |
|
| 0.47 |
|
| 0.45 |
|
| 0.37 |
|
|
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
| 0.55 |
|
| (0.75) |
|
| 2.91 |
|
| (4.72) |
|
| 4.83 |
|
|
| Total from investment operations |
|
| 1.21 |
|
| (0.34) |
|
| 3.38 |
|
| (4.27 | ) |
| 5.20 |
|
|
Less distribution from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income |
|
| (0.48) |
|
| (0.53) |
|
| (0.18) |
|
| (0.46) |
|
| (0.45) |
|
|
| Total distributions |
|
| (0.48) |
|
| (0.53) |
|
| (0.18) |
|
| (0.46) |
|
| (0.45) |
|
|
Net asset value, end of period |
| $ | 21.64 |
| $ | 20.91 |
| $ | 18.58 |
| $ | 18.58 |
| $ | 23.31 |
|
| |
Total Return(b) |
|
| 5.80% |
|
| -1.03% |
|
| 18.36% |
|
| -18.32% |
|
| 28.07% |
|
| |
Ratios and Supplemental Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
| $ | 104,568 |
| $ | 125,178 |
| $ | 174,389 |
| $ | 165,177 |
| $ | 238,656 |
|
| |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net expenses |
|
| 1.14% |
|
| 1.18% |
|
| 1.18% |
|
| 1.11% |
|
| 1.14% |
|
|
| Gross expenses |
|
| 1.14% |
|
| 1.18% |
|
| 1.18% |
|
| 1.11% |
|
| 1.14% |
|
|
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| 2.97% |
|
| 2.28% |
|
| 2.37% |
|
| 2.09% |
|
| 1.74% |
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
| 35% |
|
| 27% |
|
| 19% |
|
| 16% |
|
| 10% |
|
|
(a) | Net investment income (loss) has been computed using the average shares method. |
(b) | Total returns reflect reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any. Performance information does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies at the separate account level, and such charges will have the effect of reducing performance. |
177
LAZARD RETIREMENT GLOBAL DYNAMIC MULTI-ASSET PORTFOLIO
| Selected data for a share of capital |
| Year Ended |
| ||||||||||||||
| stock outstanding throughout each period |
| 12/31/21 |
| 12/31/20 |
| 12/31/19 |
| 12/31/18 |
| 12/31/17 |
|
| |||||
Service Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net asset value, beginning of period |
| $ | 13.53 |
| $ | 13.65 |
| $ | 11.61 |
| $ | 13.49 |
| $ | 11.82 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income (loss)(a) |
|
| 0.12 |
|
| 0.10 |
|
| 0.16 |
|
| 0.16 |
|
| 0.17 |
|
|
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
| 1.48 |
|
| — | (b) | 1.91 |
|
| (1.06 | ) |
| 2.25 |
|
| |
| Total from investment operations |
|
| 1.60 |
|
| 0.10 |
|
| 2.07 |
|
| (0.90 | ) |
| 2.42 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less distribution from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income |
|
| (0.41 | ) |
| (0.08 | ) |
| (0.01 | ) |
| (0.18 | ) |
| — |
|
|
| Net realized gains |
|
| — |
|
| (0.14 | ) |
| (0.02 | ) |
| (0.80 | ) |
| (0.75 | ) |
|
| Total distributions |
|
| (0.41 | ) |
| (0.22 | ) |
| (0.03 | ) |
| (0.98 | ) |
| (0.75 | ) |
|
| Redemption fees |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
| — |
|
|
Net asset value, end of period |
| $ | 14.72 |
| $ | 13.53 |
| $ | 13.65 |
| $ | 11.61 |
| $ | 13.49 |
|
| |
Total Return(c) |
|
| 11.94% |
|
| 0.81% |
|
| 17.79% |
|
| -6.57% |
|
| 20.53% |
|
| |
Ratios and Supplemental Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
| $ | 343,765 |
| $ | 354,856 |
| $ | 400,694 |
| $ | 386,902 |
| $ | 384,208 |
|
| |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net expenses |
|
| 1.05% |
|
| 1.05% |
|
| 1.05% |
|
| 1.05% |
|
| 1.05% |
|
|
| Gross expenses |
|
| 1.20% |
|
| 1.22% |
|
| 1.20% |
|
| 1.17% |
|
| 1.19% |
|
|
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| 0.82% |
|
| 0.75% |
|
| 1.23% |
|
| 1.22% |
|
| 1.28% |
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
| 75% |
|
| 177% |
|
| 115% |
|
| 110% |
|
| 104% |
|
|
178
| Selected data for a share of capital |
|
|
| |||||||||||
| stock outstanding throughout each period |
| 12/31/21 |
| 12/31/20 |
| 12/31/19 |
| 12/31/18* |
|
| ||||
Investor Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net asset value, beginning of period |
| $ | 13.53 |
| $ | 13.65 |
| $ | 11.61 |
| $ | 11.61 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income (loss)(a) |
|
| 0.14 |
|
| 0.12 |
|
| 0.14 |
|
| — |
|
|
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
| 1.49 |
|
| — | (b) | 1.93 |
|
| — | (b) | ||
| Total from investment operations |
|
| 1.63 |
|
| 0.12 |
|
| 2.07 |
|
| — | (b) | |
Less distribution from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net investment income |
|
| (0.41) |
|
| (0.10) |
|
| (0.01) |
|
| — |
|
|
| Net realized gains |
|
| — |
|
| (0.14) |
|
| (0.02) |
|
| — |
|
|
| Total distributions |
|
| (0.41) |
|
| (0.24) |
|
| (0.03) |
|
| — |
|
|
Net asset value, end of period |
| $ | 14.75 |
| $ | 13.53 |
| $ | 11.61 |
| $ | 11.61 |
|
| |
Total Return(c) |
|
| 12.16% |
|
| 0.96% |
|
| 17.79% |
|
| 0.00% |
|
| |
Ratios and Supplemental Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
| $ | 543 |
| $ | 199 |
| $ | 32 |
| $ | 1 |
|
| |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Net expenses |
|
| 0.90% |
|
| 0.90% |
|
| 0.90% |
|
| 0.00% |
|
|
| Gross expenses |
|
| 2.21% |
|
| 4.14% |
|
| 84.50% |
|
| 0.00% |
|
|
| Net investment income (loss) |
|
| 0.95% |
|
| 0.93% |
|
| 1.05% |
|
| 0.00% |
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
| 75% |
|
| 177% |
|
| 115% |
|
| N/A |
|
|
* | The inception date for the Investor Shares was December 31, 2018. | ||||||||||||||
(a) | Net investment income (loss) has been computed using the average shares method. | ||||||||||||||
(b) | Amount is less than $0.01 per share. | ||||||||||||||
(c) | Total returns reflect reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any. Certain expenses of the Portfolio may have been waived or reimbursed by the Investment Manager, State Street or DST; without such waiver/reimbursement of expenses, the Portfolio’s returns would have been lower. Performance information does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies at the separate account level, and such charges will have the effect of reducing performance. |
179
For more information about the Portfolios, the following documents are available, free of charge, upon request:
Annual
and Semi-Annual Reports (Reports):
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders
contain additional information on each Portfolio’s investments. In the annual report, you will find
a broad discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each
Portfolio’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI):
The
SAI provides more detailed information about the Portfolios, including their operations and investment
policies. It is incorporated by reference and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Disclosure
of Portfolio Holdings:
Each Portfolio will publicly disclose its portfolio holdings on a calendar
quarter-end basis on its website accessible from https://www.lazardassetmanagement.com/us/en_us/funds/list/mutual-funds/42,
no earlier than 5 business days after such quarter end. The information will remain accessible at least
until the Fund files a report as an exhibit to Form N-PORT or on Form N-CSR for the period that includes
the date as of which the information was current.
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Portfolios’ portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI.
You can get a free copy of the Reports and the SAI at http://www.lazardassetmanagement.com, or request the Reports and the SAI and other information and discuss your questions about the Portfolios, by contacting the Fund at: Lazard
Retirement Series, Inc. | ||
You also can get a free copy of the Reports and the SAI from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Investment Company Act file no. 811-08071
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
30
Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112-6300
Telephone: (800)
823-6300
Distributor
Lazard Asset Management Securities LLC
30
Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112-6300
Custodian
State
Street Bank and Trust Company
One Iron Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
Transfer
Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 219441
Kansas
City, Missouri 64121-9441
Telephone: (800) 986-3455
Legal
Counsel
Proskauer Rose LLP
Eleven Times Square
New York, New York
10036-8299
http://www.proskauer.com
Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
Deloitte & Touche LLP
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York
10112-0015
No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus, and information or representations not contained herein must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Fund or the Distributor. This Prospectus does not constitute an offer of any security other than the registered securities to which it relates or an offer to any person in any jurisdiction where such offer would be unlawful.
Lazard Asset Management LLC • 30 Rockefeller Plaza • New York, NY 10112 • 800-823-6300 • www.lazardassetmanagement.com
LAZARD
RETIREMENT SERIES, INC.
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112-6300
(800)
823-6300
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
April 29, 2022
Lazard Retirement Series, Inc. (the "Fund") is a no-load, open-end management investment company known as a mutual fund. This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which is not a prospectus, supplements and should be read in conjunction with the current Prospectus of the Fund, dated April 29, 2022, as may be revised or supplemented from time to time (the "Prospectus"), relating to the following twenty-three portfolios (individually, a "Portfolio" and collectively, the "Portfolios"):
Equity
Lazard Retirement Developing Markets Equity Portfolio ("Developing Markets Portfolio")
Lazard
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Advantage Portfolio ("Emerging Markets Advantage Portfolio")
Lazard
Retirement Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio ("Emerging Markets Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement Emerging
Markets Strategic Equity Portfolio ("Emerging Markets Strategic Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement Equity
Franchise Portfolio ("Franchise Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement Global Listed Infrastructure
Portfolio ("Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement Global Strategic Equity
Portfolio ("Global Strategic Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International Quality
Growth Portfolio ("International Quality Growth Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International
Equity Advantage Portfolio ("International Equity Advantage Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International
Equity Portfolio ("International Equity Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International Equity
Select Portfolio ("International Equity Select Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International Equity
Value Portfolio ("International Equity Value Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International Small Cap
Equity Portfolio ("International Small Cap Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement International Strategic
Equity Portfolio ("International Strategic Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement Managed Equity Volatility
Portfolio ("Managed Volatility Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement US Equity Concentrated
Portfolio ("Equity Concentrated Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement US Small-Mid Cap Equity
Portfolio ("Small-Mid Cap Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement US Sustainable Equity Portfolio ("Sustainable
Equity Portfolio")
Lazard Retirement US Systematic Small Cap Equity Portfolio ("Systematic Equity Portfolio")
Multi-Asset Funds
Lazard Retirement Global Dynamic Multi-Asset Portfolio ("Dynamic Portfolio")
Lazard
Retirement Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio ("Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio")
Lazard
Retirement Real Assets Portfolio ("Real Assets Portfolio")
Alternatives
Lazard Retirement Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio ("Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio")
Only the Small-Mid Cap, International Equity, Emerging Markets and Dynamic Portfolios are currently in operation. The other Portfolios may be offered upon request.
Each Portfolio currently offers two classes of shares (each, a "Class")—Service Shares and Investor Shares. Service Shares and Investor Shares are identical except as to the services offered to, and expenses borne by, each Class.
Shares of the Portfolios are currently offered only through variable annuity contracts ("VA contracts") and variable life insurance policies ("VLI policies," and together, "Policies") offered by the separate accounts of certain insurance companies ("Participating Insurance Companies"). Not all Portfolios or Classes may be available through a particular Policy. Shares may also be offered to certain qualified pension and retirement plans and accounts permitting accumulation of assets on a tax-deferred basis ("Eligible Plans"). Differences in tax treatment or other considerations may cause the interests of Policy owners and Eligible Plan participants investing in a Portfolio to conflict. The Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board" or "Directors") will monitor each Portfolio for any material conflicts and determine what action, if any, should be taken. For information about Eligible Plan investing, or to
obtain a copy of the Fund's Prospectuses, please write or call the Fund at the address and telephone number above or go to https://www.lazardassetmanagement.com/us/en_us/funds/list/mutual-funds/42.
The Fund's most recent Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders are separate documents supplied with this SAI, and the financial statements, accompanying notes and report of independent registered public accounting firm appearing in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Fund is a Maryland corporation organized on February 13, 1997. Each Portfolio is a separate series of the Fund, an open-end management investment company, known as a mutual fund. Each Portfolio, other than the Equity Concentrated, Franchise, International Equity Value and Enhanced Opportunities Portfolios, is a diversified investment company, which means that, with respect to 75% of its total assets, the Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any single issuer nor hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer.
Lazard Asset Management LLC serves as the investment manager (the "Investment Manager") to each of the Portfolios.
Lazard Asset Management Securities LLC (the "Distributor") is the distributor of each Portfolio's shares.
INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES AND RISKS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's Prospectus.
Market Risk; Market Developments
The market values of securities or other assets will fluctuate, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, due to changes in general market conditions, overall economic trends or events, governmental actions or intervention, political developments, actions taken by the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States (the "Federal Reserve"), or other central banks, market disruptions caused by trade disputes or other events or circumstances, natural disasters, a pandemic or other public health crisis, investor sentiment and other factors that may or may not be related to the issuer of the security or other asset. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are increasingly interconnected. Economic, financial or political events; trading and tariff arrangements; armed conflicts or terrorist activities; natural disasters; public health crises; and other events or circumstances in one country or region could have profound impacts on global economies or markets. As a result, whether or not a Portfolio invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries directly affected by such events or circumstances, the value and liquidity of the Portfolio's investments may be negatively affected. Market volatility, dramatic interest rate moves and/or unfavorable economic conditions may lower a Portfolio's performance or impair a Portfolio's ability to achieve its investment objective. The Investment Manager intends to monitor developments and seek to manage the Portfolios in a manner consistent with achieving each Portfolio's investment objective, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so.
The rapid and global spread of a novel coronavirus disease (known as "COVID-19") was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in 2020 and resulted in volatility in financial markets worldwide; reduced liquidity of many instruments; border closings and other restrictions on international and, in some cases, local travel; significant disruptions to business operations, including disruptions to supply chains, consumer demand and employee availability, and, in some cases, business closures; strained healthcare systems; quarantines, health screenings and testing and other measures intended to contain the spread of COVID-19 affecting individuals, businesses of all types, certain government operations, public and private educational systems, and public and private cultural, charitable and other institutions; and widespread uncertainty regarding the duration and long-term effects of the pandemic.
Some sectors of the economy, certain industries and individual issuers have experienced particularly adverse effects and there may be adverse impacts on the broader financial and credit markets. Certain risks discussed in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this SAI may be exacerbated by these circumstances, such as credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk and the risks of investing in certain sectors, industries or issuers. Developing or emerging market countries may be more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as they may have less established health care systems and may be less able to control or mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
The US government and the Federal Reserve, as well as certain other governments and central banks, have taken extraordinary actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions have resulted, and any similar future actions may be expected to further result, in significant expansion of public debt, including in the US, the long term consequences of which are not known. Many interest rates are very low and in some cases yields are negative, and it is possible that, particularly during periods of low prevailing interest rates, the income from portfolio securities will be reduced. Actions taken to-date
1
and any similar future actions, such as government intervention in the economy and financial markets intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic may not be successful, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results. Further Federal Reserve actions in response to market conditions, including with respect to interest rates, may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities in particular. Extraordinary government actions have contributed, and may continue to contribute, to market volatility, which may result in heightened volatility and/or losses in the value of the Portfolios' investments.
The direct and indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may last for an extended period of time. The ultimate economic fallout from the pandemic, including the long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers, are not known. The COVID-19 pandemic may result, in the US and worldwide, in a sustained economic downturn or recession, disruption to financial markets, political and social instability, damage to diplomatic and international trade relations and increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The COVID-19 pandemic could adversely impact the Portfolios, including the value and liquidity of a Portfolio's investments, a Portfolio's ability to satisfy redemption requests or Portfolio performance.
In addition to these events having adverse consequences for the Portfolios and the Portfolios' investments, the operations of the Investment Manager and its affiliates and the Fund's other service providers have been impacted, and may continue to be impacted, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as restrictions on certain business operations, which may have long-term negative impacts on such operations generally or the ability of such operations to remain viable; more limited resources as the result of adverse market conditions that may negatively impact the cash flow and/or profitability of such businesses; quarantine measures and travel restrictions imposed on such entities' personnel based or temporarily located in affected regions; or any related health issues of such entities' personnel.
Cybersecurity Risk
The Portfolios and their service providers are susceptible to operational and information security and related risks of cybersecurity incidents. In general, cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cybersecurity attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. Cybersecurity attacks also may be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial of service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make services unavailable to intended users). Cybersecurity incidents affecting the Investment Manager, custodian, transfer agent or other Fund service providers, such as Participating Insurance Companies, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, including by impediments to a Portfolio's investment trading; the inability of Portfolio shareholders to purchase and redeem Portfolio shares; interference with a Portfolio's ability to calculate its NAV; violations of applicable privacy, data security or other laws; regulatory fines and penalties; reputational damage; reimbursement or other compensation or remediation costs; legal fees; or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a Portfolio invests; counterparties with which a Portfolio engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators; and banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions and other parties. There are inherent limitations in any cybersecurity risk management system or business continuity plan, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified.
Equity Securities
Common and preferred stocks and other equity securities, such as common limited partnership units, represent ownership interests in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. Equity securities, including common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities and warrants, fluctuate in value, often based on factors unrelated to the value of the issuer of the securities, and such fluctuations can be pronounced. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in the price of a company's common equity securities, so common equity securities generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While common stockholders usually have voting rights on a number of significant matters,
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other types of equity securities, such as preferred stock and common limited partnership units, may not ordinarily have voting rights.
Common Stocks. Stocks and similar securities, such as common limited partnership units and limited liability company interests, represent shares of ownership in a company. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders and other common equity owners participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis after other claims are satisfied; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's common equity securities, so common equity securities generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Common stock may be received upon the conversion of convertible securities.
Preferred Stocks. There are two basic types of preferred securities, traditional and hybrid-preferred securities. Traditional preferred securities consist of preferred stock issued by an entity taxable as a corporation. Preferred stocks, which may offer fixed or floating rate dividends, are perpetual instruments and considered equity securities. Preferred securities are subordinated to senior debt instruments in a company's capital structure, in terms of priority to corporate income and claim to corporate assets, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt instruments. Alternatively, hybrid-preferred securities may be issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest-bearing notes with preferred securities characteristics, or by an affiliated trust or partnership of the corporation, generally in the form of preferred interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities. The hybrid-preferred securities market consists of both fixed and adjustable coupon rate securities that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates. Hybrid-preferred securities are considered debt securities. Due to their similar attributes, the Investment Manager also considers senior debt perpetual issues, certain securities with convertible features as well as exchange-listed senior debt issues that trade with attributes of exchange-listed perpetual and hybrid-preferred securities to be part of the broader preferred securities market.
Traditional Preferred Securities. Traditional preferred securities pay fixed or floating dividends to investors and have "preference" over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of a company's assets. This means that a company must pay dividends on preferred stock before paying any dividends on its common stock. In order to be payable, distributions on such preferred securities must be declared by the issuer's board of directors. Income payments on preferred securities may be cumulative, causing dividends and distributions to accumulate even if not declared by the board of directors or otherwise made payable. In such a case, all accumulated dividends must be paid before any dividend on the common stock can be paid. However, many traditional preferred stocks are non-cumulative, in which case dividends do not accumulate and need not ever be paid. A Portfolio may invest in non-cumulative preferred securities, whereby the issuer does not have an obligation to make up any missed payments to its stockholders. There is no assurance that dividends or distributions on the traditional preferred securities in which a Portfolio may invest will be declared or otherwise made payable. Preferred securities may also contain provisions under which payments must be stopped (i.e., stoppage is compulsory, not discretionary). The conditions under which this occurs may relate to, for instance, capitalization levels. Hence, if a company incurs significant losses that deplete retained earnings automatic payment stoppage could occur. In some cases the terms of the preferred securities provide that the issuer would be obligated to attempt to issue common shares to raise funds for the purpose of making the preferred payments. However, there is no guarantee that the issuer would be successful in placing common shares.
Preferred stockholders usually have no right to vote for corporate directors or on other matters. Shares of traditional preferred securities have a liquidation preference that generally equals the original purchase price at the date of issuance. The market value of preferred securities may be affected by, among other factors, favorable and unfavorable changes impacting the issuer or industries in which they operate, movements in interest rates and inflation, and the broader economic and credit environments, and by actual and anticipated changes in tax laws, such as changes in corporate and individual income tax rates. Because the claim on an issuer's earnings represented by traditional preferred securities may become onerous when interest rates fall below the rate payable on such securities, the issuer may redeem the securities. Thus, in declining interest rate environments in particular, a Portfolio's holdings of higher rate-paying fixed rate preferred securities may be reduced, and the Portfolio may be unable to acquire securities of comparable credit quality paying comparable rates with the redemption proceeds.
Pursuant to the dividends received deduction, corporations may generally deduct 70% of the income they receive from dividends on traditional preferred securities issued by domestic corporations that are paid out of earnings and
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profits of the issuer. However, not all traditional preferred securities pay dividends that are eligible for the dividends received deduction, including preferred securities issued by real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). Individuals will generally be taxed at long-term capital gain rates on qualified dividend income. However, not all traditional preferred securities will provide significant benefits under the rules relating to qualified dividend income, including preferred securities issued by REITs.
Hybrid-Preferred Securities. Hybrid-preferred securities are typically junior and fully subordinated liabilities of an issuer or the beneficiary of a guarantee that is junior and fully subordinated to the other liabilities of the guarantor. In addition, hybrid-preferred securities typically permit an issuer to defer the payment of income for eighteen months or more without triggering an event of default. Generally, the maximum deferral period is five years. Because of their subordinated position in the capital structure of an issuer, the ability to defer payments for extended periods of time without default consequences to the issuer, and certain other features (such as restrictions on common dividend payments by the issuer or ultimate guarantor when full cumulative payments on the hybrid preferred securities have not been made), these hybrid-preferred securities are often treated as close substitutes for traditional preferred securities, both by issuers and investors. Hybrid-preferred securities have many of the key characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuer's capital structure and because their quality and value are heavily dependent on the profitability of the issuer rather than on any legal claims to specific assets or cash flows. Hybrid-preferred securities include, but are not limited to, types of securities referred to as trust preferred securities, trust-originated preferred securities, monthly- or quarterly-income bond, debt or preferred securities, corporate trust securities and other similarly structured securities.
Hybrid-preferred securities are typically issued with a final maturity date. In certain instances, a final maturity date may be extended and/or the final payment of principal may be deferred at the issuer's option for a specified time without default. No redemption can typically take place unless all cumulative payment obligations have been met, although issuers may be able to engage in open-market repurchases without regard to whether all payments have been paid.
Many hybrid-preferred securities are issued by trusts or other special purpose entities established by operating companies and are not a direct obligation of an operating company. At the time the trust or special purpose entity sells such preferred securities to investors, it purchases debt of the operating company (with terms comparable to those of the trust or special purpose entity securities), which enables the operating company to deduct for tax purposes the interest paid on the debt held by the trust or special purpose entity. The trust or special purpose entity is generally required to be treated as transparent for US federal income tax purposes such that the holders of the trust preferred securities are treated as owning beneficial interests in the underlying debt of the operating company. Accordingly, payments on the hybrid-preferred securities are generally treated as interest rather than dividends for US federal income tax purposes and, as such, are not eligible for the dividends received deduction or the reduced rates of tax that apply to qualified dividend income. The trust or special purpose entity in turn would be a holder of the operating company's debt and would have priority with respect to the operating company's earnings and profits over the operating company's common stockholders, but would typically be subordinated to other classes of the operating company's debt. Typically a preferred security has a credit rating that is lower than that of its corresponding operating company's senior debt securities.
Within the category of hybrid-preferred securities are senior debt instruments that trade in the broader preferred securities market. These debt instruments, which are sources of long-term capital for the issuers, have structural features similar to other preferred securities such as maturities ranging from 30 years to perpetuity, call features, quarterly payments, exchange listings and the inclusion of accrued interest in the trading price.
In some cases traditional and hybrid securities may include loss absorption provisions that make the securities more equity like. Events in global financial markets in recent periods have caused regulators to review the function and structure of preferred securities more closely. In one version of a preferred security with loss absorption characteristics, the liquidation value of the security may be adjusted downward to below the original par value under certain circumstances. This may occur, for instance, in the event that business losses have eroded capital to a substantial extent. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. Such securities may provide for circumstances under which the liquidation value may be adjusted back up to par, such as an improvement in capitalization and/or earnings.
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Another preferred structure with loss absorption characteristics is the contingent convertible capital security (sometimes referred to as "CoCos"). These securities may have loss absorption characteristics that may include downward adjustment of the liquidation value of the security to below the original par value or a mandatory conversion that might relate, for instance, to maintenance of a capital minimum whereby falling below the minimum would trigger automatic conversion. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero, and conversion to common stock would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. CoCos typically sit above equity and below senior debt with respect to seniority and are described further below under "Convertible Securities." In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date.
Preferred securities may be subject to changes in regulations and there can be no assurance that the current regulatory treatment of preferred securities will continue.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities may be converted at either a stated price or stated rate into underlying shares of common stock. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed-income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock, of the same issuer. Because of the subordination feature, however, convertible securities typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities.
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 Portfolio is called for redemption, the Portfolio 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.
Although to a lesser extent than with fixed-income securities, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stock. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.
Convertible securities provide for a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks, but there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. A convertible security, in addition to providing fixed income, offers the potential for capital appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. There can be no assurance of capital appreciation, however, because securities prices fluctuate. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of the potential for capital appreciation.
CoCos are slightly different than regular convertible bonds in that the likelihood of the bonds converting to equity is "contingent" on a specified event or trigger. CoCos are securities typically issued by a bank that are designed to absorb the bank's losses during a period of financial stress, thereby improving the bank's capital position. CoCos absorb losses by converting to equity or having their principal written down (either partially or in full) when a pre-specified trigger event occurs. Absent a trigger event, the securities are hybrid instruments with debt-like characteristics. CoCos may be structured with various types of trigger events.
Warrants. A warrant is a form of derivative that gives the holder the right to subscribe to a specified amount of the issuing corporation's capital stock at a set price for a specified period of time. Each Portfolio may invest up to 5%
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of its total assets in warrants, except that this limitation does not apply to warrants purchased by the Portfolio that are sold in units with, or attached to, other securities.
Initial Public Offerings. An initial public offering ("IPO") is a company's first offering of equity securities to the public. Shares are given a market value reflecting expectations for the corporation's future growth. Special rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA") apply to the distribution of IPOs. Companies offering securities in IPOs generally have limited operating histories and may involve greater investment risk than companies with longer operating histories. Special risks associated with IPOs may include a limited number of shares available for trading, unseasoned trading, lack of investor knowledge of the company, and limited operating history, all of which may contribute to price volatility. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for a Portfolio to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. In addition, some IPOs are involved in relatively new industries or lines of business, which may not be widely understood by investors. Some of the companies involved in new industries may be regarded as developmental stage companies, without revenues or operating income, or the near-term prospects of such. Foreign IPOs are subject to foreign political and currency risks. Many IPOs are issued by undercapitalized companies of small or microcap size. The prices of these companies' securities can be very volatile, rising and falling rapidly, sometimes based solely on investor perceptions rather than economic reasons. IPO securities will be sold when the Investment Manager believes the price has reached full value. IPO securities may be sold by a Portfolio on the same day the Portfolio receives an allocation.
Fixed-Income Securities
Fixed-income securities include interest-bearing securities, such as corporate debt securities. Interest-bearing securities are investments which promise a stable stream of income, although the prices of fixed-rate fixed-income securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates and, therefore, are subject to interest rate risk, as well as the risk of unrelated market price fluctuations. Fixed-income securities may have various interest rate payment and reset terms, including fixed rate, floating or adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment in kind and auction rate features. Floating rate instruments, the rates of which adjust periodically by reference to another measure, such as the market interest rate, are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than fixed rate instruments, although the value of floating rate loans and other floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly, or as much, as general interest rates or as expected. Certain securities, such as those with interest rates that fluctuate directly or indirectly based on multiples of a stated index, are designed to be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders thereof to extreme reductions of yield and possibly loss of principal. Certain fixed income securities may be issued at a discount from their face value or purchased at a price less than their stated face amount or at a price less than their issue price plus the portion of "original issue discount" previously accrued thereon, i.e., purchased at a "market discount." The amount of original issue discount and/or market discount on certain obligations may be significant, and accretion of market discount together with original issue discount will cause a Portfolio to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. To maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and avoid liability for federal income taxes, a Portfolio may be required to distribute such 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. Failure of an issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a fixed-income security (known as credit risk), can cause the security's price to fall, potentially lowering a Portfolio's share price. The rate of return or return of principal on some debt obligations may be linked or indexed to the level of exchange rates between the US dollar and a foreign currency or currencies. Such securities may include those whose principal amount or redemption price is indexed to, and thus varies directly with, changes in the market price of certain commodities, including gold bullion or other precious metals.
The values of fixed-income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of the issuer. Fixed-income securities rated below investment grade by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or S&P Global Ratings (together with Moody's, the "Rating Agencies") may be subject to greater risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations (and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates) than certain lower yielding, higher-rated fixed-income securities. See "Lower-Rated Securities" below for a discussion of those securities.
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As a measure of a fixed-income security's cash flow, duration is an alternative to the concept of "term to maturity" in assessing the price volatility associated with changes in interest rates (known as interest rate risk). Generally, the longer the duration, the more volatility an investor should expect. For example, the market price of a bond with a duration of three years would be expected to decline 3% if interest rates rose 1%. Conversely, the market price of the same bond would be expected to increase 3% if interest rates fell 1%. The market price of a bond with a duration of six years would be expected to increase or decline twice as much as the market price of a bond with a three-year duration. Duration is a way of measuring a security's maturity in terms of the average time required to receive the present value of all interest and principal payments as opposed to its term to maturity. The maturity of a security measures only the time until final payment is due; it does not take account of the pattern of a security's cash flows over time, which would include how cash flow is affected by prepayments and by changes in interest rates. Incorporating a security's yield, coupon interest payments, final maturity and option features into one measure, duration is computed by determining the weighted average maturity of a bond's cash flows, where the present values of the cash flows serve as weights. In computing the duration of a Portfolio, the Investment Manager will estimate the duration of obligations that are subject to features such as prepayment or redemption by the issuer, put options retained by the investor or other embedded options, taking into account the influence of interest rates on prepayments and coupon flows.
Average weighted maturity is the length of time, in days or years, until the securities held by a Portfolio, on average, will mature or be redeemed by their issuers. The average maturity is weighted according to the dollar amounts invested in the various securities by the Portfolio. In general, the longer a Portfolio's average weighted maturity, the more its share price will fluctuate in response to changing interest rates.
For purposes of calculating average effective portfolio maturity, a security that is subject to redemption at the option of the issuer on a particular date (the "call date") which is prior to the security's stated maturity may be deemed to mature on the call date rather than on its stated maturity date. The call date of a security will be used to calculate average effective portfolio maturity when the Investment Manager reasonably anticipates, based upon information available to it, that the issuer will exercise its right to redeem the security. The Investment Manager may base its conclusion on such factors as the interest rate paid on the security compared to prevailing market rates, the amount of cash available to the issuer of the security, events affecting the issuer of the security, and other factors that may compel or make it advantageous for the issuer to redeem a security prior to its stated maturity.
When interest rates fall, the principal on certain fixed-income securities, including mortgage-backed and certain asset-backed securities (discussed below), may be prepaid. The loss of higher yielding underlying mortgages and the reinvestment of proceeds at lower interest rates can reduce a Portfolio's potential price gain in response to falling interest rates, reduce a Portfolio's yield, or cause a Portfolio's share price to fall. This is known as prepayment risk. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the effective duration of a Portfolio's fixed rate mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities may lengthen due to a drop in prepayments of the underlying mortgages or other assets. This is known as extension risk and would increase a Portfolio's sensitivity to rising interest rates and its potential for price declines.
US Government Securities. US government securities are issued or guaranteed by the US government or its agencies or instrumentalities. US government securities include bills, notes and bonds issued by the US Department of the Treasury ("Treasury"), which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one year or less; Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by US government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from Treasury; others by discretionary authority of the US government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. These securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest. While the US government currently provides financial support to such US government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, since it is not so obligated by law. A security backed by Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed only as to timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Neither the market value nor a Portfolio's share price is guaranteed.
The US government enjoys the highest credit rating from two of the top three credit rating agencies, Fitch Ratings and Moody's ("AAA" and "Aaa," respectively). On August 5, 2011, S&P Global Ratings lowered its long-term
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sovereign credit rating for the United States from "AAA" to "Aaa," where it has remained since. The value of shares of a Portfolio that invests in US government obligations may be adversely affected by any future downgrades of the US government's credit rating.
Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities include corporate bonds, debentures, notes and other similar instruments, including certain convertible securities. Corporate debt securities may be acquired with warrants attached to purchase additional fixed-income securities at the same coupon rate. A decline in interest rates would permit a Portfolio to buy additional bonds at the favorable rate or to sell the warrants at a profit. If interest rates rise, the warrants would generally expire with no value. Corporate income-producing securities also may include forms of preferred or preference stock, which may be considered equity securities. The rate of interest on a corporate debt security may be fixed, floating or variable, and may vary inversely with respect to a reference rate such as interest rates or other financial indicators.
