485BPOS 1 d295208d485bpos.htm 485BPOS - AMERICAN BEACON BRIDGEWAY LARGE CAP VALUE FUND 485BPOS - American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 2, 2012

1933 Act File No. 033-11387

1940 Act File No. 811-04984

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

  

x

Pre-Effective Amendment No.    ¨
Post-Effective Amendment No. 129    x
and/or   

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

  

x

Amendment No. 128    x
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

 

 

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450

Fort Worth, Texas 76155

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (817) 391-6100

 

 

 

Gene L. Needles, Jr., President

4151 Amon Carter Boulevard

MD 2450

Fort Worth, Texas 76155

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

With copies to:

Francine J. Rosenberger, Esq.

K&L Gates LLP

1601 K Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20006-1601

 

 

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

  ¨ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  x on February 3, 2012, pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

  ¨ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS

CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This registration statement is comprised of the following:

Cover Sheet

Contents of Registration Statement

Prospectus for A Class, C Class, Institutional Class, Y Class and Investor Class shares of the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund.

Statement of Additional Information for A Class, C Class, Institutional Class, Y Class and Investor Class shares of the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund.

Part C

Signature Page

Exhibits

 


Table of Contents

LOGO

PROSPECTUS

February 3, 2012

American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund

A CLASS [BWLAX]

C CLASS [BWLCX]

INSTITUTIONAL CLASS [BRLVX]

Y CLASS [BWLYX]

INVESTOR CLASS [BWLIX]

 

 

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know about investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.

The Securities and Exchange Commission does not guarantee that the information in this prospectus or any other mutual fund’s prospectus is accurate or complete, nor does it judge the investment merits of the Fund. To state otherwise is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Table of Contents

 

Fund Summary   

American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund

   1
Additional Information
About the Fund
  

Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies

   6

Additional Information About Investments

   6

Additional Information About Principal Risks

   8

Additional Information About Performance Benchmarks

   10
Fund Management   

The Manager

   10

The Sub-Advisor

   11

Valuation of Shares

   12
About Your Investment   

Choosing Your Share Class

   12

Purchase and Redemption of Shares

   15

General Policies

   21

Frequent Trading and Market Timing

   21

Distributions and Taxes

   22
Additional Information   

Distribution and Service Plans

   23

Portfolio Holdings

   24

Delivery of Documents

   24

Financial Highlights

   25

Back Cover

  

 

 

 

 

Prospectus    TOC  


Table of Contents

American Beacon

Bridgeway Large Cap Value FundSM

 

 

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to provide long-term total return on capital, primarily through capital appreciation and some income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the A Class shares of the American Beacon Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and on page 12 under “Choosing Your Share Class” in the prospectus and on page 32 under “Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares” in the statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

 

    Share classes  
    A     C     Institutional     Y     Investor  
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)     5.75     None        None        None        None   
Maximum deferred sales charge load (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds)     None        1.00     None        None        None   

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

    Share classes  
    A     C     Institutional     Y     Investor  

Management fees

    0.45     0.45     0.45     0.45     0.45

Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees

    0.25     1.00     None        None        None   

Other expenses1

    0.96     0.96     0.71     0.81     1.09
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total annual fund operating expenses

    1.66     2.41     1.16     1.26     1.54
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Expense waiver and reimbursement

    (0.32 )%      (0.32 )%      (0.32 )%      (0.32 )%      (0.32 )% 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total annual fund operating expenses after expense waiver and reimbursement2

    1.34     2.09     0.84     0.94     1.22
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1 

Expenses are based on estimated expenses.

 

2 

The Manager has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse the A Class, C Class, Institutional Class, Y Class and Investor Class of the Fund for Other Expenses through March 29, 2013, to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for the Fund exceed 1.34%, 2.09%, 0.84%, 0.94% and 1.22% for the A Class, C Class, Institutional Class, Y Class and Investor Class, respectively (excluding taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and other extraordinary expenses such as litigation). The contractual expense arrangement can be changed by approval of a majority of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee reductions or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager’s own reduction or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the percentage limit contractually agreed.

Example

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

 

Share classes

   1 year      3 years  

A

   $ 704       $ 1,039   

C

   $ 312       $ 721   

Y

   $ 96       $ 369   

Institutional

   $ 86       $ 337   

Investor

   $ 124       $ 455   

Assuming no redemption of shares:

 

Share class

   1 year      3 years  

C

   $ 212       $ 721   

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Portfolio turnover rate for the Fund’s last fiscal year is not provided because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

 

 

Prospectus    1   Summary


Table of Contents

American Beacon

Bridgeway Large Cap Value FundSM — (continued)

 

 

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of large stocks that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, and NASDAQ. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of Fund net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in stocks from among those in the large-cap category at the time of purchase. For purposes of the Fund’s investment portfolio, “large-cap stocks” are those whose market capitalization (stock market worth) falls within the range of the Russell 1000® Index at the time of investment. The Russell 1000® Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization. As of December 31, 2011, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 1000® Index ranged from $36 million to $417.5 billion.

The Fund’s sub-advisor, Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. (“Bridgeway Capital”), selects stocks within the large-cap value category for the Fund using a proprietary statistically driven approach. Value stocks are those Bridgeway Capital believes are priced cheaply relative to some financial measures of worth, such as the ratio of price to earnings, price to sales, or price to cash flow. Generally, these are stocks represented in the Russell 1000® Value Index, plus large stocks with similar “value” characteristics. The Russell 1000® Value Index includes those Russell 1000® companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The decision to sell a stock is usually made based on the relative attractiveness of new statistical model recommendations, deteriorating financial strength of a company, portfolio risk considerations, and corporate actions or other external factors that may drive a stock’s future price movements.

The Fund may invest cash balances in money market funds and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs.

While the Fund is actively managed for long-term total return, Bridgeway Capital seeks to minimize capital gains distributions as part of a tax management strategy. The successful application of this method is intended to result in a more tax-efficient fund than would otherwise be the case.

The income objective of the Fund, which is a secondary objective, is achieved almost exclusively from dividend-paying stocks held by the Fund. However, not all stocks held by the Fund pay dividends.

Principal Risks

There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:

Capital Gains Risk

If the Fund experiences extensive redemptions, the sub-advisor might need to sell some stocks, which could create capital gains. There can be no guarantee that the Fund may not someday distribute substantial capital gains, although the sub-advisor strongly intends to avoid them.

Equity Securities Risk

Equity securities generally are subject to market risk. The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges. Such investments may expose the Fund to ‘additional risks.

Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company. Preferred stocks and convertible securities are sensitive to movements in interest rates. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities’ investment value. Investments in ADRs are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values.

Foreign Exposure Risk

The Fund may invest in securities issued by foreign companies through ADRs and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges. ADRs are subject to many of the risks inherent in investing in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency fluctuations and political and financial instability in the home country of a particular ADR or foreign stocks.

 

 

 

Summary    2   Prospectus


Table of Contents

American Beacon

Bridgeway Large Cap Value FundSM — (continued)

 

 

 

Investment Risk

An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

Large-Capitalization Company Risk

The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market 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.

Market Events

Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which may have an adverse effect on the Fund.

Market Risk

Since this Fund invests most of its assets in stocks, it is subject to stock market risk. Market risk involves the possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments in stocks will vary from day to day in response to the activities of individual companies, as well as general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions. From time to time, certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. If the Fund is forced to sell holdings to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may have to sell them at a loss.

Other Investment Companies Risk

The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, business development companies, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, you will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying funds in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those funds.

Securities Selection Risk

Securities selected by the Manager or the sub-advisor for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.

Value Stocks Risk

Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. A value approach could also result in fewer securities that increase rapidly during times of market gains. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s value style could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.

Fund Performance

The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the Russell 1000® Value Index, which is the Fund’s primary benchmark and is a broad measure of market performance. The Lipper Large-Cap Value Index shows how the Fund’s performance compares to a composite of mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

The chart and the table below show the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares for all periods. The Institutional Class shares of the Fund have adopted the performance history and financial statements of the Class N Shares of the Fund’s predecessor. Performance information of A Class, C Class, Y Class and Investor Class shares of the Fund is not provided because the Fund did not commence operations of these classes prior to the date of this Prospectus. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund’s website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

 

 

Prospectus    3   Summary


Table of Contents

American Beacon

Bridgeway Large Cap Value FundSM — (continued)

 

 

 

Calendar year total returns for Institutional Class shares

Year-By-Year Percentage Returns as of 12/31 of Each Year

LOGO

 

Highest Quarterly Return:

   17.15%

(1/1/04 through 12/31/11)

   (3rd Quarter 2009)

Lowest Quarterly Return:

   -18.26%

(1/1/04 through 12/31/11)

   (4th Quarter 2008)

 

     Average Annual Total Returns  
     For the periods ended
December 31, 20111
 
     1 Year     Five Years     Since
Inception
(10/31/03)
 

Institutional Class Shares

                  

Return Before Taxes

     2.33     -0.69     5.77

Return After Taxes on Distributions

     2.12     -1.03     5.41

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

     1.77     -0.61     4.94

 

Indices (reflects no deduction
for fees, expenses or taxes)

   1 Year     Five Years     Since
Inception
(10/31/03)
 

Russell 1000® Value Index

     0.39     -2.64     4.52

Lipper Large-Cap Value Index

     -2.17     -2.26     3.73

 

1 

After-tax returns are shown only for Institutional Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k), the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation.

Management

The Manager

The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.

Sub-Advisor

The Fund’s investment sub-advisor is Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc.

Portfolio Managers

 

American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

Wyatt L. Crumpler
Vice President, Asset Management

   Since Fund Inception (2012)

Gene L. Needles, Jr.
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

   Since Fund Inception (2012)

Adriana R. Posada
Senior Portfolio Manager

   Since Fund Inception (2012)
Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc.

John Montgomery
Investment Management Team Leader

   Since Fund Inception (2012)

Elena Khoziaeva
Investment Management Team Member

   Since Fund Inception (2012)

Michael Whipple
Investment Management Team Member

   Since Fund Inception (2012)

Rasool Shaik
Investment Management Team Member

   Since Fund Inception (2012)

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Institutional Class, Investor Class and Y Class shares directly from the Fund by calling 1-800-658-5811, writing to the Fund at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121, or visiting www.americanbeaconfunds.com. For overnight delivery, please mail your request to American Beacon Funds, c/o BFDS, 330 West 9th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105. You also may purchase, redeem or exchange all classes of shares offered in this prospectus through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. The minimum initial purchase into the Fund is $250,000 for Institutional Class shares, $100,000 for Y Class shares, $2,500 for A Class and Investor Class shares and $1,000 for C Class shares. The minimum subsequent investments by wire is $500 for A Class, C Class and Investor Class shares. No minimums apply to subsequent investments by wire for other classes of shares. For all classes, the minimum subsequent investment is $50 if the investment is made by ACH, check or exchange.

 

 

 

Summary    4   Prospectus


Table of Contents

American Beacon

Bridgeway Large Cap Value FundSM — (continued)

 

 

 

Tax Information

Dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, which you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless your account is tax-exempt or tax deferred (in which case you may be taxed later, upon the withdrawal of your investment from such account).

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund’s distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

 

Prospectus    5   Summary


Table of Contents

Additional Information About the Fund

 

 

To help you better understand the Fund, this section provides a detailed discussion of the Fund’s investment policies, its principal strategies and risks and performance benchmarks. However, this prospectus does not describe all of the Fund’s investment practices. For additional information, please see the Fund’s statement of additional information, which is available at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or by contacting us via telephone at 1-800-658-5811, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121-9643, or by e-mail at americanbeaconfunds@americanbeacon.com.

Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies

Investment Objective

The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental, which means it may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

80% Investment Policy

The Fund has a non-fundamental policy to invest under normal market conditions at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes, in stocks from among those in the large-cap category at the time of purchase. If the Fund changes this policy, a notice will be sent to shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change and this prospectus will be supplemented.

Temporary Defensive Policy

The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy by taking temporary defensive or interim positions in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. During these times, the Fund may not achieve its investment goal.

Additional Information About the Management of the Fund

The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager. The Manager provides or oversees the provision of all administrative, investment advisory and portfolio management services to the Fund.

The Manager:

 

 

develops overall investment strategies for the Fund,

 

monitors and evaluates the sub-advisor’s investment performance,

 

monitors the sub-advisor’s compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions,

 

oversees the Fund’s securities lending activities and actions taken by the securities lending agent to the extent applicable, and

 

invests the portion of Fund assets that the sub-advisor determines should be allocated to short-term investments.

The assets of the Fund are allocated by the Manager to one sub-advisor, Bridgeway Capital. Bridgeway Capital has discretion to purchase and sell securities for the Fund’s assets in accordance with the Fund’s objectives, policies, restrictions and more specific strategies provided by the Manager.

Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Manager is permitted to enter into new or modified investment advisory agreements with existing or new sub-advisors without approval of the Fund’s shareholders, but subject to approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (“Board”). The prospectus will be supplemented if additional sub-advisors are retained or the contract with any existing sub-advisor is materially changed or terminated.

Additional Information About Investments

This section provides more detailed information regarding the securities the Fund may invest in as well as information regarding the Fund’s strategies with respect to investment of cash balances.

American Depositary Receipts

ADRs are depositary receipts for foreign issuers in registered form traded in U.S. securities markets. Depositary receipts may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Investing in depositary receipts entails substantially the same risks as direct investment in foreign securities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. In addition, such companies may use different accounting and financial standards (and certain currencies may become unavailable for transfer from a foreign currency), resulting in the Fund’s possible inability to convert immediately into U.S. currency proceeds realized upon the sale of portfolio securities of the affected foreign companies. In addition, the Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts, the issuers of which are not obligated to disclose material information about the underlying securities to investors in the United States. Ownership of unsponsored depositary receipts may not entitle the Fund to the same benefits and rights as ownership of a sponsored depositary receipt or the underlying security.

Cash Management Investments

The Fund may invest cash balances in money market funds that are registered as investment companies

 

 

 

Additional Information About the Fund    6   Prospectus


Table of Contents

under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), including mutual funds that are sponsored or advised by the Manager or a sub-advisor, and in futures contracts and Russell 1000® Value Index ETFs. If the Fund invests in money market funds or ETFs, shareholders will bear their proportionate share of the expenses, including, for example, advisory and administrative fees, of the money market funds in which the Fund invests. Shareholders also would be exposed to the risks associated with money market funds and the portfolio investments of such money market funds, including that a money market fund’s yield will be lower than the return that the Fund would have derived from other investments that would provide liquidity.

To gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs, the Fund also may purchase and sell futures contracts on a daily basis that relate to securities in which they may invest directly and indices comprised of such securities. A futures contract is a contract to purchase or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual securities is required. Rather, upon the expiration of the contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount equal to the difference between the contract price and the closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the variation margin that was previously paid. As cash balances are invested in securities, the Fund may invest simultaneously those balances in futures contracts until the cash balances are delivered to settle the securities transactions. Because the Fund will have market exposure simultaneously in both the invested securities and futures contracts, the Fund may have more than 100% of its assets exposed to the markets. This can magnify gains and losses in the Fund. The Fund also may have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its settlement or collateral obligations. The risks associated with the use of futures contracts also include that there may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts and that there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract.

Convertible Debt Securities

Convertible debt securities are debt securities that are exchangeable for equity securities of an issuer at a predetermined price. Convertible debt securities may offer greater appreciation potential than non-convertible debt securities.

Exchange-Traded Funds

The Fund may purchase shares of ETFs. ETFs are open-end investment companies or unit investment trusts that are registered under the 1940 Act. The shares of ETFs are listed and traded on stock exchanges at market prices. Since ETF shares can be bought and sold like stocks throughout the day, the Fund may invest in ETFs in order to place short-term cash in market-based securities instead of short-term cash instruments, achieve exposure to a broad basket of securities in a single transaction, or for other reasons. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may invest more than 10% of its net assets in certain ETFs, subject to its investment objective, policies and strategies as described in the Prospectus.

Preferred Stock

Preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is typically set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be variable, changed or omitted by the issuer.

 

 

 

Prospectus    7   Additional Information About the Fund


Table of Contents

Additional Information About Risks

The greatest risk of investing in a mutual fund is that its returns will fluctuate and you could lose money. The following discusses the principal risk factors of the Fund in light of its principal investment strategies.

 

 

Additional Information About the Fund    8   Prospectus


Table of Contents

Capital Gains Risk

If the Fund experiences extensive redemptions, Bridgeway Capital might need to sell some stocks, which could create capital gains. There can be no guarantee that the Fund may not someday distribute substantial capital gains, although Bridgeway Capital strongly intends to avoid them.

Convertible Securities Risk

The value of a convertible security (“convertible”) is influenced by both the yield of non-convertible securities of comparable issuers and by the value of the underlying common stock. The investment value of a convertible is based on its yield and tends to decline as interest rates increase. The conversion value of a convertible is the market value that would be received if the convertible were converted to its underlying common stock. The conversion value will decrease as the price of the underlying common stock decreases. When conversion value is substantially below investment value, the convertible’s price tends to be influenced more by its yield, so changes in the price of the underlying common stock may not have as much of an impact. Conversely, the convertible’s price tends to be influenced more by the price of the underlying common stock when conversion value is comparable to or exceeds investment value. The value of a synthetic convertible security will respond differently to market fluctuations than a convertible security, because a synthetic convertible is composed of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Convertible securities may be subject to market risk, credit risk and interest rate risk.

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk

An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a convention fund (i.e., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate up or down, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (2) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) 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 the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. As with traditional mutual funds, ETFs charge asset-based fees, although these fees tend to be relatively low. ETFs do not charge initial sales charges or redemption fees and funds pay only customary brokerage fees to buy and sell ETF shares.

Equity Securities Risk

Equity securities generally are subject to market risk. The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include equity securities such as, preferred stocks, securities convertible into U.S. common stocks, REITs and ADRs. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.

 

 

Preferred Stocks. If interest rates rise, the dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stocks may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions for their call or redemption prior to maturity which can have a negative effect on their prices when interest rates decline. Preferred stocks are equity securities because they do not constitute a liability of the issuer and therefore do not offer the same degree of protection of capital or continuation of income as debt securities. The rights of preferred stock on distribution of a corporation’s assets in the event of its liquidation are generally subordinated to the rights associated with a corporation’s debt securities. Preferred stocks may also be subject to credit risk.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities may be subject to market risk, credit risk and interest rate risk. See “Convertible Securities Risk” above.

 

American Depositary Receipts. Investments in ADRs are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. See “Foreign Exposure Risk” below.

Foreign Exposure Risk

The Fund may invest in securities issued by foreign companies through ADRs and U.S. dollar denominated foreign stocks trading on U.S. exchanges. These securities are subject to many of the risks inherent in investing in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency fluctuations and political and financial instability in the home country of a particular ADR or foreign stock.

Investment Risk

An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

Large-Capitalization Company Risk

The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market 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.

Market Events

Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which could affect the Fund.

Market Risk

Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that

 

 

 

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impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Equity investments are subject to stock market risk, which involves the possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments in stocks will decline due to drops in the stock market due to general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions. These fluctuations could be a sustained trend or a drastic movement. The stock markets generally move in cycles, with periods of rising prices followed by periods of declining prices. The value of your investment may reflect these fluctuations.

Fixed-income market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market. Changes in the economic climate, investor perceptions and stock market volatility also can cause the prices of the Fund’s fixed-income investments to decline regardless of the conditions of the issuers held by the Fund.

From time to time, certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. If the Fund is forced to sell holdings to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may have to sell them at a loss.

Other Investment Companies Risk

The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including ETFs, and money market funds, including funds managed by the Manager. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, you will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying funds in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those funds.

Securities Selection Risk

Securities selected by the Manager or sub-advisor may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.

Value Stocks Risk

Investments in value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. This may result in the value stocks’ prices remaining undervalued for extended periods of time. While the Fund’s investments in value stocks may limit its downside risk over time, the Fund may produce more modest gains than riskier other stock funds as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund’s performance also may be affected adversely if value stocks become unpopular with or lose favor among investors. Different investment styles tend to shift in an out favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s value style could cause it to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.

Additional Information About Performance Benchmarks

The annual total return of the Fund is compared to a broad-based market index and mutual fund composites.

The Fund’s performance is compared to the Russell 1000® Value Index and the Lipper Large-Cap Value Index.

 

 

Russell 1000® Value Index is a registered trademark of Frank Russell Company. The Russell 1000® Value Index is an unmanaged index of those stocks in the Russell 1000® Index with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

 

The Lipper Large-Cap Value Index is a composite of mutual funds compiled by Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”) and tracks the results of the 30 largest mutual funds in the Lipper Large-Cap Value Funds category. Lipper is an independent mutual fund research and ranking service.

Fund Management

 

 

The Manager

American Beacon Advisors, Inc. serves as the Manager of the Fund. The Manager, located at 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Holdings, Inc. The Manager was organized in 1986 to provide investment management, advisory, administrative and asset management consulting services. As of December 31, 2011, the Manager had approximately $43.9 billion of assets under management, including approximately $15.8 billion under active management and $28.1 billion as named fiduciary or financial advisor.

The management fees, including sub-advisory fees, to be paid by the Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012 net of reimbursements and shown as a percentage of the average net assets, are as follows:

 

Fund

   Management
Fees
 

American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund

     0.45

The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the Fund’s securities lending activities. Currently, the Manager receives 10% of such income. The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Fund to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund does not intend to engage in securities lending activities.

 

 

 

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A discussion of the Board’s consideration and approval of the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Manager and the Investment Advisory Agreement between the sub-advisor and the Manager will be available in the annual report dated June 30, 2012 for the Fund.

Wyatt L. Crumpler leads the Manager’s portfolio management team that has joint responsibility for the day-to-day oversight of the Fund. Mr. Crumpler is responsible for developing the Fund’s investment program and recommending sub-advisors to the Fund’s Board of Trustees. In addition, the team members listed below oversee the sub-advisor, review the sub-advisor’s performance and allocate the Fund’s assets among the sub-advisor and the Manager, as applicable.

 

Fund

  

Team Members

American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund

  

Wyatt L. Crumpler, Gene L. Needles and Adriana R. Posada

Mr. Crumpler is Vice President, Asset Management. Mr. Crumpler joined the Manager in January 2007 as Vice President of Trust Investments and a member of the portfolio management team. Mr. Crumpler’s title was redesignated as Vice President, Asset Management in July 2009. From January 2004 to January 2007, Mr. Crumpler was Managing Director of Corporate Accounting at American Airlines, Inc.

Mr. Needles has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Manager since April 2009 and has served on the portfolio management team since June 2011. Prior to joining the Manager, Mr. Needles was President of Touchstone Investments from 2008 to 2009, President of AIM Distributors from 2003 to 2007 and CEO of AIM Distributors from 2004 to 2007.

Ms. Posada is Senior Portfolio Manager, and became a member of the team in October 1998.

The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the members of the portfolio management team, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the funds they manage and their compensation.

The Sub-Advisor

Set forth below is a brief description of the sub-advisor and the portfolio managers with primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the Fund they manage and their compensation.

BRIDGEWAY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. (“Bridgeway Capital”), 20 Greenway Plaza, Suite 450, Houston, Texas 77046, is a registered investment adviser. Bridgeway Capital is a Texas corporation that was organized in 1993. As of December 31, 2011, Bridgeway Capital had approximately $2.0 billion in assets under management. Bridgeway Capital serves as a sub-advisor to the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund.

Investment decisions for the Fund are based on statistical models run by Bridgeway Capital’s Investment Management Team. Collectively, the following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

John Montgomery is the investment management team leader and lead portfolio manager for the Fund. Mr. Montgomery founded Bridgeway Capital in 1993. Mr. Montgomery has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Investment Officer since June 2010. Prior thereto, he served as President and portfolio manager from 1993 to June 2010. He holds a BA in Engineering and Philosophy from Swarthmore College and graduate degrees from MIT and Harvard Business School. Mr. Montgomery was the investment management team leader of the Fund’s predecessor Fund since the predecessor Fund’s inception in 2003.

Elena Khoziaeva, CFA, is an investment management team member and began working at Bridgeway Capital in 1998. Ms. Khoziaeva has served as a portfolio manager since 2006. Her responsibilities include portfolio management, investment research, and statistical modeling. Ms. Khoziaeva earned a Bachelor of Economic Sciences degree from Belarussian State Economic University in Minsk and graduated with highest honors from the University of Houston with an MBA in accounting. Ms. Khoziaeva was an investment management team member of the Fund’s predecessor Fund since 2005.

Michael Whipple, CFA, is an investment management team member and began working at Bridgeway Capital in 2002. Mr. Whipple has served as a portfolio manager since 2006. His responsibilities include portfolio management, investment research, and statistical modeling. He holds a BS in Accountancy and Finance from Miami University in Ohio. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor, Mr. Whipple worked in auditing from 1993 to 2000 before attending the University of Chicago from 2000 to 2002, where he earned his MBA. Mr. Whipple was an investment management team member of the Fund’s predecessor Fund since 2005.

Rasool Shaik, CFA, is an investment management team member and began working for Bridgeway Capital in 2006 after earning an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, which he attended from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Shaik has served as a portfolio manager since October 2007. Prior thereto, he served as a Research Analyst from July 2006 to October 2007. His responsibilities include portfolio management, investment research, and statistical modeling. He holds a BS in Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, India and

 

 

 

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an MS in Engineering from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan. Prior to business school, from 1997 to 2004, Mr. Shaik developed software algorithms to manage complex supply chains. Mr. Shaik was an investment management team member of the Fund’s predecessor Fund since 2007.

Valuation of Shares

The price of the Fund’s shares is based on its net asset value (“NAV”) per share. The Fund’s NAV is computed by adding total assets, subtracting all of the Fund’s liabilities, and dividing the result by the total number of shares outstanding.

The NAV of each class of the Fund’s shares is determined based on a pro rata allocation of the Fund’s investment income, expenses and total capital gains and losses. The Fund’s NAV per share is determined as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day on which it is open for business. Foreign exchanges may permit trading in foreign securities on days when the Fund is not open for business, which may result in the Fund’s portfolio investments being affected when you are unable to buy or sell shares.

Equity securities and certain derivative instruments that are traded on an exchange are valued based on market value. Debt securities and certain derivative instruments (other than short-term securities) usually are valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service. In some cases, the price of debt securities is determined using quotes obtained from brokers.

The valuation of securities traded on foreign markets and certain fixed income securities will generally be based on prices determined as of the earlier closing time of the markets on which they primarily trade, unless a significant event has occurred. When the Fund holds securities or other assets that are denominated in a foreign currency, the Fund will normally use the currency exchange rates as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Securities may be valued at fair value, as determined in good faith and pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, under certain limited circumstances. For example, fair value pricing will be used when market quotations are not readily available or reliable, as determined by the Manager, such as when (i) trading for a security is restricted or stopped; (ii) a security’s trading market is closed (other than customary closings); or (iii) a security has been de-listed from a national exchange. A security with limited market liquidity may require fair value pricing if the Manager determines that the available price does not reflect the security’s true market value. In addition, if a significant event that the Manager determines to affect the value of one or more securities held by the Fund occurs after the close of a related exchange but before the determination of the Fund’s NAV, fair value pricing may be used on the affected security or securities. The Fund may fair value securities as a result of significant events occurring after the close of the foreign markets in which the Fund invests.

Attempts to determine the fair value of securities introduce an element of subjectivity to the pricing of securities. As a result, the price of a security determined through fair valuation techniques may differ from the price quoted or published by other sources and may not accurately reflect the market value of the security when trading resumes. If a reliable market quotation becomes available for a security formerly valued through fair valuation techniques, the Manager compares the new market quotation to the fair value price to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fund’s fair valuation procedures. If any significant discrepancies are found, the Manager may adjust the Fund’s fair valuation procedures.

About Your Investment

 

 

Choosing Your Share Class

Each share class of the Fund represents an investment in the same portfolio of securities for the Fund, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the class that best fits your situation.

Factors you should consider when choosing a class of shares include:

 

 

How long you expect to own the shares;

 

How much you intend to invest;

 

Total expenses associated with owning shares of each class;

 

Whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of sales charges;

 

Whether you plan to take any distributions in the near future; and

 

Availability of share classes.

Each investor’s financial considerations are different. You should speak with your financial adviser to help you decide which share class is best for you.

The Fund offers various classes of shares; A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares. Each class has a different combination of purchase restrictions, sales charges and ongoing fees, allowing you to choose the class that best meets your needs. The following sections explain the sales charges or other fees you may pay when investing in each class.

A Class Shares

A Class shares of the Fund are available to investors using intermediaries such as broker-dealers, at their offering price, which is equal to the NAV per share plus the applicable front-end sales charge that you pay when you buy your A Class shares. The front-end sales

 

 

 

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charge is generally deducted directly from the amount of your investment. A Class shares are also subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee of up to 0.25% and a separate shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The minimum initial investment is $2,500.

C Class Shares

C Class shares are available to investors using intermediaries such as broker-dealers, at the Fund’s NAV per share, without an initial sales charge. If you sell your shares within 12 months after buying them, you will normally pay a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1%. C Class shares also are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee of up to 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets and a separate shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The minimum initial investment is $1,000.