Ratings of Securities; Unrated Securities. Subsequent to its purchase by a Portfolio, an issue of rated securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below any minimum that may be required for purchase by the Portfolio. Once the rating of a portfolio security has been changed or a rated security has ceased to be rated, a Portfolio will consider all circumstances deemed relevant in determining whether to continue to hold the security. In addition, it is possible that a Rating Agency might not timely change its ratings of a particular issue to reflect subsequent events. To the extent the ratings given by a Rating Agency for any securities change as a result of changes in such organizations or their rating systems, a Portfolio will attempt to use comparable ratings as standards for its investments in accordance with any investment policies described in such Portfolio's Prospectus and this SAI. The ratings of the Rating Agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of the securities which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are relative and subjective and are not absolute standards of quality. Although these ratings may be an initial criterion for selection of portfolio investments, the Investment Manager also will evaluate these securities and the creditworthiness of the issuers of such securities based upon financial and other available information.
Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities, because dealers may not maintain daily markets in such securities and retail markets for many of these securities may not exist. As a result, a Portfolio's ability to sell these securities when, and at a price, the Investment Manager deems appropriate may be diminished. To the extent that a Portfolio invests in unrated securities, the Portfolio's success in achieving its investment objective may depend more heavily on the Investment Manager's credit analysis than if the Portfolio invested exclusively in rated securities.
Lower-Rated Securities. Fixed-income securities rated below investment grade, such as those rated Ba by Moody's or BB by S&P Global Ratings, and as low as those rated Caa/CCC by a Rating Agency at the time of purchase (commonly known as "high yield" or "junk bonds"), or, if unrated, deemed to be of comparable quality by the Investment Manager, though higher yielding, are characterized by higher risk. See Appendix A for a general description of securities ratings. These securities may be subject to certain risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations than certain lower yielding, higher-rated securities. These securities generally are considered by the Rating Agencies to be, on balance, predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's ability to make principal and interest payments in accordance with the terms of the obligation and generally will involve more credit risk than securities in the higher rating categories. Such securities' higher yield compared to yields of securities rated investment grade is what the investor receives in return for bearing greater credit risk. The higher credit risk associated with below investment grade securities potentially can have a greater effect on the value of such securities than may be the case with higher quality issues of comparable maturity, and, to the extent a Portfolio invests in such securities, will be a substantial factor in the Portfolio's relative share price volatility. The ratings of the Rating Agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of the obligations which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are relative and subjective and are not absolute standards of quality and, although ratings may be useful in evaluating the safety of interest and principal payments, they do not evaluate the market value risk of these securities. Although these ratings may be an initial criterion for selection of portfolio investments, the Investment Manager also will evaluate these securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities to pay interest and principal based upon financial and other available information. The success of a Portfolio's investments in lower-rated securities may be more dependent on the Investment Manager's credit analysis than might be the case for investments in higher-rated securities.
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Bond prices generally are inversely related to interest rate changes. However, bond price volatility also may be inversely related to coupon. Accordingly, below investment grade securities may be relatively less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher quality securities of comparable maturity, because of their higher coupon.
The prices of these securities can fall dramatically in response to negative news about the issuer or its industry. The market values of many of these securities also tend to be more sensitive to general economic conditions, particularly economic downturns, than are higher-rated securities and will fluctuate over time. Companies that issue certain of these securities often are highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Therefore, the risk associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally is greater than is the case with higher rated securities. An economic downturn could adversely affect the ability of the issuers of lower-rated securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon and increase the incidence of default for such securities. For example, during an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of these securities may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. The issuer's ability to service its debt obligations also may be affected adversely by specific corporate developments, forecasts, or the unavailability of additional financing. The risk of loss because of default by the issuer is significantly greater for the holders of these securities because such securities generally are unsecured and often are subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. It is likely that an economic recession also would disrupt severely the market for such securities and have an adverse impact on their value.
Because there is no established retail secondary market for many of these securities, it is anticipated that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of dealers or institutional investors. To the extent a secondary trading market for these securities does exist, it generally is not as liquid as the secondary market for higher rated securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on market price and yield and a Portfolio's ability to dispose of particular issues when necessary to meet the Portfolio's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities also may make it more difficult for a Portfolio to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing its portfolio and calculating its net asset value ("NAV") and could result in the Portfolio selling such securities at lower prices than those used in calculating the Portfolio's net asset value. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of these securities. In such cases, judgment may play a greater role in valuation because less reliable, objective data may be available.
A Portfolio may acquire these securities during an initial offering. Such securities may involve special risks because they are new issues. The Portfolios do not have an arrangement with any persons concerning the acquisition of such securities.
The credit risk factors pertaining to lower-rated securities discussed above generally also may apply to lower-rated preferred, convertible, zero coupon, pay-in-kind and step up securities.
Distressed and Defaulted Securities. Investing in securities that are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or in default or at risk of being in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by a Portfolio ("Distressed Securities") is speculative and involves significant risks. A Portfolio may make such investments when, among other circumstances, the Investment 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 Portfolio will receive new securities in return for the Distressed Securities. There can be no assurance, however, 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 Portfolio makes its investment in Distressed Securities and the time that any such exchange offer or plan of reorganization is completed, if at all. During this period, it is unlikely that the Portfolio would receive any interest payments on the Distressed Securities, the Portfolio would be subject to significant uncertainty as to whether the exchange offer or plan of reorganization will be completed and the Portfolio may be required to bear certain extraordinary expenses to protect and/or recover its investment. A Portfolio also will be subject to significant uncertainty as to when, in what manner and for what value the obligations evidenced by the Distressed Securities will eventually be satisfied (e.g., through a liquidation of the obligor's assets, an exchange offer or plan of reorganization involving the Distressed Securities or a payment of some amount in satisfaction of the obligation). Even if an exchange offer is made or plan of reorganization is adopted with respect to Distressed Securities held by a Portfolio, there can be no assurance that the securities or
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other assets received by the Portfolio in connection with the 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 Portfolio upon completion of an exchange offer or plan of reorganization may be restricted as to resale. Similarly, if a Portfolio participates in negotiations with respect to any exchange offer or plan of reorganization with respect to an issuer of Distressed Securities, the Portfolio may be restricted from disposing of such securities for a period of time. To the extent that a Portfolio becomes involved in such proceedings, the Portfolio may have a more active participation in the affairs of the issuer than that assumed generally by an investor.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities. Variable and floating rate securities provide for adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The interest rate on variable or floating rate securities is ordinarily determined by reference to or is a percentage of a bank's prime rate, the 90-day Treasury bill rate, the rate of return on commercial paper or bank certificates of deposit, an index of short-term interest rates or some other objective measure. The adjustment intervals may be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such as a change in the prime rate. Variable rate obligations typically provide for a specified periodic adjustment in the interest rate, while floating rate obligations typically have an interest rate which changes whenever there is a change in the external interest or market rate. Because of the interest rate adjustment feature, variable and floating rate securities typically provide a Portfolio with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, although the Portfolio will participate in any declines in interest rates as well. Generally, changes in interest rates will have a smaller effect on the market value of variable and floating rate securities than on the market value of comparable fixed-income obligations. Thus, investing in variable and floating rate securities generally allows less opportunity for capital appreciation and depreciation than investing in comparable fixed-income securities.
The interest rate on an inverse floating rate debt instrument ("inverse floater") resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse floater is indexed or inversely to a multiple of the applicable index. An inverse floating rate security may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation of similar credit quality. Certain of these securities, such as those with interest rates that fluctuate directly or indirectly based on multiples of a stated index, are designed to be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders thereof to extreme reductions of yield and possibly loss of principal.
Variable and floating rate securities frequently include a demand feature entitling the holder to sell the securities to the issuer at par. In many cases, the demand feature can be exercised at any time on seven days' notice. In other cases, the demand feature is exercisable at any time on 30 days' notice or on similar notice at intervals of not more than one year. Some securities that do not have variable or floating interest rates may be accompanied by puts producing similar results and price characteristics.
Participation Interests. Corporate obligations denominated in US or foreign currencies may be originated, negotiated and structured by a syndicate of lenders ("Co-Lenders") consisting of commercial banks, thrift institutions, insurance companies, financial companies or other financial institutions one or more of which administers the security on behalf of the syndicate (the "Agent Bank"). Co-Lenders may sell such securities to third parties called "Participants." A Portfolio investing in such securities may participate as a Co-Lender at origination or by acquiring an interest in the security from a Co-Lender or a Participant (collectively, "participation interests"). Co-Lenders and Participants interposed between the Portfolio and the corporate borrower (the "Borrower"), together with Agent Banks, are referred to herein as "Intermediate Participants."
A Portfolio may purchase a participation interest in a portion of the rights of an Intermediate Participant, which would not establish any direct relationship between the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio, and the Borrower. A participation interest gives the Portfolio an undivided interest in the security in the proportion that the Portfolio's participation interest bears to the total principal amount of the security. These instruments may have fixed, floating or variable rates of interest with remaining maturities of 13 months or less. If the participation interest is unrated, or has been given a rating below that which is permissible for purchase by the Portfolio, the participation interest will be collateralized by US government securities, or, in the case of unrated participation interests, the Investment Manager must have determined that the instrument is of comparable quality to those instruments in which the Portfolio may invest. The Portfolio would be required to rely on the Intermediate Participant that sold the participation interest not only for the enforcement of the Portfolio's rights against the Borrower, but also for the receipt and processing of payments due to the Portfolio under the security. The Portfolio would have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Intermediate Participant and
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only upon receipt of the payments from the Borrower. The Portfolio generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower nor any rights of set-off against the Borrower, and the Portfolio may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the obligation in which it has purchased the participation interest. Because it may be necessary to assert through an Intermediate Participant such rights as may exist against the Borrower, if the Borrower fails to pay principal and interest when due the Portfolio may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that would be involved if the Portfolio were to enforce its rights directly against the Borrower. Moreover, under the terms of a participation interest, the Portfolio may be regarded as a creditor of the Intermediate Participant (rather than of the Borrower), so that the Portfolio also may be subject to the risk that the Intermediate Participant may become insolvent. In the event of the insolvency of the Intermediate Participant, the Portfolio may be treated as a general creditor of the Intermediate Participant and may not benefit from any set-off between the Intermediate Participant and the Borrower. Certain participation interests may be structured in a manner designed to avoid purchasers being subject to the credit risk of the Intermediate Participant, but even under such a structure, in the event of the Intermediate Participant's insolvency, the Intermediate Participant's servicing of the participation interests may be delayed and the assignability of the participation interest impaired. Similar risks may arise with respect to the Agent Bank if, for example, assets held by the Agent Bank for the benefit of the Portfolio were determined by the appropriate regulatory authority or court to be subject to the claims of the Agent Bank's creditors. In such case, the Portfolio might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment in connection with the participation interest or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. Further, in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the Borrower, the obligation of the Borrower to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by such Borrower as a result of improper conduct by the Agent Bank or Intermediate Participant.
A Portfolio may have difficulty disposing of participation interests because to do so it will have to sell such securities to a third party. Because there is no established secondary market for such securities, it is anticipated that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. The lack of an established secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such securities and the Portfolio's ability to dispose of particular participation interests when necessary to meet the Portfolio's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the Borrower. The lack of an established secondary market for participation interests also may make it more difficult for the Portfolio to assign a value to these securities for purposes of valuing the Portfolio's investments and calculating its NAV.
Mortgage-Related Securities. Mortgage-related securities, which may be considered a form of derivative, are collateralized by pools of commercial or residential mortgages. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations. These securities may include complex instruments such as those described below and include pass-through securities, adjustable rate mortgages or other kinds of mortgage-backed securities, including those with fixed, floating and variable interest rates; interest rates based on multiples of changes in a specified index of interest rates and those with interest rates that change inversely to changes in interest rates; and those that do not bear interest.
Mortgage-related securities are complex instruments, subject to credit, prepayment risk and interest rate risk, and may be more volatile and less liquid, and more difficult to price accurately, than more traditional debt securities. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party (such as a US government agency or instrumentality with respect to government-related mortgage-backed securities) or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not secured. Mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers, whether or not such securities are subject to guarantees or another form of credit enhancement, may entail greater risk than securities directly or indirectly guaranteed by the US government. The market value of mortgage-related securities depends on, among other things, the level of interest rates, the securities' coupon rates and the payment history of the mortgagors of the underlying mortgages. Mortgage-related securities generally are subject to credit risks associated with the performance of the underlying mortgage properties and to prepayment risk. In certain instances, the credit risk associated with mortgage-related securities can be reduced by third party guarantees or other forms of credit support. Improved credit risk does not reduce prepayment risk which is unrelated to the rating assigned to the mortgage-related security. Prepayment risk can lead to fluctuations in value of the mortgage-related security which may be pronounced. If a mortgage-related security is purchased at a premium, all or part of the premium may be lost if the market value of the security declines, whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments on the underlying mortgage collateral (the rates of which are highly dependent upon changes in interest rates, as discussed below). Mortgage loans are generally partially or completely prepaid prior to their final
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maturities as a result of events such as sale of the mortgaged premises, default, condemnation or casualty loss. Because these securities may be subject to extraordinary mandatory redemption in whole or in part from such prepayments of mortgage loans, a substantial portion of such securities may be redeemed prior to their scheduled maturities or even prior to ordinary call dates. Extraordinary mandatory redemption without premium could also result from the failure of the originating financial institutions to make mortgage loans in sufficient amounts within a specified time period. The ability of issuers of mortgage-backed securities to make payments depends on such factors as rental income, occupancy levels, operating expenses, mortgage default rates, taxes, government regulations and appropriation of subsidies. Certain mortgage-related securities, such as inverse floating rate collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs"), have coupons that move inversely to a multiple of a specific index which may result in increased price volatility.
As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of certain mortgage-related securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. However, although the value of a mortgage-related security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since during periods of declining interest rates the mortgages underlying the security are more likely to be prepaid. For this and other reasons, a mortgage-related security's stated maturity may be shortened by unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgages, and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the security's return to a Portfolio. Moreover, with respect to certain stripped mortgage-backed securities, if the underlying mortgage securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a Portfolio may fail to fully recoup its initial investment even if the securities are rated in the highest rating category by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. During periods of rapidly rising interest rates, prepayments of mortgage-related securities may occur at slower than expected rates. Slower prepayments effectively may lengthen a mortgage-related security's expected maturity, which generally would cause the value of such security to fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates. Were the prepayments on a Portfolio's mortgage-related securities to decrease broadly, the Portfolio's effective duration, and thus sensitivity to interest rate fluctuations, would increase. Commercial real property loans, however, often contain provisions that substantially reduce the likelihood that such securities will be prepaid. The provisions generally impose significant prepayment penalties on loans and in some cases there may be prohibitions on principal prepayments for several years following origination.
Residential Mortgage-Related Securities. Residential mortgage-related securities representing participation interests in pools of one- to four-family residential mortgage loans issued or guaranteed by governmental agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), or issued by private entities, have been issued using a variety of structures, including multi-class structures featuring senior and subordinated classes. Some mortgage-related securities have structures that make their reactions to interest rate changes and other factors difficult to predict, making their value highly volatile.
Mortgage-related securities issued by GNMA include GNMA Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as "Ginnie Maes") which are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. Ginnie Maes are created by an "issuer," which is a Federal Housing Administration ("FHA") approved mortgagee that also meets criteria imposed by GNMA. The issuer assembles a pool of FHA or Department of Veterans' Affairs ("VA") insured or guaranteed mortgages which are homogeneous as to interest rate, maturity and type of dwelling. Upon application by the issuer, and after approval by GNMA of the pool, GNMA provides its commitment to guarantee timely payment of principal and interest on the Ginnie Maes backed by the mortgages included in the pool. The Ginnie Maes, endorsed by GNMA, then are sold by the issuer through securities dealers. Ginnie Maes bear a stated "coupon rate" which represents the effective underlying mortgage rate at the time of issuance, less GNMA's and the issuer's fees. GNMA is authorized under the National Housing Act to guarantee timely payment of principal and interest on Ginnie Maes. This guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. GNMA may borrow Treasury funds to the extent needed to make payments under its guarantee. When mortgages in the pool underlying a Ginnie Mae are prepaid by mortgagors or by result of foreclosure, such principal payments are passed through to the certificate holders. Accordingly, the life of the Ginnie Mae is likely to be substantially shorter than the stated maturity of the mortgages in the underlying pool. Because of such variation in prepayment rates, it is not possible to predict the life of a particular Ginnie Mae. Payments to holders of Ginnie Maes consist of the monthly distributions of interest and principal less GNMA's and the issuer's fees. The actual yield to be earned by a holder of a Ginnie Mae is calculated
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by dividing interest payments by the purchase price paid for the Ginnie Mae (which may be at a premium or a discount from the face value of the certificate). Monthly distributions of interest, as contrasted to semi-annual distributions which are common for other fixed interest investments, have the effect of compounding and thereby raising the effective annual yield earned on Ginnie Maes.
Mortgage-related securities issued by FNMA, including FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as "Fannie Maes"), are solely the obligations of FNMA and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the US government. Fannie Maes are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA. Mortgage-related securities issued by FHLMC include FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (also known as "Freddie Macs" or "PCs"). Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the US government or by any Federal Home Loan Bank and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the US government or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by FHLMC. FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. When FHLMC does not guarantee timely payment of principal, FHLMC may remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable. In 2019, FHFA (as defined below) began mandating that FNMA and FHLMC cease issuing their own MBS and begin issuing "Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities" or "UMBS." Each UMBS has a 55-day remittance cycle and can be used as collateral in either a FNMA or a FHLMC CMO or held for investment. Investors may be approached to convert existing mortgage-backed securities into UMBS, possibly with an inducement fee being offered to holders of FHLMC PCs.
FNMA and FHLMC Conservatorship and Treasury Support. FNMA and FHLMC (together, the "Enterprises") continue to operate under conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA"), as they have since 2008. Treasury provides the Enterprises with financial support through the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements ("SPSPAs"), which were executed on September 7, 2008, one day after the Enterprises entered conservatorships. The SPSPAs were designed to ensure that the Enterprises: (i) provide stability to the financial markets; (ii) prevent disruptions in the availability of mortgage finance; and (iii) protect the taxpayer. In exchange for Treasury's financial support, the SPSPAs required the Enterprises to, among other things, make quarterly dividend payments to Treasury, provide Treasury with a liquidation preference, and, beginning in 2010, pay Treasury a periodic commitment fee that reflects the market value of the outstanding Treasury commitment, as well as stock warrants for the purchase of common stock representing 79.9% of the common stock of each Enterprise on a diluted basis.
On May 6, 2009, Treasury and the Enterprises amended the SPSPAs to increase Treasury's commitment of financial support from $100,000,000,000 to $200,000,000,000 to each Enterprise. On December 24, 2009, Treasury and the Enterprises again amended the SPSPAs to replace Treasury's $200,000,000,000 commitments with new formulaic commitments. On August 17, 2012, Treasury and the Enterprises amended the SPSPAs (the "2012 Amendments") to recalibrate calculation of the quarterly dividends the Enterprises pay to Treasury. Rather than use 10% (or in some cases 12%) of the liquidation preference to calculate the dividend amounts—a practice which was contributing to the Enterprises' need to draw on Treasury's commitment of financial support—the 2012 Amendments based the dividend amounts on net worth. This helped ensure financial stability, fully captured financial benefits for taxpayers, and eliminated the need for the Enterprises circularly to borrow from Treasury only then to pay dividends back to Treasury. The 2012 Amendments also suspended the periodic commitment fee for so long as the dividend amounts were based on net worth. The 2012 Amendments also eliminated the requirement that the Enterprises obtain Treasury consent for asset dispositions with a fair market value (individually or in the aggregate) of less than $250 million, but required the Enterprises to submit annual risk management plans to Treasury.
On December 21, 2017, letter agreements between Treasury and each Enterprise permitted each Enterprise to retain a $3 billion capital reserve, quarterly. Under the 2017 letter agreements, each Enterprise paid a dividend to Treasury equal to the amount its net worth at the end of each quarter exceeded $3 billion. On September 30, 2019, letter agreements between Treasury and each Enterprise permitted each Enterprise to retain earnings beyond the $3 billion capital reserves previously allowed under the letter agreements of 2017. Under the 2019 letter agreements, FNMA may accumulate $25 billion in capital reserves and FHLMC may accumulate $20 billion in capital reserves. These letter agreements effectively permitted the Enterprises to cease their dividend payments to Treasury until they reached the respective capital reserve limit. On January 14, 2021, Treasury and FHFA announced amendments to the SPSPAs that allow the Enterprises to continue to retain earnings until they have reached the requirements set by
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FHFA's new capital rule issued in late 2020. Under that rule, the Enterprises would have been required to hold $283 billion in unadjusted total capital as of June 30, 2020, based on their assets at the time.
Treasury has agreed that the Enterprises can raise private capital and exit conservatorship once certain conditions are met. To facilitate Enterprise equity offerings, Treasury has committed to work to restructure its investment in each Enterprise.
Commercial Mortgage-Related Securities. Commercial mortgage-related securities generally are multi-class debt or pass-through certificates secured by mortgage loans on commercial properties. Similar to residential mortgage-related securities, commercial mortgage-related securities have been issued using a variety of structures, including multi-class structures featuring senior and subordinated classes. These mortgage-related securities generally are constructed to provide protection to holders of the senior classes against potential losses on the underlying mortgage loans. This protection is generally provided by having the holders of the subordinated classes of securities ("Subordinated Securities") take the first loss if there are defaults on the underlying commercial mortgage loans. Other protection, which may benefit all of the classes or particular classes, may include issuer guarantees, reserve funds, additional Subordinated Securities, cross-collateralization and over-collateralization. Commercial lending, for example, typically involves larger loans to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers than residential one- to four-family mortgage loans. In addition, the repayment of loans secured by income-producing properties typically is dependent upon the successful operation of the related real estate project and the cash flow generated therefrom. Consequently, adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to have an adverse impact on mortgage-related securities secured by loans on certain types of commercial properties than those secured by loans on residential properties. The risks that recovery or repossessed collateral might be unavailable or inadequate to support payments on commercial mortgage-related securities may be greater than is the case for non-multifamily residential mortgage-related securities.
Subordinated Securities. Subordinated Securities, including those issued or sponsored by commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, private mortgage insurance companies and other non-governmental issuers, have no governmental guarantee, and are subordinated in some manner as to the payment of principal and/or interest to the holders of more senior mortgage-related securities arising out of the same pool of mortgages. The holders of Subordinated Securities typically are compensated with a higher stated yield than are the holders of more senior mortgage-related securities. On the other hand, Subordinated Securities typically subject the holder to greater risk than senior mortgage-related securities and tend to be rated in a lower rating category, and frequently a substantially lower rating category, than the senior mortgage-related securities issued in respect of the same pool of mortgages. Subordinated Securities generally are likely to be more sensitive to changes in prepayment and interest rates and the market for such securities may be less liquid than is the case for traditional fixed-income securities and senior mortgage-related securities.
CMOs and Multi-Class Pass-Through Securities. CMOs are multi-class bonds backed by pools of mortgage pass-through certificates or mortgage loans. CMOs may be collateralized by (a) GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC pass-through certificates, (b) unsecuritized mortgage loans insured by the FHA-related securities or (e) any combination thereof.
Each class of CMOs, often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specific coupon rate and has a stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal prepayments on collateral underlying a CMO may cause it to be retired substantially earlier than the stated maturities or final distribution dates. The principal and interest on the underlying mortgages may be allocated among the several classes of a series of a CMO in many ways. One or more tranches of a CMO may have coupon rates which reset periodically at a specified increment over an index or market rate, or sometimes more than one index. These floating rate CMOs typically are issued with lifetime caps on the coupon rate thereon. Inverse floating rate CMOs constitute a tranche of a CMO with a coupon rate that moves in the opposite direction to an applicable index or market rate. Accordingly, the coupon rate thereon will increase as interest rates decrease. Inverse floating rate CMOs are typically more volatile than fixed or floating rate tranches of CMOs. See "Certain Material US Federal Income Tax Considerations."
Many inverse floating rate CMOs have coupons that move inversely to a multiple of the applicable indexes. The coupon varying inversely to a multiple of an applicable index creates a leverage factor. Inverse floaters based on multiples of a stated index are designed to be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders thereof to extreme reductions of yield and loss of principal. The markets for inverse floating rate CMOs with highly
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leveraged characteristics may at times be very thin. Each Portfolio's ability to dispose of its positions in such securities will depend on the degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities. It is impossible to predict the amount of trading interest that may exist in such securities, and therefore the future degree of liquidity.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are created by segregating the cash flows from underlying mortgage loans or mortgage securities to create two or more new securities, each with a specified percentage of the underlying security's principal or interest payments. Mortgage securities may be partially stripped so that each investor class receives some interest and some principal. When securities are completely stripped, however, all of the interest is distributed to holders of one type of security, known as an interest-only security, or IO, and all of the principal is distributed to holders of another type of security known as a principal-only security, or PO. Strips can be created in a pass-through structure or as tranches of a CMO. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Portfolio may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the underlying mortgage assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be materially and adversely affected.
Private Entity Securities. Mortgage-related securities may be issued by commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, private mortgage insurance companies and other non-governmental issuers. Timely payment of principal and interest on mortgage-related securities backed by pools created by non-governmental issuers often is supported partially by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance. The insurance and guarantees are issued by government entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers. There can be no assurance that the private insurers or mortgage poolers can meet their obligations under the policies, so that if the issuers default on their obligations the holders of the security could sustain a loss. No insurance or guarantee covers the Portfolio or the price of the Portfolio's shares. Mortgage-related securities issued by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government-agency and government-related securities because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payment.
CMO Residuals. CMO residuals are derivative mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the US government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing ("CMO Residuals").
The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal of and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO Residual represents dividend or interest income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMOs, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the prepayment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO Residuals is extremely sensitive to prepayments on the related underlying mortgage assets in the same manner as an IO class of stripped mortgage-back securities. See "Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities" above. In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described above with respect to stripped mortgage-back securities, in certain circumstances, the Portfolio may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in a CMO Residual.
CMO Residuals generally are purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. CMO Residuals may not have the liquidity of other more established securities trading in other markets. Transactions in CMO Residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, whether or not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), CMO Residuals may be subject to certain restrictions of transferability. Ownership of certain CMO Residuals imposes liability for certain of the expenses of the related CMO issuer on the purchaser. The Investment Manager will not purchase any CMO Residual that imposes such liability on the Portfolio.
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Other Mortgage-Related Securities. Other mortgage-related securities in which a Portfolio may invest include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property. Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the US government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities are a form of derivative instrument. Non-mortgage asset-backed securities are securities issued by special purpose entities whose primary assets consist of a pool of loans, receivables or other assets. Payment of principal and interest may depend largely on the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities and, in certain cases, supported by letters of credit, surety bonds or other forms of credit or liquidity enhancements. The value of these asset-backed securities also may be affected by the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool of assets, the originator of the loans or receivables or the financial institution providing the credit support.
The securitization techniques used for asset-backed securities are similar to those used for mortgage-related securities, including the issuance of securities in senior and subordinated classes (see "Mortgage-Related Securities—Commercial Mortgage-Related Securities" and "—Subordinated Securities" above). These securities include debt securities and securities with debt-like characteristics. The collateral for these securities has included home equity loans, automobile and credit card receivables, boat loans, computer leases, airplane leases, mobile home loans, recreational vehicle loans and hospital account receivables. Other types of asset-backed securities may be developed in the future. The purchase of non-mortgage asset-backed securities raises considerations particular to the financing of the instruments underlying such securities.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks of mortgage-backed securities, such as prepayment risk, as well as risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may provide a less effective security interest in the related collateral than do mortgage-backed securities. Therefore, there is the possibility that recoveries on the underlying collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities.
Credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. Most organizations that issue asset-backed securities relating to motor vehicle installment purchase obligations perfect their interests in their respective obligations only by filing a financing statement and by having the servicer of the obligations, which is usually the originator, take custody thereof. In such circumstances, if the servicer were to sell the same obligations to another party, in violation of its duty not to so do, there is a risk that such party could acquire an interest in the obligations superior to that of the holders of the securities. Also, although most such obligations grant a security interest in the motor vehicle being financed, in most states the security interest in a motor vehicle must be noted on the certificate of title to perfect such security interest against competing claims of other parties. Due to the large number of vehicles involved, however, the certificate of title to each vehicle financed, pursuant to the obligations underlying the securities, usually is not amended to reflect the assignment of the seller's security interest for the benefit of the holders of the securities. Therefore, there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on those securities. In addition, various state and federal laws give the motor vehicle owner the right to assert against the holder of the owner's obligation certain defenses such owner would have against the seller of the motor vehicle. The assertion of such defenses could reduce payments on the related securities.
Municipal Securities. US municipal securities, the interest on which is, in the opinion of the issuer's counsel at the time of issuance, exempt from regular federal income tax ("Municipal Securities"), are debt obligations issued by states, territories and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, or multi-state agencies or authorities, to obtain funds for various public purposes, and include certain industrial development bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities. Municipal Securities are classified as general obligation bonds, revenue bonds and notes. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue bonds are payable from the revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source, but not from the general taxing power. Tax-exempt industrial development bonds, in most cases, are revenue bonds that generally do not carry the pledge of the credit of the
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issuing municipality, but generally are guaranteed by the corporate entity on whose behalf they are issued. Notes are short-term instruments which are obligations of the issuing municipalities or agencies and are sold in anticipation of a bond issuance, collection of taxes or receipt of other revenues. Municipal Securities include municipal lease/purchase agreements which are similar to installment purchase contracts for property or equipment issued by municipalities. Municipal Securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest which are determined in some instances by formulas under which the Municipal Securities' interest rate will change directly or inversely to changes in interest rates or an index, or multiples thereof, in many cases subject to a maximum and minimum.
The Municipal Securities market is not subject to the same level of regulation as other sectors of the US capital markets due to broad exemptions under the federal securities laws for Municipal Securities. As a result, there may be less disclosure, including current audited financial information, available about municipal issuers than is available for issuers of securities registered under the Securities Act.
For the purpose of diversification under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the identification of the issuer of Municipal Securities depends on the terms and conditions of the security. When the assets and revenues of an agency, authority, instrumentality or other political subdivision are separate from those of the government creating the subdivision and the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the subdivision, such subdivision would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Similarly, in the case of an industrial development bond, if that bond is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental user, then such non-governmental user would be deemed to be the sole issuer. If, however, in either case, the creating government or some other entity guarantees a security, such a guaranty would be considered a separate security and will be treated as an issue of such government or other entity.
The yields on Municipal Securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general economic and monetary conditions, conditions in the Municipal Securities market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue and certain other factors. While, in general, Municipal Securities are tax exempt securities having relatively low yields as compared to taxable, non-Municipal Securities of similar quality, certain Municipal Securities are taxable obligations offering yields comparable to, and in some cases greater than, the yields available on other permissible Portfolio investments. Dividends received by shareholders of the Portfolios which are attributable to interest income received by the Portfolios from Municipal Securities generally will be subject to federal income tax.
Municipal Securities include certain private activity bonds (a type of revenue bond), the income from which is subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Although RICs generally are not subject to the alternative minimum tax, the Code provides that shareholders of a RIC that receive an exempt-interest dividend attributable to income arising from a specified private activity bond will be subject to the alternative minimum tax on their proportionate share of interest attributable to the private activity bonds, in a manner to be prescribed in Treasury regulations; however, as of the date hereof, no regulations implementing this rule have been proposed by Treasury, and it is not known when such regulations are expected to be issued, nor what form such regulations will take.
Certain provisions in the Code, relating to the issuance of Municipal Securities may reduce the volume of Municipal Securities qualifying for federal tax exemption. One effect of these provisions could be to increase the cost of the Municipal Securities available for purchase and thus reduce available yield.
Floating and Variable Rate Demand Obligations. Floating and variable rate demand notes and bonds are tax exempt obligations ordinarily having stated maturities in excess of one year, but which permit the holder to demand payment of principal at any time or at specified intervals. Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the Portfolio's right to redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on demand.
Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal lease obligations or installment purchase contract obligations (collectively, "lease obligations") may take the form of a lease, installment purchase or a conditional sale contract and are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land or a wide variety of equipment and facilities. Lease obligations have special risks not ordinarily associated with Municipal Securities. Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality's taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation ordinarily is backed by the municipality's covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations in which the Portfolio may invest may contain "non-
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appropriation" clauses, which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although "non-appropriation" lease obligations are secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult. Certain lease obligations may be illiquid.
Zero Coupon, Pay-In-Kind and Step Up Securities. Zero coupon securities are securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified redemption date or cash payment date. Pay-in-kind bonds are bonds that generally pay interest through the issuance of additional bonds. Step-up coupon bonds are debt securities that typically do not pay interest for a specified period of time and then pay interest at a series of different rates. The market prices of these securities generally are more volatile, particularly during periods no interest is paid, and are likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically having similar maturities and credit qualities. In addition, unlike bonds that pay interest throughout the period to maturity, a Portfolio will realize no cash until the cash payment date unless a portion of such securities are sold and, if the issuer defaults, the Portfolio may obtain no return at all on its investment. Federal income tax law requires the holder of a zero coupon security or of certain pay-in-kind or step up bonds to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. To maintain its qualification as a RIC and avoid liability for federal income taxes, a Portfolio may be required to distribute such 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.
Inflation-Indexed Securities. Inflation-indexed securities are indexed to inflation so that principal and interest payments rise and fall with the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. Treasury and some other issuers utilize a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond, which has the effect of changing the interest amount paid. Other issuers pay out inflation-indexed accruals as part of a semi-annual coupon.
The periodic adjustment of Treasury Inflation Protected Securities ("TIPS") is tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (the "CPI-U"), which is calculated monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor and measures the changes in the price of a basket of goods and services purchased by urban consumers. Inflation-indexed securities 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 other 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.
Treasury has guaranteed that, in the event of a drop in prices, TIPS would repay the adjusted principal or the original principal, whichever is greater, so that investors will not receive less than the originally invested principal. However, the current market value of TIPS is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Inflation-indexed securities issued by corporations generally do not guarantee repayment of principal.
The value of inflation-indexed securities 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 the rate of inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed securities. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed security generally will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity. 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 security's inflation measure. In addition, because inflation-indexed securities are intended to provide protection from inflation, they generally have lower expected returns.
Non-US Securities
Non-US securities include the securities of companies organized under the laws of countries other than the United States and those issued or guaranteed by governments other than the US government or by foreign supranational entities. They also include securities of companies whose principal trading market is in a country other than the
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United States or of companies (including those that are located in the United States or organized under US law) that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from foreign businesses, investments or sales, or that have a majority of their assets outside the United States. They may be traded on foreign securities exchanges or in the foreign over-the-counter markets. Supranational entities include international organizations designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Coal and Steel Community, the Asian Development Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank.
Investing in the securities of foreign issuers, as well as instruments that provide investment exposure to foreign securities and markets, involves risks that are not typically associated with investing in US dollar-denominated securities of domestic issuers. Investments in foreign issuers may be affected by changes in currency rates (i.e., affecting the value of assets as measured in US dollars), changes in foreign or US laws or restrictions applicable to such investments and in exchange control regulations (e.g., currency blockage). A decline in the exchange rate of the currency (i.e., weakening of the currency against the US dollar) in which a portfolio security is quoted or denominated relative to the US dollar would reduce the value of the portfolio security. A change in the value of such foreign currency against the US dollar also will result in a change in the amount of income available for distribution. If a portion of a Portfolio's investment income may be received in foreign currencies, the Portfolio will be required to compute its income in US dollars for distribution to shareholders, and therefore the Portfolio will absorb the cost of currency fluctuations. After a Portfolio has distributed income, subsequent foreign currency losses may result in the Portfolio having distributed more income in a particular fiscal period than was available from investment income, which could result in a return of capital to shareholders. In addition, if the exchange rate for the currency in which a Portfolio receives interest payments declines against the US dollar before such income is distributed as dividends to shareholders, a Portfolio may have to sell portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to enable the Portfolio to pay such dividends. Commissions on transactions in foreign securities may be higher than those for similar transactions on domestic stock markets, and foreign custodial costs are higher than domestic custodial costs. In addition, clearance and settlement procedures may be different in foreign countries and, in certain markets, such procedures have on occasion been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, thus making it difficult to conduct such transactions.
Foreign securities markets generally are not as developed or efficient as those in the United States. Securities of some foreign issuers, including depositary receipts, foreign government obligations and securities of supranational entities, are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable US issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign securities markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the United States. However, the capital markets in the US and internationally have experienced periods of significant volatility in recent years, causing significant declines in the value and liquidity of many securities. These market conditions may reoccur at any time.
Many countries throughout the world are dependent on a healthy US economy and are adversely affected when the US economy weakens or its markets decline. For example, in 2007 and 2008, the meltdown in the US subprime mortgage market quickly spread throughout global credit markets, triggering a liquidity crisis that affected fixed-income and equity markets around the world.
Foreign investments involve risks unique to the local political, economic, and regulatory structures in place, as well as the potential for social instability, military unrest, or diplomatic developments that could prove adverse to the interests of US investors. Individual foreign economies can differ favorably or unfavorably from the US economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. In addition, significant external political and economic risks currently affect some foreign countries. For example, both Taiwan and China claim sovereignty over Taiwan and there is a demilitarized border and hostile relations between North and South Korea. War and terrorism affect many countries, especially those in Africa and the Middle East. Russia's war in Ukraine is likely to impact countries throughout the world. The future proliferation and effects of these and similar events and other socio-political or geographical issues are not known but could suddenly and/or profoundly affect global economies, markets, certain industries and/or specific securities.
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From time to time, certain of the companies in which a Portfolio may invest may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargos imposed by the US and other governments or identified by the US government as state sponsors of terrorism. Economic and trade sanctions may prohibit, among other things, transactions with and the provision of services to certain countries, territories, entities and individuals. A company may suffer damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which operates in, or has dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the US government as state sponsors of terrorism. As an investor in such companies, a Portfolio will be indirectly subject to those risks. Iran, for example, is subject to several United Nations sanctions and is an embargoed country by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC").
In addition, from time to time, certain of the companies in which a Portfolio may invest may engage in, or have dealings with countries or companies that engage in, activities that may not be considered socially and/or environmentally responsible. As a result, a company may suffer damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which engages in, or has dealings with countries or companies that engage in, the above referenced activities. As an investor in such companies, a Portfolio would be indirectly subject to those risks.
Because evidences of ownership of such securities usually are held outside the United States, a Portfolio will be subject to additional risks which include possible adverse political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits and adoption of governmental restrictions, which might adversely affect or restrict the payment of principal and interest on the foreign securities to investors located outside the country of the issuer, whether from currency blockage, exchange control regulation or otherwise. Moreover, foreign securities held by a Portfolio may trade on days when the Portfolio does not calculate its net asset value and thus affect the Portfolio's net asset value on days when investors have no access to the Portfolio. Because foreign securities often are purchased with and payable in currencies of foreign countries, the value of these assets as measured in US dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations.
Investing in North America. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations or an economic recession in any North American country can have a significant economic effect on the entire North American region. The US is Canada's and Mexico's largest trading and investment partner, and the Canadian and Mexican economies are significantly affected by developments in the US economy. Political developments, including policy and legislative changes, in one North American country may have a significant effect on North American markets generally, as well as on the value of Portfolio investments in or related to these markets. On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trilateral free trade agreement among the US, Mexico and Canada (the "USMCA"), came into effect. The USMCA is based substantially on the previous trilateral agreement among the three countries that the USMCA was intended to supersede, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which had been in effect since 1994.
Investing in Europe. Ongoing concerns regarding the economies of certain European countries and/or their sovereign debt, as well as the possibility that one or more countries might leave the European Union (the "EU"), create risks for investing in the EU.
A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts. Many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations. Financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced significant volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and outside of Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not be effective, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of outstanding debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.
In June 2016, the United Kingdom (the "UK") held a referendum resulting in a vote in favor of the exit of the UK from the EU (known as "Brexit"). On March 29, 2017, the UK triggered the withdrawal procedures in Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which provides for a two-year negotiation period between the EU and the withdrawing member state. Accordingly, it was initially anticipated that the UK would cease to be a member of the EU by the end of March 2019; however, this was subsequently extended to January 31, 2020. Following this date, the UK ceased to
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be a member of the EU and the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement came into force, under which EU law still had effect in the UK during a transitional period. This transitional period concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement. The agreement governs the new relationship between the UK and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the UK's exit are not known at this time and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. The current uncertainty and related future developments could have a negative impact on both the UK economy and the economies of other countries in Europe, as well as greater volatility in the global financial and currency markets. It is also unknown whether the UK's exit from the EU will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any additional exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on European and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth. It is not possible to ascertain the precise impact these events may have on a Portfolio or its investments from an economic, financial, tax or regulatory perspective but any such impact could have material consequences for the Portfolios and their investments.
Whether or not a Portfolio invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or has significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Portfolio's investment.
Investing in Japan. Over the last few decades, Japan's economic growth rate had remained relatively low compared to that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies mainly due to deflation. The economy is characterized by an aging demographic, a declining population, a large government debt and a highly regulated labor market. Monetary and fiscal policies designed to stimulate economic growth in Japan have had limited success in the past prior to the current government. Overseas trade is important to Japan's economy, although exports as a percentage of Japan's gross domestic product is lower than other Asian countries and most developed countries. Japan has few natural resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its commodity needs. Fluctuations or shortages in relevant commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japan's economy. The Japanese economy also can be adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies, and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan has a growing economic relationship with China and other Southeast Asian countries, and economic, political or social instability in those countries, whether resulting from country, regional or global events, could have an adverse effect on Japan's economy. The specific risks of investing in Japan, certain of which are summarized in this section, could, individually or in the aggregate, adversely impact investments in Japan.
Labor Market. Japan's labor market, affected by the aging and shrinking population, appears to be undergoing fundamental structural changes. The changing population has increased the cost of Japan's pension and public welfare system. Japan's labor market, which traditionally preferred lifetime employment, also has sought to adjust to meet the need for increased labor mobility. Issues in Japan's labor market may, among other consequences, adversely affect Japan's economic competitiveness.
Currency Fluctuations. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times, and any material increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the Japanese economy. The Japanese government has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen. Japan's intervention in the currency markets could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate dramatically and unpredictably. A decline in value of the yen relative to the US dollar will affect the value of these investments held by a Portfolio.
Natural Disasters. Japan has experienced natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tidal waves, of varying degrees of severity. The risks of such phenomena, and the resulting damage, continue to exist and could have a severe and negative impact on a Portfolio's holdings in Japanese securities. Japan also has one of the world's highest population densities, with a significant percentage of its total population concentrated in the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. As a result, a natural disaster centered in or very near one of these cities could have a particularly devastating effect on Japan's financial markets. For example, Japan suffered economic distress from the earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March 2011 and caused major damage along the coast, including damage to nuclear power plants in the region.
Emerging Markets. Investments in, or economically tied to, emerging market countries may be subject to higher risks than investments in companies in developed countries. Risks of investing in emerging markets and emerging market securities include (in addition to those described above): less social, political and economic stability; less
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diverse and mature economic structures; higher volatility; the lack of publicly available information, including reports of payments of dividends or interest on outstanding securities; certain national policies that may restrict a Portfolio's investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; local taxation; the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; the absence until recently, in certain countries, of a capital structure or market-oriented economy; the possibility that recent favorable economic developments in certain countries may be slowed or reversed by unanticipated political or social events in these countries; restrictions that may make it difficult or impossible for a Portfolio to vote proxies, exercise shareholder rights, pursue legal remedies, and obtain judgments in foreign courts; the risk of uninsured loss due to lost, stolen, or counterfeit stock certificates; possible losses through the holding of securities in domestic and foreign custodial banks and depositories; heightened opportunities for governmental corruption; large amounts of foreign debt to finance basic governmental duties that could lead to restructuring or default; and heavy reliance on exports that may be severely affected by global economic downturns.
The purchase and sale of portfolio securities in certain emerging market countries may be constrained by limitations as to daily changes in the prices of listed securities, periodic trading or settlement volume and/or limitations on aggregate holdings of foreign investors. In certain cases, such limitations may be computed based upon the aggregate trading by or holdings of a Portfolio, its Investment Manager and its affiliates and their respective clients and other service providers. A Portfolio may not be able to sell securities in circumstances where price, trading or settlement volume limitations have been reached.
Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention and the imposition of "capital controls." Countries use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering (inflows) and exiting (outflows) their country to respond to certain economic conditions. Such controls are mainly applied to short-term capital transactions to counter speculative flows that threaten to undermine the stability of the exchange rate and deplete foreign exchange reserves. Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets in such a way that may adversely affect the ability of a Portfolio to repatriate their income and capital. These limitations may have a negative impact on the Portfolio's performance and may adversely affect the liquidity of the Portfolio's investment to the extent that it invests in certain emerging market countries. Some emerging market countries may have fixed or managed currencies which are not free-floating against the US dollar. Further, certain emerging market countries' currencies may not be internationally traded. Certain of these currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the US dollar. If a Portfolio does not hedge the US dollar value of securities it owns denominated in currencies that are devalued, the Portfolio's NAV will be adversely affected. In addition, some countries in which a Portfolio may invest have experienced substantial, and in some periods, extremely high rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, adverse effects on the economies and securities markets of certain of these countries. Further, the economies of emerging market countries generally are heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade.
Frontier Markets. Certain companies are organized or have their principal place of business, or majority of assets or business, in pre-emerging markets, also known as frontier markets. The risks associated with investments in frontier market countries include all the risks described above for investments in foreign securities and emerging markets, although the risks are magnified for frontier market countries. Because frontier markets are among the smallest, least mature and least liquid of the emerging markets, investments in frontier markets generally are subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets or traditional emerging markets. Frontier market countries have smaller economies, less developed capital markets, more political and economic instability, weaker legal, financial accounting and regulatory infrastructure, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments than typically found in more developed countries, and frontier markets typically have greater market volatility, lower trading volume, lower capital flow, less investor participation, fewer large global companies and greater risk of a market shutdown than more developed markets. Frontier markets are more prone to economic shocks associated with political and economic risks than are emerging markets generally. Many frontier market countries may be dependent on commodities, foreign trade or foreign aid.
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Other than for the purpose of a Portfolio's policy with respect to the investment of 80% of its assets, the Portfolios consider emerging market countries to include all countries represented by the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI®") Emerging Markets Index and other countries not considered developed countries by MSCI, and investments in emerging markets may include those companies included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and companies with their principal business activities located in, or that have 50% or more of their assets in or revenue or net income from, emerging market countries. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index currently includes the following countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
For the purpose of a Portfolio's policy with respect to the investment of 80% of its assets, with respect to derivative instruments, the Investment Manager generally considers such instruments to be economically tied to emerging market countries if the underlying assets are currencies of emerging market countries (or baskets or indexes of such currencies), or instruments or securities that are issued or guaranteed by governments of emerging market countries or by entities organized under the laws of emerging market countries.
Investing in China. Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed securities, subject a Portfolio to risks specific to China. Specific risks associated with investments in China include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, exchange control regulations (including currency blockage), trading halts, imposition of tariffs, limitations on repatriation and differing legal standards.
Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. Reduced spending on Chinese products and services, which may result in substantial price reductions of goods and services and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry; institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the US or other countries; or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners, may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers of securities.
Investments in certain Hong Kong-listed securities may also subject a Portfolio to exposure to Chinese companies. In 1997, the United Kingdom handed over control of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China (the "PRC"). By treaty, China has committed to preserve a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong in certain matters until 2047, although defense and foreign affairs are the responsibility of the central government in Beijing. However, as demonstrated by protests and unrest in Hong Kong in recent years over political, economic, and legal freedoms, and the Chinese government's response to them, political uncertainty continues to exist in Hong Kong, which may have an adverse impact on Hong Kong's economy.
Investing in Chinese Companies through Variable Interest Entities. The Portfolios may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in China by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities ("VIEs"). Because of Chinese governmental restrictions on non-Chinese ownership of companies in certain industries in China, certain Chinese companies have used VIEs to facilitate foreign investment without distributing direct ownership of companies based or operated in China. In such cases, the Chinese operating company establishes an offshore company, and the offshore company enters into contractual arrangements with the Chinese company. These contractual arrangements are intended to give the offshore company the ability to exercise power over and obtain economic rights from the Chinese company. Shares of the offshore company, in turn, are listed and traded on exchanges outside of China and are available to non-Chinese investors, such as the Portfolios. This arrangement
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allows non-Chinese investors in the offshore company to obtain economic exposure to the Chinese company without direct equity ownership in the Chinese company.
Although VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in China, VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law. There is a risk that China may cease to tolerate VIEs at any time or impose new restrictions on the structure, in each case either generally or with respect to specific industries, sectors or companies. Actions by Chinese authorities could include revoking the business licenses of Chinese operating companies with VIE structures, imposing fines or penalties, confiscating income or assets, nationalizing the Chinese operating company, discontinuing or restricting operations in China, requiring changes to corporate structuring and contractual arrangements, prohibiting the use of proceeds from overseas financing or otherwise taking adverse regulatory or enforcement actions. Investments involving a VIE may also pose additional risks because such investments are made through a company whose interests in the underlying Chinese company are established through contract rather than through equity ownership. For example, in the event of a dispute, the offshore company's contractual claims with respect to the Chinese company may be deemed unenforceable in China, thus limiting (or eliminating) the remedies and rights available to the offshore company and its investors, and a U.S.-listed company may expend substantial resources attempting to enforce the arrangements. Such legal uncertainty may also be exploited against the interests of the offshore company and its investors. Further, the interests of the equity owners of the Chinese company may conflict with the interests of the investors of the offshore company, and the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the Chinese company may differ from, or conflict with, the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the offshore company. The VIE structure generally restricts the Portfolios' ability to influence the Chinese company through proxy voting and other means and may restrict the ability of an issuer to pay dividends to shareholders from the Chinese company's earnings. VIE structures also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or other United States regulators. If these risks materialize, the value of investments in VIEs could be adversely affected and the Portfolios could incur significant losses with no recourse available.
Stock Connect. Certain Portfolios may invest in eligible renminbi-denominated class A shares of equity securities that are listed and traded on certain Chinese stock exchanges ("China A-Shares") through Hong Kong Stock Connect Program ("Stock Connect"). Trading in China A-Shares through Stock Connect is subject to certain risks, which may change over time. A Portfolio's investment in China A-Shares may only be traded through Stock Connect and is not otherwise transferable. The list of eligible China A-Shares may change from time to time. When a China A-Shares issue is recalled from the scope of securities eligible for trading through Stock Connect, a Portfolio may only sell, but not buy, the securities, which may adversely affect the Portfolio's investment strategy.
While Stock Connect is not subject to individual investment quotas, daily and aggregate investment quotas apply to all Stock Connect participants, which may restrict or preclude a Portfolio's ability to invest in China A-Shares. For example, these quota limitations require that buy orders for China A-Shares be rejected once the remaining balance of the relevant quota drops to zero or the daily quota is exceeded (although a Portfolio would be permitted to sell China A-Shares regardless of the quota balance). These limitations may restrict a Portfolio from investing in China A-Shares on a timely basis, which could affect the Portfolio's ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy. Investment quotas are also subject to change.
Chinese regulations prohibit over-selling of China A-Shares. If a Portfolio intends to sell China A-Shares it holds, it must transfer those securities to the accounts of the Portfolio's participant broker before the market opens. As a result, the Portfolio may not be able to dispose of its holdings of China A-Shares in a timely manner.
Stock Connect also is generally available only on business days when both the exchange on which China A-Shares are offered and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong are open and when banks in both markets are open on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in China A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject a Portfolio to a risk of price fluctuations on days where the Chinese stock markets are open, but Stock Connect is not operating.
Stock Connect regulations provide that investors, such as a Portfolio, enjoy the rights and benefits of equities purchased through Stock Connect. However, the nominee structure under Stock Connect requires that China A-Shares be held through the Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company (the "HKSCC") as nominee on behalf of investors. While a Portfolio's ownership of China A-Shares will be reflected on the books of the custodian's records,
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a Portfolio will only have beneficial rights in such A-Shares. The precise nature and rights of the Portfolio as the beneficial owner of the SSE equities through the HKSCC as nominee is not well defined under the law of the PRC. Although the China Securities Regulatory Commission has issued guidance indicating that participants in Stock Connect will be able to exercise rights of beneficial owners in the PRC, the exact nature and methods of enforcement of the rights and interests of a Portfolio under PRC law is uncertain. In particular, the courts may consider that the nominee or custodian as registered holder of China A-Shares has full ownership over the securities rather than the Portfolio as the underlying beneficial owner. The HKSCC, as nominee holder, does not guarantee the title to China A-Shares held through it and is under no obligation to enforce title or other rights associated with ownership on behalf of beneficial owners. Consequently, title to these securities, or the rights associated with them, such as participation in corporate actions or shareholder meetings, cannot be assured.
While certain aspects of the Stock Connect trading process are subject to Hong Kong law, PRC rules applicable to share ownership will apply. In addition, transactions using Stock Connect are not subject to the Hong Kong investor compensation fund, which means that a Portfolio will be unable to make monetary claims on the investor compensation fund that it might otherwise be entitled to with respect to investments in Hong Kong securities. Other risks associated with investments in PRC securities apply fully to China A-Shares purchased through Stock Connect.
China A-Shares traded via Stock Connect are subject to various risks associated with the legal and technical framework of Stock Connect. In the event that the relevant systems fail to function properly, trading in China A-Shares through Stock Connect could be disrupted. In the event of high trade volume or unexpected market conditions, Stock Connect may be available only on a limited basis, if at all. Both the PRC and Hong Kong regulators are permitted, independently of each other, to suspend Stock Connect in response to certain market conditions. Additionally, the withholding tax treatment of dividends and capital gains payable to overseas investors may be subject to change, and any such changes may negatively affect investment returns.
Bond Connect. Chinese debt instruments trade on the China Interbank Bond Market ("CIBM") and may be purchased through a market access program that is designed to, among other things, enable foreign investment in the PRC ("Bond Connect"). There are significant risks inherent in investing in Chinese debt instruments, similar to the risks of other fixed-income securities markets in emerging markets. The prices of debt instruments traded on the CIBM may fluctuate significantly due to low trading volume and potential lack of liquidity. The rules to access debt instruments that trade on the CIBM through Bond Connect are relatively new and subject to change, which may adversely affect a Portfolio's ability to invest in these instruments and to enforce its rights as a beneficial owner of these instruments. Trading through Bond Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect a Portfolio's investments and returns.
Investments made through Bond Connect are subject to order, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in China, which could pose risks to a Portfolio. CIBM does not support all trading strategies (such as short selling). Investments in Chinese debt instruments that trade on the CIBM are subject to the risks of suspension of trading without cause or notice, trade failure or trade rejection and default of securities depositories and counterparties. Furthermore, Chinese debt instruments purchased via Bond Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Central Money Markets Unit ("CMU") maintained with a China-based depository (either the China Central Depository & Clearing Co. ("CDCC") or the Shanghai Clearing House ("SCH")). A Portfolio's ownership interest in these Chinese debt instruments will not be reflected directly in book entry with CSDCC or SCH and will instead only be reflected on the books of a Portfolio's Hong Kong sub-custodian. Therefore, a Portfolio's ability to enforce its rights as a bondholder may depend on CMU's ability or willingness as record-holder of the bonds to enforce the Portfolio's rights as a bondholder. Additionally, the omnibus manner in which Chinese debt instruments are held could expose a Portfolio to the credit risk of the relevant securities depositories and a Portfolio's Hong Kong sub-custodian. While a Portfolio holds a beneficial interest in the instruments it acquires through Bond Connect, the mechanisms that beneficial owners may use to enforce their rights are untested. In addition, courts in China have limited experience in applying the concept of beneficial ownership. Moreover, Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Bond Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A Portfolio's investments in Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect are generally subject to a number of regulations and restrictions, including Chinese securities regulations and listing rules, loss recovery limitations and disclosure of interest reporting obligations. A Portfolio will not benefit from access to Hong Kong
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investor compensation funds, which are set up to protect against defaults of trades, when investing through Bond Connect. Bond Connect can only operate when both China and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. The rules applicable to taxation of Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect remain subject to further clarification. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments via Bond Connect could result in unexpected tax liabilities for a Portfolio, which may negatively affect investment returns.
Investments in CCMC Securities. On November 12, 2020, the President of the United States issued an Executive Order (the "Order") to prohibit, beginning January 11, 2021, US persons (which includes the Portfolios) from transacting in certain securities and derivatives of publicly traded securities of any of 31 companies designated as a "Communist Chinese military company" (a "CCMC" and such securities collectively with securities of certain subsidiaries of such companies and related depositary receipts that may be covered by the Order, "CCMC Securities") by the US Department of Defense (the "DOD") or OFAC. In the weeks following the issuance of the Order, the DOD designated an additional 13 companies as CCMCs, bringing the current total to 44 companies designated to date. Also subsequent to issuance of the Order, OFAC extended the effective date of the trading ban from January 11, 2021 to January 28, 2021 for publicly-traded securities of companies with a name that "closely matches the name" of a designated CCMC but that have not been designated as CCMC Securities. In addition, US persons also are prohibited from transacting in newly-designated CCMC Securities 60 days after such designation. As clarified by an amendment to the Order dated January 13, 2021, and subsequent guidance from OFAC, US persons may divest their holdings in the 31 initially-designated CCMCs at any time through November 11, 2021 (and have 365 days from date of designation to divest their holdings in other CCMCs).
OFAC subsequently published, on several occasions, guidance regarding compliance with the Order, including several "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs)-style publications addressing the scope of, and interpretive matters regarding, compliance with the Order, as well as the Order's application to US funds that hold CCMC Securities (i.e., including mutual funds that hold CCMC Securities regardless of the size of the position relative to a fund's total assets). Certain interpretive issues related to compliance with the Order remain open, including to what extent a US person could be held liable for failing to identify an unlisted entity whose name "close matches the name" of an entity designated as a CCMC.
A Portfolio's holdings in CCMC Securities may adversely impact the Portfolio's performance. The extent of any impact will depend on future developments, including the Portfolio's ability to sell the CCMC Securities, valuation of the CCMC Securities, modifications to the Order, the issuance of additional or different interpretive guidance regarding compliance with the Order, and the duration of the Order, all of which are highly uncertain.
Investing in Russia and other Eastern European Countries. Many formerly communist, eastern European countries have experienced significant political and economic reform over the past decade. However, the democratization process is still relatively new in a number of the smaller states and political turmoil and popular uprisings remain threats. Investments in these countries are particularly subject to political, economic, legal, market and currency risks. The risks include uncertain political and economic policies and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, short-term market volatility, poor accounting standards, corruption and crime, an inadequate regulatory system, unpredictable taxation and the imposition of capital controls and/or foreign investment limitations by a country and the imposition of sanctions on an Eastern European country by other countries, such as the US. Adverse currency exchange rates are a risk and there is a lack of available currency hedging instruments.
These securities markets, as compared to US markets, have significant price volatility, less liquidity, a smaller market capitalization and a smaller number of exchange-traded securities. A limited volume of trading may result in difficulty in obtaining accurate prices and trading. There is little publicly available information about issuers. Settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to risks because of insufficient registration systems that may not be subject to effective government supervision. This may result in significant delays or problems in registering the transfer of shares. It is possible that a Portfolio's ownership rights could be lost through fraud or negligence. While applicable regulations may impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult for a Portfolio to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration.
Political risk in Russia remains high, and steps that Russia may take to assert its geopolitical influence may increase the tensions in the region and affect economic growth. Russia's economy is heavily dependent on exportation of
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natural resources, which may be vulnerable to economic sanctions by other countries during times of political tension or crisis. In response to political and military actions undertaken by Russia, the United States and certain other countries, as well as the EU, have instituted economic sanctions against certain Russian individuals and companies. In particular, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, 2022, the US began to issue new economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus and many of the US's European allies followed with similar sanctions, expanding and adding to sanctions that had already been in place. The political and economic situation in Russia, and the current and any future sanctions or other government actions against Russia, may result in the decline in the value and liquidity of Russian securities, devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in Russia's credit rating, the inability to freely trade sanctioned companies (either due to the sanctions imposed or related operational issues) and/or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy, any of which could negatively impact a Portfolio's investments in Russian securities. Sanctions could result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of a Portfolio to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Both the current and potential future sanctions or other government actions against Russia also could result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions, which may impair further the value or liquidity of Russian securities and negatively impact a Portfolio. Any or all of these potential results could lead Russia's economy into a recession.
Investing in Central and South America. Securities markets in Central and South American countries may experience greater volatility than in other emerging countries. In addition, a number of Central and South American countries are among the largest emerging country debtors. There have been moratoria on, and reschedulings of, repayment with respect to these debts. Such events can restrict the flexibility of these debtor nations in the international markets and result in the imposition of onerous conditions on their economies.
Many of the currencies of Central and South American countries have experienced steady devaluation relative to the US dollar, and major devaluations have historically occurred in certain countries. Any devaluations in the currencies in which a Portfolio's portfolio securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Portfolio. There is also a risk that certain Central and South American countries may restrict the free conversion of their currencies into other currencies. Some Central and South American countries may have managed currencies which are not free floating against the US dollar. This type of system can lead to sudden and large adjustments in the currency that, in turn, can have a disruptive and negative effect on foreign investors. Certain Central and South American currencies may not be internationally traded and it would be difficult for a Portfolio to engage in foreign currency transactions designed to protect the value of the Portfolio's interests in securities denominated in such currencies.
The emergence of the Central and South American economies and securities markets will require continued economic and fiscal discipline that has been lacking at times in the past, as well as stable political and social conditions. Governments of many Central and South American countries have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. The political history of certain Central and South American countries has been characterized by political uncertainty, intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres and political corruption. Such developments, if they were to recur, could reverse favorable trends toward market and economic reform, privatization and removal of trade barriers.
International economic conditions, particularly those in the US, as well as world prices for oil and other commodities may also influence the recovery of the Central and South American economies. Because commodities such as oil, gas, minerals and metals represent a significant percentage of the region's exports, the economies of Central and South American countries are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. As a result, the economies in many of these countries can experience significant volatility.
Certain Central and South American countries have entered into regional trade agreements that would, among other things, reduce barriers among countries, increase competition among companies and reduce government subsidies in certain industries. No assurance can be given that these changes will result in the economic stability intended. There is a possibility that these trade arrangements will not be implemented, will be implemented but not completed or will be completed but then partially or completely unwound. It is also possible that a significant participant could choose to abandon a trade agreement, which could diminish its credibility and influence. Any of these occurrences could have adverse effects on the markets of both participating and non-participating countries, including share appreciation or depreciation of participant's national currencies and a significant increase in exchange rate volatility, a resurgence in economic protectionism, an undermining of confidence in the Central and South American markets, an undermining of Central and South American economic stability, the collapse or slowdown of the drive toward
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Central and South American economic unity, and/or reversion of the attempts to lower government debt and inflation rates that were introduced in anticipation of such trade agreements. Such developments could have an adverse impact on a Portfolio's investments in Central and South America generally or in specific countries participating in such trade agreements.
Investing in the Middle East. The aftermath of the war in Iraq, instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria and other countries in the Middle East may result in market volatility in those countries, may have long-term effects on worldwide financial markets and may cause further economic uncertainties worldwide. The wars and occupation, terrorism and related geopolitical risks have led to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on economies and markets located in the region and on world economies and markets generally. These events also could have a material adverse effect on individual issuers or related groups of issuers located in or doing substantial business with countries in the Middle East and also could adversely affect securities markets, interest rates, liquidity, credit risk, inflation, deflation and other factors affecting a Portfolio's investments in the Middle East.
Depositary Receipts. Securities of foreign issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares (collectively, "ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Shares (collectively, "EDRs"), Global Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Shares (collectively, "GDRs") and other forms of depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a United States bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs are receipts issued in Europe, and GDRs are receipts issued outside the United States, typically by non-United States banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in the US securities markets, EDRs in bearer form are designed for use in Europe, and GDRs in bearer form are designed for use outside the United States.
Depositary receipts may be purchased through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary. A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities, and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities.
Securities of foreign issuers that are represented by ADRs or that are listed on a US securities exchange or traded in the US over-the-counter markets are not subject to many of the considerations and risks discussed in the Prospectus and this SAI that apply to foreign securities traded and held abroad. A US dollar investment in ADRs or shares of foreign issuers traded on US exchanges may be impacted differently by currency fluctuations than would an investment made in a foreign currency on a foreign exchange in shares of the same issuer.
Sovereign Debt Obligations. Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by one or more non-US governments or any of their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities. Such securities also include debt obligations of supranational entities. Supranational entities include international organizations designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Coal and Steel Community, the Asian Development Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank. Obligations of the World Bank and certain other supranational organizations are supported by subscribed but unpaid commitments of member countries. There is no assurance that these commitments will be undertaken or complied with in the future.
Investments in sovereign debt obligations involve special risks which are not present in corporate debt obligations. The issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Portfolio may have limited recourse in the event of a default. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt, and the NAV of a Portfolio, to the extent it invests in such securities, may be more volatile than market prices of US government debt or the debt of corporate issuers. In the past, certain countries have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debt.
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A sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debts.
Moreover, no established secondary markets may exist for many of the sovereign debt obligations in which a Portfolio may invest. Reduced secondary market liquidity may have an adverse effect on the market price and a Portfolio's ability to dispose of particular instruments when necessary to meet its liquidity requirements or in response to specific economic events such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. Reduced secondary market liquidity for certain sovereign debt obligations also may make it more difficult for a Portfolio to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing its portfolio. Market quotations are generally available on many sovereign debt obligations only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of those dealers or prices of actual sales.
Sovereign Debt Obligations of Emerging Market Countries. Investing in foreign government obligations and the sovereign debt of emerging market countries creates exposure to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social or economic changes in the countries that issue the securities or in which the issuers are located. The ability and willingness of sovereign obligors in emerging market countries or the governmental authorities that control repayment of their external debt to pay principal and interest on such debt when due may depend on general economic and political conditions within the relevant country. Certain countries in which a Portfolio may invest have historically experienced, and may continue to experience, high rates of inflation, high interest rates, exchange rate trade difficulties and extreme poverty and unemployment. Many of these countries also are characterized by political uncertainty or instability. Additional factors which may influence the ability or willingness to service debt include a country's cash flow situation, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of its debt service burden to the economy as a whole and its government's policy towards the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other international agencies. The ability of a foreign sovereign obligor to make timely payments on its external debt obligations also will be strongly influenced by the obligor's balance of payments, including export performance, its access to international credits and investments, fluctuations in interest rates and the extent of its foreign reserves. A governmental obligor may default on its obligations. If such an event occurs, a Portfolio may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. In some cases, remedies must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the ability of the holder of foreign sovereign debt securities to obtain recourse may be subject to the political climate in the relevant country. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt will not contest payments to the holders of other foreign sovereign debt obligations in the event of default under their commercial bank loan agreements. Sovereign obligors in emerging market countries are among the world's largest debtors to commercial banks, other governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. These obligors, in the past, have experienced substantial difficulties in servicing their external debt obligations, which led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things, reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiating new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to "Brady Bonds" (securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities in certain emerging markets for new bonds in connection with debt restructuring), and obtaining new credit to finance interest payments. Holders of certain foreign sovereign debt securities may be requested to participate in the restructuring of such obligations and to extend further loans to their issuers. There can be no assurance that the Brady Bonds and other foreign sovereign debt securities in which a Portfolio may invest will not be subject to similar restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit which may adversely affect the Portfolio's holdings. Obligations of the World Bank and certain other supranational organizations are supported by subscribed but unpaid commitments of member countries. There is no assurance that these commitments will be undertaken or complied with in the future.