Investor Class Shares

Investor Class shares are offered without a sales charge to all investors, including investors using intermediary organizations such as broker-dealers or plan sponsors and retirement accounts. Investor Class shares do not pay a Rule 12b-1 fee. Investor Class shares are subject to a separate shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.375% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The minimum initial investment is $2,500.

Y Class Shares

Y Class shares are offered without a sales charge to all investors who make an initial investment of at least $100,000. Y Class Shares do not pay a Rule 12b-1 fee. Y Class shares are subject to a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Institutional Class Shares

Institutional Class shares are offered without a sales charge to investors who make an initial investment of at least $250,000. Institutional Class shares do not pay Rule 12b-1 or shareholder servicing fees.

A Class Charges and Waivers

The table below shows the amount of sales charges you will pay on purchases of A Class shares of the Fund both as a percentage of offering price and as a percentage of the amount you invest. The sales charge differs depending upon the Fund and the amount you invest and may be reduced or eliminated for larger purchases as indicated below. If you invest more, the sales charge will be lower.

Any applicable sales charge will be deducted directly from your investment. Because of rounding of the calculation in determining the sales charges, you may pay more or less than what is shown in the table below. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to a front-end sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge or the sales charge may be waived as described below in “A Class Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers.”

 

Amount of Sale/
Account Value

  As a % of
Offering
Price
    As a % of
Investment
    Dealer
Commission
as a % of
Offering Price
 

Less than $50,000

    5.75     6.10     5.00

$50,000 but less than $100,000

    4.75     4.99     4.00

$100,000 but less than $250,000

    3.75     3.90     3.00

$250,000 but less than $500,000

    2.75     2.83     2.05

$500,000 but less than $1 million

    2.00     2.04     1.50

$1 million and above

    0.00     0.00     0.00

The Distributor retains any portion of the commissions that are not paid to financial intermediaries for use solely to pay distribution-related expenses.

A Class Sales Charge Reductions & Waivers

A shareholder may qualify for a waiver or reduction in sales charges under certain circumstances. To receive a waiver or reduction in your A Class sales charge, you must advise the Fund’s transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of purchase. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Fund’s transfer agent know that you are eligible for a reduction, you may not receive a sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled.

Waiver of Sales Charges

There is no sales charge if you invest $1 million or more in A Class shares.

Sales charges also may be waived for certain shareholders or transactions, such as:

 

 

Present and former directors, trustees, officers, employees of the Manager, the Manager’s parent company, and the American Beacon Funds (and their “immediate family” as defined in the SAI), and retirement plans established by them for their employees;

 

Registered representatives or employees of intermediaries that have selling agreement with the Fund;

 

Shares acquired through merger or acquisition;

 

Insurance company separate accounts;

 

Employer-sponsored retirement plans;

 

Dividend reinvestment programs;

 

Purchases through certain fee-based programs; and

 

Reinvestment of proceeds within 90 days of a redemption from A Class account (see Redemption Policies for more information).

Reduced Sales Charges

Under a “Rights of Accumulation Program,” a “Letter of Intent” or through “Concurrent Purchases” you may be eligible to buy A Class shares of the Fund at the reduced sales charge rates that would apply to a larger

 

 

 

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purchase. The Fund reserves the right to modify or to cease offering these programs at any time.

This information is available, free of charge, on the Fund’s website. Please visit http://www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You may also call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.

Rights of Accumulation Program

Under the Rights of Accumulation Program, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by aggregating all of your investments held in certain accounts (“Qualified Accounts”). The following Qualified Accounts held in A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge may be grouped together to qualify for the reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program or Letter of Intent:

 

 

Accounts owned by you, your spouse or your minor children under the age of 21, including trust or other fiduciary accounts in which you, your spouse or your minor children are the beneficiary;

 

Uniform transfer or gift to minor accounts (“UTMA/UGTMA”);

 

Individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), including traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs; and

 

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or qualified 529 plans.

A fiduciary can apply a right of accumulation to all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other fiduciary account that has multiple accounts.

You must notify your financial intermediary or the Fund’s transfer agent in the case of shares held directly with the Fund, at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program. In addition, you must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your qualification. You may combine the historical cost or current NAV (whichever is higher) of your existing A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. Historical cost is the price you actually paid for the shares you own, plus your reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions. If you are using historical cost to qualify for a reduced sales charge, you should retain any records to substantiate your historical costs since the Fund, its transfer agent or your financial intermediary may not maintain this information.

If your shares are held through financial intermediaries you may combine the current NAV of your existing A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. You or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund’s transfer agent at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program and must provide copies of account statements dated within three months of your current purchase verifying your qualification.

Upon receipt of the above referenced supporting documentation, the financial intermediary or the Fund’s transfer agent will calculate the combined value of all of your Qualified Accounts to determine if the current purchase is eligible for a reduced sales charge. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with purchases for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.

Letter of Intent

If you plan to invest at least $50,000 (excluding any reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions) during the next 13 months in A Class shares of the Fund or any other American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by completing the Letter of Intent section of your account application. A Letter of Intent indicates your intent to purchase at least $50,000 in A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge over the next 13 months in exchange for a reduced sales charge indicated on the above tables. The minimum initial investment under a Letter of Intent is $2,500. You are not obligated to purchase additional shares if you complete a Letter of Intent. However, if you do not buy enough shares to qualify for the projected level of sales charge by the end of the 13-month period (or when you sell your shares, if earlier), your sales charge will be recalculated to reflect your actual purchase level. During the term of the Letter of Intent, shares representing 5% of your intended purchase will be held in escrow. If you do not purchase enough shares during the 13-month period to qualify for the projected reduced sales charge, the additional sales charge will be deducted from your account. If you have purchased A Class shares of any American Beacon mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge within 90 days prior to signing a Letter of Intent, they may be included as part of your intended purchase, however, previous purchase transactions will not be recalculated with the proposed new breakpoint. You must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your purchases within the past 90 days.

Concurrent Purchases

You may combine simultaneous purchases in A Class shares of American Beacon Funds to qualify for a reduced A Class sales charge.

 

 

 

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Contingent Deferred Sales Charge-C Class Shares

If you redeem C Class shares within 12 months of purchase, you may be charged a CDSC of 1%. The CDSC generally will be deducted from your redemption proceeds. In some circumstances, you may be eligible for one of the waivers described herein or in the statement of additional information. You must advise the transfer agent of your eligibility for a waiver when you place your redemption request.

How CDSCs will be Calculated

A CDSC is imposed on redemptions of C Class shares of the Fund, as described above. The amount of the CDSC will be based on the NAV of the redeemed shares at the time of the redemption or the original NAV, whichever is lower. Because of the rounding of the calculation in determining the CDSC, you may pay more or less than the indicated rate. Your CDSC holding period is based upon the date of your purchase. The CDSC will be deducted from the proceeds of your redemption, not from amounts remaining in your account. A contingent deferred sales charge is not imposed on any increase in NAV over the initial purchase price or shares you received through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions.

To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares, the Fund will redeem your shares in the following order:

 

 

shares acquired by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions;

 

other shares that are not subject to the CDSC;

 

shares held the longest during the holding period.

Waiver of CDSCs-C Class Shares

A shareholder may qualify for a CDSC waiver under certain circumstances. To have your CDSC waived, you must advise the Fund’s transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of redemption. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Fund’s transfer agent know that you are eligible for a waiver, you may not receive a waiver to which might otherwise be otherwise entitled.

The CDSC may be waived if:

 

 

The redemption is due to a shareholder’s death or post-purchase disability;

 

The redemption is from a systematic withdrawal plan and represents no more than 10% of your annual account value;

 

The redemption is a benefit payment made from a qualified retirement plan, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan or the transfer of the plan to another financial institution;

 

The redemption is for a mandatory withdrawal from a traditional IRA account after age 70 1/2;

 

The redemption is due to involuntary redemptions by the Fund as a result of your account not meeting the minimum balance requirements, the termination and liquidation of the Fund, or other actions;

 

The redemption is from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has entered into a special agreement with the Distributor (or Manager) allowing this waiver;

 

The redemption is to return excess contributions made to a retirement plan;

 

The redemption is to return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.

The SAI contains further details about the CDSC and the conditions for waiving the CDSC.

Information regarding CDSC waivers for C Class shares is available, free of charge, on the Fund’s website. Please visit http://www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You may also call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.

Purchase and Redemption of Shares

Eligibility

The A Class, C Class, Investor Class, Institutional Class and Y Class shares offered in this prospectus are available to eligible investors who meet the minimum initial investment. American Beacon Funds do not accept accounts registered to foreign individuals or entities, including foreign correspondence accounts. A Class and C Class shares are available to retail investors who invest through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries. Investor Class shares are available for traditional and Roth IRAs investing directly through American Beacon.

Our investors include:

 

  u  

agents or fiduciaries acting on behalf of their clients (such as employee benefit plans, personal trusts and other accounts for which a trust company or financial advisor acts as agent or fiduciary);

 

  u  

endowment funds and charitable foundations;

 

  u  

employee welfare plans that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”);

 

  u  

qualified pension and profit sharing plans;

 

  u  

cash and deferred arrangements under Section 401(k) of the Code;

 

  u  

corporations; and

 

  u  

other investors who make an initial investment of at least the minimum investment amounts.

Subject to your eligibility, you may invest in the Fund directly through us or through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, plan sponsors, third party administrators and retirement accounts.

 

 

 

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If you invest directly with the Fund, the fees and policies with respect to the Fund’s shares that are outlined in this prospectus are set by the Fund.

If you invest through a financial intermediary, most of the information you will need for managing your investment will come from your financial intermediary. This includes information on how to buy, sell and exchange shares of the Fund. If you establish an account through a financial intermediary, the investment minimums described in this section may not apply. Investors investing in the Fund through a financial intermediary should consult with their financial intermediary to ensure they obtain any proper “breakpoint” discount and regarding the differences between available share classes. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary also may charge fees that are in addition to those described in this prospectus. Please contact your intermediary for information regarding investment minimums, how to purchase and redeem shares and applicable fees.

Minimum Initial Investment

C Class: $1,000

A Class and Investor Class: $2,500

Y Class: $100,000

Institutional Class: $250,000

The Manager may allow a reasonable period of time after opening an account for an Institutional Class or Y Class investor to meet the initial investment requirement. In addition, for investors such as trust companies and financial advisors who make investments for a group of clients, the minimum initial investment can be met through an aggregated purchase order for more than one client.

Because in most cases it is more advantageous to purchase A Class shares than C Class shares for amounts of $1 million or more, the Fund will decline a request to purchase C Class shares for $1 million or more.

Opening an Account

You may open an account through your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information on how to open an account. Shares you purchase through your broker-dealer will normally be held in your account with that firm.

You may also open an account directly through us. A completed, signed application is required. You may download an account application from the Fund’s web site at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You also may obtain an application form by calling:

 

 

1-800-658-5811

or, for institutional shareholders:

 

 

1-800-967-9009

Complete the application, sign it and send it

Regular Mail to:

American Beacon Funds

P.O. Box 219643

Kansas City, MO 64121-9643

(or Institutional shareholders may)

Fax to:

(816) 374-7408

For Overnight Delivery

American Beacon Funds

c/o BFDS

330 West 9th Street

Kansas City, MO 64105

(800) 658-5811

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account with the Fund or your financial institution, you will be asked for information that will allow the Fund or your financial institution to identify you. Non-public corporations and other entities may be required to provide articles of incorporation, trust or partnership agreements, taxpayer identification numbers, and Social Security numbers of persons authorized to provide instructions on the account or other documentation. The Fund and your financial institution are required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.

Purchase Policies

Shares of the Fund are offered and purchase orders are typically accepted until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (whichever comes first) on each day on which the NYSE is open for business. If a purchase order is received by the Fund in good order prior to the Fund’s deadline, the purchase price will be the net asset value (“NAV”) per share next determined on that day, plus any applicable sales charges. If a purchase order is received in good order after the applicable deadline, the purchase price will be the NAV per share of the following day that the Fund is open for business plus any applicable sales charge.

The Fund has authorized certain third party financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, third party administrators and trust companies, to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund and to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. The Fund is deemed to have received such orders when they are received by the financial intermediaries or their designees. Thus, an order to purchase or sell Fund shares will be priced at the Fund’s next determined NAV after receipt by the financial intermediary or its designee. You should contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to find out by

 

 

 

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what time your purchase order must be received so that it can be processed the same day. It is the responsibility of your broker-dealer or financial intermediary to transmit orders that will be received by the Fund in proper form and in a timely manner.

The Fund has the right to reject any purchase order or cease offering any or all classes of shares at any time. Checks to purchase shares are accepted subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank. The Fund will not accept “starter” checks, credit card checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, official checks, or third party checks.

Please refer to the section titled “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” for information on the Fund’s policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.

Redemption Policies

If you purchased shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to sell shares of the Fund.

If you purchased your shares directly from the Fund, your shares may be redeemed by telephone by calling 1-800-658-5811, via the Fund’s website, or by mail on any day that the Fund is open for business.

The redemption price will be the NAV next determined after a redemption request is received in good order, minus any applicable CDSC. In order to receive the redemption price calculated on a particular business day, redemption requests must be received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first). You should contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to find out by what time your order must be received so that it can be processed the same day.

You may, within 90 days of redemption, reinvest all or part of the proceeds of your redemption of A Class and C Class shares of the Fund, without incurring an additional sales charge, in the same class of another American Beacon Fund, by sending a written request and a check to your financial intermediary or directly to the Fund. Reinvestment must be into the same account from which you redeemed the shares or received the distribution. Proceeds from a redemption and all dividend payments and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the same share class from which the original redemption or distribution was made. Reinvestment will be at the NAV next calculated after the Fund receives your request. You must notify the Fund and your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary at the time of investment if you decide to exercise this privilege.

Wire proceeds from redemption requests received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first) generally are transmitted to shareholders on the next day the Fund is open for business. In any event, proceeds from a redemption request will typically be transmitted to a shareholder by no later than seven days after the receipt of a redemption request in good order. Delivery of proceeds from shares purchased by check or pre-authorized automatic investment may be delayed until the funds have cleared, which may take up to ten days.

The Fund reserves the right to suspend redemptions or postpone the date of payment for more than seven days (i) when the NYSE is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) when trading on the NYSE is restricted; (iii) when the SEC determines that an emergency exists so that disposal of the Fund’s investments or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) by order of the SEC for protection of the Fund’s shareholders.

Although the Fund intends to redeem shares in cash, the Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets held by the Fund. To the extent that the Fund redeems its shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.

Please refer to the section titled “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” for information on the Fund’s policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.

Exchange Policies

If you purchased shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to determine if you may take advantage of the exchange policies described in this section and for its policies to effect an exchange.

If you purchased shares of the Fund directly through us, your shares may be exchanged by calling 1-800-658-5811 to speak to a representative, through our website, www.americanbeaconfunds.com or use the Automated Voice Response System for Investor Class shares.

Shares of any class of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of the same class of another American Beacon Fund under certain limited circumstances. Shares of any class of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of another class of the same Fund under certain limited circumstances. Since an exchange involves a concurrent purchase and redemption, please review the sections titled “Purchase Policies” and “Redemption Policies” for additional limitations that apply to purchases and redemptions. There is no front-end sales charge on exchanges between A Class shares of the Fund for A Class shares of another Fund. Shares otherwise subject

 

 

 

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to a CDSC will not be charged a CDSC in an exchange. However, when you redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the shares you redeem may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you originally purchased the exchanged shares. For purposes of computing the CDSC, the length of time you owned your shares will be measured from the date of original purchase and will not be affected by any exchange.

Before exchanging shares, shareholders should consider how the exchange may affect any CDSC that might be imposed on the subsequent redemption of remaining shares.

If shares were purchased by check, to exchange out of one Fund and into another, a shareholder must have owned shares of the redeeming Fund for at least ten days.

The eligibility and minimum investment requirement must be met for the class into which the shareholder is exchanging. Fund shares may be acquired through exchange only in states or territories in which they can be legally sold. The Fund reserves the right to charge a fee and to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. The Fund reserves the right to refuse exchange purchases if, in the judgment of the Fund, the transaction would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. For federal income tax purposes, the conversion of shares of one share class for shares of a different share class of the same fund should not result in the realization by the investor of a capital gain or loss. Please refer to the section titled “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” for information on the Fund’s policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.

Payments to Financial Intermediaries

The Fund and its affiliates (at their own expense) may pay compensation to financial intermediaries for shareholder-related services and, if applicable, distribution-related services, including administrative, sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping and shareholder communication services. For example, compensation may be paid to make Fund shares available to sales representatives and/or customers of a fund supermarket platform or similar program sponsor or for services provided in connection with such fund supermarket platforms and programs.

The amount of compensation paid to different financial intermediaries may differ. The compensation paid to a financial intermediary may be based on a variety of factors, including average assets under management in accounts distributed and/or serviced by the financial intermediary, gross sales by the financial intermediary and/or the number of accounts serviced by the financial intermediary that invest in the Fund. To the extent that the Fund pays (a portion) of such compensation, it is designed to compensate the financial intermediary for providing services that would otherwise be provided by the Fund or its transfer agent. To the extent the Fund affiliate pays such compensation, it would likely include amounts from that affiliate’s own resources and constitute what is sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing.”

Compensation received by a financial intermediary from the Manager or another Fund affiliate may include payments for marketing and/or training expenses incurred by the financial intermediary, including expenses incurred by the financial intermediary in educating (itself and) its salespersons with respect to Fund shares. For example, such compensation may include reimbursements for expenses incurred in attending educational seminars regarding the Fund, including travel and lodging expenses. It may also cover costs incurred by financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to sell Fund shares, including costs incurred compensating (registered) sales representatives and preparing, printing and distributing sales literature.

Any compensation received by a financial intermediary, whether from the Fund or its affiliate(s), and the prospect of receiving it may provide the financial intermediary with an incentive to recommend the shares of the Fund, or a certain class of shares of the Fund, over other potential investments. Similarly, the compensation may cause financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of the Fund within its organization by, for example, placing it on a list of preferred funds. You should ask your financial intermediary for details about any such payments it receives from the Manager or the Distributor, or any other fees, expenses, or commissions your financial intermediary may charge you in addition to those disclosed in this prospectus.

How to Purchase Shares

Through your Broker — Dealer or Other Financial Intermediary

Contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to purchase shares of the Fund. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary can help you open a new account, review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary will transmit your request to the Fund and may charge you a fee for this service. The Fund will not accept a purchase order of $1,000,000 or more for C Class shares if the purchase is known to be on behalf of a single investor (not including dealer “street name” or omnibus accounts). Dealers or other financial intermediaries purchasing shares for their customers in omnibus accounts are responsible for determining the suitability of a particular share class for an investor.

 

 

 

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By Check

The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for investments by check are:

 

Share Class

   Minimum
Initial
Investment
Amount
     Minimum
Subsequent
Investment
Amount
 

C Class

   $ 1,000       $ 50   

A Class

   $ 2,500       $ 50   

Investor Class

   $ 2,500       $ 50   

Y Class

   $ 100,000       $ 50   

Institutional Class

   $ 250,000       $ 50   

 

 

Make the check payable to American Beacon Funds.

 

Include the shareholder’s account number, Fund name and Fund number on the check.

 

Mail the check to:

American Beacon Funds

P.O. Box 219643

Kansas City, MO 64121-9643

For Overnight Delivery:

American Beacon Funds

c/o BFDS

330 West 9th Street

Kansas City, MO 64105

By Wire

The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for investments by wire are:

 

Share Class

   Minimum
Initial
Investment
Amount
     Minimum
Subsequent
Investment
Amount
 

C Class

   $ 1,000       $ 500   

A Class

   $ 2,500       $ 500   

Investor Class

   $ 2,500       $ 500   

Y Class

   $ 100,000         None   

Institutional Class

   $ 250,000         None   

 

 

If your account has been established, call 1-800-658-5811 to purchase shares by wire.

 

Send a bank wire to State Street Bank and Trust Co. with these instructions:

 

  u  

ABA# 0110-0002-8; AC-9905-342-3,

 

  u  

Attn: American Beacon Funds

 

  u  

Fund name and Fund number, and

 

  u  

shareholder account number and registration.

By Exchange

The minimum requirements to establish an account by making an exchange and to make subsequent exchanges are as follows:

 

Share Class

   Minimum Amount
to Establish a

New Account
     Minimum
Subsequent
Exchange Amount
 

C Class

   $ 1,000       $ 50   

A Class

   $ 2,500       $ 50   

Investor Class

   $ 2,500       $ 50   

Y Class

   $ 100,000       $ 50   

Institutional Class

   $ 250,000       $ 50   

 

 

To exchange shares, send a written request to the address above, or call 1-800-658-5811 and speak to a representative. You may use the Automated Voice Response System for exchanges in the Investor Class only.

 

You also may exchange shares by visiting www.americanbeaconfunds.com.

 

If you purchased shares through a financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to exchange your shares.

Via www.americanbeaconfunds.com

 

You may purchase shares of all classes via www.americanbeaconfunds.com.

 

Funds will be transferred automatically from your bank account via Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) if valid bank instructions were included on your application.

 

If not, please call 1-800-658-5811 for assistance with establishing bank instructions.

 

A $50 minimum applies.

By Pre-Authorized Automatic Investment (A Class, C Class and Investor Class shares only)

 

The minimum account size of $1,000 for C Class shares and $2,500 for A Class and Investor Class shares must be met before establishing an automatic investment plan.

 

Fill in required information on the account application, including amount of automatic investment ($50 minimum). Attach a voided check to the account application.

 

You may also establish an automatic investment plan through www.americanbeaconfunds.com.

 

Funds will be transferred automatically from your bank account via ACH on or about the 5th day of each month or quarter, depending upon which periods you specify.

 

If you establish your automatic investment plan through www.americanbeaconfunds.com, you can choose the date and frequency of transfer.

How to Redeem Shares

Through your Broker – Dealer or other Financial Intermediary

Contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to sell shares of the Fund. Your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting your sale request to the transfer agent in proper form and in a timely manner. Your financial intermediary may charge you a fee for selling your shares.

By Telephone

 

Call 1-800-658-5811 to request a redemption.

 

 

 

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Minimum redemption amounts and applicable class limitations, and policies as to the disposition of the proceeds of telephone redemptions are as follows:

 

Share Class

 

Minimum
Redemption

 

Limitations

 

Disposition of
Redemption Proceeds

A, C and Investor Classes

  $500 by wire or   $50,000 per account   Mailed to account address of record; or
  $50 by check or ACH     Transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.

Y and Institutional Classes

  None   None   Transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.

By Mail

 

Write a letter of instruction including:

 

  u  

Fund name and Fund number,

 

  u  

shareholder account number,

 

  u  

shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, and

 

  u  

authorized signature(s) of all persons required to sign for the account.

Mail to:

American Beacon Funds

P.O. Box 219643

Kansas City, MO 64121-9643

For Overnight Delivery

American Beacon Funds

c/o BFDS

330 West 9th Street

Kansas City, MO 64105

 

 

Proceeds will be mailed to the account address of record or transmitted to the commercial bank designated on the account application form.

 

Minimum redemption amounts are as follows:

 

Share Class

  

Minimum Redemption

A, C and Investor Classes    $500 by wire, $50 by check or ACH
Y and Institutional Classes    None

Supporting documents may be required for redemptions by estates, trusts, guardianships, custodians, corporations, and welfare, pension and profit sharing plans. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions.

To protect the Fund and your account from fraud, a STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantee is required for redemption orders:

 

 

with a request to send the proceeds to an address or commercial bank account other than the address or commercial bank account designated on the account application, or

 

for an account whose address has changed within the last 30 days if proceeds are sent by check.

The Fund only accepts STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantees, which may be obtained at most banks, broker-dealers and credit unions. A notary public can not provide a signature guarantee. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions and further assistance.

By Exchange

 

Send a written request to the address above.

 

Call 1-800-658-5811 and use the Automated Voice Response System (for Investor Class only) or speak to a representative to exchange shares.

 

Visit www.americanbeaconfunds.com and select “Account Login.”

 

The minimum requirement to redeem shares by making an exchange is $50.

 

If you purchased shares through a financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to exchange your shares.

Via www.americanbeaconfunds.com

 

If you have established bank instructions for your account, you may request a redemption via ACH or wire by accessing www.americanbeaconfunds.com.

 

If bank instructions were not included on the account application form, please call 1-800-658-5811 to establish bank instructions.

 

Minimum wire, ACH and check redemption amounts and policies as to the disposition of the proceeds of redemptions via www.americanbeaconfunds.com are as follows:

 

Share Class

 

Minimum
Wire Amount

 

Minimum
ACH or
Check
Amount

 

Disposition of
Redemption Proceeds

A, C and Investor Classes

  $500   $50   Check mailed to account address of record;
     

Wire transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form; or

Funds transferred via ACH to bank account designated on application form.

Y and Institutional Classes

  None   Not Available   Transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.

By Pre-Authorized Automatic Redemption (A, C and Investor Class shares only)

 

Fill in required information on the account application or establish via www.americanbeaconfunds.com ($50 minimum).

 

Proceeds will be transferred automatically from your Fund account to your bank account via ACH.

 

 

 

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General Policies

If a shareholder’s A Class, C Class, Investor Class, Institutional Class or Y Class account balance falls below the following minimum levels, the shareholder may be asked to increase the balance.

 

Share Class

   Account
Balance
 

Institutional Class

   $ 75,000   

Y Class

   $ 25,000   

A Class

   $ 2,500   

Investor Class

   $ 2,500   

C Class

   $ 1,000   

If the account balance remains below the applicable minimum account balance after 45 days, the Fund reserves the right to close the account and send the proceeds to the shareholder. IRA accounts will be charged an annual maintenance fee of $15.00 by the Custodian for maintaining either a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. The Fund reserves the authority to modify minimum account balances in its discretion.

A Signature Validation Program (“SVP”) stamp may be required in order to change an account’s registration or banking instructions. You may obtain a SVP stamp at banks, broker-dealers and credit unions, but not from a notary public. The SVP stamp is analogous to the STAMP 2000 Medallion guarantee in that it is provided at similar institutions. However, it is used only for non-financial transactions.

The following policies apply to instructions you may provide to the Fund by telephone:

 

 

The Fund, its officers, trustees, employees, or agents are not responsible for the authenticity of instructions provided by telephone, nor for any loss, liability, cost or expense incurred for acting on them.

 

The Fund employs procedures reasonably designed to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine.

 

Due to the volume of calls or other unusual circumstances, telephone redemptions may be difficult to implement during certain time periods.

The Fund reserves the right to:

 

 

liquidate a shareholder’s account at the current day’s NAV and remit proceeds via check if the Fund or a financial institution are unable to verify the shareholder’s identity within three business days of account opening,

 

seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by the Fund if payment for the purchase of Fund shares by check does not clear the shareholder’s bank, and

 

reject a purchase order and seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by the Fund if funds are not received by the applicable wire deadline.

 

A shareholder will not be required to pay a CDSC when the registration for C Class shares is transferred to the name of another person or entity. The transfer may occur by absolute assignment, gift or bequest, as long as it does not involve, directly or indirectly, a public sale of the shares. When C Class shares are transferred, any applicable CDSC will continue to apply to the transferred shares and will be calculated as if the transferee had acquired the shares in the same manner and at the same time as the transferring shareholder.

Unclaimed accounts may be subject to State escheatment laws, where the holdings in an account may be transferred to the appropriate State if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by State law. The Fund and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or their representatives for good faith compliance with those escheatment laws.

Frequent Trading and Market Timing

Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in the Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund’s NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund’s expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager’s ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Frequent, short-term trading of Fund shares in an attempt to profit from day-to-day fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV is known as market timing.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage frequent trading and market timing. Shareholders may transact one “round trip” in the Fund in any rolling 90-day period. A “round trip” is defined as two transactions, each in an opposite direction. A round trip may involve (i) a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a redemption or exchange out of the same Fund or (ii) a redemption or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the same Fund. If the Manager detects that a shareholder has exceeded one round trip in the Fund in any rolling 90-day period, the Manager, without prior notice to the shareholder, will prohibit the shareholder from making further purchases of the Fund. In general, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order, terminate the exchange privilege, or liquidate the account of any shareholder that the Manager determines has engaged in frequent trading or market timing, regardless of whether the shareholder’s activity violates any policy stated in this prospectus.

The round-trip limit does not apply to the following transaction types:

 

 

shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and other distributions;

 

systematic purchases and redemptions;

 

shares redeemed to return excess IRA contributions; or

 

 

 

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certain transactions made within a retirement or employee benefit plan, such as payroll contributions, minimum required distributions, loans, and hardship withdrawals, or other transactions that are initiated by a party other than the plan participant.

Financial intermediaries that offer Fund shares, such as broker-dealers, third party administrators of retirement plans, and trust companies, will be asked to enforce the Fund’s policies to discourage frequent trading and market timing by investors. However, certain intermediaries that offer Fund shares have informed the Fund that they are currently unable to enforce the Fund’s policies on an automated basis. In those instances, the Manager will monitor trading activity of the intermediary in an attempt to detect patterns of activity that indicate frequent trading or market timing by underlying investors. In some cases, intermediaries that offer Fund shares have their own policies to deter frequent trading and market timing that differ from the Fund’s policies. The Fund may defer to an intermediary’s policies. For more information, please contact the financial intermediary through which you invest in the Fund.