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Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Investments. Eurodollar instruments are bonds of foreign corporate and government issuers that pay interest and principal in US dollars generally held in banks outside the United States, primarily in Europe. Yankee Dollar instruments are US dollar-denominated bonds typically issued in the United States by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign banks and corporations. Eurodollar certificates of deposit are US dollar-denominated certificates of deposit issued by foreign branches of domestic banks; Eurodollar time deposits are US dollar-denominated deposits in a foreign branch of a US bank or in a foreign bank; and Yankee certificates of deposit are US dollar-denominated certificates of deposit issued by a US branch of a foreign bank and held in the United States. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities issued by US issuers, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, foreign withholding or other taxes, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest.
Investments in Specific Market Sectors
Infrastructure. Securities and instruments of infrastructure companies are more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting their industries. Infrastructure companies may be subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high leverage, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of an economic slowdown, surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Changes in law or regulations or general changes in market sentiment towards infrastructure assets may be difficult to predict or respond to, which may adversely affect the operations of infrastructure companies. Certain infrastructure companies may operate in limited areas, have few sources of revenue or face intense competition.
Infrastructure companies also may be affected by or subject to:
· regulation by various government authorities, including rate regulation;
· service interruption due to environmental, operational or other mishaps;
· the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards;
· difficulty in raising capital in adequate amounts on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets;
· inexperience with and potential losses resulting from a developing deregulatory environment; and
· technological innovations that may render existing plants, equipment or products obsolete.
Other factors that may affect the operations of infrastructure companies include significant changes to the number of ultimate end-users of a company's products, increased susceptibility to terrorist acts or political actions, and risks of environmental damage due to a company's operations or an accident.
Some infrastructure companies' assets are not movable, which creates the risk that an event may occur in the region of the company's asset that may impair the performance of that asset and the performance of the issuer. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, flood, lightning, hurricanes and wind or other man-made disasters, terrorist attacks or political activities could result in substantial damage to the facilities of companies located in the affected areas, and significant volatility in the products or services of infrastructure companies could adversely impact the prices of infrastructure companies' securities. Any destruction or loss of an infrastructure asset may have a major impact on the infrastructure company. Failure by the infrastructure company to carry adequate insurance or to operate the asset appropriately could lead to significant losses and damages.
Infrastructure companies' revenues may also be impacted by a number of factors, including a decrease in the number of users of the asset, inability to meet user demand, failure to efficiently maintain and operate infrastructure assets, failure of customers or counterparties to pay their contractual obligations, difficulties in obtaining financing for construction programs during inflationary periods or the inability to complete a project within budget. In addition, infrastructure assets can be highly leveraged, which makes such companies more susceptible to changes in interest rates. The market value of infrastructure companies also may decline in value in times of higher inflation rates.
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Other factors that may affect the operations of infrastructure companies include changes in technology that could render the way in which a company delivers a product or service obsolete, significant changes to the number of ultimate end-users of a company's products, increased susceptibility to terrorist acts or political actions, and risks of environmental damage due to a company's operations or an accident.
Utilities. Utility companies are subject to a variety of risk factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including: high interest costs in connection with capital construction and improvement programs; difficulty in raising capital in adequate amounts on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets; governmental regulation of rates charged to customers; costs associated with the reduced availability of certain types of fuel, occasionally reduced availability and high costs of natural gas for resale, and the effects of energy conservation policies; and inexperience with and potential losses resulting from a developing deregulatory environment.
Real Estate, Including REITs. Risks of investing in real estate include: declines in the value of real estate; adverse general, regional or local economic conditions; overbuilding and increased competition; increases in property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; casualty or condemnation losses; variations in rental income, neighborhood values or the appeal of properties to tenants; and changes in interest rates. Real estate-related companies also may be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, which could negatively affect their value. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. The price of real estate investments also may drop because of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans and poor management. Real estate-related companies may be affected by a high level of continuing capital expenditures, competition or increases in operating costs, which may not be offset by increases in revenues. The value and successful operation of certain types of commercial properties may be affected by a number of factors, such as the location of the property, the knowledge and experience of the management team, the level of mortgage rates, presence of competing properties and adverse economic conditions in the locale. Many real estate-related companies use leverage, which increases investment risk and could adversely affect a company's operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates as well as risks normally associated with debt financing, including financial covenants associated with the financing that may affect the ability the company ability to operate effectively. Real estate-related companies may be adversely affected by a lack of available financing or tightening of credit.
Certain companies may carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, earthquake, extended coverage and rental loss insurance with various policy specifications, limits and deductibles, but uninsured losses would affect profits, cash flows and performance.
REITs. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.
REITs are characterized as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs, which may include operating or finance companies, own real estate directly and the value of, and income earned by, the REITs depends upon the income of the underlying properties and the rental income they earn. Equity REITs also can realize capital gains (or losses) by selling properties that have appreciated (or depreciated) in value. Mortgage REITs can hold real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMIC") regular interests and can hold or make construction, development or long-term mortgage loans and are sensitive to the credit quality of the borrower. Mortgage REITs derive their income from interest payments on such loans or REMIC interests. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs, generally by holding both ownership interests and mortgage interests in real estate. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from
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the 1940 Act. A Portfolio will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of a Portfolio.
A Portfolio's investments in REITs may be adversely affected by deteriorations of the real estate rental market, in the case of REITs that primarily own real estate, or by deteriorations in the creditworthiness of property owners and changes in interest rates in the case of REITs that primarily hold mortgages. Equity and mortgage REITs also are dependent upon specialized management skills, may not be diversified in their holdings and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs also may be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation.
REITs are subject to a highly technical and complex set of provisions in the Code. A Portfolio might invest in a real estate company that purports to be a REIT and then the company unexpectedly could fail to qualify as a REIT. In the event of any such failure to qualify as a REIT which is not cured in accordance with applicable savings provisions in the Code, the company would be subject to corporate-level taxation, significantly reducing the return to a Portfolio on the Portfolio's investment in such company. REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above enumerated risks may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. If a REIT's borrowers or lessees default, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
Natural Resources. Natural resources business are affected by several significant factors, including: demand and price fluctuations for the natural resource products; the time and expenses of exploration, acquisition and development; the necessity of a high level of continuing capital expenditures, competition and increases in operating costs which may not be offset by increases in revenues; national, regional, state and local laws governing licenses and permits; political and community opposition; energy costs and other required commodities; and environmental and hazardous waste issues, including costs of regulatory compliance and remediation. Many companies in the natural resources sector may experience more price volatility than securities of companies in other industries. Some of the commodities that these industries use or provide are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These factors can affect the profitability of companies in the natural resources sector and, as a result, the value of their securities.
Information Technology. Information technology companies generally operate in intensely competitive markets on a worldwide basis. This level of competition can put pressure on the prices of their products and services which could adversely affect their profitability. Also, because technological development in many areas increases at a rapid rate, these companies often produce products with very short life cycles and face the risk of product obsolescence. Other risks include worldwide competition, changes in consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility, the effects of economic slowdowns, and changes in government regulation. The securities of companies in the technology sector may experience more price volatility than securities of companies in other sectors.
Financials. Financial institutions may be particularly sensitive to certain economic factors such as interest rate changes, adverse developments in the real estate market, fiscal and monetary policy and general economic cycles. Adverse developments in banking and other financial industries may cause a Portfolio to underperform relative to other funds that invest more broadly across different industries or have a smaller exposure to financial institutions. Changes in governmental regulation and oversight of financial institutions may have an adverse effect on the financial condition or the earnings or operations of a financial institution and on the types and amounts of businesses in which a financial institution may engage. A Portfolio may be delayed or prevented from exercising certain remedies against a financial institution. The amount of a Portfolio's assets that may be invested in any financial institution, or financial institutions generally, may be limited by applicable law.
Consumer Discretionary. The value of companies in the consumer discretionary sector, which manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to consumers, is tied closely to the performance of the overall US and international economies, interest rates, currency exchange rates and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. As a result, the consumer discretionary sector encompasses those companies that tend to be the most sensitive to economic cycles. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on
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profitability. Changes in demographics, social trends and consumer preferences also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products in the marketplace.
Health Care. Companies in the health care sector can be significantly affected by the adverse impact of legislative actions and government regulations. These actions and regulations can affect the approval process for patents, medical devices and drugs, the funding of research and medical care programs, and the operation and licensing of facilities and personnel.
Investment Companies, Including Exchange-Traded Funds
Under the 1940 Act, a Portfolio's investment in securities issued by other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") subject to certain exceptions, currently is limited to (1) 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company, (2) 5% of the Portfolio's total assets with respect to any one investment company and (3) 10% of the Portfolio's total assets in the aggregate (such limits do not apply to investments in money market funds). Exemptions in the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder may allow a Portfolio to invest in another investment company in excess of these limits. In particular, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act allows the Portfolio to acquire the securities of another investment company, including ETFs, in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, subject to certain limitations and conditions on the Portfolios and the Investment Manager, including limits on control and voting of acquired funds' shares, evaluations and findings by the Investment Manager and limits on most three-tier fund structures.
In addition to the management and operational fees the Portfolios bear directly in connection with their own operation, a Portfolio will also bear its pro rata portion of the advisory and operational expenses incurred indirectly through its investments in other investment companies. The Portfolios do not intend to invest in investment companies affiliated with the Fund or the Investment Manager.
For purposes of considering a Portfolio's status as a "diversified company" under Section 5(b)(1) of the 1940 Act, investments in other investment companies are excluded from the diversification test, in accordance with the language in Section 5(b)(1). As a result, the Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio (which invests primarily in Underlying Funds (as defined in the Prospectus)) may hold fewer securities than other diversified mutual funds not focusing on investments in other investment companies, although the Portfolio will gain additional diversification through the Underlying Funds' portfolios of investments. However, the Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio does not intend to limit its investments to Underlying Funds that are "diversified companies" or to otherwise monitor the diversification of the Underlying Funds' investments.
Exchange-Traded Funds. Investments in investment companies may include shares of ETFs, generally those that are designed to provide investment results generally corresponding to a securities index. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities, in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETF shares are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. At times, the market price may be at a premium or discount to the ETF's per share NAV. In addition, ETFs are subject to the risk that an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained. Because shares of ETFs trade on an exchange, they may be subject to trading halts on the exchange. Trading of an ETF's shares may be halted if the listing exchange's officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or market-wide "circuit breakers" (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halt stock trading generally.
The values of ETFs' shares are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities fluctuate according to market volatility (although, as noted above, the market price of an ETF's shares may be at a premium or discount to the ETF's per share NAV). Investments in ETFs that are designed to correspond to an equity index, for example, involve certain inherent risks generally associated with investments in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of ETFs invested in by a Portfolio. Moreover, a Portfolio's investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities.
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Exchange-Traded Notes
Exchange-traded notes ("ETNs") are debt obligations, generally unsecured and unsubordinated, with a return linked to the performance of a reference investment (typically an index). ETNs are not registered investment companies and are not regulated under the 1940 Act. Unlike ETFs, ETNs are not investments in a dedicated pool of the issuer's assets and instead operate more like unsecured debt of the issuer. This type of debt security differs, from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index minus applicable fees, no period coupon payments are distributed, and no principal protections exist. Accordingly, investments in ETNs are subject not only to the risks of the reference investment but also to the risks of a debt investment in the issuer. The value of an ETN may be influenced by, and is subject to the risks of, time to maturity; level of supply and demand for the ETN; changes in interest rates; and creditworthiness of and default by the issuer. As a result, the Portfolio may lose all or a portion of the value of an investment in an ETN due solely to the creditworthiness of or default by the issuer. In addition, there may be substantial differences between the value of the reference investment and the price at which the ETN may be traded, and the return on an ETN that is tied to a specific index may not replicate precisely the return of the index. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by the reference investment, and the cost of owning an ETN may exceed the cost of investing directly in the reference investment. The secondary trading market price of an ETN (if such a secondary trading market exists) may be more volatile than the value of the reference investment it is designed to track. The Portfolio may not be able to liquidate ETN holdings at the time and price desired, which may impact Portfolio performance.
Master Limited Partnerships
Although master limited partnership ("MLP") investments may take many forms, a portfolio investing in MLPs would be expected to invest primarily in MLPs that are classified as partnerships for US federal income tax purposes and whose interests or "units" are traded on securities exchanges like shares of corporate stock. MLPs generally have two classes of partners, the general partner and the limited partners. The general partner normally controls the MLP through an equity interest plus units that are subordinated to the common (publicly traded) units for an initial period and then only converting to common if certain financial tests are met. As a motivation for the general partner to successfully manage the MLP and increase cash flows, the terms of most MLPs typically provide that the general partner receives a larger portion of the net income as distributions reach higher target levels. As cash flow grows, the general partner receives a greater interest in the incremental income compared to the interest of limited partners. The general partner's incentive compensation typically increases up to 50% of incremental income. Nevertheless, the aggregate amount distributed to limited partners will increase as MLP distributions reach higher target levels. Given this incentive structure, the general partner has an incentive to streamline operations and undertake acquisitions and growth projects in order to increase distributions to all partners.
MLP common units represent an equity ownership interest in a partnership, providing limited voting rights and entitling the holder to a share of the company's success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Unlike stockholders of a corporation, common unit holders do not elect directors annually and generally have the right to vote only on certain significant events, such as mergers, a sale of substantially all of the assets, removal of the general partner or material amendments to the partnership agreement. MLPs are required by their partnership agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. Common unit holders generally have first right to a minimum quarterly distribution prior to distributions to the convertible subordinated unit holders or the general partner (including incentive distributions). Common unit holders typically have arrearage rights if the minimum quarterly distribution is not met. In the event of liquidation, MLP common unit holders have first right to the partnership's remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders, and preferred unit holders have been paid in full. MLP common units trade on a national securities exchange or over-the-counter. Some limited liability companies ("LLCs") may be treated as MLPs for federal income tax purposes. Similar to MLPs, these LLCs typically do not pay federal income tax at the entity level and are required by their operating agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. In contrast to MLPs, these LLCs have no general partner and there are no incentives that entitle management or other unit holders to increased percentages of cash distributions as distributions reach higher target levels. In addition, LLC common unit holders typically have voting rights with respect to the LLC, whereas MLP common units have limited voting rights. MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macroeconomic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards MLPs or its business sector, changes in a particular issuer's financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally
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measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities can also be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including earnings power and coverage ratios.
MLP convertible subordinated units are typically issued by MLPs to founders, corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to the MLP, and institutional investors, and may be purchased in direct placements from such persons. The purpose of the convertible subordinated units is to increase the likelihood that during the subordination period there will be available cash to be distributed to common unit holders. Convertible subordinated units generally are not entitled to distributions until holders of common units have received specified minimum quarterly distributions, plus any arrearages, and may receive less in distributions upon liquidation. Convertible subordinated unit holders generally are entitled to a minimum quarterly distribution prior to the payment of incentive distributions to the general partner, but are not entitled to arrearage rights. Therefore, they generally entail greater risk than MLP common units. They are generally convertible automatically into the senior common units of the same issuer at a one-to-one ratio upon the passage of time or the satisfaction of certain financial tests. These units do not trade on a national exchange or over-the-counter, and there is no active market for convertible subordinated units. The value of a convertible security is a function of its worth if converted into the underlying common units. Convertible subordinated units generally have similar voting rights to MLP common units. Because convertible subordinated units generally convert to common units on a one-to-one ratio, the price that the Portfolio could be expected to pay upon purchase or to realize upon resale is generally tied to the common unit price less a discount. The size of the discount varies depending on a variety of factors including the likelihood of conversion, and the length of time remaining to conversion, and the size of the block purchased.
MLP I-Shares represent an indirect investment in MLP I-units. I-units are equity securities issued to affiliates of MLPs, typically a limited liability company, that own an interest in and manage the MLP. The issuer has management rights but is not entitled to incentive distributions. The I-Share issuer's assets consist exclusively of MLP I-units. Distributions by MLPs to I-unit holders are made in the form of additional I-units, generally equal in amount to the cash received by common unit holders of MLPs. Distributions to I-Share holders are made in the form of additional I-Shares, generally equal in amount to the I-units received by the I-Share issuer. The issuer of the I-Share is taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes; however, the MLP does not allocate income or loss to the I-Share issuer. Accordingly, investors receive a Form 1099, are not allocated their proportionate share of income of the MLPs and are not subject to state income tax filing obligations. The price of I-Shares and their volatility tend to be correlated to the price of common units, although the price correlation is not precise.
A Portfolio's investments in MLPs is anticipated to consist primarily of "qualified publicly traded partnerships" that do not generate non-qualifying income for the purposes of satisfying the Portfolio's "gross income test," as further discussed in " Certain Material US Federal Income Tax Considerations" below.
LIBOR Rate Risk
Many debt securities, derivatives and other financial instruments, including some of the Portfolios' investments, utilize the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") as the reference or benchmark rate for variable interest rate calculations. However, the use of LIBOR started to come under pressure following manipulation allegations in 2012. Despite increased regulation and other corrective actions since that time, concerns have arisen regarding its viability as a benchmark, due largely to reduced activity in the financial markets that it measures.
In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA"), the United Kingdom financial regulatory body, announced plans to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Various financial industry groups began planning the transition to the use of different benchmarks. In the United States, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve Board") and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the "New York Federal Reserve") convened the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (the "ARCC"), comprised of a group of private-market participants, to help ensure a successful transition from US dollar LIBOR to a replacement reference rate. The ARCC recommended a new Secured Overnight Funding Rate (the "SOFR"), which is intended to be a broad measure of secured overnight Treasury repo rates, as an appropriate replacement for LIBOR. The New York Federal Reserve began publishing the SOFR in 2018, with the expectation that it could be used on a voluntary basis in new instruments and transactions.
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On November 30, 2020, the Ice Benchmark Administration and the FCA announced that most tenors of US dollar LIBOR would continue to be published through June 30, 2023. This new deadline constitutes a considerable extension beyond the previously-announced date of December 2021.
However, the ARCC, including its ex officio members from the Federal Reserve Board and New York Federal Reserve, has subsequently emphasized that the extension to June 2023 does not alter the regulatory perspective on new loan issuances: that market participants should already be using language that provides for an automatic switch from LIBOR to a replacement in new loan agreements (or should start immediately) and that June 30, 2021 should be the target for the cessation of new loans based on LIBOR.
Neither the effect of the transition process, in the United States or elsewhere, nor its ultimate success, can yet be known. The transition process might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that currently rely on LIBOR to determine interest rates. It could also lead to a reduction in the value of some LIBOR-based investments and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against existing LIBOR-based instruments. While some instruments tied to LIBOR in which a Portfolio may invest include a replacement rate in the event LIBOR is discontinued, not all instruments have such fallback provisions and the effectiveness of such replacement rates remains uncertain. The potential cessation of LIBOR could affect the value and liquidity of investments tied to LIBOR, especially those that do not include fallback provisions, and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering new trades. Due to the uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate, the potential effect of a transition away from LIBOR on the Portfolios or the financial instruments in which the Portfolios invests cannot yet be determined. Since the usefulness of LIBOR as a benchmark could deteriorate during the transition period, these effects could occur prior to June 2023.
Illiquid Securities
Each Portfolio may invest up to 15% of the value of its net assets in illiquid securities, provided such investments are consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective. These securities, which are securities that a Portfolio reasonably expects to be unable to sell or dispose of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities, may include securities that are not readily marketable, such as securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale (such as private placements and certain restricted securities), repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice, certain mortgage-related securities, and certain privately negotiated, non-exchange traded derivatives and securities used to cover such derivatives. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value accurately, and a Portfolio is subject to the risk that should the Portfolio desire to sell them when a ready buyer is not available at a price that is deemed to be representative of their value, the value of the Portfolio's net assets could be adversely affected.
Money Market Instruments; Temporary Defensive Positions
When the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, a Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market instruments, including shares of money market mutual funds, US government securities, repurchase agreements, bank obligations and commercial paper and other short-term obligations ("Money Market Instruments"). Each Portfolio also may purchase Money Market Instruments when it has cash reserves or in anticipation of taking a market position, and certain Portfolios may invest in Money Market Instruments as part of their investment strategies as described in the Prospectus.
Repurchase Agreements. Repurchase agreements are transactions by which a Portfolio purchases a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller at a mutually agreed upon time and price. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to a Portfolio, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to a Portfolio together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to a Portfolio is unrelated to the interest rate on the security itself. The Portfolios will generally enter into repurchase agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week, although the underlying securities generally have longer maturities.
Bank Obligations. Bank obligations in which the Portfolios may invest consist of certificates of deposit, banker's acceptances and time deposits issued by national banks and state banks, trust companies and mutual savings banks, or by banks or institutions, the accounts of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Savings Association Insurance Fund. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates evidencing the indebtedness
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of a commercial bank to repay funds deposited with it for a definite period of time (usually from 14 days to one year) at a stated or variable interest rate. Banker's acceptances are credit instruments evidencing the obligation of a bank to pay a draft which has been drawn on it by a customer, which instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the face amount of the instrument upon maturity. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a stated interest rate.
Foreign Banking Obligations. Obligations of foreign branches and foreign subsidiaries of domestic banks, and domestic and foreign branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent banks in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and governmental regulation. Such obligations are subject to different risks than are those of domestic banks. These risks include foreign economic and political developments, foreign governmental restrictions that may adversely affect payment of principal and interest on the obligations, foreign exchange controls, seizure of assets, declaration of a moratorium and foreign withholding and other taxes on interest income. Foreign branches and subsidiaries are not necessarily subject to the same or similar regulatory requirements that apply to domestic banks, such as mandatory reserve requirements, loan limitations, and accounting, auditing and financial recordkeeping requirements. In addition, less information may be publicly available about a foreign branch of a domestic bank or about a foreign bank than about a domestic bank.
Obligations of US branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation or by federal or state regulation as well as governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its head office. A domestic branch of a foreign bank with assets in excess of $1 billion may or may not be subject to reserve requirements imposed by the Federal Reserve System or by the state in which the branch is located if the branch is licensed in that state. In addition, federal branches licensed by the Comptroller of the Currency and branches licensed by certain states may be required to: (1) pledge to the regulator, by depositing assets with a designated bank within the state, a certain percentage of their assets as fixed from time to time by the appropriate regulatory authority; and (2) maintain assets within the state in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the aggregate amount of liabilities of the foreign bank payable at or through all of its agencies or branches within the state.
Commercial Paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from one to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. Certain notes may have floating or variable rates. Variable and floating rate notes with a demand notice period exceeding seven days will be subject to a Portfolio's policy with respect to illiquid investments unless, in the judgment of the Fund, such note is considered to be liquid.
Borrowing Money
Each Portfolio may borrow to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, which permits an investment company to borrow in an amount up to 33⅓% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made. Such borrowings are generally limited to borrowing from banks for temporary purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests which might require the untimely disposition of securities. While such borrowings exceed 5% of a Portfolio's total assets, the Portfolio will not make any additional investments. If borrowings exceed 33⅓% of the value of a Portfolio's total assets as a result of a change in values or assets, the Portfolio must take steps to reduce such borrowings at least to the extent of such excess within three days (not including Sundays and holidays).
In addition, each Portfolio may borrow for investment purposes to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs. See "Borrowing Money for Leverage" below.
Borrowing Money for Leverage. Buying securities using borrowed money exaggerates the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Portfolio's investment. Money borrowed for leveraging is limited to 33⅓% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets. Interest costs may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased; in certain cases, interest costs may exceed the return received on the securities purchased. For borrowings for investment purposes, the 1940 Act requires the Portfolio to maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed. If the required coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Portfolio may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the amount of its borrowings and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment
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standpoint to sell securities at that time. The Portfolio also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements may be entered into with banks, broker/dealers or other financial institutions. This form of borrowing involves the transfer by a Portfolio of an underlying debt instrument in return for cash proceeds based on a percentage of the value of the security. The Portfolio retains the right to receive interest and principal payments on the security. As a result of these transactions, the Portfolio is exposed to greater potential fluctuation in the value of its assets and its net asset value per share. At an agreed upon future date, the Portfolio repurchases the security at principal plus accrued interest. To the extent a Portfolio enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, the Portfolio will segregate permissible liquid assets at least equal to the aggregate amount of its reverse repurchase obligations, plus accrued interest, in certain cases, in accordance with releases promulgated by the SEC. The SEC views reverse repurchase transactions as collateralized borrowing by a Portfolio. Except for these transactions, a Portfolio's borrowings generally will be unsecured.
Lending Portfolio Securities
Portfolio securities may be lent to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions needing to borrow securities to complete certain transactions. In connection with such loans, the Portfolio remains the owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. The Portfolio also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. The Portfolio may call the loan to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Portfolio's investment is to be voted upon. Loans of portfolio securities may not exceed 33⅓% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets. The Portfolio will receive collateral consisting of cash, US government securities or irrevocable letters of credit which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of a letter of credit or securities, the borrower will pay the Portfolio a loan premium fee. If the collateral consists of cash, the Portfolio will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or "rebate" from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, the Portfolio may experience delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the Investment Manager to be of good financial standing. In a loan transaction, the Portfolio will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral.
The Portfolios did not engage in any securities lending activity during the most recent fiscal year.
Derivatives
Derivatives, such as options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swap agreements, may be entered into for a variety of reasons, including to hedge certain market risks, to provide a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities or to increase potential income gain. Derivatives may provide a less expensive, quicker or more specifically focused way for the Portfolio to invest than "traditional" securities would.
Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk, depending upon the characteristics of the particular derivative and the portfolio as a whole. Derivatives permit a Portfolio to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Portfolio can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in derivatives could have a large potential impact on a Portfolio's performance.
If a Portfolio invests in derivatives at inopportune times or judges market conditions incorrectly, such investments may lower the Portfolio's return or result in a loss. A Portfolio also could experience losses if its derivatives were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if the Portfolio were unable to liquidate its position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives.
Each Portfolio, except the Real Assets Portfolio, is operated by the Investment Manager in reliance on an exclusion, granted to operators of registered investment companies such as the Portfolios, from registration as a "commodity pool operator" ("CPO"), with respect to the Portfolio, under the Commodity Exchange Act (the "CEA") and,
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therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA. The Portfolios, except the Real Assets Portfolio, may be limited in their ability to use commodity futures or options thereon, engage in certain swap transactions or make certain other investments (collectively, "commodity interests") if the Investment Manager continues to claim the exclusion from the definition of CPO with respect to such Portfolios. In order for the Investment Manager to be eligible to continue to claim this exclusion, if a Portfolio uses commodity interests other than for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC")), the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish those positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options are "in-the-money" at the time of purchase) may not exceed 5% of the Portfolio's NAV, or, alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of those positions, as determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of the Portfolio's NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, a Portfolio may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. Even if a Portfolio's direct use of commodity interests complies with the trading limitations described above, the Portfolio may have indirect exposure to commodity interests in excess of such limitations. Such exposure may result from the Portfolio's investment in other investment vehicles, including investment companies that are not managed by the Investment Manager or one of its affiliates, certain securitized vehicles that may invest in commodity interests and/or non-equity REITs that may invest in commodity interests (collectively, "underlying funds"). Because the Investment Manager may have limited or no information as to the commodity interests in which an underlying fund invests at any given time, the CFTC has issued temporary no-action relief permitting registered investment companies, such as the Portfolios, to continue to rely on the exclusion from the definition of CPO. The Investment Manager, on behalf of the relevant Portfolios, has filed the required notice to claim this no-action relief. In order to rely on the temporary no-action relief, the Investment Manager must meet certain conditions and the Portfolios must otherwise comply with the trading and market limitations described above with respect to their direct investments in commodity interests.
The Investment Manager does not claim an exclusion from the definition of CPO with respect to the Real Assets Portfolio or the Subsidiary (as defined below) and, as a result, those entities are not subject to the trading and marketing limitations discussed above with respect to their use of commodity interests. In accordance with CFTC guidance, the Investment Manager has registered as a CPO, with respect to the Real Assets Portfolio and the Subsidiary, with the National Futures Association (the "NFA") and operates those entities in compliance with applicable CFTC regulations, in addition to all applicable SEC regulations. The CFTC has adopted rules (the "Harmonization Rules") with respect to the compliance obligations of advisers that operate registered investment companies subject to CEA regulation, such as the Real Assets Portfolio. Under the Harmonization Rules, the Investment Manager will be deemed to have fulfilled its disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping obligations under applicable CFTC regulations with respect to the Real Assets Portfolio by complying with comparable SEC regulations, subject to certain notice filings with the NFA and disclosures in the Real Assets Portfolio Prospectus.
If a Portfolio, except the Real Assets Portfolio, were to invest in commodity interests in excess of the trading limitations discussed above and/or market itself as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets, the Investment Manager would withdraw its exclusion from the definition of CPO with respect to the Portfolio and the Investment Manager would become subject to regulation as a CPO, and would need to comply with the Harmonization Rules, with respect to that Portfolio, in addition to all applicable SEC regulations.
Derivatives may be purchased on established exchanges or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter derivatives. Exchange-traded derivatives generally are guaranteed by the clearing agency which is the issuer or counterparty to such derivatives. This guarantee usually is supported by a daily variation margin system operated by the clearing agency in order to reduce overall credit risk. As a result, unless the clearing agency defaults, there is relatively little counterparty credit risk associated with derivatives purchased on an exchange. In contrast, no clearing agency guarantees over-the-counter derivatives. Therefore, each party to an over-the-counter derivative bears the risk that the counterparty will default. Accordingly, the Investment Manager will consider the creditworthiness of counterparties to over-the-counter derivatives in the same manner as it would review the credit quality of a security to be purchased by the Portfolio. Over-the-counter derivatives are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since the other party to the transaction may be the only investor with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it.
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Successful use of derivatives by a Portfolio also is subject to the Investment Manager's ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant market and to the extent the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, to ascertain the appropriate correlation between the transaction being hedged and the price movements of the futures contract. For example, if a Portfolio uses futures to hedge against the possibility of a decline in the market value of securities held in its portfolio and the prices of such securities instead increase, the Portfolio will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions.
Pursuant to regulations and/or published positions of the SEC, a Portfolio may be required to segregate permissible liquid assets, or engage in other measures approved by the SEC or its staff, to "cover" the Portfolio's obligations relating to its transactions in derivatives. For example, in the case of futures contracts or forward contracts that are not contractually required to cash settle, a Portfolio must either set aside liquid assets equal to such contracts' full notional value (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying a future or forward contract at the time of valuation) or maintain offsetting positions while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts or forward contracts that are contractually required to cash settle, however (such as a "non-deliverable" forward currency contract), a Portfolio is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked-to-market net obligation (i.e., the Portfolio's daily net liability) under the contracts, if any, rather than such contracts' full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled futures and forward contracts, a Portfolio may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Portfolio were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. To maintain this required cover, the Portfolio may have to sell securities at disadvantageous prices or times since it may not be possible to liquidate a derivative position at a reasonable price. The segregation of such assets will have the effect of limiting the Portfolio's ability to otherwise invest those assets.
New Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with which investment companies must comply beginning in August 2022, will regulate and, in some cases limit, the use of derivatives for certain funds registered under the 1940 Act. Unless a Portfolio qualifies as a "limited derivatives user" as defined in Rule 18f-4, the rule would, among other things, require the Portfolio to establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, to appoint a derivatives risk manager and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. If a Portfolio qualifies as a limited derivatives user, Rule 18f-4 would require the Portfolio to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk. These requirements could have an impact on the Portfolio, including a potential increase in cost to enter into derivatives transactions and may require a Portfolio to alter, perhaps materially, its use of derivatives. In connection with the adoption of Rule 18f-4, the SEC also eliminated the asset segregation framework for covering derivatives and certain financial instruments arising from SEC and staff guidance. As the Portfolios transition into reliance on Rule 18f-4, the Portfolios' approach to asset segregation and coverage requirements described in this SAI with respect to derivatives and reverse repurchase agreements may be impacted.
Futures Contracts—In General. Futures contracts may be entered into in US domestic markets or on exchanges located outside the United States. Foreign markets may offer advantages such as trading opportunities or arbitrage possibilities not available in the United States. Foreign markets, however, may have greater risk potential than domestic markets. For example, some foreign exchanges are principal markets so that no common clearing facility exists and an investor may look only to the broker for performance of the contract. In addition, any profits a Portfolio might realize in trading could be eliminated by adverse changes in the currency exchange rate, or the Portfolio could incur losses as a result of those changes. Transactions on foreign exchanges may include both commodities which are traded on domestic exchanges and those which are not. Unlike trading on domestic commodity exchanges, trading on foreign commodity exchanges is not regulated by the CFTC.
Engaging in these transactions involves risk of loss to the Portfolio which could adversely affect the value of the Portfolio's net assets. Although a Portfolio would intend to purchase or sell futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, no assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular contract at any particular time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no
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trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Portfolio to substantial losses.
Specific Futures Contracts. A stock index future obligates the Portfolio to pay or receive an amount of cash equal to a fixed dollar amount specified in the futures contract multiplied by the difference between the settlement price of the contract on the contract's last trading day and the value of the index based on the stock prices of the securities that comprise it at the opening of trading in such securities on the next business day.
An interest rate future obligates the Portfolio to purchase or sell an amount of a specific debt security at a future date at a specific price.
A currency future obligates the Portfolio to purchase or sell an amount of a specific currency at a future date at a specific price.
A commodity futures contract is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to buy a commodity, such as an energy, agricultural or metal commodity, from the other party at a later date at a price and quantity agreed-upon when the contract is made. The commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These factors, when applicable, can be expected to impact related commodity futures contracts.
Options—In General. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and obligates the buyer (writer) to sell, the underlying security or securities at the exercise price at any time during the option period, or at a specific date. Conversely, a put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying security or securities at the exercise price at any time during the option period, or at a specific date.
A covered call option written by a Portfolio is a call option with respect to which the Portfolio owns the underlying security or otherwise covers the transaction by segregating permissible liquid assets. A put option written by a Portfolio is covered when, among other things, the Portfolio segregates permissible liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option to fulfill the obligation undertaken. The principal reason for writing covered call and put options is to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the underlying securities alone. A Portfolio receives a premium from writing covered call or put options which it retains whether or not the option is exercised.
There is no assurance that sufficient trading interest to create a liquid secondary market on a securities exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time, and for some options no such secondary market may exist. A liquid secondary market in an option may cease to exist for a variety of reasons. In the past, for example, higher than anticipated trading activity or order flow, or other unforeseen events, at times have rendered certain of the clearing facilities inadequate and resulted in the institution of special procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders or trading halts or suspensions in one or more options. There can be no assurance that similar events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the timely execution of customers' orders, will not recur. In such event, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options. If, as a covered call option writer, a Portfolio is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security upon exercise or it otherwise covers its position.
Specific Options Transactions. Call and put options in respect of specific securities (or groups or "baskets" of specific securities) or indices may be bought and sold on national securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. An option on an index is similar to an option in respect of specific securities, except that settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. Instead, the option holder receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. Thus, the effectiveness of purchasing or writing index options will depend upon price movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular security.
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As the writer (seller) of a call option, a Portfolio would receive cash (the premium) from the purchaser of the option, and the purchaser has the right to receive from the Portfolio the cash value of the underlying index or any appreciation in the underlying security over the exercise price on the expiration date or otherwise upon exercise. In effect, the Portfolio forgoes, during the life of the option, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security or securities held by the Portfolio with respect to which the option was written above the sum of the premium and the exercise price. For index options, this will depend, in part, on the extent of correlation of the performance of the Portfolio's portfolio securities with the performance of the relevant index. Covered call option writing will generally limit the Portfolio's ability to benefit from the full appreciation potential of its stock investments underlying the options, and the Portfolio retains the risk of loss (less premiums received) if the value of these stock investments declines. The Portfolio's written call options on individual stocks will be "covered" because the Portfolio will hold the underlying stock in its portfolio throughout the term of the option. The Portfolio also will "cover" its written index call option positions by either segregating liquid assets in an amount equal to the contract value of the index or by entering into offsetting positions.
A Portfolio may write call options that are "at-the-money" (the exercise price of the option is equal to the value of the underlying index or stock when the option is written), "close-to-the-money" (with an exercise price close to the current cash value of the underlying index or the market value of the underlying security when the option is written), "out-of-the-money" (with an exercise price above the current cash value of the underlying index or the market value of the underlying security when the option is written) or "in-the-money" (with an exercise price below the current cash value of the underlying index or market value of the underlying security when the option is written), based on market conditions and other factors.
The purchase or sale of call and put options on foreign currencies convey the right to buy or sell the underlying currency at a price which is expected to be lower or higher than the spot price of the currency at the time the option is exercised or expires.
Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Portfolio with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (for example, an exchange of floating-rate payments for fixed-rate payments) denominated in US dollars or foreign currency. Equity index swaps involve the exchange by the Portfolio with another party of cash flows based upon the performance of an index or a portion of an index of securities which usually includes dividends. A cash-settled option on a swap gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for the premium paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap as of the exercise date. These options typically are purchased in privately negotiated transactions from financial institutions, including securities brokerage firms.
Successful use by a Portfolio of options will be subject to the Investment Manager's ability to predict correctly movements in the prices of individual stocks, the stock market generally, foreign currencies or interest rates. To the extent the Investment Manager's predictions are incorrect, the Portfolio may incur losses.
Swap Agreements. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than a year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, 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," i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a particular security or basket of securities (an equity or total return swap), at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a particular index. Forms of interest rate swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent interest rates exceed a specified rate or "cap"; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent interest rates fall below a specified level or "floor"; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
Swaps that are centrally cleared are subject to the creditworthiness of the clearing organizations involved in the transaction. For example, a Portfolio could lose margin payments it has deposited with a clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if the clearing organization breaches its agreement with the Portfolio or becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the Portfolio may be entitled to the net amount of gains the Portfolio is entitled to receive plus
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the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Portfolio.
Most swap agreements entered into by a Portfolio would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a "net" basis. Consequently, the Portfolio's current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement generally will be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the "net amount"). The risk of loss with respect to swaps is limited to the net amount of payments that the Portfolio is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a swap defaults, the Portfolio's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Portfolio contractually is entitled to receive.
Structured Securities. Structured securities are securities whose cash flow characteristics depend upon one or more indices or that have embedded forwards or options or securities where a Portfolio's investment return and the issuer's payment obligations are contingent on, or highly sensitive to, changes in the value of underlying assets, indices, interest rates, cash flows or market (the "embedded index"). When a Portfolio purchases a structured security, it will make a payment of principal to the counterparty. Some structured securities have a guaranteed repayment of principal while others place a portion (or all) of the principal at risk. Guarantees are subject to the risk of default by the counterparty or its credit provider. The terms of such structured securities normally provide that their principal and/or interest payments are to be adjusted upwards or downwards (but not ordinarily below zero) to reflect changes in the embedded index while the structured securities are outstanding. As a result, the interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured security may vary widely, depending upon a variety of factors, including the volatility of the embedded index and the effect of changes in the embedded index on principal and/or interest payments. The rate of return on structured securities may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of the embedded index. Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss. Structured securities may be issued in subordinated and unsubordinated classes, with subordinated classes typically having higher yields and greater risks than an unsubordinated class. Structured securities may not have an active trading market, which may have an adverse impact on a Portfolio's ability to dispose of such securities when necessary to meet the Portfolio's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. The lack of an active trading market also may make it more difficult for a Portfolio to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing the Portfolio's portfolio and calculating its NAV.
Future Developments. A Portfolio may take advantage of opportunities in options and futures contracts and options on futures contracts and any other derivatives which are not presently contemplated for use by the Portfolio or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and legally permissible for the Portfolio. Before entering into such transactions or making any such investment, the Portfolio will provide appropriate disclosure in its Prospectus.
Foreign Currency Transactions (All Portfolios, except the Small-Mid Cap Portfolio)
Investments in foreign currencies, including investing directly in foreign currencies, holding financial instruments that provide exposure to foreign currencies, or investing in securities that trade in, or receive revenues in, foreign currencies, are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the US dollar.
Currency hedging may substantially change a Portfolio's exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses if currencies do not perform as the Investment Manager anticipates. There is no assurance that a Portfolio's currency hedging activities will be advantageous to the Portfolio or that the Investment Manager will hedge at an appropriate time.
The cost of engaging in foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specified currency at a specified future date ("forward contracts") varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because forward contracts are usually entered into on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved. Generally, secondary markets do not exist for forward contracts, with the result that closing transactions can be made for forward contracts only by negotiating directly with the counterparty to the contract. As with other over-the-counter derivatives transactions, forward contracts are subject to the credit risk of the counterparty.
Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different
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countries, actual or perceived changes in interest rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention of US or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.
Foreign currency transactions may be entered into for a variety of purposes, including: to fix in US dollars, between trade and settlement date, the value of a security the Portfolio has agreed to buy or sell; to hedge the US dollar value of securities the Portfolio already owns, particularly if it expects a decrease in the value of the currency in which the foreign security is denominated; or to gain exposure to the foreign currency in an attempt to realize gains.
Foreign currency transactions may involve, for example, the Portfolio's purchase of foreign currencies for US dollars or the maintenance of short positions in foreign currencies. A short position would involve the Portfolio agreeing to exchange an amount of a currency it did not currently own for another currency at a future date in anticipation of a decline in the value of the currency sold relative to the currency the Portfolio contracted to receive. The Portfolio's success in these transactions will depend principally on the Investment Manager's ability to predict accurately the future exchange rates between foreign currencies and the US dollar.
Commodities and Commodity-Related Instruments, Including Commodity ETPs
Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, metals, livestock or agricultural products. Historically, commodity investments have had a relatively high correlation with changes in inflation and a relatively low correlation to stock and bond returns. Commodity-related instruments provide exposure, which may include long and/or short exposure, to the investment returns of physical commodities that trade in commodities markets, without investing directly in physical commodities. A Portfolio may invest in commodity-related securities and other instruments that derive value from the price movement of commodities, or some other readily measurable economic variable dependent upon changes in the value of commodities or the commodities markets. For example, a Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded commodity pools or exchange-traded metals trusts ("Commodity ETPs"). However, the ability of a Portfolio to invest directly in commodities and certain commodity-related securities and other instruments is subject to significant limitations in order to enable the Portfolio to maintain its status as a RIC under the Code.
The value of commodity-related instruments and Commodity ETPs involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in commodities and may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of the underlying benchmark, changes in interest rates or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, acts of terrorism, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The value of commodity-related instruments will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or related index. Investments in commodity-related instruments may be subject to greater volatility than non-commodity based investments. A liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity-related instruments, and there can be no assurance that one will develop. Certain commodity-related instruments also are subject to credit and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities.
Commodity ETPs. Investments in Commodity ETPs involve the same types of risks of investing in an ETF except that the investments made by a Commodity ETP typically are commodities futures or physical commodities included in the index the Commodity ETP is designed to replicate or invest in and Commodity ETPs are not registered investment companies and are not regulated under the 1940 Act. Interests in Commodity ETPs may trade at prices that vary from their NAVs, sometimes significantly. In addition, the performance of a Commodity ETP may diverge from the performance of the relevant index. The Portfolio's investments in Commodity ETPs are subject to the risks of the investments made by the Commodity ETPs, as well as to the general risks of investing in Commodity ETPs. The Portfolio will bear not only the Portfolio's management fees and operating expenses, but also the Portfolio's proportional share of the fees and operating expenses of the Commodity ETPs in which the Portfolio invests.
Short-Selling
A short sale involves the sale of a security that a Portfolio does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefor) at a later date and at a lower price. To complete a short sale transaction and make delivery to the buyer, the Portfolio must borrow the security. The Portfolio is obligated to replace the borrowed security to the lender, which is accomplished by a later purchase of the security by the
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Portfolio. Until the security is replaced, the Portfolio is required to pay the lender any dividends or interest accruing during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Portfolio also may have to pay a fee to the lender, which would increase the cost to the Portfolio of the security it sold short. The Portfolio will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Portfolio replaces the borrowed security. The Portfolio will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those two dates. In certain cases, purchasing a security to cover a short position can itself cause the price of the security to rise, thereby exacerbating any loss, especially in an environment where others are taking the same actions. Short positions in stocks involve more risk than long positions in stocks because the maximum sustainable loss on a stock purchased is limited to the amount paid for the stock plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum attainable price on the shorted stock. In theory, stocks sold short have unlimited risk. The amount of any gain will be decreased and the amount of any loss will be increased by any interest, premium and transaction charges or other costs a Portfolio may be required to pay in connection with the short sale. A Portfolio may not always be able to borrow a security the Portfolio seeks to sell short at a particular time or at an acceptable price.
A Portfolio also may make short sales "against the box," in which the Portfolio enters into a short sale of a security it owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire at no additional cost at the time of the sale.
When a Portfolio makes a short sale, it must leave the proceeds thereof with the broker and deposit with, or pledge to, the broker an amount of cash or liquid securities sufficient under current margin regulations to collateralize its obligation to replace the borrowed securities that have been sold. Until a Portfolio closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Portfolio will: (a) segregate permissible liquid assets in an amount that, together with the amount provided as collateral, is at least equal to the current value of the security sold short; or (b) otherwise cover its short position through offsetting positions. Short-selling is considered "leverage" and may involve substantial risk.
Forward Commitments
Purchasing or selling debt securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis means that delivery and payment take place a number of days after the date of the commitment to purchase or sell. The payment obligation and the interest rate receivable on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery security are fixed when the Portfolio enters into the commitment, but the Portfolio does not make a payment until it receives delivery from the counterparty. The Portfolio will segregate permissible liquid assets at least equal to the full notional value of its forward commitment contracts or, with respect to forward commitments that include a contractual cash settlement requirement, will segregate such assets at least equal at all times to the amount of the Portfolio's purchase commitment. A Portfolio may engage in forward commitments to increase the Portfolio's financial exposure to the types of securities in which it invests, which would increase the Portfolio's exposure to changes in interest rates and will increase the volatility of its returns. If the Portfolio is fully or almost fully invested when forward commitment purchases are outstanding, such purchases may result in a form of leverage. At no time will a Portfolio have more than 33⅓% of its total assets committed to purchase securities on a forward commitment basis.
Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis are subject to changes in value (generally changing in the same way, i.e., appreciating when interest rates decline and depreciating when interest rates rise) based upon the public's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis may expose a Portfolio to risks because they may experience such fluctuations prior to their actual delivery. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis can involve the additional risk that the yield available in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis when the Portfolio is fully or almost fully invested may result in greater potential fluctuation in the value of the Portfolio's net assets and its net asset value per share.
Subsidiary (Real Assets Portfolio only)
At launch, the Portfolio will establish and may invest in Lazard Retirement Real Assets Portfolio, Ltd., a company to be organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, which will be wholly-owned and controlled by Real Assets Portfolio (the "Subsidiary"), to gain indirect exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets within
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the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to RICs. The Subsidiary will invest principally in commodity futures, options and swap contracts, as well as certain fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivatives positions. The Subsidiary will be required to comply with the 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-related securities that apply to the Portfolio's transactions in these instruments. By investing in such a subsidiary, the Portfolio will be exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's commodity-related securities and other instruments. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its assets in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will be managed by the Investment Manager and has the same investment objective as the Portfolio.
The custodian of the Subsidiary's assets will be State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"). The custodian will have no part in determining the investment policies of the Subsidiary or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Subsidiary. Pursuant to a custody agreement with the Subsidiary, the custodian will hold the Subsidiary's investments and keep all necessary accounts and records. For its custody services, the custodian will receive a monthly fee based on the market value of the Subsidiary's assets held in custody and will receive certain securities transaction charges.
Smaller Company Securities
The prices of securities of smaller capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies, because securities of smaller companies typically are traded in lower volume and the issuers typically are subject to greater changes in earnings and prospects. Smaller capitalization companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. They may be dependent on management for one or a few key persons, and can be more susceptible to losses and the risk of bankruptcy. In addition, securities of the small capitalization sector may be thinly traded (and therefore may have to be sold at a discount from current market prices or sold in small lots over an extended period of time), may be followed by fewer investment research analysts and may pose a greater chance of loss than investments in securities of larger capitalization companies.
The Portfolios have adopted the investment restrictions below as fundamental policies, which cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority of the Portfolio's outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act).
1. The Portfolios may not invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in the securities of issuers in any single industry (except that the Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio will invest over 25% of its assets in industries represented by infrastructure companies), provided that there shall be no limitation on the purchase of obligations issued or guaranteed by the US government, its agencies or instrumentalities.
2. The Portfolios may not issue senior securities, purchase securities on margin, borrow money, pledge or mortgage its assets or invest in commodities or commodities contracts, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
3. The Portfolios may not purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or other mineral leases or exploration or development programs, but a Portfolio may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or issued by companies that invest or deal in real estate or real estate investment trusts.
4. The Portfolios may not make loans to others, except through the purchase of debt obligations and the entry into repurchase agreements. However, a Portfolio may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33⅓% of the value of its total assets. Any loans of portfolio securities will be made according to guidelines established by the SEC and the Fund's Board.
5. The Portfolios may not act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent a Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act by virtue of disposing of portfolio securities.
In addition, as a non-fundamental policy, each Portfolio intends (i) to comply with the diversification requirements prescribed in regulations under Section 817 (h) of the Code and (ii) to comply in all material respects with insurance
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laws and regulations that the Fund has been advised are applicable to investments of separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies.
If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later change in percentage resulting from a change in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. For purposes of Investment Restriction No. 2, references to "commodities" and "commodity contracts" are to physical commodities or commodity contracts in respect of physical commodities, typically natural resources or agricultural products, and are not intended to refer to instruments that are strictly financial in nature and are not related to the purchase or delivery of physical commodities.
Board's Oversight Role; Board Composition and Structure
The Board's role in management of the Fund is oversight. As is the case with virtually all investment companies (as distinguished from operating companies), service providers to the Fund, primarily the Investment Manager and its affiliates, have responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Portfolios, which includes responsibility for risk management (including management of investment performance and investment risk, valuation risk, issuer and counterparty credit risk, compliance risk and operational risk). As part of its oversight, the Board, or its committees or delegates, interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers, including senior investment personnel of the Investment Manager, the Fund's and the Investment Manager's Chief Compliance Officer and portfolio management personnel with responsibility for management of the Portfolios. The Board's Audit Committee (which consists of all of the Directors who are not "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act (the "Independent Directors")) meets during its scheduled meetings with, and between meetings has access to, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm and the Fund's Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. The Board also receives periodic presentations from senior personnel of the Investment Manager or its affiliates regarding risk management generally, as well as periodic presentations regarding specific operational, compliance or investment areas such as trading and brokerage allocation and execution, portfolio management and internal audit. The Board also receives reports from counsel regarding regulatory compliance and governance matters. The Board has adopted policies and procedures designed to address certain risks to the Portfolios. In addition, the Investment Manager and other service providers to the Fund have adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks to the Portfolios. However, it is not possible to eliminate all of the risks applicable to the Portfolios. The Board's oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Portfolios' investments or activities.
The 1940 Act requires that at least 40% of the Fund's Directors be Independent Directors and as such are not affiliated with the Investment Manager. To rely on certain exemptive rules under the 1940 Act, a majority of the Fund's Directors must be Independent Directors, and for certain important matters, such as the approval of investment advisory agreements or transactions with affiliates, the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder require the approval of a majority of the Independent Directors. Currently, 75% of the Fund's Directors are Independent Directors. The Board does not have a Chairman, but the Independent Directors have designated a lead Independent Director who chairs meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Directors, reviews and comments on Board meeting agendas and facilitates communication among the Independent Directors, their counsel and management. The Board has determined that its leadership structure, in which the Independent Directors have designated a lead Independent Director to function as described above is appropriate in light of the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Fund, including, but not limited to: (i) services that the Investment Manager and its affiliates provide to the Fund and potential conflicts of interest that could arise from these relationships; (ii) the extent to which the day-to-day operations of the Fund are conducted by Fund officers and employees of the Investment Manager and its affiliates; and (iii) the Board's oversight role in management of the Fund.
Directors and Officers
Set forth in the chart below are the names and certain biographical and other information for each Director. Following the chart is additional information about the Directors' experience, qualifications, attributes or skills.
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Name (Year of Birth) | Position(s)
with the Fund | Principal Occupation(s) and Other Public Company Directorships Held During the Past Five Years(2) |
Non-Interested Directors: | ||
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Franci J. Blassberg (1953) | Director | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, a law firm, Of Counsel (2013 – present) Cornell Law School, Adjunct Professor (2013 – present) The Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University, Visiting Professor (2019) University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Adjunct Professor (Spring 2017) |
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Kenneth S. Davidson (1945) | Director | Davidson Capital Management Corporation, an investment manager, President (1978 – present) |
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Nancy A. Eckl (1962) | Director | College Retirement Equities Fund (eight accounts), Trustee (2007 – present) TIAA-CREF Funds (68 funds) and TIAA-CREF Life Funds (11 funds), Trustee (2007 – present) TIAA Separate Account VA-1, Member of the Management Committee (2007 – present) |
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Trevor W. Morrison (1971) | Director | New York University School of Law, Dean and Eric M. and Laurie B. Roth Professor of Law (2013 – present) |
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Richard Reiss, Jr. (1944) | Director | Georgica Advisors LLC, an investment manager, Chairman (1997 – present) Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, Director (2019 – present) Resource America, Inc., a real estate asset management company, Director (2016 – 2018) |
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Robert M. Solmson (1947) | Director | Fairwood Capital, LLC, a private investment corporation engaged primarily in real estate and hotel investments, Co-Managing Partner and Managing Director (2008 – present) |
| ||
Interested Directors(3): | ||
| ||
Ashish Bhutani (1960) | Director | Investment Manager, Chief Executive Officer (2004 – present) Lazard Ltd, Vice Chairman and Director (2010 – present) |
| ||
Nathan A. Paul (1973) | Director
| Investment Manager, Chief Business Officer (April 2017 – present) and Managing |
48
Name (Year of Birth) | Position(s)
with the Fund | Principal Occupation(s) and Other Public Company Directorships Held During the Past Five Years(2) |
Chief
Executive Officer and President | Director (2003 – present) Investment Manager, General Counsel (2002 – April 2017) | |
|
(1) The address of each Director of the Fund is Lazard Asset Management LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112-6300.
(2) Each Director also serves as a Director of The Lazard Funds, Inc., an open-end registered management investment company, and Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund, Inc., a closed-end registered management investment company (collectively with the Fund, the "Lazard Fund Complex," currently comprised of 35 active investment portfolios). Each Director serves an indefinite term, until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her earlier resignation.
(3) Messrs. Bhutani and Paul are "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund because of their positions with the Investment Manager.
Additional information about each Director follows (supplementing the information provided in the chart above), which describes some of the specific experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that each Director possesses which the Board believes has prepared them to be effective Directors. The Board believes that the significance of each Director's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills is an individual matter (meaning that experience that is important for one Director may not have the same value for another) and that these factors are best evaluated at the Board level, with no single Director, or particular factor, being indicative of Board effectiveness. However, the Board believes that Directors need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties; the Board believes that its members satisfy this standard. Experience relevant to having this ability may be achieved through a Director's educational background; business, professional training or practice (e.g., accounting or law), public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member (including the Board of the Fund) or as an executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. The charter for the Board's Nominating Committee contains certain other factors considered by the Committee in identifying potential Director nominees. To assist them in evaluating matters under federal and state law, the Independent Directors are counseled by their independent legal counsel, who participates in Board meetings and interacts with the Investment Manager; Fund and independent legal counsel to the Independent Directors has significant experience advising funds and fund board members. The Board and its committees have the ability to engage other experts as appropriate. The Board evaluates its performance on an annual basis.
· Ashish Bhutani is the Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Manager, where from June 2003 to March 2004 he served as Head of New Products and Strategic Planning. Mr. Bhutani also serves as a Vice Chairman of Lazard Ltd and is a member of its Board of Directors. Prior to joining the Investment Manager in 2003, he was Co-Chief Executive Officer North America of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein from 2001 through 2002, and was a member of its Global Corporate and Markets Board and its Global Executive Committee. Prior to that, Mr. Bhutani was with Wasserstein Perella Group (the predecessor firm) from 1989 to 2001, where he was Deputy Chairman of Wasserstein Perella Group and Chief Executive Officer of Wasserstein Perella Securities. Mr. Bhutani began his career at Salomon Brothers in 1985 as a Vice President in the fixed income group.
· Franci J. Blassberg is a Retired Partner and Of Counsel to the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, focusing her legal practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate governance. Ms. Blassberg currently teaches at Cornell Law School and taught at the Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University in 2019. Prior to 2013, Ms. Blassberg was a Partner and previously was Co-Chair of the Private Equity Group at Debevoise. Ms. Blassberg also serves on the boards of several prominent non-profit organizations. She received a BA with distinction from Cornell University and a JD from Cornell Law School.
49
· Kenneth S. Davidson is President of Davidson Capital Management Corporation. Previously, he was associated with Aquiline Holdings LLC (from 2006 to 2012), a New York-based global investment firm, where he was a founding member, and was a Senior Advisor at Landseer Advisors LLC from 2012 to 2014. From 1977 through 1995, Mr. Davidson was the founder and Managing Partner of Davidson Weil Associates, and was previously a Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Oppenheimer Capital Corporation. He also serves on (or has served on) the boards of several prominent non-profit organizations. Mr. Davidson is a graduate of Colgate University.
· Nancy A. Eckl has over 30 years of experience in the mutual fund/investment management field in a wide range of capacities, including investment manager selection/oversight, accounting, compliance, operations and board membership. From 1990 to 2006, Ms. Eckl was Vice President of American Beacon Advisors, Inc., an investment management firm, and of the American Beacon Funds (open-end mutual funds). Ms. Eckl also served as Vice President of certain other funds advised by American Beacon Advisors. Ms. Eckl graduated from the University of Notre Dame and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.
· Trevor W. Morrison is currently the Dean and Eric M. and Laurie B. Roth Professor of Law at New York University School of Law. He was previously the Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. Mr. Morrison spent 2009 in the White House, where he served as associate counsel to President Obama. He was appointed by President Obama to the Public Interest Declassification Board, where he served from 2016 to 2020 (as chair from 2016 to 2018). He was appointed by President Biden to the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States in 2021. Mr. Morrison has been a trustee of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law since 2013 and of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School since 2014. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Law Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Morrison received a BA (hons.) in history from the University of British Columbia in 1994 and a JD from Columbia Law School in 1998.
· Nathan A. Paul is currently the Chief Business Officer and a Managing Director of the Investment Manager. Mr. Paul joined the Investment Manager in 2000 and served as General Counsel from 2002 to April 2017, after which he became Chief Business Officer. Previously, he was an associate at the law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP. Mr. Paul also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations. Mr. Paul received a BA from Yeshiva University and a JD from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
· Richard Reiss, Jr. is the founder and Chairman of Georgica Advisors LLC and its affiliated entities, Reiss Capital Management and Value Insight Partners. Previously, Mr. Reiss was Managing Partner of Cumberland Associates and its three investment funds and a Senior Vice President and Director of Research at Shearson Hayden Stone. Mr. Reiss has served on the boards of a number of companies and non-profit organizations. He received an AB, cum laude, from Dartmouth College and a JD from New York University School of Law.
· Robert M. Solmson is the Co-Managing Partner and Managing Director of Fairwood Capital, LLC, a private investment corporation engaged primarily in real estate and hotel investments. Previously, Mr. Solmson was the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of RFS Hotel Investors, a real estate investment trust which he formed in 1993. He also served as its President. Mr. Solmson has served on the boards of a number of corporations and non-profit organizations. He graduated from Washington and Lee University.
Set forth below are the names and certain biographical and other information for the Fund's officers (in addition to Mr. Paul).
Name (Year of Birth) | Position(s) with the Fund (Since) and Term(2) | Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past |
Christopher Snively (1984) | Chief Financial Officer (March 2016) | Director (since February 2021; previously Senior Vice President) of the Investment Manager |
|
50
Name (Year of Birth) | Position(s) with the Fund (Since) and Term(2) | Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past |
Mark R. Anderson (1970) | Vice President and Secretary (February 2017) | Managing Director (since February 2017; previously Director), General Counsel (since April 2017) and Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014 – April 2022) of the Investment Manager |
| ||
Nargis Hilal (1984) | Chief Compliance Officer | Director (since February 2021; previously Senior Vice President (since August 2017)) and Chief Compliance Officer and Counsel of the Investment Manager (since April 2022; previously Deputy Chief Compliance Officer (since August 2017)) Chief Compliance Officer of the Distributor (since February 2019) Deputy Chief Compliance Officer (January 2015 – March 2016) and Chief Compliance Officer (March 2016 – August 2017) at KLS Diversified Asset Management LP |
| ||
Shari L. Soloway (1981) | Assistant Secretary | Director, Head of Legal, North America (since January 2019, previously Senior Vice President, Legal and Compliance) of the Investment Manager |
| ||
Jessica A. Falzone (1989) | Assistant Secretary | Vice President, Legal and Compliance, of the Investment Manager (since March 2018) Associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (October 2014 – March 2018) |
| ||
Christina Kennedy (1990) | Treasurer | Vice President of the Investment Manager (since July 2019) Senior Fund Accountant, Gates Capital Management Inc. (July 2016 – July 2019) |
Cesar A. Trelles (1975) | Assistant
Treasurer | Vice President of the Investment Manager |
(1) The address of each officer of the Fund is Lazard Asset Management LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112-6300.
(2) Each officer serves for an indefinite term, until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Each officer serves in the same capacity for the other funds in the Lazard Fund Complex.
Board Committees, Share Ownership and Compensation
The Fund has standing audit and nominating committees, each comprised of its Independent Directors.
The function of the audit committee is to (1) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Fund and the audits of the Fund's financial statements and (2) assist Board oversight of (i) the integrity of the Fund's financial statements, (ii) the Fund's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Fund's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits, and (iii) the qualifications, independence and performance of the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm.
51
While the nominating committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Fund's Directors, the nominating committee may consider nominations for the office of Director made by the Fund's current Directors, officers, shareholders or other source the nominating committee deems appropriate. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations to the Secretary of the Fund, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112-3600. Nominations may be submitted only by a shareholder or group of shareholders that, individually or as a group, has beneficially owned the lesser of (a) 1% of the Fund's outstanding shares or (b) $500,000 of the Fund's shares for at least one year prior to the date such shareholder or group submits a candidate for nomination. Not more than one nominee for Director may be submitted by such a shareholder or group each calendar year. In evaluating potential nominees, including any nominees recommended by shareholders, the nominating committee takes into consideration the factors listed in the nominating committee charter, including character and integrity, business and professional experience, and whether or not the person is qualified under applicable laws and regulations to serve as a Director of the Fund. A nomination submission must include all information relating to the recommended nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations or proxy statements for the election of Directors, as well as information sufficient to evaluate the factors listed above. Nomination submissions must be accompanied by a written consent of the individual to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the shareholders, and such additional information must be provided regarding the recommended nominee as reasonably requested by the nominating committee.
The audit committee met five times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
The table below indicates the dollar range of each Director's ownership of Portfolio shares and aggregate holdings of all of the funds in the Lazard Fund Complex, in each case as of December 31, 2021.
Portfolio* | Ashish Bhutani** | Franci J. Blassberg | Kenneth S. Davidson | Nancy A. Eckl | Trevor W. Morrison | Nathan A. Paul** | Richard Reiss, Jr. | Robert M. Solmson |
Equity Concentrated Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
International Equity Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
International Equity Advantage Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
International Quality Growth Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
International Equity Value Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
International Equity Select Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
International Strategic Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
52
Portfolio* | Ashish Bhutani** | Franci J. Blassberg | Kenneth S. Davidson | Nancy A. Eckl | Trevor W. Morrison | Nathan A. Paul** | Richard Reiss, Jr. | Robert M. Solmson |
International Small Cap Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Managed Volatility Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Global Strategic Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Franchise Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Emerging Markets Advantage Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Developing Markets Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Emerging Markets Strategic Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Real Assets Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Dynamic Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Sustainable Equity Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
53
Portfolio* | Ashish Bhutani** | Franci J. Blassberg | Kenneth S. Davidson | Nancy A. Eckl | Trevor W. Morrison | Nathan A. Paul** | Richard Reiss, Jr. | Robert M. Solmson |
Systematic Equity Portfolio | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Aggregate holdings of all of the funds in the Lazard Fund Complex | Over $100,000 | $50,001 - $100,000 | $50,001 - $100,000 | $50,001 - $100,000 | $50,001 - $100,000 | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | $50,001 - $100,000 |
|
____________
* Directors do not own any Portfolio shares because such shares can only be purchased by separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies.
** A portion of Portfolio shares shown as owned by the Director may consist of shares the Director has purchased under the deferred compensation arrangement described below under "—Portfolio Managers—Compensation for Portfolio Managers." In addition, the Director may own shares of employees' securities companies, non-US mutual funds or other pooled investment vehicles or have separate accounts advised by the Investment Manager that pursue substantially similar strategies to those of the Portfolios.
As of the date of this SAI, the Fund's officers and Directors, as a group, owned less than 1% of the shares of each Portfolio.
As of December 31, 2021, none of the Independent Directors or his or her immediate family members owned securities of the Investment Manager or the Distributor or any person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Investment Manager or the Distributor.
Effective January 1, 2022, each Director who is not an affiliated person of the Investment Manager or any of its affiliates is paid by all of the funds in the Lazard Fund Complex: (1) an annual retainer of $245,000, (2) an additional annual fee of $35,000 to the lead Independent Director, Richard Reiss, Jr. and (3) an additional annual fee of $25,000 to the Audit Committee Chair, Nancy A. Eckl. The Independent Directors may be paid additional compensation for participation on ad hoc committees or other work performed on behalf of the Board. The Independent Directors also are reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses for attending Board and committee meetings. Compensation is, generally, divided among the Lazard Fund Complex based on relative net assets. The Directors do not receive benefits from the Fund pursuant to any pension, retirement or similar arrangement. The aggregate amount of compensation paid to each Director for the year ended December 31, 2021 by the Fund and by the funds in the Lazard Fund Complex (comprised of 35 active investment portfolios as of December 31, 2021), was as follows:
Director | Aggregate Compensation from the Fund | Total Compensation from |
Ashish Bhutani* | None | None |
Franci J. Blassberg | $11,271 | $237,000 |
Kenneth S. Davidson | $11,271 | $237,000 |
Nancy A. Eckl** | $12,389 | $260,500 |
Trevor W. Morrison | $11,271 | $237,000 |
Nathan A. Paul* | None | None |
Richard Reiss, Jr.*** | $12,874 | $270,700 |
Robert M. Solmson | $11,271 | $237,000 |
______________
54
* Interested Director.
** Audit Committee Chair.
*** Lead Independent Director.
The Fund does not compensate officers or Directors who are employees or affiliated persons of the Investment Manager.
Portfolio Managers
Team Management. Portfolio managers at the Investment Manager manage multiple accounts for a diverse client base, including private clients, institutions and investment funds. The Investment Manager manages all portfolios on a team basis. The team is involved at all levels of the investment process. This team approach allows for every portfolio manager to benefit from his/her peers, and for clients to receive the firm's best thinking, not that of a single portfolio manager. The Investment Manager manages all like investment mandates against a model portfolio. Specific client objectives, guidelines or limitations then are applied against the model, and any necessary adjustments are made.
Material Conflicts Related to Management of the Portfolios and Similar Accounts; Other Conflicts. Although the potential for conflicts of interest exist when an investment adviser and portfolio managers manage other accounts that invest in securities in which a Portfolio may invest or that may pursue a strategy similar to one of the Portfolio's component strategies (collectively, "Similar Accounts"), the Investment Manager has procedures in place that are designed to ensure that all accounts are treated fairly and that the Portfolio is not disadvantaged, including procedures regarding trade allocations and "conflicting trades" (e.g., long and short positions in the same or similar securities). In addition, each Portfolio, as a series of a registered investment company, is subject to different regulations than certain of the Similar Accounts, and, consequently, may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions, or to engage in such techniques or transactions to the same degree, as the Similar Accounts.