The Manager monitors trading activity in the Fund to attempt to identify shareholders engaged in frequent trading or market timing. The Manager may exclude transactions below a certain dollar amount from monitoring and may change that dollar amount from time to time. The ability of the Manager to detect frequent trading and market timing activity by investors who own shares through an intermediary is dependent upon the intermediary’s provision of information necessary to identify transactions by the underlying investors. The Fund has entered agreements with the intermediaries that service the Fund’s investors, pursuant to which the intermediaries agree to provide information on investor transactions to the Fund and to act on the Fund’s instructions to restrict transactions by investors who the Manager has identified as having violated the Fund’s policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing.

Wrap programs offered by certain intermediaries may be designated “Qualified Wrap Programs” by the Fund based on specific criteria established by the Fund and a certification by the intermediary that the criteria have been met. A Qualified Wrap Program is: (i) a wrap program whose sponsoring intermediary certifies that it has investment discretion over $50 million or more in client assets invested in mutual funds at the time of the certification, (ii) a wrap program whose sponsoring intermediary certifies that it directs transactions in accounts participating in the wrap program(s) in concert with changes in a model portfolio; (iii) managed by an intermediary that agrees to provide the Manager a description of the wrap program(s) that the intermediary seeks to qualify; and (iv) managed by an intermediary that agrees to provide the Manager sufficient information to identify individual accounts in the intermediary’s wrap program(s). For purposes of applying the round-trip limit, transactions initiated by clients invested in a Qualified Wrap Program will not be matched to transactions initiated by the intermediary sponsoring the Qualified Wrap Program. For example, a client’s purchase of the Fund followed within 90 days by the intermediary’s redemption of the same Fund would not be considered a round trip. However, transactions initiated by a Qualified Wrap Program client are subject to the round-trip limit and will be matched to determine if the client has exceeded the round-trip limit. In addition, the Manager will monitor transactions initiated by Qualified Wrap Program intermediaries to determine whether any intermediary has engaged in frequent trading or market timing. If the Manager determines that an intermediary has engaged in activity that is harmful to the Fund, the Manager will revoke the intermediary’s Qualified Wrap Program status. Upon termination of status as a Qualified Wrap Program, all account transactions will be matched for purposes of testing compliance with the Fund’s frequent trading and market timing policies, including any applicable redemption fees.

The Fund reserves the right to modify the frequent trading and market timing policies and procedures and grant or eliminate waivers to such policies and procedures at any time without advance notice to shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing will have the intended effect nor that the Manager will be able to detect frequent trading and market timing.

Distributions and Taxes

The Fund distributes most or all of their net earnings in the form of dividends from net investment income and distributions of realized net capital gains and net gains from foreign currency transactions. The Fund does not have a fixed dividend rate and does not guarantee it will pay any dividends or capital gain distributions in any particular period. Dividends paid by the Fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner and at the same time, but dividends on different classes of shares may be different as a result of the service and/or distribution fees applicable to certain classes of shares. Any dividends or other distributions are paid annually.

Options for Receiving Dividends and Other Distributions

When you open your Fund account, you can specify on your application how you want to receive distributions of dividends and capital gains. To change that option, you must notify the Transfer Agent. Unless your account application instructs otherwise, distributions payable to you will be reinvested in additional Fund shares of the same class. There are four payment options available:

 

 

Reinvest All Distributions. You can elect to reinvest all dividends and capital gain distributions in additional shares of the same class of the Fund.

 

 

 

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Reinvest Only Dividends or Capital Gains. You can elect to reinvest some types of distributions in Fund shares while receiving the other types of distributions by check or having them sent to your bank account by ACH. Different treatment is available for distributions of dividends and net capital gain (as defined in the table below).

 

 

Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive all dividends and capital gain distributions by check or have them sent to your bank by ACH.

 

 

Reinvest Your Distributions in another American Beacon Fund. You can reinvest all of your dividends and capital gain distributions in shares of another American Beacon Fund that is available for exchanges. You must have an existing account in the same share class in the selected fund.

Taxes

Usually, any dividends and distributions of net realized capital gains are taxable to shareholders other than tax-qualified retirement accounts and other tax-exempt investors. However, the portion of the Fund’s dividends derived from its investments in certain direct U.S. Government obligations is generally exempt from state and local income taxes. The following table outlines the typical tax liabilities for transactions in taxable accounts:

 

Type of Transaction

  

Tax Status

Dividends from net investment income*

   Ordinary income**

Distributions of excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss*

   Ordinary income

Distributions of net gains from certain foreign currency transactions*

   Ordinary income

Distributions of excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss (“net capital gain”)*

   Long-term capital gains

Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for more than one year

   Long-term capital gains or losses

Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for one year or less

   Net gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income; net losses are subject to special rules

 

* Whether reinvested or taken in cash.

 

** Except for dividends that are attributable to “qualified dividend income” (as described below).

To the extent distributions are attributable to net capital gain that the Fund recognizes on sales or exchanges of capital assets through its last taxable year beginning before January 1, 2013, they are subject to a 15% maximum federal income tax rate for individual shareholders.

A portion of the income dividends the Fund pays to individuals through the year 2012 may be “qualified dividend income” (“QDI”) and thus eligible for that 15% maximum rate. QDI is the aggregate of dividends the Fund receives from most domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions with respect to the shares on which the dividends are paid. If the Fund’s QDI is at least 95% of its gross income (as specially computed), the entire dividend will qualify for the 15% maximum rate. To be eligible for the 15% rate, a shareholder must meet similar restrictions with respect to his or her Fund shares.

A portion of the dividends the Fund pays may also be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations, subject to similar holding period and other restrictions, but the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations only. However, dividends that a corporate shareholder receives and deducts pursuant to the dividends-received deduction may be subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.

A shareholder may realize a taxable gain or loss when redeeming or exchanging shares. That gain or loss generally is treated as a short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending on how long the redeemed or exchanged shares were held. Any capital gain an individual shareholder recognizes through the year 2012 on a redemption or exchange of Fund shares that have been held for more than one year will qualify for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate mentioned above.

The Health Care Reform and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 requires an individual to pay a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income,” which generally includes dividends, interest, and net gains from the disposition of investment property (including dividends and capital gain distributions the Fund pays), or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers), for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax will apply for those years to estates and trusts.

Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this provision may have on their investment in Fund shares.

The foregoing is only a summary of some of the important federal income tax considerations that may affect Fund shareholders, who should consult their tax advisors regarding specific questions as to the effect of federal, state and local income taxes on an investment in the Fund. Each year, the Fund’s shareholders will receive tax information from the Fund to assist them in preparing their income tax returns.

Additional Information

 

 

Distribution and Service Plans

The A Class and C Class shares of the Fund have each adopted a Distribution Plan in accordance with

 

 

 

Prospectus    23   Additional Information


Table of Contents

Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which allows the A Class and C Class shares to pay distribution and other fees for the sale of Fund shares and for other services provided to shareholders. Each Plan also authorizes the use of any fees received by the Manager in accordance with the Administrative Services and Management Agreements, and any fees received by the sub-advisor pursuant to its Investment Advisory Agreement with the Manager, to be used for the sale and distribution of Fund shares.

The Plans provide that the A Class shares of the Fund will pay up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class, and the C Class shares of the Fund will pay up to 1.00% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class, to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board).

The Fund has also adopted a shareholder services plan for its A Class, C Class, Y Class and Investor Class shares for certain non-distribution shareholder services provided by financial intermediaries. The shareholder services plan authorizes annual payment of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares, up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the C Class shares, up to 0.375% of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares and up to 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the Y Class shares of the Fund.

Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s A Class, C Class, Y Class and Investor Class assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may result in costs higher than other types of sales charges.

Portfolio Holdings

The Fund publicly discloses portfolio holdings information as follows:

 

1. A complete list of holdings on an annual and semi-annual basis in the reports to shareholders within sixty days of the end of each fiscal semi-annual period and in publicly available filings of Form N-CSR with the SEC within ten days thereafter;

 

2. A complete list of holdings as of the end of its first and third fiscal quarters in publicly available filings of Form N-Q with the SEC within sixty days of the end of the fiscal quarter;

 

3. A complete list of holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Funds’ website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) approximately sixty days after the end of the quarter; and

 

4. Ten largest holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Funds’ website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) and in sales materials approximately fifteen days after the end of the calendar quarter.

To access the holdings information, go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com. The Fund’s ten largest holdings may also be accessed by selecting the Fund’s data sheet.

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which you may access on the Fund’s website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or call 1-800-658-5811 to request a free copy.

Delivery of Documents

If you are interested in electronic delivery of the Fund’s summary prospectuses or shareholder reports, please go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com and click on “Quick Links” and then “Register for e-delivery.”

To reduce expenses, your financial institution may mail only one copy of the prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please contact your financial institution. Delivery of individual copies will commence thirty days after receiving your request.

 

 

 

Additional Information    24   Prospectus


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the Fund’s table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions).

 

The financial highlights of the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund shown below for Institutional Class shares of the Fund represent the financial history of the Class N Shares of the Fund’s predecessor fund, Bridgeway Large-Cap Value Fund, a series of Bridgeway Funds, Inc., which was acquired by the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund in a reorganization on February 3, 2012. The information for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2006 to June 30, 2011 has been audited by the predecessor fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.

 

 

     For the Year Ended June 30,  
Per Share Data    2011     2010     2009     2008     2007  

Net asset value, beginning of year

   $ 11.44      $ 9.74      $ 13.63      $ 17.07      $ 14.41   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

          

Net investment income^

     0.20        0.19        0.23        0.22        0.17   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

     3.21        1.73        (3.89 )     (2.94 )     2.64   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

     3.41        1.92        (3.66 )     (2.72 )     2.81   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less distributions to shareholders from:

          

Net realized gain

                          (0.51 )       

Net investment income

     (0.23 )     (0.22 )     (0.23 )     (0.21 )     (0.15 )
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (0.23 )     (0.22 )     (0.23 )     (0.72 )     (0.15 )
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

   $ 14.62      $ 11.44      $ 9.74      $ 13.63      $ 17.07   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return

     30.02 %‡     19.65 %‡     (26.88 %)‡     (16.46 %)‡     19.57
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios & Supplemental Data

          

Net assets, end of year (‘000’s)

   $ 29,647      $ 25,534      $ 27,996      $ 54,144      $ 86,095   

Ratios to average net assets:

          

Expenses before waivers and reimbursements

     1.17     1.11     0.98     0.80     0.79

Expenses after waivers and reimbursements

     0.84     0.84     0.84     0.79     0.79

Net investment income after waivers and reimbursements

     1.50     1.58     2.20     1.38     1.08

Portfolio turnover rate

     43     49     65     28     34

 

^ 

Per share amounts calculated based on the average daily shares outstanding during the period.

 

 

Total return would have been lower had various fees not been waived during the period.

 

 

Prospectus    25   Additional Information


Table of Contents

Additional Information

 

 

Additional information about the Fund is found in the documents listed below. Request a free copy of these documents by calling 1-800-658-5811 or you may access them on the Fund’s website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com.

 

Annual Report/Semi-Annual Report      Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)
The Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports will list the Fund’s actual investments as of the report’s date. They also will include a discussion by the Manager of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance. The report of the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm will be included in the Annual Report.      The SAI contains more details about the Fund and its investment policies. The SAI is incorporated in this prospectus by reference (it is legally part of this prospectus). A current SAI is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

To obtain more information about the Fund or to request a copy of the documents listed above:

 

LOGO   LOGO   LOGO   LOGO
By Telephone:   By Mail:   By E-mail:   On the Internet:
Call 1-800-658-5811   American Beacon Funds P.O. Box 219643 Kansas City, MO 64121-9643   americanbeaconfunds@americanbeaconfunds.com  

Visit our website at

www.americanbeaconfunds.com

Visit the SEC website at www.sec.gov

The SAI and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic mail to publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SAI and other information about the Fund may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room. Information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090.

Fund Service Providers:

 

CUSTODIAN

State Street Bank
and Trust Company

Boston, Massachusetts

    

TRANSFER AGENT

Boston Financial Data
Services

Kansas City, Missouri

    

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Ernst & Young LLP

Dallas, Texas

    

DISTRIBUTOR

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Portland, Maine

LOGO

American Beacon is a registered service mark of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. The American Beacon Funds and American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund are service marks of American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

SEC File Number 811-4984

 

 

 

Additional Information    Prospectus


Table of Contents

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDSSM

February 3, 2012

American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund

A CLASS [BWLAX]

C CLASS [BWLCX]

INSTITUTIONAL CLASS [BRLVX]

Y CLASS [BWLYX]

INVESTOR CLASS [BWLIX]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) should be read in conjunction with the prospectus (“Prospectus”) for A Class, C Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, and Investor Class shares dated February 3, 2012 of the American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the American Beacon Funds, a Massachusetts business trust. Copies of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 658-5811. You also may obtain copies of the Prospectus without charge by visiting the Fund’s website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. This SAI is incorporated herein by reference to the Fund’s Prospectus. In other words, it is legally a part of the Prospectus. This SAI is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by a current Prospectus.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Organization and History of the Fund

     1   

Additional Information About Investment Strategies and Risks

     1   

Non-Principal Investments Strategies and Risks

     14   

Investment Restrictions

     15   

Temporary Defensive and Interim Investments

     17   

Portfolio Turnover

     17   

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     17   

Trustees and Officers of the Trust

     19   

Code of Ethics

     25   

Proxy Voting Policies

     26   

Control Persons and 5% Shareholders

     26   

Investment Advisory Agreement

     26   

Management, Administrative and Distribution Services

     27   

Other Service Providers

     28   

Portfolio Managers

     29   

Portfolio Securities Transactions

     31   

Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares

     32   

Additional Information Regarding Contingent Deferred Sales Charges

     35   

Redemptions in Kind

     36   

Tax Information

     36   

Description of the Trust

     40   

Financial Statements

     41   

Appendix A: Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures for the Trust

     A-1   


Table of Contents

ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE FUND

The Fund is a separate investment portfolio of the American Beacon Funds (the “Trust”), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on January 16, 1987. On February 3, 2012, the Fund acquired all the assets of the Bridgeway Large-Cap Value Fund (the “Acquired Fund”), a series of Bridgeway Funds, Inc. Since the Acquired Fund’s objective and policies are the same in all material respects as the Fund, and since the Fund will engage the investment advisor currently providing services to the Acquired Fund, Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., as sub-advisor (“Sub-Advisor”), the Fund has adopted the prior performance and financial history of the Acquired Fund. The Fund constitutes a separate investment portfolio with a distinct investment objective and distinct purpose and strategy. The Fund is comprised of multiple classes of shares designed to meet the needs of different groups of investors. This SAI relates to the A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class, and Investor Class shares of the Fund.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

The investment objective and principal investment strategies and risks of the Fund are described in the Prospectus. This section contains additional information about the Fund’s investment policies and risks and types of securities the Fund may purchase. The composition of the Fund’s portfolio and the strategies that the Fund may use in selecting portfolio securities may vary over time. The Fund is not required to use all of the investment strategies described below in pursuing its investment objectives. It may use some of the investment strategies only at some times or it may not use them at all.

Asset-Backed Securities – Asset-backed securities are securities issued by trusts and special purpose entities that are backed by pools of assets, such as automobile and credit-card receivables and home equity loans, which pass through the payments on the underlying obligations to the security holders (less servicing fees paid to the originator or fees for any credit enhancement). Typically, loans or accounts receivable paper are transferred from the originator to a specially created trust, which repackages the trust’s interests as securities with a minimum denomination and a specific term. The securities are then privately placed or publicly offered. Examples include certificates for automobile receivables and so-called plastic bonds, backed by credit card receivables. The Fund is permitted to invest in asset-backed securities, subject to the Fund’s rating and quality requirements.

The value of an asset-backed security is affected by, among other things, changes in the market’s perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans and the financial institution providing any credit enhancement. Payments of principal and interest passed through to holders of asset-backed securities are frequently supported by some form of credit enhancement, such as a letter of credit, surety bond, limited guarantee by another entity or by having a priority to certain of the borrower’s other assets. The degree of credit enhancement varies, and generally applies to only a portion of the asset-backed security’s par value. Value is also affected if any credit enhancement has been exhausted.

Borrowing Risks – The Fund may borrow money in an amount up to one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) from banks and other financial institutions. The Fund may also borrow for temporary purposes. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the Fund’s NAV and in its total return. Interest expense and other fees associated with borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return.

Cash Equivalents – Cash equivalents include time deposits, certificates of deposit, bearer deposit notes, bankers’ acceptances, government obligations, commercial paper, short-term corporate debt securities and repurchase agreements.

Bankers’ acceptances are short-term credit instruments designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then “accepted” by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.

Certificates of deposit (“CDs”) are issued against funds deposited in an eligible bank (including its domestic and foreign branches, subsidiaries and agencies), are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable. U.S. dollar denominated CDs issued by banks abroad are known as Eurodollar CDs. CDs issued by foreign branches of U.S. banks are known as Yankee dollar CDs.


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Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.

Commercial Paper – The Fund may invest in commercial paper and other short-term notes. Commercial paper refers to promissory notes representing an unsecured debt of a corporation or finance company with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days. A variable amount master demand note (which is a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender pursuant to which the lender may determine to invest varying amounts.

Common Stock – Common stock generally takes the form of shares in a corporation which represent an ownership interest. It ranks below preferred stock and debt securities in claims for dividends and for assets of the company in a liquidation or bankruptcy. The value of a company’s common stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or decreased demand the company’s products or services. A stock’s value may also decline because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or sector. The price of a company’s stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or industry regulation. Companies that pay dividends on their common stock generally only do so after they invest in their own business and make required payments to bondholders and on other debt and preferred stock. Therefore, the value of a company’s common stock will usually be more volatile than its bonds, other debt and preferred stock. Common stock may be exchange-traded or over-the-counter. Over the counter stock may be less liquid than exchange-traded stock.

Convertible Securities – Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuer’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. Holders of convertible securities have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders, but may be subordinated to holders of similar non-convertible securities of the same issuer. Because of the conversion feature, the Manager may consider some convertible securities to be equity equivalents.

Cover and Asset Segregation – The Fund may make investments or employ trading practices that obligate the Fund, on a fixed or contingent basis, to deliver an asset or make a cash payment to another party in the future. The Fund will comply with guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and other applicable regulatory bodies with respect to coverage of certain investments and trading practices. This guidance requires segregation (which may include earmarking) by the Fund of cash or liquid securities with its custodian or a designated sub-custodian to the extent the Fund’s obligations with respect to these strategies are not otherwise “covered” through ownership of the underlying security or financial instrument or by offsetting portfolio positions.

For example, if the Fund enters into a currency forward contract to sell foreign currency on a future date, the Fund may cover its obligation to deliver the foreign currency by segregating cash or liquid securities having a value at least equal to the value of the deliverable currency. Alternatively, the Fund could cover its obligation by entering into an offsetting transaction to acquire an amount of foreign currency at least equal to the deliverable amount at a price at or below the sale price received by the Fund under the currency forward contract.

The Fund’s approach to asset coverage may vary among different types of investments. With respect to most investments, the Fund calculates the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis” (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid by the Fund based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligation, if any, under a

 

2


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swap agreement will generally be covered by segregating cash or liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal the amount, if any, that the Fund would owe, based on current market values, of all swaps with the same counterparty were terminated. To the extent that the obligations of the parties under these swaps are not calculated on a net basis, the amount segregated will be the full amount of the Fund’s obligations, if any.

With respect to credit default swaps, typically, if the Fund enters into a credit default swap as the buyer of credit protection, then it will earmark or otherwise segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities at least equal to any accrued payment or delivery obligations under the swap. Alternatively, if the Fund enters into a credit default swap as the seller of credit protection, then the Fund will earmark or otherwise segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities at least equal to the full notional amount of the swap. Alternatively, the Fund could cover its obligation by other means consistent with applicable regulatory policies.

Inasmuch as the Fund covers its obligations under these transactions as described above, the Manager and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities. Earmarking or otherwise segregating a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede the sub-advisor’s ability to manage the Fund’s portfolio.

Depositary Receipts – American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) – ADRs are depositary receipts for foreign issuers in registered form traded in U.S. securities markets. Depositary receipts may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Investing in depositary receipts entails substantially the same risks as direct investment in foreign securities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. In addition, such companies may use different accounting and financial standards (and certain currencies may become unavailable for transfer from a foreign currency), resulting in the Fund’s possible inability to convert immediately into U.S. currency proceeds realized upon the sale of portfolio securities of the affected foreign companies. In addition, the Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts, the issuers of which are not obligated to disclose material information about the underlying securities to investors in the United States. Ownership of unsponsored depositary receipts may not entitle the Fund to the same benefits and rights as ownership of a sponsored depositary receipt or the underlying security. Please see “Foreign Securities” below for a description of the risks associated with investments in foreign securities.

Fixed-Income Securities – The Fund may hold debt, including corporate debt, and other fixed-income securities. Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause the Fund’s net asset value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed-income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. For example, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, they also tend to be more sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates and are therefore more volatile than shorter-term securities and are subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the credit strength of an issuer of a fixed-income security will weaken and/or that the issuer will be unable to make timely principal and interest payments and that the security may go into default. In addition, there is prepayment risk, which is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, certain fixed-income securities with higher interest rates, such as mortgage- and asset-backed securities, may be prepaid by their issuers thereby reducing the amount of interest payments. This may result in the Fund having to reinvest its proceeds in lower yielding securities. Securities underlying mortgage- and asset-backed securities, which may include subprime mortgages, also may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk.

Foreign Securities – The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated foreign securities. For purposes of the Fund’s investments, “foreign securities” means those securities issued by companies: (i) that are domiciled in a country other than the U.S.; and (ii) that derive 50% or more of their total revenue from activities outside of the U.S. The term “foreign securities” would also include American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) issued by companies that meet the preceding criteria. Although the Fund may invest in foreign securities, the Fund normally invests only minimally in foreign securities. Foreign securities carry incremental risk associated with: (1) currency fluctuations; (2) restrictions on, and costs associated with, the exchange of currencies; (3) difficulty in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment abroad; (4) reduced levels of publicly available information concerning issuers; (5) restrictions on foreign investment in other jurisdictions; (6) reduced levels of governmental regulation of foreign securities markets; (7) difficulties in transaction settlements and the effect of this delay on shareholder equity; (8) foreign withholding taxes; (9) political, economic, and similar risks, including expropriation and

 

3


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nationalization; (10) different accounting, auditing, and financial standards; (11) price volatility; and (12) reduced liquidity in foreign markets where the securities also trade. While some of these risks are reduced by investing only in ADRs and foreign securities listed on American exchanges even these foreign securities may carry substantial incremental risk.

Futures Contracts – Futures contracts obligate a purchaser to take delivery of a specific amount of an obligation underlying the futures contract at a specified time in the future for a specified price. Likewise, the seller incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of the underlying obligation against receipt of the specified price. Futures are traded on both U.S. and foreign commodities exchanges. Futures contracts will be traded for the same purposes as entering into forward contracts. The purchase of futures can serve as a long hedge, and the sale of futures can serve as a short hedge.

No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract the Fund is required to deposit “initial deposit” consisting of cash or U.S. Government Securities in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value. Margin must also be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin on futures contracts does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to the Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, the Fund may be required by a futures exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.

Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking-to-market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of the Fund’s obligations to or from a futures broker. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.

Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures contracts may be closed only on a futures exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market. The Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be a liquid secondary market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract.

Although futures contracts by their terms call for the actual delivery or acquisition of securities or currency, in most cases the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract without having to make or take delivery of the securities or currency. The offsetting of a contractual obligation is accomplished by buying (or selling, as appropriate) on a commodities exchange an identical futures contract calling for delivery in the same month. Such a transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the securities or currency. Since all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases or sells futures contracts.

Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract can vary from the previous day’s settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.

If the Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the futures contract or option thereon or to maintain cash or securities in a segregated account.

To the extent that the Fund enters into futures contracts, in each case other than for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”)), the aggregate initial margin will not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any contracts that the Fund has entered into.

 

4


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The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures market, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of securities price or currency exchange rate trends by the sub-advisor may still not result in a successful transaction.

In addition, futures contracts entail risks. Although the use of such contracts may benefit the Fund, if that investment judgment about the general direction of, for example, an index is incorrect, the Fund’s overall performance would be worse than if it had not entered into any such contract. In addition, there are differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives.

Illiquid and Restricted Securities – Generally, an illiquid asset is an asset that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price at which it has been valued.

Section 4(2) securities are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as the Fund, that agree they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with an intention to distribute to the public. Any resale by the purchaser must be pursuant to an exempt transaction and may be accomplished in accordance with Rule 144A. Section 4(2) securities normally are resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers that make a market in the Section 4(2) securities, thus providing liquidity.

The Manager and the Sub-Advisor will carefully monitor the Fund’s investments in Section 4(2) securities offered and sold under Rule 144A, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity, and availability of information. Investments in Section 4(2) securities could have the effect of reducing the Fund’s liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers no longer wish to purchase these restricted securities.

Historically, illiquid securities have included securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the 1933 Act, securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and repurchase agreements having a remaining maturity of longer than seven calendar days. Securities that have not been registered under the 1933 Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. These securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment. However, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of such investments to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of their liquidity.

In recognition of the increased size and liquidity of the institutional market for unregistered securities and the importance of institutional investors in the formation of capital, the SEC has adopted Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A is designed to facilitate efficient trading among institutional investors by permitting the sale of certain unregistered securities to qualified institutional buyers. To the extent privately placed securities held by the Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, that Fund likely will be able to dispose of the securities without registering them under the 1933 Act. To the extent that institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities, investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of the Fund’s illiquidity. The Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, acting under guidelines established by the Board, may determine that certain securities qualified for trading under Rule 144A are liquid. Regulation S under the 1933 Act permits the sale abroad of securities that are not registered for sale in the United States.

Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven calendar days. In addition, the Fund may

 

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get only limited information about an issuer, so it may be less able to predict a loss. The Fund also might have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.

Index Futures Contracts and Options on Index Futures Contracts – The Fund may invest in index futures contracts, options on index futures contracts and options on securities indices. The Fund may invest in index futures contracts for investment purposes, including for short term cash management purposes.

Index Futures Contracts – U.S. futures contracts traded on exchanges that have been designated “contracts markets” by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant, or brokerage firm, which is a member of the relevant contract market. Futures contracts trade on a number of exchange markets.

At the same time a futures contract on an index is purchased or sold, the Fund must allocate cash or securities as a deposit payment (“initial deposit”). It is expected that the initial deposit would be approximately 2% to 5% of a contract’s face value. Daily thereafter, the futures contract is valued and the payment of “variation margin” may be required.

Options on Index Futures Contracts – The purchase of a call option on an index futures contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call option on such an index.

The writing of a call option on a futures contract with respect to an index constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the underlying securities that are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund’s holdings. The writing of a put option on an index futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the underlying securities that are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities that the Fund intends to purchase. If a put or call option the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will incur a loss that will be reduced by the amount of the premium it receives. Depending on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of its portfolio securities and changes in the value of its futures positions, the Fund’s losses or gains from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities.

The purchase of a put option on a futures contract with respect to an index is similar in some respects to the purchase of protective put options on the Index. For example, the Fund may purchase a put option on an index futures contract to hedge against the risk of lowering securities values.

The amount of risk the Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract with respect to an index is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of such an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased.

Futures Contracts on Stock Indices – The Fund may enter into contracts providing for the making and acceptance of a cash settlement based upon changes in the value of an index of securities (“Index Futures Contracts”). This investment technique is used only to hedge against anticipated future change in general market prices which otherwise might either adversely affect the value of securities held by the Fund or adversely affect the prices of securities which are intended to be purchased at a later date for the Fund.

In general, each transaction in Index Futures Contracts involves the establishment of a position that will move in a direction opposite to that of the investment being hedged. If these hedging transactions are successful, the futures positions taken for the Fund will rise in value by an amount that approximately offsets the decline in value of the portion of the Fund’s investments that are being hedged. Should general market prices move in an unexpected manner, the full anticipated benefits of Index Futures Contracts may not be achieved or a loss may be realized.

Transactions in Index Futures Contracts involve certain risks. These risks could include a lack of correlation between the Futures Contract and the equity market, a potential lack of liquidity in the secondary market and incorrect assessments of market trends, which may result in worse overall performance than if a Futures Contract had not been entered into.

 

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Brokerage costs will be incurred and “margin” will be required to be posted and maintained as a good-faith deposit against performance of obligations under Futures Contracts written into by the Fund.

Options on Securities Indices – The Fund may write (sell) covered call and put options to a limited extent on an index (“covered options”) in an attempt to increase income. Such options give the holder the right to receive a cash settlement during the term of the option based upon the difference between the exercise price and the value of the index. The Fund may forgo the benefits of appreciation on the index or may pay more than the market price for the index pursuant to call and put options written by the Fund.

By writing a covered call option, the Fund forgoes, in exchange for the premium less the commission (“net premium”), the opportunity to profit during the option period from an increase in the market value of an index above the exercise price. By writing a put option, the Fund, in exchange for the net premium received, accept the risk of a decline in the market value of the index below the exercise price.

The Fund may terminate its obligation as the writer of a call or put option by purchasing an option with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option previously written.

When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the net premium received by the Fund is included in the liability section of the Fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a deferred credit. The amount of the deferred credit will be subsequently marked to market to reflect the current market value of the option written. The current market value of a traded option is the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, the mean between the closing bid and asked price. If an option expires unexercised on its stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, the Fund will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received when the option was sold), and the deferred credit related to such option will be eliminated.

The Fund has adopted certain other non-fundamental policies concerning index option transactions that are discussed above.

The hours of trading for options on an index may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying securities markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets. It is impossible to predict the volume of trading that may exist in such options, and there can be no assurance that viable exchange markets will develop or continue.

Because options on securities indices require settlement in cash or the sub-advisor may be forced to liquidate portfolio securities to meet settlement obligations.

Options on Stock Indices – The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on stock indices listed on stock exchanges. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included in the index. Options on stock indices generally are similar to options on stock except that the delivery requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount” equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed “index multiplier.” The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The writer may offset its position in stock index options prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or the option may expire unexercised.

Because the value of an index option depends upon movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or, in the case of certain indices, in an industry or market segment, rather than movements in the price of a particular stock.

Initial Public Offerings – The Fund can invest in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). By definition, securities issued in IPOs have not traded publicly until the time of their offerings. Special risks associated with IPOs may include, among others, the fact that there may only be a limited number of shares available for trading. The market for those securities may be unseasoned. The issuer may have a limited operating history. These factors may contribute to price volatility. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may also make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. In addition, some companies initially offering their shares publicly are involved in relatively new

 

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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 state companies, without revenues or operating income, or the near-term prospects of them. Many IPOs are by small- or micro-cap companies that are undercapitalized.

Interests in Publicly Traded Limited Partnerships – The Fund may invest in interests in publicly traded limited partnerships (limited partnership interests or units) which represent equity interests in the assets and earnings of the partnership’s trade or business. Unlike common stock in a corporation, limited partnership interests have limited or no voting rights. However, many of the risks of investing in common stocks are still applicable to investments in limited partnership interests. In addition, limited partnership interests are subject to risks not present in common stock. For example, interest income generated from limited partnerships deemed not to be ‘publicly traded’ will not be considered ‘qualifying income’ under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Internal Revenue Code”) and may trigger adverse tax consequences. Also, since publicly traded limited partnerships are a less common form of organizational structure than corporations, the limited partnership units may be less liquid than publicly traded common stock. Also, because of the difference in organizational structure, the fair value of limited partnership units in the Fund’s portfolio may be based either upon the current market price of such units, or if there is no current market price, upon the pro rata value of the underlying assets of the partnership. Limited partnership units also have the risk that the limited partnership might, under certain circumstances, be treated as a general partnership giving rise to broader liability exposure to the limited partners for activities of the partnership. Further, the general partners of a limited partnership may be able to significantly change the business or asset structure of a limited partnership without the limited partners having any ability to disapprove any such changes. In certain limited partnerships, limited partners may also be required to return distributions previously made in the event that excess distributions have been made by the partnership, or in the event that the general partners, or their affiliates, are entitled to indemnification.

Interfund Lending – Pursuant to an order issued by the SEC, the American Beacon Funds may participate in a credit facility whereby each American Beacon Fund, under certain conditions, is permitted to lend money directly to and borrow directly from other American Beacon Funds for temporary purposes. The credit facility can provide a borrowing fund with significant savings at times when the cash position of a fund is insufficient to meet temporary cash requirements. This situation could arise when shareholder redemptions exceed anticipated volumes and certain funds have insufficient cash on hand to satisfy such redemptions. When the funds liquidate portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, they often do not receive payment in settlement for up to three days (or longer for certain foreign transactions). However, redemption requests normally are satisfied immediately. The credit facility provides a source of immediate, short-term liquidity pending settlement of the sale of portfolio securities.

The credit facility will reduce the Fund’s potential borrowing costs and enhance the ability of the lending Funds to earn higher rates of interest on their short-term lending. Although the credit facility will reduce the Fund’s need to borrow from banks, the Fund remains free to establish lines of credit or other borrowing arrangements with banks.

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.

Limited Liability Companies – The Fund may purchase securities of entities such as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts and companies organized outside the United States. These securities are comparable to common or preferred stock.

Loan Transactions – Loan transactions involve the lending of securities to a broker-dealer or institutional investor for its use in connection with short sales, arbitrages or other security transactions. The purpose of a qualified loan transaction is to afford a lender the opportunity to continue to earn income on the securities loaned and at the same time earn fee income or income on the collateral held by it.

Securities loans will be made in accordance with the following conditions: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and approved bank letters of credit; (2) the borrower must increase the collateral whenever the market value of the loaned securities (determined on a daily basis) rises above the level of collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan after notice, at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan or a flat fee from the borrower, as well as amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the securities loaned, and any increase in market value of the loaned securities; (5) the Fund

 

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may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; and (6) voting rights on the securities loaned may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event affecting the investment occurs, the Board must be able to terminate the loan and vote proxies or enter into an alternative arrangement with the borrower to enable the Board as appropriate, to vote proxies.

While there may be delays in recovery of loaned securities or even a loss of rights in collateral supplied should the borrower fail financially, loans will be made only to firms deemed by the Board to be of good financial standing and will not be made unless the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there is a risk of delay in recovery of the securities loaned or loss of rights in the collateral. Such loan transactions are referred to in this Statement of Additional Information as “qualified” loan transactions.

The cash collateral so acquired through qualified loan transactions may be invested only in those categories of high quality liquid securities previously authorized by the Board.

Market Events — Turbulence in the financial sector has resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets. Both domestic and foreign equity markets have been experiencing increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions could continue. The U.S. Government has taken a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity.

Reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in small or emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their stock prices. These events and possible continued market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the Fund.

Master Demand Notes – Master demand notes are direct arrangements of obligations, between a lender and a corporate borrower, that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest. They permit daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The lender has the right to increase or decrease the amount it lends under the note at any time, up to the full amount provided by the note agreement. The borrower may prepay up to the full amount of the note without penalty. These notes may or may not be backed by bank letters of credit.

These notes are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower and there is no secondary market for them. The principal plus accrued interest is redeemable at any time, however. This right to redeem the notes depends on the ability of the borrower to make the specified payment on demand. The sub-advisors will consider the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of an issuer, and its ability to pay principal and interest on demand, including a situation in which all holders of such notes make demand simultaneously. Investments in master demand notes are subject to the limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

Mortgage-Backed Securities – Mortgage-backed securities consist of both collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through certificates.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) – CMOs and interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) are debt securities collateralized by mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities. CMOs divide the cash flow generated from the underlying mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities into different groups referred to as “tranches,” which are then retired sequentially over time in order of priority. The principal governmental issuers of such securities are the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), a government sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), a corporate instrumentality of the United States created pursuant to an act of Congress that is owned entirely by the Federal Home Loan Banks. The issuers of CMOs are structured as trusts or corporations established for the purpose of issuing such CMOs and often have no assets other than those underlying the securities and any credit support provided. A REMIC is a mortgage securities vehicle that holds residential or commercial mortgages and issues securities representing interests in those mortgages. A REMIC may be formed as a corporation, partnership, or segregated pool of assets. A REMIC itself is generally exempt from federal income tax, but the income from its mortgages is taxable to its investors. For investment purposes, interests in REMIC securities are virtually indistinguishable from CMOs.

 

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Mortgage Pass-Through Securities – Mortgage pass-through securities are securities representing interests in “pools” of mortgages in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are generally made monthly, in effect “passing through” monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on the residential mortgage loans that underlie the securities (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities). They are issued by governmental, government-related and private organizations which are backed by pools of mortgage loans.

Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the FNMA or the FHLMC, which are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations.

Mortgage pass-through securities created by nongovernmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers.

There are a number of important differences among the agencies, instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises of the U.S. government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they issue. Such agencies and securities include:

(1) GNMA Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (“Ginnie Maes”) – GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmers Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. Ginnie Maes entitle the holder to receive all payments (including prepayments) of principal and interest owed by the individual mortgagors, net of fees paid to GNMA and to the issuer which assembles the mortgage pool and passes through the monthly mortgage payments to the certificate holders (typically, a mortgage banking firm), regardless of whether the individual mortgagor actually makes the payment. Because payments are made to certificate holders regardless of whether payments are actually received on the underlying mortgages, Ginnie Maes are of the “modified pass-through” mortgage certificate type. The GNMA is authorized to guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest on the Ginnie Maes. The GNMA guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and the GNMA has unlimited authority to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under the guarantee. The market for Ginnie Maes is highly liquid because of the size of the market and the active participation in the secondary market of security dealers and a variety of investors.

(2) Mortgage-Related Securities Issued by Private Organizations – Pools created by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payments in such pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools is often partially supported by various enhancements such as over-collateralization and senior/subordination structures and 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 or the mortgage poolers. Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.

(3) FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (“Freddie Macs”) – Freddie Macs represent interests in groups of specified first lien residential conventional mortgages underwritten and owned by the FHLMC. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. The FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. In cases where the FHLMC has not guaranteed timely payment of principal, the FHLMC may remit the amount due because 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. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States or by any of the Federal Home Loan Banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. Please see “Additional Information Regarding Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae” below for further information.

 

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(4) FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (“Fannie Maes”) – Fannie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of conventional mortgage loans secured by first mortgages or deeds of trust, on one family or two to four family, residential properties. The FNMA is obligated to distribute scheduled monthly installments of principal and interest on the mortgages in the pool, whether or not received, plus full principal of any foreclosed or otherwise liquidated mortgages. The obligation of the FNMA under its guarantee is solely its obligation and is not backed by, nor entitled to, the full faith and credit of the United States. Please see “Additional Information Regarding Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae” below for further information.

The U.S. Treasury has historically had the authority to purchase obligations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, in 2008, due to capitalization concerns, Congress provided the U.S. Treasury with additional authority to lend emergency funds to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and to purchase their stock. In September 2008, those capital concerns lead the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) to announce that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed in conservatorship.

Since that time, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage backed securities (“MBS”). The FHFA and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. While the MBS purchase programs ended in 2010, the U.S. Treasury announced in December 2009 that it would continue its support for the entities’ capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth through at least 2012. While the U.S. Treasury is committed to offset negative equity at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae through its preferred stock purchases through 2012, no assurance can be given that any Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, or FHFA initiatives will ensure that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities they issue beyond that date.

In addition, the problems faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. Government support have sparked serious debate among federal policy makers regarding the continued role of the U.S. Government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. The Obama Administration produced a report to Congress on February 11, 2011 outlining a proposal to wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by increasing their guarantee fees, reducing their conforming loan limits (the maximum amount of each loan they are authorized to purchase), and continuing progressive limits on the size of their investment portfolio. Serious discussions among policymakers continue, however, as to whether Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is in serious question as the U.S. Government considers multiple options.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. Many of the risks of investing in commercial mortgage-backed securities reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. Commercial mortgage-backed securities may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.

Other Mortgage-Related Securities. Other mortgage-related securities 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, including mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals or stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBS”). Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

CMO Residuals. CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee 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

 

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cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents 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 CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only (“IO”) class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. See “Other Mortgage-Related Securities–Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities.” 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 changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances the Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual.

CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed “illiquid” and subject to the Fund’s limitations on investment in illiquid securities.

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. SMBS are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or “PO” class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated pre-payments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of the highest rating categories.

Other Investment Company Securities – The Fund at times may invest in shares of other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, business development companies, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs), exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), unit investment trusts, and other investment companies of the Trust. The Fund may invest in investment company securities advised by the Manager or the sub-advisor. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations. These other fees and expenses are reflected as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and are included in the Fees and Expenses Table for the Fund in its prospectus, if applicable. Investment in other investment companies may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such issuer’s portfolio securities.

The Fund can invest free cash balances in registered open-end investment companies regulated as money market funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), to provide liquidity or for defensive purposes. The Fund would invest in money market funds rather than purchasing individual short-term investments. The Fund may choose to invest in mutual funds advised by the Manager or the sub-advisor. The Fund may purchase shares of exchange-traded funds. ETFs trade like a common stock and usually represent a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. Typically, the Fund would purchase ETF shares for the same reason it would purchase (and as an alternative to purchasing) futures contracts: to obtain exposure to all or a portion of the stock or bond market. ETF shares enjoy several advantages over futures. Depending on the market, the holding period, and other factors, ETF shares can be less costly and more tax-efficient than futures. In addition, ETF shares can be purchased for smaller sums, offer exposure to market sectors and styles for which there is no suitable or liquid futures contract, and do not involve leverage. As a shareholder of an ETF,

 

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the Fund would be subject to its ratable share of ETFs expenses, including its advisory and administration expenses. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional mutual fund (i.e., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount to their net asset value; (2) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) 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 the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. Most ETFs are investment companies. Therefore, the Fund’s purchases of ETF shares generally are subject to the limitations on, and the risks of, the Fund’s investments in other investment companies, which are described below.

The Fund may also invest in exchange traded notes, which are structured debt securities. Whereas ETFs’ liabilities are secured by their portfolio securities, ETNs’ liabilities are unsecured general obligations of the issuer. Most ETFs and ETNs are designed to track a particular market segment or index. ETFs and ETNs have expenses associated with their operation, typically including, with respect to ETFs, advisory fees.

Preferred Stock – A preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed or variable rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Preferred stocks are subject to the risks associated with other types of equity securities, as well as additional risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, potentially greater volatility and risks related to deferral, non-cumulative dividends, subordination, liquidity, limited voting rights, and special redemption rights.

Real Estate Related Investments – The Fund may gain exposure to the real estate sector by investing in real estate-linked derivatives, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and common, preferred and convertible securities of issuers in real estate-related industries. Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. Investing in securities issued by real estate and real estate-related companies may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Changes in interest rates, debt leverage ratios, debt maturity schedules, and the availability of credit to real estate companies may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in real estate securities. Real estate securities are dependent upon specialized management skills at the operating company level, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of properties. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. The real estate industry tends to be cyclical. Such cycles may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund will indirectly bear a proportionate share of a REIT’s ongoing operating fees and expense. In addition, U.S.-qualified REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to a) qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) and b) maintain exemption eligibility from the investment company registration requirements.

Repurchase Agreements – A repurchase agreement is a fixed income security in the form of an agreement between the Fund as purchaser and an approved counterparty as seller. The agreement is backed by collateral in the form of securities and/or cash transferred by the seller to the buyer to be held by an eligible third-party custodian. Under the agreement the Fund acquires securities from the seller and the seller simultaneously commits to repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price and date, normally within a week. The price for the seller to repurchase the securities is greater than the Fund’s purchase price, reflecting an agreed upon “interest rate” that is effective for the period of time the purchaser’s money is invested in the security. During the term of the repurchase agreement, the Fund monitors on a daily basis the market value of the collateral subject to the agreement and, if the market value of the securities falls below the seller’s repurchase amount provided under the repurchase agreement, the seller is required to transfer additional securities or cash collateral equal to the amount by which the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase amount. Because a repurchase agreement permits the Fund to invest temporarily available cash on a fully-collateralized basis, repurchase agreements permit the Fund to earn income while retaining “overnight” flexibility in pursuit of longer-term investments. Repurchase agreements may exhibit the economic characteristics of loans by the Fund.

The obligation of the seller under the repurchase agreement is not guaranteed, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the underlying securities, whether because of the seller’s bankruptcy or otherwise. In such event the Fund would attempt to exercise its rights with respect to the underlying collateral,

 

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including possible sale of the securities. The Fund may incur various expenses in the connection with the exercise of its rights and may be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines in the value of the underlying collateral, (b) possible reduction in levels of income and (c) lack of access to the securities (if they are held through a third-party custodian) and possible inability to enforce the Portfolio’s rights. The Fund’s Board of Trustees has established procedures pursuant to which the sub-advisor monitors the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreement transactions.

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with member banks of the Federal Reserve System or registered broker-dealers who, in the opinion of the Manager or the sub-advisor, present a minimal risk of default during the term of the agreement. The underlying securities which serve as collateral for repurchase agreements may include equity and fixed income securities such as U.S. government and agency securities, municipal obligations, asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, common and preferred stock, American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds, corporate obligations and convertible securities.

Rights and Warrants – Rights are short-term warrants issued in conjunction with new stock or bond issues. Warrants are options to purchase an issuer’s securities at a stated price during a stated term. If the market price of the underlying common stock does not exceed the warrant’s exercise price during the life of the warrant, the warrant will expire worthless. Warrants usually have no voting rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the value of a warrant may be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the value of the underlying common stock. Warrants may be purchased with values that vary depending on the change in value of one or more specified indexes (“index warrants”). Index warrants are generally issued by banks or other financial institutions and give the holder the right, at any time during the term of the warrant, to receive upon exercise of the warrant a cash payment from the issuer based on the value of the underlying index at the time of the exercise. The market for warrants or rights may be very limited and it may be difficult to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. There is no specific limit on the percentage of assets the Fund may invest in rights and warrants.

U.S. Government Agency Securities – U.S. Government agency securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. Some obligations issued by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others by discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. U.S. Government securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest. While the U.S. Government currently provides financial support to certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, since it is not so obligated by law. U.S. Government securities include U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds, Federal Home Loan Bank obligations, Federal Intermediate Credit Bank obligations, U.S. Government agency obligations and repurchase agreements secured thereby. U.S. Government agency securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.

U.S. Treasury Obligations – U.S. Treasury obligations include bills (initial maturities of one year or less), notes (initial maturities between two and ten years), and bonds (initial maturities over ten years) issued by the U.S. Treasury, Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal component parts of such obligations known as STRIPS and inflation-indexed securities. The prices of these securities (like all debt securities) change between issuance and maturity in response to fluctuating market interest rates. U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

In addition to the investment strategies and risks described in the Prospectus, the Fund may:

1. Engage in dollar rolls or purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. The purchase or sale of when-issued securities enables an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices by locking in an attractive price or yield. The price of when-issued securities is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase or sell is made, but delivery and payment for the when-issued securities takes place at a later date, normally one to two months after the date of purchase. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the purchaser to the issuer and no interest accrues to the purchaser. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the

 

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security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Dollar rolls are a type of forward commitment transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a forward commitment basis involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. As with when-issued securities, these transactions involve certain risks, but they also enable an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued. When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a segregated amount of liquid assets at least equal to the value of purchase commitments for such securities will be maintained until the settlement date.

2. Invest in other investment companies (including affiliated investment companies) to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), or exemptive relief granted by the SEC.

3. Loan securities to broker-dealers or other institutional investors. Securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by the Fund exceeds 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the market value of collateral received). For purposes of complying with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions, collateral received in connection with securities loans is deemed an asset of the Fund to the extent required by law.

4. Enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which securities are acquired by the Fund from a securities dealer or bank subject to resale at an agreed upon price on a later date. The acquiring Fund bears a risk of loss in the event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities. However, the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, attempts to minimize this risk by entering into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions that are deemed to be of good financial standing.

5. Purchase securities in private placement offerings made in reliance on the “private placement” exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”), and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Section 4(2) securities”). The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in Section 4(2) securities and illiquid securities unless the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, determines, by continuous reference to the appropriate trading markets and pursuant to guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) that any Section 4(2) securities held by such Fund in excess of this level are at all times liquid.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Fundamental Policies. The Fund has the following fundamental investment policy that enables it to invest in another investment company or series thereof that has substantially similar investment objectives and policies:

Notwithstanding any other limitation, the Fund may invest all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objectives, policies and limitations as the Fund. For this purpose, “all of the Fund’s investable assets” means that the only investment securities that will be held by the Fund will be the Fund’s interest in the investment company.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions. The following discusses the investment policies of the Fund and the Board.

In addition to the investment objectives noted in the Prospectus, the following restrictions have been adopted by the Fund and may be changed with respect to the Fund only by the majority vote of the Fund’s outstanding interests. “Majority of the outstanding voting securities” under the 1940 Act and as used herein means, with respect to the Fund, the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present and represented at the shareholders’ meeting or (b) more than 50% of the shares of the Fund.

 

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The Fund may not:

1. Purchase or sell real estate or real estate limited partnership interests, provided, however, that the Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein when consistent with the other policies and limitations described in the Prospectus.

2. Invest in physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling foreign currency, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars, securities on a forward-commitment or delayed-delivery basis, and other similar financial instruments).

3. Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of securities, the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under federal securities law.

4. Lend any security or make any other loan except (i) as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, (iii) through the purchase of a portion of an issue of debt securities in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and limitations, or (iv) by engaging in repurchase agreements.

5. Issue any senior security except as otherwise permitted (i) under the 1940 Act or (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff.

6. Borrow money, except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, including (i) as a temporary measure, (ii) by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, and (iii) by lending portfolio securities as collateral. For purposes of this investment limitation, the purchase or sale of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and other similar financial instruments shall not constitute borrowing.

7. Invest more than 5% of its total assets (taken at market value) in securities of any one issuer, other than obligations issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or purchase more than 10% of the voting securities of any one issuer, with respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets.

8. Invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of companies primarily engaged in any one industry provided that: (i) this limitation does not apply to obligations issued by U.S. agencies; and (ii) tax-exempt municipalities and their agencies and authorities are not deemed to be industries.

The above percentage limits are based upon asset values at the time of the applicable transaction; accordingly, a subsequent change in asset values will not affect a transaction that was in compliance with the investment restrictions at the time such transaction was effected.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions. The following non-fundamental investment restrictions apply to the Fund (except where noted otherwise) and may be changed with respect to the Fund by a vote of a majority of the Board. The Fund may not:

1. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including time deposits and repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days; or

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short term credits as necessary for the clearance of transactions, and (2) the Fund may make margin payments in connection with foreign currency, futures contracts, options, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars, securities purchased or sold on a forward-commitment or delayed-delivery basis or other financial instruments.

All percentage limitations on investments, except with regard to illiquid securities which is an ongoing obligation, will apply at the time of the making of an investment and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such investment. Except for the investment restrictions listed above as fundamental or to the extent designated as such in the Prospectus with respect to the Fund, the other investment policies described in this SAI or in the Prospectus are not fundamental and may be changed by approval of the Trustees.

 

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TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE AND INTERIM INVESTMENTS

In times of unstable or adverse market, economic, political or other conditions where the Manager or the sub-advisor believes it appropriate and in the Fund’s best interest, the Fund can invest up to 100% in cash or other type of securities for defensive or temporary purposes. It can also hold cash or purchase these types of securities for liquidity purposes to meet cash needs due to redemptions of Fund shares, or to hold while waiting to invest cash received from purchases of Fund shares or the sale of other portfolio securities.

These temporary investments can include (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short term category by a rating organization; (iii) domestic, Yankee and Eurodollar certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances of banks rated in the highest short term category by a rating organization; (iv) any of the foregoing securities that mature in one year or less (generally known as “cash equivalents”); (v) other short-term corporate debt obligations; (vi) repurchase agreements; (vii) futures; or (viii) shares of other investment companies, including open-end funds, exchange-traded funds, or money market funds, including investment companies advised by the Manager or sub-advisor.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

Portfolio turnover is a measure of trading activity in a portfolio of securities, usually calculated over a period of one year. The rate is calculated by dividing the lesser amount of purchases or sales of securities by the average amount of securities held over the period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would indicate that the Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. High portfolio turnover can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and generate additional capital gains or losses.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Fund publicly discloses portfolio holdings information as follows:

 

  1. a complete list of holdings for the Fund on an annual and semi-annual basis in the reports to shareholders within sixty days of the end of each fiscal semi-annual period and in publicly available filings of Form N-CSR with the SEC within ten days of the end of each fiscal semi-annual period;

 

  2. a complete list of holdings for the Fund as of the end of its first and third fiscal quarters in publicly available filings of Form N-Q with the SEC within sixty days of the end of the fiscal quarter;

 

  3. a complete list of holdings for the Fund as of the end of each quarter on the Fund’s website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) approximately sixty days after the end of the quarter; and

 

  4. ten largest holdings for the Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Fund’s website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) and in sales materials approximately fifteen days after the end of the calendar quarter.

Public disclosure of the Fund’s holdings on the website and in sales materials may be delayed when the sub-advisor informs the Manager that such disclosure could be harmful to the Fund. In addition, individual holdings may be omitted from website and sales material disclosure, when such omission is deemed to be in the Fund’s best interest.

Occasionally, certain interested parties – including individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries that distribute shares of the Fund, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations, and others – may request portfolio holdings information that has not yet been publicly disclosed by the Fund. As a policy, the Fund controls the disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information in an attempt to prevent parties from utilizing such information to engage in trading activity harmful to Fund shareholders. To this end, the Board has adopted a Policy and Procedures for Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information (the “Holdings Policy”). The purpose of the Holdings Policy is to define those interested parties who are authorized to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information on a selective basis and to set forth conditions upon which such information may be provided. In general, nonpublic portfolio holdings may be disclosed on a selective basis only where it is determined that (i) there is a legitimate business purpose for the information, (ii) recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information; and (iii) disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.

 

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Third Party Service Providers. The Fund has ongoing arrangements with third party service providers that require access to holdings to provide services necessary to the Fund’s operations (“service providers”). These service providers routinely receive complete portfolio holdings information prior to the public disclosure of such information. The service providers have a duty to keep the Fund’s nonpublic information confidential either through written contractual arrangements with the Manager and the Fund or by the nature of their role with respect to the Fund. The Fund has determined that complete disclosure of nonpublic holdings information to the following categories of service providers fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders: investment managers, custodian banks, pricing services, fund accounting agents, and independent registered public accounting firms. The Fund has ongoing arrangements to provide nonpublic holdings information to the following service providers: the Manager, the sub-advisor, State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), Glass Lewis & Co. LLC (“Glass Lewis”) and Ernst & Young LLP (“Ernst & Young”). State Street serves as the Trust’s custodian, accounting, and pricing agent. State Street has access to complete Fund holdings on a daily basis with no lag. The Manager and the sub-advisor serve as investment managers to the Fund and have access to complete holdings on an intraday basis with no lag. Ernst & Young serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and has access to the complete list of holdings on an annual basis with no lag. In addition, Ernst & Young may be provided with holdings information on an ad hoc basis when the Manager seeks their advice on matters related to those holdings.

Certain third parties are provided with nonpublic information on particular holdings (not a complete list) on an ad hoc basis. These third parties include: proxy voting research providers, broker-dealers, borrowers of the Fund’s portfolio securities, legal counsel, and issuers (or their agents). The Fund’s proxy voting research provider receives holdings information for securities that are soliciting shareholder votes, and the holdings information may be as recent as prior day. Broker-dealers utilized by the Fund in the process of purchasing and selling portfolio securities receive limited holdings information on a current basis with no lag. The Manager may provide holdings information to legal counsel when seeking advice regarding those holdings. From time to time, an issuer (or its agent) may contact the Fund requesting confirmation of ownership of the issuer’s securities. Such holdings information is provided to the issuer (or its agent) as of the date requested. The Fund does not have written contractual arrangements with these third parties regarding the confidentiality of the holdings information. However, the Fund would not continue to utilize a third party that the Manager determined to have misused nonpublic holdings information.

Rating and Ranking Organizations. The Fund has ongoing arrangements to provide periodic holdings information to certain organizations that publish ratings and/or rankings for the Fund. The Fund has determined that selective and complete disclosure of holdings information to rating and ranking organizations fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders, as it provides existing and potential shareholders with an independent basis for evaluating the Fund in comparison to other mutual funds. The Fund has the following arrangements with rating and ranking organizations for periodic disclosure of holdings and other related portfolio information:

 

Organization

  

Frequency of Disclosure

  

Lag

Bloomberg    Quarterly    Day following disclosure on Fund’s website
Lipper/Reuters    Monthly    5 business days
Morningstar    Monthly    Day following disclosure on Fund’s website

The rating and ranking organizations receiving fund holdings information prior to disclosure on the Fund’s website have provided written assurances that they will keep the information confidential and will not trade based on the information. For those rating and ranking organizations that have not provided such assurances, the Fund withholds disclosure of fund holdings information until the day following disclosure on the Fund’s website.

Selective Disclosure. Selective disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to parties other than rating and ranking organizations or service providers must meet all of the following conditions:

 

  1. Recipients of portfolio holdings information must agree in writing to keep the information confidential until it has been posted to the Fund’s website and not to trade based on the information;

 

  2. Holdings may only be disclosed as of a month-end date;

 

  3. No compensation may be paid to the Fund, the Manager or any other party in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities; and

 

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  4. A member of the Manager’s Compliance Department must approve requests for nonpublic holdings information.