Potential conflicts of interest may arise because of the Investment Manager's management of a Portfolio and Similar Accounts, including the following:
1. Similar Accounts may have investment objectives, strategies and risks that differ from those of the corresponding Portfolios. In addition, the Portfolios, as series of a registered investment company, are subject to different regulations than certain of the Similar Accounts and, consequently, may not be permitted to invest in the same securities, exercise rights to exchange or convert securities or engage in all the investment techniques or transactions, or to invest, exercise or engage to the same degree, as the Similar Accounts. For these or other reasons, the portfolio managers may purchase different securities for a Portfolio and the corresponding Similar Accounts, and the performance of securities purchased for the Portfolio may vary from the performance of securities purchased for Similar Accounts, perhaps materially.
2. Conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of limited investment opportunities, as the Investment Manager may be perceived as causing accounts it manages to participate in an offering to increase the Investment Manager's overall allocation of securities in that offering, or to increase the Investment Manager's ability to participate in future offerings by the same underwriter or issuer. Allocations of bunched trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially filled due to limited availability, and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest, as the Investment Manager may have an incentive to allocate securities that are expected to increase in value to preferred accounts. Initial public offerings, in particular, are frequently of very limited availability. A potential conflict of interest may be perceived to arise if transactions in one account closely follow related transactions in a different account, such as when a purchase increases the value of securities previously purchased by the other account, or when a sale in one account lowers the sale price received in a sale by a second account.
3. Portfolio managers may be perceived to have a conflict of interest because of the large number of Similar Accounts, in addition to the Portfolios, that they are managing on behalf of the Investment Manager. Although the Investment Manager does not track each individual portfolio manager's time dedicated to each account, the Investment Manager periodically reviews each portfolio manager's overall responsibilities to ensure that he or she is able to allocate the necessary time and resources to effectively manage a Portfolio. As illustrated in the
55
table below, most of the portfolio managers of the Portfolios manage a significant number of Similar Accounts (10 or more) in addition to the Portfolio(s) managed by them.
4. Generally, the Investment Manager and/or some or all of a Portfolio's portfolio managers have investments in Similar Accounts. This could be viewed as creating a potential conflict of interest, since the Investment Manager and the portfolio managers do not typically invest in the Portfolios, which are designed for investment by separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies.
5. Certain portfolio managers manage Similar Accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, which could give the portfolio managers and the Investment Manger an incentive to favor such Similar Accounts over the corresponding Portfolios.
6. A Portfolio's portfolio managers may place transactions on behalf of Similar Accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made for the Portfolio, which could have the potential to adversely impact the Portfolio, depending on market conditions. In addition, if a Portfolio's investment in an issuer is at a different level of the issuer's capital structure than an investment in the issuer by Similar Accounts, in the event of credit deterioration of the issuer, there may be a conflict of interest between the Portfolio's and such Similar Accounts' investments in the issuer. If the Investment Manager sells securities short, including on behalf of the Enhanced Opportunities Portfolio, it may be seen as harmful to the performance of any Portfolios investing "long" in the same or similar securities whose market values fall as a result of short-selling activities.
7. Investment decisions for each Portfolio are made independently from those of the other Portfolios and Similar Accounts. If, however, such other Portfolios or Similar Accounts desire to invest in, or dispose of, the same securities as a Portfolio, available investments or opportunities for sales will be allocated equitably to each. In some cases, this procedure may adversely affect the size of the position obtained for or disposed of by a Portfolio or the price paid or received by a Portfolio.
8. Under the Investment Manager's trade allocation procedures applicable to domestic and foreign initial and secondary public offerings and Rule 144A transactions (collectively herein a "Limited Offering"), the Investment Manager will generally allocate Limited Offering shares among client accounts, including the Portfolios, pro rata based upon the aggregate asset size (excluding leverage) of the account. The Investment Manager may also allocate Limited Offering shares on a random basis, as selected electronically, or other basis. It is often difficult for the Investment Manager to obtain a sufficient number of Limited Offering shares to provide a full allocation to each account. The Investment Manager's allocation procedures are designed to allocate Limited Offering securities in a fair and equitable manner.
In some cases, the Investment Manager may seek to limit the number of overlapping investments by similar Portfolios (securities of an issuer held in more than one Portfolio) or may choose different securities for one or more Portfolios that employ similar investment strategies (for example, a concentrated versus a diversified Portfolio) so that shareholders invested in such Portfolios may achieve a more diverse investment experience. In such cases, a Portfolio may be disadvantaged by the Investment Manager's decision to purchase or maintain an investment in one Portfolio to the exclusion of one or more other Portfolios (including a decision to sell the investment in one Portfolio so that it may be purchased by another Portfolio).
The Investment Manager and its affiliates and others involved in the management, investment activities, business operations or distribution of the Portfolios or their shares, as applicable, are engaged in businesses and have interests other than that of managing the Portfolios. These activities and interests include potential multiple advisory, transactional, financial and other interests in securities, instruments and companies that may be directly or indirectly purchased or sold by the Portfolios or the Portfolios' service providers, which may cause conflicts that could disadvantage the Portfolios.
Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers. The charts below include information regarding the members of the portfolio management teams responsible for managing the Portfolios. Specifically, they show the number of portfolios and assets managed by management teams of which each Portfolio's portfolio manager is a member and accounts managed by each portfolio manager that are subject to performance-based advisory fees. Information is presented as of December 31, 2021 unless otherwise indicated. Regardless of the number of accounts, the portfolio management team still manages each account based on a model portfolio as described above.
56
Portfolio Manager | Registered Investment Companies ($) | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles ($) | Other Accounts |
Michael A. Bennett | 12 (16.4 billion) | 17 (7.7 billion) | 173 (26.1 billion) |
Frank Bianco | 14 (451.4 million) | 67 (3.0 billion) | 14 (197.3 million) |
Christopher H. Blake | 3 (2.3 billion) | 5 (1.1 billion) | 93 (5.3 billion) |
Jimmie Bork | 1 (17.8 million) | 3 (341.5 million) | 5 (354.2 million) |
Terence P. Brennan | 4 (177.8 million) | 5 (89.9 million) | 1 (5.8 million) |
Daniel Breslin | 2 (157.8 million) | 2 (46.7 million) | 6 (398.3 million) |
Rohit Chopra | 8 (4.9 billion) | 12 (2.7 billion) | 33 (7.6 billion) |
Bertrand Cliquet | 6 (8.1 billion) | 12 (6.6 billion) | 14 (3.2 billion) |
Janice Davies | 2 (157.8 million) | 2 (46.7 million) | 6 (398.3 million) |
Michael DeBernardis | 2 (157.8 million) | 11 (2.7 billion) | 8 (710.6 million) |
James M. Donald | 13 (11.2 billion) | 14 (3.6 billion) | 89 (12.5 billion) |
Giles Edwards | 7 (9.2 billion) | 10 (2.6 billion) | 136 (16.5 billion) |
Robert Failla | 15 (17.0 billion) | 18 (7.7 billion) | 178 (26.1 billion) |
Martin Flood | 16 (32.9 billion) | 17 (5.5 billion) | 213 (14.7 billion) |
Louis Florentin-Lee | 12 (31.1 billion) | 11 (3.8 billion) | 110 (7.3 billion) |
Michael G. Fry | 7 (9.2 billion) | 10 (2.6 billion) | 136 (16.5 billion) |
Peter Gillespie | 2 (284.5 million) | 3 (65.2 million) | 9 (3.5 billion) |
Alex Ingham | 1 (26.5 million) | 11 (3.0 billion) | 6 (384.5 million) |
Taras Ivanenko | 9 (770.2 million) | 30 (3.9 billion) | 55 (16.6 billion) |
Jai Jacob | 1 (78.9 million) | 7 (54.1 million) | 135 (544.3 million) |
Robin O. Jones | 9 (7.9 billion) | 9 (5.3 billion) | 44 (9.9 billion) |
Jessica Kittay | 20 (33.2 billion) | 24 (6.8 billion) | 223 (14.8 billion) |
Andrew D. Lacey | 14 (30.8 billion) | 8 (3.6 billion) | 98 (7.3 billion) |
Alex Lai | 9 (770.2 million) | 30 (3.9 billion) | 55 (16.6 billion) |
Matthew Landy | 6 (8.1 billion) | 12 (6.6 billion) | 14 (3.2 billion) |
Jay Levy | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Mark Little | 9 (7.9 billion) | 9 (5.3 billion) | 44 (9.9 billion) |
Ciprian Marin | 9 (770.2 million) | 30 (3.9 billion) | 55 (16.6 billion) |
Stephen Marra | 1 (78.9 million) | 7 (54.1 million) | 135 (544.3 million) |
Kevin J. Matthews | 7 (9.2 billion) | 10 (2.6 billion) | 136 (16.5 billion) |
Thomas McManus | 1 (78.9 million) | 7 (54.1 million) | 133 (333.9 million) |
Dan McGoey | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Paul Moghtader | 9 (770.2 million) | 30 (3.9 billion) | 55 (16.6 billion) |
John Mulquiney | 6 (8.1 billion) | 12 (6.6 billion) | 14 (3.2 billion) |
Kevin O'Hare | 2 (284.5 million) | 3 (65.2 million) | 11 (3.7 billion) |
Michael Powers | 10 (9.5 billion) | 10 (2.6 billion) | 135 (16.5 billion) |
Ganesh Ramachandran | 11 (5.2 billion) | 13 (2.8 billion) | 33 (7.6 billion) |
John R. Reinsberg | 11 (10.3 billion) | 16 (7.1 billion) | 71 (15.2 billion) |
Sean Reynolds | 14 (451.4 million) | 67 (3.0 billion) | 14 (197.3 million) |
Warryn Robertson | 6 (8.1 billion) | 15 (6.8 billion) | 21 (5.1 billion) |
Edward Rosenfeld | 1 (26.5 million) | 14 (3.5 billion) | 9 (2.0 billion) |
Craig Scholl | 9 (770.2 million) | 30 (3.9 billion) | 55 (16.6 billion) |
H. Ross Seiden | 7 (30.3 billion) | 4 (2.0 billion) | 75 (3.3 billion) |
Paul Selvey-Clinton | N/A | 8 (1.0 billion) | 9 (637.5 million) |
Oren Shiran | 1 (4.1 million) | 2 (27.4 million) | 2 (6.1 million) |
Monika Shrestha | 8 (4.9 billion) | 12 (2.7 billion) | 33 (7.6 billion) |
Stefan T. Tang | 1 (4.1 million) | 2 (27.4 million) | 2 (6.1 million) |
Ronald Temple | 11 (30.5 billion) | 10 (3.7 billion) | 102 (7.3 billion) |
Kim Tilley | 5 (256.7 million) | 18 (8.3 billion) | 145 (873.9 million) |
Erik Van Der Sande | 2 (716.6 million) | 1 (110.6 million) | 2 (717.3 thousand) |
Susanne Willumsen | 9 (770.2 million) | 30 (3.9 billion) | 55 (16.6 billion) |
Barnaby Wilson | 7 (893.9 million) | 10 (3.6 billion) | 39 (4.3 billion) |
57
Portfolio Manager | Type of Account | Number of Accounts |
Michael A. Bennett | Other Accounts | 3 (303.7 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion) | |
Frank Bianco | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 36 (2.2 billion) |
Other Accounts | 8 (130.3 million) | |
Christopher H. Blake | Other Accounts | 1 (179.5 million) |
Jimmie Bork | Other Accounts | 1 (231.5 million) |
Terence P. Brennan | None | N/A |
Daniel Breslin | Other Accounts | 1 (162.8 million) |
Rohit Chopra | Other Accounts | 2 (737.7 million) |
Bertrand Cliquet | Other Accounts | 1 (266.2 million) |
Janice Davies | Other Accounts | 1 (162.8 million) |
Michael DeBernardis | Other Accounts | 1 (162.8 million) |
James M. Donald | Other Accounts | 4 (899.5 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion) | |
Giles Edwards | Other Accounts | 3 (303.7 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion | |
Robert Failla | Other Accounts | 3 (303.7 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion) | |
Martin Flood | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 (1.2 billion) |
Other Accounts | 2 (342.3 million) | |
Registered Investment Companies | 2 (23.4 billion) | |
Louis Florentin-Lee | Registered Investment Companies | 2 (23.4 billion) |
Michael G. Fry | Other Accounts | 3 (303.7 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion) | |
Peter Gillespie | Other Accounts | 2 (3.0 billion) |
Alex Ingham | None | N/A |
Taras Ivanenko | Other Accounts | 6 (12.1 billion) |
Jai Jacob | Other Accounts | 1 (66.1 thousand) |
Robin O. Jones | Other Accounts | 1 (231.5 million) |
Jessica Kittay | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 (1.2 billion) |
Other Accounts | 2 (342.3 million) | |
Registered Investment Companies | 2 (23.4 billion) | |
Andrew D. Lacey | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 (1.2 billion) |
Registered Investment Companies | 2 (23.4 billion) | |
Alex Lai | Other Accounts | 6 (12.1 billion) |
Matthew Landy | Other Accounts | 1 (266.2 million) |
Jay Levy | None | N/A |
Mark Little | Other Accounts | 1 (231.5 million) |
Ciprian Marin | Other Accounts | 6 (12.1 billion) |
Stephen Marra | Other Accounts | 1 (66.1 thousand) |
Kevin J. Matthews | Other Accounts | 3 (303.7 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion) | |
Dan McGoey | None | N/A |
Thomas McManus | Other Accounts | 1 (66.1 thousand) |
Paul Moghtader | Other Accounts | 6 (12.1 billion) |
John Mulquiney | Other Accounts | 1 (266.2 million) |
Kevin O'Hare | Other Accounts | 2 (3.0 billion) |
Michael Powers | Other Accounts | 3 (303.7 million) |
Registered Investment Companies | 1 (5.9 billion) | |
Ganesh Ramachandran | Other Accounts | 2 (737.7 million) |
John R. Reinsberg | Other Accounts | 2 (373.4 million) |
Sean Reynolds | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 36 (2.2 billion) |
Other Accounts | 8 (130.3 million) | |
Warryn Robertson | Other Accounts | 2 (1.1 billion) |
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Portfolio Manager | Type of Account | Number of Accounts |
Edward Rosenfeld | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 1 (177.4 million) |
Other Accounts | 2 (642.8 million) | |
Craig Scholl | Other Accounts | 6 (12.1 billion) |
H. Ross Seiden | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 (1.2 billion) |
Registered Investment Companies | 2 (23.4 billion) | |
Paul Selvey-Clinton | Other Accounts | 1 (31.5 million) |
Oren Shiran | None | N/A |
Monika Shrestha | Other Accounts | 2 (737.7 million) |
Stefan T. Tang | None | N/A |
Ronald Temple | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 (1.2 billion) |
Registered Investment Companies | 2 (23.4 billion) | |
Kim Tilley | Other Accounts | 1 (66.1 thousand) |
Erik Van Der Sande | None | N/A |
Susanne Willumsen | Other Accounts | 6 (12.1 billion) |
Barnaby Wilson | None | N/A |
* Includes an aggregation of any Similar Accounts within managed account programs where the third party program sponsor is responsible for applying specific client objectives, guidelines and limitations against the model portfolio managed by the portfolio management team.
Compensation for Portfolio Managers. The Investment Manager's portfolio managers are generally responsible for managing multiple types of accounts that may, or may not, invest in securities in which the Fund may invest or pursue a strategy similar to a Portfolio's strategies. Portfolio managers responsible for managing the Portfolios may also manage sub-advised registered investment companies, collective investment trusts, unregistered funds and/or other pooled investment vehicles, separate accounts, separately managed account programs (often referred to as "wrap accounts") and model portfolios.
The Investment Manager compensates portfolio managers by a competitive salary and bonus structure, which is determined both quantitatively and qualitatively. Salary and bonus are paid in cash, stock and restricted interests in funds managed by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. Portfolio managers are compensated on the performance of the aggregate group of portfolios managed by the teams of which they are a member rather than for a specific fund or account. Various factors are considered in the determination of a portfolio manager's compensation. All of the portfolios managed by a portfolio manager are comprehensively evaluated to determine his or her positive and consistent performance contribution over time. Further factors include the amount of assets in the portfolios as well as qualitative aspects that reinforce the Investment Manager's investment philosophy.
Total compensation is generally not fixed, but rather is based on the following factors: (i) leadership, teamwork and commitment, (ii) maintenance of current knowledge and opinions on companies owned in the portfolio; (iii) generation and development of new investment ideas, including the quality of security analysis and identification of appreciation catalysts; (iv) ability and willingness to develop and share ideas on a team basis; and (v) the performance results of the portfolios managed by the investment teams of which the portfolio manager is a member.
Variable bonus is based on the portfolio manager's quantitative performance as measured by his or her ability to make investment decisions that contribute to the pre-tax absolute and relative returns of the accounts managed by the teams of which the portfolio manager is a member, by comparison of each account to a predetermined benchmark, generally as set forth in the Prospectus or other governing document, over the current fiscal year and the longer-term performance of such account, as well as performance of the account relative to peers. The portfolio manager's bonus also can be influenced by subjective measurement of the manager's ability to help others make investment decisions. A portion of a portfolio manager's variable bonus is awarded under a deferred compensation arrangement pursuant to which the portfolio manager may allocate certain amounts awarded among certain portfolios of The Lazard Funds, Inc. that pursue corresponding strategies to those of the Portfolios or investment products (e.g., employees' securities companies, non-US mutual funds or UCITS) that pursue substantially identical investment strategies as the Portfolios, in shares that vest in two to three years. Certain portfolio managers' bonus compensation may be tied to a fixed percentage of revenue or assets generated by the accounts managed by such portfolio management teams.
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Portfolio Manager Ownership of Portfolio Shares. As of December 31, 2021, none of the portfolio managers owned any shares of any of the Portfolios because Portfolio shares can only be purchased by separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies. However, certain of the portfolio managers own shares of portfolios of The Lazard Funds, Inc. that pursue corresponding strategies to those of the Portfolios. In addition, portfolio managers may own shares of employees' securities companies, non-US mutual funds or other pooled investment vehicles or have separate accounts advised by the Investment Manager that pursue substantially similar strategies to those of the Portfolios.
Investment Manager and Management Agreement
The Investment Manager, located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112-6300, has entered into a management agreement (the "Management Agreement") with the Fund on behalf of the Portfolios. Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Investment Manager regularly provides each Portfolio with investment research, advice and supervision and furnishes continuously an investment program for each Portfolio consistent with its investment objective and policies, including the purchase, retention and disposition of securities.
The Investment Manager, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lazard Ltd (collectively with the Investment Manager and its other affiliates, "Lazard"), is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. The Investment Manager provides day-to-day management of the Portfolios' investments and assists in the overall management of the Fund's affairs. Its clients are both individuals and institutions, some of whose accounts have investment policies similar to those of several of the Portfolios.
The Fund, the Investment Manager and the Distributor each have adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that permits its personnel, subject to such Code of Ethics, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by a Portfolio. The Codes of Ethics restrict the personal securities transactions of employees and require portfolio managers and other investment personnel to comply with the preclearance and disclosure procedures. The primary purpose of the Codes of Ethics is to ensure that personal trading by employees does not disadvantage any Portfolio.
Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Investment Manager will pay the compensation of all personnel of the Fund, except the fees of Directors of the Fund who are not employees or affiliated persons of the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager will make available to the Portfolios such of the Investment Manager's members, officers and employees as are reasonably necessary for the operations of each Portfolio, or as may be duly elected officers or directors of the Fund. Under the Management Agreement, the Investment Manager also pays each Portfolio's office rent and provides investment advisory research and statistical facilities and all clerical services relating to research, statistical and investment work. The Investment Manager, including its employees who serve the Portfolios, may render investment advice, management and other services to other clients.
As compensation for its services, the Fund has agreed to pay the Investment Manager an investment management fee, accrued daily and payable monthly, at the annual rates set forth in the Prospectus.
As described in the Prospectus, the Investment Manager has agreed to waive its management fees and, if necessary, reimburse each Portfolio, to the extent Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses exceed a percentage of the value of the Portfolio's average daily net assets (shown in the Prospectus), exclusive of taxes, brokerage, interest on borrowings, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, fees and expenses of "Acquired Funds" (as defined in Form N-1A), fees and expenses related to filing foreign tax reclaims and extraordinary expenses.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the management fees payable by each Portfolio, the amounts waived (and reimbursed), by the Investment Manager and the net fees paid to the Investment Manager were as follows:
Portfolio | Fee Payable For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019 | Fee Payable For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020 | Fee Payable For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | $413,560 | $370,395 | $398,815 |
International Equity Portfolio | $1,212,657 | $1,004,486 | $1,070,601 |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | $5,682,689 | $4,559,889 | $4,695,026 |
Dynamic Portfolio | $3,202,940 | $2,852,527 | $2,777,270 |
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Portfolio | Reduction in Fee For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019 | Reduction in Fee For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020 | Reduction in Fee For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | $63,608 | $88,540 | $73,723 |
International Equity Portfolio | $123,674 | $137,480 | $120,338 |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | $9,153 | — | — |
Dynamic Portfolio | $594,464 | $603,265 | $539,867 |
Portfolio | Net Fee Paid For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019 | Net Fee Paid For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020 | Net Fee Paid For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | $349,952 | $281,855 | $325,092 |
International Equity Portfolio | $1,088,983 | $867,006 | $950,263 |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | $5,673,536 | $4,559,889 | $4,695,026 |
Dynamic Portfolio | $2,608,476 | $2,249,262 | $2,237,403 |
The Management Agreement provides that each Portfolio pays all of its expenses that are not specifically assumed by the Investment Manager. Expenses attributable to each Portfolio will be charged against the assets of that Portfolio. Other expenses of the Fund will be allocated among the Portfolios in a manner which may, but need not, be proportionate in relation to the net assets of each Portfolio. Expenses payable by each of the Portfolios include, but are not limited to, brokerage and other expenses of executing portfolio transactions; legal, auditing or accounting expenses; trade association dues; taxes or governmental fees; the fees and expenses of any person providing administrative services to the Fund; the fees and expenses of the custodian and transfer agent of the Fund; clerical expenses of issue, redemption or repurchase of shares of the Portfolio; the expenses and fees for registering and qualifying securities for sale; the fees of Directors of the Fund who are not employees or affiliated persons of the Investment Manager or its affiliates; travel expenses of all Directors, officers and employees; insurance premiums; and the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders. In addition, Service Shares of each Portfolio are subject to an annual distribution and servicing fee. See "Distribution and Servicing Arrangements."
As to each Portfolio, the Management Agreement is subject to annual approval by (i) the Fund's Board or (ii) vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Portfolio, provided that in either event the continuance also is approved by a majority of the Independent Directors of the Fund or the Investment Manager, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval (subject to exceptions to "in person" meeting requirements under certain circumstances and subject to compliance with certain conditions). As to each Portfolio, the Management Agreement is terminable without penalty, on 60 days' notice, by the Fund's Board or by vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of such Portfolio, or, upon not less than 90 days' notice, by the Investment Manager. The Management Agreement will terminate automatically, as to the relevant Portfolio, in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Management Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Investment Manager, or of reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, the Investment Manager shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Proxy Voting
The Board has delegated to the Investment Manager the authority to vote proxies of companies held in the Fund's portfolio.
The Investment Manager has adopted a Global Proxy Voting Policy, attached as Appendix B, which sets forth proxy voting guidelines applicable to specific types of common proxy proposals. Depending on the proposal, the applicable guideline may provide that the Investment Manager should vote for or against the proposal, or that the proposal should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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The Fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling (800) 823-6300 or (2) on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Information as of June 30 each year will generally be available by the following August 31.
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent
State Street, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, provides certain administrative services to the Portfolios pursuant to an agreement with the Fund. Each Portfolio bears the cost of such services. Fees are based on a percentage of net assets plus additional charges for specific services and out-of-pocket expenses.
State Street also serves as the Fund's custodian and, among other things, maintains a custody account or accounts in the name of each Portfolio; receives and delivers all assets for each Portfolio upon purchase and upon sale or maturity; collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the assets of each Portfolio and disburses the Portfolio's assets in payment of its expenses. The custodian does not determine the investment policies of any Portfolio or decide which securities any Portfolio will buy or sell.
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. ("DST" or the "Transfer Agent"), P.O. Box 219441, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9441, is the Fund's transfer and dividend disbursing agent. Under a transfer agency agreement with the Fund, DST arranges for the maintenance of shareholder account records for each Portfolio, the handling of certain communications between shareholders and the Fund and the payment of dividends and distributions payable by the Fund. For its services, DST receives a monthly fee computed on the basis of the number of shareholder accounts it maintains, subject to a minimum fee amount per Class in each Portfolio, and is reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses. DST has agreed to waive the monthly minimum fee for the first six months after a new Portfolio or Class has commenced operations.
Distributor
Lazard Asset Management Securities LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112-6300, serves as the distributor of each Portfolio's shares and conducts a continuous offering pursuant to a "best efforts" arrangement. As the distributor, it accepts purchase and redemption orders for Portfolio shares. In addition, the distribution agreement obligates the Distributor to pay certain expenses in connection with the offering of Portfolio shares. After the Prospectus and periodic reports have been prepared, set in type and mailed to shareholders, the Distributor also will pay for any printing and distribution of copies thereof used in connection with the offering to prospective investors.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value ("NAV") per share for each Class of each Portfolio is determined each day the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for trading as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE, and will price its shares as of 4:00 p.m., if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE. The NYSE is ordinarily closed on the following national holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV per share of a Class is determined by dividing the value of the total assets of the Portfolio represented by such Class, less all liabilities, by the total number of Portfolio shares of such Class outstanding.
Equity securities traded on a securities exchange or market, including exchange-traded option contracts, rights and warrants, are valued at the last reported sales price (for US-listed equity securities) or the closing price (for non-US-listed equity securities) on the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded or, for securities trading on the Nasdaq, the Nasdaq Official Closing Price. If there is no available closing price for a non-US-listed equity security, the last reported sales price is used. If there are no reported sales of a security on the valuation date, the security is valued at the most recent quoted bid price on such date reported by such principal exchange or market. Futures contracts are valued at the settlement price on the exchange on which the contract is principally traded. Over-the-counter swap agreements are valued by an independent pricing service, and centrally-cleared swaps are valued at the last reported sale on the clearing exchange. Forward currency contracts generally are valued
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using quotations from an independent pricing service. Investments in money market funds are valued at the fund's net asset value per share.
Bonds and other fixed-income securities that are not exchange-traded are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services which are based on, among other things, trading in securities with similar characteristics, brokers' quotations and/or a matrix system which considers such factors as other security prices, yields and maturities.
Calculation of a Portfolio's net asset value may not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of portfolio assets used in such calculation. Trading on certain non-US securities exchanges or markets, such as those in Europe and Asia, ordinarily may be completed before the close of business on each business day in New York (i.e., a day on which the NYSE is open). In addition, securities trading in a particular non-US country or countries may not take place on all business days in New York and on which the net asset value of a Portfolio is calculated.
If a significant event materially affecting the value of securities occurs between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded and the time when a Portfolio's net asset value is calculated, or when current market quotations otherwise are determined not to be readily available or reliable (including restricted or other illiquid securities such as certain derivative instruments), such securities will be valued at their fair value as determined by, or in accordance with procedures approved by, the Board. The fair value of non-US securities may be determined with the assistance of an independent pricing service using correlations between the movement of prices of such securities and indices of US securities and other appropriate indicators, such as closing market prices of relevant ADRs or futures contracts. Certain non-US securities may trade on days when a Portfolio is not open for business, thus affecting the value of the Portfolio's assets on days when Portfolio shareholders may not be able to buy or sell Portfolio shares.
The Valuation Committee of the Investment Manager, which is subject to the oversight of the Board, may evaluate a variety of factors to determine the fair value of securities for which market quotations are determined not to be readily available or reliable. These factors include, but are not limited to, the type of security, the value of comparable securities, observations from financial institutions and relevant news events. Input from the Investment Manager's portfolio management team also will be considered.
The effect of using fair value pricing is that the net asset value of a Portfolio will reflect the affected securities' values as determined in the judgment of the Board or its designee instead of being determined by the market. Using a fair value pricing methodology to price securities may result in a value that is different from the most recent closing price of a security and from the prices used by other investment companies to calculate their portfolios' net asset values.
General
Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Investment Manager is primarily responsible for the investment decisions and the placing of portfolio transactions for each Portfolio. In arranging for the Portfolios' securities transactions, the Investment Manager is primarily concerned with seeking best execution, which is considered to be the most favorable combination of price and quantity that can be traded at a point in time given, among other factors, the liquidity, market conditions, and required urgency of execution. In choosing broker-dealers, the Investment Manager considers all relevant factors, including but not limited to: the ability of a broker-dealer to provide a prompt and efficient agency execution; the ability and willingness of a broker-dealer to facilitate the transactions by acting as principal and going at risk for its own accounts; the ability of a broker-dealer to provide accurate and timely settlement of the transaction; the Investment Manager's knowledge of the negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transactions costs; the clearance and settlement capabilities of the broker; the Investment Manager's knowledge of the financial condition of the broker or dealer selected; and any other matter relevant to the selection of a broker-dealer. In the over-the-counter market, securities are generally traded on a "net" basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at
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a fixed price that includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or discount.
To the extent consistent with applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted by the SEC thereunder, the Fund's Board has determined that securities transactions for a Portfolio may be executed through a broker-dealer that may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Investment Manager if, in the judgment of the Investment Manager, the use of the broker-dealer is likely to result in price and execution at least as favorable as those of other qualified brokers or dealers, and if, in the transaction, the broker-dealer charges the Portfolio a rate consistent with that charged to comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions.
Purchase and sale orders for securities held by a Portfolio may be combined with those for other Portfolios in the interest of the most favorable net results for all. In some cases, this policy may adversely affect the price paid or received by an account, or the size of the position obtained or liquidated. When the Investment Manager determines that a particular security should be bought for or sold by more than one Portfolio, the Investment Manager undertakes to allocate those transactions between the participants equitably.
Each active Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate for up to five fiscal years is shown in the prospectus. The following table provides an explanation of any significant variation in a portfolio's portfolio turnover rates over the last two fiscal years (or any anticipated variation in the portfolio turnover rate from that reported for the last fiscal year).
Portfolio | Reason for Any Significant Portfolio Turnover Rate Variation, or Anticipated Variation |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | N/A |
International Equity Portfolio | N/A |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | N/A |
Dynamic Portfolio | Portfolio turnover decreased in fiscal year 2021 due to a decrease in market volatility resulting in fewer volatility targeting adjustments. |
The Portfolios listed below held securities of their regular brokers or dealers during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021:
Portfolio | Broker/Dealer | Value on December 31, 2021 (in $000s) |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | Commerce Bancshares, Inc. | 824 |
International Equity Portfolio | Nordea Bank Abp | 2,128 |
Barclays PLC | 1,991 | |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | Sberbank | 6,168 |
Dynamic Portfolio | Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | 1,375 |
Goldman Sachs & Co. | 1,352 | |
BNP Paribas SA | 1,138 | |
The Toronto-Dominion Bank | 951 | |
Bank of America Corp. | 860 | |
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. | 618 | |
Standard Chartered PLC | 613 | |
State Street Corp. | 568 | |
Barclays PLC | 533 | |
Deutsche Bank AG | 514 | |
Societe Generale | 478 | |
Citigroup, Inc. | 463 | |
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 408 | |
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. | 351 | |
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | 216 | |
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. | 204 |
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Portfolio | Broker/Dealer | Value on December 31, 2021 (in $000s) |
Lloyds Banking Group PLC | 194 | |
HSBC Holdings PLC | 122 | |
Flow Traders | 44 |
Research and Statistical Information
Consistent with the requirements of best execution, brokerage commissions on a Portfolio's transactions may be paid to brokers in recognition of investment research and information furnished as well as for brokerage and execution services provided by such brokers. The Investment Manager may in its discretion cause accounts to pay such broker-dealers a commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer adequately qualified to effect such transaction would have charged for effecting that transaction. This may be done where the Investment Manager has determined in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research to that particular transaction or to the Investment Manager's overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which it exercises investment discretion.
The Investment Manager receives a wide range of research (including proprietary research) and brokerage services from brokers. These services include information on the economy, industries, groups of securities, and individual companies; statistical information; technical market action, pricing and appraisal services; portfolio management computer services (including trading and settlement systems); risk management analysis; and performance analysis. Broker-dealers may also supply market quotations to the Fund's custodian for valuation purposes.
Any research received in respect of a Portfolio's brokerage commission may be useful to the Portfolio, but also may be useful in the management of the account of another client of the Investment Manager. Similarly, the research received for the commissions of such other client may be useful for the Portfolio.
Brokerage Commissions
In connection with its portfolio securities transactions for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, each Portfolio indicated below paid brokerage commissions, none of which were paid to Lazard, as follows:
Portfolio | Total Brokerage Commissions Paid For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 | Total Brokerage Commissions Paid For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020 | Total Brokerage Commissions Paid For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019 |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | $42,624 | $42,703 | $40,310 |
International Equity Portfolio | $88,830 | $73,280 | $104,420 |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | $526,432 | $392,621 | $335,313 |
Dynamic Portfolio | $96,788 | $199,436 | $198,705 |
|
The aggregate amount of transactions during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 in securities effected on an agency basis through a broker for, among other things, research services, and the commissions related to such transactions were as follows:
Portfolio | Transaction Amount | Commissions |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | $72,636,508 | $42,624 |
International Equity Portfolio | $114,894,095 | $88,830 |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | $431,905,894 | $526,432 |
Dynamic Portfolio | $382,358,098 | $96,788 |
|
The following table provides an explanation of any material difference in the commissions paid by a portfolio in either of the two fiscal years preceding the last fiscal year.