In determining whether to approve a request for portfolio holdings disclosure, the Compliance Department shall consider the type of requestor and its relationship to the Fund, the stated reason for the request, any historical pattern of requests from that same individual or entity, the style and strategy of the Fund for which holdings have been requested (e.g. passive versus active management), whether the Fund is managed by one or multiple investment managers, and any other factors it deems relevant. In its analysis, the Compliance Department shall attempt to uncover any apparent conflict between the interests of Fund shareholders on the one hand and those of the Manager or any affiliated person of the Fund on the other. For example, the Compliance Department will inquire whether the Manager has entered into any special arrangements with the requestor to share nonpublic portfolio holdings information in exchange for a substantial investment in the Fund or other products managed by the Manager. Any potential conflicts between shareholders and affiliated persons of the Fund that arise as a result of a request for portfolio holdings information shall be decided by the Manager in the best interests of shareholders. However, if a conflict exists between the interests of shareholders and the Manager, the Manager will present the details of the request to the Board who will either approve or deny the request. On a quarterly basis, the Manager will prepare a report for the Board outlining the requests for selective disclosure that were approved during the period.

The Compliance Department will determine whether a historical pattern of requests by the same individual or entity constitutes an “ongoing arrangement” and thus requires disclosure in the SAI.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

The Board of Trustees

The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall management and operations of the Trust and the Fund, which includes the general oversight and review of the Fund’s investment activities, in accordance with federal law and the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as the stated policies of the Fund. The Board oversees the Trust’s officers and service providers, including American Beacon Advisors, Inc., which is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Fund based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers, including American Beacon’s investment personnel and the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Board also is assisted by the Trust’s independent auditor (who reports directly to the Trust’s Audit and Compliance Committee), independent counsel and other experts as appropriate, all of whom are selected by the Board.

Risk Oversight

Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and its Fund, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Fund. American Beacon, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Fund, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Fund. The Board, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, also separately considers potential risks that may impact the Fund. The Board performs this risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees (described above) and through the Independent Trustees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board’s oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Fund.

In general, the Fund’s risks include, among others, investment risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and operational risk. The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address these and other risks to the Trust and the Fund. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, American Beacon, the Fund’s investment adviser, and other service providers to the Fund have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks to the Fund. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Further, American Beacon as manager of the Fund oversees and regularly monitors the investments, operations and compliance of the Fund’s investment advisers.

The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Fund through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. Senior officers of the Trust, and senior officers of American Beacon, and the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) regularly report to the Board on a range of matters, including those relating to risk management. The Board and the Investment Committee also regularly receive reports from American Beacon with respect to the investments, securities

 

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trading and securities lending activities of the Fund. In addition to regular reports from American Beacon, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust, either directly or through American Beacon or the Fund’s CCO, on a periodic or regular basis. At least annually, the Board receives a report from the Fund’s CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Fund’s compliance program. Also, on an annual basis, the Board receives reports, presentations and other information from American Beacon in connection with the Board’s consideration of the renewal of each of the Trust’s agreements with American Beacon and the Trust’s distribution plans under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

Senior officers of the Trust and senior officers of American Beacon also report regularly to the Audit and Compliance Committee on Fund valuation matters and on the Trust’s internal controls and accounting and financial reporting policies and practices. In addition, the Audit and Compliance Committee receives regular reports from the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Independent Trustees meet with the Fund’s CCO to discuss matters relating to the Fund’s compliance program.

Board Structure and Related Matters

Board members who are not “interested persons” of the Fund as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”) constitute at least two-thirds of the Board. Richard A. Massman, an Independent Trustee, serves as Independent Chair of the Board. The Independent Chair’s responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and Interested Trustees; and serving as a liaison with other Trustees, the Trust’s officers and other management personnel, and counsel to the Fund. The Independent Chair shall perform such other duties as the Board may from time to time determine.

The Trustees discharge their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which operates pursuant to a charter approved by the Board that delineates the specific responsibilities of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit and Compliance Committee, the Investment Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. For example, the Investment Committee is responsible for oversight of the annual process by which the Board considers and approves the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with American Beacon, but specific matters related to oversight of the Fund’s independent auditors have been delegated by the Board to its Audit and Compliance Committee, subject to approval of the Audit and Compliance Committee’s recommendations by the Board. The members and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized below.

The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair position and its committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Fund, the number of funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Fund’s operations, the number of Trustees, and the Board’s responsibilities. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of the Board and each if its committees, the Trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of funds in the complex.

The Trust is part of the American Beacon Funds Complex, which is comprised of the 21 portfolios within the Trust, 2 portfolios within the American Beacon Select Funds and 1 portfolio within American Beacon Mileage Funds, and 1 portfolio within the American Beacon Master Trust. The same persons who constitute the Board also constitute the respective boards of trustees of American Beacon Select Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust.

The Board holds four regularly scheduled meetings each year. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees also hold at least one in-person meeting each year during a portion of which management is not present and may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.

The Trustees of the Trust are identified in the tables below, which provide information as to their principal business occupations held during the last five years and certain other information. Subject to the Trustee Emeritus and Retirement Policy described below, a Trustee serves until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. The address of each Trustee listed below is 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term or until his or her resignation, retirement*, or removal.

 

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Name (Age)

  

Position and Length of
Time Served with the
Trust

  

Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships During Past 5 Years

INTERESTED TRUSTEES

Alan D. Feld** (75)

   Trustee since 1996    Sole Shareholder of a professional corporation which is a Partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP (law firm) (1960-Present); Director, Clear Channel Communications (1984-2008); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (1996-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (1999-Present).

NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES

     

W. Humphrey Bogart (67)

   Trustee since 2004    Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2004-Present).

Brenda A. Cline (51)

   Trustee since 2004    Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, Kimbell Art Foundation (1993-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2004-Present).

Richard A. Massman (68)

  

Trustee since 2004

Chairman since 2008

   Consultant and General Counsel Emeritus (2009-Present) and Senior Vice President and General Counsel (1994-2009), Hunt Consolidated, Inc. (holding company engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, refining, real estate, farming, ranching and venture capital activities); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2004-Present).

R. Gerald Turner (66)

   Trustee since 2001    President, Southern Methodist University (1995-Present); Director, J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (1996-Present); Director, Kronus Worldwide Inc. (chemical manufacturing) (2003-Present); Director, First Broadcasting Investment Partners, LLC (2003-2007); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2001-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2001-Present).

Thomas M. Dunning (69)

   Trustee since 2008    Non-Executive Chairman (2008-Present); Chairman (1998-2008) and Chief Executive Officer (1998-2007), Lockton Dunning Benefits (consulting firm in employee benefits); Director, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (2007-Present); Board Member, BancTec (2010-Present);Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2008-Present).

Eugene J. Duffy (57)

   Trustee since 2008    Principal and Executive Vice President, Paradigm Asset Management (1994-Present); Director, Sunrise Bank of Atlanta (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2008-Present).

Paul J. Zucconi, CPA (71)

   Trustee since 2008    Director, Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc. (producer of nonstandard automobile insurance) (2004-Present); Director, Titanium Metals Corporation (producer of titanium melted and mill products) (2002-Present); Director, Torchmark Corporation (life and health insurance products) (2002-Present); Director, Charter Bank (community bank services and products) (2010-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2008-Present).

 

* The Board has adopted a retirement plan that requires Trustees to retire no later than the last day of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 72, provided, however, that the board may determine to grant one or more annual exemptions to this requirement.
** Mr. Feld is deemed to be an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act. Mr. Feld’s law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP has provided legal services within the past two years to the Manager and one or more of the Trust’s sub-advisors.

 

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In addition to the information set forth in the tables above and other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Trustee, the following provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Trustee.

W. Humphrey Bogart: Mr. Bogart has extensive experience in the investment management business including as president and chief executive officer of an investment adviser and as a consultant, significant organizational management experience through start-up efforts with a national bank, service as a board member of a university medical center foundation, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

Brenda A. Cline: Ms. Cline has extensive organizational management, financial and investment experience as executive vice president, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer to a foundation, service as a trustee to a private university, a children’s hospital and a school, including acting as a member of their investment and\or audit committees, extensive experience as an audit senior manager with a large public accounting firm, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

Eugene J. Duffy: Mr. Duffy has extensive experience in the investment management business and organizational management experience as a member of senior management, service as a director of a bank, service as a chairman of a charitable fund and as a trustee to an association, service on the board of a private university and non-profit organization, service as chair to an financial services industry association, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

Thomas M. Dunning: Mr. Dunning has extensive organizational management experience founding and serving as chairman and chief executive officer of a private company, service as a director of a private company, service as chairman of a large state municipal bond issuer and chairman of a large airport authority, also an issuer of bonds, service as a board member of a state department of transportation, service as a director of various foundations, service as chair of civic organizations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

Alan D. Feld: Mr. Feld has extensive experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as chairman of a law firm, experience as a director of several publicly held companies; service as a trustee of a private university and a board member of a hospital, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

Richard A. Massman: Mr. Massman has extensive experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as a founding member of a law firm, experience as a senior vice president and general counsel of a large private company, service as the chairman and director of several foundations, including services on their Investment Committees and Finance Committees, chairman of a governmental board, chairman of various professional organizations and multiple years of service as a Trustee and as Independent Chair.

R. Gerald Turner: Mr. Turner has extensive organizational management experience as president of a private university, service as a director and member of the audit and governance committees of various publicly held companies, service as a member to several charitable boards, service as a co-chair to an intercollegiate athletic commission, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

Paul J. Zucconi: Mr. Zucconi has extensive financial experience as partner with a large public accounting firm auditing financial services firms, including investment companies, organizational management and financial experience as a director to various publicly held and private companies, including acting as chairman or as a member of their audit and/or audit and compliance committees, service as a board member to a local chapter of not-for-profit foundation; service as a board member to a local chapter of a national association of corporate directors, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.

 

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Committees of the Board

The Trust has an Audit and Compliance Committee (“Audit Committee”), consisting of Messrs. Zucconi (Chair) Duffy and Dunning. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Audit Committee in an ex-officio capacity. None of the members of the committee are “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act. As set forth in its charter, the primary duties of the Trust’s Audit Committee are: (a) to oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and the Fund and their internal controls and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal controls of certain third-party service providers; (b) to oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (c) to approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors; (d) to oversee the Trust’s compliance with all regulatory obligations arising under applicable federal securities laws, rules and regulations and oversee management’s implementation and enforcement of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures (“Compliance Program”); and (e) to coordinate the Board’s oversight of the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in connection with his or her implementation of the Trust’s Compliance Program. The Audit Committee met 4 times during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011.

The Trust has a Nominating and Governance Committee (“Nominating Committee”) that is comprised of Messrs. Feld (Chair) and Turner. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Nominating Committee in an ex-officio capacity. As set forth in its charter, the Nominating Committee’s primary duties are: (a) to make recommendations regarding the nomination of non-interested Trustees to the Board; (b) to make recommendations regarding the appointment of an Independent Trustee as Chairman of the Board; (c) to evaluate qualifications of potential “interested” members of the Board and Trust officers; (d) to review shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board; (e) to make recommendations to the Board for nomination for membership on all committees of the Board; (f) to consider and evaluate the structure, composition and operation of the Board; (g) to review shareholder recommendations for proposals to be submitted for consideration during a meeting of Fund shareholders; and (h) to consider and make recommendations relating to the compensation of Independent Trustees and of those officers as to whom the Board is charged with approving compensation. Shareholder recommendations for Trustee candidates may be mailed in writing, including a comprehensive resume and any supporting documentation, to the Nominating Committee in care of the Secretary of the Fund. The Nominating and Governance Committee met 3 times during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011.

The Trust has an Investment Committee that is comprised of Mr. Bogart (Chair) and Ms Cline. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Investment Committee in an ex-officio capacity. As set forth in its charter, the Investment Committee’s primary duties are: (a) to review and evaluate the short- and long-term investment performance of the Manager and the sub-advisor to the Fund; (b) to evaluate recommendations by the Manager regarding the hiring or removal of the sub-advisor to the Fund; (c) to review material changes recommended by the Manager to the allocation of Fund assets to the sub-advisor; (d) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the investment objective or principal investment strategies of the Fund; and (e) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the material provisions of the advisory agreement with the sub-advisor, including, but not limited to, changes to the provision regarding compensation. The Investment Committee met 4 times during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011.

Trustee Ownership in the Funds

As of the date of this SAI, no Trustee owns Shares of the Fund. The following table shows the amount of equity securities owned in the American Beacon Funds family by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2011.

 

     INTERESTED    NON-INTERESTED
     Feld    Bogart    Cline    Massman    Turner    Dunning    Duffy    Zucconi

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity

                       

Securities in all Trusts (22 Funds)

   Over
$100,000
   $10,001-
$50,000
   Over
$100,000
   Over
$100,000
   Over
$100,000
   Over
$100,000
   None    $10,001-
$50,000

Trustee Compensation

As compensation for their service to the Trust and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the

 

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“Trusts”), each Trustee is compensated as follows: (1) an annual retainer of $110,000; (2) meeting attendance fee (for attendance in person or via teleconference) of (a) $2,500 for attendance by Board members at quarterly Board meetings, (b) $2,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Audit Committee and the Investment Committee, and (c) $1,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Nominating Committee; and (3) reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in attending such Board and Committee meetings.

Mr. Massman was elected as Chairman April 15, 2008. For his service as Chairman, Mr. Massman receives an additional annual payment of $15,000. He also receives an additional $2,500 per quarter for his services as an ex-officio member of multiple committees. The following table shows estimated compensation that will be earned by each Trustee for the period February 3, 2012 to June 30, 2012.*

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
From the Trust
    Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as
Part of the Trust’s
Expenses
  Total Compensation
From the Trusts
(23 funds)
 

INTERESTED TRUSTEES

      

Alan D. Feld

   $ 67,699        $ 70,500   

NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES

      

W. Humphrey Bogart

   $ 69,620        $ 72,500   

Brenda A. Cline

   $ 69,620        $ 72,500   

Eugene J. Duffy

   $ 67,219        $ 70,000   

Thomas M. Dunning

   $ 69,620        $ 72,500   

Richard A. Massman

   $ 76,822        $ 80,000   

R. Gerald Turner

   $ 65,299        $ 68,000   

Paul Zucconi

   $ 69,620        $ 72,500   

 

* Estimated compensation for the fiscal period February 3, 2012 through June 30, 2012.

The Boards have adopted an Emeritus Trustee and Retirement Plan (“Plan”). The Plan provides that a Trustee who has served on the Boards as of June 4, 2008, and who has reached a mandatory retirement age established by the Board (currently 72) is eligible to elect Trustee Emeritus status. The Boards, through a majority vote, may determine to grant one or more annual exemptions to this mandatory retirement requirement. Additionally, a Trustee who has served on the Board of one or more Trusts for at least 5 years as of June 4, 2008, may elect to retire from the Boards at an earlier age and immediately assume Trustee Emeritus status.

A person may serve as a Trustee Emeritus and receive related benefits for a period up to a maximum of 10 years. Only those Trustees who retire from the Boards and elect Trustee Emeritus status may receive benefits under the Plan. A Trustee Emeritus must commit to provide certain ongoing services and advice to the Board members and the Trusts; however, a Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Fund.

Principal Officers of the Trust

The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. As of the date of this SAI, the officers of the Trust, their ages, their business address and their principal occupations during the past five years are as set forth below. The address of each Officer is 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. Each Officer serves for indefinite term of one year term or until his or her resignation, retirement, or removal.

 

Name (Age)

  

Position and Length of

Time Served with each

Trust

  

Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships During Past 5 Years

OFFICERS

  

Term

One Year

  

Gene L. Needles, Jr. (57)

   President since 2009 Executive Vice President 2009    President, CEO and Director (2009-Present), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; President, CEO and Director (2009-Present), Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; President and CEO (2009-Present), Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; President (2009-Present), American Beacon Mileage Funds; President (2008-2009), Touchstone Investments; President (2003-2007), CEO (2004-2007), AIM Distributors.

 

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William F. Quinn (64)

  

Executive Vice President from 2007 to 2008 and 2009 to Present

 

President from 1987 to
2007 and 2008 to 2009

 

Trustee from 1987 to 2008

   Executive Chairman (2009-Present), Chairman (2006-2009), CEO (2006-2007), and Director (2003-Present), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Chairman and Director (2008-Present), Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Chairman and Director (2008-Present), Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Director (2003-Present), American Airlines Federal Credit Union; Director, Hicks Acquisition I, Inc. (2007-2009); Director, Hicks Acquisition II, Inc. (2010-Present) (special purpose acquisition company); Director, Crescent Real Estate Equities, Inc. (1994-2007); Trustee (1995-2008) and President (1995-2007, 2008-2009), American Beacon Mileage Funds; Trustee (1999-2008) and President (1999-2007, 2008-2009), American Beacon Select Funds; Director, American Beacon Global Funds SPC (2002-2011); Director, American Beacon Global Funds, plc (2007-2009).

Rosemary K. Behan (52)

   VP, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer since 2006    Vice President, Legal and Compliance, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2006-Present); Secretary (2008-Present), Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Secretary (2008-Present), Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.

Brian E. Brett (51)

   VP since 2004    Vice President, Director of Sales, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2004-Present).

Wyatt L. Crumpler (45)

   VP since 2007    Vice President, Asset Management (2009-Present) and Vice President, Trust Investments (2007-2009), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Managing Director of Corporate Accounting (2004-2007), American Airlines, Inc.

Erica B. Duncan (40)

   VP since 2011    Vice President, Marketing & Client Services (2011-Present), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Supervisor, Brand Marketing (2010-2011), Invesco; Supervisor, Marketing Communications (2009-2010) and Senior Financial Writer (2004-2009), Invesco AIM.

Michael W. Fields (57)

   VP since 1989    Vice President, Fixed Income Investments, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (1988-Present); Director, American Beacon Global Funds SPC (2002-2011); Director, American Beacon Global Funds plc (2007-2009).

Melinda G. Heika (50)

   Treasurer since 2010    Vice President, Finance & Accounting (2010-Present), Controller (2005-2009), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Treasurer (2009-Present), Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Treasurer (2009-Present), Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.

Terri L. McKinney (48)

   VP since 2010    Vice President, Enterprise Services (2009-Present), Managing Director (2003-2009), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

Jeffrey K. Ringdahl (36)

   VP since 2010    Chief Operating Officer, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2010-Present); Vice President, Product Management, Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (2007-2010); Senior Director, Business Integration, Fidelity Investments (2005-2007).

Samuel J. Silver (48)

   VP since 2011    Vice President, Fixed Income Investments (2011-Present) and Senior Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income Investments (1999-2011), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

Sonia L. Bates (55)

   Asst. Treasurer since 2011    Director, Tax and Financial Reporting (2011 - Present), Manager, Tax and Financial Reporting (2005 - 2010), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Asst. Treasurer (2011-Present), Lighthouse Holdings, Inc,; Asst. Treasurer (2011-Present), Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.

Christina E. Sears (40)

   Chief Compliance Officer
since 2004 and Asst. Secretary
since 1999
   Chief Compliance Officer (2004-Present), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

John J. Okray (37)

   Asst. Secretary
since 2010
   Assistant General Counsel, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2010-Present); Asst. Secretary (2010-Present), Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Asst. Secretary (2010-Present), Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Vice President, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (2004-2010).

CODE OF ETHICS

The Manager, the Trust and the sub-advisor have each adopted a Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. Each Code of Ethics significantly restricts the personal trading of all employees with access to non-public portfolio information. For example, each Code of Ethics generally requires pre-clearance of

 

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all personal securities trades (with limited exceptions) and prohibits employees from purchasing or selling a security that is being purchased or sold or being considered for purchase (with limited exceptions) or sale by any Fund. In addition, the Manager’s and Trust’s Codes of Ethics require employees to report trades in shares of the Trusts. Each Code of Ethics is on public file with, and may be obtained from, the SEC.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

From time to time, the Fund may own a security whose issuer solicits a proxy vote on certain matters. The Trust has adopted a Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Policy") that sets forth guidelines and procedures designed to ensure that the Manager and sub-advisor vote such proxies in the best interests of Fund shareholders. The Policy includes procedures to address potential conflicts of interest between the Fund’s shareholders and the Manager, or its affiliates. Please see Appendix A for a copy of the Policy, as amended. The Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent year ended June 30 will be available as of August 31 of each year upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-967-9009 or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The proxy voting record can be found in Form N-PX on the SEC’s website.

CONTROL PERSONS AND 5% SHAREHOLDERS

A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund. As of the date of this SAI, the Manager has seeded the Fund and is the sole shareholder of the Fund.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The Fund’s sub-advisor is listed below with information regarding its controlling persons or entities. According to the 1940 Act, a person or entity with control with respect to an investment advisor has “the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company.” Persons and entities affiliated with the sub-advisor are considered affiliates of the Fund.

 

Sub-Advisor

  

Controlling Person/Entity

  

Basis of Control

  

Nature of Controlling

Person/Entity’s Business

Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc.

  

John Noland Ryan Montgomery

   Officer and Member Board of Directors    Chief Investment Officer
  

Michael Dennis Mulcahy

   Officer and Member Board of Directors    Chief Operating Officer
  

Linda Gail Giuffre

   Officer    Chief Compliance Officer
  

Von Devanthini Celestine

   Officer    Treasurer/Vice President/Secretary
  

Richard Peter Cancelmo

   Officer    Vice President

Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. is a Texas corporation organized in July 1993 to act as investment adviser to all of the Bridgeway Funds and is controlled by John N. R. Montgomery and his family.

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Manager has agreed to pay an annualized advisory fee to the Sub-Advisor according to the following schedule.

 

First $125 million

     0.40 of 1

Next $125 million

     0.35 of 1

Over $250 million

     0.30 of 1

The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Manager, by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on no less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ written notice to the sub-advisor, or by the sub-advisor upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Trust. The Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.

 

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MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

The Manager

The Manager is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Holdings, Inc. (“Lighthouse”). Lighthouse is indirectly majority owned by investment funds affiliated with Pharos Capital Group, LLC (“Pharos”) and TPG Capital, L.P. (“TPG”). The Manager is paid a management fee as compensation for paying investment advisory fees and for providing the Trust with advisory and asset allocation services. Pursuant to management and administrative services agreements, the Manager provides the Trust with office space, office equipment and personnel necessary to manage and administer the Trust’s operations. This includes:

 

   

complying with reporting requirements;

 

   

corresponding with shareholders;

 

   

maintaining internal bookkeeping, accounting and auditing services and records; and

 

   

supervising the provision of services to the Trusts by third parties.

In addition to its oversight of the sub-advisor, the Manager invests the portion of the Fund’s assets that the sub-advisor determines to be allocated to short-term investments.

The Fund is responsible for expenses not otherwise assumed by the Manager, including the following: audits by independent auditors; transfer agency, custodian, dividend disbursing agent and shareholder recordkeeping services; taxes, if any, and the preparation of the Fund’s tax returns; interest; costs of Trustee and shareholder meetings; printing and mailing Prospectuses and reports to existing shareholders; fees for filing reports with regulatory bodies and the maintenance of the Fund’s existence; legal fees; fees to federal and state authorities for the registration of shares; fees and expenses of Trustees; insurance and fidelity bond premiums; fees paid to consultants providing reports regarding adherence by the aub-advisor to the investment style of the Fund; fees paid for brokerage commission analysis for the purpose of monitoring best execution practices of the Sub-Advisor; and any extraordinary expenses of a nonrecurring nature.

The management agreement provides for the Manager to receive an annualized management fee that is calculated and accrued daily, equal to the sum of: 0.05% of the net assets of the Fund. In addition, the Fund pays the Manager the amounts due to the sub-advisor. The Manager then remits these amounts to the sub-advisor. Because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, no fees have been paid to the Manager or the sub-advisor for the past three fiscal years.

In addition to the management fee, the Manager is paid an administrative services fee for providing administrative services to the Fund. Because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, the Fund has not paid an administrative service fee to the Manager for the last three fiscal years.

The Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) under a distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, is paid up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class and up to 1% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class of the Fund for distribution and shareholder servicing related services, including expenses relating to selling efforts of various broker-dealers, shareholder servicing fees and the preparation and distribution of A Class and C Class advertising material and sales literature. The sub-advisor may contribute a portion of its advisory fees to the Manager to support the Fund’s distribution activities. The Manager will receive Rule 12b-1 fees from the A Class and C Class regardless of the amount of the Manager’s actual expenses related to distribution and shareholder servicing efforts on behalf of each Class. Thus, the Manager may realize a profit or a loss based upon its actual distribution and shareholder servicing related expenditures for the A Class and C Class. The Manager anticipates that the Rule 12b-1 plan will benefit shareholders by providing broader access to the Fund through broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries who require compensation for their expenses in order to offer shares of the Fund. Because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, there were no prior fees pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

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The A Class, C Class, Investor Class, and Y Class have each adopted a Service Plan (collectively, the “Plans”). The Plans authorize the payment to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) of up to 0.375% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the C Class shares and up to 0.10% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Y Class shares. The Manager or other approved entities may spend such amounts on any activities or expenses primarily intended to result in or relate to the servicing of A Class, C Class, Investor Class and Y Class shares including, but not limited to, payment of shareholder service fees and transfer agency or sub-transfer agency expenses. The fees, which are included as part of the Fund’s “Other Expenses” in the Table of Fees and Expenses in the Prospectus, will be payable monthly in arrears. The fees for each Class will be paid on the actual expenses incurred in a particular month by the entity for the services provided pursuant to the respective Class and its Service Plan. The primary expenses expected to be incurred under the Plans are shareholder servicing, record keeping fees and servicing fees paid to financial intermediaries such as plan sponsors and broker-dealers. Because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, there were no prior service fees.

The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the securities lending activities of the Fund as compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending of the Fund. Currently, the Manager receives 10% of such income for other series of the Trust. The Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, the Manager has not received any fees from the securities lending activities of the Fund. The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Fund to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not intend to engage in securities lending activities.

The Manager has contractually agreed from time to time to reduce fees and/or reimburse expenses for the Fund in order to maintain competitive expense ratios for the Fund. In July of 2003, the Board approved a policy whereby the Manager may seek repayment for such fee reductions and expense reimbursements. Under the policy, the Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee reductions or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager’s own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed the previously agreed upon contractual expense limit.

The Manager falls under an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.

The Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside” or “Distributor”), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Trust in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund’s shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust or the Fund. Pursuant to a Sub-Administration Agreement between Foreside and the Manager, Foreside receives a fee from the Manager for providing administrative services in connection with the marketing and distribution of shares of the Trust, including the registration of Manager employees as registered representatives of the Distributor to facilitate distribution of Fund shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor receives, and may reallow to broker-dealers, all or a portion of the sales charge paid by the purchasers of A and C Class shares. For A and C Class shares, the Distributor receives commission revenue consisting of the portion of A and C Class sales charge remaining after the allowances by the Distributor to the broker dealers. The Distributor retains any portion of the commission fees that are not paid to the broker-dealers for use solely to pay distribution related expenses.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

State Street, located at Lafayette Corporate Center, 2 Avenue De Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, is the transfer agent for the Trust and provides transfer agency services to Fund shareholders through its affiliate Boston Financial Data Services, located at 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. State Street also serves as custodian for the Fund. In addition to its other duties as custodian, pursuant to an Administrative

 

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Services Agreement and instructions given by the Manager, State Street may invest certain excess cash balances for certain series of the Trust in various futures contracts. The Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm is Ernst & Young LLP, which is located at 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 2000, Dallas, Texas 75219. K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Fund.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The portfolio managers to the Fund (the “Portfolio Managers”) have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Fund. Information regarding these other accounts has been provided by each Portfolio Manager’s firm and is set forth below. The number of accounts and assets is shown as December 31, 2011.

 

Name of

Investment Advisor

and Portfolio Manager

   Number of Other Accounts Managed
and Assets by Account Type
  Number of Accounts and Assets for Which
Advisory Fee is Performance-Based
   Registered
Investment
Companies
  Other  Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
   Other
Accounts
  Registered
Investment
Companies
  Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
  Other
Accounts

American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

Wyatt L. Crumpler

   19 ($15.1 bil)      3 ($11.6 bil)   N/A   3 ($141.8 mil)   N/A

Gene L. Needles, Jr.

   8 ($914 mil)   N/A    N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A

Adriana R. Posada

   9 ($12.4 bil)   N/A    3 ($5.9 bil)   N/A   N/A   N/A

Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc.

John Montgomery

   9 ($1.1 bil)   N/A    23 ($214 mil)   8 ($527 mil)   N/A   15 ($137 mil)

Elena Khoziaeva

   9 ($1.1 bil)   N/A    23 ($214 mil)   8 ($527 mil)   N/A   15 ($137 mil)

Michael Whipple

   9 ($1.1 bil)   N/A    23 ($214 mil)   8 ($527 mil)   N/A   15 ($137 mil)

Rasool Shaik

   9 ($1.1 bil)   N/A    23 ($214 mil)   8 ($527 mil)   N/A   15 ($137 mil)

Conflicts of Interest

As noted in the table above, the Portfolio Managers manage accounts other than the Fund. This side-by-side management may present potential conflicts between a Portfolio Manager’s management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other hand. Set forth below is a description by the Manager and the sub-advisor of any foreseeable material conflicts of interest that may arise from the concurrent management of the Fund and other accounts. The information regarding potential conflicts of interest of the sub-advisor was provided by each firm.

The Manager The Manager’s Portfolio Managers are responsible for managing the Fund and other accounts, including separate accounts and unregistered funds. The Manager typically assigns funds and accounts with similar investment strategies to the same Portfolio Manager to mitigate the potentially conflicting investment strategies of accounts.

The Sub-Advisor Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a Portfolio Manager or investment management team member has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. Set forth below is a description of material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with a Portfolio Manager or investment management team member who manages multiple funds and/or other accounts:

 

   

The management of multiple funds and/or other accounts may result in a Portfolio Manager or investment management team member devoting varying periods of time and attention to the management of each fund and/or other account. As a result, the Portfolio Manager or investment management team member may not be able to formulate as complete a strategy or identify equally attractive investment opportunities for each of those accounts as might be the case if he or she were to devote substantially more attention to the management of a single fund. The adviser believes this problem may be significantly mitigated by the Fund’s use of statistical models, which drive stock picking decisions of its actively managed funds.

 

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If a Portfolio Manager or investment management team member identifies an investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, a fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible funds and other accounts. Accordingly, the sub-advisor has developed guidelines to address the priority order in allocating investment opportunities.

 

   

At times, a Portfolio Manager or investment management team member may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some of the funds or other accounts for which he or she exercises investment responsibility, or may decide that certain of the funds or other accounts should take differing positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the Portfolio Manager or investment management team member may place separate transactions for one or more funds or other accounts, which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of one or more other funds or accounts.

 

   

With respect to securities transactions for the funds, the sub-advisor determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. The sub-advisor may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for a fund and another account that may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the fund or the other account. The sub-advisor seeks to mitigate this problem through a random rotation of order in the allocation of executed trades.

 

   

With respect to securities transactions for the funds, the sub-advisor determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts (such as other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the sub-advisor may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, the sub-advisor or its affiliates may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for a fund and another account that may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the fund or the other account.

 

   

The appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where the sub-advisor has an incentive, such as a performance based management fee or other differing fee structure, which relates to the management of one fund or other account but not all funds and accounts with respect to which a Portfolio Manager or investment management team member has day-to-day management responsibilities.

The sub-advisor has adopted certain compliance policies and procedures that are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which an actual or potential conflict may arise.

Compensation

The Portfolio Managers are compensated in various forms by their respective investment advisor. Following is a description provided by each investment advisor regarding the structure of and criteria for determining the compensation of each Portfolio Manager.

The Manager Compensation of the Manager’s Portfolio Managers is comprised of base salary and annual cash bonus. Each Portfolio Manager’s base annual salary is fixed. The Manager determines base salary based upon comparison to industry salary data. In addition, all Portfolio Managers participate in the Manager’s annual cash bonus plan. The amount of the total bonus pool is based upon the profitability of the Manager. Each Portfolio Manager has a target bonus award expressed as a percentage of base salary, which is determined by the Portfolio Manager’s level of responsibility. Additionally, the Portfolio Managers participate in the Manager’s Equity Option Plan.

Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. The objective of the Sub-Advisor’s compensation program is to provide pay and long-term compensation for its employees (who are all referred to as “partners”) that is competitive with the mutual fund/investment advisory market relative to the Sub-Advisor’s size and geographical location. The adviser evaluates competitive market compensation by reviewing compensation survey results conducted by independent third parties involved in investment industry compensation.

 

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The members of the investment management team, including John Montgomery, Elena Khoziaeva, Rasool Shaik, and Michael Whipple, participate in a compensation program that includes a base salary that is fixed annually, bonus and long-term incentives. Each member’s base salary is a function of industry salary rates and individual performance against metrics such as integrity, communications (internal and external), team work, leadership and investment performance of their respective funds. The bonus portion of compensation also is a function of industry salary rates as well as the overall profitability of the Sub-Advisor relative to peer companies. The adviser’s profitability is primarily affected by a) assets under management, b) management fees, for which some actively managed accounts have performance based fees relative to stock market benchmarks, c) operating costs of the Sub-Advisor and d) because the Sub-Advisor is an “S” Corporation, the amount of distributions to be made by the Sub-Advisor to its shareholders at least sufficient to satisfy the payment of taxes due on the Sub-Advisor’s income that is taxed to its shareholders under subchapter S of the Internal revenue Code.

Fund performance impacts overall compensation in two broad ways. First, generally assets under management increase with positive long-term performance. An increase in assets increases total management fees and likely increases the Sub-Advisor’s profitability (although certain funds do not demonstrate economies of scale and other funds have management fees which reflect economies of scale to shareholders). Second, certain funds managed by the Sub-Advisor have performance-based management fees that are a function of trailing five-year before-tax performance of the Fund relative to its specific market benchmark. Should each such Fund’s performance exceed the benchmark, the Sub-Advisor may make more total management fees and increase its profitability. On the other hand, should each such Fund’s performance lag the benchmark, the Sub-Advisor may experience a decrease in profitability.

Finally, all investment management team members participate in long-term incentive programs including a 401(k) Plan and ownership programs in the Sub-Advisor. With the exception of John Montgomery, investment management team members (as well as all of the Sub-Advisor’s partners) participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Program or Phantom Stock Program of the Sub-Advisor or both. The value of this ownership is a function of the profitability and growth of the Sub-Advisor. The adviser is an “S” Corporation with John Montgomery as the majority owner. Therefore, he does not participate in the ESOP, but the value of his ownership stake is impacted by the profitability and growth of the Sub-Advisor. However, by policy of the Sub-Advisor, John Montgomery may only receive distributions from the Sub-Advisor in an amount equal to the taxes incurred from his corporate ownership due to the “S” corporation structure.

Ownership of the Fund

A Portfolio Manager’s beneficial ownership of the Fund is defined as the Portfolio Manager having the opportunity to share in any profit from transactions in the Fund, either directly or indirectly, as the result of any contract, understanding, arrangement, relationship or otherwise. Therefore, ownership of Fund shares by members of the Portfolio Manager’s immediate family or by a trust of which the Portfolio Manager is a trustee could be considered ownership by the Portfolio Manager. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations. Accordingly, the Portfolio Managers do not beneficially own any shares of the Fund.

PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

In selecting brokers or dealers to execute particular transactions, the Manager and the sub-advisor are authorized to consider “brokerage and research services” (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), provision of statistical quotations (including the quotations necessary to determine the Fund’s net asset value), and other information provided to the applicable Fund, to the Manager and/or to the sub-advisor (or their affiliates), provided, however, that the Manager or the sub-advisor must always seek best execution. Research and brokerage services may include information on portfolio companies, economic analyses, and other investment research services. The Trusts do not allow the Manager or Sub-Advisor to enter arrangements to direct transactions to broker-dealers as compensation for the promotion or sale of Trust shares by those broker-dealers. The Manager and the sub-advisor are also authorized to cause the Fund to pay a commission (as defined in SEC interpretations) to a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services for executing a portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of the commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction. The Manager or the sub-advisor, as appropriate, must determine in good faith, however, that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided,

 

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viewed in terms of that particular transaction or in terms of all the accounts over which the Manager or the sub-advisor exercises investment discretion. The fees of the sub-advisor are not reduced by reason of receipt of such brokerage and research services. However, with disclosure to and pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as applicable, the Manager, or the sub-advisor (or a broker-dealer affiliated with them) may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act) for doing so. Brokerage and research services obtained with Fund commissions might be used by the Manager and/or the sub-advisor, as applicable, to benefit their other accounts under management.

The Manager and the sub-advisor will place its own orders to execute securities transactions that are designed to implement the applicable Fund’s investment objective and policies. In placing such orders, the sub-advisor will seek best execution. The full range and quality of services offered by the executing broker or dealer will be considered when making these determinations. Pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as appropriate, the sub-advisor of the Fund, or its affiliated broker-dealer, may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 of the 1940 Act) for doing so. The Fund’s turnover rate, or the frequency of portfolio transactions, will vary from year to year depending on market conditions and the Fund’s cash flows. High portfolio activity increases the Fund’s transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.

The Investment Advisory Agreement provides, in substance, that in executing portfolio transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, the principal objective of the sub-advisor is to seek best execution. In assessing available execution venues, the sub-advisor shall consider all factors it deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security, the value of any eligible research, the price of the security, the financial condition and execution capability of the broker or dealer and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. Transactions with respect to the securities of small and emerging growth companies in which the Fund may invest may involve specialized services on the part of the broker or dealer and thereby may entail higher commissions or spreads than would be the case with transactions involving more widely traded securities.

The Fund may establish brokerage commission recapture arrangements with certain brokers or dealers. If the sub-advisor chooses to execute a transaction through a participating broker, the broker rebates a portion of the commission back to the Fund. Any collateral benefit received through participation in the commission recapture program is directed exclusively to the Fund. Neither the Manager nor the sub-advisor receives any benefits from the commission recapture program. The sub-advisor’s participation in the brokerage commission recapture program is optional. The sub-advisor retains full discretion in selecting brokerage firms for securities transactions and is instructed to use the commission recapture program for a transaction only if it is consistent with the sub-advisor’s obligation to seek the best execution available.

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI. Accordingly, no brokerage commissions were paid by the Fund during the previous three fiscal years.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION FOR A CLASS SHARES

Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers

As described in the Prospectus, there are various ways to reduce your sales charge when purchasing A Class shares. Additional information about A Class sales charge reductions is provided below.

Letter of Intent (“LOI”). The LOI may be revised upward at any time during the 13-month period of the LOI (“LOI Period”), and such a revision will be treated as a new LOI, except that the LOI Period during which the purchases must be made will remain unchanged. Purchases made from the date of revision will receive the reduced sales charge, if any, resulting from the revised LOI. The LOI will be considered completed if the shareholder dies within the 13-month LOI Period. Commissions to dealers will not be adjusted or paid on the difference between the LOI amount and the amount actually invested before the shareholder’s death.

All dividends and any capital gain distributions on shares held in escrow will be credited to the shareholder’s account in shares (or paid in cash, if requested). If the intended investment is not completed within the specified LOI Period, the purchaser may be required to remit to the Distributor the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge which would have been paid if the total of such purchases had

 

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been made at a single time. Any dealers assigned to the shareholder’s account at the time a purchase was made during the LOI Period will receive a corresponding commission adjustment if appropriate. If the difference is not paid by the close of the LOI Period, the appropriate number of shares held in escrow will be redeemed to pay such difference. If the proceeds from this redemption are inadequate, the purchaser may be liable to the Distributor for the balance still outstanding.

Rights of Accumulation. Subject to the limitations described in the aggregation policy, you may take into account your accumulated holdings in A Class shares of the Fund to determine your sales charge on investments in accounts eligible to be aggregated. If you make a gift of A Class shares, upon your request, you may purchase the shares at the sales charge discount allowed under rights of accumulation of all of your investments in A Class shares of the American Beacon Funds.

Aggregation. Qualifying investments for aggregation include those made by you and your “immediate family” as defined in the Prospectus, if all parties are purchasing shares for their own accounts and/or:

 

   

individual-type employee benefit plans, such as an IRA, individual 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan;

 

   

business accounts solely controlled by you or your immediate family (for example, you own the entire business);

 

   

trust accounts established by you or your immediate family (for trusts with only one primary beneficiary, upon the trustor’s death the trust account may be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts; for trusts with multiple primary beneficiaries, upon the trustor’s death the trustees of the trust may instruct the Fund’s transfer agent to establish separate trust accounts for each primary beneficiary; each primary beneficiary’s separate trust account may then be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts);

 

   

endowments or foundations established and controlled by you or your immediate family; or

 

   

529 accounts, which will be aggregated at the account owner level (Class 529-E accounts may only be aggregated with an eligible employer plan).

Individual purchases by a trustee(s) or other fiduciary(ies) may also be aggregated if the investments are:

 

   

for a single trust estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans other than the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

 

   

made for two or more employee benefit plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act, excluding the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

 

   

for a diversified common trust fund or other diversified pooled account not specifically formed for the purpose of accumulating Fund shares;

 

   

for nonprofit, charitable or educational organizations, or any endowments or foundations established and controlled by such organizations, or any employer-sponsored retirement plans established for the benefit of the employees of such organizations, their endowments, or their foundations; or

 

   

for individually established participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that is treated similarly to an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes (see “Purchases by certain 403(b) plans” under “Sales Charges” above), or made for two or more such 403(b) plans that are treated similarly to employer-sponsored plans for sales charge purposes, in each case of a single employer or affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act.

Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a broker- dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with those made for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.

 

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Concurrent Purchases. As described in the Prospectus, you may reduce your A Class sales charge by combining purchases of A Class shares of the Fund subject to a sales load.

Other Purchases. Pursuant to a determination of eligibility by the Manager, A Class shares of the Fund may be sold at net asset value (without the imposition of a front-end sales charge) to:

 

  1. current or retired trustees, and officers of the American Beacon Funds family, current or retired employees and directors of the Manager and its affiliated companies, certain family members and employees of the above persons, and trusts or plans primarily for such persons;

 

  2. currently registered representatives and assistants directly employed by such representatives, retired registered representatives with respect to accounts established while active, or full-time employees (collectively, “Eligible Persons”) (and their spouses, and children, including children in step and adoptive relationships, sons-in- law and daughters-in-law, if the Eligible Persons or the spouses or children of the Eligible Persons are listed in the account registration with the spouse or parent) of broker-dealers who have sales agreements with the Distributor (or who clear transactions through such dealers), plans for the dealers, and plans that include as participants only the Eligible Persons, their spouses and/or children;

 

  3. companies exchanging securities with the Fund through a merger, acquisition or exchange offer;

 

  4. insurance company separate accounts;

 

  5. accounts managed by the Manager, the sub-advisor to the Fund and its affiliated companies;

 

  6. the Manager or the sub-advisor to the Fund and its affiliated companies;

 

  7. an individual or entity with a substantial business relationship with the Manager or the sub-advisor to the Fund and its affiliated companies, or an individual or entity related or relating to such individual or entity;

 

  8. wholesalers and full-time employees directly supporting wholesalers involved in the distribution of insurance company separate accounts whose underlying investments are managed by the Manager or the sub-advisor to the Fund and its affiliated companies;

 

  9. full-time employees of banks that have sales agreements with the Distributor, who are solely dedicated to directly supporting the sale of mutual funds;

 

  10. directors, officers and employees of financial institutions that have a selling group agreement with the Distributor;

 

  11. banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including registered investment advisors and financial planners) that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor or one of its affiliates, purchasing shares on behalf of clients participating in a fund supermarket or in a wrap program, asset allocation program or other program in which the clients pay an asset-based fee;

 

  12. clients of authorized dealers purchasing shares in fixed or flat fee brokerage accounts;

 

  13. Employer-sponsored defined contribution – type plans, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit-sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and individual retirement account (“IRA”) rollovers involving retirement plan assets invested in the Funds in the American Beacon Funds fund family; and

 

  14. Employee benefit and retirement plans for the Manager and its affiliates.

 

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Shares are offered at net asset value to these persons and organizations due to anticipated economies in sales effort and expense. Once an account is established under this net asset value privilege, additional investments can be made at net asset value for the life of the account.

Moving Between Accounts. Investments in certain account types may be moved to other account types without incurring additional A Class sales charges. These transactions include, for example:

 

   

redemption proceeds from a non-retirement account (for example, a joint tenant account) used to purchase Fund shares in an IRA or other individual-type retirement account;

 

   

required minimum distributions from an IRA or other individual-type retirement account used to purchase Fund shares in a non-retirement account; and

 

   

death distributions paid to a beneficiary’s account that are used by the beneficiary to purchase Fund shares in a different account.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES

As discussed in the prospectus, the redemption of C Class shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) if you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase. In determining whether the CDSC is payable, it is assumed that shares not subject to the CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. The CDSC will not be imposed upon shares representing reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions, or upon amounts representing share appreciation. As described in the Prospectus, there are various circumstances under which the CDSC will be waived. Additional information about CDSC waivers is provided below.

The CDSC is waived under the following circumstances:

 

   

Any partial or complete redemption following death or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) of a shareholder (including one who owns the shares with his or her spouse as a joint tenant with rights of survivorship) from an account in which the deceased or disabled is named. The Manager or the Fund’s transfer agent may require documentation prior to waiver of the charge, including death certificates, physicians’ certificates, etc.

 

   

Redemptions from a systematic withdrawal plan. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed dollar amount or number of shares, systematic withdrawal redemptions are limited to no more than 10% of your account value or number of shares per year, as of the date the Manager or the Fund’s transfer agent receives your request. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed percentage of your account value, each redemption is limited to an amount that would not exceed 10% of your annual account value at the time of withdrawal.

 

   

Redemptions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The CDSC will be waived for benefit payments made by American Beacon Funds directly to plan participants. Benefit payments will include, but are not limited to, payments resulting from death, disability, retirement, separation from service, required minimum distributions (as described under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code), in-service distributions, hardships, loans and qualified domestic relations orders. The CDSC waiver will not apply in the event of termination of the plan or transfer of the plan to another financial institution.

 

   

Redemptions that are mandatory withdrawals from a traditional IRA account after age 70 1/2.

 

   

Involuntary redemptions as a result of your account not meeting the minimum balance requirements, the termination and liquidation of the Fund, or other actions by the Fund.

 

   

Distributions from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has entered into a special agreement with the Distributor (or Manager) allowing this waiver.

 

   

To return excess contributions made to a retirement plan.

 

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To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.

Example

The following example illustrates the operation of the CDSC. Assume that you open an account and purchase 1,000 shares at $10 per share and that six months later the NAV per share is $12 and, during such time, you have acquired 50 additional shares through reinvestment of distributions. If at such time you should redeem 450 shares (proceeds of $5,400), 50 shares will not be subject to the charge because of dividend reinvestment. With respect to the remaining 400 shares, the charge is applied only to the original cost of $10 per share and not to the increase in NAV of $2 per share. Therefore, $4,000 of the $5,400 redemption proceeds will pay the charge. At the rate of 1.00%, the CDSC would be $40 for redemptions of C Class shares. In determining whether an amount is available for redemption without incurring a deferred sales charge, the purchase payments made for all shares in your account are aggregated.

REDEMPTIONS IN KIND

Although the Fund intends to redeem shares in cash, each reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets. However, shareholders always will be entitled to redeem shares for cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the applicable Fund’s net asset value during any 90-day period. Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. In addition, to the extent the Fund redeems its shares in this manner; the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.

TAX INFORMATION

The tax information set forth in the Prospectus and in this section relates solely to federal income tax law and assumes the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) (as discussed below). Such information is only a summary of certain key federal tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders and is in addition to the information provided in the Prospectus. No attempt has been made to present a complete explanation of the federal tax treatment of the Fund or the tax implications to its shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning. The information is based on the Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

Taxation of the Fund

The Fund intends to qualify each taxable year, for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund (which is treated as a separate corporation for these purposes) must, among other requirements:

 

   

Derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from (1) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income, including gains from options, futures or forward contracts, derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or those currencies and (2) net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (“QPTP”) (“Income Requirement”);

 

   

Diversify its investments so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (1) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with those other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting securities (equity securities of QPTPs being considered voting securities for these purposes) and (2) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in (a) securities (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, (b) securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls that are determined to be engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) securities of one or more QPTPs (“Diversification Requirement”); and

 

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Distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess (if any) of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) (“Distribution Requirement”).

The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax ("Excise Tax") to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary (taxable) income for that year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts.

If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends it distributes would be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as “qualified dividend income” (as described in the Prospectus)) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a RIC would therefore have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. It is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a RIC in any given taxable year. See the next section for a discussion of the tax consequences to the Fund of certain investments and strategies.

Taxation of Certain Investments and Strategies

If the Fund acquires stock in a foreign corporation that is a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) and holds the stock beyond the end of the year of acquisition, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax on any “excess distribution” the Fund receives on the stock or of any gain realized by the Fund from disposition of the stock (collectively “PFIC income”), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes that share of the PFIC income as a taxable dividend to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate on individuals’ “qualified dividend income.” The Fund may avoid this tax and interest if it elects to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund”; however, the requirements for that election are difficult to satisfy. If such an election were made, the Fund would be required to include in its income each year a portion of the ordinary income and net capital gains of the PFIC, even if that income is not distributed to the Fund. Any such income would be subject to the Distribution Requirement and to the calendar year Excise Tax distribution requirement.

The Fund may elect to “mark-to-market” its stock in a PFIC. Under such an election, the Fund (1) would include in gross income each taxable year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year over the Fund’s adjusted basis in the PFIC stock and (2) would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in the PFIC stock over the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included by the Fund for prior taxable years. The Fund’s adjusted basis in PFIC stock would be adjusted to reflect the amounts included in income, or deducted, under this election. Amounts included in income pursuant to this election, as well as gain, if any, realized on the sale or other disposition of PFIC stock, would be treated as ordinary income, while the deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss, as well as loss realized on the sale or other disposition of PFIC stock to the extent that such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included by the Fund, would be treated as ordinary loss. The Fund generally would not be subject to the deferred tax and interest charge discussed above with respect to PFIC stock for which a mark-to-market election has been made.

Investors should be aware that the Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation’s shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC and that a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after the Fund acquires shares therein. While the Fund generally will seek to avoid investing in PFIC shares to avoid the tax consequences detailed above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so and it reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.

Hedging strategies, such as entering into forward contracts and selling (writing) and purchasing options and futures contracts, involve complex rules that will determine for federal income tax purposes the amount, character and timing of recognition of gains and losses the Fund may realize in connection therewith. In general, the Fund’s (1) gains from the disposition of foreign currencies and (2) gains from options, futures and forward contracts derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or foreign currencies will be treated as qualifying income under the Income Requirement.

Dividends and interest the Fund receives, and gains it realizes, may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions (collectively, “foreign taxes”) that would reduce the yield and/or total return on its securities. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate those taxes, however, and many foreign countries do not impose taxes on capital gains on investments by foreign investors.

 

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Some futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and “nonequity” options (i.e., certain listed options, such as those on a “broad-based” securities index) – except any “securities futures contract” that is not a “dealer securities futures contract” (both as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement – in which the Fund invests may be subject to Internal Revenue Code section 1256 (collectively, “section 1256 contracts”). Any section 1256 contracts the Fund holds at the end of its taxable year generally must be “marked-to-market” (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for its fair market value) for federal income tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss realized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of the Excise Tax. These rules may operate to increase the amount that the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income, and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, without in either case increasing the cash available to it.

Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code also may apply to the Fund’s forward currency contracts, options, and futures on foreign currencies. Under that section, each foreign currency gain or loss generally is computed separately and treated as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of the Fund’s investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than affecting the amount of its net capital gain. If section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year, the Fund would not be able to distribute any dividends, and any distributions made during that year before the losses were realized would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders, rather than as a dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares.

Offsetting positions the Fund enters into or holds in any actively traded option, futures or forward contract may constitute a “straddle” for federal income tax purposes. Straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund’s gains and losses with respect to positions of the straddle by requiring, among other things, that (1) losses realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred to the extent of any unrealized gain in an offsetting position until the latter position is disposed of, (2) the Fund’s holding period in certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in gain being treated as short-term rather than long-term capital gain) and (3) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, that otherwise would constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses. Applicable regulations also provide certain “wash sale” rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and “short sale” rules applicable to straddles. Different elections are available, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to “mixed straddles” (i.e., a straddle of which at least one, but not all, positions are section 1256 contracts).

When a covered call option written (sold) by the Fund expires, it will realize a short-term capital gain equal to the amount of the premium it received for writing the option. When the Fund terminates its obligations under such an option by entering into a closing transaction, it will realize a short-term capital gain (or loss), depending on whether the cost of the closing transaction is less (or more) than the premium it received when it wrote the option. When a covered call option written by the Fund is exercised, it will be treated as having sold the underlying security, producing long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period of the underlying security and whether the sum of the option price received on the exercise plus the premium received when it wrote the option is more or less than the underlying security’s basis.

If the Fund has an “appreciated financial position” – generally, an interest (including an interest through an option, futures or forward contract or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt instrument (other than “straight debt”) or partnership interest the fair market value of which exceeds its adjusted basis – and enters into a “constructive sale” of the position, the Fund will be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract the Fund or a related person enters into with respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply, however, to a Fund 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 Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no

 

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time during that 60-day period is the Fund’s risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).

Taxation of the Fund’s Shareholders

Dividends and other distributions the Fund declares in the last quarter of any calendar year that are payable to shareholders of record on a date in that quarter will be deemed to have been paid by the Fund and received by those shareholders on December 31 of that year if the Fund pays the distributions during the following January. Accordingly, those distributions will be reported by, and taxed to, those shareholders for the taxable year in which that December 31 falls.

If Fund shares are sold at a loss after being held for six months or less, the loss will be treated as long-term, instead of short-term, capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received thereon. Investors also should be aware that the price of Fund shares at any time may reflect the amount of a forthcoming dividend or capital gain distribution. So, if an investor purchases Fund shares shortly before the record date for a distribution, the investor will pay full price for the shares and (except for an exempt interest dividend) receive some portion of the price back as a taxable distribution, even thought it represents in part a return of invested capital.

Cost Basis Election and Reporting

Pursuant to legislation passed by Congress in 2008, a Fund shareholder who wants to use an acceptable method for basis determination other than average cost (e.g., a specific identification method), for determining basis with respect to Fund shares he or she acquires after December 31, 2011 (“Covered Shares”), must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic). If a shareholder of the Fund fails to affirmatively elect that method, the basis determination will be made in accordance with the Fund’s default cost basis method of average cost. The basis method a Fund shareholder elects may not be changed with respect to a redemption of Covered Shares after the settlement date of the redemption.

That 2008 legislation also requires that, in addition to the current requirement to report the gross proceeds from the redemption of shares, the Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for Covered Shares and indicate whether they had a short-term or long-term holding period. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the basis reporting law will apply to them. Fund shareholders who acquire and hold shares through a financial intermediary should contact their financial intermediary for information related to cost basis defaults, cost basis selection, and cost basis reporting.

Backup Withholding

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury 28% of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemption proceeds (regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual or certain other non-corporate shareholder who fails to certify that

 

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the taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, “backup withholding”). Withholding at that rate also is required from the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who (1) is subject to backup withholding for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly or (2) fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other “exempt recipient.” Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather any amounts so withheld may be credited against your federal income tax liability or refunded.

Foreign Shareholders

Taxation of dividends the Fund pays to a shareholder who, under the Code, is a nonresident alien individual, foreign trust or estate, foreign corporation or foreign partnership (“foreign shareholder”) depends on whether the shareholder’s ownership of Fund shares is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder (“effectively connected”). If a foreign shareholder’s ownership is not effectively connected, distributions of ordinary income paid to it will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). If that ownership is effectively connected, the foreign shareholder will be subject to federal income tax on income dividends from the Fund as if it were a U.S. shareholder.

A foreign shareholder generally will be exempt from federal income tax on gain realized on the sale of Fund shares and Fund distributions of net capital gain, unless the shareholder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year (special rules apply in the case of a shareholder that is a foreign trust or foreign partnership). Foreign shareholders will not be subject to withholding tax on “short-term capital gain dividends” and “interest-related dividends” paid (if any) by the Fund during its taxable year beginning before January 1, 2012.

Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the federal income taxation rules described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST

The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a “Massachusetts business trust.” Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for its obligations. However, the Trust’s Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust may maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover possible tort and other liabilities. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss due to shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust has not engaged in any other business.

The Trust was originally created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans for American Airlines, Inc. The following individuals (and members of that individual’s “immediate family”), are eligible for purchasing shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $250,000: (i) employees of the Manager, (ii) employees of the sub-advisor for the Fund where it serves as sub-advisor, (iii) officers and directors of AMR Corporation, (iv) members of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, (v) employees of TPG/Pharos, and (vi) members of the Manager’s parent’s Board of Directors. The term “immediate family” refers to one’s spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, parents in law, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters in law, a sibling’s spouse, a spouse’s sibling, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews; relatives by virtue of remarriage (step-children, step-parents, etc.) are included. Any shareholders that the Manager transfers to the Institutional Class upon termination of the class of shares in which the shareholders were originally invested is also eligible for purchasing shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $250,000.

The Investor Class was created to give individuals and other smaller investors an opportunity to invest in the American Beacon Funds. The Y Class was created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans. The A Class and C Class were created for investors investing in the funds through their broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries.

 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP audits and reports on the Fund’s annual financial statements. The financial statements include the schedule of investments, statement of assets and liabilities, statement of operations, statements of changes in net assets, financial highlights, notes and report of independent registered public accounting firm. Shareholders will receive annual audited financial statements and semi-annual unaudited financial statements. The Fund will adopt the financial statements of the Bridgeway Large-Cap Value Fund. Those financial statements were audited by another registered public accounting firm.

 

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APPENDIX A

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS

AMERICAN BEACON SELECT FUNDS

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

Last Amended January 11, 2012

Preface

Proxy voting is an important component of investment management and must be performed in a dutiful and purposeful fashion in order to secure the best long-term interests of shareholders of the American Beacon Funds and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Funds”). Therefore, these Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the “Policy”) have been adopted by the Funds.