Portfolio | Reason for Any Material Difference in Commissions |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | N/A |
International Equity Portfolio | The variance in commissions paid in fiscal year 2020 as compared to |
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Portfolio | Reason for Any Material Difference in Commissions |
fiscal year 2019 is primarily due to a decrease in net assets. | |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | N/A |
Dynamic Portfolio | The variance in commissions paid in fiscal year 2021 as compared to fiscal year 2020 was primarily due to a decrease in portfolio turnover. |
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
Policy
It is the policy of the Fund to protect the confidentiality of the Portfolios' holdings and prevent the selective disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings. The Fund will publicly disclose the Portfolios' holdings on a calendar quarter-end basis on its website accessible from https://www.lazardassetmanagement.com/us/en_us/funds/list/mutual-funds/42, no earlier than five business days after such quarter end. The information will remain accessible until the Fund files a report on an exhibit to Form N-PORT or Form N-CSR for the period that includes the date as of which the information was current. In order to avoid conflicts of interest between the Fund, on the one hand, and the Investment Manager or any affiliated person of the Fund or the Investment Manager, on the other (1) disclosure of portfolio holdings is made only when such disclosure is in the best interest of Portfolio shareholders and the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so and (2) none of the Fund or the Investment Manager or their affiliates may receive any compensation in connection with an arrangement to make portfolio holdings information available.
Additional Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
In accordance with the foregoing, the Fund provides portfolio holdings to ratings services or third party service providers who provide necessary or beneficial services when such service providers need access to this information in the performance of their services and are subject to duties of confidentiality (1) imposed by law, including a duty not to trade on non-public information, and/or (2) pursuant to an agreement that confidential information is not to be disclosed or used (including trading on such information) other than as required by law. From time to time, the Fund will communicate with these service providers to confirm that they understand the Fund's policies and procedures regarding such disclosure. Such service providers currently include the Fund's investment manager, administrator, custodian, auditors and legal counsel and each of their respective affiliates and advisors, as well as Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc., Lipper Inc., Morningstar, Inc., Axioma, Inc., Bloomberg L.P., BNY Mellon Analytical Services, LLC, Canterbury Consulting Incorporated, FactSet Research Systems Inc., Glass, Lewis & Co., Northfield Information Services, Inc. and SS&C Technologies, Inc. Service providers receive portfolio holdings at a frequency appropriate to their services, which may be as frequently as daily, and such information may be current as of the business day provided. No compensation is paid in consideration of receiving such information. Disclosure of portfolio holdings may be authorized only by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer or the General Counsel of the Investment Manager, each of whom evaluates such disclosure in light of the best interests of Portfolio shareholders and any potential conflicts of interest. Any violations of the Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure policy are reported to the Board.
Portfolio Characteristics
Concurrent with or subsequent to the quarterly public disclosure of portfolio holdings, from time to time the Fund may make available certain unpublished portfolio characteristics (aggregated, statistical-type information that is not security-specific) including but without limitation allocations, performance- and risk-related statistics, portfolio-level statistics and non-security specific attribution analyses, to parties who request it. Such information is provided when the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer reasonably believes that the disclosure of such information would not present material risks of inappropriate arbitrage, market timing, insider trading or other prohibited trading with respect to a Portfolio. Such information, if provided, will be made available to any person upon request.
Investment Manager's Multi-Asset Strategies
The Investment Manager currently manages certain investment strategies that allocate assets among various asset classes ("Multi-Asset"). Using these strategies, the Investment Manager's Multi-Asset portfolio management team may allocate assets managed in separate accounts, mutual funds, private investment funds or other available vehicles among various strategies and vehicles managed by other portfolio management teams, including allocating assets to
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a Portfolio's strategy or a similar strategy managed by a Portfolio's portfolio management team. The Investment Manager's Multi-Asset portfolio management team will allocate assets to a Portfolio or a related strategy in its discretion, consistent with the investment objectives and guidelines associated with the relevant client's account. In making these allocation decisions, the Multi-Asset portfolio management team will have access to detailed information related to the underlying strategies that may not be available to other investors or clients. This includes, but is not limited to, Portfolio holdings information, transaction detail and performance information and access to the Portfolios' portfolio management teams. The Investment Manager has implemented procedures designed to ensure that the Multi-Asset portfolio management team does not trade in a way that disadvantages other Portfolio shareholders.
Certain Portfolios are managed by allocation between or among investment strategies managed by the Investment Manager. Quarterly performance of the investment strategies comprising these Portfolios' investments is available to Portfolio shareholders on request by calling (800) 823-6300.
Individuals may not place purchase orders directly with the Fund. Individuals should consult a Participating Insurance Company or a financial intermediary for information on the purchase of Portfolio shares. The Fund does not issue share certificates.
Portfolio shares may be purchased and redeemed at any time by the separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies. Individuals may not place purchase or redemption orders directly with the Fund. The value of shares redeemed may be more or less than their original cost, depending on the Portfolio's then-current net asset value.
The Fund ordinarily will make payment for all shares redeemed within seven days after receipt by the Participating Insurance Company of a redemption request in proper form, except as provided by the rules of the SEC.
Service Agents
The Fund has authorized Participating Insurance Companies or their affiliates and potentially other financial intermediaries (collectively, "Service Agents") to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders for Portfolio shares. A Portfolio will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption when a Service Agent accepts the order. Orders regarding the purchase and sale of Portfolio shares will be priced at the Portfolio's net asset value next computed after such orders are accepted by a Service Agent. Service Agents may charge their clients fees which would not apply to shares purchased through the Distributor.
Redemption Commitment
The Fund has committed to pay in cash all redemption requests by any shareholder of record, limited in amount during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of a Portfolio's net assets at the beginning of such period. Such commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of requests for redemption in excess of such amount, the Fund's Board reserves the right to make payments, in whole or in part in portfolio securities or other assets of the Portfolio under the following circumstances: (1) (i) the Investment Manager determines that an in-kind redemption is more advantageous to the Portfolio (e.g., due to advantageous tax consequences or lower transaction costs) than selling/purchasing portfolio securities; or the redeeming shareholder has requested an in-kind redemption, (ii) the Investment Manager determines that an in-kind redemption will not favor the redeeming shareholder to the detriment of any other shareholder or the Portfolio, and (iii) the Investment Manager determines that an in-kind redemption is in the best interests of the Portfolio; (2) to manage liquidity risk; (3) in stressed market conditions; or (4) subject to the approval of the Board of the Fund, including a majority of the Independent Directors, in other circumstances identified by the Investment Manager. In such event, the securities would be valued in the same manner as the Portfolio's investments are valued. If the recipient sold such securities, brokerage charges might be incurred.
Suspension of Redemptions
The right of redemption may be suspended, or the date of payment postponed: (a) during any period when the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (b) when trading in the markets the Portfolio ordinarily utilizes is restricted, or when an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that disposal of the
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Portfolio's investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (c) for such other periods as the SEC by order may permit to protect the Portfolio's shareholders.
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS
Distribution and Servicing Plan for Service Shares
Service Shares are subject to a Distribution and Servicing Plan adopted by the Fund's Board pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (the "Rule") adopted by the SEC under the 1940 Act which provides, among other things, that an investment company may bear expenses of distributing its shares only pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with the Rule. Pursuant to the Distribution and Servicing Plan, the Fund pays the Distributor for advertising, marketing and distributing each Portfolio's Service Shares, and for the provision of certain services to the holders of Service Shares, a fee at the annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio's Service Shares. The Distributor may make payments to Participating Insurance Companies for providing these services to Policy owners, or to certain financial institutions, securities dealers and other industry professionals for providing these services to Policy owners. The services provided may include personal services relating to shareholder accounts, such as answering shareholder inquiries regarding the Fund and providing reports and other information, and services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The fee payable for such services is intended to be a "service fee" as defined in Conduct Rules of FINRA. Depending on a Participating Insurance Company's corporate structure and applicable state law, the Distributor may make payments to the Participating Insurance Company's affiliated broker-dealer or other affiliated company rather than the Participating Insurance Company itself. From time to time, the Distributor may defer or waive receipt of fees under the Distribution and Servicing Plan while retaining the ability to be paid by the Fund under the Distribution and Servicing Plan thereafter. The fees payable under the Distribution and Servicing Plan are payable without regard to actual expenses incurred. In certain cases, the Distributor may retain a portion of the fees paid by the Fund under the Distribution and Servicing Plan. This may occur because, in most cases, Service Agents and other financial intermediaries provide invoices to the Distributor for distribution and servicing fees owed. To the extent such invoices reflect fees that are lower than what the Distributor has calculated, the Distributor retains any difference. However, each Portfolio ordinarily can be expected to pay less in aggregate fees pursuant to the Distribution and Servicing Plan than is charged in the aggregate by Service Agents whose clients are invested in the Portfolio, with the difference paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager or their affiliates. The Fund's Board believes there is a reasonable likelihood that the Distribution and Servicing Plan will benefit each Portfolio and holders of its Service Shares.
A quarterly report of the amounts expended under the Distribution and Servicing Plan, and the purposes for which such expenditures were incurred, must be made to the Board for its review. The Distribution and Servicing Plan provides that it may not be amended to increase materially the costs which holders of Service Shares of a Portfolio may bear without such shareholders' approval and that other material amendments of the Distribution and Servicing Plan must be approved by the Board and by the Independent Directors of the Fund who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution and Servicing Plan or in any agreements entered into in connection with the Distribution and Servicing Plan, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments (subject to exceptions to "in person" meeting requirements under certain circumstances and subject to compliance with certain conditions). The Distribution and Servicing Plan is subject to annual approval by such vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Distribution and Servicing Plan. As to each Portfolio, the Distribution and Servicing Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Independent Directors who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution and Servicing Plan or in any agreements entered into in connection with the Distribution and Servicing Plan, or by vote of the holders of a majority of such Portfolio's Service Shares.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, the Portfolios paid the Distributor the amounts set forth below with respect to their Service Shares under the Distribution and Servicing Plan:
Portfolio | Amount Paid Under Distribution and Servicing Plan For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio | $132,938 |
International Equity Portfolio | $356,867 |
Emerging Markets Portfolio | $889,118 |
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Dynamic Portfolio | $867,007 |
Payments by the Investment Manager or Distributor
The Investment Manager or the Distributor may provide additional cash payments out of its own resources to Participating Insurance Companies and/or their affiliates. Such payments are in addition to any fees paid by the Fund under Rule 12b-1. These additional payments may be paid to provide shareholder servicing and administration and/or marketing and related administrative support; opportunities to participate in conferences and educational workshops, meetings and events; and/or access to and information about sales meetings and conferences and sales representatives, financial advisors or management personnel of the Participating Insurance Company. Cash compensation also may be paid to a Participating Insurance Company in connection with consideration or inclusion of the Fund for or on a "recommended" or similar list, including a preferred or select sales list, or in other programs. In some cases, these payments may create an incentive for a Participating Insurance Company or its representatives to recommend or sell Fund shares. Investors or potential investors should contact their Participating Insurance Company for details about any payments that may be received in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to the Fund.
From time to time, the Investment Manager or the Distributor also may provide cash or non-cash compensation to Participating Insurance Companies or their representatives in the form of occasional gifts or meals, event tickets or other entertainment; support for due diligence trips; educational conference sponsorship; support for recognition programs; and other forms of cash or non-cash compensation permissible under applicable broker-dealer regulations.
Dividends from net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, from each Portfolio generally will be declared and paid at least annually, and may be declared and paid more frequently. Dividends for each Class of a Portfolio will be calculated at the same time and in the same manner and will be of the same amount, except that certain expenses will be borne exclusively by one Class and not by the other, such as fees payable under the Distribution and Servicing Plan. Service Shares will receive lower per share dividends than Investor Shares because of the higher expenses borne by Service Shares.
CERTAIN MATERIAL US FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a general summary of certain material US federal income tax considerations applicable to a Portfolio, including each Portfolio's qualification and taxation as a RIC for US federal income tax purposes under Subchapter M of the Code. This discussion does not purport to be a complete description of all of the tax considerations applicable to the Portfolios. This discussion does not discuss any aspects of US estate or gift tax or non-US, state or local tax laws nor does it discuss the special treatment under US federal income tax laws that could result if a Portfolio invests in tax-exempt securities or certain other investment assets. This discussion is based upon the Code, its legislative history, existing and proposed Treasury regulations, published rulings and court decisions, each as of the date of this SAI and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this discussion. No Portfolio has sought, and no Portfolio will seek any ruling from the US Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") regarding any matter discussed herein, and this discussion is not binding on the IRS. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS would not assert, and that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences discussed herein.
Since the shareholders of each Portfolio are the Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts, the tax treatment of dividends and distributions will depend on the tax status of the Participating Insurance Company. Accordingly, no discussion is included as to the federal income tax consequences to such shareholders or to the relevant Policy owners. For information regarding the taxation of Policy owners, Policy owners should consult the applicable prospectus of the separate account of the Participating Insurance Company. The discussion below assumes that the shares of each Portfolio will be respected as owned by the insurance company separate accounts. If this is not true, the person or persons determined to own the shares of a Portfolio will be currently taxed on Portfolio
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distributions and upon any redemption of Portfolio shares, pursuant to generally applicable rules of the Code and Treasury regulations.
Taxation of the Portfolios
RIC Qualification Requirements. Each Portfolio has elected to be treated as, and intends to continue to qualify in each taxable year as, a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, a Portfolio will not pay corporate-level US federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that the Portfolio timely distributes (or is deemed to timely distribute) to its shareholders as dividends. Instead, dividends a Portfolio distributes (or is deemed to timely distribute) generally will be taxable to shareholders, and any net operating losses, foreign tax credits and most other tax attributes generally will not pass through to shareholders. A Portfolio will be subject to US federal corporate-level income tax on any undistributed income and gains. To continue to qualify as a RIC, a Portfolio must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, a Portfolio must distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of the Portfolio's investment company taxable income (which generally is the Portfolio's net ordinary taxable income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction) (the "Annual Distribution Requirement") for any taxable year. The following discussion assumes that each Portfolio qualifies as a RIC.
Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company. If a Portfolio (1) qualifies as a RIC and (2) satisfies the Annual Distribution Requirement, then the Portfolio will not be subject to US federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain (realized net long-term capital gain in excess of realized net short term capital loss) that the Portfolio timely distributes (or is deemed to timely distribute) to shareholders. A Portfolio will be subject to US federal income tax at the regular corporate rate on any of its income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to its shareholders.
If a Portfolio fails to distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of its net capital gain income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in the preceding years (to the extent that income tax was not imposed on such amounts) less certain over-distributions in prior years (together, the "Excise Tax Distribution Requirements"), the Portfolio will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on the portion of the undistributed amounts of such income that are less than the amounts required to be distributed based on the Excise Tax Distribution Requirements. This excise tax, however, does not apply to a Portfolio whose only shareholders are separate accounts of life insurance companies supporting VA contracts and/or VLI policies, and certain other prescribed permissible shareholders. Therefore, none of the Portfolios are expected to be subject to the excise tax.
To qualify as a RIC for US federal income tax purposes, a Portfolio generally must, among other things:
maintain an election and qualify as a registered management company under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year;
derive in each taxable year at least 90% of the Portfolio's gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale of stock, other securities, foreign currencies or other income (including certain deemed inclusions) derived with respect to the Portfolio's business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, or (b) net income derived from the Portfolio's interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership ("QPTP") (collectively, the "90% Gross Income Test");
diversify the Portfolio's holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:
at least 50% of the value of the Portfolio's assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, US government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities that, with respect to any issuer, do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer; and
no more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's assets is invested in the securities, other than US government securities or securities of other RICs, of (i) one issuer; (ii) two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable tax rules, by such Portfolio and that are engaged in the same
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or similar or related trades or businesses; or (iii) securities of one or more QPTPs (collectively, the "Diversification Tests").
A Portfolio may have investments that require income to be included in investment company taxable income in a year prior to the year in which the Portfolio actually receives a corresponding amount of cash in respect of such income. For example, if a Portfolio holds corporate stock with respect to which Section 305 of the Code requires inclusion in income of amounts of deemed dividends even if no cash distribution is made, the Portfolio must include in its taxable income in each year the full amount of its applicable share of the Portfolio's allocable share of these deemed dividends. Additionally, if a Portfolio holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable US federal income tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with "payment in kind" interest or, in certain cases, that have increasing interest rates or are issued with warrants), the Portfolio must include in its taxable income in each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether the Portfolio receives cash representing such income in the same taxable year. A Portfolio may also have to include in its taxable income other amounts that the Portfolio has not yet received in cash, such as accruals on a contingent payment debt instrument or deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock.
A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its investment company taxable income. If a Portfolio's deductible expenses in a given year exceed its investment company taxable income, the Portfolio will have a net operating loss for that year. A RIC is not able to offset its investment company taxable income with net operating losses on either a carryforward or carryback basis, and net operating losses generally will not pass through to shareholders. In addition, expenses may be used only to offset investment company taxable income and may not be used to offset net capital gain. A RIC may not use any net capital losses (i.e., realized capital losses in excess of realized capital gains) to offset its investment company taxable income but may carry forward those losses, and use them to offset future capital gains, indefinitely. Further, a RIC's deduction of net business interest expense is limited to 30% (generally increased to 50% for taxable years beginning in 2019 or 2020) of its "adjusted taxable income" plus "floor plan financing interest expense." It is not expected that any portion of any underwriting or similar fee will be deductible for US federal income tax purposes to a Portfolio or its shareholders. Due to these limits on the deductibility of expenses, net capital losses and business interest expenses, a Portfolio may, for US federal income tax purposes, have aggregate taxable income for several years that the Portfolio is required to distribute and that is taxable to shareholders even if this income is greater than the aggregate net income the Portfolio actually earned during those years.
In order to enable a Portfolio to make distributions to shareholders that will be sufficient to enable the Portfolio to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement in the event that the circumstances described in the preceding two paragraphs apply, the Portfolio may need to liquidate or sell some of its assets at times or at prices that the Portfolio would not consider advantageous, the Portfolio may need to raise additional equity or debt capital, the Portfolio many need to take out loans, or the Portfolio may need to forego new investment opportunities or otherwise take actions that are disadvantageous to the Portfolio's business (or be unable to take actions that are advantageous to its business). Even if a Portfolio is authorized to borrow and to sell assets in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, under the 1940 Act, the Portfolio generally is not permitted to make distributions to its shareholders while the Portfolio's debt obligations and senior securities are outstanding unless certain "asset coverage" tests or other financial covenants are met.
If a Portfolio is unable to obtain cash from other sources to enable the Portfolio to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, the Portfolio may fail to qualify for the US federal income tax benefits allowable to RICs and, thus, become subject to a corporate-level US federal income tax (and any applicable state and local taxes). Although each Portfolio expects to operate in a manner so as to qualify continuously as a RIC, a Portfolio may decide in the future to be taxed as a "C" corporation, even if the Portfolio would otherwise qualify as a RIC, if the Portfolio determines that such treatment as a C corporation for a particular year would be in the Portfolio's best interests.
For the purpose of determining whether a Portfolio satisfies the 90% Gross Income Test and the Diversification Tests, the character of the Portfolio's distributive share of items of income, gain, losses, deductions and credits derived through any investments in companies that are treated as partnerships for US federal income tax purposes (other than certain publicly traded partnerships), or are otherwise treated as disregarded from the Portfolio for US federal income tax purposes, generally will be determined as if the Portfolio realized these tax items directly.
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Further, for purposes of calculating the value of a Portfolio's investment in the securities of an issuer for purposes of determining the 25% requirement of the Diversification Tests, the Portfolio's proper proportion of any investment in the securities of that issuer that are held by a member of the Portfolio's "controlled group" must be aggregated with the Portfolio's investment in that issuer. A controlled group is one or more chains of corporations connected through stock ownership with the Portfolio if (a) at least 20% of the total combined voting power of all classes of voting stock of each of the corporations is owned directly by one or more of the other corporations, and (b) the Portfolio directly owns at least 20% or more of the combined voting stock of at least one of the other corporations.
Failure to Qualify as a RIC. If a Portfolio, otherwise qualifying as a RIC, fails to satisfy the 90% Gross Income Test for any taxable year or the Diversification Tests in any quarter of a taxable year, such Portfolio may continue to be taxed as a RIC for the relevant taxable year if certain relief provisions of the Code apply (which might, among other things, require the Portfolio to pay certain corporate-level US federal taxes or to dispose of certain assets). If the Portfolio fails to qualify as a RIC for more than two consecutive taxable years and then seeks to re-qualify as a RIC, the Portfolio would generally be required to recognize gain to the extent or any unrealized appreciation in its assets unless the Portfolio elects to pay US corporate income tax on any such unrealized appreciation during the succeeding 5-year period.
If a Portfolio fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC in any taxable year, and is not eligible for such relief provisions, the Portfolio would be subject to US federal income tax on all of its taxable income at the regular corporate US federal income tax rate and would be subject to any applicable state and local taxes, regardless of whether a Portfolio makes any distributions to the Portfolio's shareholders and would reduce the amount available to be distributed to the Portfolio's shareholders (or, potentially, Policy owners). Such Portfolio would not be able to deduct distributions to its shareholders, nor would distributions to its shareholders be required to be made for US federal income tax purposes. Any distributions the Portfolio makes generally would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income and, subject to certain limitations under the Code, would be eligible for the current maximum rate applicable to qualifying dividend income of individuals and other non-corporate US shareholders, to the extent of the Portfolio's current or accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, US shareholders that are corporations for US federal income tax purposes would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of the Portfolio's current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's adjusted tax basis in its shares of the Portfolio, and any remaining distributions would be treated as capital gain.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that each Portfolio will continuously qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.
Diversification Requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code. Each Portfolio intends to comply with the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. Section 817(h) of the Code imposes certain diversification requirements on the assets of insurance company separate accounts used to fund VA contracts and/or VLI policies. Under a special "look-through" provision, if the separate account is a shareholder of a Portfolio that satisfies the Section 817(h) of the Code diversification and other requirements, the separate account will be treated as owning its pro rata portion of each of the assets of the Portfolio for purposes of determining the account's satisfaction of the Section 817(h) of the Code diversification requirements. Accordingly, if a separate account's sole investment is shares of a Portfolio, and that Portfolio satisfies the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code, the separate account will be treated as having satisfied the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code.
The diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code are in addition to the diversification requirements imposed on a Portfolio by the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Code. Under Section 817(h) of the Code, a separate account (or underlying Portfolio) will be considered adequately diversified if, as of the end of each calendar quarter or within 30 days thereafter, (i) no more than 55% of the total assets of the separate account (or underlying Portfolio) are represented by any one investment, (ii) no more than 70% of the total assets of the separate account (or underlying Portfolio) are represented by any two investments, (iii) no more than 80% of the total assets of the separate account (or underlying Portfolio) are represented by any three investments, and (iv) no more than 90% of the total assets of the separate account (or underlying Portfolio) are represented by any four investments. Section 817(h) of the Code provides, as a safe harbor, that a separate account (or underlying Portfolio) will be treated as being adequately diversified if the Diversification Tests under Subchapter M of the Code (discussed above at
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"Taxation of the Portfolios") are satisfied and no more than 55% of the value of the separate account's (or underlying Portfolio's) total assets are cash and cash items, US government securities, and securities of other RICs.
For purposes of the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code, all securities of the same issuer, all interests in the same real property project, and all interests in the same commodity are treated as a single investment. In addition, each US government agency or instrumentality is treated as a separate issuer.
Failure by a Portfolio to qualify as a RIC or satisfy the requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code could cause the VA contracts and the VLI policies to lose their favorable tax status and require a Policy owner to include in income any income accrued under the Policies for the current and all prior taxable years, thereby losing the benefit of tax deferral. Under certain circumstances described in applicable Treasury regulations, an inadvertent failure to satisfy the applicable diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code may be corrected, but such a correction would require a payment to the IRS. Any such failure may also result in adverse tax consequences for the Participating Insurance Company issuing the Policies.
Portfolio Investments
General. Certain of a Portfolio's investment practices may be subject to special and complex US federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as non-qualified dividend income, (2) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (3) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (4) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (5) cause it to recognize income or gain without receipt of a corresponding cash payment, (6) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (7) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (8) produce income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Gross Income Test. Each Portfolio intends to monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effects of these provisions; however, no assurance can be given that a Portfolio will be eligible for any such tax elections or that any elections it makes will fully mitigate the effects of these provisions.
Gain or loss recognized by a Portfolio from securities and other financial assets acquired by the Portfolio, as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of options, warrants, or other financial assets taxed as options generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term or short-term depending on how long the Portfolio held a particular security or other financial asset.
A portfolio company in which a Portfolio invests may face financial difficulties that require the Portfolio to work-out, modify or otherwise restructure its investment in the portfolio company. Any such transaction could, depending upon the specific terms of the transaction, cause the Portfolio to recognize taxable income without a corresponding receipt of cash, which could affect its ability to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement or result in unusable capital losses and future non-cash income. Any such transaction could also result in the Portfolio receiving assets that give rise to non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Gross Income Test.
A Portfolio's investment in non-US securities may be subject to non-US income, withholding and other taxes.
If a Portfolio purchases shares in a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC"), and as such a Portfolio may be subject to US federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" received on, or gain from the disposition of, such shares, even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Portfolio to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest generally will be imposed on the Portfolio in respect of deferred taxes arising from such excess distribution or gain. If a Portfolio invests in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" under the Code (a "QEF"), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Portfolio will be required to include in gross income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the QEF, even if such income is not distributed by the QEF to the Portfolio. Any inclusions in the Portfolio's gross income resulting from the QEF election will be considered qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Gross Income Test. Alternatively, a Portfolio may elect to mark to market at the end of each taxable year the Portfolio's shares in such PFIC, in which case, the Portfolio will recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it does not exceed prior increases included in its income. A Portfolio's ability to make either election will depend on factors beyond its control, and the Portfolios are subject to restrictions which may limit the availability or benefit of these elections. Under either election, a Portfolio may be required to recognize in any year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions
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of PFIC shares during that year, and such income will nevertheless be subject to the Annual Distribution Requirement.
The functional currency of the Portfolios is the US dollar for US federal income tax purposes. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time a Portfolio accrues income, expenses or other liabilities denominated in a currency other than the US dollar and the time such Portfolio actually collects such income or pays such expenses or liabilities may be treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency forward contracts, the disposition of debt denominated in a foreign currency and other financial transactions denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, may also be treated as ordinary income or loss by a Portfolio.
Hedging and Derivative Transactions. Gain or loss, if any, realized from certain financial futures or forward contracts and options transactions ("Section 1256 contracts") generally is treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss (as applicable) and 40% short-term capital gain or loss (as applicable). Gain or loss will arise upon exercise or lapse of Section 1256 contracts. In addition, any Section 1256 contracts remaining unexercised at the end of a shareholder's taxable year are treated as sold for their then fair market value, resulting in the recognition of gain or loss characterized in the manner described above.
Offsetting positions held by a Portfolio involving certain financial futures or forward contracts or options transactions with respect to actively traded personal property may be considered, for US federal income tax purposes, to constitute "straddles." In addition, investments by a Portfolio in particular combinations of investment funds also may be treated as a "straddle." To the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by a Portfolio, or the investment funds, losses realized by the Portfolio may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in the offsetting positions. Short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gains on straddle positions may be treated as short-term capital gains or ordinary income. Interest and carrying charges allocable to positions in straddles is required to be capitalized, rather than deducted as accrued. Certain of the straddle positions held by a Portfolio may constitute "mixed straddles." One or more elections may be made in respect of the US federal income tax treatment of "mixed straddles," resulting in different tax consequences. In certain circumstances, the provisions governing the tax treatment of straddles override or modify certain of the provisions discussed above.
If a Portfolio either holds (1) an appreciated financial position with respect to stock, certain debt obligations or partnership interests ("appreciated financial position") and enters into a short sale, futures, forward, or offsetting notional principal contract (collectively, a "Contract") with respect to the same or substantially identical property, or (2) an appreciated financial position that is a Contract and acquires property that is the same as, or substantially identical to, the underlying property, the Portfolio generally will be taxed as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date the Portfolio enters into the financial position or acquires the property, respectively. The foregoing will not apply, however, to any transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the appreciated financial position is held unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is the risk of loss relating to the appreciated financial position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as by reason of an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale, or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
If a Portfolio enters into certain derivatives (including forward contracts, long positions under notional principal contracts, and related puts and calls) with respect to equity interests in certain pass-through entities (including other RICs, REITs, partnerships, REMICs and certain trusts and foreign corporations), long-term capital gain with respect to the derivative may be recharacterized as ordinary income to the extent it exceeds the long-term capital gain that would have been realized had the interest in the pass-through entity been held directly during the term of the derivative contract. Any gain recharacterized as ordinary income will be treated as accruing at a constant rate over the term of the derivative contract and may be subject to an interest charge.
Investments in Entities that Invest in or Finance Mortgage Debt. Special tax rules may apply to the investments by a Portfolio in entities that invest in or finance mortgage debt. Such investments include residual interests in REMICs and interests in a REIT which qualifies as, or invests in, a taxable mortgage pool under the Code or has a qualified REIT subsidiary that is a taxable mortgage pool under the Code. Although it is the practice of each
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Portfolio not to make such investments, there is no guarantee that a Portfolio will be able to avoid an inadvertent investment in REMIC residual interests or a taxable mortgage pool.
Such investments may result in a Portfolio receiving excess inclusion income ("EII"), in which case a portion of its distributions will be characterized as EII. This can result in the Portfolio being required to pay tax on the portion of its EII that is allocated to any shareholders that are disqualified organizations, including certain cooperatives, agencies or instrumentalities of a government or international organization, and tax-exempt organizations that are not subject to tax on unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI"). In addition, EII generally cannot be offset by net operating losses.
Taxation of the Subsidiary (Real Assets Portfolio only). The Real Assets Portfolio may gain exposure to the commodity markets by investing up to 25% of the Portfolio's total assets in a "controlled foreign corporation" within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code ("CFC"), such as the Subsidiary. In general, a foreign corporation, such as the Subsidiary, that does not conduct a US trade or business is nonetheless subject to tax at a flat rate of 30% (or lower tax treaty rate), generally payable through withholding, on the gross amount of certain US-source income that is not effectively connected with a US trade or business. It is not expected that the Subsidiary will derive income subject to such withholding tax. The Subsidiary is expected to be a CFC in which the Portfolio owning the Subsidiary will be a US shareholder. If a Portfolio is a US Shareholder, such Portfolio will be required to include in gross income for US federal income tax purposes all of a CFC's "subpart F income," whether or not such income is actually distributed by the CFC. Under Treasury regulations issued in 2019, subpart F income is treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Gross Income Test regardless of whether an actual distribution from the CFC to the RIC is made. Subpart F income generally includes net gains from the disposition of stocks or securities, receipts with respect to securities loans, net gains from transactions (including futures, forward, and similar transactions) in commodities, and net payments received with respect to equity swaps and similar derivatives. Subpart F income is treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the CFC's underlying income. Net losses incurred by a CFC during a tax year do not flow through to the Portfolio and thus will not be available to offset income or capital gain generated from the Portfolio's other investments. In addition, net losses incurred by a CFC during a tax year generally cannot be carried forward by the CFC to offset gains realized by it in subsequent taxable years.
Investor Tax Matters
The rules regarding the taxation of the separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies that utilize the Portfolios as investment vehicles for VA contracts and VLI policies are complex. The foregoing is only a summary of certain material United States federal income tax consequences affecting the Portfolios. Participating Insurance Companies and Policy owners should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Portfolios.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND AND PORTFOLIOS
As of March 31, 2022, no person owned of record or was known by the Fund to own beneficially 5% or more of a Class of the indicated Portfolio's outstanding voting securities except the following:
Name and Address | Percentage of Total Shares Outstanding |
| |
Small-Mid Cap Portfolio—Service Shares | |
| |
The
Ohio National Life Insurance Co. | 74.48% |
| |
Jefferson National Life Insurance Co. | 15.11% |
|
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Name and Address | Percentage of Total Shares Outstanding |
| |
International Equity Portfolio—Service Shares | |
| |
The Ohio National Life Insurance Co. | 75.74% |
| |
Lazard Asset Management LLC | 11.90% |
| |
Jefferson National Life Insurance Co. | 8.03% |
| |
Emerging Markets Portfolio—Service Shares | |
| |
The Ohio National Life Insurance Co. | 50.99% |
| |
Sun
Life Financial | 9.70% |
| |
Nationwide
Life Insurance Company | 9.26% |
| |
Jefferson National Life Insurance Co. Attn: Separate Accounts 9920 Corporate Campus Drive Louisville, KY 40223-4051 | 8.79% |
Emerging Markets Portfolio—Investor Shares | |
| |
Fidelity
Investments Life Insurance Company | 75.59% |
| |
Cuna Brokerage Service, Inc. | 11.86% |
| |
Dynamic Portfolio—Service Shares | |
| |
The
Ohio National Life Insurance Co. | 88.46% |
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Name and Address | Percentage of Total Shares Outstanding |
| |
| |
Ameriprise Financial | 5.50% |
| |
Dynamic Portfolio—Investor Shares | |
| |
Ameriprise Financial | 51.92% |
| |
Pacific Life Insurance Co 45 Enterprise Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 | 47.57% |
Under the 1940 Act, a shareholder that beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of a Portfolio's total outstanding shares may be deemed a "control person" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Portfolio.
Certain Participating Insurance Companies may from time to time own or control a significant percentage of a Portfolio's shares ("Large Shareholders"). Large Shareholders may redeem all or a portion of their shares of a Portfolio at any time or may be required to redeem all or a portion of their shares in order to comply with applicable regulatory restrictions. Redemptions by Large Shareholders of their shares of a Portfolio may force the Portfolio to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions, or sell more liquid assets of the Portfolio, in order to meet redemption requests. These sales may adversely affect a Portfolio's NAV and may result in increasing the Portfolio's liquidity risk, transaction costs and/or taxable distributions.
Generally, all shares have equal voting rights and will be voted in the aggregate, and not by class, except where voting by Class is required by law or where the matter involved affects only one Class. As used in this SAI, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities means, with respect to the Fund or a Portfolio, the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares represented at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or Portfolio, as the case may be, are present in person or by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or Portfolio, as the case may be. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held, and fractional votes for fractional shares held.
Because shares of the Portfolios are sold only to separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies, Policy owners of the separate accounts direct the voting of Portfolio shares by such separate accounts. Votes in respect of Portfolio shares are passed through to Policy owners and are voted by separate accounts in accordance with instructions from their Policy owners. Votes in respect of Portfolios shares for which votes are not received from Policy owners are voted proportionally with votes received. As a result of this voting mechanism, a small number of Policy owners may determine the result of any shareholder vote in respect of Portfolio shares.
Shareholders are not entitled to any preemptive, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. All shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the offering, will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Fund. Each share of the applicable Class of a Portfolio is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of the income earned on the assets belonging to that Portfolio as are declared in the discretion of the Fund's Board. In the event of the liquidation of a Portfolio, shares of each Class of the Portfolio are entitled to receive the assets attributable to such Class of that Portfolio that are available for distribution based on the relative net assets of the applicable Class.
Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act, ordinarily it will not be necessary for the Fund to hold annual meetings of shareholders. As a result, shareholders may not consider each year the election of Directors or the appointment of independent auditors. However, the holders of at least 10% of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote may
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require the Fund to hold a special meeting of shareholders for purposes of removing a Director from office. Shareholders may remove a Director by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting shares. In addition, the Board will call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Directors if, at any time, less than a majority of the Directors then holding office have been elected by shareholders.
The Fund is a "series fund," which is a mutual fund divided into separate portfolios, each of which is treated as a separate entity for certain matters under the 1940 Act and for other purposes. A shareholder of one portfolio is not deemed to be a shareholder of any other portfolio. For certain matters shareholders vote together as a group; as to others they vote separately by portfolio.
All consideration received by the Fund for shares of one of the Portfolios, and all assets in which such consideration is invested, will belong to that Portfolio (subject only to the rights of creditors of the Fund) and will be subject to the liabilities related thereto. The income attributable to, and the expenses of, one Portfolio would be treated separately from those of the other Portfolios. The Fund has the ability to create, from time to time, new series without shareholder approval.
Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted under the provisions of the 1940 Act or applicable state law or otherwise to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company, such as the Fund, will not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each portfolio affected by such matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of such portfolio. The Rule exempts the selection of independent auditors and the election of Directors from the separate voting requirements of the rule.
Each Portfolio will send annual and semi-annual financial statements to its shareholders. The Fund's Registration Statement, including the Prospectus, the SAI and the exhibits filed therewith, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. Statements contained in the Prospectus or this SAI as to the content of any contract or other document referred to herein or in the Prospectus are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.
COUNSEL AND INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Proskauer Rose LLP, Eleven Times Square, New York, NY 10036, serves as counsel to the Fund and to the independent board members.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112, is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.
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RATING CATEGORIES
The following is a description of certain ratings assigned by S&P Global Ratings and Moody's.
S&P Global Ratings
An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings' view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term issue credit ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market, typically with an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Short-term issue credit ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. S&P Global Ratings would typically assign a long-term issue credit rating to an obligation with an original maturity of greater than 365 days. However, the ratings that S&P Global Ratings assigns to certain instruments may diverge from these guidelines based on market practices. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
An "NR" indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.
Issue Credit Ratings. Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P Global Ratings' analysis of the following considerations:
· The likelihood of payment--the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
· The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise S&P Global Ratings imputes; and
· The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of a bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
An issue rating is an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings.
An obligation rated "AAA" has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
An obligation rated "AA" differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
An obligation rated "A" is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
An obligation rated "BBB" exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
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Obligations rated "BB," "B," "CCC," "CC" and "C" are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. "BB" indicates the least degree of speculation and "C" the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
An obligation rated "BB" is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated "B" is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated "BB," but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated "CCC" is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated "CC" is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The "CC" rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
An obligation rated "C" is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
An obligation rated "D" is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The "D" rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to "D" if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Note: Ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings. A short-term obligation rated "A-1" is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A short-term obligation rated "A-2" is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
A short-term obligation rated "A-3" exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
A short-term obligation rated "B" is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
A short-term obligation rated "C" is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
A short-term obligation rated "D" is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated
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grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The "D" rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to "D" if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings Definitions. An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings' opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings' analysis will review the following considerations: amortization schedule—the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and source of payment—the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
D "D" is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.
Moody's
Ratings assigned on Moody's global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. The following is a ranking (from highest to lowest) of Moody's long-term and short-term categories.
Long-Term Obligation Ratings and Definitions. Moody's long-term ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings use Moody's Global Scale and reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.
Obligations rated "Aaa" are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal risk.
Obligations rated "Aa" are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
Obligations rated "A" are considered upper medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Obligations rated "Baa" are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess speculative characteristics.
Obligations rated "Ba" are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
Obligations rated "B" are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Obligations rated "Caa" are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Obligations rated "Ca" are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery in principal and interest.
Obligations rated "C" are the lowest-rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest.
Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates amid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
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Short-Term Ratings. Moody's short-term ratings, unlike its long-term ratings, apply to an individual issuer's capacity to repay all short-term obligations rather than to specific short-term borrowing programs.
Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
P-1 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
US Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings.
Short-Term Obligation Ratings. The Municipal Investment Grade ("MIG") scale is used to rate US municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, the MIG scale is used for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years. MIG ratings are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3—while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated "SG."
MIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. |
MIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. |
MIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. |
Variable
Municipal Investment Grade Ratings. In the case of variable rate demand obligations ("VRDOs"),
a two-component rating is assigned. The components are a long-term rating and a short-term demand obligation
rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer's ability to meet scheduled principal and interest
payments. The short-term demand obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity
provider to make payments associated with the purchase-price-upon-demand feature ("demand feature") of
the VRDO. The short-term demand obligation rating uses a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable
Municipal Investment Grade ("VMIG"). VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term
Counterparty Risk Assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor
in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with
conditional liquidity support differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external
liquidity support will terminate if the issuer's long-term rating drops below investment grade.
VMIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections. |
VMIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections. |
VMIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections. |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections. |
For VRDOs supported with conditional liquidity support, short-term ratings transition down at higher long-term ratings to reflect the risk of termination of liquidity support as a result of a downgrade below investment grade.
VMIG ratings of VRDOs with unconditional liquidity support reflect the short-term debt rating (or counterparty assessment) of the liquidity support provider with VMIG 1 corresponding to P-1, VMIG 2 to P-2, VMIG 3 to P-3 and SG to not prime.
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LAZARD ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
GLOBAL PROXY VOTING POLICY
A. Introduction
Lazard Asset Management LLC and its investment advisory subsidiaries ("Lazard" or the "firm") provide investment management services for client accounts, including proxy voting services. As a fiduciary, Lazard is obligated to vote proxies in the best interests of its clients over the long-term. Lazard has developed a structure that is designed to ensure that proxy voting is conducted in an appropriate manner, consistent with clients' best interests, and within the framework of this Proxy Voting Policy (the "Policy").
Lazard manages assets for a variety of clients worldwide, including institutions, financial intermediaries, sovereign wealth funds, and private clients. To the extent that proxy voting authority is delegated to Lazard, Lazard's general policy is to vote proxies on a given issue in the same manner for all of its clients. This Policy is based on the view that Lazard, in its role as investment adviser, must vote proxies based on what it believes (i) will maximize sustainable shareholder value as a long-term investor; (ii) is in the best interest of its clients; and (iii) the votes that it casts are intended in good faith to accomplish those objectives.
This Policy recognizes that there may be times when meeting agendas or proposals may create the appearance of a material conflict of interest for Lazard. Lazard will look to alleviate the potential conflict by voting according to pre-approved guidelines. In conflict situations where a pre-approved guideline is to vote case-by-case, Lazard will vote according to the recommendation of one of the proxy voting services Lazard retains to provide independent analysis. More information on how Lazard handles material conflicts of interest in proxy voting is provided in Section F of this Policy.
B. Responsibility to Vote Proxies
Generally, Lazard is willing to accept delegation from its clients to vote proxies. Lazard does not delegate that authority to any other person or entity, but retains complete authority for voting all proxies on behalf of its clients. Not all clients delegate proxy-voting authority to Lazard, however, and Lazard will not vote proxies, or provide advice to clients on how to vote proxies, in the absence of a specific delegation of authority or an obligation under applicable law. For example, securities that are held in an investment advisory account for which Lazard exercises no investment discretion are not voted by Lazard, nor are shares that a client has authorized their custodian bank to use in a stock loan program which passes voting rights to the party with possession of the shares.
C. General Administration
1. Overview and Governance
Lazard's proxy voting process is administered by members of its Operations Department ("the Proxy Administration Team"). Oversight of the process is provided by Lazard's Legal & Compliance Department and by a Proxy Committee comprised of senior investment professionals, members of the Legal & Compliance Department, the firm's Co-Heads of Sustainable Investment & Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance ("ESG") and other personnel. The Proxy Committee meets regularly, generally on a quarterly basis, to review this Policy and other matters relating to the firm's proxy voting functions. Meetings may be convened more frequently (for example, to discuss a specific proxy agenda or proposal) as needed. A representative of Lazard's Legal & Compliance Department will participate in all Proxy Committee meetings.
A quorum for the conduct of any meeting will be met if a majority of the Proxy Committee's members are in attendance by phone or in person. Decisions of the Proxy Committee will be made by consensus and minutes of each meeting will be taken and maintained by the Legal &
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Compliance Department. The Proxy Committee may, upon consultation with Lazard's Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel or his/her designee, take any action that it believes to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the Policy. The Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel or his/her designee, is responsible for updating this Policy, interpreting this Policy, and may act on behalf of the Proxy Committee in circumstances where a meeting of the members is not feasible.
2. Role of Third Parties
Lazard currently subscribes to advisory and other proxy voting services provided by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") and Glass, Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis"). These proxy advisory services provide independent analysis and recommendations regarding various companies' proxy proposals. While this research serves to help improve our understanding of the issues surrounding a company's proxy proposals, Lazard's Portfolio Manager/Analysts and Research Analysts (collectively, "Portfolio Management") are responsible for providing the vote recommendation for a given proposal except when the Conflicts of Interest policy applies (see Section F).
ISS provides additional proxy-related administrative services to Lazard. ISS receives on Lazard's behalf all proxy information sent by custodians that hold securities on behalf of Lazard's clients and sponsored funds. ISS posts all relevant information regarding the proxy on its password-protected website for Lazard to review, including meeting dates, all agendas and ISS' analysis. The Proxy Administration Team reviews this information on a daily basis and regularly communicates with representatives of ISS to ensure that all agendas are considered and proxies are voted on a timely basis. ISS also provides Lazard with vote execution, recordkeeping and reporting support services. Members of the Proxy Committee, along with members of the Legal & Compliance Team, conducts periodic due diligence of ISS and Glass Lewis consisting of an annual questionnaire and, as appropriate, on site visits.
The Proxy Committee believes that the Policy is consistent with the firm's Corporate Governance Principals and ESG and Climate Change Policies at https://www.lazardassetmanagement.com/about/esg.
3. Voting Process
The Proxy Committee has approved proxy voting guidelines applicable to specific types of common proxy proposals (the "Approved Guidelines"). As discussed more fully below in Section D of this Policy, depending on the proposal, an Approved Guideline may provide that Lazard should vote for or against the proposal, or that the proposal should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For each shareholder meeting the Proxy Administration Team provides Portfolio Management with the agenda and proposals, the Approved Guidelines, independent vote recommendations from Glass Lewis and ISS and supporting analyses for each proposal. Unless Portfolio Management disagrees with the Approved Guideline for a specific proposal, or where a potential material conflict of interest exists, the Proxy Administration Team will generally vote the proposal according to the Approved Guideline. In cases where Portfolio Management recommends a vote contrary to the Approved Guideline, a member of the Proxy Administration Team will contact a member of the Legal & Compliance Department advising the Proxy Committee. Such communication, which may be in the form of an e-mail, shall include: the name of the issuer, a description of the proposal, the Approved Guideline, any potential conflict of interest presented and the reason(s) Portfolio Management believes a proxy vote in this manner is in the best interest of clients In such cases, the Proxy Committee and the Legal & Compliance Department will review the proposal and make a determination.
Where the Approved Guideline for a particular type of proxy proposal is to vote on a case-by-case basis, Lazard believes that Portfolio Management is best able to evaluate the potential impact to shareholders resulting from a particular proposal. Similarly, with respect to certain Lazard
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strategies, as discussed more fully in Sections F and G below, the Proxy Administration Team will consult with Portfolio Management to determine when it would be appropriate to abstain from voting. The Proxy Administration Team seeks Portfolio Management's recommendation on how to vote all such proposals. The Proxy Administration Team may also consult with Lazard's Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel or his/her designee, and may seek the final approval of the Proxy Committee regarding a recommendation by Portfolio Management.
As a global firm, we recognize that there are differing governance models adopted in various countries and that local laws and practices vary widely. Although the Approved Guidelines are intended to be applied uniformly world-wide, where appropriate, Lazard will consider regional/local law and guidance in applying the Policy.
D. Specific Proxy Items
Shareholders receive proxies involving many different proposals. Many proposals are routine in nature, such as a change in a company's name. Others are more complicated, such as items regarding corporate governance and shareholder rights, changes to capital structure, stock option plans and other executive compensation/ issues, election of directors, mergers and other significant transactions and social or political issues. Lazard's Approved Guidelines for certain common agenda items are outlined below. The Proxy Committee will also consider any other proposals presented and determine whether to implement a new Approved Guideline.
Certain strategy-specific considerations may result in Lazard voting proxies other than according to the Approved Guidelines, not voting shares at all, issuing standing instructions to ISS on how to vote certain proxy matters on behalf of Lazard, or taking other action where unique circumstances require special voting efforts or considerations. These considerations are discussed in more detail in Section G, below.
1. Routine Items
Lazard generally votes routine items as recommended by the issuer's management and board of directors, based on the view that management is generally in a better position to assess these matters. Lazard considers routine items to be those that do not change the structure, charter, bylaws, or operations of an issuer in any way that is material to long-term shareholder value. Routine items generally include:
· issues relating to the timing or conduct of annual meetings;
· provisionary financial budgets and strategy for the current year;
· proposals that allow votes submitted for the first call of the shareholder meeting to be considered in the event of a second call;
· proposals to receive or approve of variety of routine reports (Lazard will generally vote FOR the approval of financial statements and director and auditor reports unless there are concerns about the accounts presented or audit procedures used or the company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed); and
· changes to a company's name.
2. Amendments to Board Policy/Charter/Regulation:
Proposals to amend a company's Articles of Association and other bylaws are commonly seen at shareholder meetings. Companies usually disclose what is being amended, or the amended bylaws, or both in their meeting circulars. Amendments are nearly always bundled together as a single voting resolution, and Lazard's general approach is to review these amendments on a case-by-case basis and to oppose article amendments as a whole when they include changes Lazard opposes.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote FOR bylaw amendments that are driven by regulatory changes and are technical in nature or meant to update company-specific information such as address and/or business scope.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote AGAINST bylaw amendments if
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· there is no disclosure on the proposed amendments or full text of the amended bylaw; or
· the amendments include increase in the decision authority of what is considered "excessive" and the company fails to provide a compelling justification.
3. Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
Many proposals address issues related to corporate governance and shareholder rights. These items often relate to a board of directors and its committees, anti-takeover measures, and the conduct of the company's shareholder meetings.
a. Board of Directors and its Committees
Lazard votes in favor of provisions that it believes will increase the effectiveness of an issuer's board of directors.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote FOR the following:
· the establishment of an independent nominating committee, audit committee or compensation committee of a board of directors;1
· a requirement that a substantial majority (e.g., 2/3) of a company's directors be independent;
· a proposal that a majority of the entirety of the board's committees be comprised of independent directors;
· proposals seeking to de-classify a board;
· the implementation of director stock retention/holding periods;
· proposals relating to the establishment of directors' mandatory retirement age and age restrictions for directors especially where such proposals seek to facilitate the improvement of the diversity of the board; and
· changes to the articles of association and other relevant documents which are in the long-term interests of shareholders;
· the appointment or (re)election of internal statutory auditors/fiscal council members unless (a) the name of the management nominees are not disclosed in a timely manner prior to the
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1 However, Lazard will vote against proposals to elect or appoint such committee if the company is on the MSCI EAFE or local main index and (1) a member of executive management would be a member of the committee; (2) more than one board member who is dependent on a major shareholder would be on the committee or (3) the chair of the board would also be the chair of the committee.
·
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meeting, (b) there are serious concerns about statutory reports presented or the audit procedures used, (c) questions exist concerning any of the auditors, (d) the auditors have previously served the company in an executive capacity (or are otherwise considered affiliated) or (e) minority shareholders have presented timely disclosure of minority fiscal council nominee(s) to be elected under separate elections.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote on a CASE by CASE Basis for the following:
· proposals to require an independent board chair or the separation of chairman and CEO; and
· establishment of shareholder advisory committees.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote AGAINST the following:
· proposals seeking to classify a board
· the election of directors where the board does not have independent "key committees" or sufficient board independence;
· non-independent directors who serve on key committees that are not sufficiently independent;
· proposals relating to cumulative voting;
· proposals where the names of the candidates (in the case of an election) or the principles for the establishment of a committee (where a new committee is being created) have not been disclosed in a timely manner;
· release of restrictions on competitive activities of directors2 if (a) there is a lack of disclosure on the key information including identities of directors in question, current position in the company and outside boards they are serving on or (b) the non-nomination system is employed by the company for the director election; and the discharge of directors, including members of the management board and/or supervisory board and auditors, unless there is reliable information about significant and compelling concerns that the board is not fulfilling its fiduciary duties.3
b. Anti-takeover Measures
Certain proposals are intended to deter outside parties from taking control of a company. Such proposals could entrench management and adversely affect shareholder rights and the value of the company's shares.
Consequently, Lazard has adopted Approved Guidelines to vote AGAINST:
· proposals to adopt supermajority vote requirements or increase vote requirements;
· proposals seeking to adopt fair price provisions and on a case-by-case basis regarding proposals seeking to rescind them; and
· "blank check" preferred stock.
Lazard has adopted Approved Guidelines to vote on a CASE by CASE basis regarding other provisions seeking to amend a company's by-laws or charter regarding anti-takeover provisions or shareholder rights plans (also known as "poison pill plans").
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2 This is intended to cover instances where directors engage in commercial transactions with the company and/or are involved with other companies (outside board memberships).
3 For example, a lack of oversight or actions by board members which invoke shareholder distrust, legal issues aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust or egregious governance issues.
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Lazard has adopted an Approved Guideline to vote FOR proposals that ask management to submit any new poison pill plan to shareholder vote.
c. Conduct of Shareholder Meetings
Lazard generally opposes any effort by management to restrict or limit shareholder participation in shareholder meetings, and is in favor of efforts to enhance shareholder participation. Lazard has therefore adopted Approved Guidelines to vote AGAINST:
· proposals to adjourn US meetings;
· proposals seeking to eliminate or restrict shareholders' right to call a special meeting;
· efforts to eliminate or restrict right of shareholders to act by written consent; and
· proposals to adopt supermajority vote requirements, or increase vote requirements.
Lazard has adopted Approved Guidelines to vote on a CASE by CASE basis on changes to quorum requirements and FOR proposals providing for confidential voting.
4. Changes to Capital Structure
Lazard receives many proxies that include proposals relating to a company's capital structure. These proposals vary greatly, as each one is unique to the circumstances of the company involved, as well as the general economic and market conditions existing at the time of the proposal. A board and management may have many legitimate business reasons in seeking to effect changes to the issuer's capital structure, including investing in financial products and raising additional capital for appropriate business reasons, cash flow and market conditions. Lazard generally believes that these decisions are best left to management but will monitor these proposals closely to ensure that they are aligned with the long-term interests of shareholders.
Lazard has adopted Approved Guidelines to vote FOR:
· management proposals to increase or decrease authorized common or preferred stock (unless it is believed that doing so is intended to serve as an anti-takeover measure);
· stock splits and reverse stock splits;
· investments in financial products unless the company fails to provide meaningful shareholder vote or there are significant concerns with the company's previous similar investments;4
· requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of authority in the past;
· management proposals to adopt or amend dividend reinvestment plans; and
· dividend distribution policies unless (a) the dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30% without adequate explanation or (b) the payout is excessive given the company's financial position.
Lazard has adopted Approved Guidelines to vote on a CASE by CASE basis for:
· matters affecting shareholder rights, such as amending votes-per-share;
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4 Evaluate (a) any known concerns with previous investments, (b) amount of the proposed investment relative to the company's assets and (c) disclosure of the nature of products in which the company proposed to invest and associated risks of the investment.
·
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management proposals to issue a new class of common or preferred shares (unless covered by an Approved Guideline relating to the disapplication of pre-emption rights);
· the use of proceeds and the company's past share issuances;5
· proposals seeking to approve or amend stock ownership limitations or transfer restrictions; and
· loan and financing proposals. In assessing requests for loan financing provided by a related party the following factors will be considered: (a) use of proceeds, size or specific amount of loan requested, interest rate and relation of the party providing the loan.
Lazard has adopted Approved Guidelines to vote AGAINST:
· changes in capital structure designed to be used in poison pill plans or which seeks to disregard pre-emption rights in a way that does not follow guidance set by the UK Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles;
· the provision of loans to clients, controlling shareholders and actual controlling persons of the company; and
· the provision of loans to an entity in which the company's ownership stake is less than 75% and the financing provision is not proportionate to the company's equity stake.
5. Executive Compensation Issues
Lazard supports efforts by companies to adopt compensation and incentive programs to attract and retain the highest caliber management possible, and to align the interests of a board, management and employees with those of long-term shareholders. Lazard generally favors programs intended to reward management and employees for positive and sustained, long-term performance but will take into account various considerations such as whether compensation appears to be appropriate for the company after an analysis of the totality of the circumstances (including the company's time in history and evolution).
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote FOR:
· employee stock purchase plans, deferred compensation plans, stock option plans and stock appreciation rights plans that are in the long-term interests of shareholders;
· proposals to submit severance agreements to shareholders for approval;
· annual advisory votes on compensation outcomes where the outcomes are considered to be aligned with the interest of shareholders; and
· annual compensation policy votes where the policy structures are considered to be aligned with the interest of shareholders.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote on a CASE by CASE basis regarding:
· restricted stock plans that do not define performance criteria; and
· proposals to approve executive loans to exercise options.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote AGAINST:
· proposals to re-price underwater options;
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5 Specifically, with respect to the issuance of shares to raise funds for general financing purposes, Lazard will consider the Measures for the Administration of the Issuance of Securities by Listed Companies 2006 and the Detailed Rules for Private Placement by Listed Companies, the China Securities Regulatory Commission.
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· annual advisory votes on remuneration outcomes where the outcomes are considered not to be in the interests of shareholders; and
· annual remuneration policy vote where the policy structures are considered not to be in the interests of shareholders.
6. Mergers and Other Significant Transactions
Shareholders are asked to consider a number of different types of significant transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, sales of all or substantially all of a company's assets, reorganizations involving business combinations and liquidations. Each of these transactions is unique. Therefore, Lazard's Approved Guideline is to vote on a CASE by CASE basis for these proposals.
7. Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance
Proposals involving environmental, social, and corporate governance issues take many forms and cover a wide array of issues. Some examples may include: proposals to have a company increase its environmental disclosure; adoption of principles to limit or eliminate certain business activities; adoption of certain conservation efforts; adoption of proposals to improve the diversity of the board, the senior management team and the workforce in general; adoption of proposals to improve human capital management or the adoption of certain principles regarding employment practices or discrimination policies. These items are often presented by shareholders and are often opposed by the company's management and its board of directors.
As set out in Lazard's separate ESG Policy, Lazard is committed to an investment approach that incorporates ESG considerations in a comprehensive manner in order to safeguard the long-term interests of our clients and to manage more effectively long-term investment risks and opportunities related to ESG matters. Lazard generally supports the notion that corporations should be expected to act as good citizens. Lazard generally votes on environmental, social and corporate governance proposals in a way that it believes will most increase long-term shareholder value.
Lazard's Approved Guidelines are structured to evaluate many environmental, social and corporate governance proposals on a case-by-case basis.
· However, as a guide, Lazard will generally vote FOR proposals:
· asking for a company to increase its environmental/social disclosures (e.g., to provide a corporate sustainability report);
· seeking the approval of anti-discrimination policies;
· which are considered socially responsible agenda items;
· which improve an investee company's ESG risk management and related disclosures; and
· deemed to be in the long-term interests of shareholders.
8. Shareholder Proposals
Lazard believes in the ability of shareholders to leverage their rights related to the use of shareholder proposals to address deficits in best practices and related disclosures by companies. Many ESG issues are improved through such use of shareholder proposals. For example, some companies are collaborating with shareholders on such proposals by voicing their support and recommending that shareholders vote in-line with such proposals.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote FOR shareholder proposals which:
· seek improved disclosure of an investee company's ESG practices over an appropriate timeframe;
· seek improved transparency over how the investee company is supporting the transition to a low carbon economy;
· seek to improve the diversity of the board;
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· seek improved disclosures on the diversity of the board and the wider workforce;
· seek to establish minimum stock-ownership requirements for directors over an appropriate time frame;
· seek to eliminate or restrict severance agreements, or are deemed to be in the long-term interests of shareholders including Lazard's clients.
Lazard has Approved Guidelines generally to vote AGAINST shareholder proposals which:
· seek to infringe excessively on management's decision-making flexibility;
· seek to establish additional board committees (absent demonstrable need);
· seek to establish term limits for directors if this is unnecessary;
· seek to change the size of a board (unless this facilitates improved board diversity);
· seek to require two candidates for each board seat; or
· are considered not to be in the long-terms interests of shareholders.
E. Voting Securities in Different Countries
Laws and regulations regarding shareholder rights and voting procedures differ dramatically across the world. In certain countries, the requirements or restrictions imposed before proxies may be voted may outweigh any benefit that could be realized by voting the proxies involved. For example, certain countries restrict a shareholder's ability to sell shares for a certain period of time if the shareholder votes proxies at a meeting (a practice known as "share blocking"). In other instances, the costs of voting a proxy (i.e., by being routinely required to send a representative to the meeting) may simply outweigh any benefit to the client if the proxy is voted. Generally, the Proxy Administration Team will consult with Portfolio Management in determining whether to vote these proxies.
There may be other instances where Portfolio Management may wish to refrain from voting proxies (See Section G.1. below).
F. Conflicts of Interest
1. Overview
This Policy and related procedures implemented by Lazard are designed to address potential conflicts of interest posed by Lazard's business and organizational structure. Examples of such potential conflicts of interest are:
· Lazard Frères & Co. LLC ("LF&Co."), Lazard's parent company and a registered broker- dealer, or a financial advisory affiliate, has a relationship with a company the shares of which are held in accounts of Lazard clients, and has provided financial advisory or related services to the company with respect to an upcoming significant proxy proposal (i.e., a merger or other significant transaction);
· Lazard serves as an investment adviser for a company the management of which supports a particular proposal;
· Lazard serves as an investment adviser for the pension plan of an organization that sponsors a proposal; or
· A Lazard employee who would otherwise be involved in the decision-making process regarding a particular proposal has a material relationship with the issuer or owns shares of the issuer.
2. General Policy
All proxies must be voted in the best long-term interest of each Lazard client, without consideration of the interests of Lazard, LF&Co. or any of their employees or affiliates. The Proxy Administration Team is responsible for all proxy voting in accordance with this Policy after consulting with the appropriate member or members of Portfolio Management, the Proxy Committee and/or the Legal & Compliance Department. No other employees of Lazard, LF&Co. or their affiliates may influence or attempt to influence the vote on any proposal. Violations of this Policy could result in disciplinary action, including letter of censure, fine or suspension, or
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termination of employment. Any such conduct may also violate state and Federal securities and other laws, as well as Lazard's client agreements, which could result in severe civil and criminal penalties being imposed, including the violator being prohibited from ever working for any organization engaged in a securities business. Every officer and employee of Lazard who participates in any way in the decision-making process regarding proxy voting is responsible for considering whether they have a conflicting interest or the appearance of a conflicting interest on any proposal. A conflict could arise, for example, if an officer or employee has a family member who is an officer of the issuer or owns securities of the issuer. If an officer or employee believes such a conflict exists or may appear to exist, he or she should notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately and, unless determined otherwise, should not continue to participate in the decision-making process.
3. Monitoring for Conflicts and Voting When a Material Conflict Exists
The Proxy Administration Team monitors for potential conflicts of interest that could be viewed as influencing the outcome of Lazard's voting decision. Consequently, the steps that Lazard takes to monitor conflicts, and voting proposals when the appearance of a material conflict exists, differ depending on whether the Approved Guideline for the specific item is clearly defined to vote for or against, or is to vote on a case-by-case basis. Any questions regarding application of these conflict procedures, including whether a conflict exists, should be addressed to Lazard's Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel.
a. Where Approved Guideline Is For or Against
Lazard has an Approved Guideline to vote for or against regarding most proxy agenda/proposals. Generally, unless Portfolio Management disagrees with the Approved Guideline for a specific proposal, the Proxy Administration Team votes according to the Approved Guideline. It is therefore necessary to consider whether an apparent conflict of interest exists when Portfolio Management disagrees with the Approved Guideline. The Proxy Administration Team will use its best efforts to determine whether a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest exists. If conflict appears to exist, then the proposal will be voted according to the Approved Guideline. In situations where the Approved Guideline is to vote Case by Case, Lazard will vote in accordance with the recommendations of one of the proxy voting services Lazard retains to provide independent analysis. Lazard also reserves its right to Abstain.
In addition, in the event of a conflict that arises in connection with a proposal for Lazard to vote shares held by Lazard clients in a Lazard mutual fund, Lazard will typically vote each proposal for or against proportion to the shares voted by other shareholders.
b. Where Approved Guideline Is Case-by-Case
In situations where the Approved Guideline is to vote case-by-case and a material conflict of interest appears to exist, Lazard's policy is to vote the proxy item according to the majority recommendation of the independent proxy services to which we subscribe. Lazard also reserves the right to Abstain.
G. Other Matters
1. Issues Relating to Management of Specific Lazard Strategies
Due to the nature of certain strategies managed by Lazard, there may be times when Lazard believes that it may not be in the best interests of its clients to vote in accordance with the Approved Guidelines, or to vote proxies at all. In certain markets, the fact that Lazard is voting proxies may become public information, and, given the nature of those markets, may impact the price of the securities involved. Lazard may simply require more time to fully understand and address a situation prior to determining what would be in the best interests of shareholders. In these cases the Proxy Administration Team will look to Portfolio Management to provide
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guidance on proxy voting rather than vote in accordance with the Approved Guidelines, and will obtain the Proxy Committee's confirmation accordingly.
Additionally, Lazard may not receive notice of a shareholder meeting in time to vote proxies for or may simply be prevented from voting proxies in connection with a particular meeting. Due to the compressed time frame for notification of shareholder meetings and Lazard's obligation to vote proxies on behalf of its clients, Lazard may issue standing instructions to ISS on how to vote on certain matters.
Different strategies managed by Lazard may hold the same securities. However, due to the differences between the strategies and their related investment objectives, one Portfolio Management team may desire to vote differently than the other, or one team may desire to abstain from voting proxies while the other may desire to vote proxies. In this event, Lazard would generally defer to the recommendation of the Portfolio Management teams to determine what action would be in the best interests of its clients. The Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel, in consultation with members of the Proxy Committee will determine whether it is appropriate to approve a request to split votes among one or more Portfolio Management teams.
2. Stock Lending
As noted in Section B above, Lazard does not generally vote proxies for securities that a client has authorized their custodian bank to use in a stock loan program, which passes voting rights to the party with possession of the shares. Under certain circumstances, Lazard may determine to recall loaned stocks in order to vote the proxies associated with those securities. For example, if Lazard determines that the entity in possession of the stock has borrowed the stock solely to be able to obtain control over the issuer of the stock by voting proxies, or if the client should specifically request Lazard to vote the shares on loan, Lazard may determine to recall the stock and vote the proxies itself. However, it is expected that this will be done only in exceptional circumstances. In such event, Portfolio Management will make this determination and the Proxy Administration Team will vote the proxies in accordance with the Approved Guidelines.
H. Reporting
Separately managed account clients of Lazard who have authorized Lazard to vote proxies on their behalf will receive information on proxy voting with respect to that account. Additionally, the US mutual funds managed by Lazard will disclose proxy voting information on an annual basis on Form N-PX which is filed with the SEC.
I. Recordkeeping
Lazard will maintain records relating to the implementation of the Approved Guidelines and this Policy, including a copy of the Approved Guidelines and this Policy, proxy statements received regarding client securities, a record of votes cast and any other document created by Lazard that was material to a determination regarding the voting of proxies on behalf of clients or that memorializes the basis for that decision. Such proxy voting books and records shall be maintained in the manner and for the length of time required in accordance with applicable regulations.
J. Review of Policy and Approved Guidelines
The Proxy Committee will review this Policy at least annually to consider whether any changes should be made to it or to any of the Approved Guidelines. The Proxy Committee will make revisions to its Approved Guidelines when it determines it is appropriate or when it sees an opportunity to materially improve outcomes for clients. Questions or concerns regarding the Policy should be raised with Lazard's General Counsel or Chief Compliance Officer.
Revised As Of April 1, 2022
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