The Funds are managed by American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the “Manager”). The Funds’ Boards of Trustees has delegated proxy voting authority to the Manager with respect to the Funds that invest primarily in the securities of domestic U.S. issuers and the respective portions of the Flexible Bond Fund and the SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund that invest in the securities of North American issuers (collectively, the “Domestic Funds”). The Manager has retained a proxy voting consultant (the “Consultant”) to provide assistance regarding the objective review and voting of proxies on any assets held by the Domestic Funds, consistent with the Policy. The Policy sets forth the policies and procedures the Manager employs when voting proxies for the Domestic Funds, including the role of their investment subadvisers (the “Subadvisers”). Proxy voting for the Funds that invest primarily in the securities of foreign issuers and the respective portions of the Flexible Bond Fund and the SiM High Yield Opportunities Fund that invest in the securities of non-North American issuers (the “International Funds”) has been delegated by the International Funds’ Boards of Trustees to the subadvisers for those funds (“International Subadvisers”). For the securities held in their respective portion of each International Fund, the International Subadvisers make voting decisions pursuant to their own proxy voting policies and procedures, which have been adopted by the International Funds and approved by their Boards of Trustees. The Policy includes the procedures that the Manager performs to monitor proxy voting by the International Subadvisers.

For all of the Funds, the Manager seeks to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of Fund interest holders and shareholders (collectively, “shareholders”). For certain proxy proposals, the interests of the Manager and/or its affiliates may differ from Fund shareholders’ interests. To avoid the appearance of impropriety and to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to shareholders in these circumstances, the Policy includes procedures established by the Manager for voting proxy proposals that potentially present a conflict of interests.

Domestic Funds - Procedures

1. Voting – The Consultant has been instructed by the Manager to vote proxies in accordance with the Policy, unless it is notified to vote otherwise by the Manager in writing. The Manager may decide to instruct the Consultant to vote in a manner different than specified by the Policy if it determines that such a variance from the Policy would be in the best interests of Fund shareholders. In making such a determination, the Manager will conduct its analysis of the proxy proposal, which may include, among other things, discussing the issue with Subadvisers holding the security to determine their recommended voting position.

Except as otherwise noted, items to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and proposals not contemplated by the Policy will be assessed by the Manager. In these situations, the Manager will use its judgment in directing the Consultant to vote in the best interest of the Funds’ shareholders and will propose changes to the Policy when appropriate.

2. Conflicts of Interest - The Manager maintains a list by Fund of all affiliated persons, including the Manager and its affiliates, the Subadvisers and their affiliates as well as the Funds’ distributor and its affiliates. Any proxy proposal involving an entity on this list could be considered to represent a conflict of interest between a) the Manager, a Subadviser, the distributor or any of their affiliates and b) Fund shareholders. The Manager will monitor the Fund’s holdings against the list of affiliated persons and will conduct an analysis based upon the following procedures to resolve these known potential conflicts as well as any unforeseen conflicts.

a. Proxies for Affiliated Funds - Each Fund has the ability to invest in the shares of any of the Money Market Funds. For example, the High Yield Bond Fund may purchase shares of the Money Market Fund. If the Money

 

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Market Fund issues a proxy for which the High Yield Bond Fund is entitled to vote, the Manager’s interests regarding the Money Market Fund might appear to conflict with the interests of the shareholders of the High Yield Bond Fund. In these cases, the Manager will instruct the Consultant to vote in accordance with the Board of Trustees’ recommendations in the proxy statement.

b. Business / Personal Connections of the Manager - A minority share of the Manager is indirectly owned by AMR Corporation, which is a publicly-traded corporation. In addition, the Manager manages certain assets on behalf of AMR Corporation. To avoid the appearance of any conflict of interests, the Funds are expressly prohibited from investing in the securities of AMR Corporation.

The Manager could have an advisory client that issues a proxy or promotes a proxy proposal for which a Fund is entitled to vote. By taking a particular voting position on the proxy, it could be perceived by Fund shareholders that the Manager is favoring the advisory client over Fund shareholders in order to avoid harming its relationship with the advisory client. If the Manager is asked to render a decision regarding a proxy proposal issued or promoted by one of its advisory clients, the Manager will refer that proposal to the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees, who will decide the Fund’s voting position after consultation with the Manager.

In the event that a principal officer of the Manager has a personal relationship or connection with an issuer or proponent of a proxy proposal being considered by the Manager, the voting matter will be discussed with the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees, who will decide the Fund’s voting position after consultation with the Manager.

If an unforeseen conflict pertaining to a particular proxy proposal becomes apparent, the Manager will refer that proposal to the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees, who will decide the Fund’s voting position after consultation with the Manager.

c. Business / Personal Connections of the Subadvisers - Each Subadviser (and its affiliates) is considered an affiliate of the portion of the Fund it manages. When the Manager receives input regarding a voting recommendation from a Subadviser, the Manager will request the Subadviser’s disclosure of any business or personal relationships or connections that the Subadviser itself or its principals may have with the proxy issuer or any proponent of the proxy proposal. If the Subadviser’s disclosure reveals any potential conflicts of interest, the Manager will not rely on the Subadviser’s recommendation regarding the proxy proposal.

3. Securities on Loan - The Consultant will notify the Manager before the record date about the occurrence of a future shareholder meeting. The Manager will determine whether or not to recall shares of the applicable security that are on loan with the intent of voting such shares in accordance with the Policy, based on factors including the nature of the meeting (i.e., annual or special), the percentage of the proxy issuer’s outstanding securities on loan, any other information regarding the proxy proposals of which the Manager may be aware, and the loss of securities lending income to a Fund as a result of recalling the shares on loan.

Domestic Funds - Policies

1. Routine Proposals - Routine proxy proposals are most commonly defined as those that do not change the structure, bylaws, or operations of the corporation to the detriment of the shareholders. The proposals are consistent with industry standards as well as the corporate laws in the state of incorporation. Traditionally, these include:

 

  A. Location of annual meeting

 

  B. Employee stock purchase plan

 

  C. Appointment of auditors

 

  D. Corporate strategy

 

  E. Director indemnification and liability protection

 

  F. Reincorporation

The Funds’ policy is to support management on these routine proposals.

2. Social, Political and Environmental Proposals - Issues which can be characterized as non-financial or non-business issues involving social, political and environmental issues will result in voting to support management. Financial interests of the shareholders are the only consideration for proxy voting decisions.

3. Shareholder Equality Proposals - Issues that do not discriminate against certain shareholders will be supported. Non-discriminatory proposals include:

A. Anti-greenmail - Provisions that require that the price paid to the greenmailer must be extended to all shareholders of record will be supported.

 

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B. Fair price provisions - Provisions that guarantee an equal price to all shareholders will be supported.

4. Non-routine proposals - Issues in this category are more likely to affect the structure and operation of the corporation and, therefore have a greater impact on the value of the shareholders’ investment. All situations will be viewed individually and independently with the focus on the financial interest of the shareholders.

Various factors will contribute in the decision-making process assessing the financial interest of the shareholders. Consideration should be given first and foremost to the board of directors. The board of directors oversees the management of the company, makes decisions on the most important issues and is a representative of the shareholders. To the degree that the board is independent (defined as at least 75% of members are independent, having no personal or business relationship with management, as defined by the relevant exchange), capable and dedicated to the shareholders, support should be for the board’s recommendations.

Management’s record, strategy and tenure will contribute in the decision-making process. The tendency will be to side with management if, in the past, it has shown the intent and ability to maximize shareholder wealth over the long term. Management will not be judged on a quarter-by-quarter basis, but judged on decisions that are consistent with the long-term interests of the shareholders of the company.

The following are specific issues that directly impact the financial interest of the shareholders.

A. Board of Directors

a. Uncontested elections - The Funds will support management’s slate during uncontested elections if the board is independent. The company is the best judge of who is able and available to serve, and who will work well together.

b. Contested elections - will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Both slates of candidates will be evaluated based on a thorough analysis of each contesting side.

c. Independent compensation committee - an independent committee will best represent shareholder interests and guards against conflicts of interest in executive pay decisions. An independent or majority independent committee will have no financial interest in the outcome. The Funds will support proposals for independent compensation committees.

d. Independent nominating committeeThe Funds believe that independent directors selected by a committee of independent directors will be more likely to question the CEO’s business judgment. Therefore, the Funds will support proposals for independent nominating committees.

e. Classified boards - A typical classified board is divided into 3 groups with one group standing for election every third year. The Funds believe that shareholders benefit from the structure as classified boards provide stability of leadership and continuity of management and policy that is crucial when evaluating company issues. Therefore, the Funds’ policy is to support classified boards, unless an independent board proposes to declassify itself, in which case the Funds will support management.

f. Cumulative voting - Under cumulative voting, shareholders are entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of board seats open for election, times the number of shares held. The votes can be cast for one nominee or apportion them, equally or not, amongst the nominees. The Funds believe that each director should act for the benefit of all shareholders and therefore should not be elected by a special group of shareholders. As a result, the Funds do not support cumulative voting. Directors have the fiduciary responsibility to protect and enhance the interests of all shareholders. The potential disruption caused by a minority director with a special agenda is potentially damaging to a majority of shareholders. Directors should act in the benefit of the majority, not the minority.

g. Independent boards - The Funds believe independent boards will permit clear and independent decision-making, benefiting shareholders’ long-term interests. Board members who are independent are more likely to protect shareholders’ interests than company executives or other insiders. An “independent director” is defined as an individual who has had no personal or business relationship with management, as defined by the relevant exchange. While the Funds’ policy is to generally support independent boards, there is no objection to including up to 25% of

 

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insiders or affiliated outsiders on the board. Inside directors have intimate knowledge of the company that will be beneficial during discussions of the company’s long-term prospects. If the board is less than 75% independent, the Funds will withhold their vote for non-CEO board members that are not independent.

h. Separate chairman, CEO positions - Proponents contend that an individual with both positions is accountable to no one. The CEO is a management employee, responsible for day-to-day operations, implementing corporate strategy, and accountable to the board. The chairman is responsible for the overall direction of the company, protecting the shareholders’ interests, evaluating the performance of the CEO, and is accountable to the shareholders.

Opponents contend it would dilute the power of the CEO to provide effective leadership, create a potential rivalry between the two positions leading to compromise rather than decisive action, insulate the CEO from being held accountable by the board if the chairman is overprotective, and finally, may cause confusion by having two public spokesmen. Despite the widespread use of this structure in Britain, it is relatively revolutionary in the U.S. If the board is independent, the Funds will support the company’s recommendation regarding separate chairman, CEO positions. Other situations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

i. Minimum director stock / fund ownership - proponents contend that a director’s interests will be more aligned with shareholders if the director has a personal stake in the company. Additionally, many companies are providing part of their compensation in the form of stock for directors.

Opponents contend that minimum stock/fund ownership requirements will restrict the search to qualified, wealthy board candidates. This could eliminate other candidates who may not be able to pay the price of the required stock.

The Funds will not support proposals for minimum director stock ownership.

j. Majority vote to elect directors – Shareholder concern about director elections is an outgrowth of their concern about director accountability in the aftermath of corporate scandals. Opponents argue that because of the “holdover” provision applicable to most directors, a resignation policy could be more effective in actually effecting the removal of an unpopular director. Proponents maintain that a resignation policy approach still leaves such a director technically “elected” and puts the onus on other board members to take action against one of their colleagues.

The Funds will support proposals for a majority vote requirement to elect directors.

k. Increase/decrease size of board – The board and management are in the best position to determine the structure for the board. If the board is independent, the Funds will support proposals to increase or decrease the size of the board if the board will be comprised of at least 5 but no more than 20 members. Outside of this range, the Funds will vote against a change in the size of a board of directors.

l. Limit number of boards served – The board and management are in the best position to determine the structure for the board. The Funds will not support proposals to limit the number of boards a director may serve on.

m. Term limits - Opponents of term limits sustain that the board and management are in the best position to determine a workable, efficient structure for the board. Furthermore, shareholders may approve or disapprove of certain directors with their vote at annual meetings. The board should be free to identify the individuals who will best serve the shareholders. Supporters of term limits say that limiting the number of years that a director can serve on the board provides a built-in mechanism to force turnover. A structure that specifically limits the period of time a director can serve provides opportunities for recruiting directors with new ideas and perspectives.

The Funds will not support proposals to institute term limits.

B. Executive / Director compensation

a. Incentive/Stock option plans (establish, amend, add) - proponents contend that incentive/stock option plans are designed to attract, hold and motivate management. Shareholders generally favor these plans, as top managers should have a stake in their company that ties compensation to performance. By aligning management’s interests with shareholders toward a goal of increasing shareholder value, better returns usually result.

 

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Opponents contend that incentive/stock option plans may dilute the shareholders’ claim on profits and assets and may lead to a shift in the balance of voting control. Additionally, easily attainable incentive goals may not provide the necessary incentive for management.

If the board is independent and if the company has performed well over the previous 3- or 5- year period, the Funds will generally support these plans. However, the Funds will not support plans that permit:

 

   

Dilution in excess of the company’s peer group, unless overall executive compensation levels (including the value of the options) are at or below the peer group; or

 

   

Repricing/replacing underwater options

b. Discounted stock options - options that may be exercised at prices below the stock’s fair market value on the award date. Sometimes called non-qualified options, these options are granted “in-the-money” or immediately exercisable for a profit. The Funds do not support discounted stock options, as they do not give management much incentive to increase share value, while the purpose of granting stock options is to align executives’ interests with those of the shareholders.

c. Exchange of underwater options - options with an exercise price higher than the market price are considered "underwater" and, needless to say, unattractive. The Funds do not support the exchange of underwater options that result in a financial gain to the participants since other shareholders have no such protection from falling stock prices and since executives would bear no risk if management is willing to bail them out when the stock price falls. The Funds will support the exchange of underwater options that do not result in a financial gain to the participants.

d. Cap or limit executive and director pay - The Funds will not support capping or limiting executive or director pay. Pay flexibility is necessary to motivate and retain top quality executives and align shareholder and management interests.

e. Link pay to performance - Proponents contend that by linking pay to performance management’s interests will be aligned with shareholders. Management with compensation packages containing little volatility or risk may have a goal other than maximizing shareholder wealth. As a result, the Funds will support proposals to link pay to performance. However, the Funds will not support proposals requiring that an excessive portion (75% or more) of equity compensation be performance based.

f. Golden parachute provisions - provide severance payments to top executives who are terminated or demoted after a change in control (takeover). They provide some financial security to executives relieving potential anxiety as they negotiate and impartially evaluate future takeover bids. This provision will allow executives to not oppose a merger that might be in the best interests of the shareholders but may cost them their job. Parachutes may also benefit shareholders as they aid in the attraction and retention of managers.

However, opponents contend the existence of these provisions can discourage takeover attempts, as significant sums may have to be paid to company executives. Executives are already well paid to manage the company and should not have an extra reward. Additionally, shareholder approval is generally not necessary for enactment of this provision.

Properly conceived, golden parachutes can free management to act in the best interests of shareholders. Often, however, it is clearly an attempt to raise the cost to a third party of acquiring the company. Other criteria for analyzing the actual approval of parachute plans might include necessity, breadth of participation, payout size, sensitivity of triggers and leveraged buyout restrictions. If the board is independent and the company has performed well over the previous 3- or 5-year period, the Funds will support golden parachute provisions.

g. Executive incentive bonus plans - Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits companies from deducting more than $1 million in compensation paid to each of the top five executives, unless the compensation is paid under a performance-based, shareholder approved plan. To maintain compliance, these performance-based plans require shareholder approval every five years.

Cash bonus plans can be an important part of an executive’s overall pay package, along with stock-based plans tied to long-term total shareholder returns. Over the long term, stock prices are an excellent indicator of management performance. However, other factors, such as economic conditions and investor reaction to the stock market in general, and certain industries in particular, can greatly impact the company’s stock price. As a result, a cash bonus plan can effectively reward individual performance and the achievement of business unit objectives that are independent of short-term market share price fluctuations. Moreover, preservation of the full deductibility of all compensation paid reduces the company’s corporate tax obligation.

 

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Generally, the Funds will support these performance-based plans. However, if the compensation committee is not 100% independent, the proposal will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

h. Supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs) - Supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs) provide supplemental retirement benefits for executives in excess of IRS compensation limitations. SERPs are unfunded plans and payable out of the company’s general assets. The ability of a company to offer a SERP could affect the company’s ability to compete for qualified senior executives, and could place the company at a competitive disadvantage to its peers.

Opponents contend that such benefits are unnecessary given the high levels of executive compensation at most companies.

Generally, the Funds will support SERPs. However, if the compensation committee is not 100% independent, the proposal will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

i. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation - The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires companies to conduct non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation at least every three years.

If the board is independent, the Funds will support management. All other will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

j. Frequency of Advisory Vote on Executive CompensationThe Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act also allows each company to decide whether it will hold an annual, biennial or triennial nonbinding shareholder vote on executive compensation. Companies are required to allow shareholders the opportunity to vote on the frequency of shareholder votes at least every six years.

If the board is independent, the Funds will support management. If the board is not independent, the Funds will support a one-year frequency.

C. RIC Contracts and Policies

a. Investment Advisory Contracts - All proposals regarding new investment advisory contracts or amendments to existing contracts will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Due to the complex and varied nature of these proposals, the principal emphasis will be on the financial ramifications of the proposal for the Funds’ shareholders.

b. Distribution Plans - All proposals pertaining to a RIC’s distribution plan will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, weighing any proposed additional fees to be paid by shareholders against the potential benefits. The analysis will foremost consider the effects of the proposal on the shareholders.

c. Fundamental Objectives / Policies - All proposals regarding the fundamental investment objectives or policies of a RIC will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Due to the complex and varied nature of these proposals, the principal emphasis will be on the financial ramifications of the proposal for the shareholders.

D. Confidential voting – The Funds believe that confidential voting restricts communication between shareholders and management. Additionally, the system of free and open proxy voting protects shareholder interests and ensures that the fiduciary obligations of investment funds are met. These representatives are then fully accountable to their constituents. Confidential voting is also expensive, as voting must be tabulated by a third party before presentation. The Funds will not support confidential voting. Management cannot address shareholder concerns if they cannot identify the dissenting voters. Undue pressure will not be condoned but our concern is that communication might be diminished during a time when shareholders are considering significant issues. Implementing confidential voting is not an acceptable tradeoff for the potential loss of open dialogue.

E. Supermajority-voting provisions - Proponents contend that a broad agreement should be reached on issues that may have a significant impact on the company. Supermajority vote requirements usually require a level of voting approval in excess of a simple majority of the outstanding shares. Usually this range is from 66% to 80%, but in some cases even higher.

 

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Opponents contend that supermajority-voting provisions detract from a simple majority’s power to enforce its will. In many cases, the supermajority requirement will make it impossible to repeal or enact proposals due to the number of votes needed. Matters of corporate policy, a sale of assets or a sale of the entire company should ordinarily only require a majority of shareholders.

The Funds will support supermajority provisions up to 67%. All situations regarding supermajority-voting provisions larger than 67% will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

F. Right to call a special meeting – Proponents seek to change company’s bylaws and other appropriate governing documents to allow shareholders of between 10% and 25% of outstanding common stock to call a special meeting. Proponents believe special meetings will allow shareholders to vote on urgent matters that may arise between regularly scheduled meetings.

Opponents contend that typically company regulations allow for majority shareholders to call special meetings which is a reasonable threshold in order to avoid the expense of unnecessary meetings.

The Funds will support these proposals if proposed by management and the board is independent. However, if proposed by shareholders, the Funds will support proposals for the right to call a special meeting by shareholders of 30% or greater of outstanding common stock.

G. Right to Act by Written ConsentProponents request that the board undertake such steps as may be necessary to permit shareholders to act by written consent of a majority of shares outstanding to the extent permitted by law. Proponents believe that taking action by written consent in lieu of a meeting is a mechanism shareholders can use to raise important matters outside the normal annual meeting cycle.

Opponents of this proposal believe if implemented it would create confusion because shareholders could receive materials at various points throughout the year requesting action by written consent on a range of issues. Opponents also believe the company could be burdened by frequent, special interest demands that would tie up money and other valuable resources. If proposals requiring immediate attention arise, the board can call a special meeting if deemed necessary.

If the board is independent, the Funds will support the company’s recommendation regarding the right to act by written consent. Other situations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

H. Anti-takeover proposalsPoison pills, preemptive rights, fair pricing and dual class voting provisions force potential bidders to deal directly with the board of directors. The board’s role is to protect shareholders against unfair and unequal treatment and guard against partial tender offers and other abusive tactics. Fair and equitable offers will not be prevented and will equally benefit all shareholders.

a. Poison pills (Shareholder rights plans) - protect shareholders from coercive and unfair offers. Therefore, all shareholders should receive a better/fairer offer. If the board is independent, the Funds will support poison pills. If the board is not independent, each situation involving poison pills will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

b. Preemptive rights - enable shareholders to retain the same percentage of ownership during additional stock offerings. This eliminates the effect of dilution on the shareholder. The Funds will support preemptive rights.

c. Fair pricing provisions - require that if offers are not approved by the board, the bidder must pay the same "fair" price for all shares purchased. The fair price is usually defined as the highest price paid by the bidder for shares acquired before the start of the tender offer. This provision attempts to prevent "two-tiered" offers in which the bidder offers a premium for sufficient shares to gain control then offers a much lower price to the remaining holders. The Funds will support fair pricing provisions.

d. Dual class voting provisions - create unequal voting rights among different shareholders. These provisions allow companies to raise capital and expand while letting management maintain control without fear of being acquired. However, these provisions enable management to become entrenched, as it is an anti-takeover mechanism. With management controlling the voting power, no one will pay a premium for shares of a company when there is no way for them to obtain voting control of the company. The Funds will not support dual class voting provisions.

 

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I.     Stock related proposals

a. Increase authorized common/preferred stock - A request for additional shares of stock was, in the past, considered a routine voting item. Companies usually state it is for a specific use, such as a stock split, acquisition or for "general corporate purposes." However, an abundance of authorized but unissued shares can become an anti-takeover measure, such as implementing a poison pill or placing a large block of stock with a friendly holder to maintain control.

If the board is independent, the Funds will support increases in common/preferred stock. The authorization will give companies the ability and flexibility to finance corporate growth. If the board is not independent, the Funds will not support increases in common/preferred stock.

b. Targeted share placements - the issuance of a specific block of company securities to a friendly shareholder. These placements are often used to defend against an unfriendly takeover or to obtain favorable financing and may be executed using common stock, preferred stock or convertible securities. Targeted share placements are often less expensive to execute than issuing stock, they do not require the high interest rates of traditional debt and a placement can be structured for the benefit of the limited number of parties. Additionally, share placements can be executed fairly quickly and shareholder approval is not required.

Opponents contend targeted placements give selected shareholders an unfair access to valuable securities while diluting current shareholder’s proportional ownership and voting interests. Additionally, critics contend that not only do targeted share placements serve to entrench management, but also the holder of the share placement may have a senior claim or return from company assets.

All situations regarding targeted share placements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Since such stock could be used to dilute the ownership rights of current shareholders, shareholders should have the opportunity to analyze the proposal to determine whether it is in their best economic interests.

J. Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructurings - These transactions involve fundamental changes in the structure and allocation of a company’s assets.

All situations regarding mergers, acquisitions, or restructuring will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Due to the complexity and company-specific nature of these proposals, the principal emphasis will be on the financial ramifications of the proposal. The Manager shall consider whether the long-term interests of the applicable Fund(s) as a shareholder will be best served by the company continuing as is.

5. Other Business – The Funds will support management with respect to “Other Business.”

6. Adjourn Meeting – The Funds will support management with respect to proposals to adjourn the shareholder meeting.

All other issues will be decided on a case-by-case basis. As with other non-routine proposals, decisions will be based primarily on management and board responsiveness to enhancing shareholder wealth.

Issues requiring analysis on a case-by-case basis will be voted according to the Consultant’s recommendation when the Funds own less than 1% of the company’s outstanding shares and less than $3 million of the company’s market capitalization.

International Funds - Procedures

1. Voting - The International Funds’ Boards of Trustees have delegated proxy voting to the International Subadvisers. Each International Fund has adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of its respective subadviser(s). The Manager maintains copies of the International Subadvisers’ policies and will periodically check the voting record for adherence to the policies. If any discrepancies are noted, the Manager will follow up with the International Subadviser.

2. Conflicts of Interest - Each International Subadviser receives from the Manager the list of affiliated persons for each International Fund. Any proxy proposal involving an entity on this list could be considered to represent a conflict of interest between a) the Manager, an International Subadviser, the distributor or any of their affiliates and b) Fund shareholders. If an International Subadviser receives a proxy involving one of these entities, it will notify the Manager and forward all proxy materials for consideration by the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will decide the Fund's voting position in consultation with the Manager and the International Subadviser.

 

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If an unforeseen conflict pertaining to a particular proxy proposal becomes apparent, the International Subadviser will notify the Manager and forward all proxy materials for consideration by the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will decide the Fund's voting position in consultation with the Manager and the International Subadviser.

All Funds - Other Procedures

1. Recordkeeping - Records of all votes will be maintained by a) the Consultant for the Domestic Funds and b) the International Subadvisers for the International Funds. Documentation of all votes for the Domestic Funds will be maintained by the Manager and the Consultant. Such documentation will include the recommendations of the Subadvisers along with pertinent supporting comments and letters, the Policy, the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers, any and all company reports provided by proxy advisory consulting services, additional information gathered by the Manager, minutes from any meeting at which the Boards of Trustees considered a voting matter, the conclusion and final vote.

2. Disclosure - The Manager, in conjunction with the Consultant, will compile the Funds’ proxy voting record for each year ended June 30 and file the required information with the SEC via Form N-PX by August 31. The Manager will include a summary of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers, as applicable, in each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). In each Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, the Manager will disclose that a description of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers, as applicable, is a) available upon request, without charge, by toll-free telephone request, b) on the Funds’ website (if applicable), and c) on the SEC’s website in the SAI. The SAI and shareholder reports will also disclose that the Funds’ proxy voting record is available by toll-free telephone request (or on the Funds’ website) and on the SEC’s website by way of the Form N-PX. Within three business days of receiving a request, the Manager will send a copy of the policy description or voting record by first-class mail.

3. Board Oversight - On at least an annual basis, the Manager will present a summary of the voting records of the Funds to the Boards of Trustees for their review. The Boards of Trustees will annually consider for approval the Policy and the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers. In addition, the Manager and International Subadvisers will notify the Board of any material changes to the proxy voting policies and procedures.

 

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AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS

PART C. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28.

      Exhibits

(a)

   (1)    Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated November 1, 2004 – (xiv)
   (2)    Written Instrument Amending the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, filed with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on March 23, 2005 – (xxi)

(b)

      Bylaws – (i)

(c)

      Rights of holders of the securities being registered are contained in Articles III, VIII, X, XI and XII of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust and Articles III, V, VI and XI of the Registrant’s Bylaws

(d)

   (1)(A)    Management Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, American Beacon Master Trust and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated
September 12, 2008 – (xx)
   (1)(B)    Amendment to Management Agreement, dated February 13, 2009 – (xxx)
   (1)(C)    Form of Amendment to Management Agreement – (xxv)
   (1)(D)    Amendment to Management Agreement, dated December 8, 2010 – (xxxiv)
   (1)(E)    Amendment to Management Agreement, dated July 1, 2011 – (xlii)
   (1)(F)    Amendment to Management Agreement, dated February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
   (2)(A)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
   (2)(B)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
   (2)(C)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, dated June 24, 2011 – (xlii)
   (2)(D)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Calamos Advisors LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
   (2)(E)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Causeway Capital Management LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
   (2)(F)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Dreman Value Management LLC, dated January 19, 2011 – (xxxix)


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  (2)(G)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Franklin Advisers, Inc., dated January 13, 2011 – (xxxix)
  (2)(H)(i)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xlii)
  (2)(H)(ii)    Amended Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, dated March 17, 2011 – (xlii)
  (2)(I)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Lazard Asset Management LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
  (2)(J)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Logan Circle Partners, L.P., dated January 14, 2011 – (xxxix)
  (2)(K)(i)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
  (2)(K)(ii)    Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., dated January 1, 2009 – (xxxix)
  (2)(L)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
  (2)(M)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Opus Capital Group, LLC, dated January 14, 2011 – (xxxix)
  (2)(N)(i)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Pzena Investment Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
  (2)(N)(ii)    Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Pzena Investment Management, LLC, dated April 1, 2009 – (xxxix)
  (2)(O)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
  (2)(P)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 – (xxxix)
  (2)(Q)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and The Renaissance Group LLC, dated January 21, 2011 – (xxxix)


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  (2)(R)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Winslow Capital Management, Inc., dated January 20, 2011– (xxxix)
  (2)(S)    Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC dated January 20, 2011 – (xxxix)
  (2)(T)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Zebra Capital Management, LLC dated May 25, 2010 – (xxxix)
  (2)(U)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Strategic Income Management, LLC – (xxxvii)
  (2)(V)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Dean Capital Management, LLC (xliii)
  (2)(W)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Fox Asset Management, LLC (xliii)
  (2)(X)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Signia Capital Management, LLC (xliii)
  (2)(Y)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. dated January 20, 2011 – (xxxix)
  (2)(Z)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Massachusetts Financial Services Company – (xxxv)
  (2)(AA)(i)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and GAM International Management Limited, dated June 27, 2011 - (xlii)
  (2)(AA)(ii)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and GAM International Management Limited, dated August 10, 2011 – (xliv)
  (2)(BB)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, dated June 24, 2011 – (xlii)
  (2)(CC)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC, dated June 13, 2011 – (xlii)
  (2)(DD)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC (to be filed by subsequent amendment)
  (2)(EE)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., dated November 17, 2011 – (filed herewith)
  (2)(FF)    Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Holland Capital Management LLC (to be filed by subsequent amendment)


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(e)    (1)    Form of Distribution Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, dated March 31, 2009 – (xxx)
   (2)    Amended and Restated Appendix A the to Distribution Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, dated February 1, 2012 – (filed herewith)
(f)       Bonus, profit sharing or pension plans – (none)
(g)    (1)    Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated
December 1, 1997 – (ii)
   (2)    Amended and Restated Schedule D to the Custodian Agreement, dated February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
(h)    (1)(A)    Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated January 1, 1998 – (ii)
   (1)(B)    Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement regarding anti-money laundering procedures, dated July 24, 2002 – (viii)
   (1)(C)    Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement regarding anti-money laundering procedures, dated September 24, 2002 – (ix)
   (1)(D)    Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to replace fee schedule, dated March 26, 2004 – (xviii)
   (1)(E)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement – (to be filed by subsequent amendment)
   (1)(F)    Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the American Beacon Funds and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., dated March 15, 2008 – (xxxvi)
   (2)(A)    First Amendment to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, dated May 2, 2008 – (xxxvi)
   (2)(B)    Second Amendment to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, dated May 20, 2009 – (xxxvi)
   (2)(C)    Third Amendment to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, dated November 3, 2009 – (xxxvi)
   (3)(A)    Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 – (xx)
   (3)(B)    Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated April 30, 2009 – (xxii)


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  (3)(C)    Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated July 24, 2009 – (xxiii)
  (3)(D)    Form of Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc. – (xxv)
  (3)(E)    Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated November 18, 2010 – (xxxiv)
  (3)(F)    Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated July 1, 2011 – (xlii)
  (3)(G)    Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
  (4)(A)    Administrative Services Agreement among American AAdvantage Funds, American AAdvantage Mileage Funds, AMR Investment Services Trust, AMR Investment Services, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated November 29, 1999 – (iii)
  (4)(B)    Amendment to Administrative Services Agreement among American AAdvantage Funds, American AAdvantage Mileage Funds, AMR Investment Services Trust, AMR Investment Services, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company to add Mid-Cap Value Fund and Emerging Markets Fund, dated
June 30, 2004 – (xiii)
  (4)(C)    Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated March 1, 2005 – (xxxvi)
  (4)(D)    Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated December 7, 2010 – (xxxvi)
  (4)(E)    Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated February 6, 2012 – (filed herewith)
  (5)    Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Investor Class, dated March 6, 2009 – (xxiii)


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   (6)    Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Advisor Class (formerly known as the AAdvantage Funds Service Class), dated May 1, 2003 – (x)
   (7)(A)    Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Retirement Class, dated April 30, 2009 – (xxii)
   (7)(B)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Retirement Class, dated December 15, 2010 – (xxxvi)
   (8)(A)    Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Y Class, dated July 24, 2009 – (xxiii)
   (8)(B)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Y Class, dated February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
   (9)(A)    Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds A Class, dated February 16, 2010 – (xxvii)
   (9)(B)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds A Class, dated February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
   (10)(A)    Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds C Class, dated May 25, 2010 – (xxxi)
   (10)(B)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds C Class, dated February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
   (11)    Master-Feeder Participation Agreement among Small Cap Index Fund, International Equity Index Fund, Quantitative Master Series Trust, and Princeton Funds Distributor, Inc., dated June 30, 2000 – (iv)
   (12)    Master-Feeder Participation Agreement among S&P 500 Index Fund, Equity 500 Index Portfolio and SSgA Funds Management, Inc., dated May 1, 2001 – (vii)
   (13)    Amended and Restated Credit Agreement between American Beacon Funds and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated January 31, 2008 – (xix)
   (14)    Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement, dated January 27, 2012 – (filed herewith)
(i)       Opinion and consent of counsel – (filed herewith)
(j)       Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – (none)
(k)       Financial statements omitted from prospectus – (none)
(l)       Letter of investment intent – (i)
(m)    (1)    Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Advisor Class (formerly known as the Service Class) – (x)


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   (2)    Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Retirement Class – (xxiii)
   (3)(A)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Retirement Class, dated December 15, 2010 – (xxxvi)
   (3)(B)    Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class – (xxx)
   (4)(A)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class, dated
February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
   (4)(B)    Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the C Class – (xxxi)
   (5)(A)    Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the C Class, dated
February 3, 2012 – (filed herewith)
(n)       Amended and Restated Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3, dated March 9, 2011 – (xl)
(p)    (1)    Code of Ethics of American Beacon Advisors, Inc., American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, and American Beacon Select Funds, dated March 14, 2011 – (xl)
   (2)    Code of Ethics of State Street Master Funds, dated February 18, 2010 – (xxix)
   (3)    Code of Ethics of Quantitative Master Series LLC, dated May 15, 2008, as amended December 1, 2009 – (xxix)
   (4)    Code of Ethics of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., dated December 31, 2010 – (xxxviii)
   (5)    Code of Ethics of Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, dated January 2011 – (xl)
   (6)    Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of Calamos Advisors LLC, dated March 17, 2009 – (xxxvi)
   (7)    Code of Ethics of Causeway Capital Management LLC, dated April 25, 2005 and revised
August 10, 2010– (xxxvi)
   (8)    Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of Dreman Value Management LLC, February 24, 2010 – (xxxvi)
   (9)    Code of Ethics and Policy Statement on Insider Trading of Franklin Advisers, Inc., revised May 2010– (xxxvi)
   (10)    Code of Ethics of Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, dated August 2009 – (xxxvi)
   (11)    Code of Ethics and Personal Investment Policy of Lazard Asset Management LLC, dated November 2008 – (xxi)
   (12)    Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Guidelines of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., effective September 17, 2010 – (xxxvi)
   (13)    Code of Ethics and Standard of Professional Conduct of NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., revised September 2011 – (xliii)


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  (14)    Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Opus Capital Group, LLC, dated January 7, 2005 and revised March 31, 2010 – (xxxvi)
  (15)    Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, revised January 2009 – (xxi)
  (16)    Code of Ethics and Policy Statement on Insider Trading of Templeton Investments Counsel, LLC, dated
May 2010 – (xxxvi)
  (17)    Code of Ethics of Renaissance Investment Management, effective May 13, 2010 – (xxxvi)
  (18)    Code of Conduct and Personal Securities Trading Policy of The Bank of New York Mellon, parent company of The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC and Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC – (xxvi)
  (19)    Code of Ethics of Zebra Capital Management, LLC – (xxviii)
  (20)    Code of Ethics for Strategic Income Management, LLC – (xxxiii)
  (21)    Code of Ethics for Dean Capital Management, LLC – (xxxiv)
  (22)    Code of Ethics for Fox Asset Management, LLC – (xxxiv)
  (23)    Code of Ethics for Signia Capital Management, LLC – (xlii)
  (24)    Code of Ethics of Massachusetts Financial Services Co. – (xxxv)
  (25)    Code of Ethics of Brandes Investment Partners, L.P., dated August 15, 2010 – (xlii)
  (26)    Code of Ethics of Fortress Investment Group LLC (on behalf of Logan Circle Partners, L.P. – (xxxviii)
  (27)    Code of Ethics of Nuveen Investments Inc. (on behalf of Winslow Capital Management, Inc.), dated
January 1, 2011, as amended March 14, 2011 and August 15, 2011 (xliii)
  (28)    Code of Ethics of GAM International Management Limited – (xli)
  (29)    Code of Ethics of Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), dated May 2009 (xl)
  (30)    Code of Ethics for Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC, dated March 2011 (xlii)
  (31)    Code of Ethics for Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC (to be filed by subsequent amendment)
  (32)    Code of Ethics for Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., dated June 23, 2011 – (filed herewith)
  (33)    Code of Ethics for Holland Capital Management LLC (to be filed by subsequent amendment)


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Other Exhibits:

Powers of Attorney for Trustees of American Beacon Funds dated November 9, 2011 and November 10, 2011 – (filed herewith)

Powers of Attorney for Trustees of the State Street Master Funds, dated February 2010 – (xxix)

Powers of Attorney for Trustees of the Quantitative Master Series LLC – (xxi)

 

(i)       

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18, 1997. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(ii)      

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 1998. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(iii)     

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 21, 1999. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(iv)     

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 7, 2000. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(v)      

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2000. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(vi)     

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2001. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(vii)    

  

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 t to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on

Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2002. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(viii)  

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 1, 2002. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(ix)     

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2003. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(x)      

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1, 2003. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xi)     

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2003. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xii)    

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2004. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xiii)  

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2004. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xiv)   

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 15, 2004. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)


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(xv)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2005. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xvi)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2005. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xvii)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2006. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xviii)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2007. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xix)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2008. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xx)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 31, 2008. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxi)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2009. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxii)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May1, 2009. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxiii)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 3, 2009. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxiv)    Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of CNL Funds filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 18, 2007 (File Nos. 333-140838 and 811-22017)
(xxv)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 22, 2009. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxvi)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxvii)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxviii)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 18, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxix)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)
(xxx)    Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)


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(xxxi)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 90 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 15, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxii)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 92 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 31, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxiii)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 30, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxiv)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 14, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxv)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 30, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxvi)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 30, 2010. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxvii)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 98 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxviii)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xxxix)

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 101 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xl)     

  

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 18, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and

033-11387)

(xli)    

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 107 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xlii)  

   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and 033-11387)

(xliii) 

  

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 119 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and

033-11387)

(xliv) 

  

Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2011. (File Nos. 811-04984 and

033-11387)

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant

None.


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Item 30. Indemnification

Article XI of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust provides that:

Limitation of Liability

Section 1. Provided they have exercised reasonable care and have acted under the reasonable belief that their actions are in the best interest of the Trust, the Trustees shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for neglect or wrongdoing of them or any officer, agent, employee or investment adviser of the Trust, but nothing contained herein shall protect any Trustee against any liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Indemnification

Section 2.

(a) Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in paragraph (b) below:

(i) every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or officer of the Trust (hereinafter referred to as “Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the appropriate portfolios to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof;

(ii) the words “claim,” “action,” “suit,” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened while in office or thereafter, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

(b) No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:

(i) who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or

(ii) in the event of a settlement, unless there has been a determination that such Trustee or officer did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office (A) by the court or other body approving the settlement; (B) by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or (C) by written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review


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of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); provided, however, that any Shareholder may, by appropriate legal proceedings, challenge any such determination by the Trustees, or by independent counsel.

(c) The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such Trustee or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

(d) Expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit, or proceeding of the character described in paragraph (a) of this Section 2 may be paid by the applicable Portfolio from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 2; provided, however, that:

(i) such Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking;

(ii) the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments; or

(iii) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a trial-type inquiry or full investigation), that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Section 2.

According to Article XII, Section 1 of the Declaration of Trust, the Trust is a trust, not a partnership. Trustees are not liable personally to any person extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust, a particular Portfolio or the Trustees. A Trustee, however, is not protected from liability due to willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

Article XII, Section 2 provides that, subject to the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII and to Article XI, the Trustees are not liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, or for any act or omission in accordance with advice of counsel or other experts or for failing to follow such advice.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Management Agreement provides that:

8. Limitation of Liability of the Manager. The Manager shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Trust or any Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it


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of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of the Manager, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of a Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to a Trust or acting in any business of a Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for a Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of the Manager even though paid by it.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Straus, Inc. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 11 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC provides that:

11. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders, the Manager or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Manager shall indemnify the Adviser, its officers, directors and employees, and each person, if any, who, within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, controls the Adviser, for any liability and expenses, including without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which may be sustained as a result of the Manager’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder.

 


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Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Calamos Advisors LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. Adviser will not be liable for any loss suffered by reason of any investment, decision, recommendation, or other action taken or omitted in what Adviser in good faith believes to be the proper performance of its duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Causeway Capital Management LLC provides that:

8. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Dean Capital Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Dreman Value Management LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Fox Asset Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Franklin Advisers, Inc. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.


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Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with GAM International Management Limited provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Holland Capital Management LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Lazard Asset Management LLC provides that:

8. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Logan Circle Partners, L.P. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.


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Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Massachusetts Financial Services Co. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 7 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. provides that:

7. (a) Standard of Care. Except as may otherwise be provided by applicable laws and regulations, neither the Adviser nor any of its affiliates or its or their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be subject to any liability to the Manager, the Trust, the Portfolios or any shareholder of a Portfolio or the Trust for any error of judgment or any loss arising out of any investment or other act or omission in the course of, connected with, or arising out of any service to be rendered under this Agreement, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder. The Manager acknowledges and agrees that the Adviser makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Portfolios or the Assets designated by the Manager to the Adviser, or that the Portfolios or such Assets will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Adviser, whether public or private.

(b) Indemnification. The Manager shall hold harmless and indemnify the Adviser for any and all claims, losses, liabilities, costs, damages or expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) (“Losses”) incurred by the Adviser in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require that the Adviser be indemnified for Losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.

The Adviser shall hold harmless and indemnify the Manager for any and all Losses incurred by the Manager that arise from the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require that the Manager be indemnified for Losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Manager’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Manager’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C. provides that:

8. Liability of Adviser. Adviser will not be liable for any loss suffered by reason of any investment, decision, recommendation, or other action taken or omitted in what Adviser in good faith believes to be the proper performance of its duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.


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Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Opus Capital Group, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Pacific Investment Management Company LLC provides that:

8. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Pzena Investment Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in its reasonable judgment, in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Agreement, or in accordance with (or in the absence of) specific directions or instructions from the Manager. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Signia Capital Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

 


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Manager shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Adviser for (a) any action taken, omitted or suffered by Adviser in connection with this Agreement or the services provided hereunder, unless such act or omission shall have resulted from Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence; or (b) any loss arising from Adviser’s adherence to Manager’s instructions. Adviser shall in no event be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Strategic Income Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC provides that:

8. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC provides that:

8. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with The Renaissance Group LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.


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Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Winslow Capital Management, Inc. provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Zebra Capital Management, LLC provides that:

9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

Numbered Paragraph 11 of the Administration Agreement provides that:

11. Limitation of Liability of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (“ABA”). ABA shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Trust or any Series in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of ABA, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of a Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to any Trust or acting in any business of a Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of ABA even though paid by it.

Section 4.2 of the Distribution Agreement provides that:

(a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Foreside shall not be responsible for, and the Clients shall on behalf of each applicable Fund or Class thereof, indemnify and hold harmless Foreside, its employees, directors, officers and managers and any person who controls Foreside within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (for purposes of this Section 4.2(a), “Foreside Indemnitees”) from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, liabilities and other expenses of every nature and character (including, but not limited to, direct and indirect reasonable reprocessing costs) arising out of or attributable to all and any of the following (for purposes of this Section 4.2(a), a “Foreside Claim”):

(i) any action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection with this Agreement; provided, that such action (or omission to act) is taken in good faith and without willful misfeasance, negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and obligations under this Agreement;

(ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or arising out of or based upon any alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such


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statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Clients in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement or exhibits to the Registration Statement by or on behalf of Foreside;

(iii) any material breach of the Clients’ agreements, representations, warranties, and covenants in Sections 2.9 and 5.2 of this Agreement; or

(iv) the reliance on or use by Foreside or its agents or subcontractors of information, records, documents or services which have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Clients or any agent of the Clients, including but not limited to any Predecessor Records provided pursuant to Section 2.9(b).

(b) Foreside will indemnify, defend and hold the Clients and their several officers and members of their Governing Bodies and any person who controls the Clients within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (collectively, the “Clients Indemnitees” and, with the Foreside Indemnitees, an “Indemnitee”), free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith), but only to the extent that such claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses result from, arise out of or are based upon all and any of the following (for purposes of this Section 4.2(c), a “Clients Claim” and, with a Foreside Claim, a “Claim”):

(i) any material action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection with this Agreement, provided that such action (or omission to act) is not taken in good faith and with willful misfeasance, negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and obligations under this Agreement.

(ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Clients in writing in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement by or on behalf of Foreside; or

(iii) any material breach of Foreside’s agreements, representations, warranties and covenants set forth in Section 2.4 and 5.1 hereof

(d) The Clients or Foreside (for purpose of this Section 4.2(d), an “Indemnifying Party”) may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Foreside Claim or Clients Claim, respectively, and may retain counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party and approved by the other Party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Indemnifying Party shall advise the other Party that it will assume the defense of the suit and retain counsel within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of the claim. If the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of any such suit and retains counsel, the other Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel that they retain. If the Indemnifying Party does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if other Party does not approve of counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party, or if the other Party has been


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advised that it may have available defenses or claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party will reimburse any Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel that the Indemnitee retains. An Indemnitee shall not settle or confess any claim without the prior written consent of the applicable Client, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

(e) An Indemnifying Party’s obligation to provide indemnification under this section is conditioned upon the Indemnifying Party receiving notice of any action brought against an Indemnitee within twenty (20) days after the summons or other first legal process is served. Such notice shall refer to the Person or Persons against whom the action is brought. The failure to provide such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of any liability that it may have to any Indemnitee except to the extent that the ability of the party entitled to such notice to defend such action has been materially adversely affected by the failure to provide notice.

(f) The provisions of this section and the parties’ representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnitee and shall survive the sale and redemption of any Shares made pursuant to subscriptions obtained by Foreside. The indemnification provisions of this section will inure exclusively to the benefit of each person that may be an Indemnitee at any time and their respective successors and assigns (it being intended that such persons be deemed to be third party beneficiaries under this Agreement).

Section 4.3 of the Distribution Agreement provides that:

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except as specifically set forth below:

(a) Neither Party shall be liable for losses, delays, failure, errors, interruption or loss of data occurring directly or indirectly by reason of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; action or inaction of civil or military authority; public enemy; war; terrorism; riot; fire; flood; sabotage; epidemics; labor disputes; civil commotion; interruption, loss or malfunction of utilities, transportation, computer or communications capabilities; insurrection; or elements of nature;

(b) Neither Party shall be liable for any consequential, special or indirect losses or damages suffered by the other Party, whether or not the likelihood of such losses or damages was known by the Party;

(c) No affiliate, director, officer, employee, manager, shareholder, partner, agent, counsel or consultant of either Party shall be liable at law or in equity for the obligations of such Party under this Agreement or for any damages suffered by the other Party related to this Agreement;

(d) Except as set forth in Section 4.2(f), there are no third party beneficiaries of this Agreement;

(e) Each Party shall have a duty to mitigate damages for which the other Party may become responsible;


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(f) The assets and liabilities of each Fund are separate and distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Fund, and no Fund shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Fund, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise; and in asserting any rights or claims under this Agreement, Foreside shall look only to the assets and property of the Fund to which Foreside’s rights or claims relate in settlement of such rights or claims; and

(g) Each Party agrees promptly to notify the other party of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding of which it becomes aware arising out of or in any way connected with the issuance or sale of Shares.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Item 31. I.     Business and Other Connections of Investment Manager

American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the “Manager”) offers investment management and administrative services to the Registrant. It acts in the same capacity to other investment companies, including those listed below.

Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.

 

Name; Current Position with American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

  

Other Substantial Business and Connections

Michael M. Albert; Director

   Director, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Director, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Managing Member, American Private Equity Management, LLC

Sonia L. Bates; Asst. Treasurer, Dir. Tax & Financial Reporting

   Asst. Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Asst. Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.

Rosemary K. Behan; Secretary, CLO, General Counsel, VP, Legal & Compliance

   Secretary, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Secretary, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Secretary, American Private Equity Management, LLC

Melinda G. Heika; Treasurer, VP, Finance & Accounting

   Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Treasurer, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Treasurer, American Private Equity Management, LLC


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Gene L. Needles, Jr.; Director, CEO, President, Portfolio Manager

   Director, CEO, President, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Director, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.

John J. Okray; Asst. Secretary, Assistant General Counsel

   Asst. Secretary, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Asst. Secretary, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Formerly VP, Legal, OppenheimerFunds, Inc.

Ernest S. O’Neal; Director

   Director, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Director, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Managing Member, American Private Equity Management, LLC; Director, Alcoa Inc.

William F. Quinn; Director, Executive Chairman

   Chairman & Director, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Chairman & Director, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; President & Managing Member, American Private Equity Management, LLC; Director, American Airlines Federal Credit Union; Director, Hicks Acquisition II, Inc.; Independent Trustee, National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust.

Richard P. Schifter; Director

   Director, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Director, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Managing Member, American Private Equity Management, LLC; Partner, TPG Capital; Director, Republic Airways Holdings Inc.; Director, Ariel Holdings Ltd.; Director, LPL Investment Holdings Inc.; Director, Everbank Financial Corp.; Director, Direct General Corporation; Director, Bristol Group; Director, Private Equity Growth Capital Council.

Kneeland C. Youngblood; Director

   Director, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc.; Director, Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc.; Managing Member, American Private Equity Management, LLC; Partner, Pharos Capital Group, LLC; Director, Burger King Corp.; Director, Energy Future Holdings Corp.; Director, Gap, Inc.; Director, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

The principal address of the Manager, the American Beacon funds listed above, American Private Equity Management, LLC, Lighthouse Holdings, Inc., and Lighthouse Holdings Parent, Inc. is 4151 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155.


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II. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisers

The investment advisers listed below provide investment advisory services to the Trust.

American Beacon Advisors, Inc., 4151 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155.

Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, Texas 75201.

Brandes Investment Partners, L.P., 11988 El Camino Real Suite 500, San Diego, California 92191.

Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, 2929 Arch Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.

Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of Bridgeway Capital Management is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.

 

Name; Current Position with Bridgeway

  

Other Substantial Business and Connections

During the Past Two Fiscal Years

John N. R. Montgomery, Director/Chairman of the Board of Directors/Chief Investment Officer

   Vice President and Director, Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

Linda G. Giuffre, Chief Compliance Officer

   Chief Compliance Officer and Treasurer, Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

Michael D. Mulcahy, Director/President/Chief Operating Officer

   President and Director, Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

Von D. Celestine, Treasurer/Vice President/Secretary

   None

Richard P. Cancelmo, Vice President

   Vice President, Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

Franklin J. Montgomery, Director

   Andover Properties, Ltd. – Owner Andover Richmond Apartment, Ltd. – General Partner

Ann M. Montgomery, Director

   Sage Education Group, LLC - Owner

Leonora R. Montgomery, Owner

   None

The principal address of Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. is 20 Greenway Plaza, Suite 450, Houston, Texas 77046.

Calamos Advisors LLC, 2020 Calamos Court, Naperville, Illinois 60563.

Causeway Capital Management LLC, 11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, California 90025.


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Dean Capital Management, LLC, 7450 W. 130th Street, Suite 150, Overland Park, Kansas 66213.

Dreman Value Management LLC, Harborside Financial Center, Plaza 10, Suite 800, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311.

Fox Asset Management, LLC, 331 Newman Springs Road, Suite 222, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701.

Franklin Advisers, Inc., One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403.

GAM International Management Limited, 12 St. James Place, London, SW1A 1NX.

Holland Capital Management LLC, One North Wacker Drive, Suite 700, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, 725 South Figueroa Street, 39th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017.

Lazard Asset Management LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112.

Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC, 200 Clarendon Street, 28th Floor, Boston, MA 02116

Logan Circle Partners, LP, 1717 Arch Street, Suite 1500, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.

Massachusetts Financial Services Co., 500 Boylston Street, Twenty-First Floor, Boston, MA 02116.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10036.

NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., 150 N. Meramec Avenue, Sixth Floor, St. Louis, Missouri 63105.

Opus Capital Group, LLC, One West Fourth Street, Suite 2500, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), 840 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

Pzena Investment Management, LLC, 120 West 45th Street, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10036.

Signia Capital Management, LLC, 108 North Washington Street, Suite 305, Spokane, Washington 99201.


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Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC, One Boston Place, Suite 2900, 201 Washington Street, Boston Massachusetts 02108-4408.

Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC (“SIMG”). Set forth below is information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and director of SIMG is, or at any time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.

 

Name; Current Position with SIMG

  

Other Substantial Business and Connections

During the Past Two Fiscal Years

Joseph W. Simpson; President and Chief Executive Officer, Manager

   Executive Vice President, Stephens Inc.

Ryan E. Crane; Chief Investment Officer, Manager,
Member Class B

   Senior Vice President, Stephens Inc.

Michael W. Nolte; Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, Manager

   Senior Vice President, Stephens Inc.

David C. Prince; Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel

   Senior Vice President, Stephens Inc.

The principal address of SIMG and Stephens Inc. is 111 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.

Strategic Income Management, LLC, 720 Olive Way, Suite 1675, Seattle, Washington 98102.

Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC, 500 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 2100, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33394.

The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC, One Boston Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02108.

The Renaissance Group LLC, The Baldwin Center, 625 Eden Park Drive, Suite 1200, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

Winslow Capital Management, Inc., 4720 IDS Tower, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.

Zebra Capital Management, LLC, 612 Wheelers Farms Road, Milford, Connecticut 06461.

Information as to the officers and directors of each of the above investment advisers is included in that adviser’s current Form ADV filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference herein.


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Item 32. Principal Underwriter

(a) Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Registrant’s underwriter, serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

  1) AdvisorShares Trust

 

  2) American Beacon Funds

 

  3) American Beacon Mileage Funds

 

  4) American Beacon Select Funds

 

  5) Bennett Group of Funds

 

  6) Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

 

  7) Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

 

  8) Central Park Group Multi-Event Fund

 

  9) Century Capital Management Trust

 

  10) del Rey Global Investors Funds

 

  11) Direxion Shares ETF Trust

 

  12) DundeeWealth Funds

 

  13) FlexShares Trust

 

  14) FocusShares Trust

 

  15) Forum Funds

 

  16) FQF Trust

 

  17) Henderson Global Funds

 

  18) Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC

 

  19) Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC

 

  20) Liberty Street Horizon Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

 

  21) Nomura Partners Funds, Inc.

 

  22) Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

 

  23) PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

 

  24) Precidian ETFs Trust

 

  25) RevenueShares ETF Trust

 

  26) Sound Shore Fund, Inc.

 

  27) Turner Funds

 

  28) Wintergreen Fund, Inc.

(b) The following are officers and directors of Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Registrant’s underwriter. Their main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name

 

Address

 

Position with Underwriter

 

Position with Registrant

Mark A. Fairbanks

  Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   President and Manager   None

Richard J. Berthy

  Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Vice President, Treasurer and Manager   None

Jennifer E. Hoopes

  Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Secretary   None

Nanette K. Chern

  Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer   None

Lisa S. Clifford

  Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Vice President and Director of Compliance   None

(c) Not applicable.


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Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

The books and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained in the physical possession of 1) the Trust’s custodian at State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110; 2) the Manager at American Beacon Advisors, Inc., 4151 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155; 3) Boston Financial Data Services, an affiliate of the Trust’s transfer agent, 330 West 9th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105; 4) Mastercraft, 3021 Wichita Court, Fort Worth, Texas 76140; 5) the Trust’s investment advisers at the addresses listed in Item 26 above; 6) Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Trust’s Principal Underwriter, at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Item 34. Management Services

Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

Not applicable.


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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant represents that this Amendment meets all the requirements for effectiveness pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Fort Worth and the State of Texas, on February 2, 2012.

 

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
By:  

/s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr.

  Gene L. Needles, Jr.
  President

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr.

   President (Principal Executive Officer)   February 2, 2012
Gene L. Needles, Jr.     

/s/ Melinda G. Heika

   Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)   February 2, 2012
Melinda G. Heika     

W. Humphrey Bogart*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
W. Humphrey Bogart     

Brenda A. Cline*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
Brenda A. Cline     

Eugene J. Duffy*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
Eugene J. Duffy     

Thomas M. Dunning*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
Thomas M. Dunning     

Alan D. Feld*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
Alan D. Feld     

Richard A. Massman*

   Chairman and Trustee   February 2, 2012
Richard A. Massman     

R. Gerald Turner*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
R. Gerald Turner     

Paul J. Zucconi*

   Trustee   February 2, 2012
Paul J. Zucconi     

 

*By  

/s/ Rosemary K. Behan

  Rosemary K. Behan
  Attorney-In-Fact


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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Type:

  

Description:

99.d.1

   Amendment to Management Agreement, dated February 3, 2012

99.d.2

   Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., dated November 17, 2011

99.e.2

   Amended and Restated Appendix A the to Distribution Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, dated February 1, 2012

99.g.2

   Amended and Restated Schedule D to the Custodian Agreement, dated February 3, 2012

99.h.3

   Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated February 3, 2012

99.h.4

   Amendment to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated February 6, 2012

99.h.8

   Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Y Class, dated February 3, 2012

99.h.9

   Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds A Class, dated February 3, 2012

99.h.10

   Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds C Class, dated February 3, 2012

99.h.14

   Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Agreement, dated January 27, 2012

99.i

   Opinion and consent of counsel

99.m.4

   Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class, dated February 3, 2012

99.m.5

   Amended and Restated Schedule A to the Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the C Class, dated February 3, 2012

99.p.32

   Code of Ethics for Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., dated June 23, 2011

Other Exhibits:

  

(A)

   Powers of Attorney for Trustees of American Beacon Funds dated November 9, 2011 and November 10, 2011.